The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-05-31
CITY 1NrELLuaENCe.
THE CENSUS.

specially entrusted the task of taking the census
statistics of this city. The House of Represen-
tatives, early in the present session, devoted
considerable time to the perfection of an elabo-
rate bill providing for the taking of the ninth
census, but the measure encountered serious
opposition in the Senate and the result of this
disagreement between the two houses of Con-
gress was the adoption of few immaterial
amendments to the act of May %, 1850, under
the provisions of which, in its amended FORM
the ninth census will be taken, as were the
eighth and seventh before it. The whole labor
is entrusted to a temporary bureau in the De-
partment of the Interior, with General +. A.
Walker, an experienced and enthusiastic statis-
tician, at its head as superintendent. General
Walker was recently in charge of the Bureau
of Statistics of the Treasury Department. and
Assistant Special Commissioner of Revenue, and
is eminently qualified for his new task by both
his tastes and experience. The census of 1860
was taken under the superintendent of Hon.
Joseph c. G. Kennedy, of Maryland, a I'D the
returns of that of 1850 we're compiled and pub
lished under the superintendence of James d. B
De Bow, the well. known founder and editor of
De Bows ReUielU 1t was understood that Mr..
Kennedy was an aspirant for his old position
during the present year, but his political record
was such as to prevent his appointment to the
place.
The act of 1850 provides that the census shall
be taken by the United States Marshals of the
respective districts, with the aid of such assist
ants shall be required. The census districts
of each State are divided so as to be composed
CORY has apportioned this city into ninety-one
districts, the names of the Deputy Marshals for
each of which are given on one of our inside
pages. large number of the special deputies
are eX-soldiers and four of them-one in the
Fourth, Fifth, Seventh, and Eighth wards each, in
which the colored population of this city is prin-
cipally concentrated-are colored men, three of
these having also served in the army. At the
last census, 4417 assistant marshals were en-
ployed and this year the work will probably
require even larger number. The assistants
are not paid a regular salary, but are compen-
sated in the following manner % cents
for every name TAKEN 10 cents for every farm,
Is cents for every productive establishment of
industry, cents for every deceased person,
and per cent. of the gross amount for names
enumerated for social statistics 10 cents per
mile for the distance travelled, and cents per
page for each copy of the returns made. The
amount of mileage to be allowed is ascertained
in an ingenious and arbitrary manner The
square root of the number of dwelling-houses In
each division is multiplied by the square root of
the number of square miles in the division, and
the product is taken as the number of miles
travelled. By being compensated in this man
ner the enumerators conduct their labors under
an inducement to thoroughly scour their
allotted districts, while the oath of office
which they are required to take is, or at least
should be, sufficient guarantee that there is no
resort to fictitious returns for the sake of in
creasing their pay. The census is supposed to
represent the state of the population and vari-
GUS industries of the country on the first day of
June (to-morrow) although it is, of course,
impossible to make the enumeration in a single
day, and the machinery will not be fairly at
work for some days yet. The enumeration
must be completed, and the returns all sent in
to the Secretary of the Interior, by the first of
By the act of 1850, three duplicate sets of re-
turns were required to be made. the original
returns of the enumerators being deposited with
the clerks of the county courts of the respective
counties, while one copy was forwarded to the
census Office in the Department of the Interior,
and the other deposited in the office of the Sec
retary of the State or Territory. The Superin-
tendent OF the Census endeavored to secure the
passage OF an amendment to the act doing away
with one set of returns, and dispensing with
their deposit with the county clerks, on the
ground that this would result in q saving of
about $13OOOO, and because he deemed the
third set of returns not only unneces-
sary, but positively injurious, inasmuch as being
placed in the Office of the county clerk, the
returns are undesiTably and dangerously easy of
access Tor improper purposes; and that, there
fore, persons subject to enumeration in the
census cannot feel that assurance as to the
confidential character of disclosures which they
make in regard to their family and business
affairs, which is not only required in justice to
the citizen, but which is absolutely necessary, if
true and full answers are to be given to the
inquiries of assistant marshals." But this pro-
posed amendment was thrown out by the con-
ference committee which fixed up the disagree
ments between the two houses of Congress, and
there has, therefore, been no change in the law
In this respect.
The assistants are to perform the service re-
euired of them by personal visit to each
dwelling-house and to each family in the sub
division assigned to them, and ascertain by in
quiries made of some member of each family if
any one can be found capable of giving the in
formations but if not, then of the agent of such
family, the name of each member thereof the
age and place of birth of each, and all other par
ticulars required, and must, in the rural dis
tricts, visit personally the farms, mills, shops,
mines, and other places respecting which infor-
nation is required, and must obtain all such in
formation from the best and most reliable
sources. In case any head or agent of a family
who is called upon for the information required
under the law, refuses 10 give such information
to the assistant marshal, he becomes liable to a
fine of thirty dollars, to be sued for and recov-
cred in action of debt by the assistant marshal,
for the use of the United States. On the other
hand, the enumerators are required to maintain
the strletest secrecy concerning all the informa-
tion elected by them, and the dvulging of any
such information to improper persons is made a
grave offense.
This morning the Office of the United States
Marshal In this city was thronged with the
assistants whom he has appointed, who were
engaged in taking the oath of Office. Al
lO O'Clock tomorrow morning they are under
Instructions to report again to the United
Staets Marshal when they will receive the
printed instructions and blank schedules, and
commence at once their important labors.
The Census Schedules
for each county are five in number, and when
filled up will embrace the following array o.
facs:-
SCHEDULE L-INHABITANrS.
Dwelling houses and families numbered in the order
vsitation the of whose place of abod
the lst day of june 1870 this family profession
occupation, trade value real and personal
place of birth and parentage born married within
the year. state month"; attended school within the year
cannot write; whether deaf and dumb, blind in
sane dotic male citizens of United States twenty
and upwards VIII sther voters not SsRalary-Num
Der of dwellings, families white males white females
coored males colored females, males foreign born
males foregn-born, blind, insane.