Education.—The school population of the State is about 330,000, with an en rollment of about 250,000. There are about 8,000 teachers, with an average monthly salary of about $75. The annu al expenses of the towns for educational purposes is about $10,000,000. For higher instruction there are public high schools, private secondary schools, public normal schools, at Bridgeport, New Britain, New Haven (State Normal School), and Willi mantic, and Yale University, New Ha ven University, New Haven (opened 1701, Cong.); Wesleyan University, Mid dletown (1831, M. E.), and Trinity Col lege, Hartford (1824, P. E.). Among the principal private secondary schools are: the Hotchkiss School, at Lakewood; Morgan School, at Clinton; Norwich Free Academy, at Norwich; and Bulkley School, at New London.
Charities and Corrections.—The char itable and correctional institutions in clude the Connecticut Hospital for the Insane at Middletown, the Norwich Hos pital for the Insane at Norwich, the Con necticut State Prison at Wethersfield, the Connecticut School for Boys at Meriden, the Connecticut Industrial School for Girls at Middletown, the Connecticut Col ony for Epileptics at Mansfield, and the Connecticut School for Imbeciles at Lake ville.
Railways. — There are about 1,000 miles of railway in the State. The New York, New Haven and Hartford has about 850 miles, the Central New York about 83 miles, and the Central Vermont about 58 miles. There has been practi cally no new construction of railways in recent years.
Finance.—The receipts for the fiscal year ending 1918 amounted to $15,198, 326, and the expenditures to $13,706,034.
There was a balance at the end of the year of $642,572. The State has a fund ed debt of about $12,000,000.
State Government.—The governor is elected for a term of two years and re ceives a salary of $5,000 per annum. Legislative sessions are held biennially. The legislature has 258 members in the House and 35 in the Senate, each elected for a term of two years. Connecticut sends five representatives to Congress.
History.—The first settlement in Con necticut was made at Hartford, in 1633, by the Dutch. The first constitution was adopted in Hartford in 1639, and formed the basis of the charter of 1662. In 1686 the royal governor, Andros, attempted to obtain the charter, but, according to popular belief, it was hidden in the hol low of an oak tree. On the dethrone ment of James II. the colonial govern ment resumed its functions. Connecticut took an active part in the French, Indi an, Revolutionary, English (1812), and Civil Wars. She instructed her delegates in the Continental Congress to propose a declaration of independence, and was the fifth State to ratify the Federal Consti tution. The Hartford convention, most memorable of gatherings in the State, assembled Dec. 15, 1814. It protested against the war with England and against the action of the national gov ernment with reference to State defense. This convention, which adjourned Jan. 5, 1815, raised the Federal party in the es timation of the people.