Internal Improvements. —No internal improvements of any magnitude have yet been completed. But the Legislature is now taking measures for their completion. It is in contemplation to improve the navigation of the Fox and Wisconsin Rivers, and to connect the same by canal. To accomplish this, a grant of about half a million acres of land has been donated by Congress. When this is done, it will open steamboat navigation between Lake Michigan, by the way of Green Bay, and the Mississippi River, nearly through the centre of the State. Common Schools. —' -The number of school sections in the State is 2,200, and the estimated number of children in the State between 4 and 20 years of age is 46,000. The school fund is thus stated. The sixteenth (or school) sections of land contain 1,408,000 acres. To these are to be added the lands ceded by Congress for internal improvements, but by the assent of Congress diverted to the school fund, 500,000 acres,—making in all 1,908,000 acres. Of this about one seventh, 272,571 acres, is in the surveyed portions of the State, and near settlements, and is safely estimated to average $3 per acre, which gives a fund of $ 817,713. To this fund there will be added the proceeds of all lands that may hereafter be granted to the State by Congress for educational purposes, all moneys and the clear proceeds of all property that may accrue to the State by forfeiture or escheat, all moneys that may be paid as an equivalent for exemption from military duty, the clear proceeds of all fines collected in the several counties for any breach of the penal laws, five per cent. of the net proceeds of all sales of United States lands in our State, and all moneys arising from any grant to the State where the purposes of such grant are not specified. An Act to Establish the Territorial Government of Oregon; approved August 14, 1848. THE territory lying west of the summit of the Rocky Mountains, and north of latitude 42°, is hereby organized, the rights of the United States over the Indians and their lands being reserved, the titles to missionary lands (not exceeding six hundred and forty acres to any mission) confirmed, and the power of Congress to divide or annex the Territory, or any part of it, stated. of Every white male inhabitant of the Territory at the time of the passage this act, twenty-one years old, who is a citizen of the United States, or who has on oath declared his intention to become such and who shall take the requisite oaths, may vote, or be chosen to office, at the first election ; but the Legislature may prescribe further limitations. The Governor, justices, Secretary, Attorney, and Marshal are appointed by the President and Senate. The Governor holds office for four years and until his successor is appointed and qualified, is removable by the President, is Superintendent of Indian Affairs, may grant pardons and respites for offences against Territorial laws, and reprieves, until the President's will be known, for those against the laws of the United States. The Secretary holds office for five years, is removable by the President, and in default of the Governor fills his place. The Assembly consists of a council and house of representatives. The councillors, nine in number, have the qualifications of voters, are residents of their district, and are chosen, by a plurality of votes, for three years, one third every year. The apportionment, and the entire control of the first election, are with the Governor, but shall afterward be fixed by law. No session shall continue more than sixty days, except the first, which may last one hundred days. Representatives, in number not fewer than eighteen, nor more than thirty, with the same qualifications as councillors, shall be chosen annually, by a plurality of votes. All laws are submitted to Congress. No bank, or any thing like a bank, shall be chartered, or permitted to exist in the Territory as a branch of an institution chartered elsewhere, or otherwise, and the Territory shall issue no scrip; neither shall it pledge its faith, or in any way borrow money. No member of any Legislature, except the first, shall be appointed to an office created or increased in pay during his term, or for one year afterward. Salmon must not be prevented from passing up and down the streams. Three districts shall be created, in each of which a judge, appointed for four years and until successors be appointed and qualified, shall hold a District Court, with law and equity powers as may be regulated by statute; —and the same three judges shall form the Supreme Court, to which cases not to be tried by a jury may be removed by appeal from the District Courts. Writs of error and appeals from the decisions of the Supreme Court lie to the Supreme Court of the United States, as from the United States Circuit Courts, where the matter in dispute exceeds $2,000, or where the Constitution or a treaty of the United States, or acts of Congress, are in question. In cases arising out of the Constitution of the United States, or of Territorial laws, the District Courts have the same jurisdiction as the United States District and Circuit Courts. The Secretary of the Treasury of the United States shall regulate all disbursements of money intrusted to the Governor or Secretary. The inhabitants shall enjoy the benefit of the Ordinance of 1787. Existing laws, compatible with the Constitution of the United States and with this act, unless repealed by the Legislature, shall remain in force, except those affecting the title to land, which are void. A Delegate to Congress, who shall be a citizen of the United States, shall be cho sen by a plurality of votes ; and he shall not receive more than $2,500 mileage. $5,000 is appropriated for the purchase of a Territorial library. Sections 16 and 36 in every township are set apart for the benefit of schools. All the ports, &c., of the main-land form the collection district of Oregon, and Astoria is made a port of entry. A port of delivery may be established on Puget's Sound, and one other elsewhere. $15,000 is appropriated for lighthouses and buoys. GOVERNMENT For the Year 1849. Term expires. Salary. Governor and Sup't of Indian Affairs, 1852, $3,000 Joseph Lane, XXXII. DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. THE District of Columbia is under the immediate government of Congress. The city of Washington became the seat of the government of the United States in 1800; and it is the residence of the President, and the other chief executive officers of the national government. By an act of Congress, in 1846, which was subsequently accepted by the people of Alexandria, the city and county of Alexandria were retroceded to the State of Virginia, and the District is now confined to the Maryland side of the Po The present population of most of the above states has not been very recently ascertained with any exactness. The most complete and accurate census of Mexico was taken in 1842. This census returned the whole population as above. Of this number, there were 4,000,000 Indians; 1,000,000 whites; 6,000 negroes; and 2,009,509 of all other castes, as Zambos, Mestizos, &c. Of the Indians and negroes, only 80,120 can read, and of the whites and all others, 607,628. BRITISH AMERICAN PROVINCES. LORD ELGIN, Governor-General, Vice-Admiral, and Captain-General of all the British Provinces of North America. Adolphus Ernest II. Anhalt-Bernburg July 13, 1783 May 21, 1829 46 July 24, 1817 Aug. 20, 1839 22 Evangelical Ch. Frederick Grand Duke Saxe-Weimar-Eisen Feb. 2, 1783 June 14, 1828 45 Lutheran Fred. Gunther Prince Gunther 66 Saxe-Coburg-Gotha June 21, 1818 Jan. 29, 1844 26 Saxe-Meiningen-Hild. Dec. 17, 1800 Dec. 24, 1803 3 Saxe Altenburg Anhalt-Dessau Anhalt-Cothen Aug. 27, 1789 Sep. 29, 1834 45 Lippe-Schaumburg Grand Duke Baden Elector Hesse-Homburg Hesse-Cassel Grand Duke Hesse-Darmstadt Prince 66 66 Charles Maxim. Joseph Bavaria, Ferdinand Emperor Austria, Gen. Cavaignac Pres. Council France Isabella II. Queen Spain Maria II. Portugal Charles Albert King Sardinia Leopold II. Grand Duke Tuscany Charles Louis Duke Parma Francis V. 66 Modena and Massa Greece Oct. 10, 1830 Sept. 29, 1833 3 *The King of Belgium is a Protestant, though his subjects are mostly Catholics; the King of Saxony is a Catholic, though the greater part of his subjects are Protestants; and the King of Greece is a Catholic, though most of his subjects are of the Greek Church. † Sicily has declared itself independent; but the throne is not yet filled. |