374 Of the Checks to Population Bk. ii. 



appear by the returns, that the number of annual 

 marriages has not increased during the revolution, 



the number of persons to a square league was reckoned 996. In 

 the year VI. of the republic, the result of the Bureau de Cadastre 

 gave a population of 26,048,254, and the number to a square 

 league 1,020. In the year VII. Depere calculated the whole po- 

 pulation of France at 33,501,094, of which 28,810,694 belonged 

 to ancient France; the number to a square league 1,101 ; but 

 the calculations, it appears, were founded upon the first estimate 

 made by the Constituent Assembly, which was afterwards rejected 

 as too high- In the year IX. and X. the addition of Piedmont 

 and the isle of Elba raised the whole population to 34,376,313 ; 

 the number to a square league 1,086. The number belonging to 

 Old France is not stated. It seems to have been about 28,000,000. 

 In the face of these calculations, the author takes a lower multi- 

 plier than Necker for the births, observing that though Necker's 

 proportions remained true in the towns, yet in the country the pro- 

 portion of births had increased to ■£%, -^, Jj J, -<fe, which he at- 

 tributes to the premature marriages, to avoid the military levies ; 

 and on the whole, concludes with mentioning 25 as the proper 

 multiplier. And yet, if we make use of this multiplier, we shall 

 get a population under 25 millions, instead of 28 millions. It is 

 true, indeed, that no just inferences can be drawn from the births 

 of a single year ; but, as these are the only births referred to, the 

 contradiction is obvious. Perhaps the future returns may solve the 

 difficulty, and the births in the following years be greater ; but I 

 am inclined to think, as I have mentioned in the text, that the 

 greatest increase in the proportion of births was before the year 

 IX. and probably during the first six or seven years of the republic, 

 while married persons were exempt from the military conscriptions. 

 If the state of the agricultural part of the nation has been im- 

 proved by the revolution, I am strongly inclined to believe that the 

 proportions both of births and deaths will be found to diminish. 

 In so fine a climate as France, nothing but the very great misery 

 of the lower classes could occasion a mortality of ^j, and a pro- 

 portion of births as -gVf, according to Necker's calculations. And 

 consequently, upon this supposition, the births for the year IX. 



