The bonded bebt of the state in 1879 was $913,149; and at the same time there were on hand applicable to its payment funds amounting to $912,000. The total resources of the state, applicable to ordinary expenses, amounted in 1879 to $2,626,153; the expenses of the year were $2,019,885, leaving a balance of $606,267. The trust funds (mainly for educational purposes) for which the state is accountable amount to $3,419,145. The new capitol at Lansing, costing $1,390,000, the corner-stone of which was laid in 1873, was dedicated Jan. 1, 1879.
In 1873 there were in the state 253 newspapers and periodicals, of which 22 were dailies, 3 tri-weeklies, 209 weeklies, 2 semi-monthlies, 1 fortnightly, and 16 monthlies. According to the census of 1870 the whole number of libraries was 26,763, of which 23,761 were private; total number of volumes reported, 2,174,744, of which 1,196,113 were in the private libraries; 423 town aud city libraries had 14,207 volumes; 246 school and college libraries, 87,734 volumes; public school libraries,125,331 volumes; 1731 Sun day-school libraries, 239,471 volumes; 436 church libraries811,891 volumes; 116 circu latiag libraries, 53,704 volumes.
The principal charitable, reformatory, and penal institutions of the state are: the Michigan asylinn for the insane at Kalamazoo, organized 1854; the eastern Michigan asylum, founded at Pontiac, 1873; the Michigan state retreat for the insane, near Detroit, under the care of the sisters of charity; the institution for the deaf and dumb, at Flint; the state asylum for the blind (now nearly completed); the state public school at Cold water, designed to "provide for all .the dependent children of the state, whether in or out of the county poor-houses, who are sound in body and mind, to maintain and edu cate them while temporarily in the school," ancl until homes can be provided for them; the state reform school at Lansiug; the state house of correction at Ionia; the reform school for girls; the Detroit industrial school; the state prison at Jackson.
The population of Michigan has risen from 551 in 1600 to 1,636,331 in 1880. The
inhabitants of foreign birth numbered in 1870 only 268,000. The number of males in 1874 was 697,184: of females, 636,847. The governor and other state officers are elected once in two years, the day of election being the Tuesday after the first Monday in November. The governor's veto can be set aside by a vote of two-thirds of both houses of the legislature. The legislative power is vested in a senate of 32 and house of rep resentatives not exceeding 100 members, elected for two years, and meeting every alternate year on the first Wednesday of January. The supreme court consists of a chief-justice and three associate justices, elected for 8 years, and eligible to re-election. The court has both appellate and original jurisdiction. There are 14 circuit courts, each presided over by one judge, elected for 6 years; they have original jurisdiction in all matters civil and criminal, and appellate jurisdiction from all inferior courts. The salaries of the supreme court judges are $4,000 per annum, those of the circuit court judges, $1800. A probate judge is elected in each county for 4 years; justices of the peace in every township for the same term. The church organizations in 1870 num bered 2,239; church edifices, 1415; church property, $9,133,816. The principal denomi nations are: Baptist, Freewill Baptist, Christian, Congregational, Episcopal, Evangelical Association, Friends, Disciples, Jews, Lutheran, Methodist, Presbyterian, Reformed Dutch, Reformed German, Roman Catholic, Second Advent, Spiritualist, United Brethren in Christ, Unitarian, and Universalist.
The electoral votes of Michigan for president and viee-president of the United States have been cast as follows: 1836,3 for Van Buren and Johnson; 1840. 3 for Harrison and Tyler; 1844, 5 for Polk and Dallas; 1848, 5 for Cass and Butler; 1852, 6 for Pierce and King; 1856, 6 for Fremont and Dayton; 1860, 6 for Lincoln and Hamlin: 1864, 8 for Lincoln and Johnson; 1868, 8 for Grant and Colfax; 1872, 11 for Grant and Wilson; 1876, 11 for Hayes and Wheeler; 1880, 11 for Garfield and Arthur.