BANK RETURNS.

Southland Times, Volume 2, Issue 60, 5 June 1863, Page 2

BANK RET URNS.

(From tlie New Zcdanicr, 10: li May.) Tl.o usual quarterly statement of the assets and liabilities of the several banks in this co'onv were published in tho General Government Gazette vosterdav. The returns now before ih arc those for the quarter ondoil March ','l<. -, thoy show tliat the average of n-ifes in circulation during the period above mentioned amounted, in round tnnuinhors. to £'i:;o.:l7o. Tlio liabilities for which was thus divided : — Think of New South Wales £'2*20.1 28 bank of New Zealand £220.202 Union Hank of Australia £180 082 Tn twelve months since the 31st March, 1802, it appears that I lio circulation of notes has nearly been doubled. For the period ended at that date, for tlie Banks, it was i.'3"o,i>'M2 and tbe shares wore — Union Bank of \ustralia £1:19 Wl Punk of New South Wales £'Uiß/iOP Bauk of New Zealand £ 03,109 Tims it appears thnt in the vearthe circulation of the Rank of Ne-.v South Wales has been more than doubled ; that of the Xew Zealand Bank has boon nearly quadrupled, whilst (he Union has increased its isaio of notes by £21.078 only. The average of coin and bullion held by Ihe Banks was, in round numbers, one million fourtoon thousand pounds. Bank of Now South Wales £301.000 T'nion Bank of Australia £3 "-0.000 Rank of New Zealand .£200,0(10 The C'.ovoi-ntnont deposits averaged £222 737: oft hose t bo Bank of New Zealand held £172. 112, and flu* Union Bank £R2.10. " Other deposits" bearing intorest woro thus distributed :-- Union Bank of Australia C 003.310 Bank of Now Zealand £304.330 Bank of New Soutli Wales £217,a0S Tn the quarter ended flist March. 1802, those deposits amounted to £2' o S2o. The increase in twelve months bas been £2-14 ."-20. Tlio amount of " notes and bills discounted" averaged £1.0 17.00-". Tn the March quarter of 1802. the average -ras f.'002,^30 ; the increase in a y-ar has boon t'Oal.So/i. In the last quarter tbo amount of those securities hold hy the several Banks was as follows: — Union Bank £0->2 f>o9 Bank of New Zealand £.*lB2 1 1 1 Bank of Now South Wales £430,0.v2 Tt will bo soon from these statements that tho business of banking in New Zealand grows with great rapidity, and that the vonn rest of those institutions, the Now Zealand Bank, is steadily rising to the lirst place. Tbe sudden development of the business is duo no doubt to tho gold discovery in the South, to the large increase of population whicb tbe gold fields attract, and to the activity j in trado, which the demands of tho new comers j have developed, more or bave developed, more or less expensively, in every Province of (lie Polony. The prophet who, in the days of the first New Zealand Banking Company, twenty years since, would have ventured to predict the coming, in Irs time, of such a change in the condition of this Colony as thafc of whicli the figures before us aro evidence, would most certainly have received but little honor amongst his friends and acquaintances the oldest inhabitants.