Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1848-11-11
! The NEXT CENSUS OF THE UNITED STATES.
By Hon GEoRGs TucKEa, author Of Progress of Popuia
ton and Weaith in the Uniied Staies, &c.


FROM HUNTS MERCHANTS MAGAZINE.
A memorial or petition from New York invited the early
tenoa of Congress- al It's late session. to The TO be
hken 1850, that there might be time for maturing
tie plan taking it and consequently, greater probability
obtaining stock of statistical information OF much
lie, not merely to statesmen and all who cultivate political
philosophy but TO every class Of productive industry. The
subject, however, having party bearing il not acted
and the next session. being short one there danger
dat the law tor taking the of 1850 may be passed in
tie same hurried way that for the OF s4o and have
| tie same defects.
The part of that document which relates the anna pro-
diets of the country being conessedy the inaccurate,
tie most susceptible of improvement and well deserves
tie consideration OF those who have turned their attention
statistical Inquiries since they may thus make valuable sug
gons TO their representatives in Congress- who may per-
chnce not be familiar with such TOPICS and who are,
ov often much distracted by other subjects fully
pnft by the knowledge which they have.
5ut after an enumeration OF the annual products
made of less importance that there should be
cune estimates of their vase and these estimates
oitn made crude and mistaken principles the following
remarks suggested by way of caution to those who
notconyersant With this branch of political arithmetic.
principal Of Of the annual
products of industry and capital in counting the
ce twice. Thus in reckoning the value OF houses built
within the year, the bricks timber which have been used
may have been estimated under those separate heads
the bcks, nails and hinges the glass; paint &c. and
queny the value of all these should 10 deducted from the
value of the houses to show the clear addition which
the latter have made to the annual product.
Sometimes, indeed without such deductions the
ce would be counted than twice Thus the which
had been eckoned the product of the furnace be again
reckoned in the products Of the rolling Sitting mill third
time the manufacture of nails fabrics Of sheet iron
and even fourth time in the value OF house ship
In like manner, in estimates of manufactures, after
reckoning the value OF the leather made the year. if
reckon the whole value Of the Shoes saddles brides, trunks
&C., the leather is counted twice and the value Of the hides
which had been compehended in the estimate OF the cattle
OF the Imports would be counted three times. In this way
the amount OF the States has been grossly
exaggerated
Nor must fall into tie opposite error have DONE
OF conoundng the nett addition to the wealth of the
try with the value of is annual product The first, which
consists OF the of iucton consumption bears
very small proportion the actual produce since nearly all
the value that is annually produced annually consumed
Such excess even in the most thriving COUNTRIES probably
exceeds reaches, FIVE per of the annual
product and although knowledge of its is desra
bic, making The addition that has been made to the national
capital which OF It's OF wealth, yet is of far
less importance than knowledge Of the value of the whole
product since that the fund from which the whole
population is to be fed clothed, housed, and furnished with
all that to be consumed both productivity and unproduc
lively Thus, of the annual products Of agriculture part
productivity consumed feeding the industrious classes
useful animals, in furnishing the seed for future crop,
supplying materials for export and tbs other part unpro
ductsely consumed by the idle classes consisting of small
proportion Of men, somewhat larger proportion Of women
and more than hall the children.
The value OF the gross annual product not only most
important, but is also most practicable. We make
much approximation the value Of the whole product
than TO that of the several parts OF which composed since
each subjected TO lie uncertainty, besides sharing in
that Of the whole product We can, for example, make
approach the value Of the whole crop wheat than
can, FIRST the values which respectively replace what
was consumed in making in paying laborers in feeding
work horses and oxen the of the seed and the
and tear Of the farming utensils and secondly the values
which remain as the profits Of capital and Of rent
In estimating the vegetable products Of agriculture we
should take the value of each the place OF production
at that market to which it is transported by the labor apper
tanning to the farm plantation The increased value
distant markets would be the result of the and pro-
fits of transportation, which should be separately estimated
But the value Of the oaal products OF agriculture pre-
sents problem of difficulty, since SO far as he live
stock have been fed in the year articles separately valued
to that amount deduction should be made from the value OF
their natural increase That increase oo drs in the diff
een species OF stock, and in different busbandy
ana the different conditions in which they market
The price Of those fitted for the shambes commonly double
or more than double Of the general average price.
Two modes OF estimating this class Of agricultural products
have been adopted One is estimate the portion annually
slaughtered supposed TO be onefourh Of the whole
Der and about part Of the horses their ordinary
price, part Of the produce Of the pasture land The other
TO reckon onefouh Of every species Of live stock the
average pnce OF the o Of such Species and also the whole
Of the hay secured from the land.
The first mode is adopted by Mr. McCulloch in his stas
teal account Of Great Britain who thus estimates the annual
agricultural product OF Eng gland and Wales.
l. The annual crops.