. 



r aud several machine-guns of their own manu- 

 facture. The blockade established with the 

 strengthened naval force seriously hampered 

 trade. The French officers permitted neutral 

 vessels to enter the ports, but placed them un- 

 der troublesome restrictions. The port of Ma- 

 hanoro on the east coast was shelled August 

 22. The French began to occupy the district 

 that they wished to annex. In September 

 two points were occupied in the bay of Pas- 

 sandava, opposite Nossi-Be". The Sakalavas, 

 who had hitherto been hostile, received the 

 French amicably. Malagasy volunteers enlisted 

 in the French service. About the 1st of Octo- 

 ber the Hovas attacked with a small force one 

 of the French posts in the Bay of Passandava 

 and were repelled with loss. On December 6 

 the French carried a fort south of Vohernar, kill- 

 ing 200 Hovas. The French were not strong 

 enough for the contemplated advance upon the 

 Hova capital, and after the beginning of the 

 wet season in November such an operation was 

 impossible until the return of the dry winter 

 season. The English Government endeavored 

 to bring about an understanding between 

 France and the Hovas, but could exert no in- 

 fluence over the "Methodist preachers" whom 

 the French blamed for causing their difficulties 

 in Madagascar. 



MAINE. State Government. The following 

 were the State officers during the year : Gov- 

 ernor, Frederick Robie, Republican ; Secretary 

 of State, Joseph O. Smith ; Treasurer, S. A. Hoi- 

 brook ; Attorney-General, Henry B. Cleaves; 

 Superintendent of Common Schools, N. A. 

 Luce; Insurance Commissioner, Oramandel 

 Smith ; Railroad Commissioners, A. W. Wildes, 

 John F. Anderson, and D. N". Mortland. Ju- 

 diciary, Supreme Court : Chief- Justice, John A. 

 Peters ; Associate Judges, Charles W. Walton, 

 Thomas F. Haskell, Charles Danforth, William 

 Wirt Virgin, Enoch Foster, Artemas Libbey, 

 and Lucilius A. Emery. 



Finances. The following is a review of the 

 finances of the State for the past two years : 



Cash on hand Jan. 1, 1883 $4T4,704 52 



Receipts during the year 1,386,684 63 



Total $1,861,889 15 



MAINE. 



461 



Expenditures 



Cash in treasury Dec. 81, 1883. 



$1,173,784 96 



87,60419 



Total $1,861,389 15 



Cash on hand Jan. 1, 1884 $87.604 19 



Receipts during the year 1,307,643 11 



Total $1,395,252 30 



Expenditures $1,202,932 89 



Cash in treasury Dec. 31, 1884 192,319 41 



Total $1,395,252 30 



The liabilities, Jan. 1, 1884, were $6,468,- 

 921.88; Jan. 1, 1885, they were $6,399,720.20. 

 The actual net indebtedness of the State was 

 reduced during the year 1883, $108,334.37; 

 during the year 1884, $267,276.60. The total 

 bonded debt, less the sinking fund : 



Jan. 1, 1883, was $4,178,715 00 



Jan. 1, 1884, was 3,607,50800 



Jan. 1,1885, was 3,439,800 00 



showing a reduction of $571, 207 for the year 

 1883, and $167,708 for the year 1884. 



The net reduction of indebtedness of all the 

 counties of the State for the year ending Dec. 

 31, 1882, appears to have been $61,436.91 ; for 

 the year ending Dec. 31, 1883, $34,918.97; 

 total for the two years, $96,357.88 ; which is 

 an average of $48,178.94 per annum, or nearly 

 one fourth of the entire indebtedness of all the 

 counties. The net reduction of indebtedness 

 of the cities, towns, and plantations of the 

 State for the year ending March, 1883, ap- 

 pears to have been $396,655.81 ; for the year 

 ending March, 1884, $428,368.05 ; total for the 

 two years, $824,023.86, which is an average of 

 $412,011.93 per annum, or about one twenty- 

 third of the entire municipal indebtedness of 

 the State. 



Savings-Banks. In 1860 the deposits in sav- 

 ings-banks were $1,466,457.56. In 1879 the 

 deposits amounted to $23,052,633, while at the 

 close of 1884 the aggregate was $32,913,835.10, 

 which shows in twenty -five years a gain in 

 deposits of $31,000,000 ; in five years an in- 

 crease of nearly $10,000,000, and further com- 

 parison shows an increase of $3,409,945.45 

 over the total deposits of two years ago. The 

 number of banks is fifty-four. The present 

 number of depositors -having open accounts is 

 105,680, or about one sixth of the entire popu- 

 lation. The average amount to each depositor 

 is $311.44. The banks, however, are able to 

 pay to the depositors four per centum, and hold 

 a reserve fund, for the protection of depositors 

 against possible losses, of $1,100,000. The 

 aggregate dividends paid to the depositors in 

 1884 was $1,284,444.80; and the State re- 

 ceived, for taxes upon deposits, as a part of 

 the school fund, $191,817.63 a larger revenue 

 than it ever before received in a single year 

 from that source. 



College of Agriculture. This college has grad- 

 uated 206 students. Of this number who are 

 in active business, 11 per cent, only are en- 

 gaged in the so-called professional pursuits, 

 while 89 per cent, are engaged in varied in- 

 dustries, in which agriculture and mechanical 

 pursuits are well represented. The whole 

 number of students who have enjoyed the ad- 

 vantages of this institution is 532, which does 

 not include 92 students now catalogued in the 

 college. The institution has received from the 

 State $200,318, and there has been expended 

 on grounds, buildings, apparatus, stock, etc., 

 $150,000. The appropriations from the State 

 for current expenses have been less than $3,500 

 per annum. 



Industrial School for Girls. The Industrial 

 School for Girls is at Hallowell. For some time 

 the single building has been overcrowded, and 

 new demands for admission have had to be re- 

 fused. This makes necessary another edifice. 

 Private benevolence has been enlisted for this 

 institution, and during the year an appeal 



