Ch, vii. Of the Checks to Population, §c. 385 



But these are in fact only the proportions of 

 one year, from which no certain inference can be 

 drawn. They are also applied to a population 

 between three and four millions greater than was 

 contained in ancient France, which population 

 may have always had a smaller proportion of 

 births, deaths, and marriages ; and further, it 

 appears highly probable from some of the state- 

 ments in the Analyse des Proces Verbaux, that the 

 registers had not been very carefully kept. Under 

 these circumstances, they cannot be considered 

 as proving what the numbers imply. 



In the year XI., according to the Statistique 

 Elementaire by Peuchet, published subsequently 

 to his Essai, an inquiry was instituted under the 

 orders of M. Chaptal for the express purpose of 

 ascertaining the average proportion of births to 

 the population ;* and such an inquiry, so soon 

 after the returns of the year IX., affords a clear 

 proof that these returns were not considered by 

 the minister as correct. In order to accomplish 

 the object in view, choice was made of those 

 communes in 30 departments distributed over the 

 whole surface of France, which were likely to 



there are omissions in the returns of the births, deaths, and mar- 

 riages, for the year IX. He further shews that the proportion of 

 the population to the square league for Old France should be 1014, 

 and not 108G. But if there is reason to believe that there are 

 omissions in the registers, and that the population is made too 

 great, the real proportions will be essentially different from those 

 which are here given. 

 * P. 331. Paris, 180.1. 

 VOL. 1. C C 



