Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XII.djvu/280

268 NEVADA general (salary $3,600 each), elected for four years. A superintendent of public instruction (salary $2,000) and a state mineralogist ($3,600) are elected for the same term. The legislative authority is vested in a senate of 25 and an assembly of 50 members, chosen by districts, senators for four years (half retiring biennially) and assemblymen for two years. Members of the legislature receive $8 a day while in at- tendance and 40 cents a mile in going to and returning from the seat of government. Reg- ular sessions cannot exceed 60 days, and are held biennially, commencing on the first Mon- day in January of odd years. The judicial power is vested in a supreme court, district courts, and justices of the peace. The su- preme court consists of a chief and two asso- ciate justices (salary $7,000 each), elected for six years, one retiring every two years. The state is divided into nine judicial districts, in each of which a district judge is elected for four years. Justices of the peace are elected in the various cities and townships for two years. In civil cases that require a jury three fourths may render a verdict. The right of suffrage is conferred by the constitution upon all white male citizens of the United States of sound mind and not convicts, who have at- tained the age of 21 years, and have actually resided in the state six months and in the dis- trict or county 30 days next preceding the election. Under the federal constitution col- ored citizens have the right to vote. Gen- eral elections occur on the Tuesday next after the first Monday of November of even years. Amendments to the constitution must be pro- posed by two successive legislatures and adopt- ed by the people. A convention to revise the constitution may be called by a two-thirds vote of each house of the legislature, ratified by a vote of the people. The circulation of bank notes or paper of any kind as money, except federal currency and notes of banks authorized by congress, is prohibited. In the absence of special agreement the rate of in- terest is 10 per cent., but any rate maybe stip- ulated for in writing. Nevada is entitled to two senators and one representative in con- gress, and therefore has three votes in the electoral college. The assessed value of real estate in 1870, according to the United States census, was $14,594,722 ; of personal property, $11,146,251 ; total assessed value, $25,740,973 ; total true value of property, $31,134,012. The total taxation was $820,308, of which $298,- 411 was state, $498,062 county, and $23,835 town, city, &c. ; total public debt, $1,986,093, of which $642,894 was state, $987,423 county, and $355,776 town, city, &c. The state debt includes bonds to the amount of $58,000 held by the school fund ; the amount of the interest and sinking fund was $86,121. The assessed value of property for 1874, according to the report of the comptroller, was: real estate, $14,125,578 01 ; personal estate, $12,504,701 -21; total, $26,630,279 22; state tax thereon ($1 25 on $100), $332,878 49 ; county tax, $562,555 46; total taxation on property, $895,- 433 95 ; besides which a state tax is levied on the net proceeds of mines, at the same rate as the state tax on property. A poll tax of $4, one half for state and one half for county pur- poses, is also levied on each male resident be- tween 21 and 60 years of age. The receipts into the state treasury during 1874 were $570,- 277, viz. : from property tax, $275,369 65 ; tax on proceeds of mines, $163,114 28; state poll tax, $25,196 20; gaming licenses, $16,756 23; fines, $2,562 40; state prison, $21,701 60; sales of state lands, $42,480 42 ; the rest from mis- cellaneous sources. The total expenditures du- ring the same period amounted to $641,856 31, viz. : for salaries and contingencies of execu- tive department, $61,012 27 ; salaries and con- tingencies of judicial department, $25,876 ; state library, $2,601 78; support of state prison, in- cluding salaries of warden and deputy, $64,090 27 ; charitable purposes, $38,478 29, including $12,121 28 for state orphans' home, $25,429 36 for support of indigent insane, and $927 65 of deaf mutes and blind; state capitol, $15,464 40; support of schools, $30,510 79; interest on state bonds, $64,304 24; purchase of United States gold bonds for investment, $271,783 77 ; construction of new prison at Eeno, $50,601 87; state university, $1,479 38; miscellaneous purposes, $15,652 55. The balance in the treasury on Dec. 31, 1874, was $518,717 21 ($489,177 07 coin and $29,540 14 currency), viz. : belonging to the general fund, $322,335 58; school funds, $43,401 93; interest and sinking funds, $67,437 57; university funds, $30,316 10; various special funds, $55,226 03. The state debt at the above date amounted to $752,361 37, viz. : 10 per cent, bonds due April 1, 1881, $160,000; 9 per cent, bonds due March 1, 1882, $120,000; 9 per cent, bonds due March 1, 1887, $380,000; accrued interest, $19,833 32 ; outstanding warrants, $73,528 05. The assets were as follows : state bonds belong- ing to school fund, $104,000; United States bonds belonging to school fund, $146,000 ; Uni- ted States bonds belonging to sinking fund, $100,000; United States bonds belonging to university fund, $10,000 ; accrued interest, $10,853 33 ; balance in treasury, $518,717 21 ; total, $889,570 54. According to the reports of the county auditors for 1874, the aggregate debt of the counties was $1,296,208 48, of which $1,026,183 14 was funded and $270,025 34 floating ; amount of cash in county treasu- ries, $306,767 07; estimated value of property belonging to counties, $444,175. The state in- stitutions are the state prison, now near Car- son City ; the state orphans' home, in that city ; and the state university, at Elko. New prison buildings are in course of construction near Reno. The indigent insane are supported by the state at a private institution in California, while the blind and deaf mutes are provided for at the California state institution. The constitution requires the legislature to estab-