The Work of Jefferson and Madison on the Decennial Census

"A Bill for taking a census has passed the House of Representatives, and is with the Senate. It contained a schedule for ascertaining the component classes of the Society, a kind of information extremely requisite to the Legislator, and much wanted for the science of Political Economy. A repetition of it every ten years would hereafter afford a most curious and instructive assemblage of facts. It was thrown out by the Senate as a waste of trouble and supplying materials for idle people to make a book."
letter from James Madison to Thomas Jefferson, February 14, 1790.

"As the census of all the rest of the union will be taken in the course of this summer, and will not be taken again under ten years, it is thought extremely desireable that that of your government should be taken also, and arranged under the same classes as prescribed by the act of Congress for the general census. Yet that act has not required it in your territory, nor provided for any expence which might attend it. As, however, you have sheriffs who will be traversing their districts for other purposes, it is referred to you to consider whether the taking the census on the general plan, could not be added to their other duties, and, as it would give scarcely any additional trouble, whether it would require any additional reward, or more than some incidental accomodation or advantage, which perhaps it might be in your power to throw in their way."
letter from Thomas Jefferson to William Blount, March 12, 1791.

Blount, William (1749-1800): born in Bertie County, N.C.; appointed governor of the "Territory South of the River Ohio" by President Washington 1790; signed U.S. Constitution for North Carolina; made his headquarters in Tennessee, elected to U.S. Senate; expelled from Senate because of his part in conspiracy to seize Spanish territory in North America for England; his was the first impeachment trial ever brought before the U.S. Senate.

"Nearly the whole of the states have now returned their census. I send you the result, which as far as founded on actual returns is written in black ink, and the numbers not actually returned, yet pretty well known, are written in red ink. Making a very small allowance for omissions, we are upwards of four millions; and we know in fact that the omissions have been very great."
letter from Thomas Jefferson to David Humphreys, Aug. 23, 1791.

David Humphreys was minister Resident at the court of Lisbon, with a salary of 4500 dollars a year.

The 54th Federalist Paper, attributed to either Alexander Hamilton or to James Madison, is available courtesy of the Electronic Text Center of the University of Virginia libraries.