THE AUSTRALASIAN COLONIES.

Waikato Times, Volume XX, Issue 1648, 27 January 1883, Page 4

THE AUSTRALASIAN COLONIES.

At a meeting of tho F»o\al Colonial ■Society, held leeuntly at the Gios\enor Galleiy Libruiy, Sn F. D. Bell, Agunt-Cieneial for Now Xealaiul, read a paper on "The Indebtedness of the Australasian Colonies hi i elation to their Resoiuces." The Duke of Manchester, Chairman of the Council, who presided over a large meeting, said that the present gathering limited a great epoch in the history oi their society, and that it was the first meeting that hud been held since Her Majesty granted a Royal charter to the institution. It was interesting to know that while in IS7O the institute had only 2!)7 Fellows, it had at the present time 1,780. Sir Francis Bell, in the comae of his paper, said theie had heen an increase in the debt of the colonies in tne last 20 yeais, but the progress of Australasia had been in many views equal to the growth of her debt. Of tho £96,000,000 borrowed by tho colonies, more than £8(5,000,000 had been spent on railways, telcgiaphs, and othei public works, amlimmigiation. Of tins the railways were oven now yielding a net return nil but equal to the mUiruot on tho money they boi lowed for them. Thi: telegraph yielded moie than the intel ci&i and the .sameumaik applied to immigration; so that there was not much nioi c than £2(i,000,000 left as the debt on \\ hieli the interest was not actually earned. Tiic lcvenues of the colonies hod increased in the last twenty ycais twicu as fj.s>t a3 tlu'h. commerce ov population. Tt had more than doubled itsi-ll since IS7O, and had trebled itself .since ISOO. It in England the .simo sum ponltl be laised per head as in Australia, Mr Gladstone would at the pic&cnt time be dealing with a ro\ enue of £2 L 0,000,000., 000, 000. It was important further to lemeniber that the ie\euue did not mean taxation to the same amount. Figuies showed that mom than one-third of the whole revenue was raised by taxation, while the colonies dciived four times •is much icvenue from Customs per head as as raised in England, si\- timps as much as in Fiance, ten times as much as in <icnuai>\ , and neaily three times ns much as in the United States. The annual charge of their debt in proportion to the revenue was much lighter than in most of the great countiies of Einope. Comparing the volume of tiade with population, the author of the paper said that statistics shotted that one Australasian colonist diil as much trade as two Englishmen, four Frenchmen, live Germans, six American^, or eight Italians. Aitbtialasia was woith more to the English manufacturers than America, France, or Germany. Jla\ing pointed to the most satihfdctoiy ■way in which the railways aic piogiessing, Sir Fiancis ]}ell alluded to the gieat impoitaiico of Australia as ollenng an almost inexhaustible source ol meat supply for this country. As aiact, Austiaha and New Zealand could export 2,000 tons of meat a d.iy, and they could do this without reducing the number ot cattle owned by the colonials. Sir Fiancis Hell next claimed for the colonists that they had so munificent a pro■\ision for the education of their children that it the expenditure m England weru on tho same level, the mother countiv would huvo to de\olu JCi^.OOO.OOO a year to it. The colonist', were most tenacious of their union with the Fatherland, and he hoped the existing sympathies would cvci ilouiis.li. [f this was so, the colonies would join hands with the mother countiy acioss the sea, and cherish tho remembrance that they were all citizens of the gieatest Einpiie the world has ever seen. Sir John PopeHennessy, Governor-General of Hongkong, in tho course of the discussion, gave, as the result of his personal expeiionco, figures to show the great security ■which was offered to investors by the financial securities of the Australasian colonies. Mr Moncrioff Paul, manager of the Hank of New Zealand, Mr Stiangways>, Mr Denistoon \Yood, Mr Hyde Clarke, and Sir Saul Samuel addressed the meeting. >

Miss C. F. Qoitncx Cummino's newbook will be entitled •• Fire Mountains." It will be published by Messrs Blackwood, with a map and numerous illustrations. Tjiu total number of visitors to the lloyal Agricultural Society's Show at Heading wah about S<?,QOQ, wluUv, \vl«a\ * compared with 127,729 at Dei-byJn 18SJ, Mows a decrease of < nearly 44,000. . The attendance at Carlisle in ISSO, on which occasion the was also unseasonable, was abptit SOOO more than passed through the turnstiles at Reading. The receipts at the Derby and Reading Shows also show a considerable decrease. At , Der;by the receipts ( w;ere, £9368 .14s, and at Readiug £5936 Bs, showing a 'decrease of '•£3430 (is. ' ' ' ' 1 . Where shall I buy my furniture and.— carpets ? You cannot do better than , purchase from Garlick and Carmyrll, who Tiavc now a very laree assortment of iron bedsteds, varvinj; in price/frortlds Od-to li> ten' founds, and keep in sfock, bedding ot all sizes and kinds. Ihcir 'laijffe'factorv is completed, and machinery in full swing, enabling them to turn out furniture quicker and cheaper tban hitherto. G. 8c C. always have, ready a 1.-ir(j<fjVai iety of drawin and dining-room suiup. Special attcntiort is paid to bedroom i fiirh'iturc', > >'iu!tAb r le to all fclosse?. o<*sra£t;.-{vajtery,* 0 <*5ra£t;.-{vajtery,* of,',*,carpet»,f Kiddp^ihster, "LiMilew itni oil' cloth for na)h of Llancheitur fgo^^jShVptiri^, ca'Hco'es, ■ttoiland^owe'llinff,, y}*Mob/»ol»nJ{9ts/i fcUrtnins,* <iirdtoniljß«/tfams«lf ,,