Page:U.S. Department of the Interior Annual Report 1871.djvu/22

20 and critical duties upon this Department, fails to commit to it that control over its immediate agents in the census which is recognized in every other service known to the law as essential to the satisfactory performance or duty, and even to official responsibility for results.

By the law of May 23, 1850, it is made the duty of the Secretary of the Interior, on the completion of each decennial enumeration of the population of the United States to apportion the representation in Congress among the several States. This duty will be performed about the first of January next, in accordance with the provisions of said law, unless Congress shall in the meantime direct that a change shall be made in the existing law governing the subject.

The general plan of the report of the Ninth census, as shown by those portions of it which are already in print, exhibits many interesting and valuable improvements in classification and arrangement over any preceding report, and the condition of the general work of the Census Bureau is so well advanced that the full reports of the census will be given to the public at a much earlier day than ever before.

The Department acknowledges the valuable services of General Walker, the Superintendent of the Bureau, whose thorough practical knowledge of the science of statistics has enabled him to effect such valuable improvements as cannot fail to be recognized by the public when the reports are issued.

In accordance with the act of the third session of the Forty-first Congress making appropriations for the continuation of the geological survey of the Territories of the United States, under the direction of this Department, Professor Hayden was appointed chief geologist. He was instructed to direct his attention to the little-known but interesting region about the source of the Yellowstone and Missouri Rivers. He took as his initial point Ogden, Utah, and examined a belt of country northward to Fort Ellis, Montana; then proceeded up the valley of the Yellowstone explored the wonderful ranges of mountains, casons, falls, hot-springs, geysers, &c., connected with that remarkable region. A careful topographical and pictorial chart, with soundings of the lake which forms the sources of the Yellowstone, was made. Numerous maps, charts sketches, photographs, &c., of the entire route explored were obtained, and are now in the possession of this Department. The geologist was also instructed to direct his attention to the economical resources of the public domain, and thus a great amount of valuable notes and specimens, illustrating the agricultural, mineral zoological, and botanical wealth of the West, was secured.

The results of this expedition show it to have been a complete success, and it is the opinion of this Department that they fully justify the liberal provision made by Congress for it. A preliminary report of the results will be presented to Congress at an early date.