Census of the United States. 893 
investigations under the Act of Congress for taking the 
Seventh census, to make a fair and impartial exhibit of our 
progress in wealth and numbers during the past ten years, 
and at the same time urge the propriety of mutual efforts 
towards the attainment of more uniform and useful statis- 
tical publications by different governments. ‘The propriety 
of this measure was felt by individuals who had made 
statistics a study, and the necessity for some action was 
universally conceded: and it affords me infinite gratification 
to state that an arrangement has been made for a general 
Statistical Congress, to be held at Brussels during the ensu- 
ing fall—a measure which has received the approbation of 
seyeral of the most distinguished statists of Europe, and 
from which the most beneficial results are anticipated. 
“ Mr. Porter,* of the Board of Trade, has been appointed 
a delegate to this Statistical Congress from England. He is 
a gentleman distinguished no less by his laborious researches 
and valuable contributions to the science of Political Eco- 
nomy and statistical knowledge of the British Empire, than 
for the elevated position he holds as a public officer and man 
of letters.” 
* This distinguished writer on Statistics and Political Economy died 
before the period fixed for the meeting of the delegates at the projected 
Statistical Congress. 
