II. NEW HAMPSHIRE.

The earliest grant of the territory of New Hampshire was made, in 1622, to John Mason and Ferdinando Gorges; and the first settlements were begun, in 1623, at Dover and Portsmouth.

In 1641, the settlements in New Hampshire voluntarily put themselves under the government of the colony of Massachusetts, and were allowed to send representatives to the General Court at Boston, till 1679, when a new government was formed, and New Hampshire was made a separate province. In 1686, New Hampshire was placed, together with the rest of New England, under the government of Sir Edmund Andros; in 1689, the union with Massachusetts was revived, and continued till 1692. From 1699 to 1702, it was united with Massachusetts and New York; in 1702, it was again united with Massachusetts, and so continued till 1741, when a final separation took place.

In 1686 under the government of Sir Edmund Andros.
In 1689 the union with Massachusetts revived.

The English government terminated in 1775, and in 1776 a temporary government was formed, which continued during the war; Meshech Weare being annually elected President.

A constitution was established in 1784; and, in 1792, this constitution was altered and amended by a convention of delegates held at Concord, and is now in force.

Every male inhabitant twenty-one years old, excepting paupers and persons excused from paying taxes at their own request, may vote. Representatives shall have resided for the last two years in the state; shall have an estate valued at £100 (at the rate of six shillings eight pence the ounce of silver), one-half thereof to be freehold within their district; and shall be inhabitants of their district. Every town of one hundred and fifty rateable polls, twenty-one years old, may choose one representative; and every three hundred such polls additional shall entitle the town to another representative. There shall be twelve senators who must be thirty years old, inhabitants of the state for seven years, and seized of a freehold of £200 value within the state. Senatorial districts, twelve in number, shall be set off according to the "proportion of public taxes paid by the said districts." In case of vacancy in a senatorial district, one of the two candidates having most votes in the district shall be chosen by the legislature on joint ballot. The General Court, thus constituted, meets, and the official year begins, on the first Wednesday of June. Five councillors, thirty years old, seven years resident in the state, possessed of an estate of £500, of which £300 shall be freehold, shall be chosen by the people, and vacancies supplied as in the Senate. The governor convenes the council, and their resolutions and advice are recorded in a public record, and signed by those agreeing thereto. The governor shall have the qualifications of a councillor, except his estate, which shall be £300, one-half freehold. If there be no choice of governor by the people, one of the two highest candidates shall be chosen by the General Court, on joint ballot. He may veto a bill; but two-thirds of both houses may pass it again in spite of his veto. With the assistance of the council, he shall nominate and appoint all judicial officers, the attorney-general, solicitors, sheriffs, and registers of probate. The governor and council shall have a negative on each other, both in nominations and appointments County treasurers and registers shall be elected by the counties. All judicial officers shall hold office during good behavior, or until seventy years of

*Theme are also classed towns and towns allowed by special act to send representatives.

age, removable upon address of both houses of the legislature. Justices of the peace are appointed for five years, with jurisdiction in cases below £4. Clerks of courts shall be appointed by the courts. Permanent and honorable salaries shall be established for the justices of the supreme court. Elections of governor, executive council, senate, and house of representatives, shall be held annually in the month (2d Tuesday) of March; and a majority of votes shall elect.

Every seven years, at the first annual meeting for the choice of senators, the people shall vote for or against amending the constitution; and if a majority of the votes be in favor thereof, the General Court shall call a convention; and if their amendments be approved by two-thirds of the votes, when submitted to the people, they shall be adopted.

GOVERNMENT,

For the year ending on the first Wednesday of June, 1848.

JUDICIARY.

The Superior Court of Judicature consists of a chief justice and two associate justices, who hold one term annually in each of the ten counties of the state, for the hearing and determining of questions of law, and petitions for divorce. This court is also vested with chancery powers.

The judges of the Superior Court of Judicature are, ex officio, judges of the Court of Common Pleas. This court, before whom all actions for the recovery of debts and the enforcement of contracts, and all jury trials, are brought, consists of one of the justices of the Superior Court, or one of the justices of the Circuit Court of Common Pleas and of two county judges, who are generally appointed from among the yeomanry, whose principal duty it is to attend to the ordinary business of the county, its roads, expenses, &c. Terms are held semi-annually, in each of the counties.

Banks. There are twenty banks in the state, with an aggregate capital actually paid in of $1,890,000. They have $144,018.31 of specie in their vaults, and their real estate is worth $44,327.28. The amount of deposits is $386,606.97; and of circulation, $512,071.

State Prison. Samuel G. Berry, Warden, salary $800; William Berry, Deputy Warden; Rev. Eleazer Smith, Chaplain; William Prescott, M.D., Physician.

Whole number of convicts in prison, May 31, 1846, 74. Received since, 14. Whole number, 88. There have been discharged during the year, by expiration of sentence, 11; by remission of sentence, 13; by order of court, 1; by commitment to insane hospital, 1; by death, 1;-27. Leaving in prison, May 31, 1847, 61. Of those remaining in prison, 60 are males, and 1 is a female; 58 are whites and 3 colored. Of 111 convicts that have left the prison during the last four years, but one has been recommitted here; and only one, so far as is known, to the prison of any other state or country. The expenditures for the year were $6,130.53; receipts, $5,305.75; leaving a balance against the prison of $824.78.

New Hampshire Asylum for the Insane, Concord.- Andrew McFarland, Superintendent. Since the opening of the asylum, there have been admitted, to May 31, 1847, 455 patients; 151 have been cured, and 100 now remain in the institution. The whole receipts of the institution for the year were $10,218.60, and the expenditures for the same period were $10,211.58.

III. VERMONT.

Fort Dummer, in the south-east part of Vermont, was built in 1724; and Bennington, the oldest town in the state, was chartered in 1749, by Benning Wentworth, governor of New Hampshire.

The territory of Vermont was originally claimed both by New Hampshire and New York: and its political condition was, for a considerable time, unsettled; but the people, preferring to have a separate government, formed a