Law of Population 



83 



an interesting table from which the following figures 

 may be quoted. The numbers are those out of every 

 1000 males in each class. 



Marriages. 



Shopmen. 



Independent 

 Classes. 



Under 25 years 

 Between 25 and 35 

 Above 35 



598 

 5i 



467 

 45i 



284 

 566 

 150 



151 

 648 

 201 



With the improved social position, which means in- 

 creased annual expenditure, we see a gradual diminu- 

 tion in numbers of those who marry before 25 years, 

 a gradual increase in those between 25 and 35, and the 

 most marked gradual increase in those above 35 years. 

 Among the professional classes we find that one-third 

 more marry over 35 than under 25. How different 

 from the artisan, in which class 50 only marry over 35 

 in proportion to 600 under 25. 



The limitation which the demands of the labour market 

 place upon the power of forming marriages prevents the 

 growth of a surplus population, for the reason that where 

 the demand for labour is not increasing no new posts are 

 created, and the population remains without material 

 increase or decrease. But whenever an abnormal 

 demand for labour is created, say by a decimating 

 pestilence, it is always found that there is sufficient 

 reserve of young men to fill the vacant posts. These 

 young men are called upon, earlier than was anticipated, 

 to occupy them, and are enabled to marry at an earlier 

 age ; and thus in a few years the fruit of these marri- 

 ages raises the population to its former level ; for the 

 ravages of pestilence never act as more than a mere 

 temporary check upon population. The dread scourge 

 of cholera, within living memory, swept away one-third 



