The institutions for special classes are as follows: Clark institution for deaf mutes, Northampton; Boston school for deaf mutes; Perkins institution and Massachusetts. asyluni for the blind, Boston; Massachusetts school for idiotic and feeble-minded youth, Boston. institution for education of feeble-minded youth, Barre; Hillside school, Fay vine The state provides for the deaf and dunib also at the American asylum for the deaf and dumb, Hartford, Conn. The reformatory, industrial and truant schools are as follows State reform school, -Westboro; state industrial school, Lancaster; 3Iassachusetts infant asylum, Brookline; state primary school, 3Ionson; Boston house of reformation. Lowell house of reformation- Plummer farm sehool, Salern: industrial school, Lawrence truant school, Cambridge; truant school, Worcester; temporary asylum for discharged female prisoners, Dedham. There are institutions for the insane at Worcester (2), Taun ton, Northampton, Somerville, South Boston, Ipswich, and Danvers, and almshouses at Tewksbury and Bridgewater. There are thre,e state-prisons, one at Charlestown, one at Concord, and one for women (under the care of women) at Sherborn; also one state workhouse, and 13 houses of correction. The whole number of commitments to all the prisons (including county jails) in 1874 was 20,752, of whom 16,656 were males, and 4,096 females.
According to the census of 1870 the number of libraries in the state, of all classes, was 3,169, of which 1,544 were public. The public libraries contained 2,010,609, and the private 1,007,204 volumes. There is reason to believe that these figures, too small at the time, might safely be doubled in amount now.
In 1875 the number of newspapers and periodicals in the state was 341, including 26 dailies, 222 weeklies, and 58 monthlies, with an aggregate circulation of 141,774,382 copies annually. According to the census of 1870 there were in the state 184-8 religious congre gations, 1764 church edifices, and $24,488,285 of church property. The principal denominations, in order of members, are as follows:-Conereg.ational, Methodist, Bap tist, Roman Catholic, Unitarian, Episcopal, Universalist, Christian, Friend, Spiritualist, Freewill Baptist, Swedenborgian, Presbyterian. The number of church-members was 5,020.
The state debt, Jan. 1, 1879, was $33,020,464; debts of cities and towns in 1878, $68,864,685. The cash value of real estate in 1874 was $1,289,308,763; of personal personal property, $542,292,402; total taxes, state, county, city, town, and highway, $28,700,605; number of dwellings in the state, 249,738.
The constitution is in substance that of 1780, with amendments adopted at different periods since. The governor, with the other principal executive officers, is elected annually by the people, and has a salary of $5,000. A council composed of 8 members elected .annually by districts, gives him advice upon matters of official duty. The legislative
power is vested in a general court, composed of a senate of 40 members and a house of representatives of 240 members, elected respectively by senatorial and representative districts. The councilors are paid $5 for each day's attendance, and $2 for every 10 miles' travel. Senators and representatives are paid at the same rate, and $1 for every .5 miles' travel from their homes. The election occurs annually, on the Tuesday follow ing the first Monday in November, and the general court or legislature meets on the, first Wednesday in January. The supreme judicial court consists of a chief.justice (salary, $5,500), and five associate justices (salary, $5,000 each). The superior court consists of a chief-justice (salary, $4,500), and nine associate justices (salary, $4,000 each). The judges of both these courts are appointed by the governor, with the advice and consent of the council, and hold office during good behavior. Slavery in Massachusetts was _judiciously abolished at an early day, by the operation of a clause in the bill of rights of 1780.
In 1786 occurred the revolt known as " Shays's rebellion,' in the western part of the state. It was occasioned by the poverty of the people after the revolutionary war, which made them impatient under taxation, and was soon suppressed, though not without some loss of. life.
A survey has been made for a ship canal across Cape Cod, and the work of making it has already been commenced. When completed it will greatly shorten the distance by sea between Boston and New York, and enable masters of vessels to avoid some of the worst perils of the voyage as at present ,conducted.
The electoral votes of Massachusetts for president and vice-president of the United States have been cast as follows:-1789, 10 for Washington and Adams; 1792, 16 for Wash ington and Adams; 1796, 16 for John Adams for president; and 13 for Pinckney; 2 for S. Johnston, and 1 for Oliver Ellsworth for vice-president; 1800, 16 for Adams and Pinckneoy..; 1804, 19 for Jefferson and George Clinton; 1808, 19 for C. C. Pinckney and Rufus king; 1812, 22 for George Clinton for President, and 20 for Jared Ingersoll and 2 for Elbridge Gerry for vice-president; 1816, 22 for Rufus King and John E. Howard; 1820, 15 for Monroe for president, and 8 for R. Stockton and 7 for D. D. Tompkins for vice-president; 1824, 15 for Adams and Calhoun; 1828, 15 for Adams and Rush; 1832, 14 for Clay and Sargeant; 1836, 14 for Webster and Francis Granger; 1840, 14 for Har rison and Tyler; 1844, 12 for Clay and Frelinghuysen; 1848, 12 foriTaylor and Filltnore; 1852, 13 for Scott and Graham; 1856, 13 for Fremont and Dayton; 1860, 13 for Lincoln -and Hamlin; 1864, 12 for Lincoln and Johnson; 1868, 12 for Grant and Colfax; 18'72, 13 for Grant and Wilson; 1876, 13 for Hayes and Wheeler; 1880, 13 for Garfield and Arthur.