New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-12-16


oct sry interest 70 sus,sin its authority
The Census Of State is the record OF 10 pro-
sress. The difficulties Of obtaining exact informS
ton Of course are great and hence allowances are
70 BE- made. Errors excepted" mustbe the motto.
But We must stop somewhere in the scala OF Do
scency or nsstatement- The United States Gen.
sus Of 1850 a. regards mechanical and manufsssur-
ing industry wM 30 incomplete that We sought In
vain 10 est.bE,h any compsristn, based On exact
figures, between the Southern and Northern parts
Of the Uriop although there are other means OF ss'
tanning comparative statements With sufficient sI'
sctpess for general deductions. The manufacturing
products Of this city rated in 1850 at l2O millions
were not discussed in the United States Census,
though the 30 millions of imports flourish 10 tie
deleetation Of the free trading South and their
allies.
In the State Census, however, We expect closer
investigation. We leok for moro Of the micro
scope and less Of the telescope. There IL supposed
to be no reason for suppre"iDg the truth; no
alarm a. 10 whether sensitivs Southrons shAu b
wounded through irrefr,gsble facts displaying the
great advances Of communities under the light OF
liberty ard their retro gradstons under the shadow
Of bondage. We are surprised, therefore, to ind
the "Cep.us Of 1855 for the State of New. York"
full Of errors as regards the industry Of this city.
How Incorrect it may possibly be ss affects other
portions Of the STATE, we 90 not now inquire. But
thtre errors are surprising, inasmueh % there hAs
been ample leisure fr The preparation Of the work.
They are the more remarkable S. the copiOusness
Of the book the preteLtiOus tabular arrangements,
and the general literary skill Of the whole, would
presuppose that blutders which no schOobsy should
make would not DO permitted to enter and kssp
posse,,ion Of such serious and important work
The preface of the volume informs US that immense
labor has been bestowed on it, and hence the deiy
in its appearance. The clerk force employed, the
Secretary Of State, Mr. Hesdley informs US, is
equal to the steady labor of one man for tweaty
ye@.
"The present." says Mr.. Hsadley, ais the first
"ceDsus ever taken By the State of New York, in
(Which the work Of preparing the results was exc
"cuted IN the Office Of the Secretary of State.
Heretofore, the returns Of each town were
"summed up by the persons taking the enumera.
"tion, aud transmitted to the County Clerks, BY
"whom summaries were prepared for their re-
"ipective counties. These were sent ~ the Sec
"retaiy's Office and published, without re-
"vision, and with no further care than
the preparation Of general recapitulstioa
"for tho State. Experience has shown that
when labor of this kind is done in detailed por-
tiors, by persons who have no consultation upon
doubtful points, different construct ons will be
placed on the same subjects, and hence, when
the results are brought together. the whole win
slack that completeness, clesrness Of arrangement,
" and synnetry, which constitute it, great value"
Mr.. He,dIsy acknowledges that "there are some
deficiencies and inaccuracies which cannot 30
% avoided" but be concludes, afyer praising his
predecessor, Mr.. Leavenworib, and lsuding the re-
cent Superintendent DR.. HOugh, as next to ocom
parable as a compiler and srrayer, BY pronounoiDg
thi. ga model CELSIUS report for the country"
A census whose accuracy and lsborious prepare.
'.on and revision are thus certified TO, should be
criticised with oil the mere severity when it is full
Of glaring nistskts. For distance, there ars
several great libraries in THE city each Of
which occupies the professional labors Of sew
eral rbrsrisns; then, too, there are smaller
Libraries. The census, however, TO which
Mr.. Hesdley, g literary man, stands SPONSOR
tells US that Of librarians there is | Then again,
our city, on an island, ard the second chief
commercial port in the world, is accommodated
with "Ferrymen, A" Really ought it TO
take the labor Of one man steadily "fOr twenty
years" TO make such discovery as this Geology,
too, that prime science so much required BY land
specustors who abound here, is set down as hav.
ing Of professors |. Fire-engine makers are re-
strcted to q. If this mean ak establishments, why
not say 30, and then give the number Of workmen;
but it means nothing of the kind, as the number
We can understand that the " TsilOrs ~ 900" are
what may be required for the covering Of the outer
man, but that there should be "Piumakers H.
seems incredible. OF pipe-makers We learn that
there are 9. Pipe laying must have fallen of very
much Of late years. We can imagine there may be
no Britannia ware makers, but that an establish.
ment should have " l. hand we cannot readily be-
lieve. Are there only men engaged in agricultu.
raj implement making Apprentices 59l."
Apprentices of what 7 Are there not
more than 59l Of Young America learning
trades and mysteries in this city' "Bar-
keepers 565" This il too much; that is to say
the barheepers are ridiculOusly too few in number
in the estimate of the CeDsusl There are in round
numbers some 5000 or Z 600 grosshops and hotel
bars which require each oDe or more barkeepers;
and thus to set down thenumber Of tOddy aud porter
distributors at $50 is an insult to this drinking
community. Mr. Hesdly, Mr.. Headly don't you
l. xr haitian HAra rnn narar THAN n dHink