16 THE CENSUS OF lb6l. 



■certain that the natural growth of the population in Upper Canada 

 must be more rapid than that of Lower Canada. 



I have been induced to enter into these details partly with a view 

 of shewing what conclusions we may draw, with some degree of confi- 

 dence, from the statistical data to which we have access, and partly to 

 point out the extreme insufficiency of these data, and the doubts 

 which must rest upon many points of the utmost importance in rela- 

 tion to the future prospects of our country. My labour will not have 

 been in vain, if any one should be induced by the observations I have 

 made to press upon the Legislature the necessity for organizing some 

 system upon which more trustworthy statistics may be obtained. 

 The main things which appear to be wanted are — a more perfect 

 organization for collecting and tabulating the facts, and a greater 

 frequency in the returns by a compulsory local registration. The 

 decennial census would still be necessary, as there are many important 

 facts, which it would be too cumbersome and expensive to attempt to 

 collect at shorter intervals ; but there are also many details which 

 could easily be recorded annually, and which could then be obtained 

 with much greater accuracy. Not the least advantage to be derived 

 from a more frequent registration would be, the preparation which it 

 would supply for conducting properly the more perfect decennial 

 Census. The collection, tabulating and discussion of the multifarious 

 details of a great Census, simple as each individual process appears to 

 be, require some special training in those who are engaged upon it, 

 and a well devised system of checks under a responsible head, to pre- 

 vent the recurrence of such gross errors as are to be found in the two 

 last Censuses. It is hardly possible to expect any much better result 

 to follow from the returns of enumerators, who have had no experience 

 in the work expected from them, and from submitting their schedules 

 to a body of extra clerks, called in for the occasion, who appear to 

 have worked without concert, and almost without supervision. 



The system which I would recommend, as most likely to produce 

 a valuable body of statistics, would be the following : — It might stil} 

 be desirable to require the clergy of the several denominations to make 

 returns of their marriages, baptisms and burials, as at present ; but 

 the baptisms and burials after all only approximately represent the 

 births and deaths, and experience has shewn that it is almost impossi- 

 ble to obtain, in this way, punctual and correct returns ; and in Upper 

 'Canada especially, as in other countries where there are a great variety 



