of the Peopk' of Victoria. 109 



schools for the poor, athenseums, aud meclianics' institutes 

 looked upon with coldness, and hospitals left to the care of 

 the religious and tender-hearted. What the charitable and 

 sympathising did for the sake of the poor sufferer — for the 

 individual — the social economist proposes to do for the good 

 of society at large. 



To the recognition of the fact that many of the phenomena 

 observable in the comparatively unequal distribution of riches 

 amongst the population of different countries, or in the same 

 country at different periods, are attributable to their pecu- 

 liar institutions and usages, are we indebted for the more 

 extended statistical inquiries which have of late years been 

 made, and amongst others for that relating to the Conjugal 

 Condition of nations ; and by the results which are obtained in 

 the latter investigation, or, more correctly speaking, by viewing 

 these results statistically, we are led into a series of reflec- 

 tions, and brought to draw deductions which Avould scarcely 

 occur to our minds, if avc Avere insensible to these relations. 

 It is true that we do not require statistical facts to perceive 

 the immense consequences of monogamy as compared with 

 polygamy, or to understand that they could scarcely exist 

 under similar political systems. The most careless thinker 

 must at a glance perceive the vastness of the difference between 

 a system which makes one half of a population little better 

 than the slaves of the other half, and one which aims at 

 making woman the social equal and partner of man, interested 

 in his fortunes, the manager of his household, and the principal 

 instructor and moral trainer of his children. Xeither are 

 any figures requisite to impress upon the mind the prodigious 

 social change which would result from such a relation of the 

 sexes as would follow the adoption of the principle of a 

 Rousseau, who woidd throw the support and instniction of 

 the child upon the State ; supplanting b}' the foundling hos- 

 pital the faniily , or self government localized to the minutest 

 degree ; abolishing at once both parental and filial ties and 

 duties; educating the ehildi'cn of a country by one rule 

 common to all, through the hard instrumentality of salaried 

 masters and matrons, rigid disciplinarians, on Avliose part 

 manifestations of affection would be partiality and weakness ; 

 replacing individuality by uniformity of character, and taking 

 from the parent the inspiriting desire of transmitting his name, 

 wealth, and honours to successors, and removing the necessity 

 of even working for them. "When we recollect that from his 

 instructors a man has obtained little more than precepts, but 



