244 REPORT — 1861. 



Britain respectively. By a table before me, it appears that the population of 

 England and Wales has, in the course of sixty years, increased to the extent 

 of 10,905,554, whereas that of Scotland has advanced to the extent of only 

 1,452,909, exhibiting an increase on the part of England and Wales of 119'1 per 

 cent., and on that of Scotland of only 90-3 per cent. ; and if we merely compare 

 the progress of the population of the two divisions of the island respectively during 

 the last ten years, we find that, while England and Wales show an increase of 12 

 per cent., Scotland only exhibits an advance of 5'9 (or about 6) per cent. The 

 question then naturally arises, how can this great and important discrepancy be- 

 tween the rates of progress in England and Scotland, particidarly as existing between 

 the years 1851 and 1861, be explained ? Has it been occasioned by a different birth 

 and death rate ruling in the respective portions of the island ? or is it to be found 

 in a larger proportional rate of emigration on the part of the North to that of the 

 South ? Ajid if the latter be the case, what may be the probable causes which 

 have led to that higher emigration spirit ? 



Let us then attempt to discover what has been the actual natural increase of the 

 population in Scotland, as deduced from the excess of births over deaths, since 1851. 

 And here a difficidty meets us on the threshold — the fact that before the 1st of 

 January, 1855, there was no public register of births, deaths, and marriages kept 

 in Scotland ; and it is therefore only from the latter period that we can obtain any 

 authentic figures wherewith to deal. During the last six j-ears and a half, the actufd 

 increase of the population fi-om the excess of births over deaths amounted to 260,392 ; 

 and, assuming that the average annual birth and death rates then existing differed but 

 little from those existing during the three and a half years that preceded the passing 

 of the Registration Act for Scotland — which rates were, say, birth-rate 3'41 per 

 cent., death-rate 2'08 per cent. — then it would foUow that during that period of 

 three and a half years preceding 1st January, 1855, the births must have amounted 

 to 346,115, and the deaths to 211,120, showing an excess of births over deaths of 

 134,995, which, when added to the excess of births over deaths during the last 

 six and a half years, makes a total natural increase of the population in ten years, 

 within the boundaries of Scotland, of 395,387, or at the rate of about 13-6 per cent. 

 It is therefore quite evident that, had Scotland not been subject to the efiects of a 

 serious emigration, her population of last census would have amounted to 3,284,129, 

 instead of 3,061,251. If such, therefore, may be taken as a proximate pictiu-e of 

 the real natural progi-ess of the population of Scotland, it necessarily follows, con- 

 sidering the immigration from Ireland into the west of Scotland, that the fide of 

 emigrating Scotch to other coimtries must have been very great, especially during 

 the last ten years, seeing that, in addition to all the Irish immigTation (which, how- 

 ever, has not been so large for these four or five years past), there must have gone 

 out from Scotland no fewer than 222,878 persons, being the difference between the 

 natural increase from the excess of births over deaths and the increase as shown 

 by the late census. According to the returns made to the Registrar General by the 

 Government Emigi-ation Board, we find that during the last two years the estimated 

 number of Scotch who have emigTated ■wath the knowledge of the same board has 

 amounted to 183,627, leaving 39,251 which must have left otherwise, either to re- 

 cruit the anny and navy abroad, to push their fortunes in various parts of the globe, 

 imaccounted for by the Emigi-ation Commissioners, or, what is more likely, have 

 gone to swell the population of England. 



That the population of England has been gi-eatly increased from immigration 

 will at once appear evident when it is stated that in the ten past years the English- 

 bom emigrants have amounted to 640,210, the natm-al increase of her population 

 only exhibits 136,460 more than her ascertained population by the census, showing 

 an unaccounted-for deficiency of 503,740, for which she must have been mainly 

 indebted to Scotland and Ireland. That an emigi'ating spirit has manifested itself 

 on the part of the Scotch more than the English is certain from the fact that, taking 

 the mean population for the last ten yeai-s of each country, we shall find that, had 

 Scotland only emigrated proportionally to England, the Scotch emigrants ought 

 only to have amounted to about 100,010, whereas the nimibers stated by the Com- 

 missioners are 183,627. If the emigration from Scotland has thus been so dispropor- 

 tionaUy great, it may be asked from what particular quarter of the coimtiy has this 

 spirit chiefly manifested itself.^ or, in other words, in what division of the country 



