NEW YORK. 



221 



for the support of common schools, by the public and 

 individuals, 1,061,699 dollars. There are two insti- 

 tutions for the instruction of the deaf and dumb ; one 

 in the city of New York, having, in 1830, eighty-five 

 pupils, and one at Canajoharie, having-, during the 

 same year, twenty-nine pupils. They are chiefly 

 supported at the public expense. There are in the 

 state about 700 deaf mutes. The institution in the 

 city of New York, incorporated April 15, 1817, has 

 imparted its benefits to more than 300 pupils. Some 

 of these pay ; others are supported by the state, by 

 the supervisors of the county, by a female association 

 for the relief of deaf mutes, or by private charity. 

 The edifice or asylum for the accommodation of the 

 pupils is situated about three and a half miles from 

 the city hall. It has accommodations for 150 pupils 

 and the requisite number of instructers. It cost 

 36,000 dollars. The grounds, consisting of ten acres, 

 are handsomely laid out, in lawns and gardens, planted 

 with trees and shrubbery. Workshops are erected in 

 She rear of the asylum, in which a majority of the 

 male pupils, during the time of relief from study, 

 spend a few hours every day, in acquiring a know- 

 ledge of some mechanical employment. Some, also, 

 are engaged in horticulture. The female pupils, at 

 the same time, are taught needle-work and other 

 household duties.- The pupils are divided into five 

 classes, and furnished with large slates. The regular 

 term of study is five years ; and the annual charge 

 for pay pupils is 130 dollars ; but this charge is often 

 reduced to meet the particular cases of applicants. 

 The funds of the institution have been furnished by 

 private contributions, by the legislature of the state, 

 and by the corporation of the city. During the year 

 1830, the receipts were nearly 17,000 dollars. Be- 

 sides the establishments above-named, there are in 

 every part of the state, particularly the large towns 

 and villages, numerous schools and seminaries, sup- 

 ported by private individuals. 



Religion, &c. The constitution secures " the free 

 exercise and enjoyment of religious profession and 

 worship, without discrimination or preference," and 

 accordingly most denominations of Christians, and 

 some Jews are to be found in the state. There are 

 a few religious corporations which are possessed of 

 estates granted to them before the revolution, and 

 now of considerable value ; but in general the clergy 

 are dependent for their support on the annual con- 

 tributions of their respective congregations. Clergy, 

 in 1830, Presbyterians and Congregationalists, 431; 

 Protestant Episcopalians, 118; Baptists, 274; Re- 

 formed Dutch, 106; Methodists, 372 ; Lutherans, 13; 

 various other denominations, 68; total, 1382. There 

 are four theological seminaries in the state connected 

 with the Protestant Episcopal, Presbyterian, Baptist, 

 and Lutheran churches. There are two flourishing 

 societies of Shakers; one at New Lebanon, in Colum- 

 bia county, and the other at Niskauna, in the county 

 of Albany. For an account of this sect, see Shakers. 



Prisons and Prison Discipline. In each county, a 

 public jail is established by law, the management of 

 which, though recently somewhat improved, is yet 

 lamentably defective. But the state prisons at Au- 

 burn and Sing Sing, the former of which now contains 

 about 600, and the latter about 800 convicts, are 

 models both in respect to their arrangement and, 

 discipline. The convicts are compelled to labour 

 together in silence during the day, and are lodged in 

 separate dormitories at night. The earnings of the 

 convicts in the Auburn prison, during the year 1830, 

 amounted to 40,341 dollars, and the expenses of the 

 establishment, including repairs, &c., to 36,226 dol- 

 lars. The amount received for the labour of the 

 convicts at Sing Sing, during the same period, was 

 13,651 dollars, 44 cents; expenses of the prison 



53,571 dollars, 01 cents. This prison having been but 

 recently completed, the future earnings of the convicts 

 will probably exceed those for the year referred to. 

 Economy, however, is not alone to be regarded in the 

 constitution of such establishments ; and experience has 

 not yet proved whether the silent system of discipline, 

 adopted in America, be beneficial to the moral, and 

 not injurious to the physical, powers of the prisoner. 



Government, Laws, fyc. By the amended consti- 

 tution of this state, adopted in 1821, the legislative 

 power is vested in a senate and assembly, the former 

 consisting of 32, and the latter of 128 members. The 

 senators are chosen for 4 years, and must be free- 

 holders. The members of the" assembly are elected 

 annually. For the election of senators, the state is di- 

 vided into 8 senate districts, each of which is entitled 

 to 4 senators, and one of whom is annually elected in 

 each district. The members of the assembly are chosen 

 by the several counties, among whom they are appor- 

 tioned, according to a rule prescribed in the constitution. 

 The executive power is vested in a governor, who holds 

 his office for 2 years. A lieutenant governor is chosen 

 at the same time, and for the same term. He is pre- 

 sident of the senate, and, whenever the office of gover- 

 nor becomes vacant, takes the place of that officer. The 

 right of suffrage is enjoyed by every male citizen, of 

 the age of twenty-one years, who has been for one year 

 an inhabitant of the state, and for six months a resident 

 of the county where he may offer his vote. Under 

 this liberal regulation, the number of electors is very 

 great ; in 1828, they amounted to 276,583. Sheriffs, 

 coroners, and county clerks are elected by the peo- 

 ple ; the other civil officers are generally appointed 

 either by the governor and senate, the two branches 

 of the legislature, or the governor alone, except 

 clerks of courts, district attorneys, and some other 

 officers, who are appointed by the courts. Field 

 officers of the militia, below the rank of major-gene- 

 ral, are elected by the officers of their respective 

 brigades, &c. ; field officers above that rank are ap- 

 pointed by the governor and senate, or the governor; 

 staff officers are appointed by their respective com- 

 manders. The judiciary consists of the following 

 courts: 1. The court for the trial of impeachments 

 and the correction of errors, composed of the president 

 of the senate, the thirty-two senators, the chancellor, 

 and the justices of the supreme court. This court 

 tries all impeachments of civil officers preferred by 

 the assembly, in whom the power of impeachment is 

 vested, and reviews, on appeals and writs of error, 

 the decisions of the court of chancery, and of the 

 supreme court. But on the hearing of an appeal 

 from a decree in chancery, the chancellor has no 

 voice in the final sentence ; and when a writ of error 

 is brought on a judgment of the supreme court, the 

 justices of that court have no voice for its affirmance 

 or reversal. 2. The court of chancery, the powers 

 of which are vested in the chancellor and in eight 

 vice-chancellors. 3. The supreme court, consisting 

 of a chief justice and two justices. 4. There are 

 eight circuit judges, who possess the powers of a 

 justice of the supreme court at chambers, and in the 

 trial of issues joined in the supreme court, and in 

 courts of oyer and term iner and jail delivery. All 

 the eircuit judges possess equity powers, as vice- 

 chancellors, except the judge of the first circuit (that 

 including Long and Staten islands and the city of 

 New York), for which a vice-chancellor has been 

 created by special law. 5. A county court, possess- 

 ing, to a limited extent, both civil and criminal juris- 

 diction, is established for each county. Its decisions 

 are liable to review in the supreme court. 6. A sur- 

 rogate is appointed for each county, who possesses 

 exclusive original jurisdiction in cases of wills and 

 intestacy. 7. There are several other local courts ; 



