518 General Deductions from the Bk. ii. 



it appears that, taking all the States together, they 

 have still continued to double their numbers within 

 25 years;* and as the whole population is now so 

 great as not to be materially affected by the emi- 

 grations from Europe, and as it is known that, in 

 some of the towns and districts near the sea-coast, 

 the progress of population has been compara- 

 tively slow ; it is evident, that in the interior of 

 the country in general, the period of doubling 

 from procreation only must have been consider- 

 ably less than 25 years. 



The population of the United States of America, 

 according to the fourth census, in 1820 ,was 

 7,861,710. We have no reason to believe that 

 Great Britain is less populous at present, for the 

 emigration of the small parent stock which pro- 

 duced these numbers. On the contrary, a certain 

 degree of emigration is known to be favourable 



taken these facts. Speaking of Rhode Island, Dr. Styles says that, 

 though the period of doubling for the whole colony is 25 years, 

 yet that it is different in different parts, and within land is 20 and 

 1 5 years. The population of the five towns of Gloucester, Situate, 

 Coventry, West Greenwich and Exeter, was 5033, A. D. 1748, and 

 6986, A. D. 1755 ; which implies a period of doubling of 15 years 

 only. He mentions afterwards, that the county of Kent doubles 

 in 20 years, and the county of Providence in 1 8 years. 



* See an article in the Supplement to the Encyclopaedia Britannica 

 on Population, p. 308 ; and a curious table, p. 310, calculated by 

 Mr. Milne, Actuary to the Sun Life Assurance Office, which strik- 

 ingly confirms and illustrates the computed rate of increase in the 

 United States, and shews that it cannot be essentially affected by 

 immigrations. 



