CENSUS OF NEW ZEALAND, 1867.

Southland Times, Issue 997, 3 August 1868, Page 3

CENSUS OF NEW ZEALAND, 1867.

There has been presented to the Assembly a Paper entitled, ' Abstracts of certain Principal Results of a Census of New Zealand taken in December 1867.' Mr J. B. Bennett, the Registrar General, has prefixed to the tables, the following summarised statement of the results of the Census: — ■:: According to the Census enumeration, the population of the Colony (exclusive of the military and their families,' and of the aboriginal Natives) was in December, 1867, 218,637. There can be. jnp : doubt, however, that the actual number exceeded this, as besides mdividu'aUiomissions through the negligence of Suh^Jlnumerators, or from other causes, tfiere are almost insuperable difficulties in obtaining a correct enumeration of the gold-digging population. Had such an enumeration been practicable, the total would probably have been many hundreds, or even several thousands, more than it is. But the Census numbers, as they stand, show an absolute increase, as compared with 1864, amounting to 46,479, or 2699 per cent. Of this population (1867) the Northern Island (comprising the Provinces of Auckland, Taranaki, "Wellington, and Hawke's Bay), had 45,189 males, and 34,724 females, making a total of 79,913, or 36*55 per cent, on the population of the Colony and the Middle Island, (comprising the Provinces of Nelson, Marlborough, Canterbury, Otago and Southland), 86,697 males, and 51,843 females, making a total of 138,540, or 6337 per cent, on the whole population. The addition of 184 (or *08 per cent.) for the Chatham Islands, will bring out the general total as above. The County o£ Westland Act, 1867, not having yet been brought into force when the Census was taken, that territory was included as before in the Census District of the Province of Canterbury. But the particulars of information will be found in tht Tables for Electoral Districts — in the districts of "Westland South and "Westland Boroughs. The population, as enumerated, was (exclusive of those on shipboard), males, 11,764; females. 3654 ; total, 15,418. But the observation above, as to the probability, or rather certainty (that the enumeration for I Goldfields is below the actual numbers), is to be borne in mind here. The enumerators were instructed to arrange for a separate exhibition in their returns of the population of the chief town in each Province. The result is that the following numbers are given,

viz. : — Auckland, males, 5,752 ; females, 5,401; total, 11,153. New Plymouth, males, 1,096 ; females, 1,084 ; total, 2,180. "W ellington, males, 3,927 ; females, 3,533 ; total, 7,460. Napier, males, 987 ;, females, 840 ; total, 1,827. Nelson,, males, 2,995 ; females, 2,657 ; total, 5,652. ! Pictoi3, males, 228 ; females, 237 ; total, 465. Christchurch, males, 3,335 j females, 3,312 j total, 6,647. Lyttelton, (males, 1,371; females, 1,139; total, 2,510. Dunedin, males, 6,654 ; females^ 6,122 ; total, 12,776. Invercargill, males/ 1,098 j females, 908 ; total, 2,006. ' : Subsequently this instruction was. ex-; tended to the population of towns having 500 inhabitants or upwards. In some cases, however, arrangements for the subdistricts had been made before the issue of this instruction, which prevented its being carried into effect ; but the following are ascertained results obtained in conformity with it as to the total population in the following places, including a3 above, persons on ship-board, viz :— In the Province of Auckland — Parnell, 3,226 ; Newton, 3,227 ; Onehunga, 2,177 ; Otahuhu, 552; Howick, 640. In the Province of Wellington — Wanganui, 2,157. In the Province of Nelson — Westport, 1,500. In the Province of Canterbury (as then existing) — Hokitika, 4.866 :_G*e2maiiik^:UQor ; =oiap"*i T Eangiora, 1,042 ; Timaru, 1,027. In the Province of Otago — Port Chalmers, 1,348 ; Oamaru, 1,376 ; Milton, 523. No other town or township having a population of five hundred was enumerated as a separate sub-district, but the Enumerator for Nelson states the following as his estimates of population, viz : — Charleston, about 1,800 ; Addison's Elat, about 1,500 ; and Brighton, about

1,000. The military and their families in NewZealand numbered, in December last, officers and men, 918 ;. male children, 175 ; women and female children, 362 ; making a total of 1,455. This number added to the population shown by the Census gives a total of 220,092, viz : — 133,102 males, and 86,900 females. The houses or dwellings, show a total of 54,000 in the Colony, against 37,996 in 1864. Of this total, 38,840 were wood, 1,182 brick or stone, 868 raupo, and 33,119 other materials, including tents, which numbered altogether 4,595. It is to be borne in mind, however, that these are the numbers of dwellings which were inhabited on the census night. There were, in addition to them, 6,559 buildings, either strictly uninhabited, or occupied as stores or offices during the day-time only. The total of such buildings includes, for the several Provinces — Auckland, 2,167; Taranaki, 199 j Wellington, 289 ; Hawke's Bay, 96; Nelson 428; Marlborough, 154 ; Canterbury, 2,051 ; Otago, 840 ; Southland, 334 ; and Chatham Islands, 1. I find, to a considerable extent, the same difficulty which I had occasion to point out in the Census compilations for JLB64 < in ascertaining correctly from the Returns how many belonged to each of the two classes referred to ; and it is amongst the matters which I am obliged to reserve in the hope that before the publication of the Statistical Volume, I may be able to arrive at a closer approximation to accuracy than is just now attainable. The number of houses building when the Census was taken was 697, being, for the several Provinces — Auckland, 112 ; Taranaki, 31 ; Wellington, 86 ; Hawke's Bay, 30 ; Nelson, 66 ; Marlborough, 19 ; Canterbury, 216 ; Otago, 111 ; Southland, 25 ; and Chatham Islands, 1. Although the numbers of the Aboriginal Native population are not ascertained by the Census of the Colony, I am enabled, by returns supplied from the Native Secretary's office, to introduce here an approximate estimate of them. Indeed, as respects the Provinces of Canterbury, Otago, and Southland, an enumeration described as a " Census " was taken in the early part of this year, which shows for those Provinces a total of 1,433, of whom 525 were males and 427 females, above 14 ; 263 males and 203 females under 14 (with five children, sex not known). For the North Island, with the Province of Nelson, and the prisoners at the Chatham Islands, the numbers stated are 14,897 men, 12,353 women, and 9,857 children, making a total of 37,107. These numbers, however, are only given as approximate, and in one or two instances, are represented as probably "under estimated. Taking the figures as they appear, however, they show an (estimated) Native population of 38,543 in the Colony. This number added to the population shown by the Census, and the military and their families, would make the aggregate number of the inhabitants of New Zealand, 258,632. Returing to the Census of the Colony taken in December last, it will be seen that the total quantity of land fenced — which in 1858 was 235,561 acres ; in 1861, 409,763 acres; and in 1864, 1,072,383 acres, had increased in 1867 to 3,455,535 acres ; and that the total quantity under crop — which, in 1858, was 141,007 acres ; in 1861, 226,219 acres ; and in 1864, 382,655 acres, had increased in 1867 to 676,867 acres. Also, that the aggregate number of lives stock of all kinds (excepting poultry), which in 1858 were, 1,728,093; in 1861, 3,038,557; and in 1864, 5,310,062, had increased in 1867 to 8,924,489. Taking sheep separately, the total number in the Colony — which in 1858 was 1,523,324 ; in 1861, 2,761,383; and in 1864, 4,937,273, had increased in 1867 to 8,418,579.