The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1871-02-11 00:00:00

qc toubibc Aperuer.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 11, IS7I

THE CENSUS.

There are probably some among us who, tali.
lug a distorted view of a passage of Holy Writ,
where the anger of the Almighty is expressed
against David for numbering the people, think
that any attempt to obtain the nuniher of the
population is impious. Certainly there have
been many such, but the spread of education in
the progress of enlightened ideas, most have
materially reduced their numbers. We regard
the census as a most important operation. It
is the means of ascertaining our numerical
strength, and, to a great extent, the social con-
dition of the people, knowledge of which is abso-
lutely necessary for legislative and political pur-
poses. It would, indeed, be well could arrange-
ments be made by which we could have the
census taken at shorter intervals than ten years ;
but the work is so vast, and the expense so
great that, under the present system at least,
this would be almost impracticable, and scarcely
worth the labour, anxiety, and cost that it would
involve. A decennial census, however, is of in.
calculable value, and it is arranged that it shall
be taken early in April.
What will he the population of the United
Kingdom ? This i-; a question that many people
are asking themselves and one another, and a
question which we shall not be able to answer
till some time during the summer of 1871, when
the population wid certainly be larger than the
Census Commissioners will have statsd it. How
many bachelors and spinsters, how many mar-
ried in,oph,, widowers, and widows, how many
children and the numbers of people at such and
soen ages—these things and a great deal more
the census report will tell us. It will be very
interesting ie compare the new statistics with
the um. At the census of 1861 the population
of (tree Britain and Ireland with the British
;0,874,682 souls. Iles our population
dicrease.; slice tuat time? /las the drain of

_
emigre to decr4aw 1 t., or has the preponder
Rue. of births over 1, ems increased it? The
I ,rait., aupp.,:iti .0 wid not bear a second
thougat ;it is a question indeed not worth an-
swering. t u.. ue found tuat emigration has
decreased ti e Impit azion f ireiand, but this re-
mains to be seen, mot ineanwhiie it may be
doubted. But that the population of the United
Kingdom has considerably increased is morally
certain. What that increas, is we shall erelong
know. It would be interesting to have a full
description of the vast machinery that will be put
in operation, and wuich indeed has already been
put in operation, to ascert dn our national
position. Failing this, we may briefly note the
leading points of all article in a contemporary.
There were 33,00 U districts at the last census,
and these will nave to be revised and " tottled
up" by enumerators appointed for the purpose.
Meanwhile toe Registrar-lieueral has been send-
ing to the mayors of the various towns to re-
mind them " that;though, by the Towns Im-
provement Clauses Act the Commissioners are

Erected to cause all the houses and buildings in
streets to be marked with numbers, and the name
of every street to be put up or painted on the I
corner, yet that there are innumerable houses
of the poorer sort which have no numbers, and
courts and lanes which have no names." Paren-
thetically we may remark that thus this process
of taking the census tends to the social improve.
moot of the people, and accompanying sugges-
tiene :Ire so good that they deserve quotation.
Local authorities are reminded that " the names
of streets should consist of one word ; that streets
should not be cut up into sections with different
names; and that all terraces,&e., forming parts
of streets should be ignored. Lastly, that all
the numbers of the houses on one side of the
street should he odd, and those on the other
even." It is a pity that merely suggestions are
uttered on this head, and it would be well were
such very deArabie reforms carried out by Act
of Parliament. But to return to the more im-
mediate object of the census commissioners, ar-
rangements are made so that the occupants of
every house, hotel, institution, farm, &c.—in
fact every dwelling, and even vessels in port,
barges on canals, &e., shall be included in the
general numbering of the people.
The Government, we doubt not, will be found
to have done all in their power towards effecting
this desirable object, but this can only be effected
by the cordial co-operation of the people; and
we may fairly conclude that this will be done
with greater ease and readiness in 1871 than it
was in 1861. There must be fewer people now
proportionately who cannot write than there
were then; and here again we see the advantage
of the census in contributing to our knowledge
of the social advancement of the people. By
these same means also we shall ascertain the inm.
portent fact, how many of our number lire blind,
deaf, dumb, lueatic, &c. A very important
column is that headed "age last birthday."
Perhaps, indeed, this is the most important of
all, and at the same time it is that very one
where the only strong temptation exists to make
a false return. We begin begin to lose the
charm of youth, and feel that we are even losing
the strength of mauhood or the beauty of wo-
manhood, the tendency to conceal our age from
others,is very strong, and all the homilies and
moralising in the world seem powerless to coun-
teract it. Our statisticians and political econo-
mists will have to make some allowances for
this, for it is hopeless to get at the plain truth.
But with this exeeption there is no reason why
we should not obtain accurate returns, and they
, will he of estimable value for future legislation.