The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-12-10

slstantS-tO each OF whom, IN addlliOn 10 TIE
schedules, were sent pamphlets OF printed In
struetions, together with form" schedules ready
filled up for their guidance.
PAYMENT has been made TO these officers in
two portions-the first, on the receipt Of the
marshal's certificate that the ass slant had made
proper returns to this office and, the second
after an examination of every item of the worl.
in detail by this office, and adding to or abatin0
the amount certified to be his due, as the resu
justified The entire number of payments made
to marshal and assistants, has been $3.50. In
some cases the assistant has preferred To re-
ceve payment at one time, after the examination
Of his returns.
In the compilation of the seventh census, it
has not been deemed necessary to divide the
population Gas has been done heretofore) into
divisions, other than by counties, cities, wards,
or boroughs. Each county in the United States
possesses copy of its own returns, and for its
own purposes it enjoys facilities of arriving at
the interests of the separate towns or town
ships-divlsions undressing to the commu-
nifty at large Each separate State possesses
also n copy of the complete returns Of the
whole S tie, and from these may be able easily
to sub divide, for State purposes as minutey as
desirable. To include all the subdivisions OF
each State would make the work, if not now,
very soon, entirely too unwieldy. The sub
divisions are, however, laid down in the orr
ginal returns, and if it should be deemed desra-
Bile, may easily be designated in the general
work.
The original returns should be77carefully pre-
served hereafter, and should, as heretofore, be
bound for their better preservation. 1t seemed
to me doubtful whether the office possessed the
authority to expend more in the preservation of
these valuable records, than would secure them
from injury, while in actual use for preparing
the census The only expense incurred for this
purr ose, has been for book boards which can be
used for binding them.
Duty to coming generations, requires that
documents containing so many proofs relating
to the history of the present. should be carefully
guarded from injury or harm. While they con-
tain the last record of the dead for one year,
they comprise no insignificant portion of the
history of every man, woman, and child living
and long after all those whose names they con
tain, will have passed from earth, will they be
appealed TO in proof of our once having lived,
for our place of residence, our children, AMI
our property. Those now living use them to
learn whether friends or relatives long unheard
of, may not be found, and the search is not al
ways made in vain they have led to the O
coverv of lost relations, and their development
nave DTOugIt IldppItltSS W IDduy luliillIes.
1t would be well worth the expense to have
recorded in volumes, alphabetically arranged, the
names of every adult citizen, or head of a
family, as it appears in the return, with his oc-
cupation, and with reference to the schedule
upon which it may be found. This would furn.
ish facilities of search hereafter; and save I'M
necessary handling of the papers The advan-
tages of such plan would be somewhat anao-
gous to that in practical operation in England,
with respect to the registration of their deaths,
births, and marriages. Names to the number
of 100000 have there been registered during
the past twelve wears, in the ordinary course of
events, in one office alone. The returns are rem
dered the more valuable for future reference, by
the incessant vigilance exercised to the detection
Of errors
The utmost care has been exercised to ensure
correct returns, and the manner of taking our
census has been calculated to effect such a re.
suit In connection with every variety of siatis-
ties given, the name of each person to whom
every entry on the tables applies, has been furn-
ished In all cases where error or inconsistent
cy could be detected, real or i'm iginary, the in
dividua has been written to, in order that the
discrepancy might be corrected The replies
have been, for the most part, prompt and salts
factory. 1t has been necessary, in only three
cases, to call the attention of an United States
district attorney to require enforcement the ac
of Congress for refusal to reply 10 the interro-
cations of the assistants. In ell but one of
these cases, return has been eventually made,
without the necessity Of making costs to q 3
parties--iu that excepted, the individual pa
costs before appearance, and made satisfactory
return to the office These facts speak loudly
in favor of the general intelligence of our peo-
| Pile, and their Difference to the laws, and prove
that as liberty and intelligence are ditiused
| these Investigations, made for the benefit Of the
! people, cease TO be deemed inquisitorial. Here
no fears of an excise duty or tax deters indyid.
uals from contributing 10 stock of knowledge
the dissemination of which must lead to the ben
| eft Of all.
The seventh enumeration of the inhabitants Of
] the United States exhibits results which every
citizen of the country may contemplate with
qualification and pride. Since the census OF
| 1910, there have been added to the territory Of
the republic by annexation, conquest, and pur.
chase, S2I,969 square miles and our title to O
region covering 34l 463 square miles, which
before, properly belonged TO us, but was claimed
aud partially occupied by foreign power, has
been established by negotiation, and it has been
brought within our acknowledged boundaries.
BY such means the area Of the United States
has been extended, during the past ten years
from 2,O55,l63 TO 322l ,595 square miles, with.
out including the great lakes which lie upon our
northern border, or the bays which indent Out
| Atlantic and Pacific shores; all which has come
within the scope of the seventh census. :
In the endeavor to ascertain the progress Of
our population since 1910, it will be proper tc
deduct from the aggregate number of inhab
tants shown by the present census, the populs
ton Of Texas in 1910, and the number en-
braced within the limits of California, and the
new territories at the time Of their acquisition
From the best information which has come &c
hand, il is believed that Texas contained, IL
1910, 10000 inhabitants; and that when Cali
fornia, New Mexico, and Oregon, came into out
possession, in 1916, they had a population o.
$1,000; IL thus appears that we have received
by accessions of territory, since 1910, an acces
sion Of l72,O00 to the number of our people.
The increase which has taken place in those
extended regions, since they came under The
authority Of our government, should obviously
4 be reckoncd a. part Of the development anC
=, proUress Of our pOpulation nor is it necPssar,