RUSSIA. 



It is neither to the mildnefs of the climate, nor to the 

 fertility of the foil, that we are to afcribe the rapid increale 

 of population during the eighteenth century ; but to a better 

 organized adminillration, and the fecurity which refulted 

 from it. An infant ftate, fuppofing it tolerably well go- 

 verned, and connected with countries long civilized, ought 

 to make prodigious progrefs in improvement and popu- 

 lation. 



That period of the reign of Catharine II., in which (he 

 took in hand the amelioration of the fevcral governments, was 

 particularly propitious to the progrefs of population. The 

 organization of the governments in 1775 was the great po- 

 litical fcheme that procured the fubjects a greater degree of 

 fecurity and happinefs. The ukafe of 1782, relpctting the 

 liberty of working the mines, the eltabliftimcnt of normal 

 fchools in 1783, the rights granted to the nobility in 1785, 

 the improvement of the high roads in 1786, and efpecially the 

 ereftion of the bank in the fame year, were all calculated 

 to promote the happinefs of the iubject, as far as it de- 

 pended on the government. The bank, from its very com- 

 mencement, had a furprifing effedt upon the progrefs of 

 agriculture. That patriotic fovereign removed feveral ob- 

 flacles to the profperity of her fubjedts, fuch as the want 

 of liberty to be induflrious, the want of communications, 

 the want of knowledge, and of a medium of circulation. 



The population of Ruffia has more than doubled during 

 the eighteenth century. Have we rcalon to expect the fame 

 progrefs during the nineteenth ? 



If we conlider only the extent of the furface capable of 

 cultivation, which is computed at 80,000,000 of fquare mile-;, 

 we mud conclude that Ruffia is capable of fupporting 

 960,000,000 of inhabitants, or almoit as many as at prefent 

 exift on the earth. If we conlider the furplus of births as a 

 total gain to the population, this furplus, amounting at lealt 

 to 500,000 annually, would in 32 years amount to 60,000,000, 

 in 56, to 80,000,000, &c. 



Experience, however, (hews us that the progrefs of popu- 

 lation does not depend folely upon the extent of foil capable 

 of cultivation. There are fpots left uncultivated in the 

 countries where agriculture has made the greateit ad- 

 vances, even in England, Flanders, and Lombard)'. This 

 progrefs depends it ill lefa on the furplus of births. Every- 

 where the number ot births exceeds that of deaths. The 

 population is always proportionate to the ftate of national 

 wealth. The molt decilive proof, therefore, of the profpe- 

 rity of a country, is the increale of the number of its inha- 

 bitants. In Rtiilia the population has more than doubled 

 in 34 years. Whence we may infer, that its agriculture, 

 the principal branch of its mdultry, has alfo doubled. The 

 increafc of Rullian commerce depends upon peace, and 

 upon the augmentation of knowledge. On thefe accounts 

 v.e cannot expect lo rapid an incrcafeof national riches, and 

 Consequently of population, during the nineteenth century 

 as obtained during the eighteenth. 



Experience has demonllr.ited the accuracy of this mode 

 of reafoning. The progrefs of the population has be- 

 come flower fince the fifth revifion. The annual furplus of 

 6o,oco has been reduced to 50,000 during the hilt ten 

 year?. 



To i (tablifh this fa£t, M. I Iennann has compared the ftate- 

 ments refpefting the population of the governments of 

 Mofcow, Tula, Kaluga, Yarollaf, Orel, Kurflc, Vladimir, 

 Riazan, Penza, Kazan, Tver, Smolenfk, Tambof, Nijegon i, 

 I'lcove, Voronetch, Simbirfk, Koftroma, Viaetka, Novgo- 

 rod, Saratof, Perm, Orenburg, Vologda, Olonetz. '1 he 

 ftatements refpecting the population of thefe 25 govern- 

 nents, according to the fourth revifion of 17S2, gives 



Vox,. XXV. ' 



9,939,790, males ; that ot the fifth revifion 0^796, fourteen 

 years after, 10,223,672 ; that of the enumeration of 1804, 

 eight years after, 9,989,531. So that the population 

 gained during the firft period 867,873, and during the fecond 

 period loft 239,141. In the firft period there are only three 

 governments whofe population has diminished ; viz. Kaluga. 

 Koftroma, and Voronetch. All the others had increafed. 

 But during the fecond period Mofcow alone gained conlider - 

 ably, namely, 100,000 males ; Voronetch, which had loft 

 before, gained 150,000 males ; and Vi;etka gained 37,000. 

 Kurfk and Orel have gained a few thoufands ; Tula, Yaroflaf, 

 and Perm, fome hundreds. The other feventeen governments 

 have loll, and feveral of them confiderably. In like manner, 

 Tambof has loft 88,000 men, Nijegorod 55,000, and Sim- 

 birlk 1 10,000 men in eight years ! 



It is worthy of obfervation, that thofe governments winch 

 have been long in a high-Rate of cultivation, as Tula, Yarof- 

 laf, Kaluga, Tver, Pfcove, Koftroma, Smolenfk, Vladimir, 

 have neither loft nor gained much. The population, and ot 

 courfe the induftry, is Stationary. The governments lei 

 improved, as Viaetka and Voronetch, have gained confpicu- 

 oufly ; whereas the governments richelt in con., as Tam- 

 bof, Nijegorod, Simbirfk, have lolt the molt. 



The rapid progrefs of population between the fourth and 

 fifth revilions is the natural effeft of the fentible advances 

 made by agriculture, in confequence of the many recent be- 

 neficial institutions, and efpecially the eftabliihment of the 

 hank. Thefe inltitutions and new funds have already pro- 

 duced their efteft. At prefent, the ancient lources of na- 

 tional wealth How lefs abundantly, and it is not eafy to open 

 new ones. It may be prefumed then, that the population 

 of Ruffia will remain a long time between 41,000,000 and 

 43,000,000. Unforefeen circumitances, however, may give a 

 conliderable population to the fouth of Ruffia. For inftance. 

 the ailonifhing commerce of grain at Odefia, between 1800 

 and 1805, increafed the value of all the lands as far as Kief, 

 and even the fertile fteppes were brought into cultivation. 

 Labourers were wanting ; and even half the produce was 

 offered to thofe who would gather in the other half. The 

 commerce of Taganrok likewife furuilhes ground tor hope : 

 and agriculture appears to be making fome progrefs among 

 the nomadic tribes. 



A country is fufficiently peopled when the generality of 

 the inhabitants are in eafy circumilances. Such a popula- 

 tion alone is defirablc, and ufeful to government. A coun- 

 try is not fufficiently peopled when the demand for labourers, 

 and the means of maintaining them, are exceilive, as in fome 

 of the fouthern provinces of Ruffia. A country fullers 

 from its population, when the thoufands of rich are obliged 

 to maintain the millions of poor. Such a fallacious popula- 

 tion mult either penfh, or emigrate, or occafion revo- 

 lutions. 



The nations inhabiting the Ruffian empire are; Ruffians, 

 Coflacks, of whom are four denominations, Samoyedes, 

 Morduancs, Cheremilles, Chuvafhes, Votiaks, Vogules, 

 Pt rmiaks, Siriancs, Oftiaks, Barabinzes, Tungufes, di- 

 vided into the Comici Tungufl, Olenni Tunguli, and S.i- 



batfhi Tunguli, thus difcriminated becaufe fome Tungufes 

 travel with luirlc s, fome with rein-di er, and others » ith 11 

 dogs, Kalmucks, Burats, Yakutes, Yiikagiri, Korzaki, 



Kamtfliadales, Tartars, who are likl will divided into K I 



kinds, Finns, Efthonians, Lettes, LivoniaDs, Armenians, 

 Indians, befides the Germans and other Ei 1 I • 



thefemight be added the Chuktfhi, Tfbalatfhi, the Kurilli, 

 and perhaps yet others. Thefe different tribes ami popula- 

 tions are of as various manners, tempers, andhabit ol lili 

 t" Ipccify them dillinctlv would engage 113 in too wide A field 



c C ' 



