TBANSACTIONS OF THE SECTIONS. 125 



what has been done, and of what yet needs doing, in the way of statistical research. 

 Generally, — I think we may say this of the progress of the science in England, — 

 that what defects remain arise principally from causes beyond the 'control of indi- 

 viduals. Statistics are the function of the State in a sense in which no other science 

 is so. The details of population, of employment, of instruction, of religious worship, 

 of commerce, and of health, are already recorded in official publications; those of 

 agricultural production we may hope will shortly follow. The branch which I 

 principally note as deficient is that which relates to civil and criminal judicature. 

 Lord Brougham has brought this subject before the House of Lords, and even 

 embodied in a Bill the data on which information is needed. We require a regulcir 

 and uniform record to be kept of every fact connected with the administration of the 

 law. We require to know, in civil proceedings especially, the number and nature of 

 suits that go to each court, the length of time occupied in their decision, the nature 

 of that decision, and the cost to the parties. Our criminal returns might be fuller 

 than they are : they give us at present absolutely no information respecting that vast 

 class of offences (of late much increased) which are dealt with under summary juris- 

 diction. It is not wise in any country to copy servilely the practice of another : local 

 diflferences may create and necessitate diversity of procedure. But I may refer to 

 the annual reports (two yearly volumes) of the Minister of Justice in France as 

 examples of an almost perfect arrangement of compUcated statistical details. One 

 result of that publication is to show a vast local difference between department and 

 department in the nature and amount of crime. It is obvious, that when such a 

 difference is shown, by the lapse of a sufficient period, to be chronic and not merely 

 casual, the Government, whose attention is thus invited, must feel itself bound to 

 investigate the source of the evil, and, if possible, to provide a cure. In fact, an 

 executive regularly supplied with such knowledge, may be said to have its finger on 

 the pulse of every province, ready, at the first symptom of disease, to intervene with 

 the requisite remedy. 



There is another suggestion which I may make, and which indeed connects itself 

 with this last. I allude to the advantage, I might almost say the necessity, of esta- 

 blishing a Statistical Department of Governnient, charged with the annual publication 

 of such facts relative to the management of national affairs, as are reducible to nume- 

 rical expression. We have statistics enough presented to Parliament every session, 

 but they are, in the great majority of cases, called for by individuals. They are drawn 

 out to suit the particular purpose of those who move for them : they are, accordingly, 

 deficient in unity, and often of no use beyond the moment. Now I speak from some 

 personal observation when I say, that at a cost hardly greater than that of these 

 desultory, fragmentary, isolated returns, (which have in addition the inconvenience, 

 coming as they do, at unexpected times, and without any regularity, of throwing a 

 sudden increase of work on particular offices,) it would be possible to present to the 

 nation such a yearly resume of administrative statistics, as should, to a very great 

 degree, supersede the present system (if system it can be called) of moving for returns 

 as, and when, they are wanted. 



I have said that I think a Statistical Department desirable, instead of a Statistical 

 Branch in every Department ; because the former method gives better security for 

 unity of plan, and because the work will be best done by those whose sole and undi- 

 vided business it is. 



I have not referred to the meetings of the International Congress of Brussels and 

 Paris, because on such a subject I could offer no remark that would not naturally 

 occur to those whom I address. Such meetings have a twofold value. First, they 

 extend the field of statistical research : and we have seen that accuracy of result 

 varies directly as the magnitude of the area of investigation. Secondly, they form 

 a new link between nation and nation ; because, though speech differs, arithmetical 

 notation is the same everywhere. In proportion, therefore, as numerical is substi- 

 tuted for descriptive statement, we approach nearer to that otherwise impracticable 

 dream of philosophers — a universal language. 



There is, I believe I may state, a probability of the Congress of 1857 being held 

 in London ; an expectation which seems both natural and reasonable, inasmuch as 

 it has been averred in public, and not denied, that the first design of holding such 



