CURRENCY.

BANK OF ENGLAND.

An Account, pursuant to the Act of the 7th and 8th Victoria, c. 32, for the Weeks ending on Saturday, the 18th October, the 15th November, and the 20th December, 1851.—(Continued from p. 376, vol. xiv.)

Average Aggregate Amount of Promissory Notes of Country Banks, which have been in Circulation in the United Kingdom, distinguishing the several Banks, or Classes of Banks, by which issued in each part of the Kingdom, during the months ending 1st November, 29th November, and 27th Debember, 1851.-(Continued from p. 376, vol. xiv.)

QUARTERLY JOURNAL

OF THE

STATISTICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON.

JUNE, 1852.

Eighteenth Annual Meeting of the Statistical Society of London.
Session 1852-3. T. TOOKE, Esq., V.P., in the Chair.

[Held at No. 12, St. James's Square, Monday, March 15, 1852.] THE Report now submitted, is the eighteenth annual statement laid before the Society; and the Council have the satisfaction of feeling that it is amongst the most encouraging which it has fallen to their lot to make.

If the number of members enrolled upon the books of the Society may be taken as a test of its prosperity, the summary of the past year cannot but prove most satisfactory. The new members are 29 in number, whilst the Society has to lament the loss of only 4 members by death and 5 by withdrawal, leaving a balance of 20 new members. This is the largest addition made in any one year since the Society may be considered to have been fairly established. The names of 5 foreign honorary members having been duly submitted to the Council, were elected at the last ordinary meeting, viz.:

M. Ramon de la Sagra, Spain; Dr. Friedlander, Russia; Mr. Kennedy, United States; Dr. Schleisner, Denmark; M. Visschers, Brussels.

The Society had the pleasure of extending to some of these gentlemen, and to other distinguished foreigners, that hospitality which was generally accorded by our Literary and Scientific Societies to the eminent persons attracted by the Great Exhibition. One gratifying result of the personal intercourse thus brought about will be presently mentioned in the form of some valuable additions to the library of the Society.

The financial condition of the Society, in consequence of diminished expenditure on the one hand, and an increase of members on the other, is very satisfactory. The Report of the Auditors shows that the balance in hand at the end of the year 1851 exceeded the balance of the previous year by upwards of 321., whilst the liabilities bave been reduced by more than 247. Two compositions have been received in the course of the year, and 251. of arrears were collected.

The following is a summary of the leading contributions submitted to the Society at their ordinary meetings:

In Vital Statistics several important papers were brought forward. Lieut.-Col. Sykes directed the attention of the Society to the Mortality prevailing among European and Native Troops of the Madras Presidency, from 1842 to 1848, from the Prevailing Diseases, and as influenced by Intemperance. Mr. Neison added to his already large number of valuable essays on this class of subjects a paper on the Mortality among Persons of Intemperate Habits; Dr. Guy still further extended his series of essays on the Duration of Life among the Upper

VOL. XV. PART II.

H

and Middle Classes of Society, by a paper on the Duration of Life among the Clergy; and Mr. R. T. Jopling contributed a short paper on the Sanitary Statistics of the Metropolis.

The division of Economical and Commercial Statistics comprises a paper, by Licut.-Col. Sykes, on the Taxation and Revenue of the Free City of Frankfort-on-the-Maine; on Commercial Statistics and an Attempt at a Universal Commercial Code, by Mr. Leone Levi; on Coffee and the Coffee Trade, by Mr. J. Crawford; and on the Public Debts and Revenues contrasted with the Areas and Populations of the Various Countries of Europe, by the Assistant-Secretary.

The important department of Educational Statistics is illustrated by Mr. Fletcher's paper on Farm Schools and Agricultural Colonies, and the Classes for whose Education and Discipline they are available.

The Council have the satisfaction of adding that these papers were read and discussed in the presence of larger meetings than those of ordinary years; and that the science of statistics is exciting greater interest in the minds of the educated and well-informed members of society.

In acknowledging the donations of books, the Council are bound to make special mention, in the first place, of the support extended to them on the part of the Colonial Department of Her Majesty's Government, by the early communication of interesting documents relating to the British Possessions abroad.

Next in order of importance, the Council would advert to the large and curious collection of American Statistics, contributed by Mr. Edward Jarvis, of Dorchester, Massachusetts.

The donations of foreign statistical works, to which allusion has already been made, comprise contributions by Baron von Reden, relating to Finance in Germany; by MM. Ducpétiaux, Villermé and Visschers, relating to Asylums and Savings' Banks; by M. Wolowski, relating to Subjects connected with Political Economy; by M. Ramon de la Sagra, the Spanish Commissioner to the Great Exhibition, on the Statistics of his country (the earliest in which statistics were collected) and its contributions to that great industrial collection; by M. Meidinger, on the Statistics of the British Empire; by the Marquis d'Azeglio, on Sardinian Statistics; by Professors Ackersdyck, Holst, and Bergsöe, and Messrs. C. E. Ljungberg, Engel, and Philippo Corridi, on the Statistics of the Netherlands, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Saxony, and Tuscany, respectively. The Society continues to receive costly and valuable additions to the library from the Smithsonian Institute. They are also expecting some interesting statistical documents relating to the Census of the United States, from Mr. Kennedy, one of their recently elected honorary members. Society continue to be under obligations to the Court of Directors of the East India Company for additions to their library.

The

The usual donations of the Journals and Transactions of the English Scientific Societies have been also received, completing the largest amount of donations in books ever received by the Society in one year.

The Council cannot conclude their Report without congratulating the Society on its satisfactory condition and encouraging prospects. The truc bearing of their labours on the great questions which interest society and promote the welfare of the community is becoming better understood, and its sphere of usefulnessis being proportionably enlarged.

Abstract of RECEIPTS and EXPENDITURE from the 1st JANUARY to the 31st DECEMBER, 1851.