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Petersburg, for he writes : " The lists of births, deaths, 

 and marriages in Kussia present such extraordinary 

 results that it is impossible not to receive them with 

 a considerable degree of suspicion ; at the same time, 

 the regular manner in which they have been collected, 

 and their agreement with each other in different years, 

 entitle them to attention." 



That it may be clearly perceived to what amount 

 of attention the Russian statistics bestowed upon 

 Malthus by his St. Petersburg authorities are entitled, 

 I give from them the average length of life in six 

 out of the twelve Governments of European Eussia. 

 The Government of Voronesch stands first for the 

 longevity of its inhabitants, their average span of life 

 being no less than 7 9 years. The Government of Tver 

 comes next with an average life-span of 7 5 years ; 

 next comes the Government of Pskovsk with 70i years 

 as the average life of its people. Then follow the 

 Governments of Novgorod with 68 years, the Arch- 

 bishopric of Vologda with 6 5 years, of Kostroma with 

 59 years. In all Eussia the average length of life 

 was made to appear as not less than 5 8 years ; and 

 this at a time when in Sweden, which has all along 

 been foremost of European countries for the longevity 

 of its people, the average life was not more than 

 30 years. 



Very different from the statistical information 

 obtained by Malthus from St. Petersburg is that 

 received to-day from the same quarter by the Eegistrar- 

 General of England. 



