The Lyttelton Times. Wednesday, January 5.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XI, Issue 643, 5 January 1859, Page 4

The Lyttelton Times. Wednesday, January 5.

It was our intention, on the enlargement of our paper with' the commencement of the New Year, to give our readers a statement comprising all the Statistical information for the last quarter of the past year, exhibiting'the progress of the Province, in the form and under the heads of that which has already been published up to the end of September. ISSB, in the New Zealand Almanac for the current year. But we find that our sources of information on these points (at so early a period after the termination of the quarter) are not sufficiently complete to enable us to carry out our intention in tho present issue. We however still purpose doing so at as early a period as the information necessary for that object may bo found available.

Some few items of information on tins subject weliave been able to gather; among which we notice the following •••—

During the past month of December the arrivals coastwise of wool for shipment to England and the neighbouring colonies, havo commenced. The number of bales which have come into Lyttelton up to 31st December is 0,60. Of the 256 have

eoirie from the Heathcote river. From Kaiapoi 215 bales have como to hand} the steamer Planet having brought 158 in two trips; and from Timaru 57 bales. Two wool ships, the llogina, Cookson, Bowler & Co., agents, and the Jura, Miles Kington & Co., agents, aro at present loading for London direct. The latter ship takes her, wool .'undumpod, and has now on board 406 bales. Tho importations of timber during the past quarter have been considerable. , From Auckland we have "received, in throe shipments, 237,300 feet kauri timber. From Wellington, 137,600 feet timber, and 15,000' shingles. From Nelson, 7,000 feet timber. . Besides these, we have one importation from Tasmania to record, of 47,000 feot timber, 21,000 palings, and 51,000 shingles^ by the brig Reliance. These give a total quantity arrived during the past quarter, of, 428,900 feet timber, 21;000 palings, and 66,000 shingles. The Customs revenue for the past year has been 322,778 165., being considerably in excess of the amount collected during the previous year, 1857, which was £18,465 16s. Bd. The gross increase during the year 1858, has therefore been £4,312 19s. 4d. The receipts for the different months- and quarters of -1858 are as follows:-—. \ •First Quarter.—January, £1,248 Os. 4d; February, £1,373 10s.; March, £1,519 10s. 2d.; total,^£4 i l4l'os.6d. ■; Second Quarter.—April, £1,932 2s. lid.; May, *£i; 719 15s. 6d. ; Juue, £2,356 17s. id.: total, £6,008 '15s. m. : J-;'-': Third Quarter.—July, £2,006 19s. 2d.; August, £1,559 6s.'Bd. ; September, £1,738 15s. lOd: total, £5,365 Is." Bd. *v.' "Fourth Quarter.—October, £2,417 12s. lid. November, £2,056 4s. 5d.; December, £2,790 Is.; total, £7,263 18s. 4d; Total revenue for year 1858, £22,778 16s. Od. •The financial position of the.province is exhibited satisfactorily, not only by the receipts, but by the '-expenditure of the past .-quarter.- The'land fund of course has been the most considerable item in the revenue; it stands as follows for the year now ended:-— . ( Land Sales .....L.....;,...'55,908 9 0 ' Pasturage Licenses ......... "9,459 58 Timber Cutting do. ........-. 23 10 0 Deposits ......... 26 0 0 ! 65.417 4 8 The land sales for the quarter have amounted to £13,235 125., being at "the rate of about £53,000 a-year; thus amply realising the estimate of £45,000 which the 'Provincial Council adopted as its basis of financial operations for the current year; The gross receipts from all sources for the quarter now ended amount! to £16,908 13s. lOd,; and the gross expenditure to £22,294 13s. 6d.; indicating in our opinion a more wholesome state of things than a diminished expenditure would have exhibited, considering the large balance which had accumulated -in -the provincial chest when the quarter began. For the year .1858, the gross revenue of the province from all. sources wa3 £78,295 19s, 5d.; and the gross expenditure for the same period was £64,631 19s. Id. Of course the loan of £30,000 isjiot broughj to-account here, the figures representing the net income of" the province, atteniedueting the portion of Customs revenue consumed by the General Government. We are certainly fortunate in-this province in having our most plentiful source of revenue left for our own purposes, while we contribute a fair share of support in common with our sister, provinces to the central institutions.