per acre.

$99,199 for 124,154 acres, being an average of about eighty cents The amount paid for the state prison, was $18,700, and the receipts arising from the labour of the convicts, $18,000; but owing to the superior value of the stock on hand over that of the preceding year, the balance in favour of the institution is $1800. The number of convicts is smaller by five, than at the beginning of last year. During the past year, the receipts into the treasury of the state were $146,033 26, exclusive of the securities taken for the public lands sold; and the expenditures, including $25,000 paid on account of the state debt, $140,402 54. The present amount of the debt is $43,000.

The number of militia is stated to be 40,006.

The joint committee to whom was referred the message of the gover. nor, upon the South Carolina address and resolutions, reported that although a majority of the people of Maine have always condemned the policy of high duties, they do not justify the course menaced by South Carolina. The report was accompanied with four resolutions.

The first resolution declares, that the legislature is not insensible to the wrongs of that state, and is ready to unite with her in any peaceable and lawful measure to redress them; but that it regards nullification neither as a safe, peaceable, nor constitutional remedy, and therefore entreats the people of South-Carolina to pause in their precipitate career. By the second it is declared, that the tariff laws; so far as they were passed palpably and solely for the protection of particular branches of industry, are unequal in operation, and contrary to the true spirit and intent of the federal com

pact. The third declares it to be due to a spirit of justice, to the demands of conciliation, to a decent respect for the opinions and inter. ests of large portions of the community, that these laws should be "gradually but speedily abated," to the imposition of such duties only, as may be required for the purpose of a revenue sufficient to defray the ordinary expenses of the govern ment, confined to its appropriate objects, and economically adminis tered. The fourth resolution applauds the policy of general Jackson, and looks with confidence to him for the preservation of the Union. A counter report was presented by the minority of that committee, which enters at some length into a vindication of the constitutionality and expediency of the protecting system, and denies the reasons given in favour of its modification or abandonment at the present time.

The resolutions were afterwards taken up, and passed by both branches of the legislature.

NORTH-EAST BOUNDARY.-On the 1st of March, the governor commu. nicated a message to the senate in reply to a request of the legislature, that he would transmit to that body the report of the commissioners in relation to the north-east boundary. He declined acceding to this request, on the ground, that the publication might prejudice the negotiation which has been instituted by the president with Great Britain, upon that subject; but assures the legis lature that no final action upon it is contemplated until it shall have been submitted to their consideration.

Just before the adjournment of the legislature, the following resolutions were passed:

Resolved, That so much of the

resolve passed the third day of March, 1832, respecting the northeastern boundary, as provides for the submission to the legislature, "for approval or rejection," of the agreement or treaty therein contemplated to be made by the commissioners therein mentioned, be, and the same is hereby repealed.

Resolved, That no arrangement, provisional agreement or treaty, already made, or that may hereafter be made, under, or in pursuance of, the resolve to which this is additional, shall have any binding force, effect, or operation, until the same shall have been submitted to the people of this state, in their primary assemblies, and approved by a majority of their votes.

LEGISLATION.-At the session of the legislature forty-three public acts were passed.

BANKS. The cashier of each bank is required to make returns on the first Mondays in January and June in each year, and to transmit the same to the secretary of state.

It shall be the duty of the secretary of state, after receiving the returns of the several banks, to cause a true abstract of the returns to be printed, and transmit a copy to the cashier of each bank in the state.

From and after October 1, 1833, no bills of the denomination of five dollars, or over, impressed from Perkins' stereotype plate, shall be issued by any bank, unless they also bear upon the back of them the impress of the Perkins' stereotype check plate.

Besides the Perkins' stereotype bills, now allowed by law to be used, it shall be lawful for any bank to issue bills of such other plates of finer engravings, superior workmanship, and greater security against

counterfeits, as may from time to time be allowed and approved by the bank commissioners of the state.

BRIDGES.-The proprietors of bridges are authorized to prohibit any person from riding or driving any horse at a pace faster than a walk, over such bridges.

The selectmen of towns are also vested with authority to prohibit any person from riding or driving as aforesaid, over any bridge covered with plank for the length of fifty feet, such bridge being part of highway or townway.

Persons violating the provisions of this act to be liable to a penalty not exceeding five dollars.

COUNTY COMMISSIONERS.-An act giving remedies on judgments rendered by the courts of county commissioners, and prescribing the mode of levying executions against towns and plantations.

Whenever any highway shall be established by the commissioners, leading through any unincorporated tract of land, they are to decide whether such land will be enhanced in value by the road, and, after having divided the land into divisions, to assess upon each division which they shall deem to be enhanced in value, toward the expense of making and opening such road, such sum as, in their judgment, shall be proportionate to the value thereof, and to the benefits to be derived thereto, by the establishment of such road.

DEPOSITIONS.-This act contains further provisions in regard to the mode of taking depositions, empowering the justice to issue a capias, directing any proper officer to ap prehend any deponent neglecting to appear in pursuance of a citation, and to bring him before the justice

von non compos, shall have any interest in any real estate, and it shall be made to appear to the judge of probate that it would be for his benefit that the same should be disposed of, and the proceeds put out at interest, the judge may authorize some suitable person to sell the

same.

A similar authority was given for the sale of growing trees and timber belonging to minors.

OIL.-An act was passed for the prevention of frauds in the sale of oils.

REAL ESTATE.—The right which any debtor way have, of redeem. ing from the purchaser any equity of redemption which may have been sold on execution against such debtor, and, also, the right which any debtor may have of redeeming from a judgment creditor, his executors, &c., any real estate, which may have been set off on execution against the debtor, may be attached on mesne process or execution against such debtor, and may be sold on execution, by public auction: and the same proceedings are to be had as are required on the sale of equities of redemption, but the debtor shall have the same right of redemption as is now allowed by law, upon the first sale of rights in equity, of redeeming mortgaged real estate.

REPLEVIN. In all actions of replevin before any justice of the peace, or before the judge of the municipal court of Portland, the original writ, execution, and all other processes, may be directed to the officers of any adjoining county, who are authorized to execute such precepts, and make return thereof.

SCHOOLS.-All sums received by the state for the tax on the several banks, excepting the sum of $1000 appropriated for the benefit of the Parsonsfield Seminary, are appropriated to the support of primary schools; but nothing in this act shall exonerate any town or plantation from raising and expending for the support of schools, the sums now required of them respectively.

TRESPASS.-In actions for trespass upon property, when judgment shall be rendered for the plaintiff, and the judgment is rendered for a trespass committed wilfully: and if the defendant shall be committed to jail, and remain in close confinement on such execution, he shall not be entitled to the benefit of the poor debtor's oath, until after having notified the creditor, which no. tice shall not be issued until thirty days after his said commitment; and if he shall have the liberty of the jail-yard, on having given bond to the creditor, the notice of his intention to take the poor debtor's oath shall not be issued until ten months after said commitment, and until one month after the expiration of the time limited in his bond, for him to surrender to go into close confine

ment.

WITNESSES.-No person who believes in the existence of a Supeme Being, shall be adjudged an incompetent or incredible witness, in the judicial courts, or in the course of judicial proceedings in this state, on account of his opinions in matters of religion; nor shall such opinions be made the subject of investigation or inquiry.

Bills in circulation

361,860 1,238,643

Samuel Dinsmore,

Other Candidates,

The sums ascertained to have

28,270

and security of a part only of those reported, amount annually to $9,396 58.

5,177 COMMON SCHOOLS.-It is stated that the annual tax raised by law in New-Hampshire for the support of schools is $90,000. This gives $455 to each town, or about $1 to every individual of suitable age to attend school, and is more than is raised by the Connecticut fund, which last year produced but $76,933. Besides this, there is a school fund in land, or the proceeds of land, belonging to most of the towns; and also a general "Literary Fund," raised from the banks, which, since 1829, has amounted to $95,582, and will average hereafter at least $10,000 a year. There are thirty-eight Academies, of which two have a fund of over $40,000, and which have an aggregate of one thousand five hundred students.

LEGISLATION.-The Legislature of this state convened at Concord, on the 21st of November, 1832. The governor's message gives the following statement respecting two interesting classes of the community. In one hundred and forty-one towns, being all from which returns have been received, there appear to be of indigent deaf and dumb persons between the ages of ten and thirty, exclusive of those at the American Asylum at Hartford, 45; under the age of ten years, 12. The

whole number of insane, reported from the same towns, is 189; 90 males, and 99 females, 103 of whom are paupers. The whole number of those now in confinement is 76, of whom 25 are in private houses, 34 in poor houses, 7 in cells and

During this session a resolution was passed directing the sense of the electors to be taken relative to holding a convention for revising the constitution. This proved to be against such revision.

A resolution was also introdu ced, and carried through without adjourning, for the removal of judge Harris from the bench of the superior court. We did not understand that any charges were exhibited against him, as a motive for this removal.

1833. LEGISLATION.-The legis lature assembled in Concord on the first Wednesday in June.

In

The message of governor Dins moor states, that there are few sub. jects to which he considers it neces sary to invite the attention of the legislature. Of the militia system he says, that a disposition hostile to some of its features, prevails so generally, as to render it impossible to carry it into complete effect. what manner a reform of the system can be effected, he does not indicate, but believes that no remedy for the existing defects will be found suffi. cient, that does not materially reduce the number now liable to military service, or provide either for a moderate compensation to the soldier, or a diminution of his public charges. He proceeds to observe, that the late decision of a great majority of the people against the call of a convention for the revision of the constitution, may be regarded as a gratifying proof of the veneration in which the framers of that