MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER: AN AGRICULTURAL AND FAMILY NEWSPAPER 
15 
$)oci|ft)en)is. 
GOVERNOR’S MESSAGE. 
To the Senate and Assembly: 
Fellow Citizens: —Charged with administer¬ 
ing the affairs of a State unequalled by 
any in the Union in its population, wealth, 
and commercial interests, we have reason to dis¬ 
trust our own ability in the performance of ttie 
duties imposed upon us, and to implore the 
continued direction of that Providence which 
has hitherto guided and blessed the people of 
the State and Nation. 
In reviewing the events of the year, we find 
that the interests of religion and learning have 
been promoted, the efforts of industry reward 
ed, our mechanics profitably employed; and in 
various departments of agriculture, trade and 
commerce, an unusual degree of prosperity has 
prevailed. Although some branches of manu¬ 
factures have failed to yield remunerative re 
turns, we have reason to believe that an in¬ 
creasing demand for their productions will soon 
place them in a prosperous and healthful con¬ 
dition. 
In the midst of the enjoyment of freedom, 
peace, and prosperity, we have been aroused to 
a sense of the uncertainty of human life and 
happiness, by the startling appearance in some 
portions of our State, of a mysterious pestilence. 
We have also been impressed with the fleeting 
character of earthly pursuits and honors, by the 
death of two eminent statesmens of our country. 
While differences of opinion are entertained, as 
to the correctness of their political views, it is 
gratifying that all classes of our citizens have 
united in manifesting their respect for the ser¬ 
vices, abilities and patriotism, of the illustrious 
men whose deaths are regarded as national 
misfortunes. 
CHARITABLE INSTITUTIONS. 
The numerous charitable and benevolent in 
stitutions of the State, designed to relieve the 
subject ; of bodily and mental affliction, are suc¬ 
cessfully fulfilling the objects for which they 
were established. Their liberal support and 
endowment, are proper and becoming public 
expressions of gratitude, for the bestowmentup 
on our people, of abundance, peace and pros¬ 
perity. 
The number of patients in the State Asylum at Utica, 
was: 
Males. Females. 
Total. 
At the commencement of the year, 
.. 220 
215 
435 
Admitted during the year,. 
... 200 
100 
390 
Total number treated,. 
...440 
405 
825 
There have been discharged during tiie year : 
Males. 
Females. Total. 
Recovered,. 
... 92 
63 
156 
Much improved,. 
... 7 
4 
11 
Imp oved,. 
... 21 
21 
42 
Unimproved,. 
... 63 
SO 
152 
Died,. 
... 22 
17 
39 
205 
195 
400 
I have received the following statement 
in reference to 
“ Whole number of aliens who arrived at the port of New 
York since May 5,1847. 1,886,900 
No. arrived during this year up to Dec. 15th.... 295,972 
“ of persons admitted to Immigrant Refuge 
Hospital, Ward’s Island, during tha year, 
about.... 15,000 
“ of persons admitted to Marine Hospital, Sta¬ 
ten Island. 8,511 
“ of persons relieved in the various counties in 
the State, and chargeable upon Commuta¬ 
tion Fund, about. 18,188 
“ of persons lodged and relieved temporarily 
in the city. IS,894 
“ of persons for whom employment was found 
in the city, various parts of the State, and 
in other States, from the office in this city 
under the charge of Commissioners. 11,6)2 
“ of persons forwarded to various places at ex¬ 
pense of Commissoners. 4,965 
“ of perse ns for whom special bonds have been 
demanded during the year, under the 
amendedactof July, 1851, about. 1,000’ 
The Commissioners state that six years expe¬ 
rience has shown that the commutation of $1,- 
50 for each person, is sufficient to provide for 
the support and relief of the helpless emigrant, 
but not enough to cover the expenses of pro 
curing buildings fortbeir reception. Since May, 
1847, the State has been relieved from all ex¬ 
pense of both sick and destitute abroad. Large 
numbers of emigrants have been aided in get¬ 
ting employment here, or in going to other 
States where their labor was in greater demand. 
The Commission is indebted §170,000 for land 
and the erection of buildings. 
EDUCATIONAL AFFAIRS. 
On the 30th of September, the public funds 
devoted to education amounted to the follow¬ 
ing sums :— 
the Lunatic Asylum on Blackwell’s Island; 
Remaining in the Asylum on the 1st January, 1S52,... 517 
Admitted from the 1st January to 18th December, ’02, 488 
Discharged during same period,.841 
Died,.-.128 
Remaining December 18,1852,. 536 
Of those admitted, 99 were natives, and 389 
foreigners. 
Of those discharged, 71 were natives, and 270 
foreigners. 
Of those who died, 29 were natives, and 99 
foreigners. 
It appears from the last annual message of 
my predecessor, that the number of insane per¬ 
sons in the State in 1850, as shown by the cen¬ 
sus of that year, was 2,506, of whom 1,106 were 
in A ylums,leaving 1400 to bo supported in pri¬ 
vate families, or poor houses. I concur with 
him in suggesting that “further provision ought 
to he made for the relief of this unhappy class 
of our fellow beings.” 
I recommend the establishment of another 
asylum in the western part of the State. 
The annual report of the asylum for idiots, 
will be laid before you,and will receive at your 
hands, I doubt not, that attention which the 
nature of this most benevolent charity must 
awaken in every intelligent mind. 
The report confirms the hopes in bulged in 
that of the preceding year, and satisfactorily 
shows that a class of human beings whose con¬ 
dition has generally been regarded as utterly 
hopeless, may, by proper training and culture, 
have their faculties so developed and improved 
as not only to relieve the anxiety of parents 
and friends, but also to enable them to engage 
in many occupations of life. The views of the 
trustees in respect to a moderate increase of ihe 
present accomodations so as to admit of a larger 
number of pupils, and meet to some extent, the 
wants of this unfortunate class of inhabitants, 
seem so just and reasonable, and are so strong¬ 
ly enforced by the necessities of the case, and 
the sympathies of our nature, that there can he 
no hesitation in carrying them into effect. A 
State by whose enlightened liberality the blind 
are educated for usefulness, and the insane pro¬ 
vided with the best means of recovery, will 
not have completed the circle of its duties, un 
til it has also made ample provision for reclaim¬ 
ing from darkness and desolation, those afflicted 
beings whose minds are closed against the 
light of knowledge and the sense of duty. It 
appears from the census of 1850, that the num¬ 
ber of idiots in the State is equal to that of 
the insane. 
The number of pupils now in the New York 
Institution for the instruction of the Deaf and 
Dumb, is two hundred and fifty-nine ; of this 
number, one hundred and eighty'five are sup¬ 
ported by the State. At the last session of the 
Legislature, the number of pupils thus support¬ 
ed, was increased thirty-two, adding one from 
each Senate district; making the whole number 
of State beneficiaries, one hundred and ninety- 
two. This institution continues to improve its 
system o.f instruction, to increase the value of 
its results, and to gain in the estimation of the 
public. 
The institution for the blind, is successfully 
conducted. There are one hundred and fifty- 
three bliud persons in the establishment; forty- 
two are employed in the workshops. The in¬ 
troduction of new trades has been attended 
with great advantage to the inmates. The im¬ 
position of heavy assessments for grading the 
streets around the buildings of the institution, 
will require increased pecuniary aid from the 
Legislature. 
RELIEF OF EMIGRANTS. 
I have the followingstatement from the Com¬ 
missioners of Emigration. 
The Common School Fund,. $2,854,530 09 
United States Deposite Fund,. . 4,014,520 71 
Literature Fund,. 172,880 12 
$6,641,930, 92 
These funds are securely and productively in¬ 
vested. In 1851, there were 11,537 school dis¬ 
tricts in the State. 
The returns for the years 1850 and 1851 show 
the condition and progress of our common school 
system. 
The number of pupils attending the district 
schools was, in— 1850. 1851. 
726,281 862.507 
The number attending private schools 43,510 81,767 
The number of schools for colored children 105 
The number of pupils attending them 5,305 4,416 
Pupils instructed iu the district schools 
during the whole year. 7,037 8,765 
Pupils instructed 10 months and less 
than 12. 43 306 39 059 
5 months and less than 10. 59 962 68 742 
6 months and less than 8. Ilu 981 125 745 
4 months and less than 6. 170 005 178 330 
2 months and less than 4. 212 578 211 367 
Less than two months. 166 561 2t>0 473 
No. ofvol’s. in school district libraries 1 507 077 1 570 131 
Amount paid for teachers’ 
wages. 
Amount paid for district li¬ 
braries. 
The total amount expended 
for common schools was.. 
Amount paid for building 
and repairing school 
houses, &c.,.. 
$1 350 345 92 $1681 31c 00 
89 104 96 90 579 50 
$1 8S4 82c 16 $2 219 814 02 
From these statistics it appears that about 
one quarter of the population of the State, are 
receiving in our district schools, the education 
that is to fit, them to perform their duties as 
citizens of our republic. Their characters and 
success in life will be greatly influenced by the 
kind of instruction they receive in these schools. 
We cannot estimate their importance too high¬ 
ly. They will exert a vast, perhaps a control¬ 
ling influence upon the future prosperity of Pur 
country. Every consideration of prudence, 
patriotism and benevolence, demands that our 
common school system shall be so arranged and 
supported, that the employment of competent 
teachers may be employed. This can only be 
done by giving them just compensation for their 
services, and by a proper appreciation on the 
part of the Legislature and the public, of the 
dignity and value of their labors. 
In preparing and training competent teach¬ 
ers for our schools, the State Normal School, 
and the departments for the education of the 
common school teachers in the academies, ex¬ 
ercise an important influence. These arc un¬ 
derstood to be in a flourishing condition. The 
Normal School has more pupils than at any 
preceding period. 
An impression has heretofore prevailed, that our colleges 
and academies were institutions of learning, distinct from, 
if notin some degree antagonistic to, our district schools. 
This idea has been injurious by creating a popular preju¬ 
dice against the former, while it has injured common schools 
by disconnecting them in public estimation, from the pur¬ 
suit of higher branches of learning. These different 
classes of schools are intimately connected, and all serve 
to give interest, value and dignity, to the cause of educa¬ 
tion. 
Formerly we had but few colleges and academies, and 
the expense of attending them limited their advantages to 
a small part of our population. They are now so numer¬ 
ous and so distributed, that they are accessible to all who 
desire to avail themselves of their advantages. They fur¬ 
nish teachers for our schools, and contribute largely to the 
general dissemination of the knowledge which enables our 
citizens of every age and condition in life, to become in¬ 
telligent and successful in their respective pursuits. Sci¬ 
ence and learning are no longer elaborated for the benefit 
of a favored class; all valuable or interesting discoveries, 
are at once made public by the aid of schools, popular lec¬ 
tures, and the press. 
The discovery of the scientific professor in 
an institution of learing, immediately becomes 
a part of the popular intelligence, and its ad¬ 
vantages are universally diffused to aid the pur¬ 
suits or increase the knowledge of our citizens. 
Enlightened legislation, and particularly the 
interests of our common schools, demand a fair 
degree of legislative aid and encouragement to 
our colleges and academies. 1 recommend the 
adoption of some principle, in giving them as¬ 
sistance, which may prevent the practice of 
special legislation in favor of particular institu¬ 
tions. 
AGRICULTURAL AND MECHANICAL SCHOOLS. 
Numerous memorials have been presented to 
the Legislature for the establishment of schools 
or colleges for the promotion of agricultural, 
mechanical, and natural Science. 1 commend 
them to your favorable consideration. 
In a memorial presented to the Legislature, 
it is urged that “wo have no institution of 
learning which is at once fully adapted to the 
present condition of science, and to the peculiar 
wants and character of our country. In this 
age, and in this country, where more than in 
any other, the discovery of new truth in pure 
science is hardly announced before it is followed 
by its practical application ; where the most 
abstract principles, and the most subtile ele¬ 
ments of nature are immediately seized upon 
and applied to the commonest purposes of life ; 
it is a matter of interest to all, and to none 
more than those engaged in agricultural and 
manufacturing employments, that we should 
have an institution where all the leading 
branches of science, in their highest and best 
estate, shall be represented by the ablest men 
iu each department; and where instruction, in 
any and every branch, should be readily and 
cheaply afforded to the utmost extent that the 
knowledge of the day will admit.” Much an 
institution would be very different, in its organ¬ 
ization and objects, from any existing academy 
or college, and would in no degree supersede or 
conflict with them. 
On the contrary, the project is advocated by 
many of their officers and professors. It would 
not be restricted to the education of youth, but 
would be resorted to by persons of different 
ages and conditions, for the purpose of obtain¬ 
ing such information as would be particularly 
useful to them in their several pursuits. 
The anxiety manifested for the establishment 
of agricultural and mechanical colleges, adapted 
to the wants of our citizens engaged in those 
pursuits, shows the importance which is now at¬ 
tached to more thorough and perfect education. 
The inventive character of our people renders 
a knowledge of the sciences particularly valua¬ 
ble to them, while their elevation and improve¬ 
ment, intellectually and morally, becomes a po¬ 
litical necessity, under our system of govern¬ 
ment. Some of the mechanics of our State have 
adopted measures for the establishment of a col¬ 
lege particularly designed for instruction in the 
practical sciences, upon principles which prom 
ise, by combining instruction with labor, to 
place its advantages within the reach of all 
who desire to embrace them. An application 
will be made to you for a charter for an institu 
tionofthis character, which will be entitled to 
your favorable consideration. 
PENITENTIARIES, ETC. 
The House of Refuge at New York and Roch¬ 
ester, for the reformaiion of juvenile delinquents 
are among our most interesting and valuable 
institutions. They have engaged the attention 
and receive the care of enlightened philanthro¬ 
pic individuals, who have properly appreciated 
the duty and importance of rescuing youthful 
offenders from lives of degradation, misery arid 
crime, and of making them virtuous and useful 
citizens. "Every consideration of benevolence,as 
well as due regard for the safefty of the commu¬ 
nity and the prevention of crime, demand that 
tljese institutions should be liberally sestained. 
They will be obliged to apply to you for pecu¬ 
niary aid and some legislative enactments. The 
high standing of their managers, and the mo¬ 
tives that have induced them to assume the 
duties of their position, give assurance that any 
applications they may make to you, will be 
founded on a conviction of their propriety and 
necessity. 
The number of convicts in the prisons of the 
State, are as follows: 
At Sing Sing.S79 
At Auburn.759 
In Clinton county.150 
This is an increase of sixty nine above the 
returns of last year. The number of female con¬ 
victs is about eighty 
The expense of maintaining the prisoners be¬ 
yond the amount of their earnings, with the 
cost of indispensable improvements, will make 
the following appropriations necessary: 
For the prison at Auburn. $14,000 
Sing Sing. 7 ,qoO 
in Clinton county.,. 27,000 
$48,000 
The officers are confident that after tiie con¬ 
templated improvements are paid for, these es¬ 
tablishments will sustain themselves. A detail¬ 
ed statement of the expenses and condition of 
these prisons will be given you in the annual 
report of the inspectors. 
Great interest is felt by a large class of our 
mechanics in the success of the Clinton Prison. 
The character of the labor of the convicts at 
that place, conflicts less with the interests of 
some of our citizens than the employments pur¬ 
sued in the other prisons. This establishment 
has heretofore been quite expensive to the 
State, and has been regarded as an unsuccessful 
experiment. The prisoners have been engaged 
it digging, separating and preparing iron ores 
for the use of the neighboring furnaces. The 
depressed state of iron manufactures has lessen¬ 
ed the demand for the ore, and the prices at 
which it is sold. The original plan of the pri¬ 
son contemplated the erection of the necessary 
works for making iron, and manufacturing it 
into some of its ruder forms. The Legislature,at 
its last session, made an appropriation for fur¬ 
naces for smelting and manufacturing iron.— 
These are not yet completed, but they will soon 
be finished at a cost not exceeding the amount 
appropriated. 
The inspector in charge of the prison is con¬ 
fident that when the establishment is completed 
according to its original design, it will give a 
revenue to the State beyond the cost of main¬ 
taining it. 
I refer you to the last annual message of my 
predecessor, for his valuable suggestions re 
specting our prisons, the terms of imprisonment, 
and the review by our Supreme Court, of the 
testimony and proceedings in cases of capital 
conviction. * The prisons, penitentiaries, jails, 
and houses of refuge in this State, contain thou¬ 
sands of misguided and criminal persons, whose 
due punishment for their offences, and whose 
improvement in morals and intelligence are 
matters of great interest and importance. 
SURVEYS AND LANDMARKS. 
An accurate survey of our State and the 
establishment of permanent monuments which 
will serve for the determination of magnetic va 
riations, is very desirable for the purposes of 
science and for the prevention of litigations 
and other evils and embarassmeuts. Without 
these it will become impossible to determine 
with accuracy the boundaries of farms, towns, 
and counties, or to make topographical surveys 
of the whole or any parts of our State. 
The value of land is becoming so great that 
more accuracy will be required hereafter in as 
certaining true limits. Our present inaccurate 
system of surveying, causes frequent controver 
sies and embarrassments, and we are destitute 
of any fixed monuments which will give cer¬ 
tainty and permanency to boundaries and ad¬ 
measurements. The subject should engage the 
early attention of the State government. 
MANORIAL LANDS. 
The agitations in relation to manorial titles 
iu some sections of our State, have excited 
great interest among all classes of our citizens, 
and have been subjects of executive recom¬ 
mendation, and legislative actiou. So far as 
they originated in a desire to determine the va¬ 
lidity of titles, or equitably to extinguish ten¬ 
ures that had proved injurious to the commu¬ 
nities in which they existed, they secured the 
sympathy of the citizens of this State. But 
violations of law in some instances causing the 
destruction of life and property have excited a 
deep feeling against the perpetrators of such 
acts, which has been extended to many whose 
purposes were unobjectionable, and who re¬ 
garded resistance to the laws of the State as 
alike injurious to their own interests, and to 
the principles of good government. 
For the purpose of inducing the owners of 
large tracts of land to sell them to the occu¬ 
pants, and thus to obviate the evils attendant 
upon lease-hold estates, the Legislature has 
abolished distress for rent, and taxed the inter¬ 
est of land owners in leases. To prevent the 
recurrence of the evils experienced, the Consti¬ 
tution of the State forbids the leasing of agri¬ 
cultural lands for a term extending beyond 
twelve years. The quarter sales reserved by 
some leases have been decided by our courts to 
be restraints upon alienation, and therefore 
void. 
The suits which were instituted by the State 
for the purpose of determining the validity of 
certain titles, have been decided in favor of the 
landlords, except in one instance, where the 
State reserved some vacant lands. In this case 
the Court held that the lapse of time gave a title 
to the landlord, to the lands which were occu¬ 
pied by tenants, and which comprise the prin¬ 
cipal and most, valuable portion of the manor. 
The landlord has carried the cause to the Court 
of Appeals. 
It appears from the message of Gov. Young, 
at whose suggestion the suits were brought by 
the State, that they were instituted because 
“one of the fruitful sources of disquietude among 
the tenants, is the apprehension that the land¬ 
lords have no titlfe to the lands, and that, after 
paying rents and making improvements for a 
long series of years, they may, in virtue of a 
superior title to that under which they hold, be 
ejected from their possessions.” 
When the purposes for which the suits are 
brought are effected, the continuance of litiga¬ 
tion serves only to create agitation, to excite 
unfounded expectations and prevent adjust¬ 
ments between landlords and tenants, which 
are desirable in every respect. 
Many arrangements have been made between 
these parties, and the prosperous condition of 
the country, the abundance of money, and the 
high prices now commanded by the productions 
of the soil, are circumstances favorable to the 
tenants in securing the full ownership of their 
farms. It is understood that the prices origin¬ 
ally asked by the land-holders, have been in 
many instances, very much reduced. The de¬ 
cision of tiie courts having established the val¬ 
idity of their titles and their legal rights, it is 
believed that the land owners will recognize 
the importance of selling their lands upon fa 
vorable terms and of extinguishing tenures in¬ 
jurious to the interests of the community and 
inconsistent with our political institutions. If 
any action is had by the Legislature upon the 
subject, it should not be of a character to excite 
unfounded expectations and in the end injure 
those it is apparently designed to serve. When 
the titles of the landlords are established, any 
assistance given to the tenants must be at the 
expense of the State, and not of the legal rights 
of any of the citizens. 
LEGAL REFORM. 
The change in legal procedure contemplated 
by the Constitution (Art. 6, see. 24,) have not 
been earned into complete effect. The Commis¬ 
sioners appointed for that purpose, reported 
from time to time under the direction of the 
Legislature. Their first report adopted in 1848. 
has since been modified and amended by suc¬ 
ceeding Legislatures, and has become the set¬ 
tled system of the State. The legal remedies 
by various special proceedings which occupy a 
considerable share of the attention of the Courts, 
were not included in the reports adopted ; t hese 1 
are still administered under laws as they exist 
ed before the adoption of the present Constitu¬ 
tion. The final report of the Commissioners, 
presented to the Legislature January 1, 1850, 
among other subjects, embraces these proceed¬ 
ings and a revision of these laws. 
With no practical knowledge of the details of 
the reforms already enacted, and those proposed 
in the reports referred to, 1 am unable to ex¬ 
press an opinion of their merits. But regarding 
the existing code of practice, as the established 
system by which remedial justice is to be here 
after administered, it seems due to consistency 
that such further legislation should take place 
as is necessary to provide that civil remedies, 
both by special proceedings, and by civil ac¬ 
tions, should be prosecuted under a general 
method of prodedure. 
A considerable part of the jurisdiction of the 
eonrts, is exercised under statutes conferring 
powers upon the Chancellor and various offi¬ 
cers of his court, and upon courts of common 
(fleas which have been abolished by the new 
Constitution. The Legislature has passed vari¬ 
ous laws to render the proceedings applicable 
to the courts as they now exist; but a revision 
and a more perfect adaptation of them to our 
present judicial system is desirable. 
I’UBLIC DEFENCE. 
The enrolled militia of the State of New York 
numbers 289,306 men. Many uniformed com¬ 
panies, not only well equipped, but well drilled 
and disciplined, have been formed in our State. 
These companies are composed of intelligent 
and active men, who are interested in preser¬ 
ving the peace and good order of society.— 
Without subjecting the State government to any 
expense, they constitute an important part of 
the executive power of the State. They num 
her about 15,000 men, 5,800 of whom are in 
the city of New York. These companies are 
usually formed in large towns and cities, where 
popular disturbance and resistance to law are 
most likely to occur. 
They serve to overawe turbulent and disor¬ 
derly members of society, and constitute a pow¬ 
erful body, prepared at all times to aid the civil 
authorities. Their vigor, intelligence, and the 
interest they have as respectable citizens, in up¬ 
holding the law, together with the degree of 
dicipline they 1 ave attained, render them much 
more efficient and reliable than an equal num¬ 
ber of mere mercenary soldiers. 
RECIPROCITY WITH TIIE BRITISH PROVINCES. 
The enlightened and liberal spirit of the age, 
no less than the interests of commerce, demands 
the establishment of a system of reciprocal 
trade with the adjoining British provinces.— 
Their vast extent of coterminous boundary, the 
character of their productions, and the nature 
of their wants, their use of a common language 
with ourselves, and the similarity of habits 
and customs, render a free and unrestricted in¬ 
tercourse and commerce with their population, 
of great interest and importance. Our own 
State is particularly interested in the adoption, 
by the general government, of some measures 
calculated to effect this deeireable result. It 
would increase the business of our canals, add 
to tue prosperity of the towns in the northern 
and western sections of our State, and increase 
the commercial importance of the city of New 
York. 
INDUSTRIAL EXHIBITION. 
The striking success of American Industry 
and skill at the London Exhibition and in the 
British waters, during the year 1851, naturally 
aroused a desire lor the organization in this 
country of an Industrial Exhibition, analogous 
to that which has conferred so much honor on 
England, lhe limitations of the powers of our 
National and State governments, prevented 
their more direct action, but a charter was 
granted by the Legislature at the session of 
1852, forming an association designed to accom¬ 
plish the enterprise. With the favor of the 
General Administration, and the active aid of 
the city of New York, the Association is pursu¬ 
ing its task with energy, its managers appearing 
fully sensible of the high expectations excited 
by their undertaking. While the producers of 
Europe will avail themselves of so favorable an 
opportunity to bring their fabrics to the notice 
of the consumers of this country, the collection 
on a national scale, of the products of Ameri¬ 
can industry, must of itself, secure a result of 
such interest and practical value, as fully to 
repay the great labor which the work requires. 
The building designed to receive the exhibition, 
now partly erected, promises to unite convcni 
ence and ample space with a high and novel 
character of architectural beauty; and majq 
if the success of the enterprise shall warrant 
its preservation, remain for similar uses through 
future years. 
BANKS AND BANKING. 
The number of Banks, banking associations, 
and indiv.dual bankers doing business in this 
State, on the first days of December, 1851, and 
1852, were as follows: 
1851. 
1852. 
Chartered Banks. 
.72 
70 
Banking Associations. 
.95 
118 
Individual Bankers. 
.77 
89 
244 
277 
The bills issued by the Banking Department 
to the Free Banks amount to $19,159,056, being 
an addition to the amount held by them on the 
1 st December, 1851, of $3,488,052, and an in¬ 
crease of $7,978,381, within three years. The 
Free Banks have, within the same time, about 
doubled in number. 
The actual circulation of all the Banks, as 
shown by their quarterly reports, in September, 
1851, amounted to.$27,254,458 
1 st of December, 1852, to. 38,790,985 
The Superintendent of the Banking Depart¬ 
ment, in his annual report, will call the atten¬ 
tion of the Legislature to the fact that many of 
the free banks are established merely to get 
bills lor circulation. They evade the provis¬ 
ions of the laws requiring them to do business 
at some designated place, and circulate their 
notes through brokers in the commercial cities. 
They frequently allow their notes to be discred¬ 
ited for the purpose of buying them at large 
discounts, thereby subjecting the bill holders 
to loss. The multiplication of banks of this 
description is attended with numerous evils, 
and, in times of pressure in the money' market, 
will cause great embarrassments. Further leg¬ 
islative restraints are necessary co save the pub¬ 
lic from frauds and losses. In some instances, 
bills have been obtained upon insufficient secu¬ 
rity by fraudulent representations. 
RAILROADS. 
I have been furnished with the following ab¬ 
stract of some of the statistics of the railroads 
of the State of New York, taken from the re¬ 
turns made to the State Engineer, for the year 
ending September 30, 1852. 
Twenty-seven corporations only have made 
returns. Three other corporations, which 
made returns last year, have not yet filed the 
annual reports required by law. 
There has been filed in the office of the Secre¬ 
tary of State, articles of association for forty- 
one additional railroad corporations. Several 
of these roads are known to have been com¬ 
pleted, and upon others large expenditures 
have been made. The railroad corporations are 
by law required to file their annual reports 
with the State Engineer by the 1st day of De 
cember. None of them have complied with this 
provision, and the late date at which many of 
them were sent in, delays the State Engineer, 
and prevents him from complying with section 
103 of the genereal railroad law, which requires 
him to arrange the information in a tabular 
form and to report to the Legislature on the 
first day of its session. 
The number of miles of road in use on the 
27 railroads reported is,. 2,797 miles 
And adding the length of these 
roads not reported. 2,027 do 
This is an increase in the number 
of miles in use, over the number re¬ 
ported last year, of. 297 do 
The total cost of the 27 roads reported up to 
30th Sept. 1852, is $82,812,160.63. 
The total expenditure on all of the roads con¬ 
structed and commenced in this State, is proba¬ 
bly about one hundred millions of dollars. 
The total number of passengers carried in 
cars on twenty one roads reported, is 7,061,909 
And the number of miles travelled by the pas¬ 
sengers is 332,847,667. The increase on 18 
roads, over the preceding year, was, of passen¬ 
gers, 1,487,007, and of miles travelled, 92,858,- 
850. The number of tons of freight carried 
over 21 roads reported is 2,060,379. The in¬ 
crease over the preceding year on 17 of these 
roads is 821,101 tons. 
The number of persons injured in life or limb 
on 26 roads reported, is 256; of whom were 
killed, 158. The increase over the preceding 
year, on 25 of these roads, is, of persons killed, 
59, and of persons injured 44. 
These railroads traverse almost every coun¬ 
ty in the State. There are no sections of its 
territory which have not now cheap and con- 
venient avenues to market, by means of lakes, 
rivers, canals, and railroads. The recent exten¬ 
sion of the last named improvement, will rap¬ 
idly increase the wealth and population of the 
State. 
FINANCE AND I’UBLIC WORKS. 
The Constitution of this State which was 
adopted by a great majority of the popular 
vote, establishes a well defined and compre¬ 
hensive financial system, designed to pay off 
the debt created for the purpose of internal 
improvements, and provide for the completion 
of our unfinished canals; and also to pay the 
General Fund debt of the State, and provide 
for the support of its government. To prevent 
the recurrence of the evils of indebtedness, it 
forbids the creation of any debt beyond one 
million dollars, except to repel invasions, sup- 
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