The number of parishes which made a return of all the above particulars was 9942 for England, and 838 for Wales. In the volumes of Abstracts of the Popu lation Returns the population is given se parately for 17,476 parishes and other di visions in England, and 1984 in Wales ; and for Great Britain the population is separately stated for 22,303 parishes, towns, hamlets, &c., which is 5601 more than under the census of 1831. The analysis of this immense body of facts was very admirably arranged under the superindendence of the census commis sioners.
An examination into the results of the census of 1841 is treated of under a sepa rate head. [CENsus of 1841.] The fol lowing is a comparative summary of each census from 1801 to 1841 in clusive :— The first census of Ireland was taken in 1813, but in a very imperfect and incom plete manner. Six counties and the cities of Limerick and Kilkenny were omitted altogether. In 1821, and again in 1831, a census was taken in a manner which afforded no ground of complaint. The inquiry respecting age in 1821 was more successful than in Great Britain, where it was defective in respect of 8000 in every 100,000, while in Ireland the defect was only 126 in each 100,000. The preface to the Abstracts of the Cen sus Returns of 1841 is a very elaborate disquisition on the results which the re turns present, and it embraces a compre hensive view of the social condition of the country. [CENSUS OF 1841.] Amongst the defects of the census of Great Britain and Ireland may be men tioned the. absence of information con cerning the number of persons belonging to each religious denomination.
In 1834 a specific census was taken in Ireland with a view of ascertaining for purposes of legislation the religious persuasion of the people. This inquiry was not repeated at the last census, and it has never found a place in the census of either England or Scotland.
In the Colonial possessions of Great Britain a census is taken at intervals, under acts of the local legislature or under the direction of the governor. In some cases the ages of the population are ascertained ; in others the religious per suasion ; and in many the value and amount of stock and produce are re turned.
In France there have been six enu merations of the people during the pre sent century : in 1801, 1806, 1821, 1826, 1831, 1836, and 1841. The census is
now taken every five years. In the census of 1801 the sexes were distin guished, and those in each sex who were or had been married, and those who were single. In 1806, widowers and widows were also distinguished. The census of 1826 was simply an enumeration without distinction of age or sex ; but in 1836, and at each subsequent census, the in quiry was pursued in the same form as in 1821.
In Belgium the census distinguishes the town and country population, sexes and ages, the number of single and married persons, and widowers and widows. The of the people are also shown, divided into two classes, liberal and in dustrial. The first includes seven sub divisions, and the second twelve sub divisions. The number of persons be longing to each religious profession is also given.
In Holland the census is taken on the 1st of January in each year.
In Saxony the census embraces in quiries as to sexes, age, number of fa milies, number unmarried and married, widowers and widows, religious profes sion, and the number of the blind, deaf and dumb.
In Prussia the census is taken every three years. The ages of males and females are given in five classes, and in this respect the census is less minute than might have been expected. The numbers belonging to each religious de nomination are also given.
Sweden has long been remarkable for the minute and even ultra-inquisitorial character of its census. A board called the "Table Commission" was organised in 1749 for collecting and digesting ac curate statistics of the population, which are supplied by the clergy. The Swedish census exhibits the circumstances of all the households, arranged in three classes : 1st, the number who have more than they require for subsistence, or are in good cir cumstances; 2nd, the number who can sup port themselves ; and 3rd, those who are in bad circumstances, or have less than they want for subsistence. The number of the poor and by whom they are supported is accurately ascertained. Censuses are also taken by the civil officers for the purposes of taxation, but they are not so exact as the enumeration by the clergy. It is said, indeed, that during the pro gress of the civil census the poor la bourers, especially in the towns, contrive to go away or conceal themselves.