CONNECTICUT. 



203 



ure as both needed for the advancement of the 

 general interests of the State, and wished for 

 by all those who are at all conversant with the 

 subject. He suggested also "the expediency 

 of adding to the Normal School, or to the 

 Scientific School at New Haven, or of aiding 

 in the establishment elsewhere, if opportunity 

 presents, a Polytechnic Institute, which shall 

 give theoretical and practical instruction to 

 those wishing to engage in mechanical pur- 

 suits, fitting young men to be machinists, arti- 

 sans, civil engineers, draughtsmen, etc., and 

 young women for the many practical arts in 

 which they may become skilled." 



Of the Sheffield Scientific School of Yale 

 College, on which the State has bestowed the 

 congressional appropriation of $130,000, and 

 in which thirty-one persons hold State schol- 

 arships for gratuitous tuition, the Governor 

 speaks in terms of high commendation. After 

 stating that it " continued to afford free in- 

 struction in the various branches of science, in 

 their application to the useful arts," and that 

 the whole number of scholars at the beginning 

 of the collegiate year was 132, he says: "The 

 usefulness of this institution is not measured 

 by the number of students who attend upon 

 its course of instruction. It is shown in its 

 scientific collections, lectures, and publications, 

 and the general diffusion of practical knowl- 

 edge upon agricultural pursuits." 



The banks of discount and deposit in Con- 

 necticut are numerous, and nearly all under 

 the control of the laws which regulate the 

 system now prevailing throughout the whole 

 country. Five of the old State banks still re- 

 main, however, with an aggregate capital of 

 $1,610,000, making exceptions to this rule, 

 though some of them seem to be on the 

 point of closing their business within a short 

 time. 



The number of savings-banks in the State 

 is fifty-five, and they appear to enjoy the con- 

 fidence of the people. Their deposits, taken 

 together, amount to little less than $42,000,000 ; 

 above one-half of which sum is securely in- 

 vested in bond and mortgage loans on real 

 estate. The deposits intrusted to them, in 

 1868, exceeded those made in the previous 

 year by $5,520,220.64. 



The insurance business in this State seems 

 to be very active and extensive. Besides those 

 that are local, fifty-eight fire and thirty-two 

 life insurance companies, incorporated by char- 

 ter in other States, were transacting business 

 in Connecticut during the year 1868. The 

 amount of the operations carried on by the 

 fifty-eight fire-insurance companies within that 

 period was apparently large, though not per- 

 haps with quite satisfactory results. The 

 Commissioner of Insurance, in his annual re- 

 port, states that "the gross capitals of these 

 companies amount to $21,586,070, and their 

 receipts for the year 1868 were $25,245,850 ; 

 their losses, paid, $13,229,330; and their ex- 

 penses were $7,289,044, leaving but $4,797,- 



476 for dividends and unearned premiums for 

 the current year." 



With regard to charitable institutions, for 

 the relief of the suffering and unfortunate, the 

 main building of the General Hospital for the 

 Insane, at Middletown, erected on a most de- 

 sirable and healthy location, had recently been 

 finished. The Governor declared it to be 

 "very complete in all its appointments, sani- 

 tary and domestic, and its general arrange- 

 ments second to no other institution in the 

 country." The main building is now in full 

 operation, and wholly occupied by some 225 

 patients; whereupon the Governor adds : "No 

 more can be taken, although there are large 

 numbers yet in the State uncared for." 



This establishment has received from the 

 State $380,000 already; but the Governor 

 avers that " at no distant day it will undoubt- 

 edly be the true economy of the State to com- 

 plete the wings, which will more than double 

 its capacity at less than half the cost." Mean- 

 time, he recommended an appropriation to pay 

 off $18,000 of which the hospital is now in 

 debt, " and, perhaps, to construct outbuildings 

 and fences, in which the establishment is sadly 

 deficient." 



In the Ketreat for the Insane, there were, 

 early in the year, twenty-one patients receiv- 

 ing aid from the State. While praising the 

 management of this institution in a high de- 

 gree, the Governor thought that the appropri- 

 ation for it might properly be reduced, "as 

 the General Hospital for the Insane is now 

 taking most of the patients." 



The Connecticut School for Imbeciles has 

 twenty pupils partially supported by the State, 

 and the mental progress made by them is 

 spoken of as most gratifying. 



In respect to persons held in restraint as 

 lunatics, whether in public asylums or else- 

 where, there exists a necessity for some fur- 

 ther legislation calculated effectually to pro- 

 tect such persons from the effect of conspiracies 

 and frauds ; experience showing that plans are 

 not unfrequently contrived and acted upon by 

 interested parties to restrain individuals as 

 lunatics who are far from laboring under such 

 calamity. 



The Hartford Hospital was performing its 

 good work. It has a permanent fund amount- 

 ing to $92,000, the income received from which 

 is devoted to meeting its current expenses. 

 Of the $105,000 which it has already cost, 

 $10,000 have been contributed by the State, 

 the rest by individuals. It is now in debt 

 $27,000, expended in the construction of a new 

 wing, and the trustees applied to the Legis- 

 lature of 1869 for an appropriation of $20,000 

 to complete the building. 



The American Asylum for the education of 

 the Deaf and Dumb is reported as being man- 

 aged with the greatest ability, and the en- 

 deavors of its managers crowned with an 

 equally great success. The pupils under in- 

 struction in it last year were 279, of which 



