450 
Statistics of Van Diemen's Land. 
view. The number of wholesale dealers is 41, and of retailers, 
364, one-half of whom hold licenses within the district of Hobart. 
The obvious tendency of so disproportionate a number of public- 
houses beyond the legitimate demands of the community, is to 
demoralise the population, and to counteract every reformatory 
effort; and in this colony especially, where so many persons owe 
their expatriation primarily to drunkenness from frequenting 
similar houses at home, it is beyond measure cruel to expose them 
to such forcible temptations. Latterly, however, some check has 
been given to the unlimited issues of licenses. The extent of this 
monstrous evil will appear more glaring with the aid of certain 
statistics. Thus there are within the territory 8 public-houses to 
1 baker, 3 to 2 butchers, 5 to 1 grocer; one house out of every 
20 is licensed for the sale of strong drinks; and there is one 
public-house to every 166 of the total population, male and 
female, adults and children, free and bond. 
Tables 18 and 19 furnish various particulars of the Post Office 
department; from which it appears that in 1846 there were 47 
post offices, with an extent of 619 miles of post-roads, and em¬ 
ploying 76 persons. In that year 179,745 letters, and 208,173 
newspapers, were sent from Hobart, and 150,487 letters received 
there. The income was £5,572 9s. 9d.; and the expenditure 
£6,317 Is. 8d. 
Table 20, the return of Pensions, requires no particular comment 
The next group of tables (21—29) relate to the Population, 
upon the return of 1842 ; but we have the benefit of the recently 
taken census upon which to ground our remarks and comparisons. 
The total population, including the military and the aborigines 
is stated at 70,164, or an increase of 11,262, or 19 per cent, upon 
the previous return. There is a decrease of 674 in the class of 
free emigrants, and of 2,158 in the number of convicts in govern¬ 
ment employment; while there is an increase of 5,631 (or exactly 
half the total) in the class of free born in the colony, and of 1647 
in those who have become free. There is an addition of 2,246 
to the ticket-of-leave holders, and 3,768 to the passholders in 
private service. The military also show an increase of 815 souls : 
