Louisiana has great resources as an agricultural state. The surface, not more than 200 feet above the level of the Gulf, is in many places so low that extensive districts, especially in the south, are submerged during the stages of high water in the river. West of the Mississippi basin, the land rises in hills towards the northwestern part of the state, broken, however by the marshes along the several arms of the Red river. The delta of the Mississippi, amounting to one-fourth of the area of the State, is nowhere more than ten feet above the sea, and is subject through its entire extent to annual inundation. The bottom lands seem of inexhaustible fertility. Cotton, sugar, corn, and potatoes are the principal crops; before the war the cultivation of the first two was very profitable; but the disturbance in labor, and the unsettled condition of the state, have caused many plantations to be left without cultivation.

In the southern tier of parishes, sugar, rice, and tobacco are made specialties, and, fruits are extensively grown. Vast herds of cattle, and flocks of sheep may be pastured upon the extensive natural meadows of the "Opelousas prairies," extending seventy-five miles southwest and northeast, with a width of twenty-five miles. One man is said to own 12,000 head of cattle, and it is estimated that from 75,000 to 100,000 head graze upon these prairies. Timber is abundant in all parts of the State, embracing many varieties of oak, ash, cotton-wood, cypress, gum, and some of the pine forests are capable of producing quantities of turpentine. In St. Mary's parish alone it is estimated there is timber enough to make 10,000,000 cords of sugar wood. On one of the islands within the limits of this parish, there exists an immense bed of salt. By boring, persons have gone thirty-eight feet into the solid salt, without finding any signs of the bottom of the stratum.

Land has much depreciated in value since 1860. There are yet to be disposed of in this state over six million five hundred and eighty thousand acres of public land. In 1860, the capital employed in manufactures was $7,151,172, invested in 1,744 establishments. The annual product was valued at $15,587,473, of which after deducting $10,692,987 for cost of raw materials and labor, there remains a profit of $4,894,486, or nearly sixty-eight per cent. on the capital invested.

The commerce of the state, both domestic and foreign, has been very extensive. The direct navigation of the Mississippi, the Missouri, the Ohio and their tributaries, amounts in round numbers to 17,000 miles, pouring the products of fourteen states into the magazines of New Orleans for foreign exportation. New Orleans is the greatest cotton market in the world.

The products for 1866 were-corn, 6,910,035 bushels, value, $8,499,343; potatoes, 206,258 bushels, value, $249,572; tobacco, 59,910 pounds, value, $23,964; hay, 36,900 tons, value, $1,107,000. In 1866-7 there were 347 sugar plantations under partial cultivation, the product being estimated at about 40,000 hogsheads of sugar, and 65,000 barrels of molasses. In 1860 the amount of cotton raised was 722,218 bales.

Banks. The number of National Banks, September 30, 1868, was-organized, 3; closed or closing, 1; in operation, 2; with a capital of $1,800,000.

14. MAINE.

Capital, Augusta. Area, 35,000 square miles. Population, (1860), 628,279. Maine was settled at York in 1623 by the English; it was a part of Massachusetts until 1820 when it became an independent State and was admitted into the Union.

The Governor is chosen by the legal voters of the State, on the second Monday in September, annually, and holds office one year from the January following. He is aided by a council of seven persons, who with the remaining state officers, are chosen by the Senators and Representatives in joint convention. The Senate composed of 31, and the House of Representatives of 151 members, are elected, annually, by the people. The Legislature meets in regular session on the first Wednesday in January. Each member of the Senate and House is entitled to $150 for attendance at a regular session, and $2 for every ten miles of travel. For attendance at an extra session the compensation is $2 per day.

All male citizens of the United States of the age of 21 years and upwards, excepting paupers, criminals, persons under guardianship, and Indians not taxed, who have resided in the State three months previous to an election, are entitled to vote. Persons in the military, naval, or marine service, and students, are not deemed to have acquired a residence.

JUDICIARY.

The Judicial power is vested in a Supreme Judicial Court, composed of one Chief Justice and six Associate Justices, and such inferior courts as the Legislature may establish. The judges of the Supreme Court are appointed by the Governor, with the advice of the Council, and hold their offices for seven years. The original jurisdiction of the Supreme Judicial Court, embraces all suits where the title to real estate is involved, or where the damages demanded exceed twenty dollars. It has jurisdiction of all criminal offences except those cognizable by a justice of the peace, or a police or municipal Judge.

Its appellate jurisdiction extends to all cases, civil or criminal, which may have been originally brought before inferior magistrates, and to appeals from the decrees of the Judge of Probate.

For the purpose of hearing questions of law and cases in equity, the State is divided into the Eastern, the Middle, and the Western Districts.

The Eastern District includes Aroostook, Washington, Hancock, Piscataquis, Waldo, and Penobscot counties. The Middle District includes Somerset, Knox, Sagadahoc, Lincoln, and Kennebec counties. The Western District includes Franklin, Oxford, Androscoggin, York, and Cumberland counties.

UNITED STATES COURTS. Circuit Judge, Nathan Clifford. District Judge, Edward Fox. District Attorney, G. F. Talbot. Marshal, Charles Clark. Clerk Circuit Court, George F. Emery. Clerk District Court, William P. Preble.

SUPREME JUDICIAL COURT.

Chief Justice, John Appleton. Associate Justices, Jonas Cutting, Edward Kent, J. L. Dickerson, Charles W. Walton, William G. Barrows, Rufus P. Topley. Salaries, $2,500 each.

TERMS OF SUPREME JUDICIAL COUrt.

For Androscoggin County, at Auburn, 3d Tuesday in January, April, and September; Aroostook Co., at Houlton, last Tuesday in February, and 3d Tuesday in September; Cumberland Co., at Portland, civil actions, 2d Tuesday in January, April, and October; criminal actions, last Tuesday in July and November; Franklin Co., at Farmington, last Tuesday in March and 4th Tuesday in September; Hancock Co., at Ellsworth, 4th Tuesday in April and October; Kennebec Co., at Augusta, 1st Tuesday in March and August, and 3d Tuesday in October; Knox Co., at Rockland, 2d Tuesday in March, and 4th Tuesday in September; Lincoln Co., at Wiscasset, 1st Tuesday in April, and 4th Tuesday in October; Oxford Co., at Paris, 2d Tuesday in March and 3d Tuesday in September; Penobscot Co., at Bangor, civil actions, 1st Tuesday in January and April, and 3d Tuesday in October; criminal actions, 1st Tuesday in February, and 2d Tuesday in August; Piscataquis Co., at Dover, last Tuesday in February, and 2d Tuesday in September; Sagadahoo Co., at Bath, 1st Tuesday in April, and 3d Tuesday in August and December, (December term for civil actions only); Somerset Co., at Norridgewock, 3d Tuesday in March and September; Waldo Co., at Belfast, 3d Tuesday in April and October; Washington Co., at Machias, 4th Tuesday in April, and 3d Tuesday in October; York Co., at Saco, 1st Tuesday in Jannary; at Alfred, 4th Tuesday in April, and 3d Tuesday in September.

MAINE.

LIABILITIES OF THE STATE.

355

Public Debt.

Trust Funds held by the State....1,239,686.73
.$5,090,500.00
Balance due on sundry accounts...

42,074.15

Total

$6,426,764.26.

STATE DEBT.

The Public Debt of Maine at the commencement of the war, was $699,500. The balance of this, January 1, 1868, was about $458,000, from $30,000 to $60,000 of which falls due and is paid each year.

The war debt on the first of January, 1868, amounted to $4,632,500, of which $800,000 matures in 1871. To provide for this, the State has a sinking fund of $123,775 a year, which in 1868 amounted to $330,855. It has also $209,144 collected from the general Government for the same purpose, and other funds already provided, amounting in the aggregate, January 1868, to $627,550, leaving as the actual indebtedness of the State on the war account, at that time, $4,000,000. The war indebtedness matures as follows:

In 1871.......$800,000

1880...... $475,000 1883.. .$525,000 1889..

EDUCATION.

.$2,832,500

There are in Maine two colleges, Bowdoin and Waterville; one Theological Seminary, and nearly seventy Academies and private Seminaries, besides the College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts, which has been recently established and has only a portion of its buildings completed.

The Superintendent of Common Schools has the general supervision of Public Schools, and reports annually to the Governor of the State. local supervision is in the hands of town school committees, who visit the The schools and report annually their general progress and particular condition. There are two Normal Schools in the State; the first or Western State Normal School was opened at Farmington, August 24, 1864. The Legislature, in 1867, provided for the purchase of the buildings of the Farmington Academy, in which the school had been conducted from its organization, and has thus secured for it a permanent and desirable home. mal School was opened in 1867 at Castine. The Eastern Normendation of the Governor and the Superintendent of Common Schools. Both have received the comPublic Schools. Number of towns, 405; school districts, 3,843; parts of districts, 339; number of persons between 4 and 21 years of age, 212,309; number registered in summer schools, 110,936; average attendance, 85,965; registered in winter schools, 129,848; average attendance, 99,690; average attendance for summer and winter, 92,827; number in winter who did not attend in summer, 20,708; ratio of attendance to whole number of scholars, .44; average length of schools in weeks and days, summer 9.1; winter 9.0; sum of average, 18.1. Number of school houses in the State, 3,782; number reported in good condition, 2,065; number built within the year, 79; cost of the same, $323,581.13.

Number of teachers in winter-males, 1,857; females, 2,042; in summer-males, 71; females, 3.781. Wages of male teachers per month, besides board, $28.78; of female teachers per week, besides board, $2.71.

School money raised by taxation, $518,292.97; excess above requirement of law, $91,835,97. Average amount raised per scholar, $2.26. $244,121.53; income of same apportioned to schools, $13,244.14; bank tax apportioned to schools, Amount of permanent school fund December 31, $4,475.00; amount derived from local funds, $14,179.25; contributed to prolong public schools, $15,316.93. Amount paid to private schools, academies, &c., within the State, $40,614.33; amount paid for same out of the State, $6,428; paid for repairs, fuel, &c., $71,511.06. Aggregate expenditure for school purposes, $936,131.75.

CHARITABLE INSTITUTIONS.

The Hospital for the Insane, at Augusta, was first opened in October 1840. It is visited monthly by committees of trustees, who at their visits see every patient, and examine into the condition of the halls and dormitories, and the general management of the Hospital.

The State Reform School, at Cape Elizabeth, has been in operation since November 14, 1853. In addition to the ordinary employment of the boys in shops and on the farm, a considerable number work at brick and tile making, which has been found a convenient and profitable occupation for them. The Legislature, in 1867, provided for a report on the subject of an Industrial School for girls. Hon. George B. Barrows, the commissioner under the resolution, after careful investigation of the wants of this class in the State, and inquiries as to the success and operations of Industrial Schools in other States and countries, in 1868 made a full report to the Governor, recommending the establishment of such a school in Maine.

Insane Hospital, Augusta. HENRY M. HARLOW, Superintendent. Number of patients in the hospital, December 1, 1866–males, 133; females, 143; total, 276. Admitted during the year-males, 89; females, 61; total, 150. Whole number under treatment during the yearmales, 222; females, 204; total, 426. Number of patients discharged during the year-males, 78; females, 45; total, 120;-recovered, 54; improved, 27; unimproved, 11. Number died during the year-males, 19; females, 12; total, 31. Civil condition of those admitted-married, 70; unmarried, 64; widowed, 16. Causes of insanity-ill health, 39; intemperance, 21; domestic affliction, 10; over exertion, 8; epilepsy, 8; unknown, 27; miscellaneous, 87. Whole number admitted since the opening of the institution, 3,194; discharged, 2,891; recovered, 1,310; improved, 566; unimproved, 506; died, 509.

State Reform School, Cape Elizabeth. E. W. WOODBURY, Superintendent. Number of boys in the school December 1, 1866, 169; committed during the year, 65; apprentices returned, 16; total received during the year, 81; whole number in school during the year, 442. Of these, were discharged or apprenticed, 53; allowed to leave on trial, 4; violated trust, 3; escaped, 10; remanded, 1; died, 2; total, 73. Remaining, November 30, 1867, 169. Whole number of boys received since the opening of the school, 1,047, of whom were committed by the Supreme Judicial Court, 104; by municipal courts, 360; by police, 178; by trial justices, 305. Discharged on expiration of sentence, 201; by Trustees, 284; indentured, 248; allowed to leave on trial, 26; allowed to enlist, 19; illegally committed, 3; remanded, 10; pardoned, 6; escaped, 30; violated trust, 8; died, 12; delivered to court, 3; returned to masters, 3.

STATE PRISON.

The State Prison was enlarged in 1867, to make room for the increasing number of convicts. The old wing was removed and a new wing built 110 feet long and 47 feet wide. Three houses and lots were also bought for residences for the officers. The reports of the Warden and Inspectors for the year 1867, give the following statistics:

State Prison, Thomaston. W. W. RICE, Warden. Whole number of convicts, November 30, 1866, 135; number received during the year, 56; number discharged,-by expiration of sentence, 22; pardoned, 16; died, 2; escaped, 1; removed to jails, 22; total discharged, 63. Remaining November 30, 1867, 128. Of these, there were committed-for larceny, 56; burglary, 18; murder, 14; assault to kill, 5; robbery, 6; miscellaneous, 29; total, 128. Whole number received since opening of the institution, 1,724. There have been discharged-on expiration of sentence, 1,100; on writ of error, 1; pardoned, 390; died, 54; removed to Insane Hospital, 7; removed to Alfred and Wiscasset jails, sentences commuted, 4; removed to jails by Warden, 22; escaped and not retaken, 18; total, 1,596.

Estimated expenses for the year 1868: Expense account, $1,200; clothing, $2,000; fuel and lights, $2,000; subsistence, $7,000; convicts discharged, $500; transporting convicts, $350; officers' salaries, $11,550; total, $24,600. Probable income, $24,600.