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1893

1,804,531

75,086

1894

1,235,989 146,911

1895

23,584,119 32,141,959
20,380,032 29,792,793
20,406,822 30,629,259

£ 80,596 34,102,172 87,427 31,263,120

£

66,602 32,037,052 69,000 31,254,773

8,557,840 9,412,761 1,223,864 117,327 10,222,437 1896 1,237,971 111,889 10,707,611 19,128,305 29,835,916 1897 1,227,964 112,113 10,582,621 19,024,114 29,606,785 79,711 31,026,523

Of the Savings Bank of New South Wales, established in 1832, the Governor is president, and the management is vested in nine trustees. Besides the head office and a branch in Sydney there are 12 branches in the country districts. There are also post-office savings-banks. Statistics of both are given below

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There are also banks in connection with Land, Building, and Investment companies. The amount of deposits in these institutions in March, 1898, was 759,3617. (exclusive of deposits in Benefit, Building, and Investment Societies amounting to 319,3357.).

Agent-General in London.-Sir Julian Salomans, Q. C.

Secretary, Samuel Yardley, C.M.G.

Under the supervision of the Governor of New South Wales are NORFOLK ISLAND, 29° S. latitude, 163 E. longitude, area 10 square miles, population about 750, administered since November 14, 1896, by a Resident Magistrate and an elective council of 12 members who, with a grand jury, deal with all criminal offences not capital; PITCAIRN ISLAND, 25* S., 130° W., area 3 square miles, population 120; LORD HOWE ISLAND, 31° 30′ S., 159° E., population 55, is administered by the Government of New South Wales.

Books of Reference.

The Wealth and Progress of New South Wales. By T. A. Coghlan, Government Statistician. Published annually since 1887. Sydney.

A Statistical Account of the Seven Colonies of Australasia. By T. A. Coghlan, Government Statistician. Published annually. Sydney.

Historical Records of New South Wales. 4 vols. Sydney, 1896.

New South Wales Statistical Register. Published annually since 1858. Sydney.

Report on the Eleventh Census (1891). By T. A. Coghlan, Government Statistician, Sydney, 1894.

Railways of New South Wales. Report of Commissioners. Published annually. Sydney. Report of Mining Department. Published annually. Sydney.

Annual Statement of the Trade of the United Kingdom with Foreign Countries and British Possessions. Annual. London.

Chalmers (R.), A History of Currency in the British Colonies. London, 1893. Fergusson (D.), Vicissitudes of Bush Life in Australia and New Zealand. 8. London, 1891. Griffin (G. W.), New South Wales, Her Commerce and Resources. 8 Sydney, 1888. Hutchinson (F.), New South Wales: the Mother Colony of the Australias. Sydney, 1896. Lang (John Dunmore, D.D.), Historical and Statistical Account of New South Wales. 4th edit. 2 vols. 8. London, 1874.

Liversidge (A., M.A., F.R.S.), Minerals of New South Wales, &c. London, 1888.
Lyne (C. E.), Life of Sir H. Parkes. London. 1897.

Parkes (Sir H.), Fifty Years in the Making of Australian History. 2 vols. 8. London, 1892 -An Emigrant's Home Letters (1838-44). New ed. London, 1897.

Roydhouse (T. R.), The Labour Party in New South Wales. S. London, 1892.

NEW ZEALAND

NEW ZEALAND.

Government and Constitution.

273

The present form of government for New Zealand was established by statute 15 & 16 Vict., cap. 72, passed in 1852. By this Act the colony was divided into six provinces, afterwards increased to nine, each governed by a Superintendent and Provincial Council, elected by the inhabitants according to a franchise practically amounting to household suffrage. By a subsequent Act of the Colonial Legislature, 39 Vict., No. xxi., passed in 1875, the provincial system of government was abolished, and the powers previously exercised by superintendents and provincial officers were ordered to be exercised by the Governor or by local boards. By the terms of this and other amending statutes, the legislative power is vested in the Governor and a 'General Assembly' consisting of two Chambers-the first called the Legislative Council, and the second the House of Representatives. The Governor has the power of assenting to or withholding consent from bills, or he may reserve them for Her Majesty's pleasure. He summons, prorogues, and dissolves the Parliament. He can send drafts of bills to either House for consideration, but in case of appropriations of public money must first recommend the House of Representatives to make provision accordingly before any appropriations can become law. He can return bills for amendment to either House.

Those ap

The Legislative Council consists at present of forty-eight members, who are paid at the rate of 150l. per annum. pointed before September 17, 1891, are life members, but those appointed subsequently to that date hold their seats for seven years only, though they are eligible for reappointment. By an Act passed in 1887, the number of members of the House of Representatives was reduced to seventy-four, including four Maoris, elected by the people for three years. They are paid at the rate of 2401. per annum. Every man registered as an elector, and not coming within the meaning of section 8 of "The Electoral Act, 1893" (alien, felon, public defaulter, &c.), is qualified to be elected a member of the House of Representatives for any Electoral District. Women cannot be members of either branch of the Legislature. For European representation every adult person (of either sex), if resident one year in the colony and three months in one electoral district, can be registered an elector. The property qualification, except in case of existing registrations, was abolished by the Amendment Act (Electoral) of 1896. No person may be registered on more than one electoral roll.

For Maori representation every adult Maori resident in any

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Maori electoral district-of which there are four only in the colony-can vote, provided he (or she) be not registered on any European roll. Registration is not required in Native districts.

At the general election in 1896 there were 339,230 (196,925 men and 142,305 women) electors on the rolls for the electoral districts, which returned 70 European members to the House of Representatives; and at the election of the four Maori members for the districts under the Maori Representation Act, 13,008 votes of natives were recorded.

The proportion of representation to population was in 1896 one European member in the House of Representatives to every 10,186 persons, and one Maori member to every 9,964 natives.

The proportion of electors to population in the year 1896 was one to every 2.1 persons.

Governor.-The Right Honourable the Earl of Ranfurly, K.C.M.G., appointed Governor of New Zealand, 10th August, 1897.

The Governor, who is by virtue of his office Commander-inChief of the forces, has a salary of 5,000l., which is to cover all expenses of his establishment and for travelling.

The general administration rests with a responsible Ministry consisting of about seven members.

The following is the list of the present Ministry :

Premier, Colonial Treasurer, Commissioner of Trade and Customs, Postmaster-General, Electric Telegraph Commissioner, Minister of Labour, and Minister of Native Affairs.-Right Hon. R. J. Seddon.

Minister of Lands, Minister of Agriculture, Commissioner of Forests, and Minister in Charge of Advances to Settlers Office.-Hon. J. McKenzie.

Minister for Railways and Minister of Mines.-Hon. A. J. Cadman. Commissioner of Stamp Duties, Acting Colonial Secretary, and Member of Executive Council representing the Native Race.-Hon. J. Carroll.

Minister of Immigration, Minister of Education, and Minister in Charge of Hospitals and Charitable Aid.-Hon. W. C. Walker.

Minister for Public Works, Minister of Marine, and Minister in Charge of Printing Office.-Hon. W. Hall-Jones.

Minister of Justice, Minister of Defence, and Minister of Industries and Commerce.-Hon. T. Thompson.

Speaker of the House of Representatives.-Hon. Sir George Maurice O'Rorke, Kt.

The control of native affairs, and the entire responsibility of dealing with questions of native government, were transferred in 1863 from the Imperial to the Colonial Government. In 1864 the seat of the general Government was removed from Auckland to Wellington on account of the central position of the latter city.

LOCAL GOVERNMENT.

For purposes of local government New Zealand is divided into counties and boroughs. The counties are subdivided into ridings. County councils are empowered to constitute road districts on petition being made. Besides the

AREA AND POPULATION

275

road districts, which are very numerous, there are town districts and river

and harbour boards.

The ratepayers in the road districts of a county are qualified as electors for the purposes of the county council, and the members of each road board are elected by the ratepayers of the district.

Area and Population.

There are two principal islands, known as the North and Middle Islands, besides the South or Stewart Island, and small outlying islands. The group is nearly 1,000 miles long, and 200 miles across at the broadest part. Its coast line extends over 3,000 miles. New Zealand is situated 1,200 miles to the east of the Australian continent. It was first visited by Tasman in 1642, afterwards by Captain Cook in 1769.

The area of New Zealand is estimated at 104,471 square miles. The North Island is estimated to embrace an area of 44,468 square miles, the Middle Island 58,525, while Stewart's Island has an area of 665 square miles. New Zealand was officially established as a colony in 1840. The total acreage of the colony is 66,710,320, and up to the end of March 1898, 21,903,264 acres had been alienated from the Crown. The following table gives the population of New Zealand, exclusive of aborigines, at various dates, according to census returns :

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The population of each provincial district and its area, with the population per square mile, is shown in the succeeding table as at last census

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In April 1896 the population of the North Island was 340,631; of the Middle Island, 362,236; of Stewart Island, 252; of Chatham Islands 234, and of Kermadec Islands 7. In 1876, New Zealand, previously divided into ten provinces, was divided into counties and boroughs. The total population including Maoris was on April 12th, 1896, 743,214. This included 3,711 Chinese, of whom only 26 were females.

Of the Maoris, 21,673 were males, and 18,181 females. The total number includes 3,503 half-castes, living as members of Maori tribes, and 229 Maori wives of European husbands. In 1857 the number of Maoris was

stated to be 56,049, but this estimate is not considered trustworthy.

Of the total population, excluding Maoris, in 1896, 690,003 persons, or 98.10 per cent., were British-born subjects. Of these, 441,661, or 62.85 per cent., were born in New Zealand, and 215,161, or 30 62 per cent., born in the United Kingdom (116,541 in England, 2,148 in Wales, 50,435 in Scotland, and 46,037 in Ireland).

The foreign subjects numbered 19,080, or 2.71 per cent. of the population. Excluding the Chinese, 67 05 per cent. of the population were found to be unmarried; 29:46 per cent. married; and 3·49 widowers or widows.

Of the population, enumerated in April 1896, 391,735 lived in the rural dis tricts; 307,294 or 43 68 per cent., lived in boroughs; 950 lived on adjacent islands, and 3,381 were on board ship.

Of the total population in 1896, 58 25 per cent. were returned as dependents; 15 13 per cent. as agricultural, pastoral, mineral, and other primary producers; 1166 per cent. industrial; 7·18 per cent. commercial; 4.11 per cent. domestic; 274 per cent. professional; and 8.93 per cent. indefinite occupation.

At the census of 1896 there were four towns with over 10,000 inhabitants in New Zealand—namely, Auckland, 31,424, or with suburbs, 57,616; Wellington (the seat of Government), 37,441, or with suburbs, 41,758; Christchurch, 16,964, or with suburbs, 51,330 ; and Dunedin, 22,815, or with suburbs, 47,280 inhabitants.

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The birth rate for the year 1897 was 25 96 per 1,000 persons living; the death rate was 9:14 per 1,000; and the marriage rate, 6·83.

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