53,234 polls at $2, Real estate (4,916,131 acres), Taxable Property and Taxation. - Aggregate of Grand List of 1853. Personal estate, over debts owed, 15,231,283,30 Balance list for State taxes, 876,484.97 1,042.00 $875,442.97 Government for the Year ending the 1st Wednesday in January, 1856. HENRY J. Gardner, Simon Brown, Ephraim M. Wright, Jacob H. Loud, Joseph Mitchell, Ebenezer W. Stone, Ebenezer Bradbury, George Russell, Barnas Sears, of Boston, of Concord, Governor, Salary. $3,500 Lieutenant-Governor, $4 a day. of Westhampton, Sec. of Commonwealth, 2,000 Treas. and Receiver-Gen., 2,000 of Plymouth, of Boston, of Roxbury, of Newton, Land Agent, of Boston, 1,000 Sergeant at Arms, House & 1,300 of Boston, 1st Clerk, Secretary of State's Office, 1,300 of Kingston, 1st Clerk, Treasurer's Office, 1,300 Sec. of Board of Education of Newton, of Boston, of Boston, of Salem, Charles L. Flint, of Boston, $10 per day. 66 Lemuel Shaw, John H. Clifford, Horace Gray, Jr., Charles R. Train, $3,500 3,000 3,000 3,000 3,000 3,000 2,500 of New Bedford, Attorney-General, of Boston, Reporter, $300 and proceeds of Reports. of Framingham, District Attorney, N. Dist. 2,000 George W. Cooley, The Supreme Court consists of six judges, who hold office during good behavior. It has exclusive cognizance of all capital crimes, and exclusive chancery jurisdiction, so far as chancery powers are given by statute; and concurrent original jurisdiction of all civil cases, where the amount in dispute exceeds $600 in Suffolk, and $300 in the other counties. It holds law terms in eight of the fourteen counties of the State, and nisi prius terms in all the counties. Court of Common Pleas. of Boston, Comm'th Att'y for Co. of Suffolk, The Court of Common Pleas is held for the trial of civil cases above $20, and, except in Suffolk County, has criminal jurisdiction in all cases not capital. In Suffolk, the criminal jurisdiction is surrendered to the Municipal Court. There are seven judges, and frequent terms are held in every county. Justices of the peace have a limited criminal jurisdiction, and in civil cases under $100, with the right of either party in all cases over $20 to call in a jury of six ; and a right in all cases of appeal to the Common Pleas. In those places, as in Boston, where the justices of the Police Court on stated days hold a "Justices' Court," Justices of the peace cannot try causes. In Boston, a "Justices' Court" is held every Saturday. The jurisdiction of these courts is like that of justices of the peace. Police Court of Boston. John G. Rogers, Abel Cushing, Thos. Russell, Justices, salary, $1,500 each. Commissioners of Insolvency. These Commissioners hold Courts of Insolvency in their respective counties as often as they may deem necessary. Salary, - fees not exceeding the amount of $1,500 each. Received into the Treasury during the year ending December 31st, 1853, on account of ordinary revenue, Received on all other accounts (including $ 546,800 5 per cent. temporary loans, borrowed in anticipation of the revenue), Total receipts, Add cash on hand, January 1st, 1854, Total means, The entire payments during the year on account of ordinary expenditures were Total payments, . Excess of revenue for 1853, Cash on hand, January 1st, 1854, $882,289.32 1,238,990 75 $2,121,280.07 266,144.54 $2,387.424.61 $877,563.70 1,306,891.26 $2,184,454.96 4,725.62 $202,969.66 Of this $13,409.64 is on account of ordinary revenue, and $189,560.02 on account of the school and other funds. Principal Items of Expenditure, 1853. State Prison, 40,551.01 The debt of Massachusetts, on its own account, was, on the 1st January, 1854, $1,804,175.00 Liability of the Commonwealth for scrip loaned to the various railroads, The value of the productive property of the Commonwealth, January 1st, 1854, consisting of notes, mortgages, stocks and scrip, the Western Railroad sinking fund, School fund, &c. Real estate, &c., unproductive, Mortgages on the various railroads, Total property of the Commonwealth, Excess of resources over liabilities, 5,049.555 56 $6,853,730.56 $ 3,965,105.98 2,077,796.07 5,049,555.56 $11,092,457.61 6,853,730.56 $4,238.727.05 The lands in Maine last year estimated at $616,000 have been sold, and the proceeds ($646,196.19) have been divided between the School and the Sinking Funds. Receipts and Expenditures, and Kinds of Expenditure, on Account of ordinary Revenue, from 1834 to 1853 inclusive. $9,657,112 $9,915,069 $4,686,305 $286,010 $2,056,143 $1,983,680 $902,923 Institutions for Savings in 1853. In the 60 institutions that made returns, there were 117,405 depositors, and $23,416,392.73 deposits securely invested; seven millions in mort. gages, and the rest in stocks and loans. The average dividend for the year was a fraction over 4.78 per cent. The average annual per cent. of dividends of the last five years is a fraction over 6.69 per cent. The whole expense of managing these 60 Savings Banks was $59,071.27. Insurance Abstract for 1853. -Number of stock offices, 34, 19 of which are in Boston. Capital, $6.690,100. In United States stocks and Treasury-notes, $31,239.38. Bank stocks in Massachusetts, $4,533,285.02. State Stock, $151,920.00. Loans on bottomry and respon. dentia, $30,500. Real estate, $ 358,555.30. Mortgages on do., $1,166,341.08. Loans on collateral and personal security, $570,514.91; loans on personal security only, $403,597.79. Cash, $227,718.02. Reserved or contingent fund, $509,107.87. Railroad stock, $628,879 57. Losses ascertained and unpaid, $182 594.78. Estimated losses in addition, $461,670.00. Premium notes, $2,006,968 43, of which $438,686.53 are on risks that have terminated. Notes bad or doubtful, but not charged to profit and loss, $14,364.87. At risk, marine $64,058,935.11; fire, $88,097,881.07. Premiums on fire risks undetermined, $691,163.33. Average annual dividends for 5 preceding years, or since incorporated, 10.9 per cent. (Boston offices, 12.35 per cent.) Fire losses paid last year, $ 398,565.88. Marine losses do., $1,911,069.68. In mutual offices, amount insured on marine risks is $125,684,694,00%; on fire risks, $208,466,456,48; Assets of mutual offices, other than premium notes, $12,819,036.84; losses paid during the year, on marine risks, $2,196,016.77; fire risks, $420,649.84. There was also insured within the year by foreign companies, over $25,000,000. Banks. At the last session of the Legislature a law was passed requiring the banks in Boston to report weekly their condition to the Secretary of State in the particulars in the headings of the columns in the tables given below, and that the Secretary should publish these reports weekly. The same act required the same report to be made monthly by the banks out of Boston. $ Due from Due to Circula other Deposits. Banks. tion. $ $ $ $ $ 22,659,760 41,377,865 906,560 3,941,912 484,138 5,451,106 16,215,000 23,312,750 42,030 582 939,826 3,889,623 450,413 5,419,375 16,087,006 23,503,837 42,457,655 928,598 3,960,141 412,003 5,647,772 15,981,496 22,618,892 40,561,900 903,591 1,186,014 450,218 5,315,332 15,377 207 24,814,797 43,844,265 961,402 4,386,311 459,167 5,952,827 16.705,836 |