Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume V.djvu/260

 256 CONNECTICUT est number of votes. The salary of the gover- nor is $2,000 ; lieutenant governor, ex officio president of the senate, $500; treasurer, $1,200; secretary of state and comptroller, $1,000 each. Connecticut has no attorney general or state law officer. The commis- sioner of the school fund and the state li- brarian are appointed by the legislature ; the salary of the former is $2,000 and expenses, and of the latter $1,600. The secretary of the board of education is appointed by the board, and receives a salary of $3,000 and expenses. A majority vote in each house is sufficient to pass a bill over the governor's veto. The par- doning power is vested in the general assem- bly ; the governor can only grant a temporary reprieve. The judicial power is vested in a supreme court of errors, superior court, courts of common pleas for certain counties, probate court, inferior courts for certain cities and bor- oughs, and justices of the peace. The su- preme court of errors consists of a chief justice and four associates, who are also judges of the superior court. This court has general appel- late jurisdiction, civil and criminal, in matters of law and equity brought before it by writ of error or appeal from the judgments and de- cisions of the superior court. The superior court consists of six judges, exclusive of those who are judges of the supreme court. It has general original jurisdiction, civil, criminal, and equitable, and hears appeals from inferior courts. In all trials for crime punishable by death, the court must consist of at least two judges, one of whom must be a judge of the supreme court. The judges of the supreme and superior courts are elected by concurrent vote of the senate and house of representatives for a term of eight years, but are disqualified by the constitution when 70 years of age ; the salary of each is $3,500. They may be re- moved by impeachment or by the governor on address of two thirds of each house. There are four courts of common pleas, respectively for the counties of Hartford, New Haven, Fairfield, and New London. These courts have civil jurisdiction in law and equity in cases where the amount in controversy does not exceed $500, and in cases not criminal hear appeals and writs of error from justices of the peace. Each court of common pleas consists of one judge, who is elected annually by the general assembly, and receives a salary of $2,500. Probate courts are held in each dis- trict, of which there are more than 100 in the state, most of them embracing single towns. The judges are chosen annually by the people. Justices of the peace are chosen biennially by the people of the towns in which they reside. The state militia consists of four regiments and a company of light artillery, comprising a total of 149 officers and 2,234 enlisted men. All elections are by ballot. The annual elec- tion is held on the first Monday of April, and in May following, when the legislature meets, the officers chosen enter upon their duties. By the laws of the state every white male citizen of the United States, having attained the age of 21 years, and resided one year in the state and six months in the town where he offers to vote, and who is able to read any article of the constitution, is entitled to the privileges of an elector. Colored citizens are entitled to vote by virtue of the 15th amendment to the fede- ral constitution. An amendment to the con- stitution must first be passed by the house of representatives, receive a two-thirds vote of each house the following year, and then be ratified by a popular vote. The penalty for murder in the first degree, arson causing death, and perjury with intent to take life, is death. The crimes of arson endangering life, rape, and maiming may be punished by imprison- ment for life, and manslaughter by a fine of not more than $1,000 and imprisonment for not more than 10 years. The laws concerning divorce are regarded as very loose, the follow- ing being the grounds upon which divorce may be granted: adultery; fraudulent contract; wilful desertion for three years with total neg- lect of duty; seven years' absence without being heard from ; habitual intemperance ; in- tolerable cruelty; sentence to imprisonment for life; bestiality or any other infamous crime involving a violation of conjugal duty and punishable by imprisonment in the state prison; and any such misconduct as perma- nently destroys the happiness of the petitioner and defeats the purposes of the marriage rela- tion. All real estate conveyed to a married woman for money, or other property acquired by her personal services during marriage, may be held by her to her sole and separate use. Personal property of the wife vests in the hus- band as trustee, and upon his death goes to her if living, or if dead to her devisees, lega- tees, or heirs at law, as though she had always been sole ; the husband is entitled to the rents, profits, and interests. When abandoned by the husband, the wife may transact business, sue and be sued, as if sole, during such aban- donment. - The husband is not liable for debts of the wife contracted before marriage; but she may be sued as if sole, and levy made on her property. Married women may dispose of both real and personal property by will in the same manner as other persons ; but in convey- ances by deed the husband must join, except during abandonment, when the wife may con- vey by order of the superior court. Connec- ticut is represented in congress by four repre- sentatives and two senators, and is entitled to six votes in the electoral college. The state debt in 1860 amounted to only $50,000, which had been borrowed from the school fund. From July 1, 1861, to Oct. 1, 1865, five issues of bonds were made, amounting in the aggre- gate to $10,000,000, and drawing 6 per cent, interest, payable semi-annually. This bond- ed debt has been steadily diminishing; the bonds outstanding April 1, 1873, amounted to $5,095,900. Deducting $738,078 cash in the