Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1871.djvu/315

 COLONIAL POSSESSIONS*

2/9

Cost of Colonial Possessions of Great Britain — continued.

Colonial Possessions

Annual Cost

1866-7

1S67-8

Plantations and Settlements :

£

£

Jamaica .....

170.606

144,9.50

Baltamas .....

42,797

58..") 17

Honduras. ....

17,870

27,892

West Indies ....

172,129

1.5.5,930

Canada .....

864,980

937.90.5

Nova Seotia ....

289,818

303.121

New Brunswick

6,325

2.097

Prince Edward's Island

1,649

1..500

Newfoundland ....

24,182

24,76 1

Vancouver's Island and British

Columbia ....

6,635

1.29.5

West Coast of Africa

167.161

109.382

Ceylon .....

22,808

35,845

Labium .....

13,946

,5,1 (.5 6

Straits Settlements.

1,120

12,386

Australasian Settlements :

Western Australia

82,259

78,984

South Australia

1,422

1,97.5

Queensland ....

866

300

Victoria .....

49,322

6.5.707

New South Wales

6,964

3,763

Tasmania .....

35,558

3.5. US

New Zealand ....

4.56,920

173,255

Sundry Colonies

9,376

10,177

Total.

4.103,004

3,969,426

Iii accordance with repeatedly-expressed views of the Parliament of* the United Kingdom, the policy of the British Government in recent years has been to secure the greatest possible independence and self-reliance for the colonies. It is specially aimed at that the American and Australasian settlements shall provide their own military resources, and to accomplish this object the reduction of the British forces in the Dominion of Canada to the number of 5,000 was ordered in 18f>9. At the same time, the Secretary of State for the Colonies addressed a circular despatch to the Governors of the various Australasian Colonies, intimating that it was the intention of the Administration of the United Kingdom to withdraw from these possessions all troops in excess of a single regiment, preparatory to the entire ceasing of military occupation.

For further details concerning the Constitution and Government, Pevenue and Expenditure, Population, and Trade and Commerce of the principal colonies and dependencies of the United Kingdom, see Part II. of the Statesman's Year-book.