CHARITABLE AND PENAL INSTITUTIONS. The State Board of Charity and Correction consists of five members appointed by the Governor and Council, and of the secretary of the State Board of Health. This board inspects all State and county charitable or correctional institutions, ex cept the State prison and the asylum for the insane (both of which are located at Concord). The changes recommended by it must be made by the responsible officers. In 1902 there were 1203 children wholly or partially supported by public elmrity, 979 of them being in orphan asylums. There are 15 private orphan homes 7 Protestant and S Catholic—but in all hut one of these, county or city children are boarded at public charge. There is a State industrial school for boys and girls, located at Manchester. In 1901 the State Legislature made appropria tions for the erection of a State school for feeble minded. During the year ending September 30, 1902, were accommodated in the almshouses of the State 1630 persons, of whom 687 were con fined because of insanity, feeble-mindedness, or epilepsy. Drunkards and petty criminals are sometimes committed to the pauper institution, where they mingle freely with the other inmates. At the State prison the convicts are worked under the contract system, a fixed sum hieing paid per day per convict. The State has general control of the convicts.
HisToay. The first explorer of this region was probably Martin Piing, who anehored in Pis eataqua Harbor in 1603. It was included in the grant to the Council for New England in 1620, and this body on August 10. 1622, granted to John Mason and Sir Ferdinand° Gorges all the land lying between the .lerrinme and Kennebec for sixty miles inland, under the title 'Province of Ma Inc.' next year David Thomson settled at Little Harbor. In 1627 Edward Hilton settled at Dover Neck, and secured a patent later in 1629 or 1630. The province was divided Novem ber 7, 1629, and that part lying between the Merrimac and the Piscataqua fell to Mason. In November, 1631. Mason and Gorges, together with a number of merchants, received from the Council territory lying on both sides of the Piscataqua within the territory already granted to them. Several trading stations were founded, the most important of which was Strawberry lank (Portsmouth). Many settlers came out. but the proprietors derived little profit from the colony. When the Council dissolved in 1635, Mason was confirmed in all his grants and received 100,000 acres more west of the Kennebec. The settle ment of Exeter was founded ln• Rev. John \Meet wright in 1638 after his expulsion from .Nlassa chusetts Bay. All these settlements were prac tically independent and with little form of or ganized government. Mason was a busy man
who paid little attention to this province. which was named for his native Hampshire in England. Massaehusetts Bay looked with disfavor upon the wttlements of Royalists and Churchmen. and laid claim to the territory. Tn 1641 all the settlements except Exeter were joined to ehusetts, and Exeter followed in 1643. Mason's grandson, Robert ninon \L•tson, applied to the King for restitution of the territory granted to his ancestor. A decision that Alassaelmsetts had usurped possession was secured in 1677. and in 1679 a decree declaring New Hampshire a royal province was issued,. but Mason received little satisfaction. It remained a royal province until the Revolution, but its existence was dependent entirely upon the King's will, as no charter was issued. The Governor of Massnchusetts was often commissioned the Governor of New Hamp shire as well. After the expulsion of Andros in 1689 New Hampshire asked to be incorporated with Massachusetts. but was refused. The colony suffered greatly in 'the Indian wars of the eighteenth century. but nevertheless gradually extended its settlements north and west. Boundary disputes were frequent. The dispute over the southern and eastern boundaries was settled in 1740, but the question of the possession of Vermont was not settled until 1764. During the Revolution New Hampshire bore a con spicuous part. The Continental Congress. from which counsel was asked, advised the formation of a temporary State. convention at Exeter. December-January. 1775-76, adopted a brief con stitution. In 1779 it constitution was submitted to the people, but was rejected. A convention. June 12. 1781-October 31, 1783, framed a new constitution. which was ratified and went into effect June 2, 1784. Another convention. Sep tember 7, 1791-September 5, 1702, drafted a third constitution. which was ratified during the session of the convention. This provided that the question of the expediency of revision must be submitted to the people every seven years. Accordingly, modifications were made in 1852, 1877, 1889.
The State was the ninth to ratify the Federal Constitution, 21. 1788. this making certain the establishment of the United States. The capi tal of the Province of New Hampshire was Ports mouth. Until 1805 it was Illignanry, but at that date Concord was ehosen. New Hampshire was Federalist in national politics till 18111, with the exception of 1804, when it voted for Jefferson. From 1816 to 1852 it was consistently Demo eratie. Since 1856 it Ints been stanchly Repub lican. The following is a list of the Governors of the Colony and Slate of New llampshire: