cuit Courts, County Courts, and justices of the peace. Justices of the peace are elected in the several towns, hold office for two years, and have jurisdiction throughout their counties in civil matters when the debt or damages claimed do not exceed $100. A County Court is established in each county. The judge is elected by the voters of the county, and holds office for four years. This court has jurisdiction concurrent with the Circuit Courts in all civil actions arising within or without the county when the debt or damages claimed do not exceed $500, and exclusive appellate jurisdiction in all cases of appeal or certiorari, from justices of the peace. It has also probate powers and jurisdiction. The State is divided into six judicial circuits. A judge is elected by the voters of each circuit, for the term of six years. The Circuit Courts have general original jurisdiction in actions civil and criminal, at law and equity, within their circuits. The Supreme Court is composed of the judges of the circuits, one of whom is by the other judges elected Chief Justice. Except the power to issue writs of mandamus, quo warranto, and the like, this court has appellate jurisdiction only, and is the court of last resort. There can be no trial by jury in this court. By a law of the last session, a separate Supreme Court, to consist of a Chief Justice and two Associates, at a salary of $2,000, is created, to be organized in June, 1853. The election of judges was held in September, 1852. Upon the organization of the separate court, the present court becomes simply a Circuit Court (nisi prius), and the new court takes the appellate powers as now existing.* An institution for the education of the blind was organized in 1850, at Janesville. A tax of one fifteenth of a mill on every dollar of taxable property in the State is levied for its aid. The name is the Wisconsin Institute for the Education of the Blind. It was opened August 1, 1850. J. T. Axtell was superintendent until October, 1851, when Alexander McDonald was appointed. The number of pupils, Dec. 18, 1851, was 8, 6 boys and 2 girls. The expense of conducting the institution for the year was $ 1,830. A State Prison has just been erected at Waupun, Fond du Lac County. Internal Improvements. The improvement of the Fox and Wisconsin Rivers is in progress, with the intention of ultimately connecting the rivers by a canal, and thus giving uninterrupted navigation from the Mississippi to Lake Michigan. This is undertaken upon a grant of land from Congress for that purpose; the State being trustee for the "Improvement," and appointing a Board of Public Works, the Governor having general supervision. A part of the work has been let under contract, and a part is being done by the board directly. Trunk roads are being extended from all the lake towns into the interior. Common Schools. - By the report of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, it appears that the capital of the School Fund, December 31, 1851, was $765,109.49, the interest of which at 7 per cent. is $53,557.66. This is derived from sales of the school lands in the years 1849, 1850, and 1851, from the 5 per cents, and from fines and loans. The Superintendent states that the prospective fund to arise from sales of lands devoted to school purposes will amount to $5,301,943.44. The sum of $60,213.47 was, January 1, 1852, in the treasury, to be apportioned among the several towns in the State. For the year ending - *The judges elect of this court are Edward V. Whiton, Chief Justice; Samuel Crawford of Mineral Point, and Abram O. Smith of Milwaukee, Justices. August 31, 1851, returns were received from all but three counties in the State. Of the 342 towns in the counties heard from, all but 4 made reports. The number of school-districts in the State was 2,300. 79,869 out of the 111,431 children residing in the State, between the ages of 4 and 20, attended school. 1,318 children under 4 years of age, and 986 over 20, attended school. Average monthly wages of male teachers, $ 17.15; of female, $9.07. $96,636.06 were expended for teachers' wages, $3,939.20 for libraries, and $5,863.01 for other purposes. There are 53 school-houses of brick, 55 of stone, 704 of logs, and 697 framed, and all are valued at $ 228,506.61. The highest valuation of any school-house is $6,848, and the lowest 3 cents. There were 129 private or select schools, and the number of pupils attending the same was 2,850. FINANCES. Total receipts for the year ending December 31, 1851, Balance in the Treasury, January 1, 1852, Chief Sources of Revenue. Printing, 184,036.61 171.667.09 $12,369.52 $ 10,614.03 State taxes, $60,566.01 State convicts (there being no prison), 4,024.71 Sales of land and interest on sales make up Miscellaneous, including repairs on the balance. Chief Items of Expenditure. State Capitol, Salaries of Executive and Judiciary, $ 15,008.57 Territorial debts, Legislature, 36,215.52 Additions to State Library, 9,732.80 5,000.00 11,893.06 2,330.01 The aggregate value of the real and personal property of the State subject to taxation, for the year 1851, was $ 27,647,264.66. The three-mill tax upon this amounted to $82,941.80. By the act of March 5, 1851, the question of "Banks" or "No Banks" was submitted to the people of Wisconsin. The ballots upon the question were, for "Banks," 31,219; for "No Banks," 9,126; being a majority of 22,093 in favor of banks. JOHN BIGLER, XXXI. CALIFORNIA. Term expires. Salary. Jan. 1854, $10,000 of Sacramento City, Governor, The Supreme Court consists of a Chief Justice and two Associate Justices. It has appellate jurisdiction where the matter in dispute exceeds $200, and where the legality of certain acts is questioned, and in certain *The capital of the State is at Vallejo for the present, but the question of its future locality is still unsettled. criminal cases. The justices are elected by the people for six years, and are so classified that one goes out of office every two years. The senior The District Courts have jurisdiction in law and equity, where the amount in dispute, exclusive of interest, exceeds $200. The Constitution provided that at the first election the judges should be chosen by the Legislature, but afterwards by the people, and for a term of six years. A county judge is elected in each county for four years, to act as judge of probate, to hold the County Court, and with two justices of the peace to hold courts of sessions for criminal business. Clerks of courts, district attorneys, sheriffs, coroners, &c. are elected by the people. Superior Court of San Francisco, John Saterlee, Justice. FINANCES. From the Reports of the Comptroller and Treasurer of the State, there were outstanding on the 1st of March, 1852, of the three per cent. bonds, $175,000, of which about $75,000 have been since redeemed. Amount of Comptroller's warrants outstanding, December 31, 1851, Amount redeemed, March 1, 1852, $166,192.84 143,805.57 The amount of warrants issued since the 31st of December, 1851, will not be known till the next report of the Comptroller, in January, 1853. It is presumed that there are not more than $100,000 outstanding, as some $250,000 have been taken in by the land-warrant bill, which provides for the entry of any public land at $2.00 per acre, payable in State warrants, and nearly the same amount ($ 250,000) has been funded under the act funding the State debt. Common Schools.. -The Constitution provides for the election of a Superintendent of Public Instruction, to hold office for three years, and that the Legislature shall establish a system of common schools, to be taught at least three months in each year. By the same instrument, the proceeds of the public lands granted to the State for schools, the 500,000 acres granted to new States under the act of Congress of 1841, estates of persons dying without heirs, and such per cent. as Congress shall grant on the sale of lands in this State, shall be a fund, the interest of which and the rents of unsold lands are to be inviolably appropriated to the support of common schools. A Superintendent of Public Instruction has been elected, but there are as yet but few schools. XXXII. OREGON TERRITORY. Government for the Year 1853. Term expires. Salary. JOHN P. GAINES, of Oregon City, Governor and Superintend ALEXANDER RAMSEY, of St. Paul, Governor and Superintendent of Term ends. Salary. BRIGHAM YOUNG, of Salt Lake City, Governor and Sup't of Indian Affairs, 1854, $2,500 Secretary, 66 1,800 1854. Broughton D. Harris, JUDICIARY. Associate Justice, 66 XXXVI. DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. The District of Columbia is under the immediate government of Congress. The city of Washington became the seat of the government of the United States in 1800, and it is the residence of the President, and the other chief executive officers of the national government. By an act of Congress, in 1846, which was subsequently accepted by the people of Alexandria, the city and county of Alexandria were retroceded to the State of Virginia, and the District is now confined to the Maryland side of the Potomac. |