THE IRISH CENSUS.

TICE Commissioners have at length completed their labours. The publication of Part VI. closes the record, and adds largely to the materials which unfold the condition of Ireland and its population in so far as classification and figures can accomplish that object. If minute attention to such matters by the United Legislature has only recently been displayed, it must be admitted that there is every disposition to do the work well ; and it is possible that the absence in Ireland of the oldfashioned machinery by which statis- tical details are collected in England, may have proved advanta- geous, as enabling the Commissioners to get out of beaten paths and to devise improved methods. Instructions were issued to the Commissioners to extend their inquiries beyond the subjects spe- cially named in the Census Act ; and in executing their task, the intelligence, discipline, and local knowledge of the Constabulary and Coast Guard, were brought into requisition. The public press largely aided the effort ; and the people themselves—whose per- sonal -history, family affairs mode a obtaining a living, ages, state of health, and other details which formed more or less the object of inquiry—exhibited frankness and docility. With the view of turning to account as early as possible the information thus accumulated, the Commissioners arranged the details under prominent heads, and published report after report as soon as they were prepared. Part I. gave the Townland census, Part II. the Agricultural statistics, Part III. the statistics of Disease, Part IV. the statistics of Ages and Education, Part V. contained a report

on tables of Death and of cosmical phenomena, epfrootics, famines and pestilences,

The volume just published presents remarks on the condition of the population. Voluminous tables are given, and a map of the country, distinguishing by means of light and dark shading the condition of the people in respect to the quality of their habitations. Very dark is the shading in portions of Connaught and Munster. The delay which has taken place in bringing the reports to a close has enabled the Commissioners to include some facts relating to emigration down to 1855.

gration cannot be exactly ascertained, from the want of a national registration of births and deaths. Those who leave the country can be counted, but the number of those who are born in it can only be estimated. In the ten years intervening between the cen- sus years of 1841 and 1851, it is believed that over the entire area of Ireland there has been a decrease of 49 persons on every square mile, representing an aggregate of 1,622,739 persons. Connaught shows a decrease of 60 persons to the square mile, Minister of 57, Ulster of 44, Leinster of 39. Dublin County is ex- ceptional in showing an increase of 91 persons to the square mile. The entire population as ascertained in 1851 was 6,552,385; it would have been 9,000,000 had not the influences of famine and disease, combined with emigration, been at work. And how are these 6,552,385 persons employed or provided for ? The Commissioners give an answer, and a laborious task it must have been to get at the materials. That part of the population which is engaged in producing—or, as it is called, " ministering to food," "ministering to clothing," to trade purposes, and so forth —was found to amount to 2,841,623 persons of both sexes. Of these, 1,500,000 are engaged in agricultural and rural pursuits. The following lists possess features of peculiar interest.

Ministering to Religion.

Males. Females.

Clergy, Established

Ministering to Education.

Males. Females.

Church 1,786

Education Commission-

Roman Catholics 2,464

er 1

Presbyterians 586

Fellows, Professors, Tu-

Methodists 232

tors, Re.

701 3

Baptists 11

Inspectors of Schools.. 73

Unitarians 5

Teachers of ditto 8,783 4,921 Morticians 6

Governesses

1,801 Independents 1

Teachers of Drawing.. 29 10 Unspecified 669

Music 312 186 Missionaries 10

Dancing 115 16 Scripture-Readers ... 262 2 Fencing, Re 17

Jewish Rabbi 2

Irish 76 11 Friars 38

Librarians 39 7 Nuns and Monks .... 169 1,160 Agricultural Teachers. 40

Parish-Clerks 517 17 Astronomers 5

Sextons 236 220 Authors 22 5

Newspaper Editors, Re-

6,994

1,399 porters, and Propri-

etors 189

10,402 6,960

Amongst those who "minister to justice," are 19 judges, 125 magistrates, 340 banisters, 2428 attorneys and solicitors. The administrators to health include 1223 physicisna, 1216 surgeons, 900 apothecaries. Under the head of " unclassified" occupations, pursuits of a varied kind are enumerated. Of mesmerists Ireland has 3; ventriloquists, 1; quacks, 55; of whom 14 are females; bill-stickers, 20; ballad-singers, 81; fortune-tellers, 19; beggars (of both sexes), 41,808; brothel-keepers and prostitutes, 16 males and 1365 females.

The emigration drain has improved the educational statistics, inasmuch as the emigrants formed part of the most ignorant class ; and the details connected with house-accommodation present also an improved aspect from the same cause,—ignorance and bad habitations keeping inseparable company. "In 1851, 5 per cent more of the population (five and under sixteen years of age) were at school than in 1841; and there was a decrease in the propor- tions who could neither read nor write of 4 per cent of males and

8 per cent of females." "In the province of Leinster, there was an increase of 2 per cent in the proportion attending schools ; in Munster and Ulster of 3 per cent each ; and in Connaught of 8 per cent. In the proportions who could read and write there was an increase of 3 per cent of males and 7 per cent of females in Leinster ; 3 per cent of males and 5 per cent of females in Mun- ster ; 4 per cent of males and 7 per cent of females in Ulster ; and 4 per cent of males and 5 per cent of females in Connaught. The proportions of those who could read only were the same in 1851 as in 1841, except in Munster and Connaught, which show an increase of 1 per cent each [in females], and in Ulster, which shows a decrease of 1 per cent in the females of this class." Nearly 5 per cent of the population could speak nothing but Irish, and 18 per cent could speak both Irish and. English. The lowest class of habitations—mud cabins having only one room—were dis- appearing. The actual decrease in the ten years was equal to 72 per cent, or 355,689 cabins. Ulster takes the lead in this favourable symptom, the wretched mud cabin having disappeared at the rate of 81 per cent. Connaught follows at the rate of 74 per cent, Mun- ster 69 per cent, and Leinster 62 per 'cent. Cabins more comfortable and roomy have been provided, and generally there has been an upward movement in the quality of dwelling-houses. For example, there has been an increase of 10,084 habitations in the first (or comparatively superior) class of dwellings ; of 54,574 in the second class (good-farm-houses, or in towns a commodious house in a small street) ; and of 8415 in the third class (mud cabins, but containing from two to four rooms). Compared with 1841 there has been an increase of 6.4 per cent in the area of arable land ; a fact.the more to be remarked seeing that fewer hands are -engaged in the cultivation of the soil. The inference is, that the want of hands is more than made up by greater industry, and improved implements and processes. The Commissioners remark-

e extent to which the population has been kept down by emi-

" The decrease in the proportion of uncultivated land gives some crite- rion of the extent of the reclamation of waste surface since 1841; and it is very gratifying to observe the progress made in the conversion of waste into arable land, more especially in some of the mountainous districts of the country. Thus, in 1841, Donegal, Kerry, Mayo, Galway, and Wicklow, had the largest proportion of uncultivated land to the entire area of each : in 1851, this proportion, though still high, was considerably reduced ; Donegal having had 24-9 per cent, Kerry 17-0 per cent, Mayo 10'9 per cent, Galway 7.8 per cent, and Wicklow 101 (per cent of their area converted from waste into profitable surface during the previous ten years. The en- tire area under plantations would appear to have decreased by 0-33 per cent."

As already noticed, the Commissioners are enabled to exhibit the statistics of emigration down to 1855. From the figures given the exodus appear to be on the wane. In 1852 the emigration

from Irish ports amounted to 190,322; it has gradually - ished. to 91,914 in 1855. The Commissioners say— "According to the very interesting returns received from the Emigration Commissioners, it would appear that from the 30th of June 1841 to the 31st of March 1851, 1,240,737 persons, and from the 1st of April 18.51 to the 31st of December 1855, 847,119 persons, amounting in all to 2,087,856, who were born in Ireland, are estimated to have emigrated from the ports of the United Kingdom in the time specified, or 141 years. Of these emigrants 76.7 per cent were bound for the United States, 19.7 per cent for British North America, and 3.6 per cent for the Australian Colonies. Between the 1st of April 1851 and the 31st of December 1855, the emigration of the Irish to the Australian Colonies was 6.5 per cent of the total number of emigrants; the emigration to the United States was 81.4 per cent ; and that to British North America had fallen to 12.0 per cent."

On the result of the whole inquiry, the congratulatory tone of the Commissioners—their hopeful view of the progressive pros- perity of Ireland—would appear to be amply justified by the facts adduced. Improved dwellings, better husbandry, education on the increase, and property of all kinds improved in value, are substantial evidences of advancement.