MAINE. 



499 



Uio Order of St. Michael and St. George, and 

 :i I'Yllow of the Royal Society. In educational 

 matters ho always took a deep interest, and 

 devoted considerable time to their investiga- 

 tion. At the distribution of prizes awarded 

 by the University of Oxford at the local exam- 

 ination by the Birmingham and midland dis- 

 tricts, in November, 1875, Lord Lyttelton offi- 



ciated, and referred, in a well-considered ad- 

 dress, to the importance of the movement with 

 which the University Examination Society had 

 to deal. Colonial questions always proved of 

 interest to him, and for the revival of the ac- 

 tive powers of convocation, and the extension 

 of the church episcopate, be was a strenuous 

 advocate. 



M 



MAINE. The public debt of the State of 

 Maine at the close of the year was $5,920,400, 

 consisting of $1,508,000 in registered and $4,- 

 -} 1 _'.100 in coupon bonds. To offset this there 

 was $791,293.81 in the sinking-fund, leaving 

 tin- net debt $5,129,107, which was $143,681 

 less than at the beginning of the year. The 

 amount of bonds actually redeemed during the 

 year was $29,000, which matured on the 1st of 

 March. On the 1st of February, 1877, bonds 

 mature to the amount of $46,500. The re- 

 ceipts of the Treasury for the year consisted 

 of $1,310,605.49 derived from revenue, and 

 $877,093.84 cash on hand January 1st. The 

 expenditures were $1,293,277.06, leaving a 

 surplus in the Treasury December 31st of 

 $394,422.27. Of the revenue of the year 



399,405.51 was raised by direct taxation, 

 . 53,541.76 by taxation of railroads, $12,972.85 

 by tax on insurance companies, and $278,- 

 985.33 by tax on deposits in savings-banks. 



The Maine Central and certain other rail- 

 road companies have persisted in their refusal 

 to pay the tax assessed against them. Early 

 in the year a temporary injunction against the 

 State Treasurer was obtained from the United 

 States Circuit Court in behalf of the Maine 

 Central, and a hearing was appointed for the 

 \pril term ; but by arrangement with the At- 

 jrney-General a suspension of proceedings 

 ras obtained, in order that the validity of the 



: might first be tested in the State courts. The 

 case was brought before the Supreme Court, 

 where it was argued in July, but no decision 

 "lad been rendered at the end of the year. 



ic taxes due and not paid amount to $147,- 

 Twenty miles of new railroad was built 

 luring the year eight miles by the Piscat- 

 ui|iiis Company, in extension of its line from 

 Abbot to Blanchard ; and twelve miles by the 

 Aronstook River Company, from Fort Fairfield 

 to Caribou. 



The receipts of the Land-Office for the year 

 emling November 30th were $42,399.77. Con- 

 veyances of 22,304.38 acres of land were made 

 to actual settlers, and 18,054.69 were con- 

 tracted to settlers. Of the State lands remain- 

 in^, 127,665.97 acres are in possession of set- 

 to bo conveyed to them when certain re- 

 quired conditions have been fulfilled, and 26,- 

 773.39 acres are unsold. Islands on the coast 

 aggregating 663 acres were sold at auction for 

 $1,109.15. The colony of New Sweden, in 



Aroostook County, is in a thriving condition. 

 Fifty-two of the Swedish settlers have become 

 naturalized citizens, good school-houses have 

 been built, and four schools are taught in the 

 settlement. 



There are sixty savings-banks in the State 

 four having become insolvent since August, 

 1875, and no new ones having been estab- 

 lished. The amount of deposits on the 6th 

 of November was $27,818,764.70, a decrease 

 during the year of $4,264,549.58, including 

 $1,029,965.95 placed in the hands of receivers. 

 The number of depositors was 90,621, a de- 

 crease of 10,705 ; average deposit of each. 

 $306. 



During the year ending April 1st the sum 

 of $1,058,497 was expended in support of pub- 

 lic schools, of which $375,852 was contributed 

 by the State. Eighty-six new school-houses 

 were built, at a cost of $164,399. 



SEAL Or THE STATE OP MAINE. 



The Industrial School for Girls, at Hallo- 

 well, was supported during the year at a cost 

 of $6,765.40. The number of pupils was 82. 



The number of convicts in the State-prison 

 at the end of the year was 171, an increase of 

 28 since 1875. The expense of supporting the 

 institution was $29,778.49, while the profits of 

 its labor amounted to $19,659.33, leaving a 

 deficiency of $10,114.16. The number of per- 

 sons confined in the thirteen county-jails at 

 the close of the year was 815; the total cost 

 for arrest and conviction was $38,000, for sup- 

 port $58,900, making the expense on account 



