240 



CONNECTICUT. 



suffered a reduction of several millions, the 

 amount now being $8,698,693. They hold as 

 individual deposits $24,478,665.09, and their to- 

 tal liabilities reach the sum of $70,295,835.20. 



There have been but two failures among the 

 national banks of the State, the first of which, 

 the First National of Bethel, paid in full. The 

 latest is the failure of the Stafford National, of 

 Stafford Springs. 



Since the origination of the national banking 

 system, ninety- six banks have been organized in 

 Connecticut, but thirteen have ceased to exist. 

 During the year two national banks, represent- 

 ing a capital of $102,450, were closed, and two, 

 representing a capital of $200,000, were organ- 

 ized. The circulation of the closed banks out- 

 standing amounts to $50,169 ; and the circula- 

 tion issued to the new beginners is $45,000. 



Railroads. In 1887, the railroad mileage of the 

 State was increased by the construction of 11*6 

 miles of new road by the Meriden and Waterbury 

 Company, making the total mileage in January 

 of this year 1,159 miles. Upon the subject of 

 abolishing grade-crossings, the Railroad Com- 

 missioners report that, during 1887, 41 peti- 

 tions involving 70 crossings were presented to 

 the board, all of them from the Consolidated 

 Railroad. Over 60 hearings were given on 

 these petitions, and orders made for the abroga- 

 tion of 32 crossings on terms favorable to the 

 respective towns interested. Thirty-seven 

 petitions were pending at the end of the year, 

 but the danger of a wholesale removal of grade- 

 crossings, feared at one time during that year, 

 has been averted by the conservative course of 

 the board. 



Militia. The last report of the Adjutant-Gen- 

 eral shows the total strength of the militia, ac- 

 cording to the last muster, to be 2,513 officers 

 and men. The number of men in the State 

 iable to military duty is 82,591. 



Charities. At the State Hospital for the In- 

 sane there were, on June 30, 568 male and 724 

 female patients; a total of 1,292. This is an 

 increase of 146 patients in two years, Be- 

 tween June 30 and the end of the year there 

 was an unusually large number of admissions, 

 bringing the total nearly up to 1,400, the limit 

 to the capacity of the hospital. The trustees 

 report the institution to be in a highly satisfac- 

 tory condition ; they oppose any further addi- 

 tions to the buildings, as there are already as 

 many patients as can be satisfactorily managed 

 at one institution. 



The Putnam Statue. By a vote of the State 

 Legislature in 1886, a commission was created 

 and the sum of $10,000 appropriated for the 

 purpose of erecting a suitable monument to 

 Gen. Israel Putnam, of Revolutionary fame, 

 who was a native of the State. Pursuant to 

 this act, an equestrian statue was erected over 

 the remains of Gen. Putnam at Brooklyn, a 

 small town in "\Vindham County, and on June 

 14 of this year, the unveiling and presentation 

 ceremonies took place. Governor Lounsbury, 

 in behalf of the State, accepted the memorial 



from the commissioners, a commemorative 

 address was made by Henry C. Robinson, of 

 Hartford, and other appropriate exercises were 

 held. The State thus rescues from neglect the 

 resting place of one of its distinguished sons. 



Political. The Prohibition State Convention, 

 held at Hartford on August 1, placed in nomina- 

 tion the folio wing ticket: For Governor, Hiram 

 Camp ; Lieutenant-Governor, Nathan Bahcock; 

 Secretary of State, Theodore I. Pease ; Treas- 

 urer, George W. Kies ; Comptroller, Edward 

 Manchester. 



The usual declarations in favor of prohibi- 

 tion were adopted, together with the follow- 

 ing: 



That the Sabbath should be preserved and defended 

 as a civil institution without oppressing any who 

 religiously observe the same on any other day of the 

 week. 



_ That a uniform system of laws concerning mar- 

 riage and divorce and social purity should be 

 adopted. 



That the immigration of paupers and convicts 

 should be prohibited. 



That the purity and freedom of suffrage should be 

 provided for by the adoption of the so-called Aus- 

 tralian system of voting by secret ballot, and that 

 only citizens of the United 'States should be allowed 

 to vote in any State. 



The combinations of foreign syndicates or native 

 capitalists to control the production and sale of neces- 

 sary products or to monopolize great tracts of land 

 should be forbidden. 



On August 14 the Republicans met in con- 

 vention at Hartford, and nominated the fol- 

 lowing candidates without a contest : For Gov- 

 ernor, Morgan G. Bulkeley ; Lieutenant-Gov- 

 ernor, Samuel E. Merwin ; Secretary of State, 

 R. Jay Walsh ; Treasurer, E. S. Henry ; Comp- 

 troller, John B. Wright. The platform, omit- 

 ting some unimportant features, is as follows : 



We approve the declaration of principles contained 

 in the platform of the Eepublican party, adopted at 

 Chicago. 



We are hostile to the theories of free trade and to 

 the Democratic idea of a " tariff for revenue only." 



We believe that the unexampled prosperity of this 

 country and the elevated condition of our people are 

 due chiefly to the policy of protection which has been 

 adopted and continued by the Eepublican party, and 

 we therefore favor such tariff laws as will in the fut- 

 ure protect American labor and industries against the 

 ruinous competition of the underpaid labor of foreign 

 countries. 



In this State the Eepublican party has put in oper- 

 ation the existing law restraining the sale of intoxi- 

 cating liquors. ' That law recognizes our ancient theo- 

 ries of local self-government and places it in the power 

 of every town to prohibit the sale of intoxicating liq- 

 uors within its limits. We favor the principles of that 

 law and pledge ourselves to such additional legisla- 

 tion as may from time to time be i'ound necessary to 

 suppress the evils of intemperance. 



We favor such legislation as will provide for the 

 compulsory secrecy of the ballot, and secure free suf- 

 frage and an honest counting of ballots throughout 

 the country. 



We recognize the services and sacrifices of the vet- 

 eran soldiers and sailors of the republic and favor lib- 

 eral pension legislation in their behalf. 



The nominees of the Democratic State Con- 

 vention held in New Haven on September 4, 

 were: for Governor, Luzon B. Morris; Lieu- 



