valued at forty cents the acre, and worth, at that rate, $1,400,000.

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FISHERIES. Many of the towns in the colony of Massachusetts began, at an early date, to cultivate their river fisheries. In 1641, 300,000 dry fish were sent to market. Previously to the American revolution, the cod fishery of Massachusetts employed 28,000 tons of shipping and 4,000 seamen ; making an annual value of industry and enterprise of about $1,000,000. In 1775 Great Britain broke up this profitable employment, by proh biting the colonies the exercise of the right of fishery on the banks of Newfoundland. The restoration of peace with Great Britain, revived this branch of industry and hardy enterprise, which was further stimulated by a bounty granted by congress in 1789, on exported fish, and a few years after, to vessels employed in the business. In 1807, 71,000 tons of shipping were employed in the cod fishery alone, and the average value of exports from this country, of the productions of the sea, for that and the four pre. ceding years, was estimated at $3,000,000. The unwise restrictions then imposed on our commerce, caused the fisheries to diminish in value, from that period until the close of the second war with Great Britain. The return of peace again effected their revival, and the very next year 68,000 tons of vessels, employing 10,000 seamen, were again upon the ocean. In 1804 the number of barrels of mackerel packed in Massachusetts was 8,079; in 1811, 19,000. The war nearly destroyed this business; but in 1815 it rose again to 16,000 barrels. In 1820 the increase was so rapid, that the number of barrels packed amounted to 236,243. This was before the separation of Maine. In

the subsequent year, Massachusetts alone packed 111,000 barrels--and in 1831, the amount had swelled to 348,750 barrels. The number of vessels employed in 1831, was near 400, and the seamen probably exceeded 4,000. The probable value of the mackerel fishery for 1831, exceeded $1,500,000.

From Marblehead alone there are 54 vessels engaged in the bank cod fishery, employing 324 men and 46 boys. In 1832, their product consisted of 60,000 quintals of fish, 810 barrels of oil, valued at $160,000, and sounds and tongues valued at $6000.

of

SHOE MANUFACTURES.-In 1831 the whole value of boots and shoes made at Lynn was $942,000: 60 manufactories; total average stock on hand $153,015; average to each one $2,550; materials used in the manufac ure worth $413,350; of which the lasting cost $98,531, sole leather $145,236, ribbon $31,236, morocco skins $35,735, galloon $17,575, sheep skins $19,188, neats leather $14,224, domestic sheeting $8,192, shoe thread $7,401, Russia sheeting and ticklenburg $21,936, ewing silk $6,500, and even the binding thread $3,955, and the steel ornaments $3,938; all these, exclusive of several thousand dollars worth of rosin, paste and other small articles. The total number of boots and shoes made was 1,675,781; average num. ber of journeyman employed 1,741; of binders 1,675, in the whole business, about seven eighths of the working people of the town, besides some hundreds from other towns.

LOWELL. In 1818 a small satinet mill, employing about 20 hands, was established in this piace, which was then a small part of Chelmsford, and contained about two hundred inhabitants. The town embraces

about four miles square, and is situated where the Concord falls into the Merrimack river. The chief fall however is derived from the Merrimack, by a canal sixty feet wide, and eight feet deep, extending from above the falls to the Concord river. In 1823 this canal, which had been used for the conveyance of lumber round the rapids, was bought, together with a large tract of land, by the lock and canal company. In 1825 the Merrimack manufacturing company was founded, with a capital of $1,500,000; the same year the Hamilton, with a capital of $800,000. In 1828 there were incorporated the Appleton, Lowell and Middlesex companies, with capitals of half a million each, the Mossix falls with 200,000, and the Lowell brewery with $50,00.

In 1830 there were incorporated, the Suffolk, with $450,000 capital, the Zemount, $500,000, and the Lawrence, 1,200,000.

The whole amount of capital invested, is 6,150,000 dollars. The number of large mills in actual operation is 19; these mills are each about 157 feet in length and 45 feet in breadth of brick, five stories high, each averaging from ten to thirteen feet high, thus giving opportunity for a free circulation of air. The aggregate number of spindles used is 84,000, looms 3,000. The whole number of operatives employed is about 5,000, of which 1,200 are males, 3,800 are females. The quantity of raw cotton used in these mills per annum, exceeds 7,000,000 lbs., or 20,000 bales. The number of yards of cotton goods of various qualities manufactured annually, is about 27,000,000. In this estimate is included about 2,000,000 of yards of course mixed cotton and woollen negro clothing, in the manu

facture of which about 80,000 lbs. of wool are used per annum.

The quantity of wool manufactu.. red annually into cassimeres, is about 150,000 lbs., making about 150,000 yards.

The Lowell carpet manufactory is in itself a curiosity; 68 looms are kept in operation by hand labour, viz: 50 for ingrained or Kidder. minster carpeting, 10 for Brussels, and eight for rugs of various kinds. 140,000 lbs. of wool in the course of a year, are manufactured into rich and beautiful carpets, the colours of which will vie with any imported. The number of yards of carpeting made per annum, is upwards of 120,000, besides rugs. The operatives employed in all these mills receive for their labour about $1,200,000 per annum.

The Lawrence company's mills will contain about 16,500 additional spindles for cotton, and 550 looms, and will use 2,500,000 lbs. of raw cotton annually, furnishing employment for 700 operatives.

The Middlesex company has lately erected another mill for the manufacture of cassimeres and broadcloths, which is said to be one of the first manufacturing edifices in the United States. It is 153 feet in length, by 46, and six stories high. Nearly 1,000,000 of bricks has been used in its construction. It will go into operation in about two months, and will contain 2,880 spindles, and 64 looms for cassimeres, and 40 for broadcloths. It will work up about 300,000 lbs. of wool annually, and employ about 225 operatives.

The edifice in which all the ma. chinery employed in the mills is manufactured, is termed the "machine-shop," belonging to the locks and canal company, and is probably the largest "shop" in the country,

being built of brick, four stories high, 220 feet in length, and 45 feet in width. About 200 machinists, some of them the most skilful and ingenious workmen in the United States, or in the world, are constantly employed. About 600 tons of cast and wrought iron, two thirds of which at least are of American production, are annually converted into machinery, besides a large quantity of imported steel.

It is computed that upwards of 5,000 tons of anthracite coal are annually consumed in the Lowell manufacturing establishments and machine-shop, besides immense quantities of charcoal and pine, and hard wood fuel.

The rail road between this place and Boston was laid out through the whole line in 1832, and was rapidly pressed towards completion in 1833.

TRIAL OF MAGISTRATES.-The mayor and aldermen of Boston were presented and tried in 1833 for hav. ing omitted to make a return of the votes given to Mr. Odiorne, the anti-masonic candidate for congress. The omission seems to have been purely accidental; the jury found a verdict of not guilty.

LEGISLATION.-The legislature commenced its annual session the 1st Wednesday of January, 1833. On the 5th, the governor and lieutenant governor elect appear. ed before a convention of the two houses and took the customary oaths of office.

In his address to the legislature, the governor expresses an opinion, that the vending of ardent spirits is a subject that demands the attention of the legislature. The sale of the public lands in Maine has been very productive, one hundred and eighty thousand dollars having been realiz.

ed from that source. Owing to the increased prices of wild lands, the commonwealth's property in the state of Maine continues undiminish. ed. The governor recommends that additional powers be conferred on the land agent. The trigonometrical survey of the state, for the purpose of constructing a new and correct map, is going on, and will probably be completed in the course of another year. The geological survey is already completed. A commission, agreeably to a resolve of the last legislature, has been appointed to collate, arrange, and revise the statute laws of the commonwealth, but the commissioners have not yet made much progress. The state lunatic hospital is just completed. The state prison is in a must prosperous condition, and the balance in its favour, after paying all expenses, exceeds $4000.

The legislature of Massachusetts, at the January session of 1833, passed two hundred and twenty-two acts; of which, one hundred and six are acts establishing new corporations.

ACTIONS, PARTIES TO.-At any time before issue joined, on a plea of non joinder of a party as defend. ant in any action founded on debt or contract, the plaintiff may, on motion, be allowed to amend his writ, by inserting the name of any other persons as defendants; and the same proceedings shall be had on said amended writ, as if the same had been the original writ issued in the action, saving, however, to the plaintiff the benefit of any attachment, endorsement or security had upon the service of the first writ.

Seven academies and three fe. male seminaries were incorpora. ted.

TAXES.-In lieu of all duties here

tofore imposed on sales by auction, of shares in the corporate property of turnpike road, bridge, canal, railroad and railway companies, and in incor. porated athenæums and libraries, there is to be paid one tenth of one per cent. on the amount of such sales.

The assessors of towns and dis tricts are not to be responsible for the assessment of any tax upon the inhabitants of any school district, when the clerk thereof shall have certified to said assessors, that such tax was voted to be raised at a legal meeting of the inhabitants of such school district; but the liabili ty, if any, shall rest solely with said school district.

BANKS AND BANKING.-If any person shall issue or pass any note, bill, order or check, other than foreign bills of exchange, the notes or bills of some bank incorporated by the laws of this commonwealth or by the laws of the United States, or of some one of the United States, or by the laws of either of the British Provinces in North America, with the intent that the same shall be circulated as currency, he is to forfeit for every such offence fifty dollars.

Fourteen banking companies were incorporated, the aggregate capital stock of which amounts to $3,250,000. Six banks were allowed to increase their capital stocks by sums amounting in the whole to $450,000. Two savings banks were also incorporated.

BRIDGES. TWO companies were incorporated.

An act was passed in relation to Warren bridge.

CHARCOAL, ADMEASUREMENT OF.In the sale of charcoal, it is to be measured in boxes of the following capacities, viz. two bushels, five bushels, ten bushels, and twenty

bushels; and the boxes are to be first duly sealed; in case of violation of this act, the offender forfeits one dollar for each offence, to the use of him who shall sue for the same.

Two companies were incorporated for the purpose of mining and vending coal, with capitals of $600,000 and $250,000.

An act was passed to divide the state into twelve districts for the choice of representatives in congress, and to prescribe the mode of election.

POOR. Any two justices of the quorum, in any county except Suffolk, may liberate from prison any poor convict within the county for which they are cominissioned, if it appear that he has continued in prison, for three months, for fine and costs only, and that he has no property.

CORPORATIONS.-Whenever, by reason of the death, or other legal impediment of the officers of any corporation, there shall be no person authorized to call or preside at

legal meeting thereof, any justice of the peace in the county where the corporation is situated, is authorized, on the written application of five of the proprietors, or other legal members thereof, to issue a warrant to either of said proprietors, directing him to call a meeting of said corporation, and said meeting, when duly organized, may elect officers to fill vacancies, and act upon such other business as may be transacted at regular meetings of a corporation.

The mode of calling the first meeting of all corporations, shall be by a notice, setting forth the time, place and purposes of the meeting, signed by any one or more of the persons named in the act of incor.

poration, and seven days at least previously to the meeting, delivered to each member, or published in some newspaper in the county where the corporation may be established, or if there be no newspaper in the county, then in some adjacent county; but the notice of the first meeting of religious societies may be affixed to some conspicu. ous part of their meeting-houses. Nothing in this act is to affect any existing provisions of law.

Whenever any process shall be commenced, which shall by law be required to be served upon any monied corporation, the service thereof may be made upon the officer having charge of their business, not less than fourteen days before the sitting of the court.

All petitions for acts of incorpo. ration for canal, railroad, or turnpike road companies, shall be accompanied by plans of the proposed route, profiles of the land proposed to be taken, embankments and cuttings, and a report of the character of the soil, estimated expense of the work. The plans are to be drafted on a horizontal scale of eighty rods to an inch, and on a perpendicular scale of fifty feet to an inch, and shall also exhibit the true and magnetic meridian; they are to be retained in the state library.

HIGHWAY. NO petition for a jury to alter or discontinue any high. way, or to estimate damages, or for a committee, if the same is or shall be agreed upon, shall abate by the death of the petitioner; but his executor or administrator, or the heirs or devisees, or the surviving petitioner or petitioners, may prose. cute the petition to effect.

ELECTIONS.-The collectors of state and county taxes, are re. quired, in February and October in every year, to return to the

selectmen a list of all persons from whom they shall have received pay. ment of any state or couuty tax, subsequently of the next preceding return; and the select. men are to post up lists of voters, ten days at least before the second Monday of November, annually.

The officers of the several towns are to make and seal up a sepa rate list of the persons voted for as governor, lieutenant governor, counsellors and senators, and representa. tives in congress. and transmit the same to the secretary of state, or to the sheriffs of their respective counties. The seals are not to be broken, until they are delivered to the two branches of the general court, or to the executive autho. rity.

Selectmen, before entering on the execution of their official duties, are to take an oath or affirmation that they will faithfully discharge those duties respecting all elections.

ESCAPE. No sheriff, deputy sheriff, coroner, constable, or deputy jailor, shall be liable to be sued in an action of debt, for any escape.

FARM SCHOOL.-An act was passed incorporating the proprietors of the Boston Farm School, for the education and reformation of boys, who are exposed to extraordinary tempt. tion and are in danger of be coming vicious or useless members of society.

FORGERY AND COUNTERFEITING. If any person shall have in his pos. session any counterfeit bill or note, in the similitude of the bills or notes payable to the bearer thereof, issued by any bank, which shall purport to be established in any foreign state, knowing it to be counterfeit, he shall be punished by solitary imprisonment for a term not ex. ceeding three months, and by confinement afterwards to hard labour