138 Progress of Population and Wealth 



It seems, by the preceding tables, that the whole number of per- 

 sons employed in agriculture, commerce, and manufactures, bears 

 nearly the same proportion to the whole population in both enume- 

 rations. In 1820, these classes, amounting to 2,483,645 persons, 

 in a population of 9,638,131, were 25.7 per cent of the whole num- 

 ber ; and, in 1840, the same classes amounted to 4,629,307 persons 

 in a population of 17,069,453, which is 27.1 per cent. If the four 

 classes, then added, be taken into the estimate, the proportion will 

 be 28 per cent. This proportion must be regarded as a very large 

 one, when it is recollected that the three classes in question com- 

 prehend a very small number of females, and that one-half, or very 

 nearly one-half of the males, are under seventeen years of age. 



The proportion of adult males, in the industrious classes of Great 

 Britain, seems to be nearly the same as in the United States, so far 

 as we can compare them by means of the very different plans 

 adopted in the two countries of enumerating those classes by the 

 census. There, only the males of twenty years of age and up- 

 wards are reckoned ; whilst here, all persons employed in the seve- 

 ral branches of industry are counted, without distinction of age, 

 sex, or condition. 



In 1831, the whole number of males in Great Britain, twenty 

 years of age and upwards, was 3,944,511, who were thus dis- 

 tributed, according to the census : 



Employed in agriculture, as occupiers or labourers,... 1,243,057 — equal to 31.5 p. cent. 



" manufactures, 404,317 > „ go 7 < ( 



" retail trade or handicraft, 1,159,867 \ 



Labourers, employed in labour not agricultural, 608,712"] 



Servants, 78,699 1 „ 2g g ,, 



Capitalists, professional and other educated men, 214,390 f 



Other males, 235,499 J 



Total, 3,944,511 100. 



From this enumeration, it appears that, exclusive of the two last 

 mentioned classes, amounting to 449,889 persons, there were 

 3,494,622 males, above the age of twenty, who were engaged in 

 profitable, and, for the most part, manual occupations ; and, conse- 

 quently, according to Mr. G. R. Porter, one of the most accurate 

 statistical writers of that country, the residue, who were not thus 

 engaged, constitute 114 out of every 1,000 males of twenty years 

 of age ; and if the males included in the army and navy, and as sea- 

 men in registered vessels, be added to the whole population, the 

 number will be reduced to 106 of every 1,000, or 10.6 per cent. 



To ascertain the number of the industrious class in the United 



