STATISTICS, that branch of political science which has for its object the collecting and arranging of facts bearing on the condition, social, moral, and material, of a people. The word statistics was first employed in the middle of last century by prof. Achenwall of Gottingen, who may be considered the founder of the science. The principle lying at its foundation is, that the laws which govern nature, and more especially those which, govern the moral and physical condition of mankind, are constant, and are to be discov ered by the investigation and comparison of phenomena extending over a very large number of instances. Accidental diversities tend to neutralize each other, their. influ ence diminishing as the area of investigation increases; and if that area be sufficiently extended, they so nearly disappear, that we are entitled to disregard them altogether. While the length of a single life cannot be counted on, an average of 1000 or 10,000 lives gives us a constant quantity, sufficiently near the truth to answer the purposes of insur ance companies. Even the acts which are the most purely voluntary as regards individ ual men, have been to be subject to laws which, in respect of the masses which make up society, are invariably in like circumstances, and discoverable.
The science of statistics has a twofold relation to political and social economy. The facts collected by the statist are the bases on which political economy rests; their application to social and economical problems is an appeal from imagination to fact. But the statist must be guided by the political economist in what direction to extend his investigations: without political economy, we should have had no statistics.
It would be difficult to give any exhaustive enumeration of the multifarious topics which may be the subject of statistical inquiries. The results of statistics have been classified as-1. Problems regarding the nature of wealth and its production and growth in a community; 2. Problems relating to inland and foreign trade; 3. Prob.
)ems to taxation and finance; 4. Problems regarding banks, and prices; 5. Problems relating to the wages and hire of labor, and the division of employ ments; and 6. Problems relating to the functions of the state as regards interference with the economic relations of its subjects.
The statistical section added to the British association for the advancement of sci ence in 1833, and the London statistical society founded in 1834, have made some valuable contributions to this science, and helped to diffuse a knowledge of its prin ciples and its importance. But while in some branches there is undoubtedly room
for the labors of individuals or associations, statistics are, generally speaking, more appropriately the province the state. The most important of the subjects with which this science is cognizant, cannot be investigated without unrestricted access to government offices, and authority to demand information; and the ordinary adminis tration of government is continually affording opportunities for the collection of the most valuable statistical facts. For some time past, statistics have largely occupied the attention of the more enlightened governments of Europe. The statistical reports issued by the various departments of the French government deserve especial praise for the comprehensiveness of their basis, and the clearness of their arrangement. The government of Belgium has, since 1811, engaged with much diligence in statis tics, and Austria and Prussia have also their statistical departments. In the United Kingdom, a department of the board of trade has, since 1832, been charged with col and publishing detailed and classified information obtained from various departments of government regarding the revenues, population, commerce, wealth, and moral and economical condition of the country and colonies, as well as a selec tion from the statistics of foreign countries. Every session of parliament, there are also numerous statistical returns called for, which no doubt sometimes contain valu able material, but being drawn up to suit the particular purpose of those who move for them, they have too often a desultory, fragmentary character, and from the absence of any general plan, are of little use but for the moment. It has been suggested that, by establishing a separate statistical department of government, we might at a hardly greater cost, obtain a yearly resume of administrative statistics complete enough to supersede, to a large extent, the present system of moving for returns whenever they are wanted.
The frequent connection of statistics with political theories renders it important to guard against premature statistical conclusions, of which two very fertile sources are cal culations from an insufficient number of data, and neglect to make allowance for dis turbing causes.