The Sun.
London, England, 1860-05-19 00:00:00

THE NEW MODE OF TAKING THE CENSUS.

The following is an extract from a letter on this
subject which has been forwarded tb us, but is too
long for insertion entire :
" The present bill simply proposes to ask each
individual to state his or her religious profession.
I object very strongly to this mode of taking a reli-
gious census, and believe it to contrast very unfa-
vourably with the course followed in 1851. The
primary object then was at once legitimate and im-
portant—to ascertain the amount of accommodation
for religious worship, its distribution over the face
of the country, the extent to which it was used,
and tbe deficiency to be supplied. These were the
chief objects ; and I think they were objects of con-
sid6rable public interest, and better of considerable
public utility. The account of the number of ad-
herents to particular bodies or communions was a
very subordinate object of the inquiry. Now, how-
ever, it is proposed to make that the sole object,
which was then the subordinate object—to gather
exclusively information of little practical value, and
to dispense altogether with the information which
is really useful. For my own part, if the choice
could be made, I would much rather have an inquiry
into accommodation and attendance, without dish
tin esiishilig the sects, than an inquiry into religious
profession without any reference to the amount of
provision for religious worship, and the use made
of it. The results of the former investigation would
be or undoubted value to the community—the re-
sults of the latter, even if it were possible to obtain
accurate intelligence, would do little else than fo-
ment and intensify sectarian rivalries.
" lf, as I assume, it is intended that the schedule
should contain a question as to the religious belief
of each iudividual—ss, e. g., To what religious
body do you belong ? I think such an inquiry
would be both objectionable and futile. Multi-
tudes of persons would, I am certain, protest against
the existence of any right on the part of the State
to put such an inquiry. The Government, they
would say, might as reasonably ask them about
their political opinions—whether they are Whigs,
Liberal Conservatives, or Reformers. lam inclined
to think that I should myself regard such an in-
quisition as an impertinence. It is all very well for
the Government to take notice, if its likes of what
I do publicly ; and if I walk openly into a church
or chapel, and thus proclaim to the world my reli-
gious inclination for the time being, I can have no
objection to be enumerated as an attendant at the
particular place of worship; but this is rather dif-
ferent from the Government requiring me, under
threat of a penalty, to state my religious opinions.
The inquiry would also be futile, because the ques-
tion in many cases does not admit of a definite reply ;
while in a great many other cases the definite reply
given would be of no value. For instance, what
could I insert in the column, who worship, indif-
ferently, sometimes with the Church of England
and sometimes with dissenters; and whose ecclesi-
astical position is perhaps somewhere between low
church and broad church, having much also in
common with nonconformists, and ready to co-
operate for good objects with either ? And there
are, plenty in a similar position. Stich persons,
therefore, and also those who object to the inquiry
itself, would be obliged to evade the question
(which could easily be done), by inserting some un-
meaning general term, as ' Christian,' eclectic,'
unsectarian," unattached,' or other equally am-
biguous and less serious phrases.
" The ' funny' answers to such a question would
be innumerable. But the most futile result (in
reality) would be the positive statement of religious
opinion, which would undoubtedly be obtained in
abundance from multitudes who have no itligious
opinions. You would get nothing but a great mass
of worthless figures. We know perfectly well that
hundreds of thousands of the lowest classes of the
population never see the inside of a church or chapel
from year's end to year's end, nor show in any other
way whatever an attachment either to the Estab-
lished Church or to any form of dissent; but it is
scarcely less certain that if the question were put to
them in the shape supposed, they would in most cases
think it more creditable to assume a connexionwith
some form of religious belief, and would have no
difficulty in finding reasons to justify their state-
ments. But what would be the worth of such state-
silents, land with what confidence could any statistical
inquirer refer to such accounts ? Then, just think
the number of persons who cannot fill up their own
schedules; which must, therefore, be filled up by
others—in
many cases by the enumerators, who
will sometimes be warm partisans of some particular
communion. Why, there would be all sorts of