Franscini's was able to apply his interest in statistics to his work in 1850, when the distribution of seats in the National Council by canton needed to be calculated, and he was commissioned to organize Switzerland's first federal population census. Despite his strong belief in the value of collecting and evaluating statistical data – he saw it as one of a "socially progressive nation"'s duties – he wasn't able to convince federal or cantonal politicians of its importance. With the aid of a private secretary, he was forced to evaluate the data of the census all by himself after Parliament failed to provide the necessary funds. His evaluations were published in a series of five volumes between 1851 and 1858, titled "Beiträge zur Statistik der schweizerischen Eidgenossenschaft" ("Contributions to the Statistics of the Swiss Confederation"). The Federal Statistical Office was not introduced until 1860, after Franscini's death, along with a law on federal population censuses, which were to be held every ten years henceforth.