It thus becomes the duty Of a government to apply all the means in its power in aid of statistics, not only for the administration of the affairs of state, but also for the furtherance of political science, and for general information. Abundance and accuracy must be the object of a government in collecting statistical facts.
We would lay much stress upon the collection of facts by the highest authority of the state, because the classes of facts most important in political inquiries can scarcely ever be searched out by other persons, who have not access to the offices of government, and who are without authority to demand information ; while the ' government has ample means at its disposal, and can, without difficulty, and In the ordinary course of executive business, obtain statistical information of the highest value. In this and many other countries the respective governments are applying themselves earnestly to statistical investigations. In England a statistical depart ment has been established at the Board of Trade to collect and arrange all the documents of a statistical nature that can be obtained through any department or agency of government. The admirably organised departments of the French government have abundance of statistical materials systematically collected, which they never fail to arrange in a very lucid manner, and to analyse with much ability. Great credit is due to the Belgian government for the diligence with which its several departments have engaged in statistics under the superintendence of a central statistical commission. Austria, Prussia, and other European governments, have also more or less complete and comprehensive statistical departments.
But while governments are thus engaged, there is ample room for the labours of individuals. Local statistics of all kinds are open to them. The books and records of public institutions, facts relating to particular trades, to the moral and social state of different classes of society, and other matters apparently of local interest only, often pre sent results as important as those derived from inquiries on a more extended scale. Good service also may often be done by a judicious selection and comparison of matters not brought together in official statements, with a view to the illustration of principles of science or experiments in legislation, and by suggestions and criticism, which may direct the attention of government to particular branches of inquiry, to improvements in the mode of carrying them on, or in the form in which they are published.
It would be useless to attempt an enumeration of the various matters that are included in the province of statistics, but for the more convenient consideration of the subject we may indicate its division into-1, Historical statistics, or facts illustrative of the former condition of a state ; 2, Statistics of population ; 3, of revenue ; 4, of trade, commerce, and navigation ; 5, of the moral, social, and physical condition of the people.
The article CENSUS will serve as an example of the use to which such materials may be applied, and the parliamentary returns of the Board of Trade and the criminal and legal statistics now published annually furnish other examples.