

NEW HAMPSHIRE. 



571 



voter and every person in the State, who is 

 twenty-one years of age and upward, and 

 who is liable or subjected by law to a poll-tax, 

 should be considered a ratable poll." By the 

 working of this law, twenty among the towns 

 in the State returned 29 more representatives 

 at the election of 1872 than they had done in 

 1871 ; the increase in their numbers ranging 

 between one and six, in proportion to their 

 populations, respectively. 



On the 8th of May the Republicans met in 

 State Convention at Concord, for the purpose 

 of electing delegates to the General Conven- 

 tion, to be held at Philadelphia, on the 5th of 

 June. The meeting was fully attended, and 

 the deliberations were harmonious, there be- 

 ing unanimity of sentiment among the mem- 

 bers present. Four delegates at large were 

 elected. 



The committee on resolutions reported the 

 following, which were adopted: 



JReaoleed, That in General Ulysses S. Grant -we 

 recognize a statesman as well as a general ; a man 

 patriotic and wise in r>eace as brave and skilful in 

 war ; a man who, by a judicious administration, has 

 gained the confidence of and endeared himself to the 

 American people ; and, as expressive of the senti- 

 ments of the Republicans of New Hampshire indi- 

 cated in the recent election, we sincerely desire his 

 renomination and reelection. 



Resolved, That while we fully and cordially ac- 

 knowledge the great merits and services of the lion. 

 Schuyler Colfax and of other Kepublican statesmen 

 whose names have been presented in connection 

 with the vice-presidency, we cannot refrain from 

 expressing our preference for the Hon. Henry Wil- 

 son, an early, faithful, and untiring champion of 

 freedom and humanity, and a statesman of signal 

 ability, spotless integrity, and unswerving fidelity 

 to Kepublican principles. 



The Convention then adjourned. 



The Democratic party assembled in conven- 

 tion in June, and chose delegates to represent 

 them at the Baltimore Convention on the 9th 

 of July. 



The State Legislature met on the 5th of 

 June, 1872. In the Senate, Charles H. Camp- 

 bell, of Nashua, was chosen President. In 

 the House of Representatives Asa Fowler, of 

 Concord, was elected Speaker. 



The election of the Secretary of State and 

 other public officers, by the Legislature, took 

 place on the 13th of June, with the following 

 result: For Secretary of State, Benjamin F. 

 Prescott, of Concord, was elected ; for State 

 Treasurer, Solon A. Carter, of Keene, was 

 elected; Owen C. Moore, of Nashua, was 

 elected State Printer; and Charles F. Mont- 

 gomery, of Stratford, Commissary- General. 



The public debt of New Hampshire was re- 

 duced by $427,658.70 during the fiscal year 

 ending May 31, 1872, and also increased by 

 more than $2,000,000; although this in- 

 crease does not represent a new debt, but only 

 the assumption by the whole community of a 

 portion of the debts which the single cities 

 and towns had respectively contracted for war 

 expenditures, and which recent legislative en- 

 actment authorized the State to reimburse to 



a limited amount. In order to carry this 

 measure into execution, commissioners were 

 appointed to examine the amounts of such ex- 

 penditures in the several cities and towns con- 

 cerned, and apportion the relative sums of re- 

 imbursement among them. Having concluded 

 their investigation, the commissioners awarded 

 the said local reimbursements, amounting in 

 the aggregate to $2,205,695.44; for which 

 sum the State, on the 1st of January, 1872, 

 issued her bonds to the cities and towns. 



The financial condition of New Hampshire 

 in regard to the public revenue and expendi- 

 ture during the last fiscal year, and her in- 

 debtedness on the 1st of June, 1872, was as 

 follows : 



Total revenue of the State for the year end- 

 ing May 31, 1872, was. . $732,154 45 



The total expenses of the State for the same 

 period, including the payment of interest 

 on liabilities of one year since, were 304,495 75 



Surplus of revenue $427,658 70 



A brief statement of this debt is as follows : 



Total liabilities, June 1, 1871 $2,457,847 13 



Reimbursement bonds issued, January 1, 

 1872 2,205,69544 



Total 1 $4,663,542 57 



Less assets in Treasury, June 1, 1871. . 97,759 61 



Net $4,565,782 96 



Old liabilities remaining, June 



1, 1872 $2,075,732 67 



Reimbursement bonds 2,205,695 44 



Total $4,281,428 11 



Assets in Treasury, June 1, 

 1872 143,303 85 



Liabilities of State, June 1, 1872 4,138,124 2G 



Reduction of debt $427,658 70 



The levy of the State tax, which for several 

 years had steadily amounted to $600,000, was 

 reduced for 1872 to one-half that sum by legis- 

 lative enactment. The current expenditure 

 of the State being now increased by $132,000, 

 annual interest on the reimbursement bonds 

 besides that State bonds to the amount of 

 $350,000 will mature in 1873, and as much 

 more in 1874 the Governor recommended 

 that, in order to meet these additional yearly 

 payments, the levy of the State tax for 1873 

 should be raised to the former amount of 

 $600,000, and to continue for some time, to be 

 then proportionally reduced as the affairs of 

 the State would permit, saying : " "With such 

 a tax continued during the next five years, to- 

 gether with the other revenues of the State, 

 and the aid of such temporary loans as can al- 

 ways be readily obtained, we should be able 

 to redeem the bonds of the State as they ma- 

 ture, pay the interest on our debt, and meet 

 the current expenses of the State ; after which 

 time the same could be done with a tax of 

 $450,000 per annum, or less." An act was 

 passed at this session, providing that the State 

 tax for 1873 should be assessed and collected 

 to the amount of $600,000. 



The valuation of the State has largely in- 

 creased within four years, although made 



