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sation which can neither be increased nor diminished during their continuance in office. Repeated attempts have been made to limit their tenure to 65 or 70 years, but without success. A judge or chancellor may order a special court, and a chancellor may hear cases, by consent, at chambers.

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Isaac W. Hayne, of Charleston, Attorney-General,

1,100 and fees.

Henry McIver,

Solicitor for Eastern Circuit, 900 and fees.

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Law Court of Appeals, and Equity Court of Appeals. - The former, consisting of all the law judges, for hearing appeals from the courts of law, and the latter, of all the chancellors, for hearing appeals from the courts of equity, are held in Columbia on the first Monday in May and fourth Monday in November. These courts are also held in Charleston on the second Monday in January, for hearing and determining appeals for the Districts of Georgetown, Horry, Beaufort, Colleton, and Charleston.

Clerks. - At Charleston, T. J. Gantt. At Columbia, - Waites.

Courts for the Correction of Errors, consisting of all the judges in law and equity, to try constitutional questions, or questions where the law and equity courts are divided, and which are referred thereto by either of the courts, are held at such times, during the sitting of the Court of Appeals, as the chancellors and judges may appoint.

Courts of Common Pleas and General Sessions. These courts have original jurisdiction in all civil cases where legal rights are involved (except in matters of contract where the amount is $20 or under), and in all criminal cases affecting free white men; and appellate jurisdiction in all appeals from Magistrates' Courts, and in appeals from the Court of Ordinary in all cases except in matters of account. They are held in each and every district of the State twice in each year. The times of holding the court for Charleston District are the first Monday in May, to sit six weeks, and the fourth Monday in October, to sit four weeks. Daniel Horlbeck, Clerk for Charleston District.

Courts of Equity take cognizance of all matters belonging to a court of equity, as contradistinguished from a court of law. A term is held by one chancellor, annually, in each district, except Charleston District, where two terms are held; viz. on the first Monday in February, to sit six weeks, and on the second Monday in June, to sit four weeks.

City Court of Charleston. - An inferior court of limited jurisdiction both in civil and criminal causes. William Rice, Recorder.

Ordinary's Court. - Each district has its own Ordinary. The principal duties of the Ordinary are to grant letters of administration; probate of wills; examine executors and administrators' accounts, &c. His office is the proper depository of wills and other papers relative to the administration of estates. An appeal lies from his determination, in matters of account, to the Court of Equity, and, in all other cases, to the Court of Common Pleas.

Magistrates' Courts have exclusive jurisdiction in matters of contract of and under twenty dollars.

Court of Magistrates and Freeholders, for the trial of slaves and free persons of color for criminal offences.

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State Debt. - The debt of the State, October 1, 1854, was as follows:

Three, five, and six per cent State stocks,

Six per cent stock and five per cent sterling bonds, fire loan,

Amount of absolute debt,.

Annual interest thereon,

74,592.96 Transfer to Columbia treasury,

250,000.00

$143,239.90

1,723,034.59

$1,866,274.49

99,087.46

The State has a contingent debt of $ 1,051,422.09, being the amount of surplus revenue received from the United States. There is also a temporary indebtedness to the Indians, Free Schools, and the Bank, of $80,518.40. With this indebtedness, there is still a balance in favor of the State, of productive property owned by the State, of $ 2,462,076.39.

State Bank. -The profits of the bank for the year ending September 30, 1854, wera $295,000. From this amount there has been paid $ 52,211.95, for interest on the debt in Europe; also the interest on the 6 per cents (fire loan), amounting to $48,811.26; and the sum of $193,976.79 was transferred to the sinking fund. It also paid $25,152.60 of the Public Debt during the year.

The aggregate funds of the bank on the Ist of October, 1854, were
From this deduct bank liabilities, viz.:

Issues,.

Due depositors,

Capital,

Other liabilities,

$ 7,118.307.69

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$2,835,775.25

1,143,741.01

105,775.02

1,342,300.00

11,791.64

2,057.66

18,850.79

$5,460,291.37

Property of the State, September 30, 1854.

Bank of the State of South Carolina, for capital,

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Shares in Railroad Companies in the State, & S. W. R. R. Bank,

Balances due by tax-collectors, sheriffs, &c.,

Hamburg bonds,

Fire-proof building, overdraft,

Total,

The State has paid during the year, upon its subscriptions to railroad stocks authorized by the Legislature, $428,500, by transfer of stocks.

The taxes for the year 1854 were as follows: - Upon 82,600 slaves, $229,560.00; on 2,825 free negroes, $5,650; on merchandise, $51,293.20; on faculties, professions, &c., $10,026.33; on bank, &c. stocks, $ 18,032.58; on premiums received by agents of insurance companies, $201.66; on town lots, $ 62,825.99; on 17,289,359 acres of land, valued at $ 10,271,176, $51,355.88; arrears, &c., $1,030.35. Total, $ 429,975.99.

Free Schools. - Number of schools in 1849, 1,023; number of teachers, 1,019; number of scholars, 9,122. The Legislature appropriates $ 75,000 annually to free schools. Governor Manning, in his message of November 28, 1853, says, that, "under the present mode of applying it, that liberality is really the profusion of the prodigal, rather than the judicious generosity which confers real benefit." He recommended "the establishment of a Board of Education and the appointment of a Commissioner of Public Instruction, whose duty it shall be to gather facts with regard to this State, and thoroughly inform himself upon the systems of such other governments as educate their people best, and report the result of his labors to the Board, who together shall digest a plan, to be submitted to you for ratification or rejection."

Academies are established, called the Arsenal and Citadel Academies, in which the youth are practically educated in military tactics, and in engineering and surveying. The State provides annually for the education at the South Carolina College of one youth from the Charleston Orphan House, to be selected as a reward of merit by the Commissioners.

State Lunatic Asylum, Columbia. - J. W. Parker, Superintendent. The number of patients, Nov. 5, 1853, was 172. Received during the year, 75; whole number, 247. Discharged during the year, cured, 39; removed and eloped, 10; and 24 died; leaving in the Asylum, November 5, 1854, 174, of whom 92 were males and 82 were females; of the 174, 84 were paupers and 90 pay patients. The receipts during the year were $ 35,391.38; the expenditures, $ 32,764.65.

XV. GEORGIA.

Government for the Year 1857.

Term ends. Salary.

HERSCHEL V. JOHNSON, of Milledgeville, Governor, Nov. 1857, $3,000 E. P. Watkins, of Henry Co., Secretary of State,

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The Secretary of State, Treasurer, Comptroller, and Surveyor are

elected by the Legislature for two years.

The pay of members of the Legislature is $5 a day. The Legislature meets biennially. The last Legislature met in November, 1855.

The question of a change of the seat of government from Milledgeville was submitted to the people in 1855, and decided in the negative.

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The judges of the Supreme Court are elected for six years (one every two years) by the General Assembly, and are removable upon address of two thirds of each house. All causes shall be determined at the first term; and in case the plaintiff is not ready for trial, unless he be prevented "by some providential cause," the judgment of the court below shall be affirmed. Judges of the Superior Court are elected for four years, by the people of the district over which they preside, with jurisdiction exclusive in criminal cases, and in land cases, and concurrent in all other civil cases. Justices of the inferior courts are elected by the people, for four years. Justices of the peace are elected by the people in districts. Each county elects an "ordinary," who holds office for four years, and has the ordinary jurisdiction of a judge of probate, and is paid by fees.

The State is divided into thirteen circuits, with a judge and solicitor for each. The salaries of the judges are $ 1,800 each. The Attorney-General is the solicitor for the Middle Circuit.

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Wm. T. Gould, of Richmond Co., Judge of Court of Oyer and Ter

miner, Augusta,

FINANCES.

$1,000

1,000

The public debt of the State consists chiefly of bonds issued for the construction of the Western and Atlantic Railway. It amounted 20th October, 1855, to $ 2,644,222.22. The semiannual dividends of interest, as well as the principal of the sterling bonds, are payable in London. The debt is redeemable from 1863 to 1874. The annual interest on the debt is $ 158,653.

The receipts into the Treasury for the two years ending 30th September, 1855, were, from extraordinary sources, $ 182,627.49; from ordinary revenue, i. e. taxation and sales of land and railroads, $ 930,244.03; total, $1,112,871.52. The disbursements for the two years were, $946,874.97. The principal items of expenditure are, the Legislature, biennially, about $60,000; executive and judiciary, annually, about $50,000; charitable institutions, annually, about $ 30,000.

The productive property owned by the State consists of shares in the Western and Atlantic Railroad, which cost the State $ 5,000,000, and are estimated to be worth that amount. There is besides unproductive property owned by the State to the amount of $ 250,000.

Common Schools. The amount of the School Fund owned by the State in 1853 was $23,086. The Poor School Fund is distributed among the several counties, and is paid out to teachers of schools and academies ratably, regulated by the report of the magistrates of each district.

Public Institutions. There is a State Prison at Milledgeville, and a Lunatic Asylum at Midway, near Milledgeville. The State appropriates annually $ 15,000 to this asylum, and the Legislature of 1853 appropriated $25,000 to enlarge and improve the buildings. The State has an institution in Murray County for the education of the deaf and dumb and blind.

XVI. FLORIDA.

Government for the Year 1856.

JAMES E. BROOME, of Tallahassee, Governor (term expires 1st Mond. Salary. $500 annually for expenses of residence, and $1,500

F. L. Villepigue,

Term expires.

Sec. of State, July, 1857, Fees & 600

in Oct., 1857),

of Madison,

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