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WILLIAMS' CASE. 247
Maryland and some other of the states complied. By an act of
the General Assembly of Maryland, the assessors and commission-
era of the tax of the several counties were directed to make re-
turns of the number of inhabitants in their respective counties to
the clerk of the house of delegates; (i) which returns, if ever
made, are now lost. But it is believed, that in no country has
there ever been taken a regular and periodical enumeration of all
the people, like those taken under the constitution of the United
States, (j) The census thus required to be taken every tenth
year, might be so ordered as to collect a great variety of the most
authentic and useful information, shewing, among other things, the
average rate of mortality in each state, and indeed in each county
of every state in the Union, as well as such other matters as
are more immediately connected with its political objects. But
hitherto little more has been done than to have returns made of
the numbers of free persons and of slaves within certain specified
ages, (k)
From such information, however, as we possess, it may be con-
fidently assumed, that the average rate of mortality is, in general,
not greater here than in any part of Europe; and that taking into
consideration all political and natural causes, as compared with
England, in this respect, the most favoured portion of Europe, (I)
the circumstances of these United States are, in general, fully as
favourable to the duration of human life as any other country of
the world. For, after making the largest allowance for the acces-
sions to our numbers by emigration; (m) and for the greater
number of marriages here than elsewhere, it will be found, that in
no country has the population increased so rapidly as in the United
States. Marriages, although earlier and more numerous, are, on
an average, not much more fruitful here than in other countries, (n)
And the general ultimate term of human existence, although ex-
tended here as far as any where, not having been materially
enlarged, the rapid increase of our population can only, therefore,
be accounted for by admitting it to be a fact, that of those born
here a greater proportion approximate to the ultimate term of life
than in any other country; or, in other words, that the rapid du-
(t) 1785, ch. 83, s. 2S.—(j) Seybert Stat. Ann. 17.—(k) 2 Price Obser. 54, 210;
1 Malthus Popu. 457, note, 476; Seybert Stat. Ann. 17,19.—(l) 2 Southern Rev.
153; 1 Malthus Popu. 477.—(m) Seybert Stat. Ann. 28,30.—(n) 2 Sparks' Frank-
lin's Works, 813; 2 Price Obser. 42; 2 Malthus Popu. b. 2, c. 9; 9 Westm. Rev.
419.
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