The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1851-08-01
TIN. Census Of 1850 again.

The Census OF 1850 again.
The Union, not satisfied, it seems, with the
defence made by the hteIhgencsr for the mis-
sion of Mr.. KENNEDY, repeats It's condemna-
ton of the Department of the Interior. We
presume the right of the Department rests upon
the acts Of Congress establishing the Depart
ment, and directing it TO cause the census TO be
taken. This question of construction can be
settled alone by Congress
If the auditing officer be of opinion that the
payment of the travelling expenses or salary of
Mr.. KENNEDY is illegal, he will of course dis
allow those items. fine shall think they are not
illegal they will be paid. In either case the le-
gality of the mission of Mr.. KENNEDY, ordered
by the Secretary at the request of the Census
Board, may be tested before Congress- In this
connexion, therefore, we are authorized to say
that the Union has been misinformed. The
"payment of Mr.. KENNEpY's salary has mot
been refused since his departure by disbursing
officers, and men in authority disregardlng
9 law have mot ordered discussing officers to
pay it,"
We are authorized to say, moreover, that
sc almost as soon as Mr.. KENNEDY reached Eu
rope ne did mot countermand his own sys-
TEN, and order new arrangement which
cannot be accomplished in two years"
The explanation why the census of 1850 has
not yet appeared is as follows:
Owing, we suppose, 10 the excitement upon
the slavery saee,ion. Congress did not paso she
law authorizing the census Of June, 1850, un-
til the 23d of May, 1850.
The printing necessary before the forms pre-
scribed by the act of Congress could be fur
nished to the marshals of the United States
occupied considerable length Of time, for II is
well known that so large an amount of public
printing cannot be executed Immediately.
There were about 5000 officers to be fur
nished with these forms, and the forms had to
be despatched to every part of the Union and
its Territories.
The enumeration of inhabitants has not been
Officially announced" because it has not yet
been completed. The returns from Texas,
California, Oregon, and Utah, have not been
received. The returns have not been yet ''of
fcially published" because Congress has made
no appropriation for that purpose.
II is objected ''that four times as many per
sons are now employed in that service as
were in l840." We should suppose it rea
sonable that there should be an increase when
there has been SO large an increase of duty as
signed by the Census law, and where the ex
tent of territory has been so greatly increased
as that of the United States since 1910. In
1910 the area of the United States was 200,-
900. In 1850 it is 100000. In 1910 the
duties prescribed by the Census law were de-
fined as follows:
different classifcations were introduced in ref
erence the white and colored populations as to
ages, and extensive inquiries were instituted
with reference to agriculture, manufactures, COM
merce, and education
In 1850 Census Board was constituted,
consisting Of the Secretary of State, the Attor-
ney General, and the Postmaster General To
this board the census operations have been
principally referred.
To enable our readers, therefore, to com
pare the difference between the amount Of du-
ties to be performed under the census of 1910
and 1850, we condense from the National In
felligencer the schedule for the latter year:
States, and sixth for those in which there are
slaves.
" The frat Of these schedules relates to the free
white and colored population. The OBJ
ect has been to procure the exact age of each per-
son, male and female, white and black, bond and
free, and TO secure the results in such form az
wodld admit of an easy comparison with every
former census. The first column gives the number
of dwelling houses In the order of visitation and the
second gives the number of families, the comparison
of both Of course showing the proportion of families
20 houses. Then follow columns for the name, age
sex, and color of each person, distinguishing thu
white black, and mulatto races, the object being L
afford the Of judging Of the influence of tbs
admixture of races on the physical condition of th'
mulatto Next 10 a column, the seventh, giving tn,
profession occupation, trade Of each person. Th'
eighth column gives the value Of the real estat,
owned, whether in the county in which the person
resides or elsewhere. The ninth column gives tn,
place Of birth, so 10 show TO what extent on,
State has contributed TO the population of another
and also the number Of foreigners and the diferen
countries whence they have gone. The tenth col
,,nn qivec the number of married within the year
the eleventh the number attending school, tn
twelfth the number of adults unable to read AM
write. and tire thirteenth the number of deaf
dumb blind insane, idiotic, paupers, and convicts
BY this arrangement the census returns furnish tn
means Of Observing the relation OF crime, igno
rance, and physical infrmity to great variety o
conditions by which they may beinhuenced.
''The second schedule relates to the slave POpu