14 Observations on Tasmanian Statistics. 



with the total expense iucarred by the Government for immi- 

 gration during the last two years. No return is given of 

 the number of immigrants prior to 1851 ; indeed, for years 

 past it must have been too insignificant for record ; but in 

 that year 4348 arrivals are noted, 12,852 in 1852, and 

 16,808 in 1853. But of these large numbers the real 

 immigration was but a fraction, comprising those only who 

 were introduced at the public expense ; viz., 418 or 9"6 per 

 cent, in 1851 ; 220 or 1-7 per cent, in 1852 ; 1831 or 10-9 

 per cent, in I 853. 



The expenditure on account of immigration for the 

 three years has been, for the Department, including cost of 

 ofBce, lodging, salaries, gratuities, &c., £4475, remittances 

 to England ;039,765, making a total of a£44,240. 



The departures from the colony are recorded from the 

 year 1847, averaging about 4000 a year down to 1850, of 

 whom about 1500 annually were persons who had been 

 convicts. In 1851 the number had risen to 7463, in 1862, 

 21,920, and in 1853, 12,684; and of these the proportion 

 who had been convicts were, in 1851, 2713, or 36"3 per 

 cent.; in 1852, 7357 or 33-5 per cent.; and in 1853, 3096 

 or 23 '6 per cent. 



Perhaps it will explain the movement of the population 

 since the gold discoveries more clearly by stating that 

 34,008 persons arrived in the colony during the three years 

 1851 to 1853 ; and that 42,067 quitted it during the same 

 period, — showing a decrease in the number of inhabitants of 

 8059, or lO'l per cent., as compared with the census 

 of March, 1851. 



Table 8 exhibits the value of the imports and exports 

 for the ten years ending with 1853. Prior to the opening 

 of the gold fields, the commerce of the colony was slowly 

 but steadily advancing ; but that grand discovery imparted 



