Statistical Notices, VSSl 



respect no nation has ever approached us. The French econo- 

 mists were of opinion that not more than one-fourth of the 

 people of France lived in towns ; and the later statists, who have 

 alluded to the subject, contend that a still greater proportion of 

 the jioptilatibn is rural. This will not appear exaggerated when 

 it4^ i^teollefcted that all the lower classes of that country subsist 

 ^t^bipally on vegetable food, and that, consequently, the greater 

 phrt of the soil being under tillage, a great number of hands is 

 iieqtrii-ed for its cultivation. In Great Britain, on the other 

 hktid, the inhabitants of all classes consume a great quantity 

 of animal food, and, of course, a great part of our lands, being 

 Iti'ft ^toral state, require a small proportion of occupants. 

 Itt'ilie kingdom of the Netherlands, it is supposed about one- 

 third of the inhabitants live in towns : in Italy about one-fifth : 

 in Austria, Spain, and Russia, except the province of Siberia, 

 TVhere the abundance of manufactures congregates the people 

 in masses, not more than one-fifth. In Russia, Sweden, and 

 Norway, where, amongst the lower classes, nearly every family 

 is its own manufacturer, not more than one-eighth or one- 

 ninth. ' i*^>rJ;jT»' 



The fourth and last of these peculiar characteristics which 

 I shall remark, is, that no great nation ever employed so large 

 a proportion of its people in trade and manufactures. In 

 speaking thus, I leave out of the question the Itahan and 

 Flemish republics of the middle ages, and the Hanse Towns, 

 free cities, and United Provinces of later times. I speak only 

 of great and extensive countries. It will appear, I doubt not, 

 by the present census, that at least half our whole population is 

 employed in trade, commerce, or manufactures. This is a 

 feature altogether singular ; a circumstance to which no parallel 

 can be found in the ancient or modem world. 



From these premises, a few observations, in the way- of 

 corollaries, will naturally suggest themselves. 



In the first place, such a state of things is indicative of 

 great wealth and power. A country thus situated is, beyond 

 any other, powerful for attack and strong for defence. A pro- 

 fusion of great cities can only be produced by extensive trade, 

 and can only be maintained by a highly cultivated soil. The 

 wealth acquired by the industry of the towns, reacts on the 



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