37. Immigration from England has, on a small scale, been set on foot lately, and families are now expected from neighbouring colonies, but our population from obvious causes has increased but slightly during the last five years; on my arrival it was said to be actually decreasing, and there were many reasons why such an opinion was not unreasonable--reduction of the convict establishment threw some out of employment, expirees also desired to quit a country which to them had been a land of bondage, and the prospects of the country were gloomy; now there is a great want of labour, any that comes is at once absorbed, and every effort should be made to attract a constant stream of immigrants. 38. It will be observed that when the whole authorized loan is raised, the colony will be only in debt to the extent of a little over one year's income, or 5 pounds 16 shillings 5 1/4 pence a head, whilst Victoria is indebted 15 pounds 14 shillings 10 3/4 pence, New South Wales 19 pounds 7 shillings, South Australia 10 pounds 19 shillings 5 pence, Queensland 32 pounds 12 shillings 7 3/4 pence, Tasmania 14 pounds 3 shillings 6 3/4 pence, New Zealand 40 pounds 5 shillings 11 pence. I beg also to call your lordship's attention to the fact that Western Australia has only yet spent the 35,000 pound loan, and has now only begun to spend that of 100,000 pounds. I also would point out that the last annual increase of revenue has about equalled the whole capital amount which has been expended out 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.