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no session can last more than 90 days, except by a vote of three fifths of all the members; and then it shall not be extended more than 30 days.

JUDICIARY.

For the administration of justice there are established County Courts, Circuit Courts, District Courts, and a Supreme Court of Appeals. The County Courts are held monthly in each county, by not less than three nor more than five justices. These justices are thus chosen by the people. Each county is divided into districts, and each district elects four justices for the term of four years. These justices elect one of their own number to attend each term of the court.

The State is divided into 21 circuits. The voters in each circuit elect a judge for eight years, who must be thirty years old and reside in the circuit. Two Circuit Courts are held annually in each county by each judge. These 21 circuits form 10 districts, and these 10 districts form 5 sections. The voters of each section elect a judge of the Court of Appeals, who must be 35 years old and reside in his section. The judges of these five sections constitute the Court of Appeals; any three of whom may hold the court, which has jurisdiction, except in certain specified cases, where the matter in controversy is not less than $500 in value. This court sits at Richmond from January 5th to March 5th, from April 1st to May 14th, from October 15th to December 15th, and at Lewisburg o the 2d Monday in July, the term to last ninety days if necessary.

District Courts are held once every year in each district, by the judges of the circuits constituting the section, and the judge of the Supreme Court for the section, any three of whom may hold the court.

The Court of Appeals and the District Courts appoint their officers, but in the Circuit and County Courts the officers of the court are elected by the people.

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FINANCES.

Public Debt, October 1, 1854.

Amount of outstanding registered stock,* five and six per cent.,
Amount of five and six per cent. coupon bonds issued,

Annual interest thereon,

$ 11,524,476.54 10,865,000.00 $22,389,476.54 $1,325,000.00

Of this sum $ 1,153,606.50 are held by the State for the literary fund. The contingent debt consists of liabilities of the State on account of the guaranties of the Commonwealth to bonds of corporations for the purposes of internal improvements; it amounts to $3,906,874.

By the report of the 1st and 2d Auditor, March 30, 1853, the productive stocks of the State; exclusive of those held by the Board of the Literary Fund, amounted to $8,011,668.66, i. e. their income was equal to 6 per cent. upon $8,011,668.66. In addition to this, the report of the Senate Committee upon finance and claims shows stocks now unproductive to the amount of $5,899,958.53. At the session of 1853, the legislature lent the aid of the State largely to works of internal improvement.

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Statement of Taxes on all Accounts for 1853, to be collected in 1854.

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*This stock is known in the market as "Inscription Stock."

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Moneys, bonds, or other evidences in court,

Capital of incorporated joint stock Cos. other than banks of circula

tion and internal improvement Cos., and of all insurance Cos. and savings institutions which declare no dividend of profits, Personal property of internal improvement companies,

All other articles of personal property,

Aggregate values,

Fees of office,

Incomes, .

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Interest or profits,

Dividends,

Toll bridges and ferries,

Over extensions by commissioners and fractions,

Taxes of 1852 omitted,

Collateral inheritances,

Licenses,

Estimated delinquents and overcharges,

Estimated commissions,

43,040,658.31

3,536,111.00
949,083.54

655,379.25

377,807.00

2,450,287.25

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Estimated net taxes,

$ 1,281,047.08

In regard to taxation and the contracting of debts and the payment of the State debt the constitution provides as follows:

"The yeas and nays shall be taken on all tax and appropriation bills. No incorporated company shall be released from its liability to the State, nor shall the faith of the State be pledged for the debts of any company. Seven per cent. of the State debt existing January 1, 1852, shall be annually set apart as a sinking fund to redeem said debt. No loans shall be contracted irredeemable for a period of over 34 years. Whenever a debt is contracted, there shall be set apart, annually, for 34 years, a sum exceeding by one per cent. the aggregate amount of the annual interest agreed to be paid thereon at the time of its contraction, which sum shall be a part of the sinking fund. Stocks held by the Commonwealth may be sold, but the proceeds must be applied to the payment of the public debt."

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The returns are very imperfect. They show, as regards primary schools, in 140 counties and 6 towns, 1,853 commissioners; in 129 counties and 3 towns, 3,934 schools; in 100 counties and I town, 55,271 poor children; in 129 counties and 4 towns, 32,072 poor children sent to school. Amount expended for tuition of poor children at common and other schools, including books and all other expenses, $69,404.14; average attendance of poor children in the year, 54 days; average cost per annum of each poor child, about $2.16. The returns as to district free schools are from only 10 counties and 2 towns. Number of districts, 261; of schools, 276; general average salaries of teachers in 7 counties and 2 towns, $224.75; number of children at school during the year in 10 counties and 2 towns, 13,176; average annual cost of these pupils, $5.92; local funds from taxes, contributions, &c., $63,293.52; amount applied from school quotas, $6,519.80; teachers' salaries and all other expenses, $68,265.30; tuition in 6 counties and 1 town, $36,065.53; when not otherwise stated, the above returns are from 10 counties and 2 towns.

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Council of State.

Clerk of the Senate.

William K. Lane, of Wayne Co.; Whitmel Stallings,

of Gates Co.; Archibald Henderson, of Rowan Co.; Wilson S. Hill, of Guilford Co.; Columbus Mills, of Rutherford Co.; Perrin Busbee, of Raleigh; and Robert S. French, of Robeson Co.

Pay, $3 per diem while in service, and $3 for every 30 miles' travel.

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The Supreme Court holds three sessions in each year;

of Fayetteville.

of Lincoln Co.

of Cleaveland Co. two in the city of

Raleigh, to wit, on the second Monday in June and the last Monday in

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December, — and one at Morgantown, on the first Monday of August, for the western part of the State; and continues to sit at each term until all the business on the docket is determined, or continued upon good cause shown. It has power to hear and determine all cases in law or equity, brought before it by appeal, or by the parties. It has original and exclusive jurisdiction in repealing letters-patent, and also has power to issue all writs necessary and proper for the exercise of its jurisdiction.

The judges of the Supreme and the Superior Courts are elected by joint

ballot of both houses of the General Assembly, to hold office during good behavior. Their salaries cannot be diminished during continuance in office.

Salary of a solicitor, $20 for each court which he attends, and fees for conviction. The Attorney-General is solicitor for the third circuit, and receives, in addition, $100 for each term of the Supreme Court which he attends.

The Superior Courts of Law, and the Courts of Equity, are held twice each year in every county of the State. There are seven circuits, of about ten counties each, which the judges ride alternately, never visiting, however, the same circuit twice in succession. The judges of these courts have complete equity jurisdiction.

FINANCES,

For the Two Years ending October 31, 1852.
Receipts and Expenditures of the Public Fund.

Receipts for the year ending October 31, 1851,

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$285,154.79

366.728.88

$651,883.67

366,342.76 249,254.45

Receipts and Disbursements of the Literary Fund.

Receipts for the year ending October 31, 1851,

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$129,255.24

137.380.41

266,635.65

94,596.41

161.472.33

256,068.74

$ 10,566.91

118,192 67

$128,759 58

36 286 46 $ 165,056.04

The State owns stocks in railroads and other internal improvement companies to the amount of $600,000.

State Debt. On the 1st of November, 1852, the debt of the State upon which interest was payable amounted to $1,230,000. During the last session of the Legislature, a further debt of $2,140,000 was authorized to be created by the issue of bonds, as follows: $65,000 for the Neuse and Tar River Railroad; $75,000 for the Seaboard and Roanoke Road; $2,000.000 for the North Carolina Railroad.

Deaf and Dumb. The building for the North Carolina Institution for the Instruction of the Deaf and Dumb was commenced April 14, 1848. The Institution is in Raleigh, near the State House. The grounds have an extent of four acres.

Lunatic Asylum. - The Legislature, at a late session, imposed a tax of one cent and three quarters on every $100 worth of land, and five and a quarter cents on every taxable poll per annum, for four years, to raise a fund for building a lunatic asylum. The tax will yield about $80,000 in the four years.

XIV. SOUTH CAROLINA.
Government for the Year 1855.

JOHN L. MANNING, of Sumter,

James H. Irby,

of Lawrence,

Governor, (term ends De- Salary. cember, 1854), House-rent and $3,500 Lieutenant-Governor.

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