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.... PnLIsiE DAILY..
.1110ND.AY, JANU4Jl ,.l18i-2, ...
IT will ble seen from the return;
published elsewhere that the cotisoli
dated revenue for the year just closed
amounted- to' :£875,269, ::the increase
over the revenue for 1890 amounting
to the substantial sum of £121,864,
lwhile ..th latter year 'showdd an
advanice of £76,053 upon the revenue
for 1889. With such evidences of pro=
gross as are afforded by,.tho:.revenue
returns, Parliament has otily to keeps a
judicious check upon expenditure and
the colony must prosper. Large, how
ever, as: is. the revonue for 1891', it
is some £9000 'lolo 'w the estimate
of the Treasurer when delivering his;
bhdget: ipeech 'in Jiuly: last','bit6 the
prudence of Mlr Bird-who tshen esti
itated the receipts fdr last year - t
£884,592-in only calculating upon sa
increase of £25,475 in the revonu6 for;
1892 will probably cause his' anticipas
tions to come out s'raight at the close
of the . current year. Tile estimated
expenditure for 1891. was .£849,508,'
which would leave a surplus on Decem
bar 31 of £35,084. 'This . deducted
fromi the "aceumulated 'dlicienicy i of
£132,708-a legacy from:the preceding
Administration-with which, the-yoar
commenced, leaves a deficiency 'of'
£97;684 to carry forward to ,1892.
The revenue for. the current year was
estiimated in July last at £910,067,
but this will be revised' with
greaouter accurnoy . by the time:
Parliament is again in session. Theo
estimated expefiditur, for. 1892 was'
£889,080, leaving a probable surplus ati
the close of the year of £20,4187; which'
wvould.reduce .the accumulated deficiency
to '77,247. Should thei revenue of:
the present year, however, show a simi
tar buoyancy to that of1891, the Trea
surer should have a'still more satis-=
factory' bsalince-sheet to* presdnt of the
financial position of Tasmania.': The:
complete returns: of imports and exports
for the past year are not yet available,
but for the eleven' months ended No
vember 80 the imports were~£1,908,916
lls 7d, as against £1.721;868 11s 4d
for the corresponding period of 1890';
and -the exports were £1,206,921, as
against '£1,300,949 for the eleven
months of the previous year. The im
ports for 1891'are made Ip as follow ;
Holiart, £1,035,772 ;. Launceston
'£7009,534; and sub-ports on N.W.
Coast, . £108,611. The exports are.
divided as follows ;-Hobart, £480,474.;
Launceston, £615,915; 'and 'N.W.
'Coast sub-ports,.£110,552.: It will be
noted that there is an increase of im
ports and a. decrease: of oxports for last
year as compared ivith 1890,
PAR VI. of the statistics of fasmania
for 1890 was issued it short time since
by the Government 'Statistician. It
deals with law, crime, and protection
and contains much food for reflection.
Of five.bills initiated in .the Legislative
Council during the session of 1890,
one lapsed in committee; sixty-three
iveil received friom thel Houso.of As
sembly, of which sixty were passed by
both Houses, 'fifty-seven received the
Royal Assent,three lapsed ihicommittee,
the second reading of ,two was put off
for six months, and one was negatived,
from one the Royal Assent was withheld
and in one it was reserved.' 'Tlhe num
ber of civil causes entered for trial
before the Supremo Couirt in its ordinary
jurisdiction was 23, of which 11 were
tried; of which in nione casesi the verdict
was'for plaittiff, in on' cifor .defendant,
one non-suit, and 12 withdrawn, the
amount awarded by, jury being £1189
is 10d. In its srit~iall dhets jurisdiction
179 cases. were tried, the verdict being
for" 'ilaintiff in'. 102 cases, and for
defendant.in 17; amount of claims
sued for, £10,258 -Se ld, awarded
£4146; idcluding judgnientslay default.
In tli?iCoburts of Requests and Genieral
Sessions of the Peace held in the various
countti dlistricts 14586 cases: were tried,
the verdict being for plaintiff in 4318
cases, and for defendant or non-suit in
,268; ariount sn,d'for £48,450 18s Od,
awarded £24,392 17s Gd. These figures,
thouglh an impiovement on the previous
year, show that thliere isemore litigation
than ought ' to prevail .in' so small a
population. . 182 probates, representing
property sworn under £459,156, and 80
letters of administration under £69,185
were granted. In 1888 there was a
similar niumber of probates, and in 1886
of letters of administration; but with
these exceptions, those for 1800 were
the most numuerous during the decade,
while the amount involved was by far
the highest. In bankruptcy, 15 petitions
were' presented, of which 18 were
declared bankrupt, and two were dis
missed or not proceeded with; assets,
.£4216 Os 10d,liabilities £16,665 Os lild
(thle amounts for HIobart are not given);
potitions for liquidation by arrangcment
61,'of which 51 were granted, 10 not
proceeded with ; assets £27,945 Os ld,
liabilities £69,081 2s 6d. This was the
smallest number of voluntary petitions
during the past decade since 1885, but
the largest number of compulsory bank
ruptcies since 1886. Five petitions for
divorce were filed, two decrees for dis
solution of 'marriage granted, and one
protection order rofused. Inquests
were held on 128 males and 46 females;
30 were hold on infants seven years old
and. under, si tuinder sixteen and above
seven, .80 :sixteen years and under
sixty, 52 above sixty; the findings of
the jury were-murder two, man
slaughter one, justifiable homicide two,
suicide 16, accidental death 57, un- t
known cause of injuries two, found
dead 25, excessive drinking one, disease
aggravated by neglect four, from want,
cold, exposure, eto., one, other causes
63; total' cost £472 7s 3d., The total
number of -inquests and the number of
suicides were much larger than for any
year .of the previous decade. Of
intestate estates dealt with lby the
curator there were 47 of males and six
of females, representing .a total value of
£68850:9 s Gd, of which £6310 is 8d
was' paid away, leaving a balance of
.£548 198i : 10d. The details of adminis
tration of itlestate estates are never
made public in any way, and the public
have.no means of learning what is the
percentage of fees and expenses, or what
is meanit by the balance in hand every
year, Which amounts for the last five
years to £2454 13s lid. The
Colonial Auditor endeavoured, some
two years ago, to have the accounts of
the .Curator of Intestate-Estates audited
as public accounts, but was unsuccess
ful; and tbey are still .passed, as hereto.
fore, on the certificato'of the judges of
thoeit*preme Court.
SIn tliohe criminal jrisdiction of the
Supreme CourtLthere were 61 indict
monts aind informations, ot which four
werilfor murder and manslaughter, but
the majority of ches were for offences
against property and miscellaneous
offences: Forty-six pirisonets were
convicted, 10 acquitted, and five
cases , fell through " for IWait of
prosecution. In the mgisterial
ijurisdiction 330 males and 47 females
were charged .during the year with
oflences against. the person, 21 males
with offencos against the person and
property, ,508:males: nd 97 females
with offences- against 'property; 3810
imales and 683 females with
offences against good . order, 59
males and one female' with offences.
relating to carrying out laws, 99 males
aind eight femnales with offedices relating
to revenue, and 1059 males and 64
females with offences against the public
wIelfare, the total' nuinher of persons
arrested 'or dealt with by summons
blibeng 5502 males and 909 females. On
tlhe civilside, for wages, non-payment
.of rates, etc., 1636 summonses were
issued, and judgment for the plaintiff
given in 1205 cases, eight defen.
dants :being imprisonment.:r 'The total
nuimbe? of offences of all kinids reported
to the police in which prosecutions, for
want of evidenc or other causes, did
not follow wereoonly 448 for the whole
colony.., It is satisfactory to note that
although the population has increased
during the past ton years there is no
corresponding increase of crime, in fact
the record for 1890 is less than that of
several years in the preceding decade.
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