We have thus endeavoured to lay before your lordships in a condensed form the results of our inquiry. We are much indebted to the various persons who have given us information; and for further details we beg to refer to the appendix and minutes of evidence attached to this report. We desire, however, in conclusion, to observe that we are clearly of opinion that the failures of the existing submarine lines which we have described have been due to causes which might have been guarded against had adequate preliminary investigation been made into the question. And we are convinced that if regard be had to the principles we have enunciated in devising, manufacturing, laying, and maintaining submarine cables, this class of enterprise may prove as successful as it has hitherto been disastrous.

The report was signed by Captain DOUGLAS GALTON, C. WHEATSTONE, WILLIAM FAIRBAIRN, and GEORGE P. BIDDER, committee appointed by the Board of Trade; and by Messrs. EDWIN CLARK, CROMWELL F. VARLEY, LATIMER CLARK, GEORGE SAWARD, Committee of the Atlantic Company.

EMIGRATION.

Twenty-first General Report of the Emigration Commissioners. THE entire emigration during the year 1860 amounted to 128,469 persons, being 8,037 more persons than in 1859, and 31,659 less than the average of the preceding five years. This emigration consisted of 103,001 from England, 3,872 from Scotland, and 21,596 from Ireland, and was distributed as follows, viz. :-To the United States, 87,500; to Canada, 8,848; other North American colonies, 938; to Australian colonies, 24,302; to all other places, 6,881: total, 128,469.

We are unable to give accurately the number of emigrants who passed from the United States into Canada, or vice versâ; but Mr. Buchanan, the chief emigration agent, classifies the emigration of 1860 from the United Kingdom, exclusive of foreigners who embarked at English ports, as follows:-English, 2,491; Irish, 2,831; Scotch, 1,850: total, 7,172; and he estimates that about three-fourths of the English and Scotch, and about one-fifth of the Irish, remained within the province, which would reduce the emigration to Canada to 3,821. On the other hand, he considers that the arrivals in Canada, via the United States, may be computed at about 4,829. It is deserving of notice that out of the 7,836 emigrants to the St. Lawrence (the total number from the United Kingdom, according to Mr. Buchanan's returns), 6,932 went by steamers, and but 904 by sailingvessels, and that only seven of the latter vessels had a sufficient number of passengers to bring them within the Passengers' Act. The emigration was very healthy. With the exception of an elderly person who died suddenly on the day of her arrival, Mr. Buchanan states that there were no deaths among the steerage passengers in any of the steamers. of the steamers. The deaths in the sailing vessels were only three.

The mortality in the ships which proceeded to the United States, so far as we can ascertain, was as follows:-To New York, 16 per cent.; to Boston, 02 per cent.; to Philadelphia, 04 per cent.; to New Orleans, 13 per cent. This return is obtained from the owners or agents of the vessels in which the people proceeded, which, as no official returns have been

received, is the only source of information open to us; but, judging from the experience of former years, we feel no doubt that it may be relied on.

The remaining emigrants to the North American colonies were distributed as follows:-To New Brunswick, 294; to Nova Scotia and Cape Breton, 109; to Newfoundland, 465; to Prince Edward's Island, 16; to British Columbia, 54; to Vancouver's Island, 54.

The remittances from settlers in North America to their friends in this country, during the year 1860, was 576,9321.

To Australia the number of persons who sailed from this country last year was 18,577, of whom 12,168 went out at their own expense, and the remaining 6,409 were assisted out of public funds.

The mortality in this emigration was among the unassisted (so far as we have returns) equal to 39 per cent., and among the assisted equal to ⚫59 per cent. But of those who died among the latter, one-half were children under four years of age, of whom there is always a much larger proportion in the assisted than in the unassisted emigration. The assisted emigrants were all of the labouring class, and their emigration will no doubt be as advantageous to the colonies as to themselves.

At the commencement of 1860 the funds in our hands for the conduct of Australian immigration were for-New South Wales, 25,000l.; Victoria, 50,000l.; South Australia, 9,000l.

During the year the only remittances we received were 54,000l. from New South Wales, South Australia, and Queensland. The Governor of New South Wales has intimated to us that the assisted emigration is to terminate with the fulfilment of the existing engagements. The assisted emigration to South Australia has also been discontinued, and we have been directed to pay over the balance of the funds in our hands to the colonial agent. As regards Victoria, the Government emigration will cease as soon as the small balance in our hands is exhausted. So far, therefore, as the selection and despatch of emigrants is concerned, our operations, which since the middle of 1847, though varying in extent, have never been interrupted, may (with the exception of Queensland) be considered as for the moment suspended. During those fourteen years the number of ships sent out by us (exclusive of those sent to India with the families of soldiers) has been 899; the number of emigrants conveyed in them, 277,418; the mortality on the voyage, 5,152, or at the rate of 1.85 per cent. It is with sincere gratitude and the highest satisfaction that we add that, with the exception of one vessel, the Guiding Star, which never reached her destination, we have never had an accident in any of our ships attended with loss of life.

The number of vessels despatched by us in 1860 to Australia was-New South Wales, 8; Queensland, 1; Victoria, 6; South Australia, 3; Western Australia, 1. Of the passengers in the Western Australian ship, 216 were general emigrants selected by us, and 51 were nominated by relatives or friends in the colony. We also sent out 36 persons to Western Australia by private ships. To the Cape of Good Hope we despatched 6 vessels, with 1,384 emigrants selected by the emigration agent for the Cape; and to Natal, 3 vessels, with 330 emigrants. We also provided passages to Natal for 35 persons by private ships. Besides these ships we chartered, at the desire of his Royal Highness the General Commanding-in-chief and the Secretary of State for India, five vessels for the conveyance of the wives and children of soldiers serving in India.

The number of emigrants who have returned to the United Kingdom during the year 1860, so far as we can ascertain, was 24,434, of whom 17,798 were from the United States, 1,098 from British North America, 5,360 from Australia, and 178 from other places.

Passing now from emigration from the United Kingdom, we proceed to notice the emigration from India and China into the West Indies and Mauritius. During the season of 1859-60 there were despatched the following vessels to the West Indies:-From Calcutta-2 ships, with 738 emigrants, to Jamaica; 13 ships, with 4,785 emigrants, to British Guiana; 5 ships, with 1,816 emigrants, to Trinidad; and 2 ships, with 711 emigrants, to St. Lucia: total, 22 ships, with 8,050 emigrants. From Madras-2 ships, to British Guiana, with 614 emigrants; and 4 ships, to Trinidad, with 1,225 emigrants.

The mortality in the Madras ships was rather below that of the preceding season, and averaged only 1.19 per cent.; but in the Calcutta ships we regret that it exceeded that of the preceding season to the extent of 3 per cent., the mortality in 1858-9 having been 9.4 per cent., and in 1859-60 12:11 per cent. It was greatest, as might be expected, in vessels in which cholera made its appearance soon after embarkation. In 8 ships where this was the case the percentage of deaths was not less than 17.1

The proportion of females to males was to have been raised in 1860 to 50 per cent., but as in the convention with the French Government, by which emigration from British India to Réunion had been permitted, the proportion of females was fixed at 25 per cent. only, it necessarily followed that to put the British colonies on an equality with Réunion no severer rule should be applied to them. The emigration agents were therefore authorized to send emigrants with no larger proportion than 25 per cent. of women, but they were, at the same time, instructed to make the proportion as large as they could.

The report contains much information respecting the colonies, but the substance of it appears in the document on the past and present state of the colonies.

The following describes the progress of BRITISH COLUMBIA.

In the course of last year the treasury has been transferred from Victoria to Westminster, where all the financial business of the colony is now transacted. The assay office has been in operation since the month of August, and up to the 28th of that month 1,600 ozs. of gold dust had been smelted and run into bars. The other departments are likewise reported to be in a state of efficient organization. There has not been much activity in building, but town property in New Westminster sustains its former price. The run from New Westminster to Douglas can now be made by one of the river steamers in about sixteen hours, and the whole distance from Victoria to Douglas in twenty-four hours, being little over half the time occupied by the same journey last year. Freights had consequently been reduced to 31. 88. a ton, which is 25 per cent. less than the former rates.

Fragments of silver and copper ore have been discovered in the countr, bordering on Harrison lake and river, under the researches of Dr. Forbes of H.M.S. Topaz. The bed of the river yields gold almost everywhere in small quantities. A brisk trade is being carried on from Douglas, an inconsiderable but improving town, with the mining districts of the interior by means of pack mules. The waggon road from Douglas to Lillooet Lake, twenty-eight miles, is nearly completed, having been laid out and executed

by Captain Grant and a detachment of Royal Engineers, with much care and professional ability. A number of waggons have commenced running on the new road, by which the cost of transport has already been greatly reduced. The Governor looks forward to the time when goods of all kinds will be carried at considerably reduced prices from Douglas to Cayosh, which is the chief town of a valuable mining district, where all goods are necessarily deposited in their transit to the interior.

A new gold field has been discovered in the southern part of British Columbia, at Rock Creek, and in Shimilkomeen country. "The gold is nuggety and of fine quality, being readily separated from the soil without the use of quicksilver, and is found away from the watercourses as well as in the river beds, and the miners are said to be realizing from six to fifty dollars a day to the man." The same report mentions a discovery of a silver lead mine at Union Bar, near Fort Hope.

From a report of Mr. Begbie, the judge of the colony, which contains a very interesting description of the country and the people, we learn that the white population, the greater part of which is described as quite nomad in its propensities, amounted last year, according to a conjectural estimate, to from 1,200 to 6,000 or 7,000, of whom one-sixth probably are British subjects, either from the mother country or the provinces; the remaining five-sixths are either adopted citizens or born citizens of the United States, or Germans, French, and Italians. Mr. Begbie describes the white population as peaceable, orderly, and well conducted, but shrewd, independent, and self-reliant; strongly impregnated with American views, of wandering habits, encamped merely and not settled.

Besides these there is the native population, and large and increasing bodies of two different imported races, viz. :-"The Chinamen, important from their great numbers, industry, and tenacity of gain; the negro, or mixed negro population, important from their acquaintance with our language and laws, and from their presence being in great measure the test and pledge of British as contrasted with United States domination. All three of these races are despised and to some extent disliked by the prevalent white races."

The land regulations do not differ in principle from those mentioned in our last report. All town and suburban lots and surveyed agricultural lots are to be offered for sale in the first instance by public auction, and if not sold may afterwards be purchased by private contract at the upset price, which for country lands is fixed at 48. 2d. per acre, to be paid on delivery of the deed of grant; but settlers, for a fee of 88., may obtain, without immediate payment, small portions of land on recording their claim with the nearest resident magistrate, to any quantity not exceeding 160 acres, and when the Government survey shall extend to this pre-empted land, they may purchase it at 4s. 2d. per acre, provided it has been improved to the extent of 10s. an acre.

The emigration from the United Kingdom during the forty-six years from 1815 to 1860 inclusive, amounted to 5,046,067, of whom 1,196,521 went to the North American colonies, 3,048,206 to the United States, 708,225 to the Australian colonies and New Zealand, and 93,115 to other places. The average annual emigration from the United Kingdom from 1815 to 1860 was 109,697; for the ten years ended 1860, 228,720.

SHIPPING RETURNS.

AN ACCOUNT of the NUMBER and TONNAGE of VESSELS, distinguishing their NATIONALITY, which ENTERED INWARDS and CLEARED OUTWARDS with CARGOES (including their repeated Voyages) in the Year ended 31st of December, 1861.

AN ACCOUNT of the NUMBER and TONNAGE of VESSELS, distinguishing BRITISH and FOREIGN (employed in the Intercourse between Great Britain and Ireland and otherwise), ENTERED INWARDS and CLEARED OUTwards, with CARGOES, at Ports inthe United Kingdom, during the Year ended 31st December, 1861.