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In the ANNUAL REGISTER of the

will be found an Abstract of the CENSUS of Great Britain and Ireland taken in that year. The tables comprise the general results of the vast labours of the officers employed, and set out in one comprehensive view the numbers of the population at the end of each decennial period from 1801, when the enumeration of the people was first made, to 1851; the rate of increase, and the number of habitations.

Such an aggregate of numbers is calculated to convey but a single and simple idea; the one, certainly, which is best calculated to impress and satisfy the public mind -that of increase. But when applied to such a purpose as this, great figures conceal great facts; and it must strike the most unreflecting that were the immense masses of people represented by these figures searched into, and separated into their classic and several individualities, facts of great interest and of immense practical value would be discovered. The Census Returns are the raw material from which important conclusions as to the social, moral, and intellectual condition of the people, not less than their numbers, are to be derived.

To the Registrar General (Major Graham) and William Farr and Horace Mann, Esqrs., his "assistants in the matter of the Census" were entrusted the organisation and execution of the vast labour; and when the task had been performed, on them devolved the higher duties of the statistical science-the duty of investigating and collecting large classes of facts, which were not generally ascertainable from the Population Tables, and thus preparing for the statesman, historian, and philosopher certain results which will guide to purposes of practical utility.

In the first place, it is no more than justice to the officers who executed in a single night the wonderful task of enumerating a whole nation of 28,000,000 of persons, that some account should be given of the machinery and process whereby they were enabled to perform their undertaking. The labour was indeed rendered far more difficult than on previous occasions, the advance of the statistical science demanding much more information than that of mere numbers :-it was resolved that occasion should be taken to exhibit not merely the statistics of parishes, and the parliamentary

and municipal boroughs, but also of other large towns, and of the ecclesiastical districts and parishes which have been recently created; and in addition to the usual inquiries concerning occupation, age, and birthplace, it was determined to ascertain various particulars relative to the relationships of individuals, such as husband, wife, son, daughter, and to their status or civil condition, such as married or unmarried, widower or widow; and certain physical conditions, as blind, or deaf and dumb; as to their religious condition, such as the number and accommodation of the places of religious worship appertaining to the various denominations, and the number of persons generally frequenting them; and also as to the existing educational establishments and the number of scholars under instruction. It did not appear, however, that the Census Acts authorised the inquiries proposed relative to religion and education; and although the request for voluntary information was generally complied with, these returns are in some degree imperfect, and the labour of the officials was somewhat increased.

The Census of the British Islands is taken under the authority of two Acts of Parliament; one of which applies to England, Wales, and Scotland, and the other to Ireland. The Islands in the British Seas (the Channel Islands) coming within the words of neither statute, the enumeration was accomplished by the agency of the Home Office.

The local machinery in England and Wales was thus organised. Advantage was taken of the distribution of the kingdom into registration districts (for the most part con

terminous with the poor-law unions). There are 624 such districts, each having a superintendent registrar; the districts are divided into 2190 sub-districts, each having a local registrar of births and deaths. These registrars were directed to form their sub-districts into enumeration districts, and to appoint an enumerator to each. Thus the whole kingdom was distributed among 30,610 enumerators.

In Scotland there is no system of registration. The Census was therefore committed to the sheriffs of the several counties; their substitutes appointed the parochial schoolmasters to the superintendence of the parishes, and these divided them into enumeration districts, and appointed proper enumerators. The number of parishes were 1010, and the enumeration districts 7873. In the Channel Islands 257 enumeration districts were formed. Public institutions, such as workhouses, prisons, asylums, were, in some instances, treated as districts. By these

means the whole surface of Great Britain, and the small adjacent islands was divided into 38,740 enumeration districts.

There yet remained to be provided for the population afloat, either in our ports and inland harbours, or in British vessels on the high seas; and British subjects travelling or residing abroad. The first was committed to the charge of the officers of Customs, the second class was ascertained from the Registrar of Merchant Seamen; those serving in the royal navy from the Admiralty; the soldiers in the Colonies, the Indian army, &c., through the respective military authorities, and the travellers or residents abroad through the Foreign Office.

The staff being thus organised, the materiel of the Census was distributed and sub-distributed to the several classes of officers, and by them delivered to the people. They consisted of general books for the superintendent registrars, divisional books for the local registrars and sub-registrars, and separate schedules for the householders. The public forms amounted to 7,000,000, and the weight of forms, books, schedules, &c., to 52 tons. On the night of Sunday the 30th of March, the returns were directed to be filled in; on the following day the enumerators collected 38,740 schedules; and within a week examined and entered them in their enumeration-books, with summaries and estimates. These schedules and books were then transmitted to the 3220 local registrars, who carefully and systematically examined and revised these documents according to certain instructions. They then prepared a summary of the statements of the enumerators, and transmitted them, with the enumeration books, to the 624 superintendent registrars; but the original schedules were sent direct to the Census office. The duties of these last officers were, to examine, revise, and further classify the previous labours, and to transmit them to the Census office, there to undergo the final labours of the statistician. So effectual and complete had been this organisation, that within two months of the 30th of March, 4,300,000 householders' schedules, and some 39,000 enumeration books were received at the Census Office; and in a fortnight from that time, namely, on the 7th of June, a rough but very accurate statement VOL. XCV.

of the population of Great Britain and of the number of their dwellings was in the hands of the public.

NUMBERS OF THE INHABITANTS.

The general result of these vast labours, perfected by the subsequent careful revision, have been given in the ANNUAL REGISTER for 1851. That portion of the Returns which relates to the customary details of numbers and habitations (which fill three large volumes of tables) is prefaced by an introductory Report of great value; and these remarks are illustrated by maps and diagrams, which present to the eye in a most striking manner those results which are lost in the sea of figures. Some of the subjects treated of are not suited for a short account in this place; others would be of no utility unless given at greater length than space will permit. It must be sufficient to pick out a few interesting facts not to be gathered from the tables already printed.

The first Section of the Report developes in detail the Objects of the Census, and Machinery employed, which subjects have already been described. The second Section consists of Results and Observations.

§ 1. The Plan of Publication of the results of the Census. The facts having been classified, the publication consists of-first, the numbers of the people in Great Britain, distinguishing males and females, with the number of houses, occupied, unoccupied, and building; second, the ages of the population, their birthplace, condition as regards marriage, and occupations, the numbers of blind and EE

deaf and dumb people; third, the results of the analysis of the return of churches, chapels, schools, and scientific institutions.

The first of these publications is divided into 14 great topographical divisions, each complete in itself, and illustrated by maps and diagrams; and a general index makes every part equally accessible.

§ 2. Persons absent from Great Britain, and from their usual places of abode.-Since no Act of Parliament could compel all persons to repair to their proper places of abode and there remain until the Census should have been taken, it happened, of course, that a large number of persons-probably the customary average were absent from home on the night of the 30th of March. The Report furnishes some curious particulars in this Respect. It appears, that the number of persons absent from this country at that time, was about a quarter of a million-namely, in the army, navy, marine, and merchant service, 212,194; and resident or travelling in foreign countries, 33,775. It might have been expected that these numbers would have been in some degree compensated by the foreigners resident in England. The abstracts as yet published do not give the number of foreigners domiciled in this country, either temporarily or permanently; but the total number of aliens who landed on our shores in 1851, amounted to no more than 65,233, notwithstanding the universal attraction of the Great Exhibition.

§ 3. Number of the People. -The Report attempts to convey some popular idea of the population as a mass;—from which it ap

pears, that the whole 21,000,000 of people of Great Britain, allowing a square yard to each person, could be collected into one body on seven square miles.

The females exceed the males by 512,361, or in the proportion of 105 to 100; notwithstanding which excess, the births are exactly in reverse proportion, being 105 boys to 100 girls. The excess of females is greater in Scotland than in England, being as 110 to 100, while in England it is as 104 to 100.

The annual rate of increase in

the population has varied in each decennial period, the lowest rate being in 1841-51, owing chiefly to increased emigration. In 182131 the emigration from Great Britain and Ireland was 274,317; in 1831-41, 717,913; but in 1841-51 it had increased to 1,693,516. It would give an idea of the progressive emigration, to state that in 1852 the number that left our shores were, on an average, 1000 per day.

It is estimated that of the 21,000,000 of persons who are included in the Census of Great Britain of 1851, 2,542,289 were born prior to and were enumerated in the Census of 1801. If the rate at which the inhabitants of Great Britain increased from 1801 to 1851 continues to prevail uniformly, the population will double itself every 52.5 years; that of England alone, every 51 years.

The Report indicates certain rules of the Law of Population. 1. The numbers of the population bear a definite relation to the mean life-time; e. g. mean lifetime = 30; births 100,000 a year; deaths the births; the population will be 3,000,000. It is pro

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bable that the mean life-time of the people did increase from 1801 to 1821, when the proportional increase in population was greatest. 2. The interval from the birth of one generation to the birth of their descendants in the generation following, bears also a definite relation to the numbers, which increase as the interval is shortened; e. g. increase of population 1:329 annually; interval from generation to generation, 33 years; increase from generation to generation, 55 per cent. Early marriages have the effect of shortening the interval between generations, and tend in this way to increase the population. 3. An increase in the fertility of marriages will evidently cause an increase in the population. 4. A large direct action on the population is produced by the proportion of marriageable women who enter into the married state; e. g. it was found, that of a certain population, 36 married women bore 10 children, and 366 women of marriageable age, unmarried, bore 10 children. 5. The effect of emigration on population is very great. The large immigration from Ireland into Great Britain has contributed much to the increase of our population; on the other hand, the emigration from Great Britain has produced a more than countervailing effect. Emigrants contain an excess of population at the reproductive age; 2,685,747 persons emigrated between 1821 and

1851.

§ 4 discusses Families and Houses. Much difficulty has arisen as to the practical definition of a "family." In the present Census the "occupier" is substituted for "family," and the occupier is de

fined in the instructions to be (1.) a resident owner; or (2) a person who paid rent, whether as tenant for the whole of the house; or (3.) as a lodger for any distinct floor or apartment. The return, therefore, includes all "heads of families" in the specific sense of the word, and all who held the whole or any separate portion of a house, so as to be responsible for the rent. The "occupiers," therefore, represent the families" of the previous censuses.

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In England and Wales the number of families in 1801 was 1,896,723, and in 1851, 3,712,290; in Scotland in 1801, 364,079, and in 1851, 600,098, giving an increase of families in 50 years of 2,051,586 in Great Britain.

In England the propensity is, that each family shall possess a separate house, and this isolation is carried out to a greater extent than in any other country. In Scotland, and on the Continent generally, the separate dwelling is most usually a "flat"-the distinction taken by a German traveller is, that the English divide their edifices perpendicularly into houses, the Germans horizontally into floors. The consequence is, that in densely-populated London there were eight persons to a house; while in the whole department of the Seine there were 22 persons to a house. In Glasgow, there were 5.4 families, consisting of 275 persons, to a house (in the English sense), and in Edinburgh, 4.2 families, of 20.6 persons. Great Britain, the average number of persons to a family is 4.8, to a house, 5.7. In England, the number of persons to a house has somewhat decreased, while in Scotland it has increased from 5.5 to

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