Ch. viii. in England. 411 



b' 



from the country, it is evident that we should fall 

 into a very great error, if we were to estimate the 

 proportion of births to deaths for the whole king- 

 dom, by the proportion observed in country 

 parishes, from which there must be such nu- 

 merous emigrations. 



We need not, however, accompany Dr. Price in 

 his apprehensions that the country will be depo- 

 pulated by these emigrations, at least as long as 

 the funds for the maintenance of agricultural 

 labour remain unimpaired. The proportion of 

 births, as well as the proportion of marriages, 

 clearly proves, that, in spite of our increasing 

 towns and manufactories, the demand on the 

 country for people is by no means very pressing. 



If we divide the present population of England 

 and Wales by the average number of baptisms 

 for the last five years,* it will appear, that the 

 baptisms are to the population as 1 to very 

 nearly 36 ;| but it is supposed, with reason, that 

 there are great omissions in the baptisms. 



Dr. Short estimated the proportion of births to 

 the population of England as one to 28.$ In the 

 agricultural report of Suffolk, the proportion of 



* This was written before the omitted returns were added in 

 1810. These additions make the births in 1 800 amount to 263,000, 

 instead of 255,426, and increase the proportion of registered births 

 to 1 in 35. — See the next chapter. 



f Average medium of baptisms for the last five years 255,426. 

 Pop. 9,198,000. (Observ. on Results, p. 9.) 



\ New Observ. p. 267. 



