The following bills were reported line from the Susquehannah to the in the house. 1. To incorporate the Chesapeake and Ohio canal company. This bill gives the assent of Pennsylvania to the act of Virginia, of 27th January, 1824, incorporating the Chesapeake and Ohio canal company, with one exception to its details, and with certain reservations in favor of Pennsylvania, such as the extension of the line of canal to Pittsburg, and with regard to lateral canals, &c. By the act of Virginia, the capital of this company is $6,000,000; its corporate powers are perpetual, and the canal and all its works are forever exempted from taxation. Belmont coal mines. 1826.]-January.-The receipts into the treasury during the past year, amounted to $543,790 29, which, including a balance in the treasury, on the 1st of December, 1824, made a total of 570,373 19. The expenditures for the year, were $502,880 05. Balance in the treasury, 67,493 14. The state debt amounted to 1,993,935 28. According to the annual report of the Schuylkill navigation company, the works are in extent about 108 miles, commencing at the Schuylkill bridge, Philadelphia, and ending at Mount Carbon; of which sixty-two miles are by canals, and forty-six by pools in the river. The number of houses for lock keepers, 2. To incorporate the Tioga Navigation company; capital stock $125,000. The object, a canal and slack water navigation on the Tio-is sixty-five; the number of locks, ga, and to the coal mines at Peters' camp. 3. To incorporate the Delaware and Susquehannah canal and rail road company. Capital stock 1,400,000. The works to commence at Lackawannock, and proceed to the Delaware water gap and Easton. 4. Wilkesbarre and Delaware central railway company. Capital stock, 1,000,000. To connect by a line from Wilkesbarre to the Delaware water gap. 5. Lackawanna and Susquehannah rail road company. Capital stock 150,000. To connect by a below Reading, thirty-six; and above Reading, eighty-four; being, in the whole, 120; seventeen feet wide, by eighty long; of which twenty-eight are guard locks, overcoming a fall of 588 feet. Twenty-eight dams, making a slack water navigation of forty-six miles. At most of those dams, there is a large surplus of water power that may be sold for manufacturing purposes. Twenty-three canals, three to four feet deep, by thirty-two to forty feet wide on the top water line, in length sixty-three miles. Seventeen arched stone aque- manifesting its sympathy with, and ducts. One tunnel, cut through and under a solid rock, 450 feet long. The rate of toll on coal, from Mount Carbon to Philadelphia, is fixed at six cents per bushel, or one dollar sixty-eight cents a ton. The whole expenditures of the Schuylkill navigation company, up to the 31st December, 1825, were as follows: paid for improvements $1,704,948 80; for land 63,405 64; for damages 39,701 73; for interest on loans 80,911 41; in securities 60,548 89-total, 1,949,816 47.— The tolls, rents, &c. produced 20,123 91 during the last yearbut the works were only in partial operation. February.-PANAMA MISSION.The following preamble and resolutions, introduced into the senate of Pennsylvania, by Messrs. Sutherland and M'Ilvaine, were adopted by that body, by a very large majority. "Whereas, the president of the United States, in his last message, has informed the country, that the republics of the south have invited our government to send representatives to meet them in a congress to be held in Panama; and as, on a recent occasion, the legislature of the state adopted a resolution approbatory of president Monroe, in defence of the cause of liberty in the western hemisphere, thus deep interest in the establishment of other republics, based like its own, upon the just acknowledgment of the rights of man. Therefore, resolved, by the senate and house of representatives of the commonwealth of Pennsylvania, in general assembly met, that the policy of a mission to Panama, comports, in an eminent degree, with the liberal principles of the day, and is calculated not only to foster and protect those who merit our support as friends of freedom, but also, to familiarize our government with the views and resources of a people rising in the majesty of their strength, in the scale of national importance." SCHOOLS.-In the first school district, which consists of the city and liberties of Philadelphia, there are 3,507 children in regular attendance at the common schools; and those at the Lancasterian swell the amount to 4,144-the whole cost of which is $22,442 71. 1826.] DELAWARE. June. The law, which secured to the creditors of deceased persons, residing in the state of Delaware, a preference against creditors residing out of the state, was repealed. During this year, great progress has been made in the Chesapeake and Delaware canal. About 1,800 men have been employed in this work, of whom about 700 were placed between the river Delaware and St. George's. Some difficulties have occurred, in consequence of a dispute between the contractor and the company; and, at one time, the work was temporarily suspended. It, however, was commenced again, and notwithstanding the ground is unfavorable, a speedy completion is promised to the work. The canal, when completed, will be fourteen miles long, and eight feet deep; and is intended to serve as a connecting link for sloop navigation between the two bays. A public college is about to be erected at Newark, in this state, and from the salubrity of the situation, and the cheapness of board, it is expected that it will meet with great encouragement. In this state, the old party distinctions of federalist and democrat, continue to prevail. At the election which took place in October, 1825, the democratic party prevailed in the counties of Newcastle and Kent. In the other county, the federal party prevailed; but, in consequence of the change in the majority of one of the former counties, the political character of the legislature was changed for the year 1825 to democratic. 1825.] MARYLAND. February. The legislature adjourned on Saturday. The Jew bill," modifying the constitution, so as to extend political privileges to the Jews, passed the legislature in the lower house, by a vote of twenty-six to twenty-five; only fifty-one out of eighty members being present. It must, however, be passed by the succeeding legislature, before it can become a law. A law abolishing the imprisonment of females for debt, was passed; as was also a supplement to the usury law, in favor of bona fide holders of negotiable securities. By the repcal of the proviso of a law of this state, every negro is prohibited from carrying a gun, or keeping a dog. June. Great ravages were made by the Hessian fly. In the light lands the destruction was plete. com December.-The legislature met. 1826.]-January.-Dr. Joseph Kent was elected governor of the state. The votes stood for Dr. Kent, 59; for Dr. Tyler, 30. The Jew bill" was passed by a vote of 45 to 32, and became a law. Receipts into the treasury for 1825, $441,083 97; expenditures during the year, 334,524 90; balance in the treasury, on the 1st January, 1826, 106,459 07. The legislature passed a canal bill, appropriating $500,000 to the Chesapeake and Ohio canal; a like sum to extend it to Baltimore ; a like sum to the Baltimore and Susquehannah canal; and 200,000 to improving the navigation of the rivers on the eastern shore. Colonel E. F. Chambers was elected a United States' senator, to supply the vacancy occasioned by the resignation of Mr. Floyd. The vote was for colonel Chambers, 49; for general Reed, 34. The lotteries actually drawn in Maryland, during the last year, had an aggregate capital of $1,242, 330. A mysterious and extensive robbery of the mail, was committed on the 28th of this month, on its its passage from Philadelphia to Baltimore. The whole mail from the east, with the exception of the package for Baltimore, was taken out, and the robbery was consequently not discovered until the arrival of the mail at Washington. One of the drivers was arrested, and confessed the crime, and the whole arrangements by which the robbery was committed. It appears, that four persons were concerned, two drivers and two others. On the day of the robbery, the drivers and one of the accomplices sat on the front of the stage, the mail bag being under their feet. They unlocked the portmanteau, cut open the letter bag, and as the stage proceeded, they dropped on the road such letters as they supposed were of value. The fourth accomplice being on horseback be hind the stage, took up the dropped letters and put them into a bag provided for the purpose. When approaching a house where the stage stopped, the portmanteau was locked, and all things appeared secure. The whole transaction took place between Philadelphia and Newport. March.--PENITENTIARY.--There are 340 persons confined in this institution, of whom 120 were admitted the last year, and 93 discharged, pardoned or have died. Of the number admitted, 37 are white males, 3 white females-57 black males, 23 females-just two blacks to a white! The present nett capital of the institution is $203,840 18. The profit, for the last year, is 12,347 21. From this latter sum, however, is to be deducted 8,000 paid annually by the state, towards the salaries of the keepers, &c. which leaves a clear gain of nearly $4,500 for the year. A bill passed the house of delegates by a majority of one vote, and the senate by a majority of two votes, to alter the constitution so as to do away the executive council, elect the governor by the people, who shall serve three years, and have the appointment of a secretary of state, &c. This proposed amendment must be ratified by the next legislature, before it can take effect. A bill also passed, providing that the people, at the next general elec tion, shall express their assent or dissent to a system proposed for the education of youth, in public schools. house of delegates by a large majority, declaring, that congress is invested by the constitution of the United States, with the power to adopt a general system of internal A resolution also passed the improvement. 1825.] SOUTHERN STATES. VIRGINIA. March. The legislature passed an act, during its session, which requires the storekeeper of the penitentiary, to deliver, for the use of the colonists, at Liberia, on the western coast of Africa, to an agent, who may be authorised by the board of managers of the Richmond and Manchester colonization society, such implements of husbandry, clothing and other necessary articles, manufactured at the penitentiary, as shall be specified by the said board, not exceeding in value the sum of five hundred dollars, to be estimated at the lowest cash price at which such articles are sold in the penitentiary store. This mode of affording aid was suggested by the managers, in their memorial to the general assembly. The navigation of the Shenandoah, was so far accomplished, as to be in constant use. July.-Eight-seven slaves were emancipated by Mr. David Minge, of Charles city county, and embarked for Hayti, amply supplied with necessaries; and $1,200 worth of agricultural implements. Sixty more were liberated by Mr. Charles Crenshaw. They were all he owned. The Rev. Andrew Fletcher also liberated twenty, valued at $10,000. They constituted nearly all his property. August.-Several mines of copper, tin and zinc of considerable extent, were discovered in Wythe and Grayson counties, in this state. December.--John Tyler was elected governor, in the place of Mr. Pleasants, constitutionally ineligible. The vote was, for Mr. Tyler, 132; for Mr. Floyd, 20. SCHOOLS. By the returns from ninety-eight counties and towns, it appeared, that 10,226 indigent children were sent to school in those towns and counties, within the year. 1826.]-January.-A bill providing for the establishment of a public library was passed in the house of delegates, by a vote of 99 to 78. A bill was introduced into the legislature, but rejected, repealing the statutory prohibition on a man's marrying two sisters. |