1814.} Population (f Russia. l^S 



When the Committee of Division of the Constituent^ Assembly 

 made an enumeration in 17^1} the result was 28,896,000 indivi- 

 duals. Some years after, by a second enumeration, this sum was 

 reduced to 26-,363,000.* 



"In Hungary a first enumeration, made in 1785, gave 7,008,574 

 indi\nduals; a second, in 1786, 7,044,-462} and a third, in 1787, 

 gave 7)116,780: and after all the sacrifices that Hungary has made 

 within these few years, the enumeration of 1810 gave 7,3^85 104 : a 

 proof of the imperfection of the preceding enumerations.f 



Malthus gives to England and Wales, in 1677) fi^e millions of 

 inhabitants: Petty, in 168'2, makes them 7? 400,000 ; Davenant, 

 in 161)2, makes tliem between seven and eight millions; King, in 

 1699, admits only five millions; and Derliam considers this num- 

 ber as the most correct; Decker, in 1742, supposes 7)200,000; 

 Mitchel, 5,700,000 ; Brakenridge, 5,340,000 ; and Price, 

 6,600,000. 



A philosopher, who was himself employed in Prussia to deter- 

 mine the state of the population, makes the following avowal. J 

 ** Those statements which bear the name of Histoiical Tables of 

 Prussia are drawn up by the lowest class of the commissioners of 

 •the police, who consider this duty as a troublesome and useless 

 burden. The commissioner seldom visits all the houses; he com- 

 monly corrects an old register, from his local knowledge : even if 

 he does visit every house, he never thinks of verifying the state- 

 ments which he receives by having recourse to the statements of the 

 neighbours ; and if the master of the house be from home, he fills 

 up the blanks by guess, to save himself the trouble of paying a 

 second visit. All these difficulties, which exist even in the cities, 

 are augmented in the country. The formulas being too compli- 

 cated for the old people of the village, they naturally arrange all the 

 men under one head, and all the women under anolher, without 

 distinguishing the age, the condition, the travellers, &c. Hence 

 the statements of the population of the coiu:itry are always above 

 the tmth. I have myself i)ointed out several inaccuracies ; and as 

 it frequently happens that another department reckons the very 

 sanje individuals at the same time for another object, it is usual to 

 find mistakes of some hundreds in a total which does not exceed a 

 •thousand." 



• ilerbin, 6ta(i«tique Cencrale.el Particuliere de U France, t. i. Art. J't^p*- 



+ Schwartncr S(atistiqur de I'Hongrip, 1798, p. 7i. 

 X AHgeui«ii)c Litcratur-Zeituijg, 1805, No. 265. 



