The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1870-11-28
WASHINGTON.
The Inaccuracies OF the Census.

WASHINGTON, November 26. - Ow,
ing to the defects in the law for taking
the census, and neglect or fraud on the
part Of some assistant marshals, the
returns from some States are still in
complete. Gen. Walker has long
doubted the accuracy of former enum.
erations, especially in the South, and
he is now convinced that very little de-
pendence can be placed on the returns
of 1850 and 1860 from those parts of
the country. The great need Of the
bureau has been that of travelling agents
to oversee the work, and by their
watchfulness to incite the marshals and
their assistants 10 do their work faith
fully. Many very valuable sta
tistics might also have been
gathered by such agents which
are now lost. The law, however,
made no provision for the appointment.
Wherever frauds have been discovered
new enumeration has been made. In
several cases those guilty of making
false returns have been arrested. An
Assistant Marshal has been caught in
Georgia and will probably serve two
years in the State prison as a punish
ment for his crime. A Marshal in
Virginia reported 5000 more names
than there were inhabitants in his dis
trict, but, as the law does not require the
Marshal to copy his own returns, in
territorial crime cannot be proved against
him. General Walker has been sur
prised in many instances to receive no
returns from certain subdivisions, and
on inquiry has found that the Assistant
Marhals to whom the work was as
signed, finding it not as profitable as
they had supposed, have neglected it
entirely, 80 that when the returns from
that section should be complete the
work in these subdivisions has caused
much delay. On the whole, this census
will be far more complete than any
previous one and very few cases Of fraud
will be undiscovered.
RumOred Attempt OF the Prussfnn
Government TO get FoOthold In
the West Indies.
Diplomatic circles are excited just
now by the curious rumor relating to
the reported efforts of the Prusslan
Government to secure a foothold in the
West Indies. The Prussian agent WIS.,
tied President Baez, in San Domingo
some months ago and informally offer
fered to take the reversion Of our an
nexation scheme, purchase the territory
of San Domingo and transfer all to
German control. Such rumors reach
ed here from Havana, at the time. A
definite proposition has been make
through Bancroft to this Govern
ment that Prussia shall be al
lowed TO negotiate for creating naval
station either in San Domingo or some
other of the West Indian Islands, with
out opposition from the United States,
and this government is to receive the
support OF North Germany in obtaining
coaling station in the Mediterranean.
The foregoing statement is given as a
rumor, bnt it is positively declared
that its truth will be established.
Another phase of the report is, that the
Germans intend attacking the French
West Indian colonies if they found our
government at all inclined 20 listen to
their acquiring such territory by
transfer or conquest
Irregularities I'm the Buffalo Custom
House.
Special Treasury Agent, Leopold,
writes from Buffalo that on account Of
supposed Irregularities in the United
States Custom House and Depository at
that place, he has taken charge of those
offices and will at once proceed to in
vestigate the books. One Of the irregu
larities lies in the balance sheet Of the
Depository in which place the sum OF
$500 900 to the credit Of the Government
without stating that the amount is on
hand as it should be.
Postmaster General CresswcH
Will recommend semi-monthly mail
for China and Japan instead OF the
present monthly service. The Pacific
Mail Company has the new steamer
Alaska which cost $l,2O0,000
Census Returns.
The Census Office has received full
returns from twenty-lour States and in
complete returns from the remainder.
1t is expected that the list will be full in
about ten days There is much disap'
pointment in some of the States. The
result Of enumeration gives larger totals
than those reported as having been an
ticipated; New Jersey among that class;
the population Of that State according
to official data, is S95,672 the census Of
1860 showed the population to be 6I2-
OBS.
Gold Sales.
The Secretary Of the Treasury has dI-
rected the Assistant Treasurer at New
York to sell one million in gold each
Wednesday, and to purchase one mil
lion of bonds each Thursday during the
month of December