DELAWARE. 



251 



to allow the passage of a general incorporation 

 act. A provision of the constitution forbids 

 the granting of charters for a longer term than 

 twenty years, although they could be revoked 

 by the Legislature at any time. The passage of 

 the same act by the next Legislature would cause 

 it to become an amendment to the constitu- 

 tion, and authorize the passage of the general 

 law. Another act increased the legal right of 

 married women. An unsuccessful effort was 

 7na<le to increase the representation in the 

 Legislature. Three Senators and seven Repre- 

 sentatives are now choseu from each county 

 in the State. The proposition was to increase 

 the whole number of Senators to twelve, of 

 whom six should be chosen in New Castle 

 County, without any change in the number 

 chosen in the other two counties. In like man- 

 ner it was proposed to make the whole number 

 of Representatives twenty-eight, of whom one- 

 half should be chosen in New Castle County. 

 An effort, which was also unsuccessful, was 

 made to repeal the attachment law so far as it 

 authorized the seizure of wages. Several re- 

 monstrances against the repeal were sent to 

 the Legislature, one of which said that the 

 repeal was sought "by evil-disposed persons," 

 and that they " can show both public and pri- 

 vate reasons " against repeal, but they regard 

 it as unnecessary to name more than one 

 which is, that the repeal of the wages attach- 

 ment would deprive a large number of good 

 citizens "of any protection, and leave them no 

 remedy to collect by law what honestly be- 

 lun^'-i to them." In another the remonstrants 

 added as follows: "On the other hand, who 

 are they that want the law repealed ? We 

 will simply say that they are those who want 

 the whipping-post abolished also; while every- 

 body knows that neither the attachment law 

 nor the whipping-post has any terrors for 

 honest people." 



The only reduction in the rate of taxation 

 was made in reference to the railroads. The 

 arrangement in reference to them provided 

 that the Philadelphia, Wilmington & Baltimore 

 road should be taxed $27,000, in lieu of all 

 other than the ten-cent tax. The ten-cent tax 

 may bo commuted for by paying the sum of 

 $13,000, and the railroad may graduate this 

 tax as is most conducive to the interests of 

 the public. Discrimination in fares or freights, 

 against any one, may be punished by suit and 

 recovery of tenfold the amount so charged. 



Another bill provided for the graduation of 

 the ten-cent tax by permitting all other roads 

 to pay over such sums in gross as would be 

 proportioned to their passenger receipts, in the 

 same ratio as the amount paid by the Phila- 

 delphia, Wilmington & Baltimore holds to 

 theirs. 



The debt of the State at the close of the 

 year 1872 was $1,325,000. The interest of 

 this debt has been paid promptly, and the 

 market value of the bonds has steadily in- 

 creased. They are as high as, if not higher 



than, those of any other State drawing six per 

 cent, interest. It is with difficulty that the 

 Treasurer has been able to purchase them for 

 redemption. The Committee on Ways and 

 Means reported to the Legislature in March 

 the State debt as follows : 



Debt due in 1875 .. $169000 



" "1886.... 810,000 



" 1890 (Janet. & Breakwater Loan). . . 352,000 



Making a total of (1,381,000 



The interest charge on which Is $79,000 



The annual receipts, from taxes and all 

 other sources, applicable to State use, are 

 about $289,000. 



If it was desired to pay off the debt at ma- 

 turity, and it was thought best to undertake 

 the necessary taxation for so rapid a reduc- 

 tion, there would be required, in 1873 and 

 1874, collectively, the sum of $169,000, to be 

 paid out to bondholders, on January 1, 1875. 

 From that date to January 1, 1885, $81,000 

 per year would have to be placed in the sink- 

 ing fund, to meet $810,000, at the latter date, 

 and in addition, from January 1, 1875, to Jan- 

 uary 1, 1890, $23,467 annually, to meet the 

 remaining $352,000. Tlie following amounts 

 are, upon such a plan, required: 



1873 to 1878. . $81,500 per annum. 



1875 to 1885. .. $81,000 

 ... 23,467-104,487 



1885 to 1890. .. 23,467 . " 



The difficult es between the authorities of 

 the State and those of New Jersey as to the 

 fishing rights of their citizens were not com- 

 pletely settled, and the operation of the law 

 relative to fishing taxes was suspended during 

 the year. The question for the commission- 

 ers to settle was, whether citizens of New 

 Jersey had a fishing right within the jurisdic- 

 tion of Delaware. 



No election for State officers took place du- 

 ring the year. 



The progress of the industrial interests of 

 the State is rapid. In the city of Wilmington 

 the aggregate of capital employed in manufact- 

 ures and the annual product have increased 

 as follows : 



1872 total capital employed $12,275,000 



1878 total capital employed 12,626,000 



1872annual product 20,125.000 



1873 annual product .-. . 22,150,000 



In the amount of invested capital, there has 

 been no reduction, in any industry, while rail- 

 road car-building has added $50,000; iron- 

 ship building, $100,000 ; machine work, $50,- 

 000 ; foundery-work and car-wheels, $50,000 

 miscellaneous, $100,000. In the annual prod- 

 uct, railroad-cars show an increase of $200,- 

 000 ; iron ships, $100,000; machine-work, 

 $200,000 ; foundery-work and car-wheels, 

 $400,000; and miscellaneous articles, $500,- 

 000 ; while a decrease appears in the single ar- 

 ticle of morocco, and is set down at $250,000. 



For the year ending October 1, 1872, the re- 

 port showed the erection of 451 new buildings, 

 within the city limits ; in the year 1873 there 

 are 448 reported. 



