Indebted to Safety Fund, State Liabilities, Sept. 1, 1856. 66 "Safety Fund Loan, Due towns for U. S. surplus revenue, over notes on hand, Add orders unpresented, Total, Resources, Balance in favor of the State, 53,385 polls at $2, $3,521.46 54,440.27 4,353.58 $ 62,315.31 5,245.90 Due from clerks and attorneys, $33,209.50 62,315.31 $24,105.81 Taxable Property and Taxation. $888,934.71 1,356.00 Aggregate of Grand List of 1855. $106,770.00, Polls and one per cent are, Real estate (4,916,131 acres), 61,711,685 44 Deduct for Fire Companies, Personal estate, over debts owed, 16,504,786.04 Balance list for State taxes, Total real and personal, $887,578.71 $78,216,471,48 Capital, Boston. Area, 7,250 sq. m. Population, 1855, 1,133,123. Government for the Year ending the 1st Wednesday in January, 1858. The State is divided into eight Districts, in each of which one Councillor is elected annually. The Councillors have the same per diem and travel as members of the General Court, i. e. $3 a day, and $1 for every five miles of travel one way once a session. The following are the Districts: DISTRICT NO 1.-The Counties of Barnstable, Dukes, and Nantucket; Dartmouth, Fairhaven, Fall River, Freetown, New Bedford, Somerset, Swanzey, and Westport, in the County of Bristol; and all of Plymouth County not named in District No. 2. DISTRICT NO. 2.- Bridgewater, East Bridgewater, North Bridgewater, West Bridgewater, Hingham, and Hull, in Plymouth County; all of Bristol County not named in District No. * Officers at the session of 1856. 1; all of Norfolk County not named in District No. 3; Blackstone, Mendon, Milford, Northbridge, and Uxbridge, in Worcester County. DISTRICT NO. 3. - Brookline, Dover, Needham, Roxbury, and West Roxbury, in Norfolk County; Ashland, Brighton, Cambridge, Charlestown, Framingham, Holliston, Hopkinton, Natick, Newton, Sherborn, Somerville, Wayland, and Weston, in Middlesex County; and Wards 5, 6, and 9 in Boston, in Suffolk County. DISTRICT No. 4. The Wards in Boston not in District No. 3, Chelsea, North Chelsea, and Winthrop, in Suffolk County. DISTRICT No. 5. -The County of Essex, except the towns of Andover and Methuen. Andover and Methuen, in Essex County; all of Middlesex County not named in District No. 3, and Bolton, Clinton, Fitchburg, Harvard, Lancaster, Leomin ster, and Lunenburg, in Worcester County. DISTRICT NO. 7.- All of Worcester County not named in Districts No. 2 and No. 6, and the County of Franklin. DISTRICT No. 8. - The Counties of Berkshire, Hampden, and Hampshire. John H. Clifford, Horace Gray, Jr., Isaac S. Morse, of Boston, of Lowell, of N. Bedford, Att'y-Gen., Term ends Jan. 1858, 2,500 and $1,000 clerk hire. Reporter, $300 and proceeds of Rep'ts. Term ends Dist. Att'y, N. District, Jan. 1860, 1,000 3,000 1,800 George W. Cooley, of Boston, Comm'th Att'y for Co. of Suffolk, All judges in the State are appointed by the Governor, with the advice and consent of the Council, and hold office during good behavior. The Supreme Court 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 dis pute exceeds $3,000 in Suffolk, and $300 in the other counties. It holds law terms in eight of the fourteen counties of the State for the whole 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 has criminal jurisdiction in all cases except murder. Frequent terms are held in every county except Suffolk. Justices of the peace have a limited criminal jurisdiction, and in civil cases under $100, with the right of either party in all cases over $20 to call in a jury of six; and a right, in all cases, of appeal to the Common Pleas. In those places where the justices of the Police Court on stated days hold a "Justices' Court," justices of the peace cannot try causes. In Boston, a" Justices' Court" is held every Saturday. The jurisdiction of these courts is like that of justices of the peace. Superior Court of the County of Suffolk and Municipal Court. This court consists of a Chief Justice and three Associates, appointed from, and resident in, any part of the Commonwealth. It has exclusive jurisdiction (with some exceptions) in civil cases over $20 and under $3,000, and concurrent jurisdiction with the Supreme Court in cases of over $3,000. The judges of this Court are ex officio judges of the Municipal Court for the City of Boston, in which the criminal trials are exclusively held. In the Municipal Court the terms are held monthly, on the first Monday in each month; in the Superior Court there are six terms each year, on the first Tuesday of January, March, May, July, September, and November. John G. Rogers, Abel Cushing Thos Russell, Justices, salary, $1,500 each Fees. Courts of Insolvency. - The Legislature of 1856 established Courts of Insolvency for each county, for the relief of insolvent debtors, and the more equal distribution of their effects. A court is held at the shire town of each county, at such time as the Judge ap points. The Registers are elected by the people of each county for five years. The term of those named below expires in January, 1861. Counties. Bristol, Barnstable, Simeon N. Small, Yarmouth, Worcester, Alex. H. Bullock, Worcester, $100 Jona. Higgins, 1,500 1,000 3,000 1,800 John J. Piper, Fitchburg, Sheriffs and Clerks of the Court in the Several Counties. Sheriffs are elected for three years, and Clerks for five years. They are paid by fees. The Clerks are the clerks both of the Supreme Court and Common Pleas. Their term expires in January, 1862; that of the Sheriffs in January, 1860. FINANCES. Received into the Treasury during the year ending December 31st, 1855, on $1,147,816.20 1,210,400.79 $2,358,216.99 85,356.39 $2.443.573 37 The entire payments during the year on account of ordinary expenditures were $1,203,907.25 On all other accounts, including $433,184.95 temporary loans repaid, Total payments, . 1,082,543.84 $2,286,451.09 Excess of means for 1855, being cash on hand, January 1st, 1856, $157,122.28 Of this $ 109,037.40 is on account of ordinary revenue, and $48,084.88 on account of the school and other funds. The funded debt of Massachusetts, on its own account, was, 1st January, 1856, $1,764,000 00 Temporary loans, and sums due and unpaid, 678,162.00 Liability of the Commonwealth for scrip loaned to the various railroads, 5,049,555,56 Total absolute and contingent debt, $7,491.717.56 Sinking Fund, School Fund, Indian Funds, &c., Real estate, &c. unproductive, Mortgages on the various railroads, The value of the productive property of the Commonwealth, January 1st, 1856, consisting of notes, mortgages, stocks and scrip, the Western Railroad $11,744,626 53 Prevention of counterfeiting, Pensions, Expenses State Reform School, . Excess of resources over liabilities, 7,491,717.56 $4,252,908.97 |