91. K. Marx. Population, Crime, and Pauperism
London, August 23, 1859
A Blue Book, headed "Statistical Abstract for the United Kingdom in each of the last fifteen years from 1844 to 1858," was presented to both Houses of Parliament during the last session. Dry as the figures, arrayed in the close columns of the official print, may look, they contain, in fact, more valuable contributions to the history of the national movement than volumes of rhetorical claptrap and political gossip. The first item that calls for our attention, is the population tables, but, strange to say, the figures relating to the movement of the population of Ireland during the fifteen years are altogether omitted. The Scotch table shows but feeble oscillations which we shall not dwell upon. The following is an account of the population movement in England and Wales:
Years. Estim'd Popula'n.
1844 16,520,000 1845 16,721,000 1846 16,925,000 1847 17,132,000 1848 17,340,000 1849 17,552,000 1850 17,766,000 1851 17,983,000 1852 18,205,000 1853 18,403,000 1854 18,618,000 1855 18,787,000 1856 19,045,000 1857 19,305,000 1858 19,523,000
Marriages.
540,763 356,950 132,249 543,521 349,366 143,743 572,625 390,315 145,664 539,965 423,304 135,845 563,059 399,800 138,230 578,159 440,853 141,883 593,422 368,986 151,738 615,865 395,174 154,206 624,171 407,938 158,439 612,391 421,097 164,520 634,506 438,239 159,349 635,123 426,242 151,774 657,704 391,369 159,262 663,071 419,815 159,097 655,627 450,018 154,500 Face to face with this population table we place the statements respecting crime and pauperism of England and Wales:
COMMITTED FOR TRIAL.
Years. Females. Total. Convicted.
4,993 26,542 18,919 4,962 24,303 17,402 5,257 25,107 18,144 5,930 28,833 21,542 5,763 30,349 22,900 5,401 27,816 21,001 5,265 26,813 20,537 5,569 27,960 21,579 5,625 27,510 21,304 6,178 27,057 20,756 6,636 29,359 23,047 6,082 25,972 19,971 4,012 19,437 14,734 4,299 20,269 15,307 3,990 17,855 13,246
1844 21,549 1845 19,341 1846 19,850 1847 22,903 1848 24,586 1849 22,415 1850 21,548 1851 22,391 1852 21,885 1853 20,879 1854 22,723 1855 19,890 1856 15,425 1857 15,970 1858 13,865
The tabular statement relating to the number of paupers (exclusive of vagrants) in receipt of relief in the several unions and parishes under Boards of Guardians in England and Wales, begins with the year 1849:
Years. Total of Paupers. Years. Total of Paupers.
1849 934,419 1854 818,337 1850 920,543 1855 851,369 1851 860,893 1856 877,767 1852 834,424 1857 843,806 1853 798,822 1858 908,186
By comparing these three tables of population, crime and pauperism, it will be found that from 1844 to 1854 crime grew faster than population, while pauperism from 1849 to 1858 remained almost stationary, despite the enormous changes worked during that interval in the state of British society. Three great facts mark the decennial period of 1849-1858 — facts which would almost justify us in comparing that period to the most illustrious epochs of the 16th century. The corn laws had been repealed, the gold fields discovered,[367] and an immense emigration had taken place. There were, besides, other circumstances which gave a new start to industry and commerce. From revolutionary convulsions, Europe had turned to an industrial mania. The conquest of the Punjaub,[368] and then the Russian war and the Asiatic wars, had made accessible markets till then almost unknown. Finally, the United States' import of British produce had developed itself in dimensions not even suspected ten years before. The whole market of the world had expanded and seemed to have doubled or trebled its powers of absorption. And with all this, during this memorable decennial epoch, the stationary million of English paupers is diminished only by 26,233 individuals. If we compare the years 1853 and 1858, it has even increased by 109,364.
There must be something rotten in the very core of a social system which increases its wealth without diminishing its misery, and increases in crimes even more rapidly than in numbers. It is true enough that, if we compare the year 1855 with the preceding years, there seems to have occurred a sensible decrease of crime from 1855 to 1858. The total number of people committed for trial, which in 1854 amounted to 29,359, had sunk down to 17,855 in 1858; and the number of convicted had also greatly fallen off, if not quite in the same ratio. This apparent decrease of crime, however, since 1854, is to be exclusively attributed to some technical changes in British jurisdiction; to the Juvenile Offenders' act[369] in the first instance, and, in the second instance, to the operation of the Criminal Justice act of 1855, which authorizes the Police Magistrates to pass sentences for short periods, with the consent of the prisoners. Violations of the law are generally the offspring of economical agencies beyond the control of the legislator, but, as the working of the Juvenile Offenders' act testifies, it depends to some degree on official society to stamp certain violations of its rules as crimes or as transgressions only. This difference of nomenclature, so far from being indifferent, decides on the fate of thousands of men, and the moral tone of society. Law itself may not only punish crime, but improvise it, and the law of professional lawyers is very apt to work in this direction. Thus, it has been justly remarked by an eminent historian, that the Catholic clergy of the medieval times, with its dark views of human nature, introduced by its influence into criminal legislation, has created more crimes than forgiven sins.
Strange to say, the only part of the United Kingdom in which crime has seriously decreased, say by 50, and even by 75 per cent, is Ireland. How can we harmonize this fact with the public-opinion slang of England, according to which Irish nature, instead of British misrule, is responsible for Irish shortcomings? It is, again, no act on the part of the British ruler, but simply the consequence of a famine, an exodus, and a general combination of circumstances favorable to the demand for Irish labor, that has worked this happy change in Irish nature. However that may be, the significance of the following tabular statements cannot be misunderstood :
I.—CRIMES IN IRELAND. C O M M I T T E D FOR TRIAL.
Years. Males. Females. Total. Convicted.
1844 14,799 4,649 19,448 8,042 1845 12,807 3,889 16,696 7,101 1846 14,204 4,288 18,492 8,639 1847 23,552 7,657 31,209 15,233 1848 28,765 9,757 38,522 18,206 1849 31,340 10,649 41,989 21,202 1850 22,682 8,644 31,326 17,108 1851 17,337 7,347 24,684 14,377 1852 12,444 5,234 17,678 10,454 1853 10,260 4,884 15,144 8,714 1854 7,937 3,851 11,788 7,051 1855 6,019 2,993 9,012 5,220 1856 5,097 2,002 7,099 4,024 1857 5,458 1,752 7,210 3,925 1858 4,708 1,600 6,308 3,350
IL — PAUPERS IN IRELAND.
Years. Total of Paupers.
1849 620,747 1850 307,970 1851 209,187 1852 171,418 1853 141,822
Years. Total of Paupers.
1854 106,802 1855 86,819 1856 73,083 1857 56,094 1858 50,582
It is to be regretted that the emigration table does not specify the different parts of the United Kingdom, from which the movement started, and the ratio in which each part has contributed to the general result. From the table, such as it is, it will be inferred, that from 1844 to 1847, the emigration to the British North American Colonies bade fair to approximate, if not to outstrip the emigration to the United States. From 1848, however, the emigration to British North America settles down into a mere appendage of the emigration to the United States. On the other hand, British emigration to Australia and New Zealand is developing itself during the 15 years from 1844 to 1858 in rapid strides. While the emigration to the North American Colonies reaches its climax in 1847, and that to the United States in 1851, the emigration to Australia and New Zealand stands on its apogee in 1852. From that time down to 1858, there is a continuous fall in the number of emigrants, the total number of which in 1852 had ascended to 368,764, being brought down, in 1858 to 113,972, or by more than 75 per°cent. The following is the table alluded to:
NUMBER OF EMIGRANTS FROM THE UNITED KINGDOM TO VARIOUS DESTINATIONS.
To the N.A. T o the Australia and Other Total. Colonies. U.S. N e w Zealand. Places.
1844 22,924 43,660 2,229 1,873 70,686 1845 31,803 58,538 830 2,330 93,501 1846 43,439 82,239 2,347 1,826 129,851 1847 109,680 142,154 4,949 1,487 258,270 1848 31,065 188,233 23,904 4,887 248,089 1849 41,367 219,450 32,191 6,490 299,498 1850 32,961 223,078 16,037 8,773 280,849 1851 42,605 267,357 21,532 4,472 335,966 1852 32,873 244,261 87,881 3,749 368,764 1853 34,522 230,885 61,401 3,129 329,937 1854 43,761 193,065 83,237 3,366 323,429 1855 17,966 103,414 52,309 3,118 176,807 1856 16,378 111,837 44,584 3,755 176,554 1857 21,001 126,905 61,248 3,721 212,875 1858 9,704 59,716 39,295 5,257 113,972
Endnotes
[367] The reference is to the repeal of the Corn Laws in June 1846 The reference is to the repeal of the Corn Laws in June 1846 by the Peel Government in the interests of the industrial bourgeoisie. import duties on agricultural produce in the interests of the landowners in order to maintain high prices for these products on the home market. The struggle between the industrial bourgeoisie and the landed aristocracy over the Corn Laws ended in their repeal. The discovery of rich gold deposits in California in 1848 and in Australia in 1851 greatly influenced the economic development of Europe and America. See also Note 3.
[368] T h e Punjab (North-Western India) was conquered by the British East India C o m p a n y as a result of the Anglo-Sikh wars of 1845-46 and 1848-49. T h e conquest of the Punjab completed the British colonisation of India.
[369] T h i s refers to the Reformatory School Act of 1854 which instituted reformatory schools in England for delinquents from 12 to 16 years old.