THE CENSUS OF 1861. 



Lower Canada, 1861 



do. .do. as corrected 



Upper Canada, 1861 



do. do, as corrected 



Kew York, 1855 



do. do. approximately corrected. 

 United States, 1860 



do. do. corrected 



Great Britain, 1859 to 1861 



Eussia in Europe, 1 859 



Poland, 1840 to 1857 



Finland, 1857 



Sweden, 1851 to 1855 



Norway, 1851 to 1855 



Denmark, 1850 to 1859 



Bavaria, 1852 to 1857 



Saxony, 1855 to 1858 



Prussia, 1855 to 1858 



Holland, 1855 and 1856 



Belgium, 1840 to 1851 



Births. 



3.672 

 3.892 

 3.809 

 4.031 



3.078 



3.465 

 4.335 

 4.102 

 3.503 

 3.107 

 3.235 

 3.311 

 3.342 

 3.993 

 3.831 

 3.184 



Deaths. 



1.174 



.731 



1.36 

 2.300 

 1.27 

 2.20 

 2.163 

 3.485 

 3.571 

 3.251 

 2.117 

 1.722 

 2.196 

 2.884 

 2.965 

 2.928 

 2.536 

 2.45 



Annual 

 Increase. 



2.498 

 3.178" 



.778 



1.302 

 .850 

 .531 

 .252 

 .990 



1.513 

 .928 

 .468 



1.028 

 .903 

 .648 



The rates per cent, of births in Canada, do not differ so materially 

 from those of other countries, as to lead us to infer that they are 

 seriously misstated j and as I have corrected them by the deaths 

 under one, they are probably not far from the truth, though from 

 the imperfection of the returns of deaths, they will be] somewhat 

 understated. But it is impossible to believe the rate of mortality, 

 even if we had not other reasons for doubting it, to be even approxi- 

 mately correct. In connection with this subject, moreover, we en- 

 counter another source of error, the extent of which it is very difficult 

 to estimate. We have seen in what particulars the information given 

 to the enumerators was likely to be faulty ; there is also some opening 

 for further misstatements, from carelessness on their part in recording 

 in their schedules the returns made to them ; but, as far as the vital 

 statistics are concerned, the forms are so simple, that I have no doubt 

 the schedules are substantially correct. These schedules were then 

 submitted to the Census clerks, who distributed the matter into a 

 great variety of columns ; a kind of work, which, unless a perfect 

 system of checking be established, is always liable to produce errors. 

 I am afraid, however, that there was no uniform system, under the 

 inspection of a responsible head, and it is rumoured, I know not with 



