1. J. Blount Robinson, 1857, $3,500 Norbert Trepagnier, Nov. 1858 1st District. Clerks. Term ends. The term of office of the Judges and Attorneys will expire in 1857. 2 Octave Rousseau, St. Bernard, 6 W. B. Robertson, Wt. Baton Rouge, 8 G. Watterson, Livingston, 9 Thos. J. Cooley, Point Coupee, 10 Edgar D. Farrar, St. Joseph, 11 Edward Barry, Catahoula, 12 R.W.Richardson, Ouachita, 13 Ralph Cushman, Rapides, 14 A. Voorhies, St. Martin, 15 L. Dupree, 16 Chich'r Chaplin, 17 H. A. Drew, 18 Thos. T. Laud, Opelousas, Attorneys. $2,500 Louis Lombard, Education. The Constitution provides that "free public schools shall be established throughout the State; the proceeds of lands granted for the purpose, and of lands escheated to the State, shall be held as a permanent fund, on which six per cent interest shall be paid by the State for the support of these schools." The yearly sum of $250,000 is appropriated for the support of the free schools of the State, and is derived from the levy of a tax of one mill on the dollar, and from the imposition of a poll-tax of $1 on each white male inhabitant of the State. The School Fund, January 1, 1855, amounted to $461,269.65. There is, besides, the Seminary Fund, which, at the same date, was $151,539.66. But these now are funds of account only, and consist merely of a debt of the State to the fund. The number of school districts in the State, January 1, 1855, was 681; number of schools in opera tion an average of eight months in the year, in 38 parishes, 687, and the average tuition of each scholar, per annum, was $9; number of white children in the State between 6 and 16, 62,682; average attendance for the year, estimated, 36,000; number of teachers in the State, about 1,000. The amount apportioned to the several parishes for the year was $250,524.56. The report of the Superintendent of Public Education contains no other school statistics than these of any general use. The Governor in his message speaks of the "educational system" of the State as in an unsatisfactory condition, and as "almost a failure." In New Orleans the system has worked well, but is now somewhat crippled in its resources. FINANCES. Total receipts into the Treasury for the year ending Dec. 31, 1855, $1,577,096.00 The sources of income are direct taxes, sales of public lands, and licenses of trades and professions. The principal items of expenditure are the public debt, schools, executive and judiciary, erection of public buildings, Charity Hospital, deaf and dumb, orphans, the Penitentiary, &c. Principal Items of Expenditure in 1854. Appropriations for charities, 4,600.00 312,269.55 1,145.90 39,920.71 169,999.46 15,208.00 120,000.00 State Debt.-The State debt, properly so called, amounted January 1, 1855, to $3,839,221.93 Add the State's indebtedness for the property banks, Second Municipality of New Orleans, $8,421,888 8,620,128.00 $ 12,459,349.93 This is the Comptroller's statement, and in the debt proper are included United States surplus revenue, $479,919.14; the free school fund, $461,269.65; and seminary fund, $151,539.66. Of this debt proper, $1,120,221.93 are stated to be due on demand ; $ 50,000, in June, 1855; and $ 250,000, June 1, 1857. Nearly a million and a half of State bonds have been issued to the railroad companies in the State, under the acts of 1853. The assessed value of the taxable property of the State in 1853 was $299,996,176, upon which were assessed $ 1,028,907.68; 338,412 acres of land were cultivated in cane ; 574,575 in cotton, 501,315 in corn, and 3,816 in rice. From these were produced 272,719 hogsheads of sugar, 431,913 barrels of molasses, 402,821 bales of cotton, 11,690,093 bushels of corn, and 34,082 barrels of rice. There were sold of the public lands of the State during the year, 218,097 acres, being 175,349 acres of swamp lands, 12,902 acres of school lands, 2,782 acres of seminary lands, and 27,064 acres of internal-improvement lands. Banks. For the condition of the banks in Louisiana in Dec. 1855, see ante, p. 227. Louisiana Penitentiary, Baton Rouge. - Prisoners in confinement January 1, 1854, 283; received during the year, 96; in all, 379. Discharged by expiration of sentence, 69; by pardon, 3; by death, 12; in all, 84; leaving in prison January 1, 1855, 295, -195 whites, 4 of whom were females, 85 colored men, and 15 colored females; and of these 89 were slaves. 52 were convicted of murder, 27 of manslaughter, 3 of poisoning, 19 of assaulting or stabbing white men, 2 of inveigling slaves, 4 of negro-stealing, 6 of horse-stealing, 55 of larceny, 8 of burglary, 24 of robbery. 50 were natives of Louisiana, 131 of other of the United States, and 114 were foreigners. The services of the prisoners are let out by contract. There are within the prison walls factories for the manufacture of cotton and hemp. Deaf and Dumb and Blind Asylum. - This institution is at Baton Rouge, and embraces both a "mute department" and a "blind department." The buildings for the latter were in process of erection at the date of the last report, January 25, 1855. The mute department is in operation. There have been 31 pupils in the institution during the year, 15 females and 16 males; 29 were natives of Louisiana, and 2 of Kentucky. All the deaf and dumb of the State, between 10 and 30 years of age, and all the blind between the ages of 8 and 25, are entitled to an education, free of charge for board or tuition, in this institution. James S. Brown is the Principal. Insane Asylum, Jackson. - The buildings are not yet completed, although the institution has been open for some time for the reception of patients. January 1, 1854, there were 132 patients in the asylum, 68 males and 64 females; admitted during the year, 116, 74 males and 42 females; whole number, 248. Discharged during the year, recovered, 19, 13 males and 6 females; removed, 6; eloped, 5; died, 88, 55 males and 33 females; in all 188, leaving in the Asylum, Dec. 31, 1854, 130, 64 males and 66 females. The Superintendent says the institution has been more of an almshouse than an insane asylum. The great number of deaths was caused by dysentery, which prevailed as an epidemic. The whole number of patients since the opening of the institution is 441, of whom 72 were discharged recovered, 31 removed, 24 eloped, and 183 died. Of these, 89 were natives of Louisiana, 72 of other of the United States, and 273 were foreigners, 107 being from Ireland. Charity Hospital at New Orleans. - During the year 1854, 13,192 patients were admitted into the Hospital, 9,976 were discharged as cured, and 2,702 died. Of the deaths, 352 were from Asiatic cholera, 153 from diarrhoea, 75 from dysentery, 1,233 from yellow fever, 206 from consumption. Of the patients admitted, 11,606 were natives of foreign countries, 1,502 of the United States, and 84 unknown. The cost of the maintenance of the Hospital for the year, for all purposes, was $103,220.36, of which $43,559.44 were for repairs upon the buildings. Its receipts were $117,688.98. The capitation tax on passengers for the use of the hospital amounted to $76,961.51. Capital, Austin. Area, 325,520 sq. m. Population, 1850, 212,592. Term ends. Salary. Dec. 21, 1857, $3,000 H. Rich. Runnells, of Bowie Co., Lieut.-Gov. & Pres. of Sen.,1857, $5 a day The sessions of the Legislature are biennial, and are held at Austin, beginning on the first Monday in November. Members receive $5 a day, and $5 for every twenty-five miles' travel. The seventh biennial session will meet at Austin, in November, 1857. JUDICIARY. The Supreme Court consists of a chief justice and two associates, who are chosen by the people for six years. Sessions are held once a year, at Austin, on the 3d Monday of October; at Galveston, on the 1st Monday of January; and at Tyler, on the 1st Monday in April. The court has appellate jurisdiction only coextensive with the limits of the State; but in criminal cases, and appeals from interlocutory judgments, it is under legislative regulations. The judges of the District Court are elected for six years, and hold a court twice a year in each county. The District Courts have original jurisdiction in all criminal cases, and in all suits, both in law and equity, in which $100, exclusive of interest, is at stake. In criminal cases, if the punishment be not specifically determined by law, the jury shall determine it. In equity causes, either party may demand a jury. The judges of both courts may be removed by the Governor on the address of two thirds of each house; or upon impeachment, to be tried by the Senate. There is also in each county a County Court, sitting once a month as a Court of Ordinary, and once in three months for the transaction of county business. Justices of the Peace, with jurisdiction to the amount of $100, are elected in precincts for two years. John Hemphill, Supreme Court. of Austin, Chief Justice, Abner S. Lipscomb, of Independence, Associate Justice, Royall T. Wheeler, of Galveston, FINANCES. The State is entirely free from debt. The balance on hand, Oct. 31, 1853, was, — In United States 5 per cent bonds, $3,575,000.00 Receipts from dues of late Republic, taxes assessed by the State prior to the year 1852, and interest upon United States bonds, 390,301.94 $3,965,301.94 251,128.82 $4,216,430.76 2,000,000.00 179,015.81 296,351.97 $1,741,062.98 Receipts for the Year ending Oct. 31, 1855. Balance on hand, Oct. 31, 1854, as above, 1852, and interest on United States bonds, 123,243.23 $1,864,306.21 The expenditures were, Paid on the debt of the late Republic, Paid on Treasury warrants, Paid to school fund, Balance on hand, in United States bonds, In specie, The expenses of the State have been paid, since the year 1851, from the general fund in the treasury, consisting of United States five per cent bonds, which were obtained in the settlement of the northwestern boundary of the State. The State taxes during this time (with the exception of one tenth thereof, which is appropriated by the Constitution to the school fund) have been paid over to the counties in which they were assessed, for the erection of county buildings, and for other county expenses. The State taxes for 1854 amounted to $246,521.11, and in 1855 to $273,823.50. They were derived from the following sources: For 1854, -44,580,946 acres of land, value $49,961,177; 36,107 town lots, value $8,586,042; 90,612 slaves, value $46,501,840; 145,595 horses, value $6,406,758; 1,233,877 cattle, value $7,059,047; miscellaneous property, $8,466,753. Total, $126,981,617. There was a poll-tax of 50 cents on each free male person between the ages of 21 and 50 years, amounting to $ 18,338; and there were license taxes amounting to $37,039.65. For 1855,45,893,869 acres of land, value $58,671,126; 40,136 town lots, value $10,108,338; 105,603 slaves, value $53,373.924; 171,814 horses, value $7,943,878; 1,443,795 cattle, value $8,992,545; miscellaneous property, $10,431,640. Total, $149,521,451. Poll-tax, 50 cents a poll, $20,982.50; license taxes, $27,570.60. In both years the property paid a tax of 15 cents on each $100. For the condition of the debt of the late Republic of Texas, and the legislation of the United States concerning it, see the volumes of the American Almanac for 1854, p. 287; for 1855, p. 284; and for 1856, pp. 145 and 306. Education. The State has a permanent school fund, amounting to $2,128,668.19, which is invested in United States 5 per cent bonds. This fund is increased each year by the addition of one tenth of the annual revenue of the State derived from taxation. The income of this fund is annually disbursed for the support of free schools. The number of scholars between the ages of 6 and 18 years, returned for the year 1854, was 65,463. The number returned for 1855 was 66,150. Besides this fund, each of the 116 counties in the State has four leagues, or 17,712 acres, of land set apart for the support of schools. These lands amount altogether to 2,054,592 acres, but no provision has yet been made for their sale, and they are not available at present. |