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NEW SOUTH WALES.

Revenue and Expenditure.

The principal part of the public revenue, to the amount of nearly one-half, is derived from customs duties, chief among them the import duties on spirits. The other sources of income consist of miscellaneous receipts, the most important of which are from land sales and rents of land. Direct taxation does not exist.

The revenue and expenditure of the colony, including under the first head loans, and under the latter sums disbursed tor public works, was as follows in each of the five years 1864 to 18G8 : —

Years

Kevenue

Expenditure

&

£

1864

1,984,775

2,326,901

1865

2,237,234

2,314,794

1866

3,253,179

3,012,571

1867

2,569,456

2,935,633

1868

4,093,812

3,286,839

The income derived from customs amounted to 636.102/. in 1865, to 828,710/. in 1866, and to 783,338/. in 1867. The land revenue amounted to 532,027/. in 1865, to 547,138/. in 1866, and to 545,060/. in 1867. The revenue derived from gold during the same period was 30,876/. in 1865, 27,410/. in 1866, and 25,331/. in 1867. The public debt amounted to 3,830,230/. in 1860, to 6,418,030/. in 1866, to 6,917,630/. in 1867, and to 8,564,830/. at the end of 1868. The debt was entirely incurred for railways and public works. — (Communication of the Governor to the Statesman' 's Year-booh.)

The revenue of the colony for the year 1867 was at the rate of 6/. 13s. 9cZ. per head of population, and the expenditure at the rate of 5/. 0s. Id. per head.

Area and Population.

New South Wales was first colonised by convicts in 1788. In May 1787, six transports and three store-ships, convoyed by a frigate and an armed tender, sailed from England with 565 male and 192 female convicts, under the command of Captain Phillip. He arrived at Botany Bay on January 20, 1788, but, discovering Port Jackson by accident, he removed his fleet to it. In 1788 the whole population, including the Government establishment and convicts, amounted to 1,030, and in 1810 the population, free and felon, had risen to 8,293. There were at the same period 97,637 acres of land granted, and there were in the colony 1,114 horses, 11,276 horned cattle, and 34,550 sheep. In 1821 the population had increased to 29,783, and in 1828 to 27,611 males and 8,978 females: total 36,598. Of this number, 14,156 were male, and