VICTORIAN CENSUS RETURNS.

Thames Guardian and Mining Record, Volume I, Issue 185, 13 May 1872, Page 3

VICTORIAN CENSUS RETURNS.

Thk census returns fur 1871 contain.much matter furgravccnisi at nil. in 1861 the population was 549.322 ; th *se had increased in 1871 to 731,528, tlm numerical increase being 191,21)6, or 30.39 per cent. The det-unial nle of im-ivas* in the United Ivingdon trom 1801 to 1861 "as about 14 per cent, sometimes being as hi.-h jtS 16 percent., at oilers as low as 12. The i .create from 1861 to 1871 was not much more than 8p r cent. Ibe diffeivncos in tli* se ]u*r c litres .of increase arise mainly from emigration. The native born in Vi toria, as might be expected, now gr ally exceed in number the native I torn at any former period. In 1861, there were in Victoria 138,075 persons born in the C 'loiiv; these had lucre.* sed m 1871 to 329.697 i ersonv the numerical increase being 191,522 prisons, or 138 71 per cent. Tim whole of these 191,522 p-rsons are under ten years of age, ami cons* que dlv, belong to the non* producing class. Tin* same mini also be tonceded with regardioafewof tlmsi born in other countries, and probably with regard to one-third, or even one-lmlf of tlmse born in the colony before 1861. As regards those horn in other countries, the chief increase is in those, born in I*''h , ’ , ' i * In 1861 there were in Victoria* 8/,lbU persons born in Ireland ; these bad increased in 1871 to 100,468 persons, the | numerical increase lacing 13,308 poisons, i or 15-27 per cent. This is doubtless owing to our immigration scheme being worked chiefly in the interest of assisted Irish female immigration, there being in this increase of 13,308 persons no less than 11 286 females. But there was. a noteworthy decrease in 1871 in the numbers of other nationalities. Those born ..in England decrease d 5300, those born in j Scotland 4495, and .those born in V ales l 559.— Leader, , . . ■*