regular industry; and when thus prepared to be trustworthy and service. able, by finding employment for them in situations in which they may qualify themselves to engage successfully in the various lawful occupations of life, and to become wholesome members of society.

The male and female departments are kept properly separated; and whatever appertains to a just sense of decorum and modest manners, is vigilantly attended to. The boys are kept at moderate but regular labor, in various mechanical and other employments; and the house-work, as well as the making and mending of the clothes, and the sewing of every kind required in the institution, is all done by the girls under the direction and supervision of the matron and her two assistants. With all this regular labor, so vital to the great purpose of reform and to the preparation of these young persons for subsequent usefulness and respectability, ample time is allowed for daily recreation.

When this House of Refuge was incorporated, the design was limited to the reception of subjects only from the city and county of New-York. But subsequently, when its utility became conspicuous, it was empowered to receive delinquents from the other counties, if there should be room, when sent by an order of the County General Sessions; and its authority has been again enlarged by a law under which State prison convicts, not over 17 years old, may be received on an order from the Governor of the State, founded on the recommendation of the State prison Inspectors.

The present Board of Managers is composed as follows: Stephen Allen, President. James Lovett, Hugh Maxwell, Wm. W. Fox, Robert C. Cornell, Jacob Drake, Anthony Lamb, Vice-Presidents. Cornelius Dubois, Treasurer. John A. Gourlie, Secretary. Augustin Averill, Silas Brown, D. C. Colden, Samuel Downer, Jr., John R Townshend, Shepherd Knapp. Robert Kelly, Rufus L. Lord, Charles M. Leupp, James Marsh, Mahlon Day, Harvey P. Peet, Israel Russell, B. L. Wooley, Robert D. Weeks, John T. Adams, John A. Weeks, Joshua S. Underhill, James N. Cobb, P. A. Schermerhorn, Walter Underhill, members.

For the more convenient and efficient transaction of business, the board has organized, from its own members, several permanent committees charged with specific duties, as follow:

Indenturing Committee.-Israel Russell, Joshua S. Underhill, Jacob Drake. They apprentice boys.

Acting Committee.-A. Averell, D C. Colden, Robert D. Weeks, John H. Gourlie, B. L. Woolley, Robert Kelly, Charles M. Leupp. Their duties have a wide range.

Finance Committee.-Robert C. Cornell, James Lovett. Their style indicates their duties.

Besides the above, the Board has organized a committee of Ladies, who visit and supervise the female department, advise with the matron and the Board, and assist in finding places for the girls. This committee is as follows:

Ladies' Committee.-Phoebe Barfe, Ann Coit, Almy Cornell, Mary Day, Ann Gillet, Sarah C. Hawkhurst, Rebecca McComb, Phila Reed, Isabella Scott, Ann Warner, Eliza P. Tomlinson, Maria L. Hyde, Eliza beth U. Willis, and Sarah Hall.

The officers residing in the instiutution and charged with its internal ope. rations and discipline are as follow.

Superintendent, Samuel S. Wood. Assistant Superintendent, Elijah De Voe. Chaplain, Thomas S. Barrett, M. D. Visiting Physician, Galen Carter, M. D. Teacher, T. C. McKennee. Matron, Phoebe Wood. 1st Assistant Matron, Sarah H. Wood. 2nd Assistant Matron, Sarah Doty.

Tompkins County,

25

12

46

11

Returned from friends,or f'm indentures,
One from each of 11 other Counties,...

Of 177 of the white children received in 1844, the parentage of 47 was American; of 88, Irish; 22, English; of 14, German; of 5, Scotch; of 1, French; making 130 children of foreigners.

Of the 276 boys disposed of, in 1844, 86 whites and 30 blacks were indentured to farmers; 14 whites to shoe-makers; and the others, both whites and blacks, to about 20 different classes of mechanics, except 6 whites and 3 blacks apprenticed to whaling masters.

Of the 68 girls bound to household service, 62 were white, and 6 col. ored.

The Teacher's report, dated January 8, 1845, states the number then in the boy's school at 241, and they had made good progress in the usual ele mentary studies. When they entered most of them could neither read, nor write, nor cypher. The school library has 600 volumes, and is very useful.

The girls are well instructed in household affairs, and receive tuition daily in the several brenches of common education.

Sunday schools and the various services of the Chaplain are among the most efficient means of discipline and improvement. A copious supply of water is received from the Croton Aqueduct; strict attention is paid to personal cleanliness; and the health of the inmates is usually good.

The Receipts, for 1844, amounted to $22.797.99, of which $7,030.84 were proceeds of the labor of the inmates; $8,000 were from the State ap propriation; $3,194, from licenses of theatres and circusses; $4,000 from N. Y. city excises; and $573.15 from the collections of the Finance Com mittee.

The Expenditures were $22,484. Chief items, $6,371 for provisions; $3,923 for salaries; $3,680 for new work-shops and repair of old ones.

A diary is regularly kept and many extracts from it enrich the appendix of the annual report and serve to illustrate the value of the institution to society and the blessings it provides for its inmates. A specimen or two must serve. An entry of August 22, 1844, says: "G. R., who left 12 years ago and is now about 30 years old, called to see his old home," to-day. He married respectably 6 years ago, and is getting along comfortably. His language is "I owe much to the House of Refuge." Happily the debt is amply repaid in his good conduct,"

An entry of August 28th, states that 8 children were that day indentured. Another of Sept. 10th, shows that a Mr. F. had been so well pleased with two apprentices he had already taken from the House of Refuge, that he had that day taken a third. Another of Sept. 14th, speaks of a House of Refuge boy, who had been indentured 11 years before to a farmer in the Western part of the State, and who had served out his time so well that his master had voluntarily given him, on leaving, $75. He was a very intelligent and promising young man, and on his return to the west, intended to go to an Academy and become a land-surveyor. Another of Oct. 2nd, speaks of one who had left the House of Refuge ten years before, who had made himself a thorough master of his trade, and is now plying it on his own account, on a broad scale, and employing many hands; he is well married, has two children, and is so much respected by his neighbors that they had named their place of residence after him. His object in calling was to procure a girl to go into service in his family. Very many similar cases might be cited.

The managers take much pains to keep track of their children, when they leave the institution, and for this purpose an extensive correspon dence is kept up with the persons who take them into service. They receive, also, a great many letters from the children themselves. The appendix of the Annual Report gives many of these letters, some of which are deeply affecting and all of them instructive to the thoughtful mind.

ALBANY ORPHAN ASYLUM.

This Asylum was founded in 1830, and incorporated March 30, 1831, by the name of " The Society for the relief of Orphan and Destitute Chil dren in the City of Albany.

The asylum edifice, which is of brick, and of two stories on a high basement, with five acres of land, is situated about a mile westerly from the capitol. The general control of the institution is vested in a board of thir. teen managers, having a President, Secretary, and Treasurer, chosen from their own number, and its domestic concerns are conducted by a Superintendent, a Teacher, and an Assistant Teacher, all females. The children are taught the rudiments of learning usual to the common schools; besides which the girls are taught plain sewing, knitting, and such household matters as their years allow, and the boys are employed occasionally in the garden and about the other grounds. After attaining the age of eight years, they are bound out, the girls till the age of eighteen years, and the boys till twenty-one, to such persons as can furnish to a committee of managers satisfactory evidence that they are suitable persons to receive them. The children at present in the Asylum number from 50 to 60. The health of this institution has always been truly remarkable. The Asylum is supported mainly by donations from the citizens of Albany.

The Managers are-Archibald McIntyre, President; John I. Wendell, Ira Harris, James Dexter, Rev. Win. James, John Q. Wilson, William Thorburn, Ichabod L. Judson, James D. Wasson, Eli Perry, Lawson Annesley, Members; James Dexter, Secretary; and Dyer Lathrop, Treas.

urer.

ST. JOSEPH'S ROMAN CATHOLIC ORPHAN ASYLUM.

This Asylum was founded in 1832, and incorporated April 12, 1842. It is under the immediate care of "The Sisters of Charity, subject to the general authority and direction of a Board of Managers. The Asylum edifice is on Lodge-street, in the rear of St. Mary's Church. The number of charity children in the Asylum, in the winter of 1845, was 15; boys 3, girls 12; who are taught the rudiments of common learning, needle-work,

ordinary household affairs, &c. Besides the children gratuitously taken care of, female boarders are received and instructed for pay, as one of the means of supporting the institution.

The officers are Thomas Gough, President; Owen Murray, Vice-Presi dent; John Tracy, Secretary; Peter M. Morange, Treasurer,

BUFFALO ORPHAN ASYLUM.A

Incorporated April, 1837. The object of this institution is to provide an asylum for orphan and destitute children. It was first formed in 1835, by a few charitable and benevolent ladies, and is supported by voluntary contributions. The asylum building is situated on Niagara-street, and now contains 50 inmates.

Albert H. Tracy, President.

Henry Hamilton, Secretary.
William Madison, Steward and Collector.

ROCHESTER ORPHAN ASYLUM.

Established in 1836, and incorporated in 1838. It is situated between Greig and Exchange streets, in the south part of the city, on a beautiful piece of ground, the munificent donation of Mr. J. Greig, of Canandaigua. The building is substantial and commodious, fifty feet square, two stories high, besides an attic and basement. Between fifty and sixty orphans here find a comfortable home, under the maternal care of the matron. Mrs. Chester Dewey, President. Miss Emily Hills, Secretary. Mrs. Thos. H. Rochester, Treas'r. Mrs. Tobey, Matron.

ROMAN CATHOLIC ORPHAN ASYLUM, ROCHESTER. Situated on the corner of Frank-street and Vought alley. It was opened for the reception of orphan children, July 5, 1843. The ground on which it stands was purchased by the congregation of St. Patrick's church, and was erected principally by them, aided by the liberality of several benevolent citizens of Rochester. It is calculated to accommodate about 30 inmates. It is at present managed by Miss Kelly, but will soon be placed under the care of the Sisters of Charity.

GEOLOGICAL ROOMS.

The State Geological Rooms in the Old State Hall, in the city of Albany, contain extensive collections illustrating the Natural History of the State of New York. The following is a brief account of the arrangement adopted by the Geologists, for the display of the specimens collected during the survey, from 1837 to 1840, inclusive.

By the original plan of the Geological Survey, each Geologist was required to make a collection of eight suites of the rocks, minerals, soils, &c., of his respective district. One of these was to be deposited at Albany, as a State collection, and the seven remaining ones were to be delivered to such Literary Institutions as the Secretary of State should direct. In the departments of Zoology and Botany, a single suite of specimens only, was required. In the Mineralogical department, although their requirement was not made, the plan has been adopted and eight suites have been col lected.

By an act of the Legislature of 1840, the Old State Hall, at that time occupied by the State Officers, was appropriated for the purpose of arrang. ing and exhibiting the collections in the different departments of the survey. The collection is arranged in five rooms, each one presenting a distinct

department of the results of the survey. Four of these rooms are on the ground floor, and one in the second story; the latter occupies the whole length and breadth of the building, being about 70 feet long and 40 feet wide. This room is provided with a gallery extending entirely around it.

1. The upper hall is devoted to the Geological collection strictly, in which the different rocks are arranged in a series of cases in the order in which they occur in nature; beginning with the lowest known rocks, and progressing through the series to the highest rock in the State. A single case is devoted to each rock or group, and contains an assemblage of speci mens characteristic of the same. By this arrangement there are nearly the same facilities offered for the study of the rocks and their typical fossils as we have in the field.

2. In the gallery of the same room, another arrangement of similar specimens is designed, viz: a Geographical one, in which the rocks, minerals, ores, &c., from each county in the State, will be arranged in separate cases, thus affording means of reference to the productions of every part of the State. In the same collection it is proposed also to place the soils of each county or town, with their relative situation to the rocks occupying the same. This measure, if carried into effect, will be of immense advantage,rendering the science of Geology, and the whole collection subservient to the interest of agriculture. It will at once be seen that if the qualities of the different soils and their associated rocks are known, the best method of improving them can readily be suggested, and in most cases as readily carried into effect. For throughout the greater part of the State, the materials for replenishing worn out and exhausted soils are to be found near the surface, and usually readily obtained.

Since Agriculture is about to take its place among the exact sciences, being in fact subject to the laws which govern other sciences or objects in nature, it is desirable to know something of its relations to Chemistry and Geology, as it is indeed no other than the results produced by chemical and vital laws upon geological productions.

3. On the lower floors one room is devoted to the metalic ores and other minerals of the State, which are arranged according to their associations. In explanation of this mode we remark, that observation has proved that certain mineral substances are always found together, in the same beds and under similar conditions or relations. Those kinds therefore which are found together are placed in the same case. A visiter is thus able to see at a glance, what minerals occur together, and how they are generally disposed in their native beds, and in what rocks they are likely to be found. Thus, as an example, the magnetic and specular oxides of iron always occur in primary rocks, brown tourmaline in primary limestone, chromate of iron in serpentine, tin in granite, hæmatitie iron in rocks of the Taconic system, &c.

4. In the rear of the above room, cases have been fitted up for the reception of the Birds of the State, in which there are specimens properly prepared, and arranged according to their respective families.

5. The arrangement of simple minerals in the department of mineralogy proper, is according to their composition, or in other words, it is made on chemical principles. This method has been preferred to the natural one in which they are placed, according to external resemblances.

6. In the middle room are arranged the volumes containing the dried specimens of the New-York plants. They form together an Herbarium of fifty bound fo'io volumes, arranged according to the natural method, on thick fine paper. It forms a collection of great value, which may always be consulted by those who are pursuing the study of this very useful department of knowledge.