APPENDIX. 461- 



for a family, all the declamation, which he has urged with 

 such pomp against deferring marriage in my system, would 

 be equally apphcable in his own. In fact, if Mr. Young's 

 plan really attained the object, which it professes to have in 

 view, that of bettering the condition of the poor; and did 

 not defeat its intent by encouraging a too rapid multipli- 

 cation, and consequently lowering the price of labour; it 

 cannot be doubted that not only the supernumerary mem- 

 bers just mentioned, but all the labouring poor, must wait 

 longer before they could marry than they do at present. 



The following proposition may be said to be capable of 

 mathematical demonstration. In a country, the resources 

 of which will not permanently admit of an increase of popu- 

 lation more rapid than the existing rate, no improvement in 

 the condition of the people, which would tend to diminish 

 mortality, could poshibit/ take place without being accom- 

 panied by a smaller proportion of births, supposmg of course 

 no particular increase of emigration.* lo a person who 

 has considered the subject, there is no proposition in Euclid, 

 which brings home to the mind a stronger conviction than 

 this ; and there is no truth so invariably confirmed by all the 

 registers of births, deaths and marriages, that have ever been 

 collected. In this country it has appeared that, accord- 

 ing to the returns of the Population Act in 1801, the propor- 

 tion of births to deaths was about 4 to 3. This proportion 

 with a mortality of 1 in 40 would double the population in 

 S3 years and a half; t and as we cannot suppose that the 

 country could admit of more than a quadrupled population 

 in the next hundred and sixty-six years, we may safely say 

 that its resources will not allow of a permanent rate of in- 

 crease greater than that which was then taking place. But 

 if this be granted, it follows as a direct conclusion, that 

 if Mr. Young's plan, or any other, really succeeded in bet- 



* With regard to tlic resources of emigration, T refer tlie reader to the cliap- 

 ter on that snhjcct in the Essay. Nothing is more easy than to say that tliree- 

 foinths of the liahitahlc globe are \et unpeopled ; but it is by no means so easy 

 to lill these parts with tloiiribhing colonies. The peculiar circumstances which 

 have caused the spirit of emigration in the Higlilands, so clearly explained in 

 the able work of Lord Selkirk before referred to, are not of constant recurrence ; 

 nor is it by any means to be wished that they should be so. And yet without 

 some such circumstances, jjeopte are by no means very ready to leave their 

 native soil, and will bear much distress at home, rather than venture on these 

 distant regions. 1 am of opinion, that it is both llie duty and interest of govern 

 nienls to facilitate emigration ; but it would surely he unjust to oblige people 

 to leave (heir counlrv and kindred against tlieir inclinations. 



t iaiili- iii. p. y;Ui, 4to. edit. ; anil Table ii. p. '1^7, vol. i. of this edition. 



