Increase. Italy 22,104,789 in 1863--30,947,306 in 1889 40 per cent. '' 27,165,553 in 1873--30,565,188 in 1888 12 '' France 31,858,937 in 1826--38,218,903 in 1887 20 per cent. Belgium 4,072,619 in 1840-- 5,583,278 in 1885 44 '' Prussia 21,046,984 in 1852--26,614,428 in 1878 26 '' Germany 45,717,000 in 1882--47,540,000 in 1887 4 '' England 13,896,797 in 1831--27,870,586 in 1886 101 '' '' 20,066,224 in 1861--27,870,586 in 1886 39 '' Austria 20,217,531 in 1869--23,070,688 in 1886 14 '' Ireland 5,798,967 in 1861-- 4,777,545 in 1888 dec. 17 '' It must, however, be observed, with regard to this increase of the population, firstly that it tells as a factor <p 74>of criminality only in so far as it is not neutralised, wholly or in part, by other influences, mainly social, which prevent crime or render it less grave. Secondly, it is not right merely to compare the proportional rates of increase in the population with those of crime, as was done for instance by M. Bodio, who said that in Italy, from 1873 to 1883, ``since the population had increased by 7.5 per cent., crime might have increased during the same time by 7.5 per cent., without its being fair to say that it had actually increased.'' In point of fact, as M. Rossi remarked, since in Italy, and almost all the European States, the growth of the population is due to the excess of births over deaths (for emigration is more numerous than immigration), it is evident that, when we confine our attention to short periods, the addition to the population, consisting of children under ten or twelve years, does not increase crime in an appreciable degree. The deaths, on the other hand, must be subtracted from all stages of human life, but especially from the number of those who can and do commit crimes and offences. Now, as we cannot in this place go into detail, I must confine myself to the statement of a few characteristic facts, as illustrated by European crime. Thus we perceive the influence of the great famine of 1846-7 on crimes against property in France and Belgium; the rapid oscillations of crime in Ireland, indicating the unstable political and social conditions of the country; and the parallel movements of crime in, France and Prussia. We see, indeed, a constant diminution of crime for the period between 1860 and <p 75>1870, followed (after the statistical disturbance of the terrible year 1870-1) by a period of serious and continued increase of crime, resulting from social and economic conditions, as shown especially by the increase of vagrancy and theft since 1875.