In 1872 the assessed valuation of real and personal property in New Hampshire was reported by the assessors of the several cities and towns to be $152,987,177; but these returns were considered to be much below the real value, which was believed to be about $250,000,000. In 1879 the assessed valuation was $206,959,017. The state tax is divided among the cities and towns according to an apportionment made every four years, based on the assessed valuation of the taxable property. Railroads are taxed separately, the judges of the superior court determining the present value of the capital and assessing:in proportion to the taxation of other property. The state income for the fiscal year ending May 31, 1879, was $1,173.104.10; the expenditures for the same period amounted to $1,109,347,20; leaving a balance on hand of $63,756.90. A month later the public debt amounted to $3,573,550.90. This includes the municipalwar loans, the burden of which has been assumed by the state.
The public school system of the state, like that of the other New England states, is carefully watched. The general supervision is vested in a state superintendent, and the several towns annually choose committees, among whom, since 1872, women are eligible to.direct the conduct of the schools in their respective localities. A compulsory ethica 1 ional law was passed in 1871, requiring all children between S and 14 years of age to ietend school at least 12 weeks of every year. In 1872 there were 2,149 district and 2,599 public schools in the state, of which 403 were graded schools. The number of children in attendance was 68,751; and there were only 4,164 children between the ages of 5 and 15 who attended no school. The whole number of teachers was 3,669, of whom were males and 3,166 females. Besides the common public schools, there is a state normal school at Plymouth with 13 teachers, and also 50 academies, seminaries, and and private schools, which have about 160 teachers. These include some of the oldest and most noted schools in the country, such Phillips academy at Exeter, founded in 781; St. Paul's school at Concord; the Kimball Union academy at Meriden, and the New Hampton literary institute at New Hampton. At Hanover, Dartmouth college is heated, which, besides the college proper comprises the Chandler scientific school, the Thayer school of civil engineering, a medical school, and the New Hampshire college of agriculture and mechanic arts. (See DARTMOUTH COLLEGE.) The total amount of receipts in 1875 for public school purposes was $621,649, of which $539,165 was raised by taxation, $27,340 from a literary ffind, $25,348 from local funds, and $31,294 by con tributions from other sources. The amount expended the same year was $742.854, and the average appropriation for each registered scholar, $7.08. The estimated value of schoolhouses and lots in the state was $`2,228,905, and of the school apparatus, $29,154.
Of the public and private libraries, the census of 1870 reported 1,526, having 704,269 volumes, of which 8.56 with 379,876 volumes were private and the rest public. The largest library in the state is the one belonging to Dartmouth college, which numbers 57,000 volumes. The number of newspapers and periodicals printed in the state is about 60, there being 9 dailies, 44 weeklies, 6 monthlies, and 1 quarterly. The religious organizations of all denominations in 1874 numbered 633, and they possessed 624 edifices with 210,000 sittings, and property valued at $3,303,780. The denominations were divided as follows: Baptists, 102; Free-will Baptists, 82; Christians, 19; Congregation alists. 169; Protestant Episcopalians, 21; Friends, 13; Methodists, 118; Presbyterians, 7; Roman Citholics, 17; Second Adventists, 21; Shakers, 2; Unitarians, 23; Universalists; 24; Union, 12.
The constitution of New Hampshire extends the right of suffrage to every male citizen who is 21 years of age and who lies resided in one town six months previous to election, excepting paupers and persons who are excused from paying taxes. Only Protestants, according to the constitution, are eligible to the office of governor, or are eligible as senators or representatives. The executive department consists of a governor, five councilors, secretary of state, treasurer, commissary-general, and superintendent of public instruction, who are elected annually. All the judicial officers, such as the attorney general, solicitor, sheriffs, coroners, registers of probate, and general field officers of the militia, are appointed by the governor. The judicial power is vested in a superior court of judicature and a circuit court, probate court, police courts, and justices of the peace. The legislature, styled the general court, comprises is senate of 12 members and a very large house of representatives. The state is represented in congress by two senators and three representatives. The electoral votes have been cost as follows: 1788, Washington and Adams, 5; 1792, Washington and Adams, 6; 1796, Adams and Ellsworth, 6; 1800, Adams and Pinckney, 6; 1804, Jefferson and Clinton, 7; 1808, Pinckney and king, 7; 1812, Clinton and Ingersoll, 8; 1816, Monroe and Tompkins, 8: 1820, Monroe and 'romp k i 7; 1820, Adams and Rush, 1; 1824, Adams (for president), 8; Calhoun (vice-p.), 7; Jackson (vice-p.), 1; 1828, Adams and Rush, 8; 1832, Jackson and Van Buren, 7; 1836, Van Buren and Johnson, 7; 1840, Van Buren and Johnson, 7; 1844, Polk and Dallas, 6; 1848, Cass and Butler, 6; 1852, Pierce and King, 5; 180, Fremont end Dayton, 5; 1860, Lincoln and Hamlin, 5; 1864, Lincoln and Johnson, 5; 1868, Grant and Colfax, 5; 1872, Grant and Wilson, 5; 1876, Hayes and Wheeler, 5; 1880, Garfield and Arthur, 5.