cility 3, idiocy 3. 207 had been insane one year and less before admission; 73, 2 years; 41, 3 years; 41, 5 years; 28, 10 years; 5, 20 years, and 3, 35 years. 88 were farmers, and 40 were wives and 20 daughters of farmers; 74 were laborers, and 14 wives of laborers; 26 males and 67 females were of no occupation; 6 were tailors and I the wife of a tailor; 6 were shoemakers, and 4 wives of shoemakers; 6 were merchants, and 9 wives of merchants; 8 carpenters, and 4 wives of carpenters. The disbursements during the year were $54,409.17; receipts, $54,766 54. The State appropriates $ 25,000 per annum to the hos pital. There are apartments for 300 patients, a farm of 130 acres, and a garden.

Institution for the Blind, Philadelphia. -Wm. Chapin, Principal. 2 principal teachers, 2 assistants, 5 teachers of music, one prefect, 3 teachers of handicraft, 2 matrons, I salesman. The school was opened in March, 1833. Number of pupils, January 1, 1854, 96; discharged during the year, 6; received, 35; remaining, January 1, 1855, 125, 66 males, 59 females. Of this number there are from Pennsylvania 93, Maryland S, New Jersey 14, Delaware 6, all other places 4. Number of pupils from its foundation to January 1, 1953, 237. Causes of blindness: ophthalmia 74, amaurosis 32, cataract 20, congenital 18, small-pox 10, scarlet-fever 6, other fevers 4, measles 6, accidents from stones, &c. 15, explosion of powder 12, pistol or gun-shot 5, accidents not stated 5, scrofula 3, hydrocephalus, arrow-shots and fire 2 each, kick of a horse, foul air in a well, rheumatism, whooping cough, polypus, acute iretus, irritable retina, neuralgia, 1 each, unknown, 13. Value of goods manufactured during the year 1854, $8,363 85; sales, $7,641.39. Expenses of the Institution, $32,475.48; receipts, $30.899.77. No sectarian faith is inculcated. School, music, and work alternately occupy 8 hours daily. The terms for pay pupils are $200 a year, including board, instruction, and medical attendance. Blind children in indigent circumstances from Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, and Delaware, are provided for by those States for 8 years. Pupils are not usually received under 10, nor over 17, except for a shorter time than the regular course of eight years.

House of Refuge, Philadelphia. -Thomas G. Rutherford and Elisha Swinney, Superin. tendents. Admissions during 1852, 161 boys and 60 girls in the white, and 36 boys and 4 girls in the colored department; total, 304. Discharges, 169 boys and 58 girls in the white department, and 43 boys and 37 girls in the colored; total, 307. Remaining, December 31, 1852, 149 boys and 49 girls in the white and 84 boys and 40 girls in the colored department; total, 322. The institution is designed for the reform of juvenile delinquents. Most of the inmates are committed by magistrates, and a few by the county courts. The boys are employed in various manufacturing occupations. Their earnings amounted to $6,654.53. The expenses of the year were $87,912.78, and the receipts $87,064.13.

State Prisons. Eastern Penitentiary. — Nim. Strickland, Warden; D. W. Lassiter, Physician; Thomas Larcombe, Moral Instructor. January 1, 1854, there were in the prison 267 convicts; received during the year, 124; in all, 391. Discharged by expiration of sentence, 92; by pardon, 23; by removal to House of Refuge, 1; revocation of sentence, 1; by death (2 being by suicide), 4; in all, 121; leaving in prison January 1, 1855, 270. Of the 121 admitted during the year, 46 were natives of Pennsylvania, and 34 of other States. 41 were foreigners; 101 were whites, 99 males and 2 females; 23 colored, 20 males and 3 females. Of the 124, I was a total abstinent, 65 were moderate drinkers, 58 harder drinkers; 20 were illiterate, 19 could read only, 73 could read and write, 12 were well instructed. 47 were convicted of larceny; 17 of burglary; 2 of counterfeiting; 10 of forgery; 9 of felonious assaults; 5 of arson; 6 of manslaughter; 1 of murder in 2d degree; 3 of bigamy; and 1 of seduction. 2 were sentenced for 10 years; 74 for 2 years and under. Since the opening of the prison, October 25, 1829, there have been admitted 3,213 convicts, and discharged 2,943, of whom 2,194 were by expiration of sentence; 469 by pardons; 230 by death; 6 by suicide; 14 by writ of error; 8 by removal to lunatic hospital. The earnings of the con victs for the year were $ 18,593.85, being 18 48 cents a day for each convict. The expenses, exclusive of salaries, were $31,232.77. The library of the prison now numbers about 2,000 volumes, of which 500 are in the German language.

Western Penitentiary.—A. Beckham, Warden. January 1, 1854, there were in the prison 201 convicts; 198 males and 3 females; received during the year, 63; in all, 264.

Discharged during the year, by expiration of sentence, 85; by pardon, 16; by death, 4. In prison January 1, 1855, 159. Whole number received since the opening of the prison, July 1, 1826, 1,809; being white males, 1,503, females, 30; colored males, 236, females, 40. Of those remaining in the prison, 8 were convicted of arson; 22 of murder in the 2d degree; 3 of manslaughter; 64 of larceny; 17 of burglary; 4 of robbery; 6 of counterfeiting; 4 of horse-stealing; 6 of felonious assaults; 8 of rape; 2 of bigamy, and 1 of perjury. 75 were natives of Pennsylvania, and 30 of other States; 54 were foreigners. Since the opening of the prison, there have been discharged by expiration of sentence, 1,208; by pardons, 341; by death, 86; by suicide, 1; by escapes, 24; by process of law, 4. House of Refuge of Western Pennsylvania, Pittsburg.. Thomas Rutherford, Superintendent. The charter of this institution was granted in April, 1850. The State then appropriated $20,000 towards the purchase of a site and the erection of buildings, and subsequently $20,000 more. $20,000 additional have been subscribed by five of the western counties, and $23,332.50 by individuals up to December 31, 1854. There had been expended for the site (eleven acres) $10,000, and for buildings, &c., $92,500. The institution was opened for the admission of inmates December 13, 1854, and up to December 31, 1854, five were received, four boys and one girl. The Refuge is intended not only for those youth of the western counties of Pennsylvania, who have been convicted of crime or misdemeanor, but for those who, from their incorrigible or vicious conduct, are beyond the control of their parents or guardians. The opening of this institution may well be considered an era in the history of Western Pennsylvania.

Pennsylvania Institution for the Deaf and Dumb, Philadelphia. -A. B. Hatton, Principal. December 31, 1853, there were in the institution 139 pupils; 73 boys, and 66 girls. Admitted during the year, 47; 32 boys, and 15 girls. Dismissed, 23; 12 boys, and 11 girls. Remaining December 31, 1854, 163; 93 boys, and 70 girls. Of these, 106 are supported by the State of Pennsylvania, 18 by Maryland, 11 by New Jersey, and 3 by Delaware. The building was enlarged during the year, and will conveniently contain about 200 pupils. About 6 hours each day are spent by the pupils in the schools, and 3 hours by the males in the tailor's or shoemaker's shops. The females are instructed in sewing, and other branches of domestic economy. The expenses for the year were about $40,000.

Pennsylvania Hospital for the Insane, Philadelphia. - Number of patients, April 23, 1853, 226, of whom 190 were pay patients, and 36 poor. Admitted during the year, 183; 137 pay, and 46 poor; discharged 180, 136 pay, and 44 poor. Of those discharged, 96 were cured, 21 much improved, 32 improved, 12 stationary, and 19 died. Expenses for the year, $50,317.87. Since the opening of the hospital in 1841, there have been admitted 1,324 males, and 1,125 females, in all, 2,449; of whom 1,838 were pay patients, and 611 poor; 1,166 have been discharged cured, 192 much improved, 348 improved, 261 stationary, and 253 died, leaving in the hospital, April 22, 1854, 229, being 191 pay, and 33 poor.

The Orphans' Court consists of the Chancellor and a Judge of the Supe

Common Schools. The system provides a free school within reach of every family. The districts are laid off, numbered, and incorporated. 236 of them are organized. Each district entitles itself to a portion of the fund by establishing a school, and contributing to. wards its support not less than $ 25. But any district may lay a tax on itself of $300; or (by a special vote) may increase it to any sum deemed necessary for school purposes. Towns or populous districts may unite their resources and form schools of higher grades; the only condition is that they shall be free. The number of free schools in operation in the State was 236; number of scholars (in a white population of 71,169), 10,230; receipts from school fund and contributions, $ 57,738.95; expended for support of free schools, $49,169.30. The following table gives the statistics of the schools in the several counties, as well as in the State.

XI. MARYLAND.*

Government for the Year 1856.

THOMAS W. LIGON, of Howard Co.,

Salary.

the 2d Wednesday in Jan., 1858), Use of a furnished house, and $3,600

Governor (term expires

Wm. L. Gaither,
John F. Dent,

of Talbot Co., Pres. of the Senate, $5 per day dur. ses. of St. Mary's Co., Speaker of the House of Delegates, [$5 per day during session.

Wm. H. Tuck, of Upper Marlboro, 1851,
John B. Eccleston, of Chestertown,1851,
William A. Spencer, of Annapolis,

The Court of Chancery, by the new Constitution, was abolished on the 4th of July, 1853. It had been continued from the adoption of the Constitution to that date, to give it time to finish its business. The judicial power of the State is vested in a Court of Appeals, and in Circuit Courts.

The Court of Appeals has appellate jurisdiction only. Its judges, four in number, are elected from districts, by the voters therein, for ten years, unless they shall before reach the age of 70. They must be above 30 years of age, citizens of the State at least five years, residents of the judicial districts from which they are elected, and have been admitted to practice in the State. The Court of Appeals appoints its own clerk, to hold office for six years, and may reappoint him at the end of that time. When any judge of any court is interested in a case or connected with any of the parties by affinity or consanguinity within the proscribed degrees, the Governor may commission the requisite number of persons, learned in the law, for the trial and determination of the case. The Governor, with the advice

*The sessions of the Legislature are biennial; the last session commenced in January, 1855.

and consent of the Senate, designates one of the four judges as chief justice. The office of Attorney-General is abolished by the new Constitution.

The judges of that

Z. Collins Lee,*

1861

2,500

1861

2,500

1861

2,000

1855

The fifth Circuit comprises the city of Baltimore. Circuit, all of whom reside in Baltimore, are:

Judge of Superior Court, 1855 Wm. L. Marshall, Judge of Court of Com. Pleas, 1851 Henry Stump, Judge of Criminal Court, 1851 Chas. J. M. Gwinn, of Baltimore, State Attorney, 1851 The State is divided into eight judicial circuits, each of which elects a judge of the Circuit Court, to hold office for ten years. The qualifications of the judges are the same as those of the Court of Appeals, except that they must be citizens of the United States, and residents for two years in their judicial district. There is in the city of Baltimore a Court of Common Pleas, with jurisdiction in civil cases between $100 and $500, and exclusive jurisdiction in appeals from justices of the peace in that city; and a Superior Court, with jurisdiction in cases over $500. Each of these courts consists of one judge, elected by the people for ten years. There is also a Criminal Court, consisting of one judge, elected for six years. Clerks of the Circuit Courts in each county, and of the Baltimore courts, are chosen for six years, and are re-eligible.

Each county, and Baltimore city, elect three persons as Judges of the Orphans' Court, to hold office for four years; a Register of Wills, for six years; Justices of the Peace, two Sheriffs, and Constables, for two years. Attorneys for the Commonwealth are chosen in each county by the people, for four years.

FINANCES.
State Debt.

The whole nominal debt of the State was, September 30, 1855,
The sinking fund of the State, representing, in fact, extinguished
debt, the investment being solely in Maryland State stock, was,
September 30, 1855,

$3,426,749.95

Tobacco loans, the interest of which is paid out of proceeds of tobacco inspection,

Amounts forward,

163,689.00

$ 15,132,909.00

$3,590,438.95 $15,132,909.00

* Judge Constable of the 6th Circuit, and Judge Frick of the Supreme Court of Baltimore, died during the year. The vacancies were filled for the time by the appointment by the Governor of James M. Buchanan to the 6th Circuit, and Benjamin C. Presstman to the Superior Court. At the election in November, 1855, the present incumbents were elected for the residue of the term.