XX.—Immigration and Emigration.

The following table shows the balance in favour of the colony during ten years; the numbers are of course included in the population returns above given:—

showing a total gain in ten years of 102,482, and of these 57,74 were males and 44,778 females.

There must at all times and from all colonies, as well as from the United States, be an emigration more or less considerate according to circumstances; it must not, however, be concluded that it is the actual immigrant who leaves the colony soon after arrival, but rather that it is merely the natural ebb and flow of population in new countries. I am informed that henceforth a larger proportion of free passages will be granted to people in this country who page 24 are recommended by friends and relatives in the colony, and this will still further tend to secure the actual immigrants remaining in the colony.

It has been asserted that the expenditure on immigration has afforded the means of obtaining free passages as far as New Zealand to some, whose real destination may have been one or other of the Australian colonies. The returns prove this assertion to be groundless. The tide has during the last ten years set rather towards, than from New Zealand. In the year 1875 the number of immigrants with free passages amounted to 20,370, while the unassisted immigrants numbered 11,367, viz.:—

But a still more conclusive proof will be to take the excess of immigration over emigration during ten years, ending December, 1875:—

The value of an immigrant to the community has been estimated in the United States at 166l. 13s. 4d. each, and they have been computed to be worth 200l. in New Zealand. How these conclusions are arrived at I am unable to say, but this much is certain, that they cost the colony nearly 20l, each, when landed and forwarded to the interior. Free passages have been granted to December, 1876, to about 80,000 of all ages, and (as stated above) the sum of 1,100,000l. has been expended on immigration, with excellent results as regards the prosperity of the colony.