Illustrated London News
Emigration Reports
1874

	
1874

The Illustrated London News

Jul 4 1874					Page 7
We learn by telegram that the New South Wales Government was 
prorogued yesterday week.

						Page 18		
AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND
Information concerning the true state and prospects of our five
English colonial settlements in the Southern hemisphere is highly 
desirable when it comes from reliable authors and in an intelligible 
form.  
Mr. W. H. L. Ranken's book on The Dominion of Australia (Chapman & Hall) 
is the best general treatise yet published upon the industrial and 
economic resources of the great island-continent, with its five 
separate provinces- New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, 
Queensland, and West Australia. Its arrangement of the subject is 
novel, but rational and convenient, presenting in distinct chapters, 
with reference to the whole of Australia, special accounts of the 
different branches of industry, culture, and commercial wealth, for 
which great opportunities are there afforded. Sheep and cattle grazing, 
wool-growing, and the production of meat, hides, and tallow, with
the system of squatting or leasing runs, and working stations, in 
the open lands as yet unpurchased, are discussed in one portion of 
Mr. Ranken's volume. Another part relates to agriculture properly 
so called- the growing of wheat, oats, and maize, of cotton and sugar, 
and the making of wine. These reviews of the pastoral and agricultural 
business of the five Australian provinces are very wisely preceded by 
an interesting descriptive sketch of the physical conditions of the 
entire continent. Its geological structure, the singular conformation 
of its surface, the meteorological effect of its position and shape 
amidst the neighbouring oceans, and the consequent peculiarities of 
its climate as well as of its soil, are clearly and forcibly delineated.  
The next division of Mr. Ranken's subject is the mineral products of 
Australia- gold, tin, copper, iron, and coal, more especially in the 
eastern provinces, yielding an apparently inexhaustible store of 
riches to the miner with the requisite capital and machinery for 
their extraction.  New South Wales, in this respect, seems to be 
even more favoured by nature than Victoria, and ought, with its 
bundance of good coaland iron, to become one of the greatest 
manufacturing countries in the world. 
The tropical climate of Northern Queensland, and of the North 
Australian territory, which is dependent, oddly enough, on the 
Government of South Australia, will scarcely be made available for 
sugar and cotton till the planters can obtain Indian or Chinese 
labour, that of the Polynesian islanders not being sufficient.  
Mr. Ranken's survey, therefore, of the commercial promise and real 
prosperity of Australia has, of necessity, a rather provisional 
character, and it is probable that great changes may take place 
within the next ten years. Wool and gold, but wool continuing still 
in the ascendant, now rule the fortunes of our Australasian empire, 
including New Zealand, of which Mr. Ranken has nothing to relate. 
His concluding chapters treat of Australian politics, legislation, 
and social life, which were lately portrayed with much vivacity by 
Mr. Anthony Trollope.  Upon the standing feud between the "squatter," 
or capitalist renting a large extent of public land for a sheep-run, 
and the "free-selector" or small purchaser, who is allowed to take 
whatever plot of land he may choose to buy out of the vast tract 
leased to the squatter, Mr. Ranken has much to say; and he exposes 
the mischievous effects of these land-laws in New South Wales and 
Victoria. 
The peremptory right of purchasing land from Government, he
contends, should be limited to estates approved by official survey 
for agricultural occupation of a certain class, and only in convenient
situations. It appears, however, that the method of Australian 
sheep-farming is now undergoing an essential change, first, by the 
use of wire fencing around a smaller area, instead of employing a 
number of riding shepherds to keep the immense flocks in constant 
view; secondly, by the laying down of English or artificial grasses, 
with manuring, which is done chiefly on freehold estates.  These 
economic improvements bid fair soon to put an end to the squatting 
system, and terminate the dispute between the aristocratic woolgrower 
and the yeoman would-be grower of wheat.  The idea of a future political 
confederation of the Australian provinces, similar to that of British 
North America, has not yet been formally propounded.  
It seems to be worthy the best consideration of British and colonial 
statesmen. We had occasion, three years ago, to commend Mr. Charles 
Marshall's book, The Canadian Dominion as a good general description 
of our American colonies, then recently joined in a legislative union. 
It is with equal satisfaction that we acknowledge Mr. Ranken's thorough 
performance on The Dominion of Australia; and we strongly advise 
every Englishman (which means, also, the Scotchman and the Irishman) 
to study both these well-written volumes. So may we learn how wide, 
and rich, and fair, beyond the western and the southern and eastern 
seas, are the homes of happy promise for our industrious nation.

More suitable, we believe, than any part of the Australian mainland 
for the employment and residence of English middle-class families 
are the two large islands of New Zealand, distant from Australia 
above one thousand miles, in the South Pacific Ocean. Their colonial 
history, which is entirely separate from that of Australia, has too 
often been mingled with party strife and the jealousies of rival 
interests among the different founders of Auckland, Wellington, 
Nelson, and Canterbury. Mr. Alexander Kennedy's little book on 
New Zealand (Longmans) is written in a more impartial spirit than 
some preceding works upon the subject, though he does not withhold 
criticism of those acts of Governors and Ministers, Bishops and 
missionaries, and civil and military officers, which seem to have 
hindered the steady progress of the colony. 
His book has reached a second edition; and he promises to relate
the settlement of Canterbury and Otago in a second volume.Mr. Kennedy
resided many years at Auckland, as manager there of the Union Bank of
Australia, and subsequently of the Bank of New Zealand.

We are indebted to Messrs. S. W. Silver and Co., of Cornhill, the 
great outfitters of emigrant sea-passengers, and the proprietors of 
a fortnightly journal entitled The Colonies, for the very best 
statistical handbook of Australasian geography. This Handbook for 
Australia and New Zealand is a masterpiece of complete and concise 
statement of precise details, ascertained to the latest attainable 
dates. The compiler has set an example of agreeable and serviceable 
brevity in his few general remarks, combined with minute specification 
of particular facts; but he evidently knows all about the subject, 
and his opinions are highly judicious. A few small maps- one of each 
Australian province, one of Tasmania, and one of each of the two
New Zealand islands- might with advantage be added, instead of the 
"Seasons' Chart of the World."

Where the man should go, after all, who is minded to leave his 
country for what he fancies to be his own good, must depend upon 
his personal condition, his means, habits, faculties, and wishes 
in the matter of working and manner of living. Some readers may 
be instructed, all may be entertained, by Mr. W. Stamer's two 
volumes, The Gentleman Emigrant (Tinsley Brothers), which relate 
to "his daily life, sports, and pastimes, in Canada, Australia, and 
the United States." The author has several times been in America. 
Those parts he seems to know best are New Brunswick and Nova Scotia; 
the peninsula of Ontario, between Lakes Ontario, Erie, and Huron, 
which seems to be the best part of Canada; the northern districts 
of New York State, towards Lake Ontario; and some parts of the 
Middle States of the Union, Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. 
Except the two provinces first mentioned, the eastern-most of 
British America, which have a too severe climate, he commends 
the natural features of these districts, both in the loyal Canadian 
Dominion and in the Federal Republic. They offer, at the present 
time, good facilities of agricultural settlement; the climate is 
healthy, the scenery is attractive, there is ample sport at no cost 
but the loss of time, and market-towns or villages are not too distant. 
But the gentleman emigrant, with a wife and family, who means to try 
this kind of life, must have a capital of two or three, or better, 
of five thousand pounds, with which he may succeed in creating a 
valuable property for his children to inherit. There is, indeed, 
another type of gentleman emigrant- the single young man who means 
to rough it and who will toil harder, and that cheerfully, for his
own profit, than any rustic labourer in England has ever done for 
a master.
This resolute and energetic bachelor is called Coelebs, to distinguish 
him from Benedict, the married man settled in a ready-made farm near 
Toronto. Coelebs, who has but £1000 or £1500 for his portion, buys 
a piece of wild woodland on the banks of a river in Nova Scotia, 
builds a log-hut with the aid of a tough old couple hired to serve 
him, and lives there very much like Robinson Crusoe.  The plan of 
Mr. Stamer's book is to describe a visit to the respective abodes of 
Mr. and Mrs. Benedict, and of Mr. Coelebs; how they manage to live, 
and how they enjoy their life. With regard to Australia, his
advice to the gentleman emigrant, unless he be one with a very large 
capital or very strong connection, is very decidedly, Don't go there! 
and we have reason to believe that this advice is well founded.  
Australia- more especially New South Wales, Victoria, and Queensland- 
will devour a moderate capital with amazing rapidity.  And while the 
mere labourer can get very high wages, the man of educated intelligence 
can find no employment, nor even a safe investment for any little 
money he may possess.  In New Zealand this is not so much the case; 
but Mr. Stamer does not seem to be acquainted with that colony.  
His descriptions of the sporting adventures he has witnessed in the 
North American forests are very pleasant. The intending agricultural 
colonist, indeed, must have his mind, bent upon more serious 
occupations. The gun and the plough, or the angler's rod and the 
woodman's axe, should not divide this strength of mind and hand.

							Page 19
THE ADELAIDE POST OFFICE
The city of Adelaide, which is the capital of the province of South
Australia, has about 30,000 inhabitants, and ranks next to Sydney 
and Melbourne in social importance. 
It is less than forty years since this colony was founded by a 
joint-stock company on the Wakefield system of land sales and 
regulated emigration , carried out by Messrs. Torrens and Angas; 
but Captain Hindmarsh, Colonel Gawler, and Sir George Grey were the 
first governors. The climate and soil are much worse, except for a 
few limited districts, than those of Victoria and New South Wales; 
notwithstanding which the South Australian people, by their superior 
industry and skill in agriculture, as well as by their possession 
of valuable copper-mines, have gained a high degree of prosperity. 
They export the finest wheat to the London market, and supply 
bread-stuffs to the other Australian provinces, which are unable, 
as yet, to feed themselves. The exports of wool and of copper are 
still more important, but this province yields no gold. The 
population is nearly 200,000; but the political jurisdiction of the 
province extends across the whole vast breadth of the continent, to 
the northern shores of Australia, opposite the Malay Islands. 
We have spoken, before now, of the recent construction of an overland 
telegraph, above 1800 miles long, which has put all the Australian 
colonies into hourly communications with London. This great work, 
which is due to South Australia alone, deserves to be remembered 
in connection with our present subject. The new post office and 
telegraph building at Adelaide is shown in out illustration. It 
was designed, in 1867, by the colonial architect, Mr. R. G. Thomas. 
The style is Anglo-Italian, with Doric columns in the lower story
and Ionic in the upper, and with a bold cornice, entablature, and 
balustrade at the top; a square tower, at the south-east angle, 
rises 158 ft. high, and supports a flagstaff and lightning-rod. The 
front in King William-street has a length of 150ft., and that in 
Victoria-square 160 ft.; the main building is nearly 58 ft. high. 
The wrought-iron gates and the cast-iron balustrade were manufactured 
by Mr. G. Wyatt and Mr. E. Fischer, of Adelaide.
							
							Page 22
Last month we mentioned the discovery that the tailings heretofore 
thrown away at some of the Australian diggings had been found to 
contain a large quantity of gold. This month we have to notice an 
expedient invented by Mr. W. F. Bassett, which he calls "a condensing 
amalgamator for permeating sludge or tailings containing gold and 
silver with condensed mercurial vapour," and so recovering the gold. 
We doubt whether this contrivance is the most suitable that could be 
devised for this purpose.

Jul 11							Page 31
The South Australian Parliament has voted £30,000 for assisted and 
£5000 for free emigration. Domestic servants are said to be much 
wanted in the colony.

The following is a list of the ships and numbers of emigrants 
forwarded top New Zealand by the agent-general for that colony 
during the month of June last:- For the province of Otago: The Farsee
with 385, the Tweed, with 638; and the Christian, M'Ausland, with 349. 
For Canterbury: The Cathcart, with 476; the Canterbury, with 484; the 
Meropé, with 331; and the Gutenburg (from Hamburg), with 150. For 
Wellington: The Cartvale, with 418; and the Douglas, with 
465. For Auckland: The Oxford, 432. Total, 4128. Total for the half
year ended June 30th, 21,400.

							Jul 25
Under births in the Births, deaths & marriages section:
On April 28, 1874, at East St. Kilda, near Melbourne, Victoria, 
the wife of J. K. Bickerton, of a son.

							Page 74
The revenue of the Province of Victoria, Australia, for the past 
quarter amounts to £1,000,000.

							Page 75
During the month of June the number of emigrants sailing from the 
Mersey was 14,667, being a decrease of 3936 as compared with June 
of last year, and a decrease on the six months ending June of 49,357.
The total number of emigrants from Ireland in the first six months of 
the present year was 45,781; of whom 25,164 were males, and 20,617 
females. As compared with the like period of 1873, there was a decrease 
of 14,359.

Aug 1							Page 98
We learn from Melbourne that the Chief Secretary of Government 
has resigned in consequence of ill-health, and that the reconstruction 
of the Government, or the formation of a new Ministry, will therefore 
be necessary. The Constitution Bill has been read the third time by 
the Assembly by a  majority of two.

Aug 8						Page 118
This year there has been a great falling off in the emigration 
trade of the Mersey. The returns for the month of July show a 
reduction of 3990 emigrants as compared with the same month 
last year, while the decrease on the year is  49,355.

						Page 138
During the second quarter of 1874, 92,716 emigrants sailed from 
the various ports of the United Kingdom. Of these 77,296 were 
persons of British origin, including 38,387 English, 8509 Scotch, 
and 30,400 Irish. Compared with the numbers in the second quarter 
of 1873, the total British emigrants showed a decline of more than 
25 per cent, the number being considerably lower than in the 
corresponding quarter of any year since 1868. Further statistics 
show that emigration has declined in all parts of the United 
Kingdom. While the number of persons going to other places has 
considerably fallen off, the emigrants to the Australian colonies 
rose to 18,061, compared with numbers ranging between 3058 and 6376 
in the June quarter of the eight years 1866-1873.

Aug 15						Page 146
NEW ZEALAND
Favourable accounts of the finances of New Zealand are telegraphed 
by the Prime Minister and treasurer of that colony. The revenue of 
the past year exceeds that of the previous one by £300,000, and 
there is a clear surplus of £200,000.
						Page 147
A rich quartz reef has been discovered at the Cape, near Sydenbury. 
Digging in the diamond-fields has been interrupted by heavy storms.
The Times states that Sir James Fergusson has applied to be 
relieved from the governorship of New Zealand, and that he will be 
succeeded by the Marquis of Normanby, at present the Governor of 
Queensland.					Page 150

From some statistics collected by the National Agricultural 
Labourers' Union as to the recent lock-out in the eastern counties, 
it appears that the struggle lasted about eighteen weeks, and cost 
the union, in money expended for lock-out pay, migration, and 
emigration, nearly £25,000. Originally 2400 men were locked out, 
of whom 870 have returned to work without surrendering their 
tickets, 400 have migrated, 440 emigrated, and 350 have returned 
to work since the lock-out pay was stopped, several of these 
last having abandoned the union. There are still 350 unemployed. 
The secretary attributes the failure of the struggle to want of 
union and cohesion amongst the men, the refusal of labourers to 
migrate to districts where work and better wages could be obtained, 
and the injudicious admission into the union of old men, who 
expected life annuities from its funds. A band of agricultural 
labourers left the Mersey on Wednesday for Canada, in
the steam-ship Dominion. On the 26th of this month another 
party, accompanied by Mr. Taylor, the secretary of the union, 
will sail for the same destination by the steamer Ontario.
The St. James, belonging to Messrs. Taylor, Bethell, and 
Roberts's London line, has arrived safely at Maryborough, 
Queensland. Her passengers consisted principally of agricultural 
labourers from Suffolk and Essex.

Aug 22						Page 182
One hundred and thirty emigrants left Shetland last week, by 
the steamer Schiller, for New Zealand.

Aug 29						Page 195
So much uncertainty exists with respect to the position of 
emigrants that every piece of trustworthy information if of 
value. The Times gives the following extract from a letter 
written by a person of station in Wellington, New Zealand, 
to the Rev. Dr. Collis, of Shottery Hall, Stratford-on-Avon:-
"The immigrants to this place are taken charge of by the 
Government and consigned to an excellent matron at the 
barracks, where they are taken straight from the ship. 
My wife went down to the ship and arranged with the young girl 
you were interested in. She seems a nice, good-natured girl. If
you could send us a thousand they would all be engaged in 
twenty-four hours. Immigrants are coming in at the rate of 
3000 to 4000 a month, and yet wages show no symptoms of falling, 
and I can get no work done for less than 8s. a day. Girls get 
from £25 and upwards; and when I was at the gold-fields on the 
west coast, a few weeks ago, I knew of cooks and barmaids getting 
£2 a week. Practically, nobody starves in this country, although 
there are many who would if they got their desserts."
					Page 211
The ship St. Vincent sailed from Plymouth, on the 22nd 
inst., for Adelaide, under charter with the agent-general for 
South Australia, with 336 emigrants, the whole being under the 
assisted-passage regulations. Among the number are sixty-six 
single women, domestic servants, who are greatly wanted
in the colony.

Sep 5					Page 218
A Melbourne despatch, of Sunday's date, says that the Budget 
has been introduced in the Victorian Assembly. The revenue is 
estimated at £4,515,182, and the expenditure at £4,478,080. 
Several fiscal changes are proposed, comprising a number of 
ad valorem duties in favour of protection. The duty on wine is 
increased.
					Page 219
AN IRISH EMIGRANT-SHIP
That touching little song of Samuel Lover's, "I'm sitting on 
the stile, Mary, where we sat side by side," expresses the 
natural sorrow of parting from the land of their birth which 
such an affectionate people as the Irish must always feel when 
they are compelled to seek new homes beyond the ocean.
The Englishman's sentiment is rather expressed by Charles Mackay 
in his "Cheer, boys, cheer ! there's wealth for honest labour;" 
but the promise is held out equally to both, and to all sober 
and industrious men and women, disposed to work and thrive in 
America, in Australia, or in New Zealand. We learn from the 
last report of th Government Emigration Commissioners that
the yearly number of Irish emigrants is about 72,000, men, 
women, and children, against 118,000 English and 19,000 Scotch. 
The total number, however, of Irish people who left their country 
in the ten years from 1863 to 1873 was 876,000, which exceeds the 
total number of English emigrants in that period. A much larger 
proportion, too, of the Irish than of the English go to the 
United States, and become citizens of a foreign Republican
Commonwealth. It is not here needful to comment on these 
statistical facts, and their probable future effects upon the 
social and political condition of the United Kingdom. The world 
is now freely laid open to all who choose to exert their powers 
of body and mind in useful labours of production, where fertile 
land is cheap, and the skies are kind enough to smile upon their 
toil, but not to scorch them as in a tropical clime. It is a 
consoling thought for us, grieving as we must often do for the 
sufferings of the poor around us, to know that so many hundreds 
of thousands of families are enabled by these means to escape 
the doom of sinking lower and enduring worse privations; and 
more especially, that their boys and girls will get the chance 
of beginning life to much better advantage. The Irish peasantry
are doubtless qualified to meet the agricultural wants of a colony, 
or of Western America, more readily than the surplus of our town 
population in England, and we hope the majority of those who depart 
will both do and fare well, whether or not they continue subjects 
of our Queen. It is an Irishman, Mr. Fitzgerald, who has drawn 
for us the interesting scene of the embarking in an Atlantic 
steamer at Queenstown. We feel sincere sympathy with these
groups of friends about to be separated and families about to 
risk the perils and hardships of a long voyage, followed by a 
much longer journey across the western continent. It is to be 
hoped that there are several Mark Tapleys among the steerage 
passengers. There will be enough for them to do in helping and 
comforting the others, between Queenstown and New York, and
from New York to Cincinnati, or even to Colorado.