The term of six months limited for the returns of the marshals
was also found even then too short, and must be more so now, when an
additional population of at least 3,000,000 must be presented upon the
returns. As they are to be made at the short session of Congress, it
would, as well as from other considerations, be more convenient to
commence the enumeration from an earlier period of the year than the 1st
of August. The most favorable season would be the spring. On a review of
the former enumerations it will be found that the plan for taking every
census has contained many improvements upon that of its predecessor. The
last is still susceptible of much improvement. The Third Census was the
first at which any account was taken of the manufactures of the country.
It was repeated at the last enumeration, but the returns in both cases
were necessarily very imperfect. They must always be so, resting, of
course, only upon the communications voluntarily made by individuals
interested in some of the manufacturing establishments. Yet they
contained much valuable information, and may by some supplementary
provision of the law be rendered more effective.
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