512 



MINNESOTA. 



tin.- whole amount in store, is held by farmers. 

 The wheat-crop of 1873 in the State was about 

 the same as in 1872, or little less. 



The general election in November, 1873, re- 

 sulted in the election of the Republican State 

 ticket, except for the office of Suite Treasurer, 

 for which the farmers' and mechanics' candi- 

 date was elected. The majority for Governor 

 was 4,912. 



In the Legislature of 1874 the number of 

 members belonging to either party is respec- 

 tively as follows : In the Senate Republicans 

 2~, Democrats 13 ; in the House of Represent- 

 atives Republicans 53, Democrats 51 ; show- 

 ing a Republican majority, on joint ballot, of 16. 



The recognized bonded indebtedness of the 

 State, all contracted for building State institu- 

 tions, amounts, in the aggregate, to $250,000. 



The total receipts from all sources during 

 the fiscal year ending November 29, 1873, were 

 $1,386,001.40 ; and the disbursements, $1,168,- 

 203.05; leaving a balance of $218,398.35 in 

 the Treasury. 



The assessed valuation of all taxable prop- 

 erty in the State for 1872 was $103,3-23,490. 

 For 1873 it is estimated at $112,000,000. 



The State school fund, in cash, amounts to 

 $2,900,000, realized from the sale of about 

 one-eighth part of the land belonging to it. 

 Reckoning the sale of the remaining laud at 

 the same rate, it would appear that Minnesota 

 possesses the largest school-fund of any State 

 in the Union. 



The condition of the public schools is very 

 satisfactory, as appears from the following 

 official statement: "Number of school dis- 

 tricts in the State, in 1872, 2,933. In 1873 

 there were 8,137, an increase of 204. There 

 are 2,568 school-houses, valued at $2,089,201. 

 The number of persons in the State between 

 five and twenty-one years of age, is given as 

 196,065, an increase over last year of 16,045. 

 The number of persons attending school in 

 1873 was 124,583; and the number between 

 fifteen and twenty-one years, not attending, 

 was 1,4S2; 3,350 attended private schools 

 during the year ; 14,448 over five, and under 

 fifteen years, were not enrolled in either pub- 

 lic or private schools. 



There were 5,206 teachers employed in the 

 public schools during the year, of whom 3,567 

 were females. The amount paid for teachers' 

 wages was $568,937, an increase over 1872 of 

 $20,989. 



Not less satisfactory is the condition .of the 

 State Normal Schools, established and in full 

 operation at Winona, Manitoba, and St. Clond. 

 Their attendance during the year numbered, 

 in the aggregate, 962. 



The number of students attending the State 

 University during the year was 278, of whom 

 72 were females. 



The permanent building of the Hospital for 

 the Insane has been enlarged. At the end of 

 December, 1873, there were in the hospital 303 

 patients. 



The State Reform-School contained a larger 

 average number of inmates during the lost 

 than in any preceding year. The managers 

 aver that the commitment of a large propor- 

 tion of them can be directly traced to the in- 

 temperate habits of their parents. 



In the State-prison there were 103 convicts 

 in confinement at the end of Ik-cm, !>.T. > 

 IN current expenses for the year amounted to 

 '4.87 ; the earnings of the convicts to 

 $14,693.78. 



In the Soldiers' Orphans' Home, at Winona, 

 there were 94 inmates provided and cared for 

 by the State. 



There are numerous fire and life insurance 

 companies operating in Minnesota, the total 

 assets of which, at the beginning of 1873, 

 amounted to $340,308,509, and the premiums 

 collected by them during the year were, in the 

 aggregate, $1,172,771.76. They pay to the 

 State a tax of two per cent, on premiums, ' 

 which, for the year ending November 80, 

 1873, yielded a revenue of little less than 

 $22,000. 



The various railroad companies whose lines 

 are in operation within the State, are generally 

 complained against by the people, chiefly on 

 account of the rates charged for passenger 

 and merchandise transportation. In orth 

 remedy the evil, a law fixing the rates of freight 

 for all railroad lines in the State was enacted 

 on the 6th of March, 1871. The act was to 

 take effect on May 1st, that same year. Its pro- 

 visions were, in substance, as follows : All the 

 railroads in this State shall be decreed to be 

 public highways, and shall be bound to carry 

 freights and passengers at rates not greater 

 than the rates enacted in this act. The rates 

 named in the act shall bo deemed to be the 

 maximum of reasonable rates ; and for the 

 violation of the provisions of the act, tho 

 offending corporation shall bo subject to cer- 

 tain penalties and forfeitures therein named. 

 This law has been disregarded by all the rail- 

 road corporations, for the alleged reason that 

 it interferes with their vested rights; and is, 

 therefore, unconstitutional and void. Tho 

 Winona & St. Peter Railroad Company hav- 

 ing refused to deliver property carried on its 

 road npon payment of freight offered accord- 

 ing to the rates fixed by the said law. and in- 

 sisting on payment of freight according to the 

 rates published in the schedule of its printed 

 tariffs, tho owner of tho property instituted a 

 suit against that company before tho District 

 Court to recover damages. The company met 

 the wishes of the plaintiff, to make tins case a 

 test one, so as to put the question between tho 

 people and the railroad companies of the State 

 forever at rest. To that end a stipulation was 

 entered into by both parties, ex-pn-sslv putting 

 aside all other questions, except that of consti- 

 tutionality. Upon this stipulation the case 

 was submitted, and in April, 1872, the court 

 decided it in favor of the railroad company. 

 On appeal of the plaintiff, tho case was ar- 



