The French are quite alarmed at the number of foreigners
who crowd into France. It has rapidly increased of late years, and now includes 1,001,000 persons, nearly a thirtieth of all the souls in France. About one-half of the immigrants are Bel- gians, but the Italians are coming in regiments, and the Spaniards, and even the Germans, rapidly increase. The French statists dislike the movement, but it keeps up a population which otherwise would decline, and it may be taken as a rule that the country which can attract immigrants can absorb them. We have no men more English than the sons of the Germans who begin to swarm into our cities. In Switzerland, where everythings depends upon a vote, there is much more reason for alarm, some Cantons—Neufchatel, for instance—receiving immi- grants in excess of the native-born population. The rush of Europe towards America is now perceived to be a movement of importance to the world, though 80 per cent of all inhabitants of the Union are still native-born ; but the internal movement of the peoples among the European States has received little at- tention. It is, however, worth notice. There are provinces in Germany which are nearly Slav, and counties in Scotland in which the base of the population is Itilesian Irish.
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