The Federal Government provided blank printed forms to the U.S. Marshals.  There may be annotations such as certificates of oaths taken, population totals, and handwritten and mechanically-stamped page numbers.

For the first time, on March 3, 1849, Congress delegated decisions about the questions to be asked on the census to the "Census Board" whose members were the Secretary of State, Attorney General, and Postmaster General. Their recommendations were later incorporated in the forms shown below included by Congress in the act that authorized the taking of the census.

The act governing the Seventh Decennial Census made several changes in census procedures:

• Each marshal was responsible for subdividing his district into ‘‘known civil divisions,’’ such as counties, townships, or wards, and for checking to ensure that his assistants’ returns were completed properly.
  
  
• The number of population inquiries grew; every free person’s name was to be listed, as were the items relating to each individual enumerated.
  
  
• Beginning in 1850, marshals collected additional ‘‘social statistics’’ (information about taxes, schools, crime, wages, value of estate, etc.) and data on mortality.

The act of May 23, 1850, also directed that six schedules be used to collect the information requested by the Congress.

This schedule collected data—including name, age, sex, color, and place of birth—on persons having died during the year ending June 1, 1850. Additional data were collected on constitutional and marital status; profession, occupation, or trade; month of death; disease or cause of death; number of days ill; and any suitable remarks.

The act of May 23, 1850 designated the Mortality Schedule as schedule No. 6. The Census Board updated it to schedule No. 3.

This schedule collected data on agricultural production for the year ending June 1, 1850.

The act of May 23, 1850 designated the Agriculture Schedule as schedule No. 3. The Census Board updated it to schedule No. 4.

This schedule collected data on the products of industry for the year ending June 1, 1850, and applied to all forms of productive industry, including manufactures (except household manufactures), mining, fisheries, and all kinds of mercantile, commercial, and trading businesses.

The act of May 23, 1850 designated the Industry Schedule as schedule No. 4. The Census Board updated it to schedule No. 5.

This schedule collected aggregate statistics for each subdivision enumerated on the following topics: valuation of real estate; annual taxes; colleges, academies, and schools; seasons and crops; libraries; newspapers and periodicals; religion; pauperism; crime; and wages.

The law required "all the inhabitants" of each Federal judicial district or territory be enumerated.  The Instructions to Marshals and Assistants explained that the the term "usual place of abode" used in column 3 of Schedule 1, Free Inhabitants, meant the "the house or usual lodging place of a person" and that a person "temporarily absent on a journey, or for other purposes, without taking up his place of residence elsewhere, and with the intention of returning again, is to be considered a member of the family...."

Secretaries of the Interior Thomas Ewing (1849-50), Thomas M. T. McKennan (1850), Alexander H. H. Stuart (1850-53), and Robert McClelland (1853-57) had general supervision of census operations, tabulation, and reporting the results to the President and Congress.

Superintendent of the Census J. J. B. DeBow submitted the final statistical report on "The Seventh Census of the United States, 1850" to Secretary McClelland in 1853. 

The U.S. Marshal for each Federal judicial district was responsible for taking the census in his district with the help of assistant marshals whom he appointed. Each took an oath or affirmation that "I will to the best of my ability enumerate, or cause to be enumerated, all the inhabitants of said district ... and will faithfully perform all the duties enjoined on me...."  Each assistant marshal took an oath or affirmation that "I will make a true and exact enumeration of all the inhabitants within the district assigned to me, ... and will make due and correct returns thereof..."  The act also specified "That each assistant ... shall perform the service required of him, by a personal visit to each dwelling-house, and to each family...."  After the information was entered on the forms, "such memoranda shall be immediately read to the person or persons furnishing the facts, to correct errors and supply omissions, if any shall exist."

Every person over age 20 was required to cooperate: "That each and every free person more than twenty years of age, belonging to any family ..., and in case of the absence of the heads and other members of any such family, then any agent of such family shall be and each of them hereby is, required, if thereto requested by the marshal or his assistant, to render a true account, to the best of his or her knowledge, of every person belonging to such family ... on pain of forfeiting thirty dollars...."

The census began on Saturday, June 1, 1850, and was finished within 5 months.

U.S. marshals and their assistants conducted the 1850 census under the rules and directions established in an Act of Congress approved May 23, 1850. However, an Act of Congress of August 30, 1850, authorized the Secretary of the Interior to "extend the time for completing the census in California, Oregon, Utah, and New Mexico, to such time as, in his discretion, may be deemed advisable."

The U.S. Marshalls were provided detailed instructions on completing each schedule.

Schedule 1 — Free Inhabitants

1. Dwelling-houses numbered in the order of visitation.
2. Families numbered in the order of visitation.
3. Name of every person whose usual place of abode on the first day of June, 1850, was in this family.
4. Age.
5. Sex.
6. Color. (White, black, or mulatto)
7. Profession, occupation, or trade of each male person over 15 years of age.
8. Value of real estate owned.
9. Place of birth, naming the State, Territory, or country.
10. Married within the year.
11. Attended school within the year.
12. Persons over 20 years of age who cannot read and write.
13. Whether deaf and dumb, blind, insane, idiotic, pauper, or convict.

Schedule 2 — Slave Inhabitants

1. Name of slave owners.
   
2. Number of slaves.
3. Age.
4. Sex.
5. Color.
6. Fugitive from the state.
7. Number manumitted.
8. Deaf and dumb, blind, insane, or idiotic.
9. Remarks.

For details on the other census schedules see the 1850 Census Instructions to Marshals and Assistant Marshals.