The judges of the Supreme Court are appointed by the Governor, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, and hold office for seven years. Circuit Courts. There are five judicial circuits in the State, to each of which is assigned a justice of the Supreme Court, who holds one or two terms of the Circuit Court annually in each county. These courts have original equity jurisdiction and appellate jurisdiction of probate cases and cases from the County Courts. They have concurrent jurisdiction with the County Courts of all civil actions where the amount in controversy exceeds five hundred dollars. County Courts. These are courts of general common law jurisdiction, both civil and criminal. They have exclusive jurisdiction of all actions where the amount in controversy does not exceed five hundred dollars, except cases cognizable by a justice of the peace, and concurrent jurisdiction with the Circuit Courts in all other civil actions, and in proceedings in equity for the foreclosure of mortgages. They have also appellate jurisdiction of causes cognizable by justices of the peace. Persons indicted for offences punishable by imprisonment in the State prison may demand a trial before the circuit judge, who in such cases presides in the County Court upon the trial. These courts are held by the county judge, or in his absence, or where he is interested, by the second judge, both of whom are elected by the people for four years, and are paid by fees. Courts of Probate. There is a Court of Probate in each county. The judge is elected by the people, and paid by fees. The aggregate amount of indebtedness of the State of Michigan, as stated by the Auditor General in his last report of December 1st, 1848, was, $2,849,939.05 6 Some of it draws interest at 7 per cent., but the most of it bears only per cent. interest. The resources and property of the State, other than State buildings and furniture, are stated at 889,223.87 due for lands and Consisting of balance due from Southern Railroad Co., of Wild lands, not including school lands, about Cash on hand, -taxes due from counties, lots sold, lands bought in for taxes, &c., &c., Leaving the actual State debt, over and above the resources of the State to be applied in payment, $1,960,710.18 Whole amount of taxable property in the State, both real and personal, according to the valuation for purposes of taxation, (which is at about one half its real value), was as $385,216.85 328,012.02 On which an annual State tax is levied of 2 mills on the dollar, beside taxes to pay interest on a certain portion of the State debt, and also for county, town, road, and school purposes. State Prison, Jackson.—Justus Goodwin, Agent. — Number of convicts in prison, Nov. 30, 1847, 119; received during the year, 49; whole number, 168. During the year there were discharged by pardon, 15; by expiration of sentence, 21; by escape, 4; in all, 40; leaving in prison, Nov. 30, 1848, 128; of whom 112 were white males, I white female, and 15 colored males. Of these, 95 were working for contractors, 31 for the State, and 2, from infirmities, were unemployed. Of the 49 admissions, 30 were for larceny; 4 for murder in the first degree; 1 for murder in the second degree; 1 for assault with intent to kill; 2 for burglary; and 2 for counterfeiting. 5 were sentenced for life; 11 for 5 years; 9 for 3 years; 6 for 1 year; and 2 for 6 months. The receipts from all sources, including balance of previous year, $7,196.74, drawn from the State Treasury, were $17,455.18. The total expenses were $ 17,350.23. Balance in favor of prison, $104.95. JOSEPH A. WRIGHT, cember, 1852), James H. Lane, Government for the Year 1850. Governor (term of office expires in De- Salary. $1,300 Lieut.-Governor & President of the Senate, $3 a day. * The State Agent of Indiana has an office in the city of New York. Adjutant-General, 100 Lemuel Ford, Salary. of Clark Co., Warden of State Prison, $600 Samuel H. Patterson, of Jeffersonville, Keeper of the Penitentiary, Profits. John B. Dillon, Geo. W. Carr, John W. Dodd, of Indianapolis, State Librarian, of Lawrence Co., Speaker of the House. Supreme Court. of Indianapolis, Chief Judge, $500 Isaac Blackford, $1,300 1,300 1,300 Fees. The judges are appointed by the Governor and Senate for 7 years, and the senior in commission is the chief judge. This court holds its sessions at Indianapolis, in May and November. It has appellate jurisdiction only, except in cases of chancery in which the President of the Circuit Court may be interested. The president judges are elected by the Legislature for 7 years. The attorneys are chosen by the people for 3 years; and the associate judges and clerks of the courts are elected by the people for 7 years. The salary of the judges is $800 each; the attorneys have $150 each and fees. The judges hold two terms in each county annually. There are two associate judges in each county, who receive $2 a day during the session. Tippecanoe Co., A. M. Crane, of Tippecanoe Co., A. A. Hammond, of Marion Co., Balance in the Treasury, Oct. 31, 1847, FINANCES. Total receipts into the Treasury for year ending Oct. 31, 1848, Total revenue, Total warrants on Treasury for same period, Balance in Treasury, Oct. 31, 1848, . Term ends. Salary. 1855, $1 & fees. 1856, Costs. $427,981.21 1,245,306.36 $1,673,287.57 979,191.48 $ 694,096.09 Of this sum, however, $401,644.27 consists of a balance in the hands of the trustees of the Wabash and Erie Canal, over which the Treasury Department has no control. The Auditor's Report shows that the lands assessed for taxes of 1848 amounted to 16,466,932 acres, being 601,442 acres more than were assessed for the taxes of 1847. These lands, for the purposes of taxation, were valued at $57,783,468; improvements at $23,946,509; town lots and buildings at $14,341,537; corporation stock at $130,170; personal property, $31,863,950. Total of taxable property, $128,070,634; increase over 1847, $4,349,485. Polls assessed for 1848, 135,126; being 6,194 more than were assessed for 1847. There is a poll-tax of 75 cents, and an ad valorem tax upon property of 25 cents on the $100, for State purposes. State Debt. Prior to 1847 the State owed on her foreign debt, principal, $11,048,000; interest, $3,326,640; total, $14,374,640. By the acts of the Legislature of 19th January, 1846, and 27th January, 1847, proposals were made to the holders of bonds that they should complete the Wabash and Erie Canal, and take the State's interest in it for one half of this debt, and the State would issue new certificates for the other half, upon which she would pay interest at the rate of four per cent. per annum until January, 1853, and after that time at five per cent., and issue certificates for one half of the arrears of interest, upon which she would pay interest at the rate of 24 per cent. per annum after January, 1853. In this 24 per cent. stock is also included one per cent. per annum upon the principal, which gives the holder of the old bond, when surrendered, five per cent. per annum upon the new five per cent. stock from the dividend day next preceding his surrender of the old bonds. On the first day of July, 1848, there had been surrendered of the old bonds, and new certificates taken under this proposition by the State, of principal, $9,158,000; leaving yet outstanding of her old bonds, of principal, $1,890,000. The State has issued of the new certificates of stock, paying four per cent. until 1853, and after that time five per cent., $4,579,000; of 24 per cent. stock, she has issued $1,642,617. The State keeps an agency the city of New York for the surrender of the old stock, issuing the new, and receiving transfers of the new. in The State in 1839 - 40 authorized the issue of one and a half millions of treasury-notes to pay off her internal improvement liabilities. These notes were made receivable for all State dues, and have been annually returning into the treasury, and are now nearly all withdrawn from circulation. The State also issued bonds for the bank capital, and treasury-notes to pay the bank a debt which the State owed it. But these treasury-notes were based upon a sinking fund belonging to the State and held by the bank. The bank attends to the bonds issued for its capital, and also to the redemption of the notes based upon the sinking fund. The means held by the bank are considered ample for these purposes. The liabilities of the State and Canal may be thus stated: State Debt. State's half principal of bonds surrendered, $4,579,000.00 1,642,617.50 6,221,617.50 334,820.00 6,556,437.50 The amount of the several stocks issued under the act for liquidating the public debt, up to July 1st, 1848, is as follows: 5 per cent. State stock, 24 per cent. State stock, $4,579,000.00 24 per cent. special preferred 5 per cent. preferred Canal stock, 4,079,500.00 24 per cent. special deferred 499,500.00 $1,213,625.00 Canal stock,. 146,850.00 Total stocks iss'd to July 1, 1848, 12,161,092.50 The State is paying interest only on her 5 per cent. State stock, at the rate of 4 per cent. After the year 1853, the rate of interest on this will be 5 per cent. After 1853, the 2 per cent. State stock will draw interest at that rate. The remaining stocks are thrown upon the Canal, and their redemption, principal and interest, depends upon the receipts from the Canal, in accordance with the provisions of the act above referred to. Asylum for the Deaf and Dumb, Indianapolis. -James S. Brown, A. M., Principal.-Pupils in attendance, Dec. 1847, 80; 57 males and 23 females. Yearly cost of board (each person), $49.08. An Institute for the Blind was opened Oct. 1, 1847, and on Nov. 25 there were 25 pupils. During the year ending Nov. 30, 1849, 5 pupils have been discharged, and 8 received. Present number, 28; 24 males and 4 females. The boarding and tuition of pupils who are children of residents in the State are free. Generally, applicants over 21 years of age are not admitted. State Prison, Jeffersonville. — William Lee, Warden.-- Number in prison Nov. 30, 1847, 132; received since, 63; discharged during the year by expiration of sentence, 33; by pardon, 16; by order of court, 1; by death, 5; in all, 55. In prison Nov. 30, 1848, 140. Of these, 17 are less than 20 years old; from 20 to 30, 66; from 30 to 40, 30; from 40 to 50, 20; from 50 to 60, 5; above 60, 2. 3 prisoners are committed for life, 1 for 36 years, and 50 for terms of 2 years or less. 27 have no education; 20 can read only; 86 can read and write; 6 have a good English education; and 1 is acquainted with the classics. 69 are married, 6 are widowers, and 65 are single. There is 1 female. 50 are intemperate, 40 moderate drinkers, and 50 temperate. 18 are natives of Indiana, 11 of foreign countries, and the remainder of other States. 124 are whites, and 16 are Africans. 12 are second-comers, 2 third-comers, 1 is convicted for the fourth, 2 for the fifth, and 1 for the sixth time. 118 are committed for offences against property, and 22 for offences against the person. Schools. The amount of sales of 16th or school sections, added to the value of those unsold, is estimated at $1,500,000. This is held by county treasurers for the use of the townships where the lands lie. The surplus revenue fund distributed to the counties a mounted, Nov. 1, 1847, to $ 580,433.89. The bank-tax fund, in process of distribution to the counties, was $41,200.42. The fund from grants of saline lands, being cash received for lands sold and value of lands unsold, was $73,515.28. Total school funds, $2,195,149.59. |