If the ratio between the sexes, in the additions to the
Colonial population by immigration in future years,
continue the same, the excess of males over females—
one great source of the vice and rudeness which still
taints so large a proportion of the population—will be
gradually diminished. The total number of immigrants
from the United Kingdom was 44,763, of these 30,032
were males and 14731 females. The unassisted
immigrants from the United Kingdom consisted of 22,270
males and 7016 females; the assisted of 7762 males and
7715 females. The immigrants into Victoria from New
South Wales were 12,523 males and 1264 females; from
Van Diemen's Land 17,107 males and 1596 females;
from South and Western Australia 12,908 males and
1940 females; from New Zealand and the South Seas
845 males and 60 females; and from foreign parts 1457
males and 191 females. As the return embraces only
the arrivals in the colony by sea, the immigration from
New South Wales and South Australia is probably
stated at too low a figure. The most important fact
elicited by this return is the greater facility with which
men are induced to change their homes than women.
This shows in the first place (says the Daily News) the
necessity of assisted emigration for a young colony. The
number of males and females among the assisted
immigrants into Victoria from Great Britain is almost equal,
while even from the immediately adjoining provinces of
New South Wales and Van Diemen's Land the proportion
of males to females is twelve and seventeen to one.
It is comparatively easy for an attractive colony like
Victoria to obtain a sufficient supply of male emigrants,
but it costs some exertion to get females. In the second
place, the excess of male over female emigrants from all
the countries included in the return of the Victoria
immigration agent, shows the advantage of having a
large proportion of females among the settlers of a new
colony. If men proceed alone or with few females to a
new Settlement, slight difficulties or mere whim may
make them fly off again and abandon it; but set women
down in a country, new or old, and they will cling to it,
and keep a sufficient number of men with them.

A special general court of the Australian Agricultural
Company was held on the 18th to elect a governor
in the room of the late Mr. Brownrigg. Mr. Ravenshaw,
the deputy-governor, was unanimously elected.
Mr. Bruce was also unanimously elected deputy-governor,
Mr. Marjoribanks to the vacant seat in the direction,
and Lieut.-Colonel Brownrigg to the auditorship. The
governor then said although the meeting was convened
for a special purpose, he thought it right to give to the
proprietors information as to the state of their affairs in
the colony since the last general meeting. He was
happy to say that the recent accounts which had been
received from the colony were generally favourable.
Notwithstanding the strike of the workmen and the
high rate of wages, £2000. had been produced as the net
receipts from the collieries in the past year in excess of
the previous year. The wool sales in the past year
had produced £20,000., and those just concluded
amounted to about the same sum, which, as they
would be aware, was considerably in excess of former
years. There had been suffered some losses in sheep,
in consequence of the inclemency of the weather,
but nothing to create alarm. There had been several
sales of land at Port Newcastle since the last accounts
presented to the proprietors; and in some instances as
much as £200. an acre had been realised. The trade of
the port had considerably increased, and as its advantages
became more generally known, the demand for
the land would increase and the company be considerably
benefited. At Port Stephens some land had also
been sold, but the price it had realised was moderate.
It was satisfactory, however, to find that persons were
beginning to locate there, as it must necessarily increase
the value of the land to those who came after. He
should have added in reference to the recent wool sales,
that although there was considerable depression in the
price of that article, their wool had brought a price
rather exceeding that of the sales of last year. In
answer to a question whether any special exertion had
been made, by advertisement or otherwise, to draw the
attention of emigrants to the great advantages which
the two ports, Newcastle and Stephens, presented, now
that Melbourne and Sydney were overcrowded, the
governor said that he was not aware that any particular
measures had been taken beyond those adopted some
years ago with the view of drawing attention to the
land in those localities. The parties who had
purchased land were some of them persons who had been
in the employment of the company, and others who had
been at the diggings, and, returning, had chosen to fix
upon Newcastle or Port Stephens as their permanent
location. They were aware that Newcastle must
hereafter be the port for the reception of those persons who
intended to proceed up to the New England districts;
and when roads were made, and the place became a little
more known, persons would naturally be drawn there,
on account of the facilities it offered, and the value of
their land would increase. Already two sets of steamers
called regularly twice a week at Newcastle, and
occasionally at Port Stepheris; and measures were in
contemplation to encourage steam vessels to stop more
frequently at both ports. In conclusion, the governor
promised to give directions to Captain Brownrigg to
give every publicity that was possible to the advantages
Newcastle and Port Stephens offered to emigrants. The
great attraction of Melbourne was the vicinity of the
gold fields; but if the gold fields in another direction
should be developed, then Port Stephens would become
valuable.

NARRATIVE OF FOREIGN EVENTS.

The Eastern Question continues to engross the chief
share of public attention. The Turkish declaration
of war has been met with by a counter-declaration from
the Czar, which appeared in the Gazette of St. Petersburg.
It is as follows:—"By the grace of God, we,
Nicholas I., Emperor and Autocrat of all the Russians,
&c., make known as follows:—By our manifesto of the
14th (26th) of June of the present year, we made
known to our faithful and dearly-beloved subjects the
motives which had placed us under the obligation of
demanding from the Ottoman Porte inviolable
guarantees in favour of the sacred right of the Orthodox
Church. We also announced to them that all our
efforts to recal the Porte, by means of amicable persuasion,
to sentiments of equity and to the faithful
observance of treaties, had remained unfruitful, and
that we had consequently deemed it indispensable to
cause our troops to advance into the Danubian
Principalities: but in taking this step we still entertained the
hope that the Porte would acknowledge its wrong-
doings, and would decide on acceding to our just
demands. Our expectation has been deceived. Even
the chief Powers of Europe have sought in vain by their
exhortations to shake the blind obstinacy of the Ottoman
Government. It is by a declaration of war, by
a proclamation filled with lying accusations against
Russia, that it has responded to the pacific efforts of
Europe, as well as to our spirit of long-suffering. At
last enrolling in the ranks of its army revolutionary
exiles from all countries, the Porte has just commenced
hostilities on the Danube. Russia is challenged to the
combat; and she has no other course left her, than,
putting her trust in God, to have recourse to force of
arms, and so compel the Ottoman Government to
respect treaties, and to obtain reparation for the insults
with which it has responded to our most moderate
demands, and to our most legitimate solicitude for the
defence of the orthodox faith in the East, professed also
by the people of Russia. We are firmly convinced that
our faithful subjects will join their prayers to those
which we address to the Almighty, beseeching him to
bless with His hand our arms in this just and holy
cause, which has always found ardent defenders in our
ancestors. In te, Domine, speravi; non confundar in