MANUFACTURES AND COMMERCE.

Apart from the city of St. Louis, this State is not largely engaged in manufactures. In 1860, the capital invested in them amounted to $20,500,000, and the annual product to $43,500,000.

An active trade is conducted by the towns along the Mississippi and Missouri rivers. St. Louis, on the former stream, is one of the most important commercial cities in the Union. The State has no foreign commerce, its products being shipped from New Orleans and the Atlantic ports, from which also its imports are drawn.

INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS.

In 1868, there were 937 miles of completed railroads in Missouri, constructed at a cost of $51,358,000. There is railroad communication between St. Louis and the principal towns, and that city is connected by the roads of Illinois with all parts of the Union. A main line extends from St. Louis, across the State into Kansas.

EDUCATION.

There are 11 colleges in Missouri, the principal of which is the State University, at Columbia. It is liberally endowed, and will soon be enlarged by the addition of an Agricultural Department. It has also a Normal Department. There are a separate State Normal College, and a private Normal School in successful operation.

The schools of St. Louis are distinct from those of the State, and enjoy a high rank.

The educational system of the State is under the control of a Superintendent of Public Schools, who is elected by the people for two years. The State is divided into as many school districts as it has Congressional Districts, each of which is controlled by a Board of Directors. Each district is divided into as many sub-districts as neces sity may require, and each sub-district is in charge of a local director. These local directors constitute the Board of Directors for the entire district. Each county is under the supervision of a County Superin

tendent, who is elected by the people for two years. The permanent school fund amounted, in 1870, to $1,674,986. In the year 1867, the State expended $1,074,141 for the support of the public schools. In the same year, there were 4840 public schools in the State, attended by 169,270 pupils.

PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS.

The State Penitentiary is located at Jefferson City, and, in 1870, contained 797 convicts. The labor of the prisoners is let out to

contractors.

The Missouri Institution for the Education of the Blind, at St. Louis, was established in 1851. It is supported, in part, by the State, private donations doing the rest. In 1868, it contained 70 pupils.

The Asylum for the Deaf and Dumb, at Fulton, was closed during the war, but was reopened in 1866.

The Insane Asylum is at Fulton, and is in a flourishing condition. In 1867, it contained about 420 patients.

RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS.

In 1860, there were 1577 churches in Missouri. The value of church property was $4,509,767.

LIBRARIES AND NEWSPAPERS.

In 1860, the State contained 310 libraries, with 184,884 volumes. In the same year, there were 173 newspapers and periodicals (16 of which were daily) published in Missouri. Their aggregate annual circulation was 29,741,464 copies.

FINANCES.

In 1870, the total bonded debt of the State was $17,886,000. The receipts of the Treasury for 15 months ending December 31st, 1870, were $2,847,035, and the expenditures for the same period $10,037,137.

In 1868, there were 8 State banks, with a capital of $1,960,300, and 18 National banks, with a capital of $7,810,300, doing business in the State.

GOVERNMENT.

Male citizens of the United States, and male foreigners who have lawfully declared their intention to become citizens, not less than

one year, nor more than five years, before they offer to vote, who have resided in the State one year, and in the county 60 days, are entitled to vote at the elections.

The Government is vested in a Governor, Lieutenant-Governor, Secretary of State, Treasurer, Auditor, and Attorney-General, and a Legislature, consisting of a Senate (of 34 members) and a House of Representatives (of 137 members), all elected by the people. The State officers and Representatives are chosen for two years. Senators are elected for four years, one-half retiring biennially. The general election is held in November, and the Legislature meets biennially, in December.

The Courts of the State are the Supreme Court (consisting of three judges), Circuit Courts, District Courts, and County Courts. All judges are elected by the people.

The seat of Government is located at Jefferson City.
The State is divided into 113 counties.

HISTORY.

Missouri was originally a French province, and was included in the Louisiana purchase of 1803. It was first visited by Marquette and Joliet in 1673, during their memorable voyage down the Mississippi. In 1719, Fort Orleans was built at the mouth of the Osage River, not far from the present capital of the State. In 1720, the lead mines were first worked by the French. The town of St. Genevieve was founded in 1755, and St. Louis in 1764. These were speedily followed by other settlements, the whole region forming a part of the Province of Louisiana, which, in 1763, was ceded by France to Spain. The Spaniards were very liberal and politic in their treatment of this part of their new province, and the settlers had no reason to complain of the change.

At the time of the Revolution, the population of St. Louis was about 800 souls. In 1780, a force of 1500 British and Indians from the Lakes laid siege to it, and invested it for a week, reducing it to great straits, and killing 60 or 70 of the inhabitants. Fortunately, a force of Kentuckians, under General Rogers Clarke, came to its relief, and drove the enemy away.

After the peace of 1783, Spain retained possession of Louisiana, and the east bank of the Mississippi became the property of the United States. Settlers from the United States crossed over repeatedly to the Spanish shore, and built their cabins. They were not suffered to re

main in peace by the authorities, and this led to a diplomatic correspondence between Spain and the United States, by which the former granted the free navigation of the Mississippi to the Americans. The Spanish officials on the river, however, paid no attention to the treaty, and there was every prospect of a serious difficulty between the two countries when the cession of Louisiana to France by Spain, and its purchase by the United States, removed all danger of hostilities.

The new territory was at once divided into two Governments, the Territory of Orleans, and the District of Louisiana. Soon after this, the Territory of Orleans was admitted into the Union as the State of Louisiana. The name of the District was at once changed to Missouri Territory. Emigrants came in rapidly, and, in 1810, the population was 20,845. In 1817, it was 60,000.

The people of Missouri now applied for admission into the Union as a State. Slavery existed in the Territory, and they were anxious to retain it in the new State. The Free Soil party of the country opposed its admission as a slave-holding State, and the South and the Democratic party sustained the demand of the Missourians. A severe political struggle, which has already been described, at once began, and continued for two years with such violence that it threatened to destroy the Union. It was allayed by a compromise offered by Henry Clay, that Missouri should be admitted as a slaveholding State; but that slavery should never exist in the territory north of 36° 30′ N. latitude. A settlement being effected upon this condition, Missouri was admitted as a State on the 14th of December, 1821.

During the excitement in Kansas and Nebraska, the western border of Missouri became the scene of almost constant hostilities between the Pro-slavery men and Free Settlers of Kansas.

At the outbreak of the Rebellion, an unsuccessful effort was made to force the State into the Southern Confederacy. It failed through the superior vigilance and promptness of the Union men of the State. The population was divided between the Union and the Confederacy, and thousands of troops entered both armies. The American population was almost a unit in favor of the South, while the foreigners were Union men. Several severe battles were fought in the State, and many minor encounters occurred within its limits. The State was held by the United States army during the war, and its civil government was almost suspended until after the return of peace. A new Constitution was adopted in 1865, and amended by the popular vote in 1870.

CITIES AND TOWNS.

Besides the capital, the principal cities and towns of the State are St. Louis, St. Joseph's, Hannibal, Lexington, Carondelet, St. Charles, Weston, Booneville, Washington, Brunswick, Columbia, Independence, Liberty, Palmyra, and Springfield.

8'

JEFFERSON CITY,

In Cole county, is the capital of the State. It is situated on the right bank of the Missouri River, 155 miles by water above St. Louis, and 980 miles from Washington City. Latitude 38° 36' N.; longitude 92° 8′ W. The situation is picturesque, the city being located on a commanding bluff, from which an extensive view is obtained. The city is tolerably well built, but, apart from being the capital of the State, has few attractions. The State House is the principal building. It is constructed of stone, and presents a magnificent appearance from the river below the town. The city contains the Governor's Mansion, the State Penitentiary, several schools, public and private, about 5 churches, and 2 newspaper offices. In 1870 the population was 4420.

In 1821, Jefferson City was chosen as the capital of the State, and in 1822 the town was laid out.

ST. LOUIS,

In the county of the same name, is the metropolis of the State, the largest city of the Western States, and the fourth city with regard to population in the United States. It is situated on the west bank of the Mississippi, 20 miles below the mouth of the Missouri River, 174 miles above the mouth of the Ohio, 774 miles below the Falls of St. Anthony, 1194 miles above New Orleans, 856 miles west-by-south of Washington, and 128 miles east of Jefferson City.

"The site rises from the river by two plateaus of limestone formation; the first 20 and the other 60 feet above the floods of the Mississippi. The ascent to the first plateau, or bottom as it may be termed, is somewhat abrupt; the second rises more gradually, and spreads out into an extensive plain, affording fine views of the city and river. St. Louis extends in all nearly 7 miles by the curve of the Mississippi, and about 3 miles back; the thickly settled portion, however, is only 2 or 2 miles in length, following the river, and about 1 miles in breadth. The city is well laid out, the streets being for the most part.