Menaleons, BIRTHS, AND DEATHS.—The last quarterly return of the Registrar-General
gives the same evidence of the prosperous condition of the mass of the people up to that date as we obtain from other Sources. The number of marriages in the quarter ending 30th June 1853 was 40,335 ; a slight increase over the number in the same quarter of last year. Compared with the second quarter of 1842, the increase of marriages this year is 10,287. Had the number borne the same relation to the popula- tion as in 1842, the increase would not have been much more than 3000. The fluctuations in that element during the last ten years have been very remarkable. During the four years ending in 1846 the number of mar- riages rose rapidly. In 1847, 1848, and 1849, they declined ; but since 1849 they have ascended rapidly ; the numbers during the second quar- ters of 1849 and 1853 being respectively-35,844 and 40,336. The re turn given of the number of births, which is for the quarter ending 30th September 1853, shows a slight decrease, compared with 1851 and 1852: the quarterly returns for those three years having been in 1851, 150,584; in 1852, 161,193 ; in 1853, 147,581. This decrease is probably owing to emigration ; which is more favourable to the increase of mar- riages than of birth; as many of the newly-married couples speedily take their departure for the Colonies or the United States. The number of deaths registered during last 'quarter was 92,332;'" and as the number of births was 147,581, the increase in the population would have been 55,20 had la, repanu3d at. home. But the number of emigrants who hArthe United Kingdom last quarter was 87,467 ; so that, after making all dpeitillowanee for what increase may have taken place in Ireland and 8e4.1.44d,.,it is thought probable that the population has declined upon the OpjA. The Registrar-General, in remarking that the number of doit4ilast ,quarter, was 8165 less than in the same period of 1852, re- ,arkit, that "a similar depression of the mortality was observed in the summer quarter of 1848, immediately before the outbreak of the epidemic cholera, • Such:fluctuations, however, afford no criterion by which to estimats,the futiire ; as- any one may perceive by comparing the mor- tality .of the several ,quarters ending September 30th for the last four ri.ars: in 1850 it was 86,044; in 1851, 91,600; in 1852, 100,497; in 1353, 92,332. In 1850 there was a very low rate of mortality, and yet it was not followed by any remarkable epidemic in the following year.
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