POPULATION. 



The most striking circumstance which 

 this account exhibits, is the great increase 

 which has taken place since the enume- 

 ration in 1791, the addition being more 

 than a third part of the whole number of 

 inhabitants at that period, or 1,376,312 

 persons. Should they continue thus to in- 

 crease one-third of their number in each 

 succeeding ten years, they would, in about 

 twenty -five years, equal the population of 

 Great Britain, as it appeared by the ac- 

 count of 1801 ; but should they only make 

 fehe same addition in each succeeding ten 

 years, as in the above period, it would re- 

 quire about forty years to attain the same 

 degree of population. 



The increase shown by the above ac- 

 count, being much greater than any other 

 civilized nation can boast, it may be 

 doubted, whether, having already made 

 such considerable progress, this increase 

 will still continue ; but the United States 

 are so differently circumstanced from any 

 European nation, with respect to the 

 means of subsistence, that while they 

 preserve peace with other powers, the 

 vast tracts of unsettled lands which they 

 possess, will long continue to favour the 

 greatest natural increase of the inhabi- 

 tants, as well as attract emigrants from 

 other countries. 



Another peculiarity which these ac- 

 counts present, is the proportion of males 

 and females. In Great Britain, and most 

 other parts of Europe, the number of fe- 



VOL.V. 



males living has been found to exceed 

 that of the mules, although the difference 

 is not so great as was formerly supposed ; 

 in America, however, the fact is the con- 

 trary, the number of the females being 

 equal to that of the males only in three or 

 four of the states, and taking the total 

 numbers of males and females, the pro- 

 portion is ninety-six females to one hun- 

 dred males, 



The population of Great Britain was 

 long a subject of great uncertainty, both, 

 with respect to the actual number of in. 

 habitants, and their increase or diminu- 

 tion ; it became a subject of frequent con- 

 troversy among writers on the internal po- 

 licy and strength of the country, till it was 

 at length set at rest by an act of parlia* 

 ment, passed 31st December, 1800, which, 

 directed a general enumeration of houses, 

 families, and persons, to be named on the 

 10th March, 1801, in England and Wales, 

 and in Scotland as soon as possible after 

 that day. This difFerence was necessary, 

 because, in the colder climate of Scotland, 

 it was not certain that all parts of the 

 country would be easily accessible so 

 early in the year. An abstract of the an- 

 swers and returns made, was laid before 

 both houses of parliament, in December 

 following, which, though unavoidably de- 

 fective in some respects, furnishes much 

 unexceptionable information on the sub- 

 ject. 



