The judiciary powers are vested in a Supreme Court, consisting of six judges; in County Courts, or Courts of Common Pleas, comprising six circuits, each County Court being composed of one judge of the Supreme Court, who is ex officio chief justice of the County Courts of his circuit, and two assistant judges for each county; and in justices of the peace; all the judges and justices being chosen annually by the Legislature. The Supreme Court sits once, and the County Courts twice a year, in each county. Each judge of the Supreme Court is Chancellor of a circuit. The Court of Chancery has two stated sessions annually in each county, and is always in session for all purposes except the final hearing of a cause. An appeal from the decree of the Chancellor lies to the Supreme Court. Common Schools. - Number of school districts in the State, 2,647; number of scholars, 95,616; average of wages paid male teachers per month, $13.78; average of wages paid female teachers per month, $5.60; whole wages for males, $ 65,896.54; for females, $58,475.29; number of weeks of school by males, 19,125; by females, 41,721; whole wages to teachers, $ 124,371.83; cost for wages, board, and fuel, $204,695.27; public money divided for support of schools, $74,180.15. The school fund was abolished in 1845, to pay the State debt. State Prison. - Year ending Sept. 1, 1849.- Number of convicts, Sept. 1, 1848, 52; admitted during the year, 34; total, 86. 24 were discharged during the year; 13 by expiration of sentence, 6 by pardon, I escaped, and 4 died. One of the prisoners is a female. The income of the prison for the year was $ 3,652.99. Expenditures and loss, $6,713.05. Balance of expenditures for the year against the prison, $3,060.06. Total liabilities exclusive of interest, $22,805.68; total assets, $ 19,460.81. Excess of liabilities, $4,849.79. Entire indebtedness, $5,849.79. Vermont Asylum for the Insane, Brattleboro'. William H. Rockwell, M. D., Super intendent. Since the opening of the asylum, there have been admitted, to September, 1849, 1,459 patients; 1,141 have been discharged, and 318 remain in the institution. Of the 1,459 patients thus admitted 666 have recovered, equal to 45.64 per cent.; 165 have died, equal to 11.30 per cent. Of the 1,141 discharged, 666 have recovered, equal to 58.37 per cent. During the year ending August 1st, 1849, the whole number of patients was 448. Admitted, 136; discharged, 130; remaining in the institution, 318. Of those discharged, 74 were cured; 22 died; improved, 22; not improved, 12. Terms of Admission. For the first six months, $2 per week, and $1.75 afterwards. When the insanity is connected with epilepsy or paralysis, $2.50 per week. Patients are received from other States for $2 per week, or $100 per year. Banks. - Number of banks in the State, 23; capital paid in, $ 1,829,395; circulation, $2,321,808. Total liabilities, $ 4,502,862.31. Notes and bills discounted, $3,541,081.22; deposits in city banks, $ 606,320.47; specie, $ 120,811.01; total resources, $4,623,731.70. FINANCES. For Fiscal Year ending September 1, 1849. Amount received into the Treasury, including balance of 1848, $119,386.34 111,056.05 $8,330.29 Principal Sources of Revenue. $27,651.32 In Treasury, Sept. 1, 1848, $3,659.40 87,135.46 Judiciary, and prosecuting crimne, 51,534.08 Safety and School Funds, 2,864.89 Government for the Year ending the 1st Wednesday in January, 1851. Adj.-Gen. and Keeper of 1,500 1,500 The Supreme Court consists of five judges, who hold office during good behaviour. 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. 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 six judges, and frequent terms are held in every county. Since July, 1850, Trial Justices, several of whom are appointed by the Governor in each county, to hold office for seven years, exercise the jurisdiction formerly held by justices of the peace; to issue writs, &c., in all civil cases under $ 20, and warrants in all criminal cases; and the power of justices of the peace is limited to that extent, except that, in criminal cases, they may issue warrants returnable before a Trial Justice. This act does not affect the Police Courts, nor the "Justices' Court" of Boston, which the Justices of the Police Court hold on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Police Court of Boston. John G. Rogers, Jas. C. Merrill, Abel Cushing, Justices, salary, $1,500 each. Commissioners of Insolvency. These Commissioners hold a Court of Insolvency at the shire towns in their respective counties on the first Tuesday of each month, and as much oftener as they may deem necessary. Salary,-fees not exceeding the amount of $1,500 each. The receipts of all kinds, including loans, for the year ending January $1,078,340.85 1,057,406.93 20,933.92 The debt of Massachusetts, on its own account, was, on the 1st January, 1850, $1,085,508.50 Liability of the Commonwealth for scrip loaned to the various railroads, The value of the property of the Commonwealth, January 1, 1850, consisting of notes, mortgages, railroad stock and scrip, cash on hand, and proceeds of temporary loans, 5,049,555.56 6,135,064.06 $2,539,061.96 123,500.00 181,000.00 1,315,100.00 20,000.00 5,049,555.56 Total property of the Commonwealth, Excess of resources over liabilities, 9,228,217.52 $3,093,153.46 To this may be added about 2,000,000 acres of Maine lands, worth $1,500,000, the proceeds of the sales of which are to be divided between the school fund and the sinking fund until they amount to $1,000,000 each; and also the Western Railroad loan sinking fund, held in trust by the Commonwealth, $541,841. Institutions for Savings. — In the 42 institutions that made returns, there were 71,629 depositors, and $ 12,111,553.64 deposits securely invested. The average annual per cent. of dividends of the last five years is 5.9 per cent. The whole expense of managing these 42 Savings Banks was $37,361.26. Insurance Abstract for 1849.-Number of stock offices, 29, 16 of which are in Boston. Capital, $5,775,000. In United States stocks and Treasury-notes, $52,239. Bank stocks in Massachusetts, $4,045,044. Stock of the State of Massachusetts, $174,438. Loans on bottomry and respondentia, $87,650. Real estate, $447,258. Mortgages on do., $840,386. Loans on collateral and personal security, $390,386; loans on personal security only, $421,682. Cash, $211,742. Reserved or contingent fund, $402,932. Railroad stock, $415,190. Losses ascertained and unpaid, $93,212. Estimated losses in addition, $232,629. Premium notes, $2,188,603. Notes bad or doubtful, but not charged to profit and loss, $12,410. At risk, marine, $ 63,696,079; fire, $ 58,428,929. Premiums on fire risks undetermined, $435,572. Average annual dividends for 5 preceding years, or since incorporated, 8 per cent. (Boston offices, a fraction over 9 per cent.) Fire losses paid last year, $210,025. Marine losses do., $1,428,770. |