New Zealand Tablet. Fiat Justitia. SATURDAY, MAY 1,1875. THE CENSUS OF 1874.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume II, Issue 105, 1 May 1875, Page 10

New Zealand Tablet. Fiat Justitia. SATURDAY, MAY 1, 1875. THE CENSUS OF 1874.

i-i The statistical tables, in connection with the RegistrarGeDeral's report of the census of 1874, have just been issued from the hands of the Government Printer, and contain a number of items of information of a most interesting character. The volume is divided into four parts, No. I. containing twenty-two tables, and devoted to information concerning the population and dwellings of the colony. Under this head it is note-worthy to find that while every other town has increased in population, to a greater or lesser degree, between the taking of the censuses of 1871 and 1874, Auckland alone has made a retrograde movement, that city showing a falling off during that time of nearly 2GO inhabitants. It must, however, be stated that although Auckland Proper has receded, its important suburbs of Newton and Parnell have added 1300 to their populations. The City of Wellington, which in 1871 numbered 7,908 inhabitants, in 1874 had reached 10,547, and Napier, during the same time, had increased from 2,179 to 3,514. In the Province of Nelson, the city of that name had added 130 to its numbers, Westport decreased by some 21 persons, while Charleston had fallen from 1,354 in 1871, to 528 in 1874. Of the principal towns of Westland, Greymouth is the only one which has apparently benefitted by the influx of immigrants, the census showing an increase in the inhabitants to the number of 450 j on the other hand, however, Hokitika and Ross are reduced to almost the same extent. Canterbury would appear to have reaped material benefits from the immigration scheme initiated by the Government, Christchurch and Lyttelton being unitedly 2,900 in excess of the amount of population credited to them in 1871, Kaiapoi and Timaru having grown in equal proportion. In all the towns of Otago the population has increased in a most satisfactory manner, save in the solitary instance of Hawkbury, which has dwindled down from 570 inhabitants to 346. Dunedin has 3,500 more inhabitants than it had in 1871, and all the towns in the province noted in the census return exhibit a proportionate increase. Oamaru, however, bears off the palm, the rapidity of its settlement having no parallel in any town or city in the report. Although containing but 1,657 residents in 1871, they now amount to 2,819. Part 11. is allotted to statistics regarding the people, and although there are some eighteen carefully compiled tables, they are not of sufficient interest to the public to call for comment. The third portion of the volume is devoted to statistics regarding the increase of the members of the various religions, and the nine- tables containing that and other facts under the heading are the most interesting of the report. The first table shows the number of persons belonging to the principal denominations at the taking of the Censuses of 1867, 1871, and 1874. From it we glean that, as the Colony increased in population, the members of the Church of England, from numbering 96,896 in 1867, and 107,241 in 1871, had reached 127,171 in 1874, showing an increase of 'over 18 per cent. The members of the .Presbyterian body, at the same periods, are set down at 54,927, 63,244, and 72,477 respectively, or an

increase of 13 per cent, on the last Census ; while the Method dists have swelled their numbers from 18,088 in 1867 to 22,004 in 1871, and 25,219 in 1874. Of all denominations the Baptists have exhibited the greatest amount of vitality, the statistics bearing out an increase of numbers to the extent of 33 per cent. The Catholics in the Colony numbered in 1867 30,417, and on the date of the last Census had increased to 40,317. It is worthy of note that while the Church of England had received in the past six years an addition to its members to the extent of 31,000, and the Presbyterians 1 8,400, the Catholics in the same time have increased but 10,000. The Jewish members of the community, in conjunction with the Society of Friends, exhibit a decline in numbers, the latter to the extent of 22 per cent. Under the heading of " Other Protestants " there are no less than thirty-one different sects, amongst which figure Christadelphians, Jehoviatics, Morrisonians, Nazarenes, Swedenborgians, and Shakers'. It is somewhat interesting to find that amongst the various religions we have 2 Calathumpians, 1 being a female ; 1 Bible Thumper, 1 Brothite (whatever that may be), 1 Old Identity, and 62 Mormons, 6 being women. The Materialists are bufe 2, whilst the Free Thinkers number 135, 22 of whom are women. Tn addition to these there are some 50 other sects, amongst which are Pantheists, Platonists, New Lights, Mysr tics, and a host of others of a kindred character. Part IV. treats of the birth-places of the people, from which it would appear that the native born population in 1874 was exactly double the number of English colonists, who in turn were equal to twice the number of the Scotch, the Irish in the community being 8,000 below the N"orth Britons, The amount of Welshmen in the community is amazingly small, their numbers being but 1,381. The native population has almost doubled itself within the last six years, their numbers being in 1867 64,052, against 122,635 in 1874. It is a somewhat suggestive fact, as showing the line of policy adopted in the selection of immigrants, that during the three years preceding the Census the population was swelled by English born to the extent of 7,584 persons, by Scotch to the number of 1,560, while Ireland was represented by bufc 522. Seeing that the number of persons hailing from Ireland in 1871 amounted to 29,733, whilst those from England were 67,044, or little over double the number, it will be apparent that in the matter of the selection of immigrants the proportion due to the two nations has been sadly lost sight of. It may be urged in reply, that of the 7,584 alluded to, many may have arrived by other means than the assistance of the Government, but statistics prove to the contrary. In 1858 the English born in the colony numbered 23,G80, whilst the Irish numbered but 4,300, or but one-fifth, yet in every succeeding year they gained in strength, until in 1867 their relative positions were — English, 65,614; Irish, 27,955, or little less than half. It will be thus seen that the Irish colonists were increasing with greater rapidity in proportion to their early settlement than their English fellowcolonists, and it was only when the money came out of the pocket of the State, and free immigration was introduced, that the positions were reversed, and the present disparity mentioned in the last census took place;

The Khedive of Egypt has sent to Mrs. Fitch, General Sherman's lately married daughter, a present of a white elephant. It is not exactly in the shape of an elephant, but in that of a double diamond necklace, and full set of diamond jewellery, bo awfully valuable that it would take a battery of her father's artillery to keep them from being stolen. The jewels are so gorgeous that they can never be worn — unless by a Cleopatra ; and to keep them safe they must be secretly buried, or disposed of in some occult way. The royal present consists of a double necklace, and each of these consists of three rows of diamonds, any one of which any lady might with pleasure see upon her finger. But in each necklace, both inner and outer, there is, at intervals of about an inch and a half, a large diamond, so large that no lady could wear it on her finger, and of a size that very few of the fair venture — even if they can afford. — to wear as solitaire earrings. In the middle of the inner necklace is a stone of great size, the worth of which must be fully ten thonsand dollars, and from the outer one depend seven pear-shaped stones of very unusual size, the middle one, which hangs just below the large one of the necklace, being of even greater size and value than that. The necklace is not alone. It is accompanied by ear-rings of corresponding value and design — a union of round stones above, with pear-shaped pendants below, all within borders of smaller stones — which, however, are small only by comparison with the great ones to which they are satellite*. This magnificent decoration, the value of which cannot be les» than one hundred and fifty thousand dollars, and which, if all the atones were of the first water, would command more nearly two hundred thousand, it merely an addition of the long list of rich presents received by Miss Sherman on her marriage. It is a compliment from the Khedive of Egypt to the soldier who made the great march to the boa.