STATISTICAL ACCOUNT OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE. THE British Empire, exclusive of its foreign dependencies, consists of the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, and of the smaller islands contiguous and subordinate to them. Great Britain, the largest and by far the most important of the British Islands, is divided into the kingdoms of England and Scotland; the former occupying its southern, most fruitful and extensive, and the latter its northern, more barren, and smaller portion. After the withdrawal of the Romans from Great Britain, these two divisions became separate and independent states, between which the most violent animosities frequently subsisted. In consequence of the marriage of Margaret, daughter of Henry VII. of England, to James IV. King of Scotland, in 1502, James VI. king of Scotland, ascended the English throne, upon the demise of Queen Elizabeth, in 1604. But, notwithstanding this union of the crowns, the two kingdoms had distinct and independent legislatures till 1707, when, under the auspices of Queen Anne, a legislative union of England and Scotland was completed. In many respects, however, the institutions of the two countries still continue peculiar. The common law and the judicial establishments of England differ much from those of Scotland; the prevailing religion, and the church establishment of the former are also materially different from those of the latter; and the manners and customs of the two countries, though gradually assimilating, still preserve many distinguishing features. For these reasons, in treating of the statistics of the British Empire, we shall separate the details peculiar to the different branches of English statistics from those peculiar to the statistics of Scotland, without, however, treating the one as if it were entirely independent of the other. Similar reasons have induced us to separate the statistical details peculiar to England and Scotland, from those peculiar to Ireland. Though now legally incorporated with Great Britain, the distinction between the latter and Ireland is far more decided than that between |