BIRTHS, MARRIAGES, AND DEATHS. life, to an improvement of six per cent, which would, it is estimated, leave a country of thirty millions with two millions more people in it than it otherwise would have had. A population, in fact, greater than that of Denmark will have been saved from perishing. If, as is admitted, the marriage rate is a fair measure of the commercial and agricultural prosperity of the country, the year 1879 must have been one of extraordinary depression; for the marriage rate of that year was the lowest on record since civil registration began. As the result of careful statistical observation, it is found that since the first Public Health Act was passed the longevity of the English people has sensibly increased. From the greater attention paid to health, and the development of temperance among all classes, and the alterations produced by sanitation in the virulence of disease, the mortality from epidemics has declined till the mean mortality in England-which, between 1838-54 had been 22.5 per thousand-dropped in 1876-80 to 2018, and in 1881-2 to 19-3, a total improvement of very nearly one-seventh. The progress effected may be broadly given thus: men live two years longer than they did thirty years ago, and women three years and four months longer. A difference equivalent, if we take forty years to be, roughly speaking, the usual term of ENGLAND AND WALES.-POPULATION, NUMBER, and PROPORTION per 1000 of Persons Married, Births, and Deaths, in each of the Years 1853 to 1879. The rate in 1873 was 176; from that time it fell uninterruptedly, year by year, until, in 1879, it was no more than 14.5. Thus there has been a decline of nearly 18 per cent in the course of six years. Had the rate remained during those six years at the same level as in 1873, 233,544 persons would have been married, who, as it was, remained single. FLUCTUATIONS IN THE MARRIAGE RATE OF ENGLAND, AND SOME OF THE CAUSES WHICH HAVE CONTRIBUTED THERETO. Revenue Continued depression in manufacturing industry. Reduced value After a long period of depression, the opening of the year found the Kaffir war. Free Trade Bill passed. Corn Law repealed Improvement of trade and revenue. Diminution of pauperism. Australian gold discovered. Great Exhibition opened Rise in the price of provisions owing to the bad harvest, and to War declared against Russia... Russian war continued ... Russian treaty. War with China and Persia. Revenue deficient... The commercial disturbance and distress of 1857 caused the revenue Commercial treaty with France. War in New Zealand. War with ... Woolwich dockyard closed. Duty on corn ceased. No healthy re- ... Deficient Very deficient Beef. Mutton. d. d. S. d. 63 7 70 66 64 Very deficient 53 3 ... 53 Co 132 6 Trade and commerce depressed. Franco-German war Iron, coal, hardware, and shipbuilding trades agitated by strikes. Reduced wages. Commercial failures ANNIVERSARIES, D. OF OF FESTIVALS, OCCURRENCES, M. W. HISTORICAL NOTES, ETC. 1 W Cambridge Michaelmas Term 6 begins 2 TH F. Arago died, 1853 3 F Old St. Matthew Day of Year. 8 30 275 9 30 276 9 53 10 15 277 4 S First English Bible printed, 1535 278 5 17TH SUND. AFT. TRINITY 2 511 15 11 30 279 6 M Faith, Virgin and Martyr 6 12 12 25 24 280 Prince of Wales left London for 6 20 13 22 5 13 10 52 18TH SUND. AFT. TRINITY 6 21 13 37 5 10 Morn. 1822. Oxford Canova died, Michaelmas Term begins 14 TU Fire Insurance due 15 W Length of Night, 13h. 22m. 16 TH Lord Palmerston died, 1865 Sir Philip Sidney died, 1586 St. Luke, Evangelist 19TH SUND. AFT. TRINITY 20 M Sir C. Wren born, 1632 21 T Battle of Trafalgar, 1805 22 W Lord Holland died, 1840 23 TH Earl of Derby died, 1869 24 F Chaucer (poet) died. 1400 25 S St. Crispin 18 S 26 20TH SUND. AFT. TRINITY 27 M Captain Cook born, 1728 28 T St. Simon and St. Jude 29 W Riots at Bristol, 1831 30 TH Tower of London burnt, 1841 31 F Earl of Rosse died, 1867 1 10 282 1 55 283 2 15 2 40 284 3 30 285 4 30 286 5 47 287 7 5 288 7 55 8 30 289 9 39 32 290 9 55 10 19 291 1 34 10 40 10 59 292 153 2 10 11 18 11 35 293 |