II. R. HELPER, ESQ., Dear Sir: MAYOR'S OFFICE, CITY HALL, Baltimore, December 26, 1856. His Honor the Mayor of this City has requested me to reply to your communication of the 24th inst., addressed to him, requesting answers to certain questions. In answer to your first interrogatory, I would state that the amount of direct taxation assessed January 1st, 1856, was $102,053,839; the amount of exempt taxation (i. e. property out of the limits of direct tax) assessed at that date was $6,054,733. In reply to your second inquiry, I would state that no census of the city has been taken since 1850. The estimated population at this time is about 250,000. Respectfully Yours, &c., &c., D. H. BLANCHARD, Secretary. OFFICE OF THE MAYOR OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, H. R. HELPER, ESQ., Dear Sir: In reply to your note of the 25th inst., received to-day, I hasten to give you the estimates you ask. Real Estate, 150 millions; it is about one-half the real value. Its market price is at least 300 million dollars. The Personal Estate is returned at 20 millions; it is over 110 millions. There has been no census since 1850. The population Yours truly, now is 500,000. G. VAUX. STATE OF LOUISIANA, MAYORALTY OF NEW ORLEANS, Mr. H. R. HELPER, New-York: Dear Sir: In answer to your note of the 24th December, I beg to refer you to the enclosed abstract for the value of real estate and slaves according to the last assessment. There has heretofore been no assessment of personal property -there having been no tax authorized until this year. The assessment is now being made and will probably add about $5,000,000 to the assessment as stated in the abstract. There has been no census since the U. S. census of 1850, except an informal census, made in 1852, for the purpose of dividing the city into wards anew. The estimated population now is about 150 to 175,000 inhabi tants-permanent population-including the floating population at this season, it would probably reach not less than 210,000 inhabitants. The U. S. census was taken in the summer months, and is very incorrect as to the absolute population of New Orleans. Very respectfully, Your obed't serv't, J. B. WALTON, Secretary. By reference to the abstract of which Mr. Walton speaks, we find that the value of real and personal property is Dear Sir:-Yours of the 25th inst., addressed to the Mayor, has been handed to me for a reply-and I would accordingly state that the value of real and personal estate in this city, on the first day of May, A.D. 1856, was $249,162,500. The census of the city of Boston, on the first day of May, A.D. 1855, was 162,748 persons. The estimated population of the city of Boston at this datesay January 1st, 1857-is 165,000. In reply to yours of the 9th inst., I beg leave to state, that a census of our population was taken in the spring of 1856 by the Sheriff, and although it was inaccurate, yet the population as returned by him was then 125,500. That his census is too low there is no doubt. Our population at this time is at least 140,000. Our last assessment was made in February, 1856. Value of real and personal estate, is, in round numbers, $63,000,000. Trusting this information will be sufficient for your purpose, I remain, Yours, &c., JOHN HOW, Mayor. MAYOR'S OFFICE, CITY HALL, BROOKLYN, H. R. HELPER, Esq., Sir: The answers to your inquiries are as follows: The last assessment of property in this city was made in August, 1856. The value of all the real and personal property in the city, according to that assessment, is $95,800,440. A census of the city was taken in 1855, and the number of inhabitants, according to it, was 205,250. The estimated population now is 225,000. The last annual report of the Comptroller, together with a communication of the Mayor to the Common Council, made on the 5th of Jan., 1857, have been transmitted by mail to your address, and from them you may be able to obtain any further information you may desire. Yours, respectfully, S. S. POWELL, Mayor. MAYOR'S OFFICE, Charleston, Feb. 16, 1857. II. R. IIELPER, Esq., (New York) Dear Sir: Yours of the 9th has just been received, I sent you, through the Clerk of Council, some time ago, the Annual Fiscal Statement of the Committee on Accounts made to the City Council, which would give some of the information which you desire. I will have another copy sent you. No census has been taken since 1848. The population at present must be between fifty and sixty thousand. Any information which it may be in my power to furnish you with, will always give me pleasure to supply. Very respectfully, WM. PORCHER MILES, Mayor. From a report of the "Annual accounts of the city of Charleston, for the fiscal year ending the 31st of August, 1856," it appears that the total value of real and personal property, including slaves-nearly half the population— was $36,127,751. MAYOR'S OFFICE, Dear Sir:-In reply to your note of the 25th ult., I beg leave to say that the value of all the real and personal property in this city, as assessed for taxation, amounts to $88,810,734. The realty being $60,701,267; the personalty $20,795,203, and the bank and brokers' capital $7,314,264. The assessment of the realty was made in 1853; that of the personalty is made in March of each year. Our present population is estimated at 210,000. No complete census has been taken since 1850. The total of taxes levied on the above assessment of $88,810,734, for city purposes, was $529,727,05. Your favor 24th ult. is received-contents noted. I will remark in reply, that the taxes of this city are levied only on real estate, slavery, and merchandise, (exclusive of home manufactures,) which are taken at what is supposed to be their cash value, but is much less than the real value. Our last assessment was made the 10th January, 1856, and amounted to $31,500,000. There has been no census of this city taken since 1850, our charter requiring that it shall be taken this year. I am now preparing to have it done. It is supposed Louisville at this time has a population of 65 or 70 thousand. I send with this my last annual message to the Gen. Council, and accompanying documents. Respectfully yours, |