New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-10-28
NO RECOUNT FOR THIS CITY.
MAYOR GRANTS APPLICATION FOR A M:
ENUMERATION REFUSED

NUMERATTON REFUSED
VIGOROUS DEcIsIoN-rHE CHANCE 10 AZ
CURE ANOTHER COUNT YooLIsHLY
THROWN AWAY DY THE MAYOR
THE cITY's POPULATION IN
JUNE AND OCTOBER
Washington, Oct. 27.-Secretary Noble to-day
rendered . decision denying the application Of
Mayor Grant for remuneration Of the population
OF the city Of Ncw-York. The decision and Ae
letter accompanying it are e. follows:
Department Of the Interior.
secretsry's once, Oct. 81. 1890.
Sir: four communication Of tho 9la Inst wss ~
ceved by me At noon OF tho 23d It having been de-
posted at the NewYork Postofncc appears By the
stamp, at p m. Of the 2od There b sent you here
numeraton OF the Inhabitants Of your CITY, which, for
therein set FORTH Is not allowed. Yours truly,
JOHN ". NOBLE, Secretary.
Hon. Hugh J. Grant. Mayor Of the city Of New YORK
Department Of the Interior.
Secrctsry's ONCE. Oct 81, 1900.
Application for remuneration Of tie inhabitants q
the city of New-Y0rk.
InlS comes DcIOrc ceCrctary upon tho 0emon0 OK
the Mayor OF the city Of NewYOrk dated October 81.
for remuneration of It's inhabitants The comnunca
ton Is unattended by anything else than copies Of .
letter by the Mayor to the Superintendent OF Census
making the ssmc demand, dated the 10th, and Of tho
reply thereto dated the 18th Of October requesting The
applicant present his and his evidence at hear
ing thereby offered. This has not been compiled with.
but the Mayor appeals directly to the Secretary to mako
the order on the information asserted to be before him
and TO be sufficient 1t Is deemed best, therefore, for
the interest of the country at large, well Of tho
city Of New York. to decide the the papers and
facts at hand.
The law under which the secretary's action Is re-
qucsted is as follows Whenever 1t shall appear that
any portion Of the enumeration and census provided
for In this act has been negligently improperly
TAKEN and Is by thereof Incomplete. the Super
intendent of the Census. with the approval Of tho
Secretary of the Interior, may cause such complete
and unsatisfactory enumeration ana census to Be
amended or made anew under such methods may. In
his discretion be practicable" (25 statutes U. Q.
7G7, Section 81
THE POWER OF ORDERING RECOUNT
In the opinion delivered by the Secretary upon tho
application of the state Of Oregon for remuneration.
which refused, 1t was stated that there can DO
no reasonable doubt but that the Secretary is given
the general power over the Census Bureau he e1er-
cses over the others in the Department OF the In
teior and in the exercise Of which he may overrule
absolutely the superintendent and himself order re-
numeraton. But 1t is also apparent that except In
most extraordinary the power Of discretion should
be left with the Superintendent. who the lawmakers
intended should as rule, control and be responsible
for the census
1t was therein further said that this responsibility
has been met by the present Superintendent and tho
work has under his supervision and direction been done
with remarkable care. intelligence. rapdity and COM
pleteness The Of 1890, 1t Is believed will be
found among the st satisfactory and instructive OF
all that have been taken In the United States 1t has
cost an immense sum Of money. and Is the result of
the toll Of many thousands Of persons It should not
be impaired by any dispositio please any particular
community however intellla 91ewHrful or earnest
in appeal. II facts importa18e uatHpied and unan-
swerable exhibit gross DISCREPANCIES. these should be.
as in all instances they have been. amended and 70
moved. But action should b based upon presump
ton against the It hat tho acqucsccnce OF tho
great body OF the people, and deemed worthy OF It,
These Views are still hold BY the Secretary and
their application to the case In hand Will go iat W
answer the present application
The Mayor in his first letter to the superintendent
of the Census, dated october 16, 1890. made dcmand
for an accurate enumeration OF oil the inhaDftanp
OF the city of NewYrk," statiug THAI 1t appears
from an enumeration taken by the police force under
the supervision OF myself (thc Mayor and 8 repre-
sentative selected by you the superintendent t'as
there are many nhASitants OF the city OF New-forK
who were not returned BY the Federal census IN
number they are more than enough TO secure TO this
city an additional member OF Congress ana 10 tne sta"
an additional electoral VOTE
TIE MAYORS MISTAKE ABOUT MIR. OLcOTT. .
The letter was oil that was sent to the superanr
tendcnt Its general assertion that there were many
inhabitants OF the city not returned By the Federal
census was not supported BY proof. ana no means
OF comparison of the two enumeraOns were FURNISHED
The demand rested solely the alleged supervision OK
tho municipal enumeration by representative OF tie
United states Census Bureau. Let tho assorsson q
supervision by United states representative Do ex'
amined for moment The letter OF introduction 10
the Mayor given to Mr.. Ocot. the person referred To
as supervising the municipal census, clothed HIM with
no such authority. II strictly confined him to In
forming himself by conference and otherwise as to
the methods that were pursued in the enumeration
This was the plain import OF the words OF the letter.
and IL cannot lie fairly claimed that they extend
further Moreover, the expressions In tho Mayors
letter of the 2st tho Secretary saying "Mr Olcota
come to me at the beginning of the enumerar
ton, and again "he here constantly dur
ing the progress OF the enumeration essential
ss they are to the validity Of the claim 10.
sisted on, are not at all correct Mr. oicctt, Ill
point of fact, did not reach the Mayors ONCE ana
deliver his letter until October l, which was the tro
day OF that II was expected would be fnished
in six days, ending the night Of october T. Besides
supcry ision in all most important details Influencing
results had taken place in advance OF the cnumes
alton. The methods OF the census had. before Mf.
Ocott arrived been fixed Its census books, tabuar
ton sheets and other papers mentioned by the Mayor
as submitted to him had been prepared. printed ana
with instructions distributed to the policemen who haA
been selected and detailed rs enumerators and th~
were acting under their orders Ir. Ocott was sup
piled with 10 data from the United states Bureau to
make any comparison OF the enumeration OF districts
rs they occurred and he did not attempt IL. In fact
the boundaries OF the election districts Of the city
which the United states Census was taken had ben
altered before tho municipal census and 1t was taken
by the new boundaries. 1t would be extremely difcuit
to make any comparison with every opportunity al
hand, and Mr.. Olcott had nOnc lie did not and could
not examine the names and residences put down by
the police either consult with the members OF thss