TRANSACTIONS OF THE SECTIONS. 245 



has the population absolutely shown a decline ? It appears, from a table, that in 

 twelve out of the thirty-three counties of Scotland there has been, since the census 

 of 1851, irrespective altogether of the natural progress of the population by excess 

 of births over deaths, a diminution of the inhabitants to the extent of 31,825 ; and 

 as those counties are almost entirely agi'icultural and pastoral, the fact would seem 

 to indicate that either manual labour was less wanted in these particular districts, 

 or that a better remuneration for labour and industry was ottered elsewhere. For 

 a striking contrast to this state of things in the agi'icultural and pastoral parts of 

 Scotland, we have only to look to the census figures of the commercial, mining, and 

 manufacturing county of Lanark, where we find, in the course of the last ten years, 

 an increase to the population of no less than 101,390 ! The fact is, the increase of 

 the population is almost entirely limited in Scotland to towns, and to these of the 

 largest kind — the increase iu to-«Tis being 109 per cent., whereas the rural districts 

 only show an advance of 0-9, or not 1 per cent. ; or, if Scotland be divided into 

 three gi'eat divisions, viz. insular, mainland-rm-al, and towns, the insular will show 

 a decrease of 3-6 per cent., the mainland-rural an increase of 3-9 per cent., and the 

 towns an increase of 12-9. But, to show stiU more forcibly the decline that has 

 taken place among those residing in the rural portions of Scotland, it may be men- 

 tioned that the small increase stated as occurring in the mainland-rural district of 

 3-9 per cent, is owing almost entirely to the increased population of the smaller 

 towns situated within the limits of that great division of the coimtry. The leading 

 deduction, then, to be drawn from these dry statistical details is simply this, that 

 there has existed for some time a manifest tendency on the pai-t of the inhabitants 

 of the country districts, and particularly of those dwelling amid the highlands and 

 islands, to quit a land where rural labour was but little wanted, and pastoral care 

 was poorly paid, for other countries, where both were in good demand and highly 

 compensated, or for towns and cities, where the hardy and unskilled labourer is 

 almost always sure to find employment. That this emigrating spirit in search of 

 future prosperity has proved as yet as advantageous to Scotland as it has certainly 

 been to Ireland," will scarcely be denied, seeing that it increases not only the value 

 of the labour, and raises the condition of those who remain behind, but elevates the 

 position and increases the comforts of those who go away. And although there 

 must ever be felt a pang on the part of a pilgrim family when abandoning for ever 

 the cherished scenes of childhood, e^'en when those are associated with nothing 

 better than the comfortless home of the Highland cottar, still the mutual personal 

 benefit that results from this separation has been generally found to be, to those 

 gone and to those left, well worthy of the temporary pang. 



Among the immediate causes which have led to the late depopulation of the 

 Highlands and islands, and the partial diminution of the inhabitants of the other 

 rural districts of Scotland, we shall only allude, first, to the great enlargement which 

 has lately taken place iu the sheep-walks and agricultural farms, particularly in the 

 northern parts ot the country, thereby diminishing a host of small master graziers, 

 and even smaller agi-icultural tenants, each and all of them without energy and 

 without capital ; secondly, to the discouragement given to the continuance of unne- 

 cessary cottars idly occupying the country ; and thii-dly, to the eifects and results 

 of the late Highland famines, which have, alas ! too sadly taught the poor and perish- 

 ing denizens of a country that cannot maintain them to flee for refuge to one more 

 kind and hospitable. If, however, from the returns of the present census we have 

 been told that the rural portions of Scotland have, with respect to population, re- 

 mained either stationaiy or have shown a tendency to decline, it is, at the same 

 time, certain that, in the great centre of trade, mining, and manufactures (we mean 

 in Glasgow) there has been a most marvellous increase in the numbers of its inha- 

 bitants ; for, while at the commencement of the present century that city and its 

 suburbs only contained 83,769 persons, the last census revealed the fact that its 

 population, with that of its new-world increasing suburbs, amounted to 446,395, 

 which, when compared with the population residing on the same territory in 

 1851, showed an increase of no less than 86,257 during the last ten years, or a rate 

 of 23'95 (or nearly 24) per cent. That this increase has mainly arisen from a con- 

 stant immigi'ation from all parts of Scotland, and also from Ireland, is no doubt 

 certain ; for if we assume that the last year's birth-and-death rates (which were, 

 births 3-87 per cent., deaths 3 per cent.) have been the average rates for the last 



