Conclusion
The Census Returns of the United Kingdom show that during her happy reign 5,900,000 have been added to Her Majesty Queen Victoria's subjects, not by the seizure of neighbouring territories, but mainly by the enterprise, industry, and virtue of her people. How the population of the kingdom is upheld; how this marvellous society is organized; how the people are distributed over every place; what houses they dwell in; what numbers of either sex, of children, of men and women are living married, single, widowed at the several ages; what are their relations to heads of families; what occupations men and women of the several ages follow; what numbers living in the several places where born in the same or in other parishes, counties, and countries; and what numbers of the two sexes were labouring under infirmities of the chief senses or of the mind In every locality, remains for further analysis: and this analysis will require time, as it deals with millions of facts and persons; when completed all the data will contribute to the self-knowledge of the nation. Mere numbers are elements of force; and a prolific must, in the end, beat a sterilized people; but this element of quantity is second in importance to the qualities of the race; for an intelligent, vigorous, and healthy nation, well organized, is alone worthy of continuous existence. Since the returns arrived at the Census Office an important use has made of them in extracting information required by School Boards established under the Elementary Education Act of 1870. The London School Board his already been supplied with details relating to nearly 700,000 children between the ages of 3 and 13 a living within the limits of the School Board District, the information this obtained being used as a basis of the further inquiries now proceeding in order to ascertain the educational wants of various localities in the metropolis. Similar details will be furnished for the use of the School Boards in other parts of the country. This preliminary report, it must be borne in mind, presents only the unrevised figures, and the short interval that has elapsed since they reached us has allowed little time for presenting their results in a fashion commensurate with their importance or worthy of the subject. But we have thought it right to append a few calculations accompanied by explanatory remarks, in the hope that they may save trouble and be of some use to those who consult the Tables. We have the honour to be, WILLIAM CLODE, Secretary.X. CONCLUSION.
Sir,
Your obedient and faithful Servants,
GEORGE GRAHAM, Registrar General.
WILLIAM FARR.
JAMES THOMAS HAMMICK