FINANCES. The annual receipts from all sources are about $325,000. The ordinary annual expenditures are $175,000. The Legislature of 1852-53 authorized the additional extraordinary expenditure of $107,000. The total amount of the State debt is $802,000. The State owns stock in the Bank of the State of Missouri (the only bank allowed in the State by the constitution, and whose charter expires in 1856) to the amount of $272,263. Deducting this, the debt is $529,737. Common Schools. The principal of the Common School Fund exceeds half a million of dollars. The interest of this sum is distributed semiannually among the different counties of the State, according to the number of children reported, and this proportion is disbursed among teachers therein. The State has also appropriated one fourth part of its revenues to the support of common schools, making the amount to be distributed annually near $ 140,000. State Penitentiary at Jefferson City. - There were in August, 1852, 230 convicts. The prison is conducted by lessees, who pay an annual rent of $5,000. Lunatic Asylum at Fulton. - Superintendent, Dr. T. R. H. Smith. Number of inmates 93. The last Legislature appropriated $ 30,000 for its enlargement, and $37,300 for its support. Deaf and Dumb Asylum at Fulton. - Principal, William D. Kerr. It is now in operation, and has 43 pupils. The last Legislature appropriated $ 36,400 for its support. Asylum for the Blind, St. Louis. — Rev. Wm. G. Eliot, President. W. D. Wheelan, Principal. $30,000 were appropriated for its enlargement by the last Legislature. Internal Improvements.· -There are three railroads now in course of construction in the State:- 1st. St. Louis and Pacific Railroad. Of this about 38 miles are completed, from St. Louis westwardly. The whole will be finished to the western line of the State, about 360 miles, in about three years. Its proposed terminus is San Francisco, in California. 2d. Iron Mountain, from St. Louis to Iron Mountain. Length about 75 miles. 3d. Hannibal and St. Joseph Railroad. It connects the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers at the points named in the title of the road. Its length is about 280 or 300 miles, and the probable period of its completion will be two or three years. The State has lent its credit to the first road to the amount of $ 3,000,000; to the second to the amount of $750,000; and to the third to the amount of $1,000,000. The loans are made to the roads thus:- When the directors report that the sum of $50,000 is bonâ fide subscribed by individuals, the State issues its bonds for a similar amount; and so for each similar subscription of $ 50,000, until the whole appropriation is exhausted. To secure the State, the entire railroad, buildings, locomotives, &c. are mortgaged to the State. The directors are also bound to pay the interest as it accumulates. The following railroads are now undergoing survey:-1st. North Missouri Railroad, from St. Louis to the northern boundary line of the State, distance about 250 miles. To this railroad the State has lent its credit, on the same terms as to the others now in progress for the sum of two millions. 2d. The Southwestern Railroad, from St. Louis to Springfield, distance about 300 miles. To this road the State has given the lands granted by the general government, consisting of each alternate section of land, on each side of the track, for 15 miles, and also lent its credit on the usual terms for one million of dollars. J. H. Bonney, George Gillaspy, of Van Buren Co., Com. Des Moines Impr't, 1,000 of Marion Co., Register 1,000 The Legislature meets biennially, on the first Monday in December. The pay of the members is $2 a day for the first fifty days, and $1 a day for the rest of the session, with $2 for every twenty miles' travel. Joseph Williams, J. F. Kinney, D. C. Cloud, G. S. Hampton, of Muscatine Co., Attorney-Gen. and Reporter, 1,000 of Johnson Co., Clerk, Fees. The judges of the Supreme Court are elected, by joint vote of the General Assembly, for six years, and until their successors are elected and qualified. The Supreme Court now holds two sessions annually at Iowa City, on the first Monday in June and December. The judges of the trict, for five years, and until their successors are elected and qualified. District Court are elected, by the voters in their dis FINANCES. The funded debt of the State is $81,795, on which the interest is about $8,000. The revenue is derived from taxes upon real and personal property. The receipts into the State Treasury for the two years ending Oct. 31, 1852, were $ 139,681.69 In the Treasury, Dec. 1, 1850, The disbursements during the same period were Balance in Treasury, Oct. 31, 1852, 1.39 $ 139,683.08 131,631.49 $8,051.59 The annual expenses of the State are, for executive, $3,850; judiciary, $9,000; interest, $8,000; printing, $6,500; deaf, dumb, and blind, $1,750. The expenses of Legislature the sessions are biennial — are near $17,000. The assessed taxes for 1852 were $ 57,607,05. In 1852 the number of polls was 36,395; number of voters, 43,019; aliens, 7,211; males, 118,769; females, 109,004; acres of land, 5,618,207; value of same with improvements, $20,658,180; capital in merchandise, $1,261,532; mills, distilleries, &c., $280,438; horses, number 61,088, value $2,211,755; value of neat cattle, $1,998,489; sheep, number, 171,325, value, $172,467; swine, number, 277,099, value, $291,687. Total valuation, $38,427,376. Common Schools. It is provided by the constitution, that a Superintendent of Public Instruction shall be chosen by the people for three years, and that all lands granted by Congress to this State, all escheated estates, and such per cent. as may be granted by Congress on the sale of the public lands in Iowa, shall constitute a perpetual fund, the interest of which, and the rents of the unsold lands, shall be applied to the support of common schools. The Assembly shall provide for a school in each school district for at least three months in each year; and all moneys received for exemption from military duty, and for fines imposed by the courts, shall be appropriated to support such schools, or for the establishment of school libraries. The money arising from the lease or sale of public lands granted for the support of a university shall remain a perpetual fund to maintain such an institution. XXX. WISCONSIN. WILLIAM A. BARSTOW, of Madison, Governor, James T. Lewis, Lieut-Governor, 66 Term expires. Dec. 31, 1855, $1,250 [A per Salary. diem while Legislature is in session. Alexander T. Gray, of Green Bay, Sec. of State & Auditor, George B. Smith, of Geneva, Attorney-General, Hiram A. Wright, of Shullsburg, Sup't of Public Instr., Librarian. 66 800 Herman Haertel, State Emigrant Agent, Office No. 89, Greenwich Street, The judicial power of the State, as to matters both of law and equity, is vested in a Supreme Court, in Circuit Courts, in County Courts with probate powers and jurisdiction, and in justices of the peace. The Supreme Court, except the power of issuing writs of habeas corpus, mandamus, and the like, has appellate jurisdiction only, and in no case holds jury trials. It consists of one chief justice and two associate justices, whose term of office is six years, and salary $2,000 per annum. At present two terms of the court are held annually, at the seat of government. The State is divided into six judicial circuits. The judges are elected by the voters of each circuit respectively, and hold their office for six years, at a salary of $1,500 per annum. The Circuit Courts have original jurisdiction in all matters civil and criminal within the State (except in a few specified cases), and an appellate jurisdiction from all inferior courts. They have also power to issue writs of habeas corpus, quo warranto, and the like. Terms of the Circuit Courts are held at least twice in each year in every county. A County Court is established in each county. The judge is elected by the voters of the county, and holds office for four years. This court has jurisdiction concurrent with the Circuit Courts in all civil actions arising within or without the county when the debt or damages claimed do not exceed $500, and exclusive appellate jurisdiction in all cases of appeal or certiorari, from justices of the peace. It has also probate powers and jurisdiction. Justices of the peace are elected in the several towns, hold office for two years, and have jurisdiction throughout their counties in civil matters when the debt or damages claimed do not exceed $100. Wisconsin Institute for the Education of the Blind. — C. B. Woodruff, Superintendent. An institution for the education of the blind was organized in 1850, at Janesville. A tax of one fifteenth of a mill on every dollar of taxable property in the State is levied for its aid. It was opened August 1, 1850. The number of pupils, January 1, 1854, was 13, 7 boys and 6 girls. The expense of conducting the institution for the year was $2,421.88. The State in 1853 appropriated $ 1,500 towards its support. Deaf and Dumb Institute, Delavan, Walworth Co. -L. Foot, Principal. The institution was established in 1852 A building has been erected 32 X 44 feet, and two stories high, as a wing of a larger structure to be hereafter built as may be required. There were in January, 1854, 14 pupils in attendance. There are about 175 deaf mutes in the State. State Prison, at Waupun, Fond du Lac Co. - Henry Brown, Commissioner. Number of convicts, April 1, 1852, 15; received to Dec. 31, 1852, 16; in all, 31. Discharged, 3. Escaped, 1. In prison, Dec. 31, 1852, 27, of whom 2 were females. In prison in 1853, 64, of whom 5 were females. Common Schools. By the report of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, it appears that the capital of the School Fund, Dec. 31, 1853, was $1,141,804.28, of which the sum of $1,107,709.36 is drawing interest at 7 per cent., and will give $77,539 for distribution, or a fraction over 56 cents to each child in the State between 4 and 20 years of age. There is, besides, the University Fund, of $93,732.40, the income of which is applied for the benefit of the State University. For the year ending August 31, 1853, returns were received from 39 of the 45 counties in the State. Of the 421 towns in the counties heard from, all but 6 made reports. The number of school districts in the reporting towns was 2,072. 95,293 out of the 138,279 children residing in the counties, between the ages of 4 and 20, attended school. 1,534 children under 4 years of age, and 1,008 over 20, attended school. Average monthly wages of male teachers, $18.24; of female, $9.50. Average number of months kept by male teachers, 3.125; by female teachers, 3.57. $113,788.18 were expended for teachers' wages, $1,646.99 for libraries, and $3,926 48 for other purposes. Number of volumes reported in libraries, 5,723. There are 74 school-houses of brick, 57 of stone, 995 of logs, and 1,069 framed, and all are valued at $ 289,346.89. The highest valuation of any school-house is $5,550, and the lowest $0.50. The State debt is $ 100,000; annual interest, 8 per cent., thereon, $8,000. Salaries,. 56,185.71 3,625.69 The aggregate value of the real and personal property in all except 15 counties of the State subject to taxation, for the year 1853, was $21,725,191.34. The six-mill tax upon this amounted to $ 130,353.12. In 1854 there were assessed 8,613,496 acres of land at the value of $51,803,532; village and city lots of the valuation of $6,384,182; personal property to the amount of $6,098,000; being in all, $64,285,714, upon which the 3.5 mills tax was $225,000. Births, Marriages, and Deaths. For the year ending July 20, 1853, there were reported 884 marriages, 130 births, and 28 deaths. JOHN BIGLER, Samuel Purdy, XXXI. CALIFORNIA. Term expires. Salary. of Sacramento City, Governor, Jan. 1856, $10,000 of Stockton, Lieut.-Gov. & Pres. of Senate, $20 a [day during session of Legislature. J. W. Denver, of Sacramento City, Secretary of State, Jan. 1856, Samuel Bell, S. A. M. Means, J. R. McConnell, Wm. C. Kibbe, 3,500 The Supreme Court consists of a chief justice and two associate justices. It has appellate jurisdiction where the matter in dispute exceeds $200, and where the legality of certain acts is questioned, and in certain criminal cases. The justices are elected by the people for six years, and are so classified that one goes out of office every two years. The senior udge in office is the chief justice. |