496 Report S.A.A. Advancement of Science. 



I have not time at present to go into the question of Eastern 

 nations like Japan and China, as it would make this paper too long, 

 though there are some very interesting questions involved, but at 

 present I merely point out the growth of population during the last 

 100 years, and what seems the inevitable deduction if it continues in 

 the same direction, as everything at present indicates. 



The population of England and Wales in 1801 was just under 9 

 millions, and in 1901 32I millions, the average increase per cent, 

 during each decade for the whole period being 13.85. For the 

 exact figures see Annexure "A." In Scotland the population in 

 1801 was 1,600,000, and in 1901 just under 4 millions and a half, 

 the average increase per cent, in each decade being 10.79. ^^ 

 Ireland the population in 182 1 was 6,800,000, and in 1901 under 

 4I millions. 



In the last 20 years the total emigration from the British Isles 

 has been over 4 millions, but in 53 years 4 millions emigrated from 

 Ireland alone, which a<"COunts for the extraordinary and somewhat 

 sad state of the Irish population, which at the present moment is 

 just about half what it was 60 years ago, when it was at its maximum. 



For the purposes of comparison with the foregoing figures, it 

 is interesting to note that the population of the United States in 1800 

 was 5 millions, and in 1900 75 millions, showing an average per- 

 centage increase each decade of 30.70. See Annexure " B." When 

 one attempts to compare the United States with Great Britain and 

 Ireland, one, of course, is at once faced with the difficult questions 

 of immigration and emigration, and it is not within the scope of this 

 paper to discuss these questions at any length. But the United King- 

 dom has lost population obviously through emigration, and the United 

 States has gained very largely from immigration. Probably the large 

 majority of the 4 millions Irish who have emigrated in the 50 odd 

 years referred to went to the United States, and, indeed, that country 

 has benefited to the following extent during the decades mentioned 

 from immigration, viz. : — 



It will therefore at once be seen that the immigration to the United 

 States has been enormous. Another consideration to be borne in 

 mind in regarding its population, as compared with Great Britnin's 

 is that from time to time it has bv annexation added to its popula- 

 tion, as have Russia and Germany, and that, therefore, it is unfair 

 in every way to compare the population as a whole, and were it the 

 object of this paper to compare the growth of population in the 

 United States with England, the Birth and Death Rates would 



