624 
REPORT— 1883. 
natural harbour of Barrow, the extension of the iron manufacture in Furness, The 
main object, however, was the description of the plans of the author for the 
reclamation of waste land in connection with railway transit in the estuaries of 
Morecambe Bay, the Duddon, and the Solway, and the addition thereby made, or 
to be made, to the productive soil of the country. 
2. On the Increase of National Wealth since the time of the Stuarts." 
By M. G. Mutmatt. 
1. The increase of wealth has been more rapid than that of population, as 
appears from the following précis :— 
P Wealth 
Date Country Wealth Population Reranie: rg var a 
ant 
/ oa aay 
1660 | England & Wales 250,000,000 5,500,000 45 Petty, King 
1703 5 490,000,000 6,280,000 79 Davenant 
1774 “ 1,100,000,000 §,080,000 136 Young, &e. 
1800 Great Britain 1,740,000,000 10,501,000 165 Beeke, Eden 
1812 | United Kingdom | 2,190,000,000 | 17,927,000 127 Colquhoun 
1840 ¥ 4,030,000,000 | 26,853,000 150 Porter 
1860 y 5,560,000,009 29,064,000 191 Various 
1882 i | 8,7 20,000,000 | 35,004,000 249 . 
2. Public wealth has quadrupled since the Waterloo epoch, and doubled since 
the accession of Queen Victoria, viz. :— 
£ 
1,880,000,000 
414,000,000 
2,280,000,000 
750,000,000 
120,000,000 
350,000,000 
1,140,000,000 
143,000,000 
1,080,000,000 | 
563,000,000 | 
——— 1812 1840 1860 
EY £ £ 
Lands . 1,066,000,000 | 1,680,000,000 | 1,840,000,000 
Cattle, &e. 260,000,000 380,000,000 460,000,000 
Houses , 5 355,000,000 770,000,000 | 1,164,000,000 
Railways — 33,000,000 348,000,000 
Shipping 15,000,000 23,000,000 44,000,000 
Merchandise 50,000,000 70,000,000 190,000,000 
Furniture 180,000,000 390,000,000 580,000,000 
Bullion 23,000,000 61,000,000 105,000,000 
Foreign loans 105,000,000 230,000,000 420,000,000 
Sundries . 136,000,000 393,000,000 409,000,000 
Total 2,190,000,000 | 4,030,000,000 | 5,560,000,000 
8,720,000,000 
| 
3. The increase of wealth has been real, and very much in excess of prices, tlie 
following standards enabling us to compare the purchasing power of money at the 
dates in question :— 
a ee 
Se ee SS SSS a 
| Period Grain 
1640-1690 100 
1701-1765 88 
1770-1810 132 
1821-1848 142 
1880-1883 117 
Cattle Labour 
100 100 
152 123 
167 166 
218 201 
312 285 
Average 
Shuckburgh’s 
Table 
100 
165 
258 
DRO CDE Pe Ts Saad Nh 
1 Published in extenso by Messrs. George Routledge & Sons, London. 
