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Large sums, the amount which any one individual should be allowed to deposit should be limited. I suggest further for the consideration of the Legislature whether the classes of securities in which these institutions invest should not be prescribed by law, and any investment by trustees in violation of it made a misdemeanor.

INSURANCE DEPARTMENT.

The number of insurance companies subject to the supervision of the Insurance Department on the first day of December, 1872, was 264, as follows:

New York Joint-Stock Fire Insurance Companies.

New York Mutual Fire Insurance Companies
New York Marine Insurance Companies.

93

7

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9

32

New York Life Insurance Companies
Fire Insurance Companies of other States
Marine Insurance Companies of other States
Life Insurance Companies of other States..
Casualty Insurance Companies of other States..
Foreign Insurance Companies..

Total .....

78

1

28

3

13

264

The total amount of stocks and mortgages held by the Department for the protection of policyholders of Life and Casualty Insurance Companies of this State, and of Foreign Insurance Companies doing business within it, is $9,107,493.54, as follows:

For protection of policyholders generally, in Life
Insurance Companies of this State...
For protection of registered policyholders exclu-

sively

For protection of casualty policyholders exclu-
sively...

For protection of fire policyholders in Foreign
Insurance Companies

$3,961,143 54

2,815,350 00

1,000 00

2,027,000 00

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The uniformed militia of the State, known as the National Guard of New York, consists of eight divisions and twenty-five brigades, distributed among the different arms as follows, viz.: One regiment, one battalion and nine separate troops of cavalry, twelve batteries of artillery, thirty-seven regiments and six battalions of infantry; making an aggregate of twenty-three thousand six hundred and seventy-two officers, non-commissioned officers, musicians and privates.

I need not say how important it is to give to the different corps the greatest possible efficiency in organization and the most effective armament. Without much opportunity for observation, I nevertheless have the impression that little remains to be done by law to accomplish both objects. It is my purpose to give special attention, through my military staff, to the inspection of the troops, arsenals and armories, and to the drill by brigades, when it is practicable, so that regiments may be prepared to act in larger bodies in case of sudden emergency. I have the pleasure of communicating for your information the following extract from the annual report of the late faithful and zealous Adjutant-General: "The excellence of the National Guard in drill, discipline and general efficiency has continued, and it may safely be said that never before in its history has it stood higher in reputation or enjoyed in a greater degree the good will of the people."

QUARANTINE.

During the past year one hundred and fifty-two (152) vessels were detained in quarantine for sickness which had occurred on them while in port or on their passage to New York.

One hundred and fifteen (115) vessels had six hundred and eighty (680) cases of small-pox, of which two hundred and seventyfour (274) were fatal, nearly all the deaths occurring before the vessels reached port. This extraordinary number of deaths is due to the use of the old sailing packets from Germany, where the emigration, after the close of the war, was greater than the capacity of the steamships.

On board of these one hundred and fifteen vessels there were exposed to the disease, in a greater or less degree, seventy-three thousand three hundred and six (73,306) persons, passengers and

crew.

Thirty-four (34) vessels had yellow fever on them; on these there were one hundred and sixty-nine (169) cases and forty-seven (47) deaths, there being nine hundred and five (905) persons exposed.

Twenty-four (24) of these vessels had yellow fever on board at the time of their arrival, and forty-five (45) cases were sent from them to the West Bank Hospital, and nine (9) of them proved fatal.

Four (4) vessels brought six (6) cases of ship fever, to which two thousand six hundred and ten (2,610) persons were exposed. Twelve (12) vessels arrived from ports known to be infected with cholera, but no cases of cholera occurred.

During the quarantine season, from the first of April to the first of November, one hundred and thirty (130) vessels from ports infected with yellow fever were detained for observation. Of these, seventy-one (71) were required to lighter the whole, or part, of their cargoes, before going to the city. Sixty-four (64) of them were from the port of Havana, and the remaining seven (7) from the ports of Pernambuco, Manzanilla and Maracaibo. The experiment of leaving the work on these vessels entirely in the hands of the owners, subject only to such sanitary restrictions as were necessary to the public safety, was tried by the health officer with signal success. Any responsible person is permitted

to work upon the ships who has authority from the owners of vessels or cargoes, and executes a bond to the health officer for the strict observance of the rules for sanitary restraint and detention.

HOFFMAN ISLAND.

During the year an earnest effort has been made to complete the buildings on the upper quarantine structure, known as Hoffman Island. The three buildings will be ready for use by the opening of spring. In anticipation of their being in readiness, the steamship Albany, which was loaned to quarantine by the United States authorities, has been returned.

The steamboat Andrew Fletcher, belonging to the quarantine department, was burned during the month of December while lying at the dock, and when no fire or steam had been raised for the last eight hours. The accident was caused by defective felting over the boiler. In view of the necessity which exists for a boat, for the general operations of quarantine, and the superintendence of the work now in process of construction on Hoffman island, the boat should at once be rebuilt.

The health officer, in connection with the commissioners of quarantine, acting under authority of the law passed at the last session of the legislature, has selected and contracted for a site to be used as a boarding station for vessels arriving from non-infected ports.

I recommend the discontinuance of the commissioners of quarantine as a salaried board, continuing then as a court of appeal from the decisions of the health officer, with a per diem allowance when actually employed. The main object for which the board was created has been substantially accomplished, and by the arrangement proposed a considerable sum will be saved.

Under the present faithful and efficient health officer complaints against the administration of the office have ceased. To be prepared for the possible maladministration of the office by an incumbent of a different character, I think the power of removal, formerly possessed by the Governor, should be restored to him.

EMIGRATION.

The number of alien emigrants landed at the port of New York during the year 1871 was 229,639, and the number landed during the year 1872, 293,603, making an excess during the latter year of 63,964.

The institutions of the commission consist of the emigrant landing depot at Castle Garden, and hospitals, refuges and other buildings sufficient for 2,500 sick and destitute emigrants, with 120 acres of land on Ward's Island. All alien passengers on their arrival at New York, for whom commutation is paid, are entitled to the protection of the commission, for a period of five years from the date of their arrival. The board after an experience of nearly two years find the commutation fee of $1.50, to which sum it was reduced from $2.50 by the legislature in 1871, inadequate to the legitimate and necessary expenses of the department, although carried on, as the commissioners state, as economically as it was by their predecessors in office; and they ask that the attention of the legislature may be called to the subject. Their annual report will be submitted before the 1st of February, containing all information in regard to their receipts and disbursements.

CANALS.

The revenues of the canals from all sources for

the fiscal year ending the 30th September, 1872,

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The surplus would have been larger by the sum of $577,181.38 but for a deficiency to that amount in the revenues of the lateral canals to meet the expenditures upon them. It is hardly fair to

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