mania, explaining to Lord Hobart, Secretary of State for the Colonies-"When all the disadvantages attending this bay are publicly known, it cannot be supposed that commercial people will be very desirous of visiting Port Phillip." For the next 20 years the aborigines were left in undisturbed possession, except that William Buckley, an escapee from Captain Collins' stockade, remained amongst them. The next visitors were Messrs. Hovell and Hume, who made their way across country from Sydney in 1824. Two years later Hovell accompanied a Government party to form a settlement at Western Port Bay; but after only one year's experiment this also was abandoned, and the honour of the actual opening of settlement in the Port Phillip district fell to Messrs. Henty, who came over to Portland from Tasmania in 1834. Other pastoralists speedily followed; and Bateman, a native of Parramatta, and John Pascoe Fawkner became the pioneers of trade between the new district and Sydney. Captain Lonsdale was appointed first resident magistrate in 1836; and in the following year the first 100 half-acre Melbourne lots were sold at an average price of £35 each, Mr. Robert Hoddle, who had planned the city site under direction of Mr. Surveyor-General Mitchell, acting as auctioneer. Mr. Charles Joseph Latrobe succeeded Captain Lonsdale on September 30, 1839, and had the honour of conducting the affairs of the new settlement during the interesting stages of rapid growth which led to its independence in 1851, when his office of Superintendent was enlarged to the higher rank of Lieutenant-Governor, to correspond with the expansion of Port Phillip district into the colony of Victoria. The transition period was marked by two memorable events-the unprecedented devastation of Black Thursday, February 6, 1851, when, during a hot wind and a temperature of 119 in the shade, a terrible fire swept over the greater part of the new settlements; and the discovery of gold, with its consequent rush of population from the neighbouring colonies and from the most distant parts of the world. It may be truly said that the impetus of that rush has been ever since maintained, and that Victoria has been " uplifted, as it were, in a night, from an unconsidered nook in an out-of-the-way wilderness, to the position of a nation, and a power in the world." The population at the appointment of the first resident magistrate in 1836 numbered 14; at the time of the gold discovery, it had increased to 76,162; at the close of 1886, it was 1,003,043. Following are the names and terms of office of the Governors who succeeded Mr. Latrobe :Sir Charles Hotham (June, 1854, to the granting of responsible government in December, 1855); Sir Henry Barkly (1856 to September, 1863); Sir Charles Darling (September, 1863, to May, 1866); Sir J. Manners Sutton, afterwards Viscount Canterbury (1866 to 1873); Sir George Bowen (1873 to 1879); Marquis of Normanby (1880 to 1884); and the present Governor, Sir Henry Brougham Loch. During temporary vacancies of the vice-regal office, the following colonial officials held the position of ActingGovernor:-Mr. J. V. F. Foster, Major-General Edward Macarthur, Brigadier-General J. J. Carey, C.B., Sir W. F. Stawell (on three occasions), and Sir Redmond Barry. AREA, DIVISIONS, AND CLIMATE. : The territory extends from 34 to 39 S. lat., and from 141 to 150 E. long. It is separated from New South Wales by the river Murray, and a line from The Springs on Forest Hill to Cape Howe, whilst the 141st meridian of E. long. separates it from South Australia on the south-west. Its extreme length is 480 miles, its breadth 240, and its area 87,884 square miles, or 56,245,760 acres. The territorial divisions consist of four districts and 37 counties. Gipps Land district is characterised by "colossal mountains, magnificent streams, and fertile plains," and is chiefly of volcanic formation. Murray district is also mountainous, and well watered. It includes the most varied resources; some parts are noted for auriferous wealth, others are adapted to agriculture, whilst in the north-east are extensive pastoral plains. Wimmera district, covering about 25,000 square miles of the north-west of the colony, and Loddon district occupying the north central portions, are chiefly adapted to pastoral pursuits. The climate of Victoria is generally regarded as both healthy and pleasant, the chief drawbacks being the hot winds of the summer months and the liability to droughts. The average yearly rainfall is about 26 inches, and the mean temperature for the last 27 years has been slightly under 58, the maximum in the shade being 111.2 and the minimum 27: POPULATION AND VITAL STATISTICS. Victoria commenced its career as a colony with a population of 76,162; the number had grown to 731,528 (males 401,050, females 330,478) in 1871, to 862,346 (males 452,083, females 410,263) in 1881, and to 1,003,043 (males 531,452, females 471,591) at the close of 1886. During the last 10 years the birth and death rates to the mean population have been subject to only the slightest fluctuation, except in the year 1876, when they were both abnormally high. The births were 32-17 per 1000 in 1877,, and 31-23 in 1886; whilst the deaths were 15.80 per 1000 in 1877, and 15·15 in 1886. The marriage rate has risen during the same period from 6.31 to 7.84 per 1000. The figures for 1886 were-Births, 30,824; marriages, 7737; and deaths, 14,952. The detailed figures exhibit many striking features, two of which, touching the distribution and conjugal condition of the population, are anything but satisfactory. Of the total population of the colony at the end of 1886, no fewer than 371,630 persons, or 37.05 per cent., were concentrated in Melbourne and its suburbs; and by the census of 1881 it was shown that there were 97,296 unmarried men over 20 years of age, exclusive of 12,749 widowers, and 47,806 unmarried women over the same age, exclusive of 21,634 widows. Following is a list of the most prevalent diseases, and the number of deaths resulting from them in 1886:-Phthysis, 1375 deaths; diarrhoea, 906; pneumonia, 903; bronchitis, 688; typhoid, 522; cancer, 496; and apoplexy, 367. In 1876 an epidemic of scarlet fever caused the death of 2240 persons, or about one-sixth of the total mortality of the year. Estimated population, December 31, 1887-1,035,943. Concerning the thrift of the people, Government savings banks returns for 1886 show the following figures:-Number of depositors, 194,631; amount of deposits, £3,431,014; amount per depositor, £17 128. 7d.; amount per head of population, £3 9s. 6d. GOVERNMENTAL, PARLIAMENTARY, AND MUNICIPAL. The Constitution of Victoria, passed by the Legislative Council in March, 1854, ratified by an Act of the Imperial Parliament in the following year, proclaimed November 23, 1855, and subsequently amended, contains the following provisions: The Governor is appointed by the Crown, with power to represent the Sovereign, except in matters involving Imperial interest. The Executive Council consists of the Governor and the responsible Ministers for the time being. Powers of legislation are vested in two Elective Chambers. The Legislative Council consists of 42 members, elected by ballot for six years, by 14 provincial districts, one-third of the number retiring biennially, so that each district elects a representative every two years. The franchise requires a freehold rated at £10, or leasehold at £25; and the number of voters is 121,376, Candidates must possess freehold of the annual value of £100, or capital value of £1000. The Legislative Assembly consists of 86 members, chosen by ballot triennially, by 55 electoral districts (including by latest returns 224,378 voters). The franchise is virtually manhood suffrage, but candidates for election must be two years resident in the colony. Since 1870, members have voted themselves £300 per annum for "reimbursing their expenses." The present Parliament is the thirteenth since the institution of responsible government, and was opened March 16, 1886, the average duration of the previous 12 having been two years and three months. The last Parliamentary session, which commenced June 7, 1887, was the thirty-seventh, previous sessions having lasted on an average 6 months. The present Government is the 23rd, previous Administrations having had an average tenure of office of 502 days. Following is the present distribution of portfolios : Premier, Treasurer, and Minister of Railways and MinesHon. D. Gillies Chief Secretary and Commissioner of Water SupplyHon. A. Deakin Commissioner of Trade and Customs-Hon. W. F. Walker Attorney-General-Hon. H J. Wrixon Minister of Justice-Hon. H. Cuthbert Commissioner of Crown Lands and Minister of Agriculture -Hon. J. C. Dow Commissioner of Public Works-Hon. J. Nimmo Minister of Public Instruction-Hon. C. H. Pearson The public revenue for the year ending June 30, 1886, was £6,481,021, or £6 11s. 3d. per head of population; expenditure (exclusive of loans), £6,513,510, or £6 12s. per head; public debt, £30,114,203. The revenue for 1887 was £7,054,434, an increase of £393,868 on the returns for 1886. The approximate value of imports for 1887 (including gold and specie, £683,898) was £18,996,965; and exports (including gold and specie, £1,256,091), £11,373,663. For purposes of self-government, the colony is divided into 59 cities, towns, and boroughs, and 125 shires. Under the Local Government Act of 1874, any district containing rateable property to the value of £10,000 is constituted a shire, an aggregation of 300 houses is constituted a borough, and a borough on attaining to a revenue of over £10,000 becomes a town. The constitution and powers of the local coun cils are nearly identical, and the rating limits are fixed at a minimum of 6d. and maximum of 2s. 6d. in the pound. For the year 1886 the capital value of rateable property in the cities, towns, and boroughs was estimated at £53,905,592, the annual value at £4,824,911; the revenue was £615,612, and the expenditure £665,842. The area was 220,876 acres, the population 517,102, dwellings 113,014, and the ratepayers 128,741. Corresponding figures for the shires were-Capital value, £71,973,156; annual value, £4,796,224; revenue, £615,125; expenditure, £603,112; population, 471,530; dwellings, 101,730; ratepayers, 122,316. Melbourne was incorporated in 1842, with an area of 5020 acres. Population within municipal limits, 72,786; streets, 100 miles; tenements, 14,831; ratepayers, 14,564; assessed annual value, £1,331,560; revenue year ending August, 1887, £178,406. Water-conservation has received special attention in Victoria. The Yan Yean scheme of water supply for Melbourne was carried out more than a third of a century ago, at a cost of nearly two millions. The principal reservoir is about 22 miles from the city, and about 595ft. above its level. It covers an area of 1360 acres, or 12 acres more ground than the reservoir at Prospect, and has a capacity of 6400 million gallons, or 700 million gallons less than Prospect. The cost of management and maintenance to the end of 1885 was £290,568, making a total cost of £2,224,287. The gross revenue since the opening of the works in 1854 has been £2,096,290. Subsidiary reservoirs have since been constructed at Jack's Creek, Morang, Preston, Essendon, and Caulfield, whilst 90 other schemes of water-supply for provincial towns or districts have been constructed, wholly or in part, bringing up the total storage to 13,400 million gallons, and the aggregate cost to over f our millions sterling. LAND: PASTORAL, AGRICULTURAL, MINERAL. Victorian lands previous to 1884 were administered under an Act which came into force February 1, 1870, and was amended nine years later, and under the Mallee Pastoral Leases Act of 1873, which still remains in force. The Land Act of 1884 divides the unalienated lands of the colony (except the Mallee country) into the following six classes :-(1) Pastoral lands, which may be leased in areas of 5000 to 40,000 acres, for any term not extending beyond 1898, at an annual rental based on grazing capacity, at rate of 1s. for each sheep and 5s. for each head of cattle; lessee to clear off all vermin within three years, and to be compensated by next tenant for substantial improvements up to 2s. 6d. per acre. (2) Agricultural lands, which may be taken up for similar periods in areas not exceeding 1000 acres, at a rental of from 2d. to 4d. per acre, with stringent conditions for extermination of vermin, and with a maximum claim for improvements from next tenant of 10s. per acre. (3) Auriferous lands, which are subjected to liberal conditions for the encouragement of all legitimate mining interests; whilst large votes have been made for years past to stimulate prospecting. (4) Lands open to auction sale, of which only 100,000 acres may be disposed of in any one year, and the proceeds must be paid into the Railway Construction Account. (5) Swamp lands, which are first drained and then leased by auction for 21 years, in areas not exceeding 160 acres. (6) Reserves for water supply or State forests. The land alienated during the last fourteen years has realised slightly under £1 5s. per acre; the total proceeds of land sales to December 31, 1884, were £21,930,461, or £1 11s. 4d. per acre; and the total area alienated to end of 1886 has been 22,489,383 acres. The following are the principal agricultural figures for the year ending March, 1887 :-Wheat, 1,052,665 acres, yielding 12,100,036 bushels; maize, 4901 acres, 231,447 bushels; oats, 185,765 acres, 4,256,079 bushels; barley, 37,031 acres, 827,852 bushels; hay, 445,150 acres, 483,049 tons; potatoes 49,974 acres, 170,661 tons; grape vines, 10,310 acres. Total area under crop (grass land not included), 2,141,291 acres. Agricultural implements and machinery were valued at £2.674,613; and the improvements at £16,017,098. Pastoral returns for the previous year show:-Runs 422, embracing 8,081,648 acres; average size, 19,150 acres; yearly rental, £30,682; average rental, 914d. per acre. Stock (year ending March 31, 1887): Sheep, 10,700,403; cattle, 1,303,265; horses, 308,553; pigs, 240,957 total, 12,553,178. Victoria has a world-wide fame as a gold-bearing country. Other precious metals, including silver, tin, copper, iron, &c., exist, and have been more or less developed; but since nearly two-thirds of the area of the colony are believed to be auriferous, and numerous paying fields have been open ever since the first discoveries in 1851, gold has naturally absorbed nearly all the mining capital. The number of quartz reefs found to be auriferous were returned at 3799 in 1883. The total quantity of metal raised from 1851 to December, 1886, was 54,393,182oz., valued at £217,572,728. The number of miners is estimated at about 28,000. INTERCOMMUNICATION. All the Victorian railways belong to the State, and are classed under the Northern, North-eastern, Western, and Suburban systems. The latest official returns, December, 1886, show that at that date 1753 miles were open for traffic, and 316 miles under construction. The gauge throughout is 5ft. 3in.; and the cost for construction of lines completed to end of 1884 averaged £13,757 per mile. The tramways of Melbourne belong to a trust, and the following figures with regard to them were officially supplied to the Select Committee on the Tramways Trust Amendment and Extension Bill, November 1887-Lines, 10 (with various branches); mileage for cable trams, 32, at a cost of £1,122,250; horse tramways, 15 miles, costing £100,000; cost of converting 8 miles horse tramway into cable system, £276,375; total length contemplated, 57 miles; total cost, £1,498,625. The tramways already in operation seem to give very general satisfaction. The Postal and Telegraph systems are very complete. Following are the principal figures for 1886:-Post Offices, 1429; letters received and despatched, 32,500,000; newspapers and packets, 18,250,000; telegraph stations, 420; miles of line constructed, 4094; miles of wire in operation, 10,111; telegrams received and despatched, 1,938,049. RELIGION, EDUCATION, JUSTICE, CHARITY. RELIGION.-The Constitution Act provided for Stateaid to religion to the extent of £50,000 per annum, to be paid pro rata to such of the leading denominations as might accept it; but this was abolished in 1875. At the close of 1885 there were 2150 churches and chapels, 538 school-houses, and 1330 other public or private buildings used as places of worship, making a total of 4018; the approximate number of services conducted during the year was 310,816; there was accommodation for 510,000 worshippers, and an average attendance per Sunday of 320,000. The number of clergy registered for the solemnisation of marriages was 923. Following are the figures returned by the principal denominations :-Church of England, 839 places of worship, 96,626 sittings, average attendance 58,004, clergy 193. Presbyterians: Places of worship, 872; sittings, 87,000; average attendance, 73,000 clergy, 186. Wesleyan Methodist : Places of worship, 914; sittings, 113,822; average attendance, 51,500; clergy, 141. Primitive Methodists: Places of worship, 148; sittings, 16,000; average attendance, 10,000; clergy, 34. Congregationalists: Places of worship, 76; sittings, 18,000; average attendance, 10,000; clergy, 54. Baptists: Places of worship, 116; sittings, 15,975; average attendance, 9335; clergy, 43. Roman Catholic: Places of worship, 620; sittings, 110,000; average attendance, 81,500; clergy, 121. The Sunday schools of Victoria on January 1, 1886, numbered 2163, with 16,908 teachers, and an average attendance of 146,863 scholars. The principal figures are:-Church of England: Schools, 430; teachers, 3472; scholars, 27,838. Presbyterian: Schools, 391; teachers, 2680; scholars, 29,600. Wesleyan: Schools, 545; teachers, 5219; scholars, 30,264. Independents: Schools, 82; teachers, 770; scholars, 7400. Baptists: Schools, 69; teachers, 663; scholars, 4981. EDUCATION.-The Victorian system of primary education is undenominational, compulsory, and free, and is administered-under a comprehensive Act, which came into force January 1, 1873-by a responsible Minister and efficient staff of inspectors, and local boards of advice. Following are the official figures for 1886:-Number of State schools, 1870; teachers, male 1712, female 2466, total 4178 (including 1076 pupil teachers and 321 work mistresses); gross en. rolment of scholars, males 119,133, females 111,443, total 230,576; net enrolment, 190,223; average attendance, 123,550. The cost to the State, exclusive of expenditure on buildings, &c., was £538,035, or £4 78. 8d. for each child in averrage attendance. The Melbourne University was incorporated by Act of Parliament in 1853, the buildings were commenced July 3, 1854, and opened October 3, 1855. Senate, consisting of all persons who have been admitted to a degree of M.A. or Doctor, elects one of its own members annually as Warden, and 20 of its members, of whom not more than three may be members of the teaching staff, to form the University Council. The Councillors hold office for five years, and elect out of their own number a Chancellor and Vice-Chancellor. The private schools of the colony in 1885 numbered 655, with 1634 teachers and 35,115 scholars. These figures include six Denominational Grammar Schools, with 53 masters and over 900 students. Justice is admistered in Victoria by a Supreme Court, presided over by a Chief Justice and four Puisne Judges, with jurisdiction in divorce, matrimonial, and ecclesiastical cases; Courts of General and Petty Sessions: County Courts; Courts of Insolvency and Mines; and Licensing Courts. In several of the Courts business has been remarkably light for years past. Charitable institutions are numerous and varied, including upwards of 73 institutions of all kinds, with 1383 wards, providing 9007 beds. COMMERCE AND MANUFACTURES. Victoria adopted a protectionist policy a quarter of a century ago, after a prolonged contest between the two Chambers of Legislature. Duties ranging from 7 to 25 per cent. ad valorem, and from moderate taxes up to almost prohibitive charges on specific articles, are now imposed on everything that can be locally produced; and as the colony's resources are most varied, it follows that the free list is exceedingly limited. The imports for 1886 were valued at £18,530,575, or £18 15s. 5d. per head of the population; exports, £11,795,321, or £11 19s. per head; and the revenue from Customs at £2,004,460. The shipping returns for the same year were:- -Vessels inward, 2307, with tonnage 1,848,058; vessels outward, 2324, with tonnage 1,881,329; total, 4631 vessels of 3,735,387 tonnage. The manufactories and works of Victoria, 1886-7, numbered 2770, and the hands employed 45,773. Value of machinery used, £4,786,857, and value of land and buildings, £6,541,301. SOUTH AUSTRALIA. South Australia, as originally constituted in 1834, comprised about 300,000 square miles. A "no man's land" of 80,000 square miles, lying between it and Western Australia, was next added; and in July, 1863, a slice off New South Wales, in area about 335,116,800 acres, known as the Northern Territory, was also thrown in, making a total area of 903,690 square miles, or 15 times the area of England and Wales. Its territories extend through the middle of the continent, from ocean to ocean, a length of 1850 miles, the greatest breadth being 650 miles. It was first colonised by emigrants from Great Britain, under the auspices of the South Australian Colonisation Association, which had obtained a grant of land from the Imperial Government with the following conditions :-The land to be sold at the rate of 12s. per acre (afterwards raised to 20s.), and the proceeds devoted to bringing out poor emigrants; the affairs of the company to be controlled by commissioners appointed by the Secretary of State for the Colonies, and the Governor to be nominated by the Crown. Port Adelaide was selected, and named after the Queen of William IV., and the site of the future city was chosen on rising land seven miles off, on the Torrens River. Captain Hindmarsh, the first Governor, took possession, and issued his proclamation under a gum-tree at Glenelg, on December 28, 1836, and in March of the following year the first sale of Adelaide lots realised five and six guineas each. The first newspaper, the South Australian Register, was commenced on June 3, 1837; and the South Australian bank transacted business in a tent till buildings were erected, March, 1837. During the first three years of the colony's history 250,320 acres of land were sold, realising £229,736, and corresponding progress followed in nearly all the factors of settlement; but the gold fever spreading from Victoria in 1851 carried over some 15,000 men, and seriously paralysed for a time all the industries of South Australia. Responsible government was secured in October, 1856, since which time the colony has made steady progress. The climate has been compared to that of Sicily and Naples; the mean winter temperature is 51'; and the yearly rainfall averages 21-091 inches. THE LAND: AGRICULTURAL, PASTORAL, MINERAL. The Crown land laws of South Australia, numbering no fewer than 34, were consolidated in one Act near the end of 1886. Under this, and two short amending Acts, assented to December 9, 1887, the land may be dealt with (1) By sale under selectors' agreements; (2) by private contract, or auction, for cash; (3) by leases, with right of purchase, of scrub lands; (4) by leases Under the first of grazing and cultivation lands. category agricultural lands may be secured at £1 per acre, by deferred payments, with stringent conditions as to residence and improvements pending completion of purchase money. Under the second country land that has been passed at deferred payment auction, and town and suburban lands, may be sold for cash at an upset The price, to be fixed by the Comissioner for Lands. third category covers the scrub lands of the colony, which may be obtained on lease for 21 years, in areas not exceeding 3200 acres. All money paid as rent is credited towards purchase, and on £1 per acre being completed, the fee simple is granted. The fourth category includes grazing and cultivation leases of blocks ordinarily limited to 20,000 acres each, for periods not exceeding 21 years. The minimum rental is a halfpenny per acre, in addition to 5 per cent. on the value of all improvements on the land at the date of lease. Amongst the special provisions of the Act, one of the most important is a clause reserving to the Crown all gold in lands hereafter to be alienated, and making it lawful for the Commissioner and all persons authorised by him to enter on any such lands and search and mine for gold, the owner being entitled only to compensation for any damage done to the land. A board of five members assists the Commissioner in administration. The land administration in the Northern Territory still remains under the provisions of the Act of 1882, which are fairly liberal, admitting of blocks not exceeding 1280 acres being selected at 12s. 6d. per acre, on deferred payments. The total area alienated, or in process of alienation, at the end of 1886 was 11,278,944 acres, comprising 7,297,638 acres alienated in fee simple; 370,000 acres granted without purchase, and 3,611,306 acres in process of alienation, under deferred payments. The average price obtained for town lands has been £16 68. per acre, and for suburban, £2 3s. AGRICULTURE-The varieties of soil and climate in South Australia afford suitable places for the most diverse products, but hitherto wheat-growing has predominated over all other farming industries. Following are the agricultural returns for the year ending March 31, 1885 (the latest available):-Wheat, 1,942,453 acres, yielding 14,621,755 bushels; oats, 7,264 acres, 88,639 bushels; barley, 15,697 acres, 211,207 bushels; hay, 308,429 acres, 285,839 tons; potatoes, 5665 acres, 23,192 tons; grape vines, 4590 acres, 473,535 gallons wine. Total area under crop (grass lands not included), 2,762,273 acres. PASTORAL-The stock returns for March 31, 1885, give the following figures:-Sheep, 6,096,406; cattle, 389,726; pigs, 163,807; total, 7,418,359. The MINERAL-AS compared with Victoria, South Australia must be considered poor in metals, at least as far as its resources have yet been explored. It possesses, however, abundance of copper and iron, and some silver and lead mines, which are not to be despised. principal copper mines are the Kapunda, 50 miles from Adelaide, discovered as early as 1842; the Montacute mine, discovered a year later, in the Mount Lofty Ranges, only 12 miles from Adelaide; and richest of all, the Burra mine, 100 miles to the north of Adelaide, discovered in 1845. During 1860-2 the Wallaroo and Moonta mines were discovered and opened, and though they have been worked a quarter of a century neither shows signs of exhaustion. The gold raised in the colony to end of 1886 amounted to 199,276oz., valued at £786,949. POPULATION AND VITAL STATISTICS. The population, which had grown to 63,900 in 1850, received a serious check from the migration to the Victorian goldfields in the following year, from which it did not very speedily recover. The census of 1871 included 95,408 males, and 90,218 females-total, 185,626. In 1881 the numbers were,-Males, 149,530; females, 130,335; total, 279,865. The estimated population at the close of 1886 was 312,758-males, 162,980; females, 149,778. The births during 1886 numbered 11,177, or 35.67 per 1000 of population; marriages, 1976, or 6.31 per 1000; deaths, 4234, or 13.52 per 1000. The mean death-rate for the 11 years, 1876 to 1886, was 14.60 per 1000 of population. The latest figures for the Northern Territory gave a population of 603 Europeans, and nearly 4000 Chinese and Malays. Estimated population, December 31, 1887315,000. The thrift of the population, as indicated by the Government Savings Bank returns, shows the following figures for 1886:-Depositors, 56,685; amount of deposits, £1,581,100; amount per depositor, £27 178. 10d. amount per head of population, £5 Os. 11d. The last item is considerably above the corresponding figures for any of the other colonies. The GOVERNMENT: PARLIAMENTARY, MUNICIPAL. Constitutional government in South Australia dates from October 24, 1856. The Governor, appointed by the Crown, the responsible Ministers for the time being, and certain other specially-appointed members constitute the Executive Council; and the legislative powers are vested in two elective Chambers. Legislative Council consists of 24 members-six for each of four districts-elected by the province as a whole. Candidates must be British subjects, 30 years of age, and three years resident; voters must be 21 years of age, six months on the roll, and must possess a freehold of £50 value, or a leasehold or household of the annual value of £25. One-third of the members retire every three years. The roll for 1885 included 30,622 voters. The Legislative Assembly consists of 52 members, elected by ballot for three years, by 26 electoral districts. The franchise is virtually manhood suffrage; and the voters on the roll for 1885 numbered 58,561. Following is the list of Governors, with their terms of office-Captain Hindmarsh, December, 1836, to the middle of 1838; Captain Gawler, 1838 to the end of 1840; Captain (afterwards Sir George) Grey, 1840 to 1845; Colonel Robe, 1845 to 1848; Sir Henry Young, 1848 to 1854; Sir Richard Macdonell, 1855 to 1862; Sir Dominic Daly, 1862 till his death at Government House in February, 1868; Sir James Fergusson, 1868 to 1873: Sir Anthony Musgrave, 1873 to 1877; Sir William Jervois, 1877 to 1883; and Sir William Cleaver Robinson, the present Governor. : The 12th Parliament was opened June 2, 1887, and the present Ministry came into power a week later. Following is the distribution of portfolios :Premier and Treasurer, Hon. T. Playford. Chief Secretary, Hon. J. L. Ramsay. Attorney-General, Hon. C. J. Kingston. Commissioner for Lands and Immigration, Hon. J. Coles. Commissioner for Public Works, Hon. A. Catt. Minister of Education, Hon. J. C. F. Johnson. The Agent-General in London is Sir Arthur Blyth, K.C.M.G.; Hon. Sir Henry Ayers, K. C.M.G., is President of the Legislative Council. The office of Speaker of the Legislative Assembly has recently become vacant by the decease of the Hon. Sir R. D. Ross. The public revenue for 1886 was £1,975,269, or £6 6s. per head of population; expenditure (exclusive of loan fund), £2,234,395, or £7 2s. 9d. per head. The public debt at the end of the year amounted to £18,340,200, or £58 12s. 10d. per head of population, and equal to 9-28 times the revenue. The revenue for 1887 was £2,013,777. MUNICIPAL-Local self-government is carried out under 30 municipalities and 121 district councils, with power to levy rates, grant licenses, and apply the proceeds, with Government subsidy thereon, to local improvements. The rateable value of property in the municipalities in 1885 was £1,016,700, and the assessment £62,090; in the districts the rateable value was £1,080,817, and the assessment £46,172. The prevailing rate is 1s. in the pound. Adelaide was incorporated in 1849, with an area of 3362 acres, including 1751 acres of park lands and 52 acres of other reserves. The population at the end of 1886 was estimated at 45,000; length of streets, 86 miles; rated tenements, 8849; ratepayers on the roll, 10,625; assessed annual value of city property, £351,507; capital value, £12,000,000. The revenue for 1886, including city and sewerage funds, amounted to £74,526. The water supply is from the River Torrens; length of mains, 500 miles; storing reservoirs, Hope Valley (807,000,000 gallons) and Thornden Park (138,000 gallons); total cost, £890,881; revenue, 1886, £60,145. Water conservation throughout the country districts has also received considerable attention. The expenditure for this purpose in 1885 amounted to £67,916; and boring operations in the Northern Territory have been attended by marked success, abundant supplies of water having been found at several places at depths ranging from 339 to 1350 feet. INTERCOMMUNICATION. RAILWAYS-Private railways have been in use between Adelaide and Glenelg, and Adelaide and Holdfast Bay since May, 24, 1840. All the other railways are in the hands of the Government, The first length, of about seven miles-Adelaide to the Port-was opened April 21, 1856; and, since then, there has been a steady development of railway enterprise. The gauges used are 5ft. 3in. and 3ft. 6in., and the average cost of construction per mile for all lines completed to the end of 1886 was £6042; total, £8,348,800. At the date |