scholars had been taught during the preceding year; that 8,292 schools had been kept open for the reception of scholars an average period of 8 months out of the 12; that during the year 1829, $214,840·14 had been paid to the several school districts which had made reports, of which sum $100,000 were paid from the state treasury, $102,934-66 were raised by a tax upon the several towns, and $11,905-48 were derived from local funds possessed by certain towns. "Our system of common school instruction," says the Report, "is based upon the principle, that the state, or the School Fund, will pay only a share of the expense; and that the towns, by an assessment upon property, shall pay at least an equal share. In addition to this, and in order to enjoy the benefits of the public money, the inhabitants of each district are required to tax themselves for the erection of a school-house, and furnishing it with necessary fuel and appendages. In order to ascertain more fully the practical operation of the system, an additional column was annexed to the forms for school reports which accompanied the revised statute, requiring trustees to return the amount paid annually for teachers' wages, over and above the sum received from the state treasury and from the town tax. A few towns only made returns the first year; but the abstract of the present year contains returns from 729 towns and wards; showing a total amount paid by the patrons of the common schools, for teachers' wages, of $297,048 44; which, added to the public money, makes an aggregate of $511,878.58, paid for teachers' wages alone, in the common schools of the state. Thus it will be seen, that where the state, or the revenue of the School Fund, pays one dollar for teachers' wages, the inhabitant of the town pays by a tax on his town, and by voluntary contribution in his district, more than four dollars for the same object. This latter sum of four dollars is made up in the proportion of one dollar assessed upon property, to three dollars paid by the scholar. "The above statement is founded upon actual returns, and reliance may be placed in its accuracy. It exhibits only the sum paid for tuition, which constitutes very little more than half the expense of supporting the schools, as the following estimate will show. The average between the number of districts organized, and those which have made reports, is 8,582; this number of school-houses, at an average price of $200 each, would show a capital of $1,716, 400, vested in school-houses; the interest of which, at 6 per cent., would be $102,984 00 "Annual expense of books for 480,000 scholars, at 50 cents each, is "Fuel for 8,582 schools, at $10 each, is " Amount paid for teachers' wages, as appears by the abstract, 66 besides public money "Total expended annually 240,000 00 85,820 00 511,888 00 16,988 00 $957,680 00 A Comparative View of the Returns of Common Schools, from 1816 to THE territory comprised in this state was included in the patent for large tracts in America, which was granted by Charles II. to his brother the Duke of York, in 1664; and in the same year the Duke conveyed this territory. to Lord Berkeley and Sir George Carteret; and it then received the name of New Jersey. In 1665, Philip Carteret was apppointed the first governor of the province, which then contained only a few families. In 1676, New Jersey was divided into two provinces, East Jersey and West Jersey; the former continuing under the government of Carteret, and the latter being held, for a time, as a dependency of New York. In 1682, East Jersey was transferred to William Penn and eleven associates; and Robert Barclay, the celebrated author of the Apology for the Principles of the Quakers, was appointed governor. In 1702, East and West Jersey were again united into one province, by the name of New Jersey, under the government of Lord Cornbury, who was also governor of New York; and this connection with New York, continued till 1738, when a separate government was instituted, which lasted till the American Revolution. Lewis Morris was the first royal governor, and William Temple Franklin, a son of the celebrated Dr. Franklin, the last. The Constitution of New Jersey was formed in 1776; and no revision of it has since taken place, except that the Legislature has undertaken to explain its provisions in particular parts. The government is vested in a Governor, Legislative Council, and General Assembly; and these bodies united are styled the Legislature. The members of the Legislative Council and of the General Assembly, are elected annually, on the second Tuesday in October. The number of members of the Legislative Council is 14, one being elected by each county in the state. The General Assembly has consisted, for a number of years past, of 43 members; but by a law enacted in 1829, seven additional members were added; and it will hereafter consist of 50 members, apportioned among the counties as follows;-Bergen 3, Essex 5, Morris 4, Sussex 3, Warren 3, Hutterdon 5, Somersett 3, Middlesex 4, Monmouth 4, Burlington 5, Gloucester 4, Salem 3, Cumberland 3, and Cape May 1. The Legislature meets annually (at Trenton), on the fourth Tuesday in October. The governor is chosen annually by a joint vote of the Council and Assembly, at their first joint meeting after each annual election. The Governor is President of the Council; and the Council also elect from their own body, at their first annual meeting, a vice-president, who acts in the place of the Governor in his absence. The Governor and Council form a Court of Appeals, in the last resort in all causes of law; and they possess the power of granting pardon to criminals after condemnation. The Constitution grants the right of suffrage to "all persons of full age who are worth 50 pounds proclamation money, clear estate in the same, and have resided within the county in which they claim to vote for twelve months immediately preceding the election." [The Legislature has declared by law, that every white male inhabitant, who shall be over the age of 21 years, and shall have paid a tax, shall be considered worth fifty pounds, and entitled to vote;-and by another legislative act, females and negroes are prohibited from voting.] The judges are appointed by the Legislature, those of the Supreme Court for a term of seven years, and those of the inferior courts, for five years; both are capable of being reäppointed. Government for the year ending November, 1830. Peter D. Vroom, Jun. Governor; salary $2,000, and fees of office as Chancellor of the state ex officio. Edward Condit, Vice-President of the Legislative Council. Pay during attendance, $3,50 a day. Daniel Coleman, Secretary of State, and Auditor. Salary $50, and perquisites. Charles Parker, Treasurer. Salary $1,100. Samuel L. Southard, Attorney General. Salary $80. John Wilson, Clerk in Chancery. Pay, perquisites. The members of the Legislative Council and the General Assembly, receive $3 for each day's attendance, and $3 for every 20 miles' travel. Clerk of the Supreme Court. Salary. 1,200 1,100 1,100 The judges of the Inferior Courts are appointed by the Legislature. Their number is not limited, and they have no salary. EDUCATION. There are colleges and theological seminaries at Princeton and New Brunswick, and academies at various places. This state has a School Fund which amounted, in October 1829, to $245,404 47, which is all in productive stocks, yielding an interest, on an average, of about 5 per cent. A tax of half of one per cent. on the amount of the capital stock of the several banks subscribed and paid in, is also appropriated to this fund; and the whole annual income is about $22,000. By a law passed, in 1829, $20,000 were annually appropriated to the support of common schools out of the income of the fund. IX. PENNSYLVANIA. PENNSYLVANIA was granted by Charles II. by a Charter signed on the 4th of March, 1681, to the illustrious William Penn, who was constituted the proprietary of the province. In 1682, William Penn, together with about two thousand settlers, most of whom, like himself, belonged to the society of Friends or Quakers, arrived in the country; and in the following year he laid out the plan of the city of Philadelphia. He established a friendly intercourse with the Indians, which was not interrupted for more than seventy years. From the beginning of the 18th century till the commencement of the American Revolution, the government was generally administered by deputies appointed by the proprietaries, who mostly resided in England. GOVERNORS, DEPUTY GOVERNORS, &c. Under the Proprietary Government. Appointed. WILLIAM PENN, Prop. & Gov. 1682 James Logan, |