Isaac W. Hayne, of Charleston, Attorney-General, W. J. Hanna, 1,100 and fees. 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, A. Herbemont. 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. in civil and criminal causes. An inferior court of limited jurisdiction both 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. M. T. Mendenhall, Ordinary for Charleston District. 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. FINANCES. The whole amount received during the year ending 30th September, 1851, was as follows:From taxation, From other sources, Balance, Oct. 1, 1850, $491,049.80 42,978.91 69,428.45 $ 603,457.16 395,913.45 207,543.71 $333,255.45 1,760,253.37 $2,093,508.82 Total receipts, Whole amount expended during the year ending 30th September, 1851, Balance in the Treasury, October 1, 1851, Six per cent. stock and five per cent. sterling bonds, fire loan, Amount of absolute debt, . The State has a contingent debt of $ 1,051,422.09, being the amount of surplus revenue received from the United States. State Bank. The profits of the bank for the year ending September 30, 1851, were $301,438.43. From this amount there has been paid $ 53,016.16, for interest on the debt in Europe; also the interest on the 6 per cents (fire loan), amounting to $49,298.17; and $1,410.20 have been carried to profit and loss account; leaving the sum of $197,713.90 applicable to special appropriations. The aggregate funds of the bank on the 1st of October, 1851, were, Due Treasury for Sinking Fund, redemption of 5 and 6 per cent. Surplus profits to pay appropriations of 1850, 668,906.18 197,713.90 Shares in S. C. Railroad Company and Southwestern Railroad Bank, 1,342,350.00 10,936.08 Hamburg bonds, Total, 2,057.66 $5,113,414.47 The taxes for the year 1851 were as follows:- Upon 368,913 slaves, $313,576.05; on 2,757 free negroes, $5,514.00; on merchandise, $48,264.12; on interest of money loaned, $5,701.57; on faculties, professions, &c., $12,751.11; on town lots, $73,752.21; on 17,073,412 acres of land, valued at $10,213,453, $54,825.85; arrears, &c., $1,293.54. Total, $515,678.85. Free Schools. - Number of schools in 1849, 1,023; number of teachers, 1,019; number of scholars, 9,122. Amount expended by the Legislature, in 1848, $40,561.53. These schools are under the superintendence of commissioners appointed by the Legislature. State Lunatic Asylum, Columbia. -J. W. Parker, Superintendent. The number of patients, Nov. 5, 1850, was 121. Received during the year, 55; whole number, 176. Discharged during the year, cured, 22; improved, 18; and 9 died; leaving in the Asylum, November 5, 1851, 127; of whom 68 were males, and 59 were females; of the 127, 70 were paupers, and 57 pay patients; 74 were single; 32 married; 16 were widows, and 5 widowThe receipts during the year were $26,501.43; the expenditures, $ 23,702.54. Cedar Spring Asylum for the Education of the Deaf and Dumb. was founded in 1849, by Mr. N. P. Walker, and in November, 1851, had 27 pupils. ers. This institution The pay of members of the Legislature is $5 a day. The Legislature meets biennially. The last Legislature met in November, 1851. 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 Reporter. 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. Jno. T. Shewmake, of Waynesboro, Attorney-General, $250 and perquisites. Alex. Drysdale, of Chatham Co., Judge of Court of Oyer and Ter miner, Savannah, 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 of bonds issued for the construction of the Western and Atlantic Railwa Its aggregate amount may be stated at $1,828,472, of which $ 1,756,472 are in fe al bonds payable at the treasury, and $72,000 in sterling bonds sold by Messrs. Reid, Irv g, & Co., of London, England. The semiannual dividends of interest, as well as the princil of the sterling bonds, are payable in London. $23,000 of this debt was payable in January, 1850, and $ 10,000 is payable in July, 1853. The rest is redeemable from 1863 to 1874. The annual interest on the debt is $110,223.33. The annual receipts into the Treasury for all purposes average nearly $300,000, and the annual expenditures are about $290,000. This includes a payment of about $107,000 for interest on public debt, and nearly 70,000 towards a sinking fund, for the payment of the debt. The chief sources of income are the general tax, and a special tax on bank stock. The principal items of expenditure are, the pay of the Legislature, biennially, about $65,000; of the civil establishment, including the judiciary, annually, about $45,000; Deaf and Dumb and Lunatic Asylum, about $ 17,000; printing, an annual average of about $6,000; and miscellaneous expenditures, annually, about $12,000. The items of interest on, and reduction of, the public debt are additional. There is in the State an asylum for the deaf and dumb, under the management of commissioners, and another for lunatics, in the hands of trustees. THOMAS BROWN,* Robert J. Floyd, James H. Buel, XVI. FLORIDA. Government for the Year 1853. Salary. of Tallahassee, Governor (term expires 66 1,100 800 Sup't of Schools, $1,200 and travelling expenses. of Apalachicola, President of the Senate, of Encheeanna, Secretary of the Senate, $3 a day. 5 a day. 3 a day. 5 a day. of Tallahassee, Private Secretary of Governor, $200 The members of the General Assembly are chosen on the first Monday The Assembly meets biennially on the third Mon of October, biennially. day in November. The General Assembly of 1850-51 established a separate Supreme Court, to consist of a chief justice and two associate justices. The Supreme Court holds four sessions annually; one in Tallahassee, on the first Monday in January; one in Jacksonville, on the third Monday in February; one in Tampa, on the first Monday in March; and one in Marianna, on the third Monday in March. When any one or two of the judges of the Supreme Court are disqualified from sitting in any cause, the vacancy is filled by a corresponding number of the Circuit Judges, who, in such case, constitute a part of the Supreme Court. They likewise passed a law providing for a change in the Constitution, so as to give the election of justices of the Supreme Court and judges of the Circuit Court to the people, which is subject to the action of the next General Assembly. * James E. Broome is reported to be elected to succeed Governor Brown. |