The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1872-08-17 00:00:00

THE COLONY OF VICTORIA.

The Census returns recently laid before the Parlia-
ment of Victoria show a total population in Victoria,
on the 2nd of April, 1870, of 731,528 persons-
-401,050 males and 330,478 females; the Chinese num-
bered 17,935, of whom 17.899 were males, and 36 were
females; and the aborigines 1,330, of whom 784 were
males and 546 were females. There were 150,618 oc.
copied and 6,997 unoccupied habitations in the colony,
and 866 in course of erection. Since 1861 the males
increased by 2: per cent, and the females by 56 13
per cent.
The number of electors of the Legislative Assembly
electorates is put down at 127,508, and of the Legisla-
tive Council electorates at 22,368.
The population in the cities, towns, and boroughs,
was 374,150, the males exceeding the females by 6,700.
The increase of population in the mining districts sin .e
1861 is 42,247.
There were 38,588 occupiers of land, who held
36,928,104 acres, of which 28,694,312 were returned as
rented from the Crown, and 1,853,404 as rented fryer
private persons, while the freehold occupations were
returned as amounting ro 6,380,388 acres. Nearly
20,000,000 acres were still unoccupied. There were
under cultivation 804,508 acres. The number of.
holdings from one to five acres in extent was 5,59.5 ;
from live to 15, 4,770 ; from 15 to 30, 4,253 ; from di
to 100, 10.112; from 100 to 350, 9,7 W; and from 350 to
1,000, 2,574, and there were 51 holdings of 100,000
acres and upwards, containing 11,294,160 acres. Of
the 804,508 acres under cultivation, 646,326 were in
holdings from 50 to 1,000 acres in extent. The pro-
portion of the gross area of land under cultivation to
the gross area is occupation was 218 per cent.
There were is the colony 209,025 horses, 212,193
much cows, 564,534 other cattle. 20,477,976 sheep,
1E8,109 pies, and 122,164 goats. The live stock DlM-
bored 6,641,023 in 1861, and E,643,837 in 1871. Be-
tween the two periods the number of sheep was almost
doubled, having been 5,780,806 in 1871. 'Hie increase
in cattle has not been very marked. Horses and pigs
have increased in even greater proportion than sheep.
The number of geese was 83,025, of ducks 137,355, of
fowls 1,636,782, and of turkeys 69,756.
The table showing the religions of the people gives
257,835 Episcopalians (including 5,997 Protestants not
otherwise defined), 112,983 Presbyterians, 94,220
Wesleyan Methodists, 18,191 Independents, or Con-
gregationalists, 16,311 Baptists, 10,559 Lutherans
and German Protestants, 3,510 Christians (Church
of Christ), 93 Moravians end United Brethren,
1,432 Calvinists and Calvinistic Methodists, 333
members of the Society of Friends, 1,016 Unita-
rians, 1,028 other Protestants, 170,620 Catholics (in-
chiding 3,152 Catholics not otherwhe defined), 278
Catholic and Apostolic Church, 332 Greek Church,
2E5 Israelites and Christian Ltraelites, 97 Mormons or
Latter Day Saints, 3,571 Jews, 18,392 nf other sects
(including 17,650 Pagans), 2,37 of no denomination,
2,150 of no rellgion, 5,560 unspecified, and 9,935 who
objected to state their religion.
From the table showing the birthplaces of the people
it appears that 329,597 were born in Victoria, 2,5669 in
other Australian Colonies and New Zealand, 164,287
in England, 6,614 in \ Vales, 56,210 in Scotland, 100,468
in Ireland, 3,870 in other British Possessions, and
16,637 in Continental Eurf pe and the French cdonies
(of whom 8,995 are from Germany).

KILLED BY TELEGEAPH.—The Prior of the
Dominican Monastery of Voreppe, in France, recently
received the following telegram :—" Father Ligier
is
dead (es wort); we shall arrive by train to-morrow, at
three.— LAnonEg." The ecclesiastic, being convinced
that the deceased, who WES highly esteemed in the
locality, had selected it for his last resting-place, made
every preparation. A grave was dug, a hearse pro-
viied, and with the monks a sorrowing crowd waded
at the station for the train. It arrived, and, to the
astonishment of every one, the supposed defunct
alighted, well and hearty. The matter was soon ex-
plained. The reverend father, returning from a visit
to Rome, where he had been &coon:pruned by the priest
LshrrFe, stopped to visit soirc monks at Saint•Jeamdc•
Marrienne. and requested his Din pauion to telegra,
the return his monastery. 'P message rent wa.
" Father I.igier are! Iu t ifisdi will arrive," &v.. Ti.o
clerks inadvertently chaoged the I mot into tirt more,
with what moult has already been told.

/

L