The Sun.
London, England, 1860-05-03 00:00:00

INCREASE OF POPULATION.

The births registered in the 91 days of the quar-
ter exceed the deaths by 60,564. So the natu-
ral recorded increase of the population of England
and Wales was at the rate of 666 daily ; the pro-
bable increase of the population of England and
Wales was at the rate of 999 daily. 20,784 emi-
grants, including 917 foreigners, sailed from the
ports of the United Kingdom during the quarter ;
5,954 were of English origin, and went to the
United States and the Australian colonies in nearly
equal numbers ; only 9 went in this cold season
direct t' the North American colonies.*

PRICES, THE WEATHER, AND PAUPERISM.

The births, deaths, and marriages of the popula-
tion are influenced by the weather, the prices of
food, and the activity of trade.
The a''erage price of wheat was 445. sd. a quar-
ter, while in the corresponding quarters of the two
previous years it was respectively 465. sd. and
40s. Bd. There has been little fluctuation in the
price. Beef was sold on an average at 51-d. a pound
by the carcase at Leadenhall and Newgate markets ;
the average of the highest prices of best beef having
been 60., of the lowest prices 31d. The price of the
inferior beef was ld. a pound lower than it was in
the winter of the preceding year ; so the price fell
21 per cent. The superior beef only fell from std.
to sid. The average price of mutton was 54d. a
pound ; the price of inferior mutton was 41d. ; the
superior mutton was 6ld. a pound. The price of
the inferior mutton was the same as it was last
year; the price of the best mutton was a farthing
lower. The York Regent potatoes sold on an ave-
rage at 130 s. a ton at the waterside market, South-
wark ; so the price, though lower than it was in the
winter quarter of 1858, was 44 per cent, higher
than the average price (905.) of last year.
The mean temperature of the three months was
38.8 deg. ; February, being the coldest month, 35.7
deg. ; and March, 41.1 deg., little warmer on the
average than January, 39.7 deg. The characteris-
tics of the season were—warmth on New Year's-day
(16 deg. above the average temperature) and in the
following days, until January the 25th, when cold
weather set in and continued to the end of the quar-
ter ; the frequent and great changes of the atmos-
pheric pressure, and an almost continuous succession
of gales of wind.

Mr. Glaisher has described the meteorology of
the quarter in detail.

Pauperism is declining.

STATE 07 THE PUBLIC HEALTH.

122,642 deaths were registered in the winter
quarter. The rate of mortality cannot be precisely
determined, as it is nine years since the census
was taken; but if we assume that the estimate,
based on the previous censuses, and the excess of
births over deaths, is nearly correct, the rate of the
mortality for the quarter was 2.472 per eent., or
slightly above the average of the season (2.460) ;
which in the absence of epidemics is always the
most fatal in England.
The rate of mortality in the chief town districts
was 2.613 ; in the small town and country districts,
2.338 per cent.; the latter rate is above, the former
below the average of those districts respectively.
The deaths in the quarter, at the rates actually
prevailing in the healthier districts of the country,
would have amounted to 88,708 ; the total deaths
amounted to 122,642. Consequently the deaths
from causes induced by the unfavourable sanitary
condition in which large numbers of the people live
amount to 33,934.
The mortality of London was above the average ;
it is described in the weekly tables.
9.057 persons died in the South-Eastern Counties;
in Surrey out of London the quarterly mortality
was above the average of the two preceding years;
iu Kent and Sussex below the average. In Ports-
mouth the births and deaths were increased by the
accessions to her Majesty's dockyard. The popu-
lation of Southampton is in a comparatively healthy.
state. Smallpox was prevalent in the Abingdon
district; the registrar printed notices at his own
expense, and affixed them on the church doors.
Some parentiwere stubborn, others were negligent,
and their children consequently suffered or died of
smallpox.
The deaths in the South Midland Division were
below the average. 17 cases of fever occurred in
Sunbury, Staines, and apparently owed their origin
to bad sanitary arrangements. 71 deaths happened
in the Colney-hatch Lunatic Asylum. The enforce-
ment of sanitary regulations is imperatively needed
in the Toddington subdistrict, where 44 deaths
were registered. In Caxton 4 deaths from diph-
theria (3 in one family).were recorded. About the
fens of Cambridgeague and typhoid fever prevailed.
10,059 children were born and 6,336 persons
married in the eastern counties ; 6,580 deaths were
registered, and the mortality was much lower than
it was in the winter of 1858, bit higher than it was
in the preceding winter. The births in Colchester,
which is a garrison town, are unusually numerous;
the daaths are below the average, but influenza and
whooping-cough have prevailed. The cold winds
have undoubtedly been severely felt in Norfolk and
Suffolk, but the considerable amount of sickness has
not greatly raised the mortality. In Stalhamt and
Fincham, however, the deaths exceeded the births;
16 persons died of diphtheria in Stalham, 8 in
Finchara.

10,852 persons died in the south-western coun-
ties ; where 15,909 children were born, and 8,148
persons married. The mortality rate was lower
than in the two previous years. Poole, in Dorset-
shire, has been in an unhealty state ; influenza, ap-
parently prevailed there with some intensity, and
proved fatal to children and old people. The deaths
(83) nearly equalled the births(BB); the deaths in
the whole district were 109. Smallpox and measles
prevailed in South Devon. In Exmouth the re-
gistrar says :

The deaths are one-fourth above the average.
12 were from smallpox, but only one after vac-
cination, and in this case the variolous eruption
appeared seven days after the operation.
Vaccination has been attended with the most
beneficial effects, and has arrested the progress of

* From a return with which the Registrar-General has
been favoured by the Emigration Commissioners, the
number returned as of English origin was 4,609, while the
birth-places of 4,694 were not distinguished. In the above
statement a proportional number of these have been added
to those returned as of English origin.
The registrars' not.m are for the sub-districts, which
always meant In this report unless the contrary is stated.