, 1888-07-14

0AOItCS O3 AN1O IL 40 4CLhu1O UNIV 800
299 male and 24O female in infants, the
whole being equal to 3771 adults. The
proportion of females to males was 464
per cent-fve over the statutory require
ment-among the immigrants, and 10 to
20, or rs per cent, among the passengers.
OF the immigrants 235 had previously
been in the colony, and were returning
to it 1870 had previously been III other
colonies. Over ten per cent, OF the whole
were consequently seasoned people. Re
mittances to the amount of 10,O93 rupees
were made by immigrants-presumablg
returning ones-and 1,215 rupees by pas.
sengers, equal, at Is. 8d.per rupee, to
about 1880, sterling,-Or nine thousand
dollars currency. In addition to the pas
sengers from Calcutta, AZ East Indians
and Chinese appear to rave come to the
colony at their own expense, chiefly, y
may be presumed, from the West India
Islands, during the year. ALI this is
most satisfactory. But the comparatively
large proportion of inetfectiveS among the
immigrants who arrived is a less agrea-
BILE feature of the report. No fewer than
so had to be allotted at three. quarters
fee, Is at half, 6 at a quarter, and 20
without fee while, of those allotted at
full fee, "A died and % became perma-
nently disabled for agricultural labOur
within three months after allotment, tbs
fees in those cases having to be returned
These PIP were a considerable deduclr0N
from the effective strength of the 38"S
allOttees, exclusive of the 539 infants, hUt
we question whether the percentago
would have been less had the Immigrants
been of any other nationality and selected
under any other system, 273 couples were
registered on arrival as husbands aud
wives /; SO couples resident in the c0l@ny
were married by the immigration Agent
General under the provisions Of Ordinancs
10 of 1860, and 20 couples. by the clergy
of different denominations, after refer
ence to the immigration Department 10
ascertain whether any impeachment eNIs-
ted-a most advisable precauti0n, which
in the past has been to- frequently neg;
lected. In this connection Mr.. Alex
ander refers to the passing Of what Is
known MS the divorce Made Easy"
Ordinance, No. 2 Of 1887, under which
extended facilities are given for dealing
with cases in which there is reaSnn"to@Ht
prehend violence on account OF jealousy,
and for the division o. property in eases
where unmarried persons cease to live
with each other as husband ami wife.
But there had not been time to acquire
by experience adequate knowledge OF the
probable practical effect OF the Ordinances
Since the report was written one woman
has applied for divorce under is prOvi-
sionS, but her application was not sue
c~essful.
One fact noted in the report affords
conclusive evidence of the high degree OF
material prosperity which the more pro-
vident OF the immigrants attain in this
colony. 1t may appear Incredible, but
is no less indUbitahle, that the o
in the Government Savings Bank at the
credit Of East Indian. aud Chinese immi-
grants at the close of 1887 was. i'll round
numbers, no less a sum than Ninety-tw0
Thousand Pounds sterling=East Indians
(5,821 depository SOL 1915 As. Gil. Chinese
40 depository, e63S l8s. l1d.-the total
being G2,634 rs. Id. greater than at the
close of the previous year. And in fur.
ther proof Of the generally prosperous
condition of the bulk of our Immigrant
population, we have this further equally
satisfactory statement =
The long dry season which prevailed
during last year necessarily had an. effect
on the condition of the labOur, market. The
rates of wages, however, continued fair,
and | am glad to report that the usual sa-
tisfactory relations between employers
aud employed were fully maintained. The
cultivation of rice and provision farms by
the immigrants is steadily increasing. The