OTAGO
PROVINCIAL
GOVERNMENT
GAZETTE.

Vol. XVI. DUNEDIN, WEDNESDAY, MAY 1, 1872. No. 790.

ADDRESS OF HIS HONOR THE SUPERINTENDENT,
ON OPENING THE THIRTIETH SESSION OF THE PROVINCIAL COUNCIL OF THE PROVINCE OF OTAGO, APRIL 30, 1872.

MR. SPEAKER AND GENTLEMEN OF THE PROVINCIAL COUNCIL:—

The present seems a befitting occasion on which briefly to refer to our progress as a Province during the past financial year, and to take stock of some few of the more important incidents which have marked that progress.

I am happy to say that, although there has been no very startling or spasmodic advancement, yet there has been a steady growth in the settlement of the country, which must be more or less satisfactory to all of us.

The number of additional Agricultural holdings, or homesteads, created during the year amount to six hundred and forty-seven (647), that is irrespective of town and village occupations.

The number of Immigrants who have been landed in the Province for the same period has been 4092; of this number 527 statute adults have received assisted passages. The number of Emigrants, on the other hand, amounts to 1508, leaving a balance in favor of Immigration of 2584.

The number of births throughout the Province for the year ending 31st December last, was 3074, the deaths for the same period, being 809.

The total value of Provincial produce exported from Dunedin and Invercargill during the year ending the 24th of the present month, is close upon £2,000,000, the exact figures being £1,990,000; this is irrespective of what may have been shipped to the neighbouring Provinces of New Zealand, and making due allowance for that portion raised in the Province of Canterbury, gives a rate per head of the population, double that of the Colony of Victoria.

It may be interesting to note, that of the forementioned amount, £147,000 has been shipped to the United States of America, the residue having been sent to the United Kingdom, for which sixteen large first-class ships have cleared out during the year from Dunedin and Bluff Harbour.

I need scarcely say that a considerable proportion of the Exports has consisted of the produce of our Gold Fields. The duty on gold shipped during the year amounted to £21,415 16s. 4d., as against £19,069 2s. 9d. in the previous year. A Return will be placed before you, showing the total amount of gold received in Dunedin from the various Gold Fields by Escort during the past two years. From this return it will be seen that the quantity received during the year ending 31st March, 1872 was 156,026 ounces, being 104 ounces less than that received by Escort during the previous year. The deficiency, trifling as it is, must be attributed to the great scarcity of water which has resulted from the late most unusually dry season. These returns, compared with those of previous years, go to show that gold mining has become a settled and permanent industry.

An abundant and cheap supply of water is, I believe, the one thing needful to afford permanent and profitable occupation to a very large mining population. Besides the alluvial deposits from which our gold exports have hitherto been chiefly derived, there are numerous quartz reefs throughout the Province, some of which have been yielding very handsome returns. With a view of enabling the discoverers of quartz reefs to ascertain accurately the value of their discoveries, the Government has now in course of erection in Dunedin a quartz-crushing machine, which, it is hoped, will be.