Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1840-08-06
Department OF STATE.

PLANTATION on the subject. In reply thereto. i
beg leave to state that previous TO the period
ut which it would become necessary topro-
vide by law for the sixth census, or enumcr-
alton of the inhabitants of the United States,
as prescribed by the Constitution, suggestions
were made by the Editor OF the American AL
manac, available work published at Boston,
that much valuable statistical information,
which, although very desirable, was not at
tainable by individual eXertion, could be pro-
cured in connection with the sixth census.
The President in his annual communication
to Congress-, suggested the subject for the
consideration of that body, in the following
words:
..In recommending to Congress the adop-
ton of the necessary provisions at this session
for taking the next census, or enumeration OF
the inhabitants of the United States, the sug-
pestion presents itself whether the scope of
the measure might not be usefully extended,
by causing it to embrace authentic statistical
returns of the great interests especially entrus-
ted to, or necessarily affected by the legisla-
ton of Congress-"
On the lth Of February, 1889, Mr.. Rice
Garland, without the action of any committee
or inquiry of this Department as to any OF the
necessary provisions, introduced into the
House Of Representatives a bill 10 provide for
taking the sixth census, or enumeration ofthe
inhabitants of the United States; being near
ly copy Of the original act, without the a.
mendment thereto, to provide Tor the taking
of the former, or fifth census. The bill thus
introduced contained twelve sections. On
the 2sth of February, the House being in
Committee of the Whole, Mr.. Garland moved
two additional sections, which were agreed to.
One of these provided for the statistical ingui-
ries 1t is in the following words:
Sec. ID. .andb 1t further enacted, That the
aforesaid marshals and their assistants shall
also takea census of all persons receiving PEN
sions from the L. States for Revolutionary or
military services, stating their names and a.
pes; and also shall collect and return in sta
tistical tables, under proper heads, according
to such forms as shall be furnished, all such
information in relation to mines, agriculture,
commerce, manufactures, and schools, as will
exhib: full view of the pursuits, industry,
education and resources of the country, as
shall be directed by the President of the U.
States.-And it shall be the duty of the Sec
rotary of State, under the direction of the
President, to prepare such forms, regulations,
and instructions, as shall be necessary and
proper, to comply with the provisions of this
act.''
The bill, thus amended, was passed, it is
believed, without opposition from any quarter.
The information sought by it was of three
fold character: LIST, the enumeration and class
iication of the inhabitants ofthe u. s.. IDLY,
a census of all persons receiving pensions
from the u. States for Revolutionary or mill
tary services; and 3diy, the information re-
quired under the statistical head.
With regard to the first, the act prescribed
the classification to be adopted in the enume-
ration, and attached a penalty of $50 to the
refusal, by any free person of more than SIX
teen years of age, belonging to a family, to
give the necessary information.
For the information under the third head,
Congress, choosing to depend on the vo!unta-
ry disposition of the people, provided no PEN
atty for a refusal to give answers to the ques-
tons propounded;it is presumed, because
such refusal was not to be anticipated, as the
information sought could not but be consider
ed as valuable to every citizen of the United
States, to his country, and to the political and
civilized world.
In order to carry into effect that part of the
act which required all such information in re-
lation to mines, agriculture, commerce, man
ufactures, and schools, as would exhibit a
full view of the pursuits, industry, education,
and resources of the country. tabular forms to
contain such information, and corresponding
Undergraduates, to be put by the marshals and
their assistants, to elicit it, were prepared.
And so broad was the field of inquiry propos-
ed by the act, that, in preparing these tables
and interrogatories, although endeavoring to
include ali that was contemplated, it was
found necessary in order to keep within the
bounds of practicability, to reject many in
quirleS of an interesting nature which sugges-
ted themselves, or were suggested by those
who had made statistics their study.
In consequence of the contradictory terms of
some parts of the act, aud its being without
the provisions found necessary in that to pro-
vide for taking the fifth census, and introduced
in amendatory acts, the President, by a spe-
cial message to Congress, early in the pres
ent session, recommended the subject to its
consideration. With his message he trans
mitted a report from me upon the subject, sta
ting In detail all the preparatory measures a
dopted, and containing copies of the instruc-
tons to the marshals of all the forms to be u.s.
ed, including those for the statistical inforIna-
ton, and of the interrogatories by which 1t
was proposed to obtain it. The whole sub
ject was thus again brought under the notice
OF Congress, to be acted upon in any manner
in which the Executive, in the preparatory
measures, had failed to meet the views of that
body. But, so far as this Department is in
formed. no objection was made from any quar-
ter; and the amendments proposed having
been adopted, the Executive branch OF the
Government conld only proceed to carry into
effect the provisions Of the act on the plan
which appeared to have met general approba-
ton in both branches Of Congress.
In connection with this subject, take oc-
casion to advert to remarks in some of the
public newspapers respecting manuscript
postscript to the printed instructions address