The Express.
London, England, 1862-05-02 00:00:00

MAY 2, 1862.

erne, and he should be reedy to see any secrifice mode
rather than permit the Board of Works to make this street.
Some observatioas were made by other members of
the ammo the like effect, and upon the motion of Mr .
Yonso it Pas agreed that the cousideratoon of the subject
should be postponed.
The other psrtions of the report were agreed to, and the
wart thee ao.road after sitting for more than four hours.

REGIST.R4R-01.NRR4VE QUARTERLY RETURN•

The quarterly .return of the marriages, births,
and deaths regiaterai in the divisions, counties, and dis-
tricts of England, by • uthority of the Registrar-General,
comprises the births seal deaths registered by 2,190 ma-
kar,, in all the districts el England during the winter quer-
tar that ended on March 31, 1862; and the marriages in
12,550 churches or chapels, about 4,572 registered places of
worship unconnected with we established church, sad 635
superintendent registrars' offices, in the quarter that ended
on Dec. 31, 1861.
The marriage-rate, which had been low in the
nine months of 1861, nontinued rather low in the = g
Du-
ter of the year. The births were timorous in the first
quarter of the present year, as they had been in 1861; and
the rat* of mortality, which was comparetively low ia the
Let two years, was nut high in the first quarter of the pre-
sent year. The marriage-rate in 1861, and the increase of
pauperism in the same period, concur to indicate • ISM
prosperous state of trade and industry in the community ;
but physical causes, and improvement in sanitary condition,
appear to have exercised • favourable influence on the pub-
lic health.
Marriages : The number of persons married in the De-
cember quarter of last year was 96,972; the total number
in the year was 127,490. The marriage-rate of the quarter
was 1.904 against an average of 1.99 ; the marriage-rate
of the year was 1.628 against 1.684.
In London the marriages in the quarter were 7,328 ; in
north-western counties (Cheshire and Lancashire), which
contain • rather larger population than London, the number
was 7,092. While the metropolis maintained its mar-
riages, as compared with them of the corresponding quarter
of 1860, Lancashire reported • considerable decrease, for io
the two corresponding quarters the numbers in that county
were respectively 6,635 and 6,083. It was stated in •
registrar's report from Lancashire, made at the end of hat
year, that " the demand fur labour in the coattail factorise
and the market generally had been fully • third below the
average.* The midland counties and Yorkshire also ex-
hibited • decrease iu marriage&
To take a few towns for examples of decrease. In Man-
chester marriages declined from 1,285 in the last quarter of
1860 to 1,151 in that of 1861 ; in Ashton from 342 to 2:1 ;
in Blackburn from 412 to 281 ; in Preston from 356 to 254 ;
in Stockport from 332 to 218 ; in Bradford from 575 to 483;
in Sheffield from 601 to 471 ; in Nottingham from 262
to 210.
The marriages of all Enabled declined, but in some pleats
there was an increase. In the district of St. George, Hano-
ver-square, they rose from 233 to 290 ; in Wakefield from
117 to 141 ; in Tynemouth from 146 to la
Births: The total number of births in the first three
months of this year was 182,005 ; in the same period of lest
year it was 173,170. The birth-rate, 3.644, was higher than
in any of the years 1852-61, with the exception of 1860 ; the
average rate is 3.588.
The exoess of births over deaths constitutes a natural
increase of the population. This excess in the quarter was
59,813, which is equal to • daily avenge of 665.
In the first three months of this year the total number
of emigrants who sailed from ports in the United Kingdom
j where there are government emigration of6oere was
15,159, of which 5,197 were piteous of English, and about
8,000 of Irish origin. English emigrants left these shores at
the rate of 58 daily. About two-thirds of the English
went to the Australian colonise.*
The emigration to the Australian colonies which had hem
. much mimed, as well as the emigration to all porta,
exhibits some appearance of revival, while that to the
. United States continues rapidly to decline. In the
quarter that ended 21st March, emigrants (English, Sootch,
Dish, and foreign) to the Australian colonies were 4,411 in
, 1860, 3,227 in 1861, and 6,3222 in the present year ; to the
I United States there wait in the LIMO periods 15,117,
12,156, and 7,210. The last number forms not more than
the sixth or seventh part of the emigration to the same part
of the world ten ran ago.
The average prim of wheat per quarter was 60a. ; it was
higher than it had been in any quarter since 1856. In the
March wafter of 1860 and 1861 the price was 445. 541. and
55a. Id. Potatoes were not cheap ; they were on an
average 142 a. 6d. per ton. Beef was at the same price as
in the same period of last year ; mutton was • penny per
pound dearer.
j The mean temperature of the air at Greenwich for the
three months was 411 deg. (which was also the temperature
of February) •it was aeg. above the average of 21 years.
The mean temperature of each month was above the
average ; the highest temperature recorded was obtained at
. Bournemouth, um Poole, where the thermometer reached
yo deg. in March the lowest was registered at Holkliam ;
it was 11'8 deg., and occurred in March.
The total number of deaths registered in the quarter was
122,192 ; ft was not so great ea in the same quarter of
1660, when the number was 1r.2,617. London returned
j 18,403 deaths; Lancashire, which has • population leas by
upwards of three hundred thousand persona, returned
14,652. If the rate of mortality had been the same in
. Lancashire that it was in London the deaths in Huai
' county would have been about 16,000.
The rate of morality was lowest in the South Eudora
Counties, which include Sussex, Hampshire, Berkshire, and
the extra-metropolitan parte of Surrey and Kent ; and in
the South-Western which include Wiltakirs, Doreetahlre,
Devonshire, Conwall, and Somersetahire • it was higher in
Ithe Eastem
i and North and South iidland divisions
1, higher still n the West Midland. The highest rates of
j mortality prevailed in Yorkshire, the Northern Counties,
Monmouthshire and Wales ; in London • and In the
I north western division, which include* Cheju,* and Lanca-
shire. The last-mentioned division is unfavourably distin-
guished above all the rest.
The rate of mortality in England and Wales in the quarter
was 2447 per cent.; the average being 2489. It ranged
in the March quarter of the previous ten years from 2.2
to 211._ . . .

In the districts that comprise the chief towns, the rate
of mortality was 2'691 per cent. against an average of 2109.
In those that consist chiefly of email towns and oora
parishes the rate was 2'209, against an average of
The country wasnot only favounibly distinguished from
;
town by having a rate of mortality which was lower by
five deaths in each thousand of the population ; it also ap-
pears to have attained a higher degree of salubrity as com-
pared with that which had been experienced in the winters
of former years.
The quarter for which the present return is made was
at least as healthy as the same period in 1861, and
more healthy than that of 1860. Taken as • whole
the season was warm, and " the wet," which is so much the
subject of complaint in the bond reports, was probably an
evil that was not without its wholesome mixture of good.
But L.ncaahire, as has already been mentioned in general
terms, has tended to darken the aspect of returns which
viewed in the aggregate are not unfavourable. In the last
three corresponding quarters the deaths in that county
considerably increased ; they were in the tint 16,024, in the
meet 17,412, and in the .arch quarter of the present year
18,652.
(H 26 districts of which Lancashire consists, there was
in 21 an increase of the deaths now returned over those
of the March quarter of 1860 ; and in 16 an increase over
those of the same quarter of 1861. Is Leigh the deaths in
the three corresponding quarters were successively 273, 274,
and 339 ; in Bury 591, 695, and 801; in Salford 706, 63'2,
and 818 ; in Oldham 692, 809. and 893; in lieslingden 400,
422, and 491; in Burnley 50114 531, and 603 ; In Blackburn
727, 850, and 996 ; in Preston 823, 877, and 887 • and in
Manchester 1,760, 1,774, mad 2,313. In Stockport the
deaths in the same periods were 651, 588, and 711.
The registrars in certain district. refer the increased mor-
tality which these figures too plainly reveal to scarlatina,
measles, bronchitis, and pneumonia, which had been preva-
leet ; and by some of them an opinion, which there is reason
to fear may be too well founded, appears to be entertained
that those complaints had found an active ally in the
poverty and want which many of the unemployed thou-
mods now suffer in the great seats of miumfacture. Facts
have been adduced to prove that in instences of great de-
pression of trade like that which niceotly occurred in
Lloventry the mortality of children is reduced in consequence
of the due amount of maternal care being bestowed on
j them which in more prosperous times is withdrawn by the
importunate requisition of factory labour. This is within
limits. Nursing in straitened circumstances may be better
for children than fulness of good cheer without it ; but
when hard times are prolonged, and the small store that had
been gathered in the day of full work is exhausted, the
greatest amount of parental attention willed, expel physical
decline, sickness, or death SAW, from the dwelling.