NEW YORK. 



69| 



The number of convicts in the State-prisons, 

 on tin with dt September, was 8,509, of whom 

 1,606 were at Sing Sing, 1,281 at Auburn, and 

 623 at Clinton. The excess of expenditures over 

 receipts on account of prisons for the year was 

 $704,679.85, which had to be provided for from 

 t ho State Treasury. Tins deficiency was larger 

 by $100,000 than ever before. A large por- 

 tion of the Reformatory building at Elmira 

 luts been completed and occupied, 170 convicts 

 having been transferred from the Sing Sing 

 and Auburn prisons. It is believed that the 

 iustitution will be completed during the com- 

 ing year, and the entire cost will be about 

 $1,000,000. 



The new State Capitol is still far from com- 

 plete. It will probably be ready for occu- 

 pancy by the 1st of January, 1879. There 

 DM been expended upon it thus far the sum 

 of $7,500,000, and the entire cost will ap- 



proximate $10,000,000, though the original 

 estimate was $4,600,000. 



The number of passengers arriving in the 

 city of New York from foreign ports, between 

 January 1st and December 13th, was 109,592, 

 of whom 72,326 came under the immediate 

 charge of the Commissioners of Emigration. 

 The number admitted to the Refuge and hos- 

 pitals on Ward's Island during that period was 

 8,958, of whom 687 remained in the institu- 

 tions at the date of the report, 331 being sick 

 in the hospital, 141 insane in the asylum, 16! 

 crippled or otherwise disabled in the Refuge, 

 and 53 children in the Nursery. The income 

 of the commission from the tax of $1.50 for 

 each immigrant lauded by the steamship com- 

 panies was cut off by a decision of the Supreme 

 Court of the United States rendered on the 

 20th of March, declaring the law under which 

 this imposition was made unconstitutional. 



OOBHKLL UNIVEKSITY, ITHACA. 



This law, with various modifications, had been 

 in force since 1847, arvl out of the income de- 

 rived from the immigrant tax the beneficent 

 institutions for the care of the sick and desti- 

 tute had been established and maintained. 



The political campaign of the year was one 

 of unusual activity and importance. The fact 

 that New York would cast thirty-five electoral 

 votes, and it was thought probable that these 

 would decide the presidential contest, stimu- 

 lated all parties to unwonted exertions. The 

 first political convention of the year was that 

 of the " Greenback " party, which was held at 

 Syracuse on the 15th of March. Its object 

 was chiefly organization and expression of sen- 

 timents. The latter was accomplished through 

 the following resolutions : 



Whereat, The organization heretofore known as the 

 Democratic party in the State of New York, in its 

 conventions for the years 1874 and 1875, adopted cer- 

 tain resolutions relating to the subject of finance, 

 n.'ainst which we enter our solemn protest, for the 

 following reasons : 



1. Because the subject of finance was not a public 

 question in this State when these conventions were 

 held, and therefore it is unjust to the voters of the 



State who are opposed to continuing the Republican 

 party in power to commit them to the principles laid 

 down in said resolutions in the next National Demo- 

 cratic Convention ; 



2. Because said resolutions are in conflict with the 

 principles laid down in the platform adopted by the 

 last National Democratic Convention, held in the 

 city of New York in 1868, that being the last genuine 

 National Democratic Convention held in this country, 

 the convention in Baltimore in 1872 being only a rati- 

 fication meeting for the nominations and platform of 

 the Liberal Republican Convention, held in Cincin- 

 nati in that year ; 



8. Because the men who secured the adoption of 

 said offensive resolutions are the men who contrib- 

 uted by voice, money, and personal influence, to de- 

 feat the Democratic party in other States where the 

 currency question was uppermost in their canvass : 



4. Because the men who now assume to lead the 

 Democratic party in this State are associated with and 

 controlled by its great money and corporate interests, 

 and, having no sympathy in common with the people, 

 are unfit to be trusted "with the protection of their 

 welfare : 



Therefore, in view of this condition of affairs, the 

 duty of perfecting an organization which will be 

 Democratic in its character, and in harmony with the 

 wishes of the people throughput the country, and the 

 organization of the Democratic party in the bouthern 

 and Western States, where it is not controlled by 



