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opinion of the meeting that Port Phillip yvould reap but little benefit from such an annexation of interests with Sydney, compared yvith what might be expected from the action of a local body, having for its object the introduction of immigrants exclusively to Port Phillip. A n independent body was accordingly inaugurated yvith His Honor C. Latrobe as patron, and a numerous central committee, consisting of Messrs. James Simpson, J. D. L. Campbell, AV. H . Yaldwyn, Thos. Wills, F. A. Powlett, W m . Lonsdale, P. W . Welsh, A. F. Mollison, Arthur Kemmis, H u g h Jamieson, G. F. Read, A. Morris, H . Murray, E. D. F. Hamilton, T h o m a s Ricket, J. D. Baillie, A. Campbell, Claud Farie, John Thomson, A. Thomson, 1). Fisher, G. W . Cole, James Watson, Charles Hutton, J. Enscoe, W m . Ryrie, D. Jennings, W . Piper, G. F. Burchett, Edyvard Henty, S. G. Henty, James Blair, Robert Jamieson, J. B. Were, James Graham, W m . Verner, F. M'Crae, Major W e b b , Captain Reid, Drs. Imlay and Stewart. This Association does not appear to have effected m u c h good directly, possibly through the absence of concerted and continuous exertion; but the Province was indirectly in various ways augmenting its population. Over 4000 persons yvere added by immigration in 1840, during yvhich year there yvere 358 births as against 198 deaths. A census taken (2nd March, 1 8 4 O showed the total population of the Province as 16,671, or 11,254 males and 5417 females. T h e inhabitants of Melbourne numbered 4479, or 2676 males to 1803 females, of yvhich total 152 yvere children under tyvo years, and only two persons over 60. Geelong had'454 residents, or 304 males and 150 females, including 10 under two years, none over 60, and only one individual between 45 and 60.• In all the rest of Port Phillip, outside Melbourne and Geelong, there yvere only six sexagenarians, and 305 persons under tyvo years. T h e social condition of this h u m a n aggregation yvas :—Males married, 2581 ; males unmarried, 8673. Females married, 2485 ; females unmarried, 2932. In the toyvn of Melbourne there were 809 married, and 1867 unmarried, males; whilst the married females yvere 783, and the unmarried 1020. At the close of 1841 the population was over 20,000, of waich 6908 yvere the result of immigration ; whilst the births had syvelled to 618, and the deaths were 319. T h e census also shoyvs that 939 persons "emigrated," i.e., I presume, went ayvay to seek their fortunes elseyvhere. In 1842 the immigration was slightly over 4000, and emigration slightly under 2000 ; whilst in 1843, as against 1264 immigrants, there were 2000 emigrants, an adverse balance about squared by the preponderance of births over deaths, for there yvere 1317 of the former to 313 of the latter. T h e cry for more people yvas incessantly rung out by the newspapers, and at every public meeting held for any purpose the question of immigration yvas mostly sure to be in some yvay or other ventilated. T h e population yvent on gradually enlarging, and the future Young Victoria commenced to put in an appearance of some significance, for the year 1845, yvhen the total population was estimated at 31,280, of yvhich 4335 yvere the immediate result of immigration, had to its credit 15 21 births. Still the cry was for more ; and the settlers especially were always hankering after labour cheap and in sufficiency ; and both in the colony, and through the influence of capitalists in England, pecuniarily interested in banking, commercial, and squatting pursuits here, unscrupulous subterfuges used to be resorted to, either in the shape of open and undisguised convictism, ticket-of-leave m e n from V a n Diemen's Land, or " exileism," as it was termed, from England, Happily for the country such dodges yvere frustrated by the uncompromising hostility of the population of Melbourne to any measure tending to introduce the penal system, even in the most diluted form. (Further particulars upon this point are given in the chapter on Transportation.) Public meetings yvere occasionally held, but emigration had no rallying power in it to stir the multitude to enthusiasm. T h e folloyving is a brief notice of two such events in 1847, condensed from old newspapers :— " O n the 16th August, 1847, a meeting yvas held at the Royal Hotel, Collins Street, and presided over by the Mayor (Mr. H . Moor). T h e principal speakers were Messrs. Edyvard Curr, W . F. Splatt, John Duerdin, and William Kerr. A resolution yvas passed affirming, 'That in consequence ofthe extreme scarcity of labour in the Port Phillip District, it was imperative that an effort should be m a d e to prevent the Land Fund of the Province being absorbed in immigration to the Middle District.' The draft of a Petition on the subject was approved, and ordered to be transmitted to the Governor of N e w South Wales."