[ -'« ] 



LXXV. N'otices respecting Neiv Boohs. 



An Inquiry concerning the Power of Increase in the Nnmhers 

 (if Mniikind ; heiii<r an Answer to Mr, Malthns's Essay on 

 that Subject. By William Godwin. Svo. \Ss. 



IVIr.Mai.thus had assumed, from some hypothetical calculations 

 of Sir William Petty on the number of children which tecmine 

 women can bear, — some loose notions in the writings of Dr. 

 Styles, &c. — a calculation of Euler, showing the various periods 

 of doublintj, according to the rate of excess of births over the 

 deaths, that the population of a country, if left unchecked, could 

 double itself, by propagation alone, every 25 years. The cen- 

 suses of North America were confidently appealed to in support 

 of this doctrine, which has been received by all the political eco- 

 nomists of Europe. 



Many a silly declamation has been poured out against Mr. 

 Malthus, but no one before Mr. Godwin thought of examining 

 the data on which Mr. Malthus's structure rests, to see whether 

 they really bore him out in his conclusions. 



Mr. Godwin has been at some pains to ascertain the extent of 

 female productiveness. A variety of t/fl^a on this subject are to 

 he found in the work of the laborious Siismulch, and the most 

 accurate tables containing all the information which a philoso- 

 pher would wish to obtain respecting the progress of population 

 in a country, have been kept in Sweden for more than half a cen- 

 tury. The lists from every part of Europe, town as well as 

 country, give four children only to a marriage. In Sweden in 

 particular, as appears from its lists, almost everv female, on at- 

 taining the marriageable age, changes her condition. If this is 

 the rate of productiveness in Europe, what is it in North America? 

 The returns obtained from that countrv, as might be expected 

 exhibit precisely the same result ; and in America, as well as 

 Europe, tlie number of children to a marriage is four. 



The next point to be ascertained is, the law of mortalitv. Tliis 

 is pretty well known in Europe, but we possess few returns on 

 this subject from North America. It is known, however, that 

 the mortality is greater there than in Europe. All newly settled 

 countries are more unhealthy than old countries ; and North 

 America in particular, from all accounts, is much more un- 

 healthy than any country in Europe. 



In Sweden, which is a healthy country, the excess of births 

 over the deaths, is nearly that which Siismulch assigns as the ave- 

 rage for whole provinces in ordinary years, namelv, as twelve or 

 thirteen to ten. Sweden may be said to be cut off from the rest 

 of Europe, sending forth few emigrants, and receiving few immi- 

 grants. 



