ARTICLE VIII.

THIRD DIVISION, SECTION 2.

STATISTIC S.

BY THE LATE G. R. PORTER, Esq.

[Revised by W. NEWMARCH, Esq., Secretary of the Statistical Society.]

Population.-THE population of any place or country must be considered as the groundwork of all statistical inquiry concerning it. We cannot form a correct judgment concerning any community until we shall have become acquainted with the number of human beings of which it is composed, nor until we shall have ascertained many points that indicate their condition, not only as they exist at the time of inquiry, but comparatively also with former periods.

The actual numbers of any population can never be so satisfactorily ascertained as by the interference of the government, and the first inquiries upon the subject should be for official enumerations. Where such do not exist, it may still be possible to procure data for satisfactory computations from governmental departments, and especially those connected with the taxation of the country; but it must be evident that, to render such data available, the circumstances under which they have been collected must, as far as possible, be ascertained and recorded. Where no official accounts can be made available, recourse should be

had to private channels, giving the preference to such statements (if such exist) as may have been published in the country, and have thereby been subjected to criticism and correction on the part of those best qualified to form a judgment on the subject. Local registers are sometimes to be met with, where the central government has not interfered. Such were carefully kept in many parishes in England before any government census was undertaken. From such registers, by comparing births with deaths through a series of years, the population of a country may be estimated with some approach to accuracy. The rate of mortality is a fact of so much importance towards any useful knowledge of a country, that it is naturally among the subjects of inquiry that should earliest command attention. If registers of burials, which record the ages at which the deaths occur, can be obtained, they would elucidate many points of great interest as to the condition of the people and the effect of the climate, and would besides afford means, in connexion with the number of births and marriages, for more nearly approximating towards an accurate estimate of the population. Where a census has been taken, a distinction will doubtless have been made between the sexes; and, if the ages also have been recorded, the tables will themselves afford means for testing their general accuracy, as it may be assumed that the proportion of adult males-twenty years of age and upwardsis about one-fourth of the whole population. Where no census has been taken, it may be possible to ascertain the number of fighting men, that is, of males between given ages. Should all other sources of information be wanting, it will then be necessary to have recourse to oral information, in estimating the correctness of which the observer must avail himself of such aids as present themselves. The question whether a community is increasing, stationary, or diminishing, may be judged from the amount of buildings in progress, or of houses untenanted or in a state of decay. If any account is taken, for purposes of taxation

or otherwise, of the number of inhabited houses, and especially if these should be divided into different scales, a little personal observation as to the average number of inhabitants to be found in each will furnish valuable information concerning the population; but to do this the inquirer must inform himself concerning the domestic habits of various classes of the people; the necessity for which caution will be made apparent by the fact, that, while in all England the average number of inhabitants to each house is under 54, the average number in the metropolitan county exceeds 7; while the number to each house in Dublin is 12, which is double the average number in all Ireland, where the house accommodation is generally of the most wretched description.

Employments of the People.-Having ascertained, as well as circumstances allow, the numbers of the people, it becomes of importance to know how they are employed. It cannot be expected that any one who is without the authority of the government for the purpose can succeed in ascertaining with minuteness the numbers occupied in each of the various branches of employment, but opportunity may probably be found for ascertaining those numbers in certain great leading divisions, following in this respect the more usual course of inquiry in this country, and distinguishing individuals as employed, first, in agriculture; secondly, in trade and manufactures; and thirdly, in all other pursuits. By knowing the propor tionate number of any people who are employed in raising food for themselves and the remainder of the community, we possess a very important element towards estimating the social condition of the people. The truth of this remark is made apparent by the fact shown at the census of 1841, that, while in Great Britain 251 persons raised the food consumed by themselves and 749 other persons, or while 1000 persons engaged in agricultural labour supplied the wants of 3984 persons, including their own; in Ireland, in the same year, the labour of 662 persons was required

to supply food for themselves and 338 others, so that 1000 persons supplied food for only 1511 persons, themselves included. The deductions to be drawn from the like facts in other countries are liable to modification, and particularly if it shall appear that families, or any portion of them, which draw their chief support from agriculture, employ any portion of their time in domestic manufactures. Previously to the inventions of Arkwright and Hargreaves, the spinning-wheel was in general operation in cottages throughout a great part of England; and the time is yet more recent at which the shuttle might be heard in those cottages during the long evenings of winter, and at times when out-of-door labour was prevented by bad weather. Handloom weaving, except as the substantive occupation of the family, may now be said to have ceased in this country, and the spinning-wheel has long been wholly superseded; but this is far from being the case in many, or perhaps in most, other countries, where the females of a family are at times employed in spinning and weaving, at least for the supply of their own household, if they do not provide a further quantity of fabrics for sale to others.

Where manufactures are carried on in factories or large establishments, it will not be very difficult to obtain a tolerably accurate estimate of the number of such establishments, and of the hands employed in them. In some countries the government requires that a patent or licence shall be taken out yearly by the proprietors of manufactories, and by this means a correct account of their number might be obtained. In the same way the number of dealers may sometimes be ascertained, and probably classified as being wholesale or retail traders, as well as distinguished according to the branches of business pursued by them.

It is desirable to know the usual and average size of farms or holdings of land, and the system under which they are cultivated, whether by the proprietor of the soil or by

tenants; and, if by the latter, then upon what terms, whether by payment of an annual rent, and at what rate usually for a given measure; or, by a division of the gross produce, and then in what proportion the landlord participates for the mere use of the land and farm-buildings, or whether he furnishes the stock or any proportion of it. Inquiry should be made as to the existence of what is understood by "tenant-right;" whether by law or by custom the farmer is entitled to compensation for such improvements as he may have made in the condition of the land. The number and kinds of live animals that are bred and kept upon farms should, if possible, be ascertained, as well as the number of labourers usually employed upon a given extent of land; the rate of wages which they receive; whether those wages are lessened by reason of their being boarded by the farmer, or whether they live and board themselves in separate cottages; and also whether there is employment on the farms for women or children, with the rates of wages paid to them; and further, if the labourers have any other advantages in aid of wages.

Result of Labour.—If it be important to know how the people of any country are employed, it cannot be less so to ascertain the result of their labour. It is especially desirable to know the proportionate quantity of each kind of food raised upon farms of a given size, or upon any known measure of land of the average degree of fertility; the quality of such of the cereal grains as may be raised will best be ascertained by learning the weight of a given quantity by measurement. While making inquiries concerning the supply of food of home growth, it must be essential to ascertain whether, in seasons of average productiveness, that supply is equal to or greater than the ordinary consumption of the country. Should it fall short of the requirements of the people, inquiries should be made concerning the quantity deficient, and the sources whence the same is ordinarily made good. On the other hand, should the home produce exceed the consumption, the