Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume IV.djvu/203

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CENSUS 195 tian names, sex, age by year and month, birth- place, civil condition, occupation, domicile, and town and country population. In the second census, taken under this law in 1866, comprehensive inquiries into the agricultural, mining, and manufacturing interests of the kingdom were made. Three schedules, print- ed in the French, German, and Flemish lan- guages, were distributed and collected in one day respectively by special census agents. The statistics of schools and public institutions were taken by means of special schedules. The cen- sus of the army was taken by the military authorities. Refusal to furnish information to the census agents was punishable by fine and imprisonment. In 1858 a special census of deaf mutes and blind was taken. The census returns, together with the yearly abstracts from the civil registers, and the results of spe- cial inquiries, are prepared for publication by the central statistical commission. A census was taken Dec. 1, 1870. In the Netherlands the census is taken decennially, the last da- ting Dec. 31, 1871. It embraces inquiries as to name, sex, age, place of birth, civil state, pro- fession, occupation, or condition, physical dis- abilities, religion, number of families and habi- tations. The army and navy, inmates of hos- pitals, almshouses, prisons, schools, and public institutions generally, are separately enumer- ated. The present bureau of statistics in Italy was organized in 1860, with the well known statistician Dr. P. Maestri as chief. Provision was made for decennial censuses, the first of which was taken in 1861, and the latest Dec. 31, 1871. It was taken by municipal and administrative officers, in one day, by means of previously distributed schedules, embracing inquiries designed to show the actual popula- tion by age, sex, civil state and domestic rela- tions, families, habitations, nativity, religion, language, physical and mental infirmities, oc- cupation, emigration and immigration, aggre- gations of population by communes, and aggre- gations of habitations. The census returns were revised by local commissioners appointed throughout the kingdom, and published in three large volumes under the general direc- tion of the bureau of statistics. The first gen- eral enumeration of the kingdom of Greece was made in 1836. The census was taken an- nually till 1845, and subsequently in 1848, 1853, 1856, 1861, 1868, and in May, 1870. Prior to 1861 a mere enumeration of the in- habitants was made ; since that date the range of inquiries has been greatly extended and more comprehensive official publications have ap- peared. The movement of the population is determined from civil registers kept by the municipal authorities. Tables of births, deaths, and marriages are published at irregular inter- vals. In Turkey the object of the census, which is very imperfect, is to provide the basis for taxation and conscription. A census officer in each province prepares an annual exhibit of the number of births, deaths, absentees and travellers, public health, movement of real property, taxable values, and losses by fire, dis- ease, &c. An annual statement is prepared by the head of each village of the age, occupation, religion, military service, liability to taxation, &c., of every male inhabitant under his juris- diction. This statement is transmitted to the comptroller of the census of the province, and by him forwarded after verification to the chief comptroller of statistics in Constantinople. In France the first census of which the records are extant was taken in 1700, the results of which were published in 1720. During the latter half of the 18th century numerous statisti- cal reports relating to population and other subjects were published by the government as well as by individuals. A general enumera- tion of the population was made in 1800, and in the following year it was decreed that a national census should be taken every five years. Pursuant to this law censuses were taken in 1806 and 1821 ; and hi 1826 the ex- tent of the population was computed. Since 1826 the census has been taken regularly at quinquennial periods. The last, however, was taken in May, 1872. In 1836 individual sched- ules were used, in which the age of each person was for the first time recorded. Up to that time only the legal population had been ascer- tained, b,ut in 1841 the actual population was made the basis of the census. The enumera- tion has been usually made in May and June. The inquiries embrace surnames and Christian names, sex, age, civil state, birthplace, occupa- tion, religion, degree of instruction, and infirmi- ties of many kinds. At times other subjects of inquiry, such as the proportion of the rural to the town population, diseases, the number of households, inhabited and uninhabited houses, buildings in course of construction, and live stock, have been connected with the census. Statistics relating to population are also derived from other sources. Particulars of births, mar- riages, and deaths are taken from the civil registers. Reports are prepared of cases of mental aberration, of the inmates of public charitable and penal institutions, of charitable associations, life annuity and insurance com- panies, savings banks, and public pawn houses. The judicial authorities furnish criminal sta- tistics annually. The reports of population are prepared by the bureau de la statistique in the ministry of commerce, agriculture, and pub- lic works. The first census of Great Britain was taken in 1801, and embraced the sex but not the age of all subjects, the number of families, and the occupations, classified so as to exhibit the number employed in agriculture, in trade and manufactures or handicrafts, and those not comprised within these two classes. The first census of Ireland was taken in 1811, but not until recently have the results been re- ceived as trustworthy. Dr. Jarvis considers the Irish census of 1841, 1851, and 1861 among the best in the world. In Great Britain and Ire- land the census is decennial, and includes the