388 Proceedings of the British Association. 



Wishaw, Esq. Dr Chalmers. L. Horner, Esq. John Marshall, 

 Esq. Neil Malcolm, Esq. Francis Clark, Esq. 



The Statistical Section assembled. The report of the Third 

 Meeting of the British Association, held at Cambridge in 1833, 

 contained two recommendations applicable to this Section, in re- 

 ference to which this Section has to state, that Col. Sykes has now 

 in progress some statistical returns, collected by himself in India, 

 relative to the Deccan, but that they are not yet in a sufficiently 

 advanced state to be laid before the meeting. 



This Section has also to report, that Professor Jones has, in pur- 

 suance of the second recommendation of the Association, applied 

 for leave of access to the archives of the East India Company, and 

 that that Body, with its accustomed liberality, has afforded him 

 every facility in promoting his researches. This section has also 

 great satisfaction in reporting, that a Statistical Society has been 

 formed in London, the present condition and progress of which 

 will be laid before the meeting in the course of this week. 



Mr Benjamin Heywood attended to announce the formation of a 

 Statistical Society in Manchester, which has been established since 

 the last meeting of the British Association ; and appeared on behalf 

 of that body. 



An important communication issuing from that Statistical So- 

 ciety, " On the condition of the working-classes in certain districts 

 of the town of Manchester," was presented by him. 



From this document it appeared that the number of families vi- 

 sited by three persons appointed by that Society, amounted to 

 4102, composing nearly 20,000 persons, occupying 3110 houses, 

 and 1002 cellars and apartments, of which only 689 were well fur- 

 nished, 1551 were comfortably furnished, and the very lai-ge num- 

 ber of 255 1 were described as uncomfortable. It further appears, 

 that, out of the above number of 20,000 persons, 7789 receive 

 wages, and only 158 pay a rent exceeding four shillings a-week. 

 The same paper stated that there were in the above district 8121 

 children under the age of twelve years, of whom only 252 attended 

 day-schools, while 4680 attended Sunday-schools, and nearly half 

 the children were without education. The number of parents who 

 stated themselves to be able to read amounted to 3114. 



The next communication to which this Section directed its at- 

 tention, was a lecture on the science of Agriculture, and the means 

 of promoting its improvement, by the Right Hon. Sir J. Sinclair, 



