Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1899 American Edition.djvu/609

 AREA AND POPULATION — RELIGION

2G1

The following table shows the bivths, deaths, and marriages for five years : —

Year

Marriages

Total Births

Illegitimate

Total Deaths

Excess of Births

1893 1894 1895 1896 1897

7,749 7,666 8,030 8,495 8,813

40,342 38,951 38,775 36,506 37,247

2,510 2,437 2,524 2,445 2,452

16,022 15,170 14,914 15,839 14,264

24,320 23,781 23,861 20,667 22,983

The increase in population during the ten years ended 1897 was 290,220, Towards this the excess of births over deaths contributed over 81 per cent.

The following are the statistics of the arrivals and departures by sea as recorded for five vears : —

—

1893

1894

1895

1896

1897

Immigrants Emigrants

Excess of immigrants

66,909 58,850

75,588 65,976

76,051 66,334

62,633 62,516

67,016 60,410

8,059

9,612

9,717

117

6,606

Assisted immigration, which became the policy of New South Wales in 1832, practically ceased in 1887. The total number of assisted immigrants from 1832 to the end of 1897 was 211,958. Of these, 209,426 persons were British-born, 96,395 being from England and Wales, 88,822 from Ireland, and 24,209 from Scotland. The number of assisted immigrants during 1897 was only 35. In 1881 a poll-tax of 101. was imposed on Chinese immigrants other than British subjects or those who have been naturalised in Xew South AVales. The tax was increased to 100?. in 1888. The amvals and depai-tures of all Chinese have been as follow in six years : —

—

1892

1893

1894

1895

1896

1897

Arrivals Departures

21 755

34 558

76 627

94 413

99 450

34

428

Religion.

An Act abolishing State aid to religion was passed in 1862. The clergy who received State aid when the Act was passed, and now survive, still re- ceive that aid.

The Church of England in the colony is governed by a Metropolitan who is Archbishoj» of Sydney and Primate of Australia and Tasmania. He is nominated by the Bishops in Australia and consecrated by the Archbishop of Canterbuiy. There were in 1897 six dioceses (including the Bishop- Auxiliary of Sydney). The affairs of the Church of Rome are administered by the Bishops of seven dioceses under the Cardinal Archbishop of Sydney, who is also Primate of Australasia.

The following are statistics of different religions obtained at the census of 1891 :—