The quantities and value of the exports, in each of the and 1863, were as follows::

Total exports from New Zealand

PRINCIPAL ARTICLES.

Gold and gold dust

Kauri gum

Potatoes

Timber of all kinds

The commerce of New Zealand underwent considerable fluctuations in the years 1863-65, the value of the imports decreasing from 7,024,6747. in 1863, to 7,000,6557. in 1864, and, to 5,594,9777. in 1865, but that of the exports remaining stationary, the amount being 3,485,4057. in 1863, 3,401,6677. in 1864, and 3,713,2187. in 1865. The exports of gold and gold-dust in the year 1865 amounted to 574,574 ounces, valued at 2,252,6891., and those of wool to 19,180,500 pounds, valued at 1,141,7617.

The commercial intercourse between New Zealand and the United Kingdom is shown in the subjoined tabular statement, which gives the total value of the imports of merchandise-exclusive of gold and specie-from New Zealand into the United Kingdom, and of the exports of British and Irish produce and manufactures to New Zealand, in each of the five years 1861–65 ::

The staple article of import from New Zealand into the United Kingdom is wool, the value of which amounted to 408,0381. in 1860,

and to 1,041,6557. in 1865. The exports comprise all the ordinary articles of British manufactures.

The number and tonnage of registered vessels belonging to New Zealand was as follows on December 31 of each of the years 1858 to 1865:

The vessels registered on December 31, 1865, belonged to the

Ship-building and the trade in timber are, next to wool-growing, the chief elements of the industry of New Zealand. Among the mineral productions are gold, copper, iron, and coal. The golddiggings are in Auckland, Nelson, and Otago. Those of Auckland are not very productive. The Nelson diggings yield gold to the value of 2,000l. a week. Mineral stores of immense extent are believed to be in existence not far below the soil in various parts of New Zealand.

QUEENSLAND.

Constitution and Government.

THE form of government of the colony of Queensland was established December 10,1859, on its separation from New South Wales. The power of making laws, and imposing taxes, is vested in a Parliament of two Houses, the Legislative Council, and the Legislative Assembly. The former consists of twenty-three members, ten nominated by the Crown for five years, and thirteen nominated for life. The House of Assembly comprises twenty-six deputies. elected for five years by all natural-born or naturalised citizens, who pay taxes, and have undergone no condemnation for any criminal act. The executive is vested in a governor appointed by the Crown. Governor of Queensland.-Major Samuel Wensley Blackall, formerly in the 85th Light Infantry, and commandant of the Longford Militia; represented the county of Longford in Parliament from 1847 to 1851; lieutenant-governor of Dominica from 1851 to 1857: governor of Sierra Leone, 1862–67; appointed governor of Queensland, November 1867.

The governor is commander-in-chief of the troops, and also bears the title of vice-admiral. He has a salary of 4,000l. per annum, ' and allowances.' In the exercise of the executive authority he is assisted by an Executive Council, consisting of four members, the Colonial Secretary, the Attorney-General, the Colonial Treasurer, and the Secretary for Public Lands and Works. Each of these ministers has a salary of 1,000l. per annum. They are jointly and individually responsible for their acts to the Legislative Assembly.

Revenue and Expenditure.

The public income and expenditure of Queensland, during the first six years of its existence, were as follows:

The revenue of Queensland in 1865 amounted, as stated in the preceding table, to 631,4327. against 502,456l. in 1864. These sums, however, include land orders received at the Treasury in return for the grants of land which they represent. Not reckoning these, the revenue for the year 1865 amounted to 472,4617. against 369,4251. for 1864, the increase being 103,0367., or at the rate of 28 per cent. The customs revenue for the year 1865 yielded 195,5407., against 153,3411. for 1864, the increase being 42,1997., or at the rate of 27 per cent. The greater part of the revenue of Queensland is produced by customs duties, land sales, and rents of public lands; while the chief expenditure is for works of general utility, and for aids to emigration.

Area and Population.

The colony of Queensland comprises the whole north-eastern portion of the Australian continent. It also includes, in the terms of Her Majesty's Letters Patent, all and every the adjacent islands, their members and appurtenances, in the Pacific Ocean and in the Gulf of Carpentaria.'

It appears from the statistical register of Queensland for 1861, that the Surveyor-General has made a careful calculation of the present area of the colony; and the result is, in round numbers, as follows:

The vast territory thus defined, equal in size to one fifth of the whole of Europe, formed a part of New South Wales until it was erected into a separate colony, under the name of Queensland, by an order of Her Majesty in Council, which took effect on December 10, 1859, upon the arrival of the first governor, Sir G. F. Bowen.

The population amounted to 24,870 on December 31, 1859; to 29,074 on December 31,1860, to 34,367 at the same date in 1861, and to 45,077 on December 31, 1862. The last census of January, 1864, showed that the colony had then a population of 61,467 persons. Of these 2,878 were employed in agriculture, 7,693 in pastoral pursuits, and 14,919 in domestic duties, while 17,893 were ' under tuition.' The origin of the 61,467 inhabitants is thus given : -Born in Queensland, 9,592; born in other Australian colonies and New Zealand, 7,205; born in Great Britain and other British

dominions, 38,185; born in foreign countries, 6,485 :-total, 61,467. The whole number of paupers or persons receiving public support was only 222. The proportion of males to females in 1864 was as three to two.

Emigration is adding from 16,000 to 12,000 persons every year to the population of Queensland. The emigrants of 1863 from the United Kingdom numbered 11,727, as follows:

The number of emigrants who left the United Kingdom during the year 1865 for Queensland amounted to 12,551, of which number 1,469 were conveyed in five Government vessels, at the expense of colonial funds. The number thus conveyed consisted of 102 married men, 121 married women, 549 single men, 499 single women, 91 boys between the ages of 1 and 12, 87 girls between the same ages, 13 male infants, and 7 females-303 were English, 120 Scotch, and 1,046 Irish.

Trade and Industry.

The value of the imports and exports of Queensland, in the years 1861 to 1866, is given in the following table. It shows that during this period of six years the total commerce of the colony increased nearly threefold in value, rising from one million and a half to close upon four millions.

The quantities and value of the imports in each of the years 1863 and 1864 were as follows::