The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-11-04 00:00:00

THE RECENT STATISTICAL CONGRESS

AT BRUSSELS

Sundry important observations have just been addressed
to the Government of this country, in reference to the infor-
mation communicated to the congress relative to the manage-
ment of statistical matters in different countries, and various
important suggestions with a -view to increase the practical
value of our own statics, home and foreign.
It is very instructive to observe the methods in which
officials returns of all kinds are treated in the various Govern-
ments; and there is every reason to hope, considering the
influence of the several delegates, that the reports they
make will not fail to teach the several foreign Governments
how they may best improve their own statistical organization,
by adopting the best methods employed by their neighbours.
In this country, the Government officers prepare returns
and reports, which, in the aggregate, are not inferior in extent
and excellence to those of other countries. In France, the
Ministers of Justice, of Commerce, and of Finance, have
statistical sections in their respective offices, carrying on their
departments independently of each other. In both countries
there is a want of co-ordination in the official publications,
and an absence of unity of plan and compendious digests for
the use of the Governments and the public, by which much
inconvenience is often produced, and the utility of the whole
greatly curtailed. To this want of a comprehensive plan,
embracing the official returns of both countries, attention is
now being called.
Austria, Prussia, Bavaria, and Denmark, resemble each
other in having
i the whole official statistics of each Govern-
ment prepared n one office, under a director, who consults
and is consulted by the Ministers in the several depart-
ments. _ _

Belgium follows the example of Sardinia allowing the
several offices to work out the statistics of their own depart-
ments, on plans laid down by the central commission.
It was the unanimous opinion of the members of the
Congress, that the statistics of a country can be most effi-
ciently and beneficially conducted by bringing into close
relation the several departments in which statistical enqui-
ries are carried on, or by classifying all the enquiries under
one general direction. In the discussion of the advantages
of the methods adopted in the three groups of countries
above noticed, there was a very strong opinion in favour of
a central statistical commission ; others were equally
strong in favour of a statistical department which should
have all the statistical operations of the country under its
control, as is the case in Prussia. The Brussels delegates
seemed to recollect where they came from, and very wisely,
instead of pronouncing too clearly for or against new acts
of centralization, seemed to think the various methods might
depend on the character of each Government, and contented
themselves with the maxim in favour of " that which is best
administered." It may be expected, however, that the re-
ports returned to the several Governments represented in the
Statistical Congress will prove that great advantages would
accrue to the public service by adopting many of the modi-
fications recommended, and assimilating the statistical
schemes of the different countries, so as to facilitate compa-
rison with each other.

To our own Government it is recommended that a com-
mission should be appointed : —l. To classify the statistical
reports and returns which are now periodically published in
Great Britain, Ireland, the Colonies, and the East Indies ;
2. To report those particulars which should enter into the
returns for all the parts of the empire, as well as those which
should be restricted to the United Kingilom ; and 3. To pre-
pare examples of the condensed digests of the whole on a
systematic plan, for publication decennially, annually, quar-
terly, or weekly.
The Imperial statistics would naturally divide themselves
into those of Great Britain, of Ireland, of the Colonies, of
the East Indies, and of foreign States with which we hava
internal relations.

The following are the subjects which, with any additions
that experience may suggest, it is recommended should be
embraced in the statistics of the Empire :-
1. The revenue and expenditure well classified.
2. The civil and military establishments, and the officers
and expenses of local governments.
3. The census of the population, at equal or corresponding
intervaWof time.

4. The registration of marriages, births, deaths (and the
causes of death).
5. Emigration and immigration.

6. The churches, scientiffc societies, schools, public insti-
tutions of various kinds connected with the moral and intel-
lectual progress of the empire.
7. Friendly societies, savings banks, institutions for the
relief of the poor, charities, and social institutions.
8. Crimes and punishments. _
_ _

9. Surveys, maps, descriptions, admeasurements of terri-
tory, indications of superficial and subterranean contents of
the land, observations on temperature, rain, and other ele-
ments of climate.

10. Statistics of agriculture.
11. Statistics of industry, including manufactures

12. Statistics of commerce, variously subdivided,

It is not recommended that a new statistical department
should be created, as the important object proposed, viz.,
the establishment of a uniform plan for all those returns,
could be secured by constituting a board composed of the
heads of the several departments in which the statistical
operations of the country are now conducted. All the
greac catutuata..o aur2 vc,lai iv vab ry laic. aucL a 'maid
might deem necessary, might be performed at some one of
the existing offices, as is the case in Belgium, where the
labours which the " Commission Centrale" directs are
performed in a statistical department under the Minister of
the Interior.

It appears, from the comparison we have just had an op.
portunity of making between our statistical operations and
those of other countries, that in 50131 G Ifrtuiclies we are con-
siderably iu advance of them, while in others we are singu-
larly and discreditably in arrear. To three points in parti-
cular, the attention of the English Government has been
called, and we invite that of the public :-
1. The marriages births, and deaths are left unregistered
in Scotland and Ireland.

The Registrar-General for Ireland requires only the regis-
tration of Protestants. It has been sometimes alleged that
the Roman Catholic priesthood of Ireland would oppose a
complete system of registration in Ireland. It may be
hoped, however, that this impression is unjust, especially as
civil registration is encouraged in many Catholic countries
quite as much as in those that are Protestant. It is quite
time that Scotland and Ireland were at least on a level with
Russia, throughout which a complete system of registration
extends.

2. A second great defect in our statistics is the absence of
agricultural and industrial returns._ _ _

—We have agricultural returns for Ireland, which require
but very little improvement. Agriculture in England is so
important a branch of national industry, the source of so
much wealth, and on the whole so skilfully conducted, that
there seems no reason why agricultural returns, as extensive
and at least as correct as our commercial returns, should not
be procured and published. The two series of returns would
be equally useful, and would throw light on each other.
An extensive series of returns of the culture and produce of
the different soils in the various climates of the world, tend
greatly to the advance of agriculture; and connected as agri-
culture is with questions of the subsistence of the population
from year to year, would possess at all times extraordinary
importance.

S. Another great desideratum for this kingdom is a large
and accurate map, on wid.ll all the varieties of the surface
and every separate portion of immovable property can be dis-
tinctly traced, and which would form the real basis of all
the statistics of the country. The Bavarian map and cadastre,
which was shown at the Congress, is said to have cost
£2,000,000. The Belgian maps are on the same scale,
but in a better condition than those of France. It is
suggested that we should have maps on the scale of 2.54 inches
to a mile, the scale expressed on the Continent by the fraction
1-2,600, or, in decimals, .0004. Our English Ordnance map,
1 inch to the mile, would then occupy the place of the reduced
map; the Irish map, produced by the triangulation of that
country, is for several reasons inadequate. The Belgian com-
mission recommends that future cadastral maps should be con-
itructed more accurately than the existing Continental maps,
and that they should be undertaken with more extended views
to the promotion of public, scientific, and industrial purposes,
not only supplying present demands, but anticipating the
requirements of the future.

SOUTHAMPTON, WEDNESDAY.—The Plata, Captain
Weller, belonging to the Royal Mail Company, left South-
hampton on Wednesday afternoon, with the usual West
India and Mexican mails. She had on board a small amount
of specie, 145 passengers, and a very full cargo.
MADEIRA PINEAPPLES AND ORANGES.—.A parcel
has been received by Messrs. Keeling and Hunt, being the
first attempt at growth in any large quantity for this
country. The failure of the vintage has turned the atten-
tion of the planters of the vine to the cultivation of oranges,
3,000 packages of which have already been sent to England
during the past month.
WATER BALLAST.—The novel mode of ballasting
with water is now being tried on board the Snipe, Captain
Girdham. The water is secured in gutta peroha vessels,
and the filling and emptying processes are simple and ex-
peditious. It is believed that much time and labour will
be saved by this new method, and that in the end it will
prove much cheaper than the old lab.rious plan.—Globe.
COURT MARTIAL ON A NAVAL OFFICER. On
Tuesday last, a court martial assembled at Portsmouth, on
board the flag ship Victory, under the presidency of Rear
Admiral Corry, to try Mr. Alexander Tate, Second Lieut•
stunt of the Royal Marine corps,serving in the detatcbment on
board the St. Jean d'Acre, on a charge of drunkenness. Com-
mander Peter Cracroft, of the St. Jean d'Acre, was the
Admiralty prosecutor. First Lieutenant Tumour, R. N., of
the St.: Jean d'Acre, deposed that on the 19th ult. he saw the
prisoner in rhelpless,state of drunkenness, so much so that he
fell down ty). 4fter ladder; that he afterwards got on board a
boat, but was drought back and placed under arrest. This
evidence 4ini been corroborated, the prisoner said, in
defence, ttihe had obtained two days' leave of absence, and
that the 61,ifement occasioned by the prospect of speedily
'visiting r rids, coupled with that produced by the wine he
had take 'itiatincheon, had overcome him. In consequence
of the pri .es previous high character and conduct, which
was spoken'to by several officers, he was adjudged only to be
dismissed from Her Majesty's ship St. Jean d'Acre, and to be
placed at the bottom of the list of lieutenants of the Royal
Marine corps for one year.