The New Zealand Times (PUBLISHED DAILY.) MONDAY, JULY 2, 1877.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 5077, 2 July 1877, Page 2

The New Zealand Times (PUBLISHED DAILY.) MONDAY, JULY 2, 1877.

In our issue of Friday last, that which contained our usual monthly summary of news for transmission to Home readers, we gave the Customs revenue returns for the port of Wellington for the years ending June 30, 1876,' and June 30, 1877, respectively. Though the latter return was sufficiently accurate for purposes of comparison, still.it was, as respected the month of June, only approximate, the returns for that month not being to hand. Through the courtesy of Mr. Seed, Secretary for Customs, we are s/ ever, enabled to place before our readers the actual returns for the periods uder notice, which, as in the case of the omparative returns, show a most satisfatory increase on the year 1876-7 oveithat of 1875-6. The actual returns xe as follow : .

It will bo soon that the only quarter in 1876-77 which exhibited a falling oft' as compared with its corresponding predecessor is the second quarter of the year, and this was far more than atoned for by the first, third, and fourth quarters. The particulars of the returns for the last quarter are as under : H £ 8. d.

£41,87S 8 8 For the month of June we in the previous issue took £13,000 as a fair approximation of the return, and the actual return was not much under this, being, in fict, as will have been noticed, £12,782 15a. 2d. The various items which wont to make this sum were—

Of course the increase during the past fimneial year has not been so marked as it was in previous years ; but when we coisider that the Customs revenue of the cobny, as a whole, will exhibit a decrease, it Is" matter for no small amount of congratulation that in the case of the port of Willington the decrease disappears, and its place is taken by an increment. The old cry of Wellington having the advantag« of being the seat of government will no°ttell here; for as a matter of fact, com-! paratively speaking, no town in the colony has had less of Government money spert in it during the past twelvemonths thar. has Wellington, The real truth is, that our city is day by day, month by month, and year by year growing stronger in her position as the natural inlet and outlet for the trade and commerce of a district in the North Island, stretching on one side to Mount Egmont, and on the other side to Napier ; whilst no smal part of the north and north-west of the Middle Island is supplied by and exporli through her. There is no reason why the other cities of the colony, Auckland, Christchurch, and Dunedin should look on this circumstance with jealous eyes. Wellington has no grudge of prosperity to these towns, each of which has advantage, at its back quite as groat as she lias ; advantages which the enterprise of their business people and the development of the districts whoso trade belongs naturally to them can foster to the utmost advantage, however, which a spirit of petty local jealousy or of dependence upon Government or some other extraneous assistance can only wither and destroy.

Financial year ended June 30, 1870. (Financial year ended (June 30, 1877. Quarters. ' Quarters. £-12,605 9 6 £14,051 0 0 36,221 17 2 80,439 10 2 11,111 8 B 44,885 18 6 30,137 0 8 41,578 3 3 £162,305 15 4 £167,858 0 10

Spirits 11,417 14 8 Cigars 1,021 11 B Tobacco .. 3,057 11 3 Wine 1,547 7 8 Ale and beer 1,495 10 0 Tea 2,725 18 6 Coffee 249 8 8 Sugar 4,157 18 10 Opium 0 6 0 Goods by weight 2,010 8 8 Ad valorem . i 11,244 11 0 Other duties 850 3 8

£ s, d S,534 3 6 Spirits, New Zealand distilled ,. 10 9 4 Cigars and snuff .. .. 227 18 0 Tobacco « ■ .. 1,065 10 0 Wine 614 1 6 Ale (bottled) 409 12 0 Ale (in bulk) 90 0 0 Tea .. i. 903 9 0 93 9 0 1.044 4 10 Goods by weight 1,326 16 11 Ad vnlorum 8,172 11 11 Other duties 284 10 2