454 
Statistics of Van Diemen’s Land. 
Table 43 is a return of the civil process issued out of the 
Supreme Court; and betokens a considerable reduction to the 
extent of one-half, in the proceedings of that court. The result 
is satisfactory in a social point of view, as evincing a growing 
disinclination to enter upon lawsuits, and must also be taken as 
evidence of improvement in the commercial transactions of the 
colony. A tabular statement will best show the decrease referred 
to :— 
Summon 
Actions Declarations Judgmts.on 
tried. filed. cognovits. 
Executions 
Fi. fa. Ca. sa. 
Cognovits. 
1844 . 
...717 
753 
34 
192 
135 
198 63 
36 
1845 . 
... 426 
462 
29 
113 
76 
114 26 
16 
1846 . 
... 340 
390 
40 
106 
54 
95 11 
8 
The 
return 
of process out 
of the Court of Requests, (Table 
47) also shows 
a falling off in 
the amount of its business ; 
viz.-—. 
Sammonses. 
FI. fa. 
Ca. sa. 
Actions 
brought. 
Actions 
tried. 
1844. 
3868 
540 
587 
1868 
2461 
1845. 
3109 
497 
629 
3109 
1791 
1846. 
2337 
541 
177 
2337 
1507 
Table 44 informs us that there are 8 prisons, and that they are 
capable of containing 682 prisoners, including separate cell-rooms 
for 148; and that in 1846 there were 53 confined for misde¬ 
meanors, and 95 for felony, of whom 60 were tried, and 88 
untried at the date of the return. The employment of 528 
only, out of 2274 confined during the year referred to, was hard 
labour; the cases of sickness were 203, or about 9 per cent., the 
greatest number under treatment at one time being 23; and no 
case of death occurring since 1844. Much of this extreme 
healthiness must be ascribed to the judicious regulations as to 
cleanliness and diet. 
From table 45 we learn that in 1845 there were 450 orphans 
under education at the Queen’s Orphan Schools, and 399 in 1846 ; 
and of these numbers 49 and 50 respectively were children of 
free parents, and their expense borne upon colonial funds. 
During 1845,27 were apprenticed, and 101 discharged to friends; 
and in 1846, 49 put apprentice, and 76 discharged. In the 
latter year 7 deaths are recorded, a rather large proportion. 
Table 46 is a return of the assets and liabilities of all the banks, 
with the exception of the Derwent Bank, which refuses to allow 
any statement to be published. There is great steadiness in their 
