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THE IMPORT,.NCE OF GENERAL STATISTICAL IDEAS 3 6 1
paris?n with o.thers; the relative gr?wth of the British
Empire. Russia. Germany. and U OIted States. in com-
pa.ri~on with other nations of Europe or of European
ongll'l; the dependence of other European countries.
as well as the United Kingdom. upon imports of food
and raw materials; the ability of old countries and of
old centres in new countries to maintain large and in-
creasing populations; and the evidence which is now
accumulating of changes in the rate of growth of
European nations. with suggestions as to the causes
of the changes.
I t would be easy indeed to write whole chapters on
some of these topics. instead of making a remark or
two only to bring out their value a little. I t would also
be very easy to add to the list.
There was a strong temptation to include in it a
reference to the relative growth of England. Scotland.
and Ireland. which has now become the text of so
much discussion. regarding the practical question of
diminishing the relative representation of Ireland in
Parliament, and increasing that of England and Scot-
land. I t is expedient, however, in an address like this
to avoid anything which verges on party politics. and
I shall only notice that while the topic has lately
become of keen interest to politicians. it is not new to
statisticians, who were able long ago to foresee what
is now so much remarked on. This very topic was
discussed at length in one of the addresses of 1882, to
which reference has been made; and even before that,
in 1876, it received attention. Another topic which
1
might have been added is that of the economic growth
of the different countries, which was discussed in the
address in 1883, and such topics as the increase of
population in a country like India, under the peace
imposed by its European conquerors. by which the
stationariness of the country in numbers and wealth,
under purely native conditions. has been·changed. and
something like European progress has been begun.
1 See supra, vol. i., p. 277; and supra, voL ii., P. I.