The Sun.
London, England, 1866-05-09 00:00:00

BIRTHS.

Of children born in the March quarter of the pre-
sent year the number was 196,737, against the high
number 194,289 in the corresponding period of
1865. The annual birth-rate for the same period
was 3.776 per cent., the average being 3.644. The
birth-rate is always higher in the first six months of
the year than in the last ; but the tables for the last
10 years furnish no instance of a rate so high as that
which prevailed last quarter. London yielded its
fair contribution to the increase ; the 'births were
under 30,000 in the metropolis, and slightly above
that number in Cheshire ant Lancashire. In some
counties, as Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Norfolk,
and Leicestershire, there was a decrease, for which
others, chiefly in the northern parts of the kingdom
and in Wales, more than compensated by their in-
crease. The births were very numerous in Surrey,
Devonshire, Lancashire, Durham, Northumberland,
Cumberland, and Wales.
INCREASE OF POPULATION.

While the births were 196,737, the deaths were in
the same time 138,233, and the excess of the former
over the latter was 58,504. The natural increase
was 650 daily, but this was disturbed by migratory
tendencies, always in active operation.
The total number of emigrants from ports in Eng-
land, Scotland, and Ireland was 3 9,672, of whom
about 11,000 were of English origin. Irish emi-
gration from the same ports was nearly double that
amount. Of the total number 33,000 emigrants
had chosen the United States for their destination,
6,000 the Australian Colonies. Of the 21,000 Irish
emigrants 19,000 went to the United States.*

Emigration declined greatly in the first quarter
of 1865 ; but it has again increased, and was as
active as in the two previous years, 1863-64.
PRICES, PAUPERISM, AND THE WEATHER.

The price of wheat continues to rise, and in the
first three months of this year it was 455. Gd. per
qr., which is ss. more than it was in the same period
of 1864, and 7s. more than in that of 1865. During
the four quarterly periods that have elapsed since
the 31st of March, 1865, it has been slowly but con-
stantly rising ; it was 40s. 6d., 435. 3d., 445. 10d.,
and 455. 6d. Beef at Leadenhall and Newgate

markets, sold by the carcase, averaged 5 d. per lb.,
a price which differed but little from those of the
March quarter in 1861 and 1865, which were Sid
and 51d. The price for inferior quality of beef was
in all these three periods the same—viz. 41d. for
superior it was 61d. in 1864, 7d. in 1865, 61d. last
quarter. The highest price of beef scarcely varied
during the last 18 months. The mean price of
mutton was 68-d., and was was rather higher than
in the two previous corresponding quarters. Best
potatoes at the Waterside-market, Southwark,
ranged from 555. to 90s. per ton.
The average number of paupers relieved on the
last day of each week in the quarter was 139,546
in-door, 759,402 out-door. The amount of in7door
relief was the same as in the March quarter of 1864,
but rather less than that of 1865. The number of
out-door paupers was less than it had been in either
of those periods. the
According to the Greenwich observations
month of January was warmer than that month has

* Return with which the Registrar-General has been
favoured by the Emigration Commissioners. Of 39,672
emigrants the origin was undistinguished in 1,239 cases
which have been distributed by calculation. ,