Census of Nova Scotia, Taken March 30, 1861, Under Act of Provincial
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: REPORT STATISTICS STATISTIQUE OF THE CANADA CANADA SEP 10 J996 SECEETAEY LIBRARY U LtOTHfeQUE OF THE BOARD OF STATISTICS ON THE CENSUS OF NOYA SCOTIA, . 1861. BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS The Hon. ADAMS G. ARCHIBALD, The Hon. JONATHAN McCULLY, The Hon. WILLIAM ANNAND. HALIFAX, K. S. PRINTED BY ORDER OF THE GOVERNMENT. 1862. ; BOAED OF STATISTICS. REPORT. CENSUS OFFICE, Halifax, December 31, 1861. To The Honorable ADAMS G-. ARCHIBALD,) Members " The Honorable JONATHAN McCULLY, V of the Board of " The Honorable WILLIAM ANNAND; J Statistics. All tlie abstracts being completed, and placed in the hands of the printer, in compliance with the request of the Honorable the Chairman of your Board, I have the honor to present my report of the Census of Nova Scotia for 1861.- Before entering upon the results, I trust it will not be considered out of place to make a few observations, in reference to the machinery by which the information detailed in the various abstracts, has been collected and condensed. After carefully examining the forms used in Great Britain and Canada, it was decided to adopt so much of both, as was applicable to this Province ; and after such further additions as were necessary, a form of schedule was prepared, called the " Householder's Schedule," one of which, in conformity with the English practice, and partially that of Canada, was delivered by the Enumerators to each family, before the day fixed for taking the Census, viz.: the 30th March. In Canada the Census is taken by Townships ; but in many parts of this Province, there being no regularly defined Townships, the only practical mode was to take it by Polling Districts ; and while upon this part of the subject, I would respectfully suggest the propriety, before another Census is taken, of having every County laid off into Townships, or Census Districts, with boundaries properly denned and established. There are two very strong objections to taking the Census by Polling Districts : first, the great disparity between the Districts, both as respects area and the number of inhabitants ; and secondly, the want of permanent boundaries, as scarcely a session of the Legislature passes without the boundaries of some Polling District being changed. The selection of suitable persons to act as Enumerators, became a very important part of my duty. The Legislature being in session, I availed myself of the opportunity thus afforded, of obtaining information from the members, as to competent persons to employ ; and I have much pleasure in bearing testimony to their cordial co-operation, and valuable assistance. The Enumerators were furnished with printed instructions accompanying the schedules, and much credit is due to most of the parties engaged, for the prompt and efficient manner in which their duties were discharged more particularly when it is considered, that this was the first time of taking the Census in this Province by the mode adopted. In a work of this kind, it is necessary to bear in mind that the information obtained is chiefly voluntary. Many of the Enumerators state, that in —— 6 REPORT OF THE numerous instances they found persons unwilling, and some even refusing, to give the necessary information, professing to believe that the object of taking the Census was for the puropose of imposing taxation. This, how- ever, is not to be wondered at, as the same prejudice, creating the same difficulty, is found to exist in all other countries. It is said this feeling prevailed to such an extent in the United States when the Census before the last was taken, that it became necessary in some districts to put in force the act of Congress for refusal to reply to the interrogatories of the Enumerators. A writer has remarked, in referrnce to this matter, that " People are slow to see that questions relating to themselves and their households, can have any bearing on the general good, and forget that in accounts of large numbers, the individual is wholly lost sight of in the average, but that the average can only be obtained by an accurate knowledge of all that pertains to the individual." I have great pleasure in stating here, that much credit is due to the clergy of several denominations, for their exertions through the press and otherwise, in disabusing the public mind in reference to) such prejudices. Some idea may be had of the labor to be performed in this office, from the following statement, viz. : About 55,000 Householder's Schedules were re- turned to the office, each of which had to be carefully examined, and statis- tical information under six different heads, extracted therefrom and put into as many abstract forms. These do not include buildings, places of worship, mills, &c, which were returned by the Enumerators in a separate schedule. The mode of proceeding in the analysis was as follows : 1st. Peesonal Census. The most difficult and tedious part of the work was the classification of the ages, deaths, marriages, deaf and dumb, blind, lunatics, idiots, &c, dis- tinguishing between male and female, married and single, widowers and widows also ; the number between 5 and 15 years of age, and above 15, who could not read and write, which arrangement in one abstract, occupies no fewer than 150 columns. Next _ comes the classifications of origin, religions, trades and occupations, deaths and causes of deaths, each re- quiring separate abstracts. 2nd. Agricultural Census. The agricultural tables contain a large and valuable amount of informa- tion, which occupy 55 pages of closely printed matter, and which will be found treated of at length hereafter. Although the work has necessarily cost a considerable amount, the expense will contrast very favorably with that of Canada in 1851, compared with the population. My estimate, exclusive of printing and binding the Report and Abstracts when compiled, was $12,500. In this estimate I did not include the alphabetical arrangement, and binding the schedules, which at your suggestion has been done, making 118 volumes ; these will form a valuable record for reference. The whole amount, including some allowance, in addition to that fixed, to Enumerators in large districts, and binding the schedules, will not exceed the estimate more than $400. The experience of the office suggests the propriety of making some alteration in the mode of making the returns by the Enumerators. In Canada a commissioner is appointed for each County, whose duty it is to appoint the Enumerators, re- ceive from them the schedules when filled up, prepare abstracts therefrom, and return the abstracts to the head office ; instead of the schedules being returned by the Enumerators, as was done here. I would recommend that in future a person be appointed in each County, as in Canada, thoroughly acquainted with every locality. The Sheriff, as a general rule, would be a suitable person. The commissioner so appointed, to select with great care the Enumerators, furnish them with the schedules, and give them full in- formation relative to their duty in taking the Census. The schedules after being filled up, to be returned to the commissioner, who, with the Enume- rators, will carefully examine and correct them ; after which they should be returned by the Commissioner to the head office. I deem it essentially BOARD OF STATISTICS. neceasary, for the purpose of insuring correctness and uniformity, that all the abstract work should be done in the head office. The Secretary, in his report of the Census of Canada for 1851, complains that great discrepancies were discovered in the abstracts furnished by the commissioners. I would suggest that the next Census should contain a return of the value of Agricultural Implements possessed by each land-holder. Such a return would afford a valuable source of information, as showing the amount of that description of personal property. «• " Mr. Hutton, in his report of the Census of Canada for 1851, says : The returns of a Population Census acquire their chief utility, from being con- trasted with those of former periods ; as from this comparison we learn the increase or decrease of the population, and the proportionate relation of the two sexes. It has been found, that although Great Britain has increased upwards of ten millions during the last half century, yet throughout this period the sexes have preserved their relative proportion, viz., 30 males to 31 females." The Census of Canada for 1851 shows the reverse, there being in Tipper Canada 33 males to 30 females, and in Lower Canada about 51 males to 50 females ; while in Nova Scotia the two sexes are nearly equal. In 1851 the females exceeded the males only about 1 in 200, and in 1861 the males exceed the females about 1 in 500. The difference in the rela- tive proportion of the sexes in the Countries named, may be reasonably accounted for upon the principle of emigration. More males than females emigrate from Great Britain, causing the females to prodominate there ; while in Canada the males predominate, owing to larger accessions of males than females to the population by immigration. In Nova Scotia the rela- tive proportion of the sexes is but slightly affected in this respect. The following table shows the increase in the population during the past ten years, with the rate per cent, of increase in the several Counties. - Population. Rate per cent. COUNTIES. Increase. increase. 1851. 186). Halifax (City) 19949 25026 5077 25.44 " (Outside City) 19163 23995 4832 25.21 Total in County 39112 49021 9909 25.33 15469 20045 4576 29.58 14339 19533 5194 36.22 25593 28785 3192 12.47 13467 14871 1404 10.42 10838 12713 1875 17.30 16917 19967 3050 18.02 10381 12607 2226 21.44 9643 Victoria, ) 27580 | 2929 20866 10.62 Cape Breton J J 14330 17460 3130 21.14 14138 18731 4593 32.48 14286 16953 2467 17.26 12252 14751 2499 20.39 13142 15446 2304 17.53 10622 10668 46 ,43 7256 9365 2109 29.06 16395 19632 3237 19.74 Totals 276117 330857 54740 19.82 The Counties of Kings and Cumberland show an increase of over 30 per cent., Colchester and Queens nearly 30, Halifax 25, and the others, Shel- burne excepted, varying from 10 to 21—the average increase being nearly 8 REPORT OF THE 20 per cent.