New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-04-15
THE SsaTFK CENSUS.

How 10 WIN be Taken, and " hen-C1-
cuiar from The Secretary of the En-
terror.
The ninth census Of the United State
will be taken under the provisions Of tn
act of May %, 1850, on the first OF jun
next At the last census, AIT Assistan
Marshals were employed. Congress hay
ing declined to adopt any Of the new plan
suggested, the census will be taken OF
the same basis as for the last twenty years
The act of 1850 provides that the censu
shall be taken by the United States Mar
shals of the respective districts, with th.
aid of such assistants as shall be required
The census districts of each State are
divided, so as to be composed of not less
than 10000 persons. Tue assistants are
paid as follows: Two cents Tor every name
taken, ten cents for every farm, fifteen
cents for every productive establishment
of industry, two cents for every deceased
person, and two per cent Of the gross
amount for names enumerated, for social
statistics, and ten cents per mile for travel.
The enumeration must be completed, and
the returns all sent in to the Secretary oil
the Interior, by the first of November next
The Superintendent of the Census is
Francis A. Walker, late of the Bureau Of
Statistics and Assistant Special Commits
sioner of Revenue. The Department OF
the Interior has sent the following circular
to the several United States Marshals:
DEPARTMENT OF TIE INTERIOR.
Washington, ID. O., February e. laIO.
SIR: The ninth census of the United
States will be taken under the act Of May
%, 1850, copies of which, in form con-
venient for daily use. will be sent to you
at an early date. The census Office has
been organized in this department, and
superintendent appointed, to whom re-
turns will be rendered in all the mattefs
provided by law, and all communications
in the ordinary course Of business relat-
ing to the census will he addressed.
Herewith you will find blank form for
the Marshals oath, prescribed in section
two OF the law Of 1850. Having qualified
as therein required, and having forwarded
the inclosed form duly filed, subscribed
and certified, to this department, you will
proceed to discharge the duties of your
office in res ect to the ninth census Of the
United States.
You will, at the earliest date, form your
district into subdivisions for the purpose
of enumeration, according to the third
section of the law Of 1850, which is as
follows:
"Each Marshal shall separate his dis
trict into subdivisions containing not ex-
ceeding twenty thousand persons in each,
unless the limitation to that number
causes inconvenient boundaries, in which
case the number may be larger; and shall
estimate, from the best sources Of informa-
ton which he is able to obtain, the num-
Der of square miles in each subdivision,
and submit the same to the Department Of
the Interior; provided, however, that in
bounding such subdivisions, the limits
thereof shall be known civil divisions, such
as county, parish, township, ward or dis
trict lines, or highways, or natural bound
aries, such as rivers, lakes, etc.
In the census of 1860, the number Of
Assistant Marshals actually employed was
4417, which, with population Of 81 49,
32l, shows the actual number of persons
in subdivision to have been Ills, q lit
tie more than one-third of the maximum
number allowed by law. It is believed
that the causes operating to produce
minuter subdivision than seems to have
been originally contemplated. will be
found to have equal force in the present
enumeration.
The following suggestions are offered
for the consideration of Marshals in the
discharge of this duty:
l. Ali things equal, there is plain adj
vantage in preserving the boundaries of
subdivisions taken for the last census,
wherever the proviso attached to the third
section was then properly respected. In
this way 1t will be easier to make an APP
Proclamation to the present number Of
persons, farms. shops, ETC., in each subdi-
vision, both with reference to determining
the probable compensation Of assistants
and to distributing in advance the blanks
required for enumeration.
2. All other things equal, Subdivisions
should be formed with view to equaliz-
ing as much as possible the labors Of as
slstants.
8. Where any section of country is dis
tinguished by q special industry, it is
highly desirable that such section should
form distinct subdivision or group of
subdivisions. 1t is plain that such an
arrangement will tend to secure more
full and exact representation Of that il
dustry. Particularly is this true of the
coast and lake fisheries, which have
hitherto been most inadeguately enumer-
ated. 1t is therefore recommended that
in making appointments and assignments
in sections interested in the fisheries, the
subdivisions be made as large as is other
wise convenient, and that they extend
well along the shore, rather than reach far
inland.
4. 1t is not desirable that the arrange
ment Of Subdivisions should be made
merely or mainly to produce numerical or
geographical uniformity. Subdivisions
varying considerably in extent of surface
and 10 number of population, but suited |
TO all the other conditions Of thorough |
enumeration, and consistent with just |
distribution of the compensation among |
the whole body of assistants employed, |
are to be preferred to subdivisions cut out |
from @ district by Il uniform rule, |
without regard to peculiariiies of occupa-
ton, etc.
1t Is desirable to respect tie unity of |
every city IN which more than one Assist
ant Marshal may be appointed, in such a
way That the returns Of the two, three, |
i've, ten or more assistants who may be |
assigned TO the enumeration shall, to-
gether, make up the proper returns OF
the city as whole, including nothing
beside.
1t may, in some cases, be necessary to
assign part Of one village, town, or ward,
and the whole of others, to a single assist
tant; but the assignment to an assistant of |
parts OF two towns, villages, or wards, will
be unnecessary.
Alter separating your district into sub
divisions, according to the terms OF law,
ana as lar as may be consistent with the
spirit OF ,hese instructions, you will pro-
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