ated, in which case one hundred, that of Blackburn, would have been placed before that of West Derby, and consequently would have shewn a less degree of prolificness. But this again would have been an exception which would have fully corroborated the principle, as already explained. Blackburn, in regard to so large a part of it being sterile and so thinly inhabited, is, in proportion to the part chiefly occupied, and the natural fertility of that part, far more fully peopled than West Derby. (12) With these clear indications of the principle, presented by the examination of only one of the counties of England, I have no hesitation in asserting that were all the hundreds, &c. of the entire kingdom thus classed, the results already obtained by computations from the statistics of the several counties would receive a confirmation equally strong and minute. This course is, however, at present, obviously impracticable; I shall therefore close this branch of the argument by presenting a proof of the law of population of a similar nature, though differing somewhat in form; namely, one grounded upon the varying prolificness of marriages in the principal English islands; and I do so, not that I think the argument needs this additional corroboration, but because an appeal has been made to the progress of population when thus insulated, as though it presented an overwhelming proof of the truth of the contrary theory. (13) The only islands in the British seas, the statistics of which I have examined with a view to this subject, are the Isle of Man, the Isle of Wight, and the Norman Isles. These class themselves as placed in the following Table. TABLE LXV. SHEWING THE OPERATION OF THE LAW OF POPULATION IN THE PRINCIPAL ISLANDS IN THE BRITISH SEAS1. (12) In these instances, therefore, the law of population manifests itself in actual operation in the very cases which the principal advocate of the doctrine of human superfecundity supposes best exemplify that theory. The subject is here sufficiently "narrowed;" the "smallness of these states," if they may be so termed, must bring "the subject immediately home to every thinking person":" and if we take the whole earth instead of an island, it is abundantly clear from the proofs derived from islands, whether those of England or Ireland, or the small and dependant ones just examined, that no such principle as the geometric ratio of human increase has any existence in Nature it is equally so that it is not the " preventive check" that withstands its operation; a single glance at the last, or any of the preceding tables, will demonstrate to the contrary, of which more hereafter.(14) I cannot refrain from adding, what may per2 Malthus, Essay on Population, p. 163. 1 The marriages in the Isle of Wight are as 1 in 442 on the whole population, and 1 in 116 in the Norman Isles. 3 Ibid., p. 8. haps be considered as misplaced in this part of the discussion, that so far from these isolated seats of human existence being those in which mankind, if unchecked, must speedily multiply into unsustainable numbers, and manifest the insufficiency of Divine. Providence, they are so many theatres, if I may so speak, in which He has condescended to exhibit his inexhaustible bounties, and to display his unerring foresight and unvaried care in behalf of his creatures. Not to speak of those flights of birds which usually direct their course to the islands of the sea, innumerable multitudes of fishes are constantly found on their coasts, furnishing, in addition to the edible products of the earth, a supply of food, as well as a mine of wealth, literally inexhaustible; the multiplication of which, it will hardly be denied, is as great as that of human beings. The geometric ratio of increase amongst the tribes of the ocean is, I repeat, at least as rapid and as certain as that which multiplies those upon land; and, in spite of all suppositions and assertions to the contrary, fishes we shall still believe will continue as prolific as fishermen. (15) Perhaps it is to the immensity of this provision that the superior fertility of human beings on the coasts of the ocean (a fact long ago observed, and I believe never controverted1) may be justly attributed. It is the main object of Nature to multiply her sentient offspring up to the means of their subsistence; at the same time, that by the simple and beneficent law we are now contemplating and attempting to demonstrate, she as carefully guards their numbers from undue increase thus multiplying at once the enjoyment of vitality to the utmost possible extent, and preventing the pleasure so conferred from degenerating into wretchedness and misery. 1 Dr. Clarke, Travels in Scandinavia, p. 528. 410 CHAPTER IX. OF THE LAW OF POPULATION: AS PROVED BY THE (1) FRANCE will, perhaps, be considered the next country after our own, in which we ought to seek the development of the principle under consideration, if true; in consequence of the presumed accuracy of the published data in reference to the subject: though I must confess, that after I had demonstrated its existence to my entire satisfaction, I did not conceive that it would manifest itself very distinctly in those countries where the population, on the whole, is evenly distributed, and differing but slightly in other respects. France, in particular, I regarded as a country where the rural avocations prevailed so generally, and which appeared in relation to its productiveness, to be in the main so equally inhabited, that I was not very confident it would furnish a series of those minute proofs of the theory in question, which, as we have already seen, England affords. I had, indeed, examined the documents regarding France, so far as to compare the relative fecundity of marriages in the crowded departments, such as the Seine, the district of Rouen, &c., with others thinly inhabited, and was fully satisfied that the principle was in undoubted operation in France. I was further confirmed in this opinion by adverting to the tables given by MM. Sejour, Condorcet, and De la Place, in the Histoire de l'Académie Royale, concerning the popula tion, births, and marriages in the thirty-three generalities of that kingdom', in which, notwithstanding there appear to be not a few " approximations," as they are termed, indicating much uncertainty as to the actual fidelity of the documents inserted, still the general results are satisfactory. Lastly, when I adverted to the authority of Necker, as to the comparative prolificness of different parts of that kingdom, I had no doubt but that France might be confidently appealed to as unequivocally demonstrating the true law of human increase. The latter, however, makes no direct reference to the fertility of marriages, as regulated by the co-existing numbers, of which he did not appear to be in the least degree aware; and the facts to which he adverted have constantly been so misunderstood as to be perfectly consistent with the theory I am opposing. Early, therefore, in my present inquiry, I thought it desirable to examine the statistical documents lately presented to the world, respecting that large and important portion of Europe; and, as in the case of England, neither altering in the least degree the published facts, nor omitting any of the continental departments of the country. In the present case, moreover, I take the classification of the population as given by their own authorities. Commencing, therefore, as before, with those divisions in which the inhabitants are, in reference to the area they occupy, the fewest, the departments thus divide themselves: First, those where there are from four to five hectares to each inhabitant; second, where there are from three to four; third, where there are from two to three; fourth, where there are from one to two; fifth, where there are less than one; and 1 Année 1783, pp. 701, 702, 703. |