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peasant proprietors.

361

countries, that of France, from 1817 to 1827, is stated at ⁶³⁄₁₀₀ per cent, that of England during a siiniliar decennial period being 1⁶⁄₁₀ annually, and that of the United States nearly 3. According to the official returns as analysed by M. Legoyt,^[1] the increase of the population, which from 1801 to 1806 was at the rate of 1·28 per cent annually, averaged only 0·47 per cent from 1806 to 1831; from 1831 to 1836 it averaged 0·60 per cent; from 1836 to 1841, 0·41 percent, and from 1841 to 1846, 0·68 per cent.^[2] At the census of 1851 the rate of annual increase shown was only 1·08 per cent in the five years, or 0·21 annually; and at the census of 1856 only 0·71 per cent in five years, or 0·14 annually: so that, in the words of M. de Lavergne, "la population ne s'accroit presque plus en France."^[3] Even this slow increase is wholly the effect of a diminution of deaths; the number of births not increasing at all, while the proportion of the births to the population is constantly diminishing^[4] This slow growth of the numbers of the people, while

↑ Journal des Economistes for March and May 1847.
↑ M. Legoyt is of opinion that the population was understated in 1841, and the increase between that time and 1846 consequently overstated, and that tha real increase during the whole period was something intermediate between the last two averages, or not much more than one in two hundred.
↑ Journal des Economistes for February 1847. In the Journal for January 1865. M. Legoyt gives some of the numbers slightly altered, and I presume corrected. The series of percentages is 1·28, 0·31, 0·69, 0·60, 0·41, 0·68, 0·22, and 0·20. The last census in the table, that of 1861, shows a slight reaction, the percentage, independently of the newly acquired departments, being 0·32.

↑ The following are the numbers given by M. Legoyt:

From 1824 to 1828	$\scriptstyle {\left\{{\begin{matrix}\ \\\ \end{matrix}}\right.}$	annual number ⁠of births	$\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,}$	981,914, being 1 in 32·30	$\scriptstyle {\left\{{\begin{matrix}\ \\\ \end{matrix}}\right.}$	of the po- pulation.
⁠,,⁠ 1829 to 1833		⁠,,		965,444,⁠,,⁠ 1 in 34·00
⁠,,⁠ 1834 to 1838		⁠,,		972,993,⁠,,⁠ 1 in 34·39
⁠,,⁠ 1839 to 1843		⁠,,		970,617,⁠,,⁠ 1 in 35·27
⁠,,⁠ 1844 and 1845		⁠,,		983,573,⁠,,⁠ 1 in 35·58

In the last two years the births, according to M. Legoyt, were swelled by the effects of a considerable immigration. "Cette diminution des naissances," he observes, "en présence d'un accroissement constant, quoique peu rapide, de

[1] Journal des Economistes for March and May 1847.

[2] M. Legoyt is of opinion that the population was understated in 1841, and the increase between that time and 1846 consequently overstated, and that tha real increase during the whole period was something intermediate between the last two averages, or not much more than one in two hundred.

[3] Journal des Economistes for February 1847. In the Journal for January 1865. M. Legoyt gives some of the numbers slightly altered, and I presume corrected. The series of percentages is 1·28, 0·31, 0·69, 0·60, 0·41, 0·68, 0·22, and 0·20. The last census in the table, that of 1861, shows a slight reaction, the percentage, independently of the newly acquired departments, being 0·32.

[p361-4] The following are the numbers given by M. Legoyt:

From 1824 to 1828 $\scriptstyle {\left\{{\begin{matrix}\ \\\ \end{matrix}}\right.}$ annual number
⁠of births $\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,}$ 981,914, being 1 in 32·30 $\scriptstyle {\left\{{\begin{matrix}\ \\\ \end{matrix}}\right.}$ of the po-
pulation.

⁠,,⁠ 1829 to 1833 ⁠,, 965,444,⁠,,⁠ 1 in 34·00

⁠,,⁠ 1834 to 1838 ⁠,, 972,993,⁠,,⁠ 1 in 34·39

⁠,,⁠ 1839 to 1843 ⁠,, 970,617,⁠,,⁠ 1 in 35·27

⁠,,⁠ 1844 and 1845 ⁠,, 983,573,⁠,,⁠ 1 in 35·58

In the last two years the births, according to M. Legoyt, were swelled by the effects of a considerable immigration. "Cette diminution des naissances," he observes, "en présence d'un accroissement constant, quoique peu rapide, de

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