Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1880-04-08

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The term census is Of old Roman ori-
gin, q group Of the many functions per-
formed by the high olicials called CEN
sor having received the name census.
in modern acreptation Il is can official
enumeration Of persons, their property
generally. with such facts as tend TO
show their moral. social, physical and
Industrial condition" u the Penta-
seuch, enumeration of the people Is en-
Joined, and the most ancient statistical
record oi The kind iskhat Of Moses IN
the wilderness. There Is record d :
Chinese census made BY command Of
the Emperor Fee, 2042 b. c., and Of
one in Japan under the Mikado Sujun
in the last century before Christ. Un-
der the constitution of Solon the eiti-
zens of Athens were divided and regis
tered in four classes. according to the
amount Of their taxable property or in
come.
The Roman census originated under
SerVi0s TullIus, the sixth king Of Rome,
in the distribution Of citizens into clas-
ses, in q most solemn manner, on the
Campus Martius, where every citizen
had 10 appear and TO declare under
oath, his name and dwelling, the num-
Der and age Of his children and the val
ue Of his property, under penalty Of
having his goods con6scated, and oi be-
ing scourged and sold for q slave. The
whole population was divided into six
classes, based upon property qualilica-
tions; improvement were made under
Augustus. In the sixteenth century
came into vogue the practice OF keep
ing church registers Of biIth. marriages
and deaths, and of W hich grew the modern
systems Of recording the movements Of
the population. Peter the Great, in
1T19, had q census taken Of the male
population. for the purpose Of conscrip-
ton, additions being made until 1902,
when "Central Bureau OF Statistics"
was organized, which was reorgsnized
in 1852. From 1S5S-67 the Russian
census grew to include legal popula-
ton, information in reference TO sexes,
number Of horses in town, churches,
institutions, manufacturing establish
ments, etc.
In Prussia demonstrating dates back
to Frederic l., and was improved under
Frederick III. The enumeration en-
braces mechanics, etc., and IL made by
civil officers on one day in December.
The new German empire, on Decem-
Der /, 1871, took census for the FIRST
time. The German states, for the most
part, take census aiennIally. Austris's
census was FIRST taken in 1874, and un-
tiI 1857 was used entirely for military
purposes. Il is taken every three
years.
The science OF statistics has been
more cultivated in Sweden than in any
other country. The practice oates back
to 1886, and has been carried to high
state OF perfection. In Turkey the CEN
sus is taken for conscription. The first
taken in France " as in 100; il is now
taken at quinquennIalperiods, Denmark
being the only other country that takes
its census every FIVE years. The Uni
ted States. Great Britain and Ireland,
Holland, Belgium, Switzerland, Portu-
gal, Sweden and Norway, on the other
hand, do the work every ten years
The origin of the American census may
be traced to The colonial period, when
the British board of trade caused emu
meraliOns to be made for commercial
purposes. The census Of the United
States presents the unusual fact of be-
ing ordained by the constitution Of The
government, and really atthe very birtE
OF the government itself, in 1890. II
was then decided to take a census ev-
cry ten years as political necessity
General Janis A. Garfield presented a
bill in 1870 to take from the control Of
marshals the collecting Of census re-
turns, and provisions were made 20 meet
the requirments Of SCIENCE, but the bill
was defeated by the Senate. The ninth
census was then taken. under act Of
1880, by 6,572 assistant msrshals. su-
pervised by sixty-one marshals Of the
United States courts, al q coast Of 9 g.
$50 ,834. General Walker is considered
TO have made il ninth eensus) the
most complete in detail and accuracy
that has ever been accomplished.
The present law, passed by the For
ty-fifth Congress, allows $1,000, 900,
and has some excellent prOvisions.--
Supervisors are 10 be appointed for di-
visions, they appointing enumeratoFs Of
subdivisions, who are to be selected
solely with reference to their fitness
for these duties, and without reference
10 political or party affiliations. Under
the old law, subdivisions were limited
to 20, 900 inhabitants. while BY the pres
ent Law they are limited to 1000. By
the old law, the time from June TO
November was allowed for enumera-
ton. while under the present statute II
Is required TO be done in June, and IN
cities OF more than 1000 inhabitants
m the two weeks from thefFst Monday
In June. Scaool-masters have largely
been found in England among the bet
qus1ifed enumerators. Itis proposed
here TO employ local officers and physi-
clans, a. il Is thought they would make
excellen. enumeTatoTs.-FTed. l.. JeH-
kfns, an .kew York Tribune.
Deafness "a chilesen.