The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-10-21

Der came into It. The new law has now been in
operation about four months, and weare enabled
this morning to present the statistics of the
births deaths, and marriages in our city during
the months Of July. August and September
BY reference to the tables. which will be found
in another column, it will be seen that the
number of births is SOFT, and of deaths Ill,
showing an actual majority of 2 O34 in favor of
the latter, in period Of three months. This is
a startling fact, but it agrees with all past ex
perence in showing that large cities are mimi
cal to the growth Of population. The great in
crease of the population of this city is owing to
the immense immigration from Europe, rather
than to the influx from the surrounding country.
In this respect it differs entirely from European
cities, which receive the supply of human life
necessary sustain their growth, almost entirely
from the country. 1t has been proved beyond
dispute, that but for this great storehouse all
large cities would, in the course of time, be
either entirely depopulated or reduced to the
size of mere towns or villages The congrega-
tion of large masses OF men, women and chill
dren, in such comparatively limited spaces,
cannot be otherwise than injurious and fatal
to health There are. besides, other circum-
stances which must be taken into consideration
in this view of the subject The atmosphere OF
large cities is full of impurities, arising from
unclcan Streets defective systems OF sewerage,
manufactures, and other causes which it is
needless to name. Occupations Of sedentary
character are also inimical to human
life and these; it must be borne in mind, form
the largest proportion Of the business Of our
city. 1t would in fact, be tedious task to emu
merate the various causes which are constantly
at work in producing this result, prominent
among which are crimes OF a character
too horrible and revolving to name. The city of
New York contains more than one-sixth part of
the population of the whole State, and, from
what we have shown, must always act as q
check upon the increase of its population in
proportion to its growth. -Four such cities
would not only check the growth, but would
actually reduce the population off the whole
State, were it not supplied by immigration. If
we take the mortality and births of the last
three months as basis for the estimation ofthe
whole year, we will find that for every twenty
thousand births there are twenty ight thousand
deaths. According to this calculation it would
take but sixty-fve years to sweep off the whole
population of New York. The excessive NOR
tality, as we have had occasion to show from
the weekly reports of the City Inspector, is
among children under one year old; and the
deaths among those under ten years always
form more than one-half and often two-thirds, of
the whole number; yet the increase of the
was nearly one hundred and fifty thou
sand and if we take into the account
the fact that from fifty to sixty thousand deaths
over the number of births occurred during that
time, we must arrive at the astounding fact that
over two hundred thousand persons have emil
grated to this city in that period, and taken
up their residence in it.
This law of decrease bears with terribly eff
fective force on our colored population, among
whom very few marriages ever take place.
There are no means by which the rapid diminu-
tion Of their numbers can be prevented, and we
would not be surprised if in less than a
hundred years there should not be more than
one out of every ten left
According to these tables, we also find that
the number of males born exceeds that of fe-
males, which fact, standing by itself, is Of par
ticular Importance to the women. But the
males are exposed to a larger number Of
accidents, and by the time they have arriv-
ed at their majority, the females outnumber
them. Mr.. Samuel Brown, of London who APP
pears to have devoted much Of his time and at
tention to this subject. has given us the follow
ing very curious information
The proportion of males and females born in any given
period Of time bears constant relation to the respective
ages Of the parents 1t that where the father Is
older than the motier, the production Of male oil.
spriRg is greater than that of e Males and And
further the relative seniority of the male in average
number of cases. is found to vary directly the rela
tive number Of males and nversey as the number of fe
males produced In other words, where the father Is
years older than the mother, which is
often the case the chances that there will issue
male chdren and in where the lady is the oldest
females viii be produced. Tn statistic has not re-
suited from the inquiries in country alone, but all
Europe. 1t seems TO depend general law in the
animal nomy and to be provision OF nature for guard
ing against too large population Of existing females in
state of society," since thousand accidents happen
to from which women exempt Independent y of
wars which, from the belgerent character of the human
organization, in every calculated to carry off
large proportion of mankind.
In connection with these facts, there is an
other, discovered by Mr.. Sadler, of England,
which shows that early marriages, in opposition
to the theory of Nautilus, do not lead to redun-
dancy Of population, but on the contrary, that
marriages rather later in life produce larger
amount of children who arrive at healthy ma
turty.