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CXIII. A Letter to George Lewis Scot, 
Ffquire y concerning the prefent Increafe 
of the People in Britain and Ireland : 
From William Brakenridge, D.D. ReSior 
of St. Michael Baffifhaw* London, and 
F. R. S. 
Dear Sir, 
Read I)cc.9."1T OUR favourable acceptance of my 
U 5 6 - two former letters, concerning the 
number of people in this city, and throughout Eng- 
land, has encouraged me to add this as a fupple- 
ment to them ; in which if the obfervations are not 
fo agreeable as could be wifhed, they may perhaps 
be ufeful in our reafoning upon matters of Govern- 
ment, and help us to di (cover fome things that may 
be wrong, or inconliftent with the public utility. 
From the proportion of births and burials in 
England, and the number of people found, von 
have already feen what the annual increafe might be ; 
which appeared fo fmall, that I was in fome doubt 
whether there was any increafe at all, after the 
deduction of our Ioffes by our ordinary commerce 
at Sea, our wars, and emigrations to our Colonies. 
However, fuppofing, that there was an annual in- 
creafe, I fhewed the method of computing it, after 
any number of years ; which fometimes may be of 
ufe in conhdeting the increafe of mankind in general. 
But now, having considered this fubjeft farther, I 
think it may be proved, that there is no increafe at 
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