ut of loans.

39. I have caused the following statistics to be furnished me from the
Treasury and Customs Departments for six years, ending on the 30th
September of each year. The first year given, that ending on the 30th
September, 1869, is the year immediately preceding my arrival, I having
been sworn in on that very day.

TREASURY AND CUSTOMS DEPARTMENTS STATISTICS FOR SIX YEARS TO 1874 IN
POUNDS/SHILLINGS/PENCE.

COLUMN 1: CATEGORY.
COLUMN 2: 1869.
COLUMN 3: 1870.
COLUMN 4: 1871.
COLUMN 5: 1872.
COLUMN 6: 1873.
COLUMN 7: 1874.

*Imports : 232,830/0/11 : 232,590/18/8 : 201,070/3/4 : 224,396/10/0 :
253,680/16/2 : 367,417/15/0.

**Exports : 178,860/15/2 : 204,447/2/2 : 194,934/9/3 : 228,807/12/9 :
278,502/16/0 : 398,900/8/6.

***Customs duties : 48,157/8/9 : 45,270/14/6 : 43,464/2/3 : 53,556/4/5 :
60,022/1/1 : 82,016/12/0.

****Revenue : 108,600/1/0 : 109,978/6/3 : 102,128/3/4 : 107,828/5/10 :
120,937/14/8 : 161,443/8/10.

****Expenditure : 107,213/1/10 : 119,478/8/4 : 112,285/10/7 :
103,205/16/0 : 120,259/11/9 : 131,334/18/5.

OBSERVATIONS.

*Ships now expected will greatly swell the items of Imports and Customs.

**This is exclusive of RE-exported articles, and the valuations are very
moderate. In round numbers, the Exports may be said to be over 400,000
pounds.

***Part of the increase of Customs duties is owing to increase of duties
on spirits, wines, and some other items; and ad valorem, on the other
hand, credit should be given for some articles which have been admitted
free. Taking the balance as the amount accruing from increase of duties,
it may be put at 12,000 pounds on the last year.

****It will be observed that for some time, until better seasons returned
and measures bore fruit, I had to a slight extent to rely on the surplus
found in the chest to make Revenue and Expenditure meet. To have starved
the Expenditure at that time would have been to have damaged the future
progress of the colony, and the Legislative Council opposed several
reductions that I thought might have been effected.

On the 30th September, 1874, there was a sum of 36,616 pounds 3 shillings
5 pence in the chest, and something like this sum will be at the disposal
of the Legislature at their meeting, beyond current revenue.

40. I need hardly say that the commercial state of the colony is
admittedly sound, and I am informed in a more prosperous condition than
at any previous period of its existence. Landed proper