F TRANSACTIONS OF THE SECTIONS. 105 
Statistics on Mendicancy. 
By Sir J. P. Borteav, Bart., F.R.S., V.P. Stat. Soe. 
The writer regretted that there were no means at present of attaining a general 
view of the statistics of mendicancy for the United Kingdom. It might be useful in 
the mean time to examine some tables drawn up from the books of the Mendicity 
Society of London, which show the progress which Irish mendicancy has made on that 
Society. The number of meals given to Irish in January 1828, was 379, whilst in 
January 1848 the number was 21,578; which being divided by 4, allowing each in- 
dividual four meals a month, would show that 5396 individuals were relieved, and 
indicate the enormous increase of about 5300, cr 53 upon 1. From the Society’s 
books it appears that 50 per cent., or half of the 5396, were grown-up persons, while 
in 1828, following the same rule, they amounted to 473. While Irish mendicancy 
appears to have so much increased, English mendicancy does not seem to have varied 
since 1828; it had in fact decreased in 1832-33 and in 1837-38. The increase in 
Irish mendicancy was probably to be attributed to severe winters, the late failures of 
the potato crop, the establishment of refuge-houses and soup kitchens in the metro- 
polis, and the alteration in the poor law of 1837. Before that period it was the 
practice to refuse admittance to Irish vagrants into the unions of the metropolis; 
since then it was considered that Irish vagrants had as good a legal right to relief as 
any other persons. Another cause assigned as contributing to the influx of Irish into 
London was, that the low lodging-housekeepers found means of obtaining tickets 
_ from the Mendicity Society, and of offering them as orders for food to those who 
~ would lodge with them. These causes induced old mendicants to flock to London. 
This view of the case was supported by statistical proof exhibited in tables. These 
were considered the most probable causes of the increase in Irish mendicancy. The 
_ remedies suggested to meet the evils were to discontinue the establishments which 
held out food to mendicants without inquiry as to character or the want of labour, 
and to place the establishment of district relieving-houses under the superintendence 
—* ee Te 
4 of the police. 
‘ Facts bearing on the Progress of the Railway System of Great Britain. 
By W. Harvine, CLE. 
Contributions to Academical Statistics. 
By the Rev. B. Power, F.R.S., Sav. Prof: of Geom., Oxford. 
On the desirableness of extending to the Working Classes the opportunity of 
purchasing deferred annuities, as a provision for old age. By CADOGAN 
WILLIAMs. 
Moral and Educational Statistics of England and Wales. 
By JosErH FLETCHER, 
[The abstract of this paper, which was read in 1847, was received too late for the 
volume of that year. ] 
ul As it is of the whole kingdom that I purpose to speak, it is of the pudlic enume- 
rations that I must now chiefly make use ; and by the nature of the subject I am re- 
_ quired to use principally the last Census of the Population; the Income Tax Returns ; 
_ the Reports of the Registrar-General of Births, Deaths, and Marriages ; the Home- 
Office Tables of Criminal Offenders; the latest Reports of the Poor-Law Commis- 
_ sioners ; and a Summary of Sayings Banks, published by the barrister appointed to 
certify their rules, It is by the agency of such departments as produce these do- 
- cuments that the State takes cognizance of all or of certain classes of its subjects, at 
_ various periods, and under the occurrence of very dissimilar events ; and from the 
_ records of this momentary cognizance the following results are derived ; while many 
_ more of equal interest may be obtained by those who have the desire and the oppor- 
_ tunity to elaborate them. [ contribute on the present occasion only the results of 
some first efforts, which, if they serve to indicate the direction in which another may 
_ profitably proceed, will not have been made in vain, 
