The following figures will show the number of males and females in the United States, at the close of each of the last five decades:-- Excess of Per cent. Year. Males. Females. Males. of Excess. 1820 4,898,127 4,740,004 158,123 3.2 1830 6,529,696 6,336,324 193,372 3 1840 8,688,532 8,380,921 307,611 3.5 1850 11,837,661 11,354,215 483,446 4.1 1860 16,086,059 15,359,021 727,038 4.5 Thus it will be seen, that nature has made no provision for the practice of polygamy in this country. On the contrary, there has continually been an excess of the male population. This fact is owing, in part, to the large excess of males in the immigration from foreign countries. Let us pursue this subject a little farther. In 1851, the population of Great Britain and Ireland was,--males, 13,537,052; females, 14,082,814. Excess of females, 3 per cent. But emigration, and the heavy wars in which that country had been engaged, had been draining off the male population for many years previous. In Prussia, in 1849, there were then living,--males, 8,162,805; females, 8,162,382. The mortality of males is greater than that of females. To compensate for this, more males are born. In England, the excess of male births is 5 per cent.; in France and Russia, 6 per cent.; in the United States, from 5 to 12 per cent., according to the locality. If, now, we turn our attention to the Territory of Utah, we shall find a similar state of facts. By reference to the United States Census of 1850, it will appear that there was, at that time, an excess of males in every county in the Territory, amounting, in the aggregate, to 712; the total number of males being 6,046, and of females, 5,334. The national census of 1860 shows the following result: males, 20,255,--females, 20,018. There has always been, in this Territory, as there is in every new country, a scarcity of females. No person, therefore, could take more than one wife, without, as a necessary consequence, compelling some other person to live without any. This subject is placed in a still stronger light, by reference to the report of the Territorial Superintendent of Common Schools, dated January 14, 1863, and published in the "Deseret News," Vol. XII. No. 31. By that report it appears that the number of boys between the ages of six and eighteen, is greater than the number of girls between four and sixteen, in every county in the Territory but one. The total, so far as the Superintendent had been able to obtain reports, is as follows:-- Number of boys between six and eighteen 3950 Number of girls between four and sixteen 3662 ---- Showing an excess of boys, to the number of 288