The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-11-06
Slow. Growth of the Population of Franc

Slow Growth of the Population of France.
The Investigations of political economists
nave shown France to be one oil the European
countries in which the increase of population
is the slowest. we-knoWn writer, Mr.. Horn,
lately elucidateo the topic by figures showing
the following TO be the annual gnentation on
each million of inhabitants:-In the kingdom
OF Saxony, 15,5O0 in England alone, IL, 100; in
Prussia, IL, 900; in the United Kingdom, l2,6OO;
IN Denmark, ii 100; IN Holland, 500; in France,
400. SO that the increase in France is only
from two-sevenths to one-thild of what 1t is In
Great Britain and Germany. 1t is, moreover
stated that the excess OF births over deaths in
France lie only eleven per cent, while for Europe
: general the average is from forty 20 torty-fve
per cent.
Mr.. Horn ascribes these effects to the military
conscriphon in France, to the celibacy of
priests, monks, and nuns, TIE tendency of the
rural population to crowd into the large towns
and cities, and the weight OF taxation. A
French writer, NJ. ATnould, however, puts forth
the following hypotheses:-
''The true source OF the evil is to be sought in
our habits and customs-in the almost total
absence, IN france, OF domestic life; in the
special manner in which, IN our country, mar
rlage and its duties are considered. Taking the
higher classes, we md the wife devoted eXclu-
slyely to worldly pleasures, seeking a husband
as means of conquering ner independence
dreadmg maternity, which would Impair her
beauty and keep her at home, and, when unable
entirely to evade the laws of nature transferring
The care OF her children TO mercenary hands, in
which the poor little creatures often become
r1ckety, Wnen they do not contract some fatal
malady. In any case, numerous family, in
slead of being mothers Joy and pride, is her
greatesttea and that fear Almost always shared
by the husb band, is uniavorable, it will easily be
understood, TO the multiplicity OF children.
IF we look among the 0OuTgeOisle the traders
and manufacturers, the women, who have be-
come their husbands partners, also dread ma
ternlty which takes them from their counters,
from their book keeping, IRON the superlntend-
ence they exercise at home over the business
done by their husbands abroad. Have they
children? They send them to the country
under preteXt OF good air, 60 to see them per-
haps once or twice year and il is well known
what frighttul tithes death levies on those un-
fortunate and deienseless creatures abandoned
ar from the maternal eye, to the rapacity and
ignorance OF nurses, whose profits are all the
arger when the nulsling is Odiously sacrificed
Moreover, the bourgeois couple, working to make
their fortunes hesitate to have too many chill
dren. II they are girls dowry will be necessary
and money yields better interest in trade. Among
the lower classes these fears and calculations do
not exist, and more children are born in pro-
portion, but misery, dirt, ignorance, the
mothers absence at her daily task leave the
child exposed to many dangers, and Death
reaps these young ears so greedlly that society
can CLEAN but meaere harvest after him. In
the country it is different, but as the country
has 10 work for itself and for the towns also il
aTdl l-ps nm ha loft