THE CENSUS TAKING OF 1881. On Monday, April 4, the occupier of every dwelling-house will be required to fill up a printed census form, with particulars of name, sex, age, rank, occupation, birth-place, &c., of every member of the household, who abode in the house on the previous night; also whether any are blind, deaf, dumb, imbecile, or lunatic. This Census will be one of more interest than usual, since the Government await the bringing in of a Reform Bill for the assimilation of county and borough franchise until the increase in the population of the country is fully ascertained. New York, Philadelphia, and Brooklyn retain their relative positions; but Chicago and St. Louis change places, the former being now fourth, and St. Louis fifth. Baltimore, which was sixth in 1870, has given place to Boston. which was then seventh, and San Francisco has advanced beyond Cincinnati and New Orleans, going from tenth to eighth place. It may be said, speaking generally, that the population of all the principal cities has doubled during the last twenty years. But this increase is, of course, largely due to immigration-New York alone receiving its thousands weekly from the emigrant steamers. A YEAR'S RAILWAY STATISTICS. From a report presented to Parliament on the number of accidents In The Census of 1881 will be the ninth decennial enumeration of the inhabitants of Great Britain, and the seventh of Ireland, taken under authority of Parliament. The first of these important investigations was instituted in 1801, in respect of Great Britain; but in Ireland not until 1821. Since then the enumeration has been taken at every decennial period with constantly improving machinery. Whilst in England and the United States a Census is taken every ten years, in France there is one every five years. The United States, however, lately fixed on what is called the periodic decade. As regards England, the organisation has long been completed by the appointment of a special public officer-the Registrar-General, under whose superintendence the previous Censuses have been taken. In Scotland and Ireland until 1861 no similar advantage existed. In 1851, in Scotland, the duty on the former occasion was intrusted to the sheriffs of the several counties, and in Ireland to the department of the Chief Secretary; but in 1855 a Registrar-General was appointed for Scotland, with the same duties as the English officer, and with appropriate machinery. In Ireland, the taking of the Census was committed, under the authority of the Chief Secretary, to the officers of the constabulary. The preliminary report of the Census of England and Wales in 1871 established some facts of interest. From this it appeared that the increase was almost equally divided between boroughs and counties or divisions of counties, excluding the boroughs which they contain. The total increase of population having been 2,637,884, we find 1,441,393 of this increase within and 1,196,491 without the boundaries of Parliamentary boroughs. Of the 95 counties or divisions of counties the population had increased in eightythree, leaving a decrease, which amounts in the aggregate to 25,071 in the remaining twelve. Of this decrease, 9755, or more than one third, occurred in the three Welsh counties of Pembrokeshire, Anglesea, and Brecon; and the remainder in East Cheshire, East and West Cornwall, East Cumberland, North Devon, Huntingdonshire. West Norfolk, South Notts, and South Wilts. The greatest diminution in any English division was 6145 in West Cornwall; and the least, 496, in North Devon. South Shrop-ceeding three on any one system. The principal causes which led to the shire showed the smallest increase of any division, amounting only to eight persons; and Middlesex the largest with 332,397-the large increments being mostly in the divisions that contain great towns. Of the 200 boroughs which returned members at the General Election of 1868, 158 increased their population by the already stated aggregate of 1,441,393. Eleven boroughs had been created since the Census of 1861, so that for them no comparison with the past could be made. Thirty lost an aggregate of 54,684 persons; and one-the remarkable case of Cockermouth-had remained stationary. In four boroughs the increase was less than 100; in twenty-nine more than 100 and less than 500; in twenty-three between 1000 and 2000; in eleven between 2000 and 3000; in twelve between 20,000 and 30,000; in three between 30,000 and 40,000; in three between 40,000 and 50,000; in four between 50,000 and 60,000; and in one (Lambeth) it was 84,229. The other end of the scale was occupied by Stamford, with an increase of 39 only. Sixty-eight boroughs had undergone alterations of boundary (probably in every case in the direction of enlargement), and sixty-six of those were among the number which show increase. Only two boroughs-Coventry and Macclesfield-had lost in population, notwithstanding the change of boundary. In the former the decrease was 297, in the latter 580. Of the total decrease in borough population, about two thirds, or 37,331, was in the City of London, and more than another sixth, or 8210, in Westminster. It would appear that the proportionate increase of electors was much greater in the provincial than in the metropolitan boroughs, showing that in the latter there were many more persons to be enfranchised by the Reform Bill. Thus, Finsbury and the Tower Hamlets in 1881 had 723,971 inhabitants; and in 1864 they had 55,357 electors, or 7 6 per cent. In 1871 they had 834,884 population; and in 1868 64,308 electors, or 77 per cent. It would seem from these examples as if the great increase in borough populations had been chiefly in the class of non-electors. It appears that of the 100 train accidents investigated the largest number occurred on the following railways, viz. :--14 on the London and NorthWestern, 1730 miles; 9 on the London, Brighton, and South Coast, 351 miles; 6 on the Great Western, 2080 miles; 6 on the Lancashire and Yorkshire, 473 miles; 4 on the Midland, 1329 miles; 8 on the Great Eastern, 938 miles; 4 on the Metropolitan District, 16 miles; 4 on the Great Northern, 717 miles. The remaining accidents occurred on other railways, but not exaccidents appear to have been-Negligence, want of care, or mistakes; inadequate or unsuitable brake-power; defective arrangements of signals, points, &c.; defective system for securing intervals of space between trains; defective maintenance of rolling stock or road; excessive speed; insufficient regulations; and foggy or stormy weather or snowstorms; the most serious, as in all previous years, being that of negligence or want of care or mistakes of officers and servants, inadequate or unsuitable brake-power, defective arrangement of signals and points, and defective system for securing intervals between trains. The following figures respecting the growth of railway capital and receipts for the first half year of 1880 are more than usually interesting, as they present such a contrast to those of the previous period of 1879. The improvement is most striking in the Northern, &c., lines, where the increase in capital account seems to have almost ceased for the time being, while the receipts have been highly satisfactory in most instances. It must not, however, be overlooked that just before the table was computed the London and North-Western Company issued four millions of new stock, and that the Midland and Lancashire and Yorkshire propose to do so in October : SOUTHERN LINES. London and South-Western Metropolitan Increase in Increase in "Earning power represented by gross receipts for each £100 cost." Per Cent. Per Cent. Per Cent. 3:52 3.89 ... 3.27 9:36 5.69 3:46 5.71 2:17 Great Eastern... Milwaukee Great Northern Detroit Great Western Cincinnati San Francisco Lancashire and Yorkshire colnshire The returns from Pittsburgh and Jersey City have not yet been com- Manchester, Sheffield, and Lin- +£5250 from Fulham Extension reserve fund included in 1880. Note. The approximate cost of each system has been arrived at by capitalising preference charges of every description, and adding amount of ordinary stock. Stocks on which dividends are deferred have been included. ASTRONOMICAL OCCURRENCES. THE MOON is near Saturn during the night of the 2nd, is near Jupiter during the night of the 3rd, and near Mars during the night of the 7th. She is near Mercury and Venus on the morning of the 20th, she will be near Saturn during the night of the 29th, and near Jupiter during the night of the 30th., up to about 10h. p.m., the time of nearest approach, the planet will be to the left of the Moon, and afterwards to the sight of the Moon. Her phases or times of change are: 8 19 5 99 8 99 Full Moon on the 5th at 14 minutes after 5h. in the afternoon. Last Quarter 13th 5 afternoon. New Moon 21st 7 morning. First Quarter 27th 99 .. 42 afternoon. She is nearest the Earth on the 23rd, and most distant from it on the 11th, MERCURY is a morLing star, 1i-ing on the 2nd at 6h. Om. a m., or :h. 47m. bef. re sun ise, on the 12th at 6h. 46m. a m, or 1h. 13m. before the Sun; on the 22 d at 7h 30m. a m., or 36 minutes before sunrise; on the 27th at 7h. 52m. a m., or 16 minutes before sunrise; and on the last day of the year the planet and Sun rise nearly together. He is in his descending node on the 16th, near the Mon on the 20th, and at his greatest distance from the Sun on the 26th. VENUS is a morning star, rising on the 7th at 6h. 12m. a.m, or th. 41m. before sunrise; on the 17th at 6h. 42m. a.m., or 1h. 21m. before sunrise; on the 27th at 7h. 8m. a.m., or 1h. before sunrise; and on the last day of the year at 7h. 16m. a.m, or 53 minutes before the Sun. She is near the Moon on the 20th. MARS rises on the 6th at 5h. 20m. p.m., or 1h. 30m. after sunset; on the 16th at 4h. 22m. p.m, or 33m. after sunset, on the 21st he rises at about the time of sunset, and after this day he rises in daylight. He is due south on the 1st at 2h. 23m. a.m., on the 15th at 1h. 11m. a.m., and on the last day of the year at 11h. 35m p.m. He is near the Moon on the 8th, and in opposition to the Sun on the 27th. 18th at 4h. 42m. a.m, on the 28th at 4h. Om. a.m, and on the last day of the JUPITER sets on the 8th at 5h. 20m. a m, or 2h. 30m. before sunrise; on tl.e year at 3h. 42m. a m. He is due south on the 1st at 10h. 23m. pm, on the Moon on the 3rd, and again on the 30th. 15th at 9h. 22m. p.m, and on the last day at 8h. 15m p m. He is near the SATURN sets on the 8th at 4h. 14m. a.m., on the 18th at 3h. 33m. a.m., on the 28th at 2h. 51m. a.m., and on the last day at 2h. 38m. a m. He is due south on the 1st at 9h. 38m. p.m., on the 15th at 8h. 40m. p m., and on the last day of the year at 7h. 35m. p.m. He is near the Moon on the 2nd, and again on the 30th. BRITISH TRADE AND REVENUE. The Commissioners of Customs in their annual report, advert to the causes of the decline in the revenue from the customs during the past year, and they state that they cannot confidently expect that the tide which has apparently turned to a more hopeful flow of prosperity will produce its effect on our revenue by increasing its receipts until the demand for labour is once more in excess of its supply, and general employment at improved wages has become the realised consequence. The Revenue Customs diminished in 1879 in comparison with that of the preceding year to the extent of £460.676; that of Ireland, notwithstanding the severe distress which prevailed in parts of it during the latter part of 1879, increased by £39,700. It appears that the total value of the imports in the year 1879 was £362,991,000. against £368,770,000 in the year 1878, being a decrease of £5,779.000, or 1'5 per cent. After a great increase in the total value in the year 1877, when the amount reached £394,419.000, the highest on record, it fell to £368,770,000 in 1878, so that the figures given for the year 1879 represent a very considerable decrease upon the diminished value of the previous year, and, comparing the results of the two years 1877 and 1879, there is a diminution of 31 millions, or 8 per cent. The total weight of the principal ores, metals, and metal manufactures of all kinds imported in 1879 was 1,736,000 tons, and the value £13,213,000. The quantity of spirits of all kinds imported in 1879 was 13,546,000 gallons, against 12,211,000 gallons in 1878, or an increase of 1,335,000 gallons, equal to 10 per cent. The total value of spirits in 1879 was £3,000,000. The importation of tobacco of all sorts was comparatively small, being only 42,452,000 lb., against 93,059,000 lb. in 1878, a falling off of 50,607,000 lb., or 54 per cent. The large importations in the three previous years had the effect of keeping up the stock in the bonded warehouses to a very high figure, there being a diminution in the stock of only 18,156,000 lb., or 13'4 per cent, as regards the year 1878, but an increase of 7 per cent upon the stock of 1877. The decrease in the importation of wine is as conspicuous as in 1878, having fallen from 16,452,000 gallons to 15,162,000 gallons, or 78 per cent. The following figures show the decline that has taken place since the year 1877, when the diminished importations began-viz., 1877,19,568,000 gallons; 1878, 16,452,000 gallons; and 1879, 15,162,000 gallons. The increase of £1,000,000 in imports from British possessions is the net result of increases and decreases of no considerable amount. The largest increases are those of £1,000,000 in the value of the imports from the Dominion of Canada-three quarters of a million in the value of those from New South Wales, £636,000 in those from the British West Indies, and half a million in those from New Zealand. The decreases are to be found under the heads of India for £2,000,000, Mauritius for £246,000, and some other smaller sums not indicating any changes of importance. There was a decrease of per cent in the value of the exports upon the year, those for 1879 being £191,531,758, as against £192,848,914 in 1878. The Commissioners think it scarcely necessary to notice any other country than the United States of America in tracing the cause of the increase in British exports, as seen in the total value for the foreign countries. The total value of the exports to the United States increased from £14,552,076 in 1878 to £20,321,990 in 1879, or 396 per cent. The difference is to be found chiefly in the large quantities of iron of all kinds. In order to show the relative value of the principal articles exported from this country, the Commissioners have had the following list prepared, showing the goods exported in 1879, in the order of their total value, and grouping together all that can be fairly designated by a common title: Cotton manufactures, including yarn, £63,974,053; woollen manufactures, including yarn, £19,575,396; iron and steel, unwrought and wrought, £19,417,363; apparel, &c., including haberdashery, hats, and umbrellas, £7,924,348; coals, cinders, and fuel, and products of coal, peat, or shale, £7,708,591; machinery and mili-work of all sorts, £7,279,205; linen manufactures, including yarn, £6,549,094; chemical products, &c., including alkali, bleaching materials, manure, and medicines, £6,167,753; articles of food and consumption, comprehending beer and ale, biscuit and bread, butter, cheese, corn, fish, provisions unenumerated, British spirits, and British wine, £6,026,604; jute manufactures, including yarn and bags empty, £3,601,080; leather of all sorts, including saddlery and harness, £3,566,054; hardware and cutlery, including implements, £3,392,480; copper, unwrought and wrought, £3,082,479; books, printed paper, stationery, and prints, £2,764,024; silk manufactures, including yarn, £2,391,944; earthen and china ware and clay manufactures, £1,975,744; oil seed and other sorts, £1,733,026; skins of all sorts, including foreign dressed in the United Kingdom and raw hides, £1,380,133; wool, sheep and lambs', and other sorts, including foreign dressed in the United Kingdom, £1,379,968; pickles, sauces, and oilman's stores, including candles and soap, £1,226,879; arms and ammunition of all sorts. £1,092,213; painters' colours, £1,039,914; furniture, household, and oil cloth, £816,459; glass of all kinds, £783,033; caoutchouc, manufactures of, £761,717; lead, pig, rolled and sheet, £566,966; cement, £551,888. to Comparing 1865 and 1879 this country consumed in the latter year seven times as many hundredweights of imported bacon and hams, more than three times as much beef, nearly three times as much cocoa, twice as much butter and cheese, and nearly three times as much corn. These facts point to a rapidly improving condition of the labouring classes. The exact figures of these increases were:-Bacon and hams, from 713,346 cwt. 4,917,631 cwt.; beef, from 44,431 cwt. to 812,237 cwt.; butter, from 1,083,717 cwt. to 2,045,399 cwt.; cheese, from 853,277 cwt. to 1,789,721 cwt.; cocoa, from 7,464,982 lb. to 26,155,788 lb.; and corn of all kinds from 49,492,111 cwt. to 136,743,743 cwt. Eggs, for which we are mainly dependent upon France, owing to the neglect by British farmers of the small industries, were sent in 1865 to the number of 364,000,000, and the ready sale here induced the producers to increase the poultry farms sufficiently to send us more than double the number last year-namely, 766,000,000. This item of eggs may undoubtedly be reckoned as a home consumption, although it is a probable that a portion of the other articles previously named are received by the merchants in this country only to pass them on to other markets. Of fish, the culture of which is not at all developed as it might be, we imported under half a million cwts. in 1865, and 1,160,140 cwts. last year. Currants and raisins, dependent as they are upon the weather, within the limited area of the production, increased but slightly; but twice as many oranges and lemons were consumed last year as fifteen years before-namely, 3,433,059 bushels, as compared with 1,566,745. Potatoes advanced from 806,753 cwt. to 9,357,179. In coffee, the increase was from 1,232,120 cwt. to 1,609,386 cwt.; while of tea there were 63,000,000 more pounds imported last year than in 1865, the total import being 184,076,472 lb., of the value of £11,262,593, or about half a million sterling more than the total cost of the British Navy in this present year of grace. MR. STREETER, F.R.G.S., Diamond and Pearl Merchant, 18, NEW BOND-STREET, LONDON, W. AT COLOMBO, CEYLON, AND THE DIAMOND MINES, CUDDAPAH. ORIGINATOR AND SOLE INTRODUCER OF STANDARD 18-CARAT GOLD JEWELLERY, AND ENGLISH KEYLESS LEVER WATCHES (MACHINE MADE). Visitors to London are respectfully invited to inspect Mr. Streeter's Store of Precious Stones and Gems, containing not only Jewels in their native condition, but cut with unrivalled skill so as to display their distinctive properties. The Jewellery in 18-carat Gold, and English machine-made Watches, supply a variety of specimens not unworthy attention. UnclassifiedArticles de Luxe" are kept in stock, and strangers may rely on receiving attention whether they purpose merely to view or purchase. |