tem of education; commends the Tariff, and invites the attention of the Legislature to the consideration of imprisonment for debt. The Judiciary system of the State is inadequate to its needs. The militia, he thinks, will never be the better for the present mode of drilling. The message enters into a detail of the various loans authorized for the public works, and into a history of the origin and progress of the system. The whole amount of money which has been paid to the Canal Commissioners, up to the 23d of November, is $12,334,488 62, constituting a debt on the commonwealth which must be somewhat enlarged in order to complete the works in progress. The wetness of last year did much damage to the canals, which have therefore been less productive, and have required extensive repairs. Pennsylvania has now public works of this and like nature to the amount of more than thirty-seven millions of dollars, disbursed, either by the State or by corporations, since 1791. The part of it lying between Pittsburg and Lake Erie, and the northern districts also, require similar improvements properly to develope their resources.

FINANCES. Summary statement of receipts at the State Treasury, commencing on the 1st day of November, 1831, and ending on the 31st day of October, 1832.

Lands and land office fees

Auction commission

Auction duties

21,170 00 43,761 41 12.174 20.

$63,622 16

George Wolf

16,000,00

James Ritner

Dividends on bank stock

113,537, 09 173,230 00

Dividends on bridge, nav

igation and turnpike stock

Tax on bank dividends

Tax on offices

Tax on writs, &c

19,778 37

537 53 58,795 67

The interest is to be added to the principal until the annual interest shall amount to $100,000, when the interest shall be annually distributed throughout the State for the support of common schools. This will take place in 1839.

The number of children in the State between five and fifteen amounts to 351,038, of whom only about half are sent to school. The whole number sent to school at the public expense in 1832 was 23,592, at an expense of $81,117, a less sum than is annually expended for that purpose by the city of Boston.

LEGISLATION.

The legislature at the session of 1831-32 passed two

hundred and fifty acts and thirtyeight resolutions.

Among them are the following, viz: An act regulating the Registers' court, one in relation to the Orphans' court and one to establish a District court for the city and county of Philadelphia.

An act to promote the culture of silk, by allowing the governor to incorporate companies for the culture of the white mulbury tree and the manufacture of silk. INTERNAL IMPROVEMENT. Eleven rail road companies were incorporated.

The following sums were appropriated for internal improvement from the State treasury.

Rail road from Philadelphia

to Columbia

Canal from Middletown to Co

lumbia

Canal from Huntingdon to Hollidaysburgh

Rail road over the Alleghany

mountain

For repairs For damages

$810,000

38,680

620,000 300,000

100,000

$2,248,680

The governor was authorized to borrow $2,648,680, for the internal improvement fund, and the legacy of Stephen Girard of $300,000, was appropriated to the same purpose. Eight Turnpike companies and seven bridge companies were incorporated.

An act exempting vessels engaged in the Pennsylvania coal trade from the health fee and from half pilotage.

Eight towns were erected into boroughs.

Six banking companies with an aggregate capital of $2,900,000; five insurance companies; three fire companies; two hose companies; one exchange company; one steamboat company; one iron and coke company; and fourteen religious, charitable and useful associations were incorporated.

Annual pensions of $40 were granted to fortythree persons, and gratuities of $40 each to one hundred and six persons for revolutionary services.

An act was passed for the inspection of tobacco at Philadelphia. Four acts of divorce were passed.

The corporation of Philadelphia were empowered to execute the trusts, and to improve the city, pursuant to the will of Stephen Girard. $2000 were granted annually for 4 years to Jefferson College, as a foundation for the instruction of 6 students in indigent circumstances for 4 years; and for 24 students

And be it further resolved by the authority aforesaid, That the people of Pennsylvania never can consent to an abandonment of the protective system.

And be it further resolved by the authority aforesaid, That if a reduction of the revenue becomes necessary, we should prefer a prohibition of the introduction of articles of foreign fabric and production, the like of which we are successfully manufacturing and producing, to any reduction upon protected articles which we can produce and manufacture as cheaply and as good amongst ourselves.

And be it further resolved by the authority aforesaid, That we view the American System, as a whole, which requires the united and concentrated operation of its friends against all attempts to attack it in detail, and that no steps should be taken to preserve one portion of it at the expense of another.

And be it further resolved by the authority aforesaid, That the confidence of one interest in the aid and fellowship of another is the true shield of safety of the friends of the protected industry, and that such confidence should be cultivated and relied on throughout the Union.

$13,000 This does not include County expenses which each county pays for itself, nor expenses of Schools which are paid from the income of a School fund, the principal of which amounts to $170,000, and from a small tax levied in each school district of four miles square by a vote of the taxable inhabitants.

The income of the fund is given only to those districts that raise an equal surn to their share of the fund.

LEGISLATION. - At the session commencing January 3d, 1832, the Legislature passed 86 acts and 8 resolutions.

-

Among them were the following: An act declaring, that in any prosecution in the General Sessions, the fact of a bank having issued notes or being reputed an incorporated bank, shall be deemed prima facie evidence of the fact of incorporation, and unless rebutted, conclusive proof.

An act to carry into effect the amended constitution: prescribing the salaries of the several Judges, the places where the courts are to be held, the mode of appealing to the Superior Courts, and declaring that where the parties in interest shall be related to the Judge, either in the ascending or descending line, or his brother, sister, uncle, aunt, nephew, neice, son-in-law or brotherin-law, or where the Judge himself shall be directly interested in the question, or one similar thereto, it shall constitute a legal exception to the Judge; and the Governor is required, in case it shall be necessary to constitute a quorum, to commission a Judge ad litem.

The act also contains numerous provisions relating to the inferior officers of courts, and is worthy of the consideration of other legislatures.

An act declaring that the Superior Court may grant a divorce from the bonds, of matrimony or from bed and board, at its discretion, in cases where the party complained against had a former husband or wife living, or was guilty of adultery, wilful absence with the intention of abandonment for three years, extreme cruelty or impotency on the part

of the husband. The confession of neither party not being admissible evidence. Nine acts of divorce were passed.

An act declaring that no person shall be imprisoned for debt longer than five days, unless an affidavit be filed with the Clerk of the Court, alleging fraud, and naming the fraudulent transactions, or unless a bond for $250 be given to indemnify the county against all expenses arising from the imprisonment of the debtor, either for the maintenance of himself or family. The creditor may at any time put an end to all future liability on the bond, by an endorsement thereon, and the debtor is thereupon to be discharged.

An act prohibiting, under a penalty of $5, free negroes or mulattoes from keeping fire-arms without a license from a Justice of the Peace. Also prohibiting under a penalty of $10, all meetings of free negroes or mulattoes of more than twelve in number, which shall continue longer than ten at night, unless under the direction of three white men and prohibiting, under a penalty of $50, any free negro or mulatto, not an inhabitant of the State from holding any meeting for the purpose of preaching or exhorting, without a license from a justice of the peace.

An act exempting vessels from any part of the State of Delaware from taxation by the State or county.

An act authorizing the recording of deeds exempted before Sept. 1831, until Sept. 1832.

An act for exempting lands belonging to and used by the Chesapeake and Delaware canal company, for the canal, from the taxes levied by any marsh company; and also inflicting a penalty on the masters of canal boats for showing false manifests of their cargoes.

An act appropriating $10,000 for the support of the State government for 1832. Five acts authorizing the proprietors of marshes to drain and reclaim them.

An act authorizing the Newcastle and Frenchtown rail road company to increase their capital to $300,000, and to erect gates across the public roads intersecting the rail road, and to station gate keepers there.

Acts incorporating the Wilmington and Susquehanna rail road company, and in aid of the Wilmington and Dowington rail road company.

Acts incorporating one Insurance Company, and two associations for useful purposes.

A resolution in favor of the renewal of the charter of the U. States Bank.

A resolution concurrent with a resolution of the Legislature of Maryland for the improvement of the navigation through the sounds parallel with the Atlantic Coast, by the construction of

canals between Cape Charles in the Chesapeake and Lewistown creek in the Delaware bay, and appointing commissioners to act with commissioners, to be appointed by Maryland and Virginia to survey and lay out the routes of canals for such purpose.

Which will enable the Committee on Ways and Means to discharge the entire amount of the public debt, which is payable at the pleasure of the State.

SCHOOL FUND.-The whole amount of public funds for the support of Common Schools was, December 1, 1831, $142,064. To this is added a tax on bank capital of 1-5 per cent.

The State also gives annually $21,700 for divers colleges and schools, and $3500 for the support of the indigent deaf and dumb.

THE RAIL ROAD AND CANAL.The legal question which has embarrassed the operations of the Baltimore and Ohio Rail Road Company, and the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Company, has been decided by the Court of Appeals in favor of the latter; they reversing the opinion of the Chancellor which had been given in favor of the former. Both companies had selected the same route, on the north bank of the Potomac. The injunction having been removed, the Canal company have made contracts for their work as far as Harper's Ferry, and the Rail Road company, although obliged to change their plans, are confi

dent in their ability to conclude the great work within the time originally contemplated.

LEGISLATION.-The Legislature at the session commenced December 26, 1831, pa-sed 330 acts and 131 resolutions. Among the acts were, an act providing for the deportation of all the free blacks in the State, appropriating twenty thou sand dollars to this object in 1832, and authorizing the borrowing of such further sums as may be necessary, to the extent of two hundred thousand dollars. The act provides for the appointment of three Managers, under whose direction the transportation is to be accomplished, and the blacks who are, or who may become free, will be sent to Liberia, or such other place without the limits of the State, as the Managers may think expedient, and the blacks willing to go to; and in case they refuse to be removed without the State, they will be arrested and transported forthwith. All slaves will be capable of receiving manumission for the purpose of removal, but it will be competent for slaves to renounce the benefit of such an act, if they are unwilling to be removed on account of connexions among the slaves. Board of Managers have authority, when the Colonization Society declines transporting manumitted slaves and the removal devolves upon them, to employ the slaves until their wages produce sufficient to defray the expenses of attending the removal. Manumitted persons are to be offered, in the first instance, to the Colonization Society. The Sheriffs are to report to the Board the names, ages and sex of the free persons of color in their respective counties; speeifying such as may be willing to re

move.

The

An act incorporating the Maryland State Colonization Society.

An act which prohibits the removal of any free negro or mulatto into the State; provides, that, if any such shall come into, and shall remain ten days in the State, they shall be subject to a fine of fifty dollars for every week they shall

remain, and authorizes a sale for such time as may be necessary to pay the penalty. It prohibits, under a penalty, the employing any such free negro or mulatto. It prohibits the bringing slaves into the State for sale, after the first day of June next, under the penalty of forfeiture of the slaves, and a provision is made for their removal to Liberia, or elsewhere beyond the limits of the State. The following resolution was also passed on the 28th of January, 1832, by both branches of the legislature, and forwarded to Congress.

Whereas, recent occurrences in this State, as well as in other States of our Union, have impressed more deeply upon our minds the necessity of devising some means by which we may facilitate the removal of the free people of color from our State, and from the United States. And whereas, an appropriation by Congress for the above objects would greatly relieve the States from the otherwise heavy burthens of taxation for that purpose Therefore,

Resolved, by the general assembly of Maryland, That our Senators in Congress be instructed, and our Representatives requested, to use their exertions to obtain such aid from our national treasury, towards the furtherance of the above object, as may be in accordance with the constitution of the United States.

Resolved further, That should the aid of the national government be withheld, under the belief that the power to legislate on the subject is not granted to Con. gress by the constitution, that then our Senators and Representatives in Congress be requested to propose such amendment to the constitution of the United States, as will enable Congress to make such appropriation.

An act dividing the State into four districts for the election of electors of President and Vice President of the United States. All the counties on the eastern shore, with Harford, form one district to choose three electors, Baltimore city a district, having two electors Baltimore county a district with one elector -and the rest of the counties on the western shore a district to elect four electors.

An act to restrain private banking so far as to prevent the circulation of any bill, note or check, payable to bearer or order, or other evidence of debt, for a less sum than five dollars, under the penalty of fifty dollars for every offence.

An act was also passed regulating the weighing of articles, and declaring that

the hundred weight shall be one hundred pounds, and the ton two thousand pounds.

A resolution was passed for the settlement of the southern and western boundaries of the State. By this resolve, it appears that Maryland has revived her claim to that part of Virginia lying be tween the north and south branches of the Potomac, comprehending part of Hardy, Hampshire, Monongahela, the county of Preston, and part of other counties. The resolve provides for the appointment of Commissioners to meet such Commissioners as may be chosen by Virginia for the adjustment of the boundary line by mutual agreement; and in case of their disagreement, the Governors of the two States are to request the Governor of Delaware to appoint an umpire to determine the controversy.

An act regulating the admission of attorneys to practice law.

An act for the protection of the oysters in the waters of the eastern shore of the Chesapeake.

An act authorizing the Courts to bind to service, out of the county where convicted, but elsewhere either in or out of the State, any infant under the age of fifteen who shall be convicted of any indictable offence other than a malicious felony, and to compel such infant to comply with the terms of their judgment. The binding, however, is not to extend beyond sixteen years of age in females, and twentyone in males.

An act regulating the mode of distraining where the rent is payable in produce.

An act reducing into a system, the laws concerning powers of attorney from heirs and legatees, and releases and final discharges to executors, admin. istrators and guardians.

An act forbidding coroners to hold an inquest unless there is reasonable ground to suppose that the deceased came to his death by felony, or died in jail.

An act enlarging and defining the powers of courts of equity.

Two acts for quieting possessions and enrolling conveyances.

An act amending the lottery system. Twentysix acts were passed relating to the city of Baltimore, and twentynine to the county.

Twenty four acts providing for the erection and repair of bridges, and an act providing for the preservation of the Cumberland road within the State, and authorizing toll houses to be erected. There were incorporated at this ses