New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1852-04-03
THE CENSUS OLE 1850.
Reply or the Superintendent to the Structures
of MIR. Russell.

| have received from person ln this city
4 printed pamphlet Of oiet' pages, entitled Re
marks on the Census of Maryland for 1850, as
PREPARED by the Census Bureau at Washington,
and designed as sample of the manner In
which the Secretary of The Interior proposesto
aIranee the immense mass of materials connected
in The returns from I'll the States of the Cnlon,'
"a paper which was laid before the American
Geographical and Statistical Society, March 9,
1882" | since find the article copied into the
New-York papers. There is nothing to indicate
where the publication is printed, nor In any por-
ton of the work any indication OF the place
where such society as that named exists In
asmuch, however, as the paper bears the name
of Mr. Archibald Russell as its author, it is per-
haps proper that its statements should be noticed,
especially as it is published foE circulation In
Washington, and has been prepared evidently
with a view to caricsture tho Maryland census az
prepared at the Census Office and bring to the notice
of the enemies of the work In Congress the name OF
a person who evinces very willing disposition to
make himself useful in ferreing out the most trivial
errors, and give to the Committee such "repors"
as would satisfy the most prejudiced enemy Of the
work. To me it seems some what strange that no
copy of this paper, while published as matter Of
"public interest,"" and widely circulated, has been
sent either to the Department OF the Interior or TO
the Census Ofice-an omission certainly betraying
want OF courtesy to those so publicly censured, az
as we'll as inconsiderate judgment in restraining its
rays OF light from points where they would be most
useful and where they would best serve the objects
Of the compiler If his motives to promote the
cause Of truth.
1.-THE first point which is made with reference to
the Maryland census 10 charge Of "attempt at
minute elastic ation"--a course often attempted
a. blind to cover mistakes, and Of itself ground for
suspicion" This principle az stated, 10 AT variance
with all experience, and will be made manifest BY
very simple illustrations viz Ii the number OF
each variety of industrial establishments 10 given in
each square in Baltimore, will it not be much easier
to detect errors in such numbers II misstaed, than
If the numbers of each were given for the whole
State The one 10 " minute classlhcatlOn"
Suppose las in the Census Of lS4o) the numbtr OF
establishments Of each kind is not given at all II
possible to arrive at the truth with respect TO the
return of any inteTert connected herewith unless
you re-take the census for such interest for such
or tho he s1 rS. the fao p
OF detecting errors. Suppose the de,as OF the CEN
sus were published so infinitely that the headings
contained the name OF each person with reference
70 whom the facts stated applied, could not the er-
rors be detected with certainty BY each individual
who could read For example, were We. under the
heading Of persons born in the United States" to
include the name OF Archibald Russell, OF New
York weuld net Mr.. Russell at once detect the err
Yor and if We were to omit his name from the
number "born in Great Bntain," would he not be
able, with equal facility TO detect the mlstakei
Suppose were to include one simple ex.
preston the whole number of native born" citi-
zens or foreign born, could he, or any other man,
possibly detect an error without examining every
name of the twenty millions on the original returns
in this office So with the returns Of branches Of
industry II we give them BY squares or wards,
Oh, Afaaf tha nv
States the minutest investigation could not discover
| discrepancy.
These illustrations respecting The tendency OF
extended or minute classification are deemed suti-
Gent to show which course leads most TO the detec-
| on OF errors
AS illustrative of his ideas OF the grounds for sus-
10 cover mistakes" he says, in immediate connec-
ton THUS the report OF the Census, presented by
the Executive Department to Congress, is dated
December 3, 81 O'Clock, AM" How Mr. Russell
has seen the report presented to Congress do not
know, as 1t is not ct printed but do know that it
O'Clock, AM" or any other O'Clock" The ssser.
ton Is without the shadow OF proof to sustain it,
my dated sSs s%Py Ills M
therefore, may be deemed equally unfortunate with
his premises.
census Itself is Lot as carefully prepared" the
date OF my report, states that, on page a. under
caption res:eoiored" the total whites included"
Now, Mr.. Russell must feel very hypeYcrtical to
object to au arrangement which amounts to this only
viz: IN sixty columns, under the general heading
population" the whites occupy thirty columns. and
the "trse cOlored ]" occupy the same number and
following Immediately after the classification of fres
cOlored the total amount OF the two casses n stated
side by side the whites specified BY heading total
whites" and the others by heading "total free
colofed" after which follows the aggregate-the
whole being one continuous table win general
heading POPULATION" then follows the slave
popu aten," and on the next page the aggregate Of
the free and slave classes separate and combined
an arrangement perfectly proper and very conve-
nient.
The next subject alluded 10 is the "amoun. of
matter" which the United states Census will con.
tain, which Mr.. Russell estimates at twenty good
sized volumes for the United States or II estimated
with reference to the population" 600 pages or
eight volumes and this conclusion is arrived at by
estimating the relative area Of Maryland" aud the
printed space occupied by the census Of that State
The principle upon which The estimate is based is
too absurd 10 merit reply but as simple Illus
traiioR will suffice TO exhibit the entire destitusOn
OF logic In the argument, will suggest that the
area" of Maryland is about one 70 thirty Ave
compared with that Of Oregon, therefore the history
and statistics of Oregon Will require volume OF
within 100, Notwithstanding the fact that Maryland
has had important historical events for record
through period OF more than Two centuries, with
population forty five times as great that Of Ore
son / may venture to assert that this il the frs.
lime professed statist has ever ventuied to calcu
late the extent OF historical and statistical work
the area principle" upon which, If the magnifcent
statistical account of Scotland, BY SIR Jonn Sinclair
fills twenty volumes. what grand library would the
statistical history of New Holland form
That the tables in the Maryland work are not eco.
nomicay arranged BY the printer sffeely admitted
1t 10 this account mainly that In the pYea:s
20 the work as presented to Congress, i. is stated
that the matter of the Maryl land work will occupy
sixty pages Of the size contemplated. Now, while
it is denied that the extent of statistical work
should or can be calculated with any degree Of ap.
proxnation on the area principle" and while Hot
contending that fair comparative estimate can b
made THAI OF population alone the latter in this
country at least affords much more reliable data
than the former and on estimate thereby ii will
appear that. while Maryland contains its proportion
OF historical associations, variety Of occupation pc
eulIsYity and diversity in its geological character
contains about about f0rtieth part of the poeu.
laton Of the United States and a. It will require
60 PAGES on our plan 70 develop MARYLAND, the