New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1852-04-03


OF Lake Erie. Thus II Is sith toe population. aud
without some historical geographical skesch,
While tnt general results o. the present census
Ttctre the ooer Stats may be compared With the
general rtsnhs OF former censuses, the detailed
statements carrot so be used
The nett complaint maze by Mr.. Russell is, that
Tie heac.lss % tue columns are I" NJ, inte h,iole
is the Teacer" ard he illustrates his efficiently OF
understanding the same BY this remark .Taus
psfe 26. No Of Nstiliags' Does tnis mean seoa-
tate houtes Or ROOMS III 4 common house la an
f~eT IT, this iIgeuious X lrify, | paust refer Mr.
Russell 10 the Dictionary, where bs vii be certain
TO fro an answer equally iacId Win "sepNra.e
houss" CT commch h'use.p In the Instructions
10 the Msrshals, they we're informed Ehat bv A" a
dwelling" they were - understasd an INHABITED
tenement containing one or more familles-each
separate tenement IN oioek oil buildings to De
numbered separately, though 1t might contain sew
era families To pursue the plan OF Mr.. Russell,
In filling the heads OF the columns with such ex-
plsnatlons as would be required TO give him suit-
able Instruction touching the meaning OF their con.
tents, would require entirely TOO much space and
he is respectfully referred to Walker, where ne Is
at q loss
The next complaint exists in the fact that in cbn-
nection with the ages the place of nativity is not
classified. To prove the simplicity of such plan,
Mr.. Russell gives specimen OF how IL might be
cone IN, hs ne ~. 70 .acv do 1h De
tent OF space occupied by the population returns and
while 1t would not throw any high. on the place of
nativity, has never been adopted In any census ever
taken BY any Government. As the returns are Aow
classified, arrive at the number Of persons born
IN each foreign couutry-a fact more important than
the ages OF foreigners in general. Mr.. Russeli's
kindness in showing how the thing could have been
done" Is appreciated: and when wish to do II on
his plan is to be presumed that he will not for
moment he state to enlghteI more fully with re-
spect to his happy conceptions
The next fauI! is with the "paces OF nativity" in
which tables " Germany, and some time afterward,
as il not parts Of Germany, Prussia and Austria"
The fault If one exists does not lie IN the prepare.
ton of the tables but In these foreigners" who
r, I'd themaelyen
land. 26 936 recorded themselves as born IN Ger
many lsS persons as born in Prussia, and 10 IN Aus
tia anc thus they have been placed rather than to
include them as merely Europeans or as Germans
They are not entered twice and II Mr.: Russell
would wish to ascertain the population Of all Ger.
many, he has only to add the 204 PIussians and Aus
ixLs to the number given. II this classic alton is
improper, then do the tables His argument does
not, however, induce me to change the plan in this
particular.
The ext fault consists in the enumera alton of pro-
fessions occupations, and trades to the number OF
223, among which, for including astrologers,
bYtge makers, and patent medicine makers" we are
censured Now, seems to me that If 10 persons IN
the State record themselves TO be OF the occupatone
named, have no right or power arbitrarily 70 call
them something else or leave them cut altogether:
II interesting to me to know that the science OF
astroloey has still its votares in this enlightened
age az that it existed to such an extent in Ed
rope to exert powerful influence over the actions
of Kings, controlling the destiny OF nations With
respect to patent medicine makers, they are, at
this age a class OF persons who not Insignificant
in number and carry no small trade IN their way.
l must contend for the propriety OF giving them
distinct place in the table OF trades and Professions
With respect to the "tuple alphabetical arrange
nenS" OF professions it is not only proper and
ripht, but have very good authority for, On refer.
nng to the English plan, as illustrated IN the Official
" Occupation Abstract OF Great Britain, mud In
Middltssx County 10 less than eight hundred pro-
fessicns and trades enumerated ALPHABETICALLY pre-
cisely In the order they are arranged in the Mary
land work. as far as they apply, commencing with
tth tgrtu phan
The same IN France. IN Switzerland, Germany, and
Belgium. When a Tucker, Porter, or some other
sta,Ift shall aEalyZe our returns, he may very
properly group. for the purpose OF convenience the
tIaC es ana occupations which we arrange alphabet.
icsly this is his province, and not that OF the per-
ton who CLASHES the facts from the original re-
turns. Our arrangement, while 1t will enable him
easily to effect this object, Will enable the more
humble inquirer to select for examination those in
teTests which barmoDze or compete with his Sn
Il is, perhaps, cOIsOlatory to! reflect that the
comments Of MIR. Russell On this portion OF the Work
are nearly reprint OF his attempt TO caricatufe me
anaDgenen ut OF John Quincy Adams, while Secretary
OF State, for taxing the Census Of 1890 aRf of Mr..
Van Buren, in 1880, III perpetraHDg which, In 1881,
he then wrote, as he now expresses himself, as NOT
wishing to "impute unnecessary blame. With
Jespsct to tables in the work Of Mr. Adams. Mr..
Russell speaks Of some as utterly detective and OF
others says, "the total want of arrangement and
Classification renders them valueless" Now do
not contend that he right or wrong in his est.
mate but quote him to sho that he has stereotyped
sS as s 70 ss
taken in Europe. 1t seems a pity that so pertina-
cious Ger sOr shOuld not have been INDUCED with
the management of one Of our decennial enumera-
tons, his numerous friends gratihed in their sp
plicatiOn for his control Of the Census Of 1850.
The next aTTaisnment 10 with respect TO the
concluding twenty seven pages which are occupied
with the medical statistics" The statement that
the Census Board adopted the schedules for OBJ
tanning the returns of the statistics OF mortality
sgainsf the advice of Of the ablest statists'
Is simply untrue as possess all the correspondence
of the Board on this subject, and have the highest
authority in this country, In ADVANCE eoncurring In
the prOprity Of these statistics and when Mr. Rus.
sell VIII produce two able statlsts" who opposed
the plan, will produce dozen who, since the trial.
have commended the effort and pass high encomi-
ums on the work on account OF the important re-
suits obtained.
MIR. Russell says "the unknown causes of death
are SO great as 10 destroy entirely the value OF the
table and to prove this, he cites column page II,
on reference to which II will be that therein
are recorded the deaths Of sixty. five infants, under
sir months of age, OF which nfants twenty hve have
died Of diseases unknown" IL will not require
the experience OF a scientific practitioner to know
that such citation, while IL manifests willful and
determined spiri, Of Misrepresentation Is utterly
inconsistent with fairness and truth.
The tact developed by this return In the column
of youpets, mfanule mortality is one which better
proves the accuracy Of the return than IL not one Of
sixty hve infante deaths was no: reported without
some disease specified to cause such death Look
az the weekly bills OF mortality in every city, and
see whether they do not coniaiD especially n me
case OF infants. unknown causes Of death. IL the
absence Of specified cause for every death proves
the inutty Of the tables referred to- then is every
authentic table prepared in a manner so as " entire
ly to destroy Its value"
His next charge is that the diseases are not elass
fed properly. They are classified according to the
returns made by the Msrshals, and N alphabetical
order, as I find them in English reports and medical
reports in this country, and 90 arranged as to enable
the man Of science to group them Is he may wish,
for any purpose. They have been so arranged, ON
the OF the first medical practitioners In Amer.
ca and have been thro IL. 20 theE present form By
an old ana scientific medical gentleman Of great OK.
perence An effort 10 made 10 rdcule the tables of
mortality, and prove the absence Of all method, be-
cause they contain deaths from insanity, killed.,
and waterbrash'" So far 40 insanity 10 concerned,
find it among the list OF diseases causing death,
cited by the "author Of the Census Of Boston,"
qsoted BY Mr. RUSSELL who, on page 39l gives an al
phabeticai nomenclature Of the principal fatal dis
eases OF cause OF DEATH among which mo. 3O 10