Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1847,

BY FRANCIS BOWEN,

in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the District of Massachusetts.

BOSTON:

DICKINSON PRINTING ESTABLISHMENT,

DAMRELL AND MOORE,

PREFACE.

THE Nineteenth Volume of the American Almanac is now offered to the public. Unwearied pains have been taken to collect full and varied information concerning the complex affairs of the general and state governments; and a mass of documents has been digested relating to the government, history, finances, legislation, public institutions, and internal improvements of the United States. It is believed that the present volume is equal to its predecessors in fulness and accuracy, and that it will sustain the high character of the American Almanac as a trustworthy manual for reference, and a full repository of useful knowledge.

The Astronomical Department has been, as usual, under the direction of Professor Peirce, whose high reputation is a sufficient guaranty of the completeness and accuracy of the computations. The articles upon the observatory at Washington and the great telescope at Cambridge, show the advantages that have resulted thus early to science from the wise forecast of the general government, and the generous munificence of the citizens of Boston. Another article gives the places in which Pingré's predicted comet of 1848 is expected to appear. The Meteorological information embraces points in all parts of the United States; and tables have been added, showing the flowering seasons, and days and depths of snow, for a series of years in several places. Such tables are valuable; and it is desirable that those who have kept them should forward them to the editor for publication. The table of latitudes and longitudes, kindly furnished for the American Almanac by Major Graham, and received too late for insertion in the body of the work, has been appended to it, and contains new and important geographical information.

In another part of the volume will be found an abstract of the laws of the several states concerning imprisonment for debt, which has been prepared with great care, and is more complete than any other yet published. The chapter upon the Patent Office and the laws concerning patents will show the inventive genius of our countrymen, and point out the steps necessary to secure the inventor in his rights. The history of the Electric Telegraph will be curious and interesting to all readers. The chapters upon the several Departments are full and accurate, having been corrected at

Washington to the latest dates; and an extended account of the revenue of the post-office under the new law is given. The tabular view of all the railroads in this country is continued from the last volume in a more enlarged and perfect form; and the comparative view of the debts, property, and general financial condition of all the states, has been corrected with great care from the latest official returns. Lists of the members elect to the 30th Congress, and their residence, and of the 5th Reformed Parliament, are given. The general abstract of all the public laws passed by Congress is continued, as heretofore; and a list of the public resolutions and treaties has been added. A distinguishing feature of the present volume is a brief outline of the history, an abstract of the constitution, and a complete list of all the governors of each state. The statutes of each state have been carefully examined, and all the amendments of the constitutions have been incorporated in the abstract. Great pains have been taken to make them accurate, and they are believed to be sufficiently full for all practical purposes.

The thanks of the Editor are particularly due to the Heads of Departments at Washington, and to his many contributors and correspondents, to whom the work is indebted for a great part of its value. A continuance of their favors is respectfully solicited. A work embracing such a multitude of facts must necessarily contain some errors: persons who detect any are earnestly requested to communicate them to the Editor. It is a matter of some public interest that a periodical which circulates so widely, both in Europe and America, and which is so universally trusted as a manual for reference, should be rendered as accurate as possible; and this end can be obtained only by the coöperation of many individuals. Communications may be addressed to the "Editor of the American Almanac," Boston. Boston, Mass.,

Sept. 30, 1847.