one of the (eastern) United States of North America, lies between 41° 30' and 43° 52' N. Lat., and 69° 30' and 77° 30' W. Long. It is bounded N. by New Hampshire and Vermont, S. by Connecticut and Rhode Island, E. by the Atlantic Ocean, and W. by New York. It is about 190 miles in length, with an average breadth of nearly 90 miles, and an area of about 7300 square miles. Among the six New England states, Massachusetts holds a central position, and is the most important of them in several points of view. It presents a surface pleasantly undulated with hills and valleys, and is naturally divided into three distinct zones. The first, stretching along the seashore, and extending 20 miles into the interior, is a belt of marine alluvium, little elevated above the ocean, and naturally fertile only at intervals. This plain is succeeded by a fine hilly tract, which crosses the state from N. to S., and from which rivers are poured in every direction. The second or middle zone includes part of the beautiful valley of Connecticut, and is followed by the mountainous but highly fertile county of Berkshire, which comprises the whole western part of the state. The soil of Massachusetts is exceedingly various, comprising every description, from the most sterile to the most productive. In the eastern and south-eastern parts it is in general light and sandy, interspersed, however, with numerous fertile tracts. Towards the sea-coast on the N., it is of better quality, though not distinguished for fertility. By careful cultivation, however, both this and other parts of the state have been rendered highly productive. The middle and western regions have for the most part a rich, soil, excellent for grazing, and suited to most other agricultural purposes. Viewed at a glance, the surface of this state swells from the Atlantic Ocean to the hills, then sinks into the highly picturesque valley of Connecticut, and again rises into the mountainous region of Berkshire. The principal mountains are a part of the Green Mountain range, which stretches from N. to S., through the western part of the state. The most elevated summits of this ridge are Saddle Mountain, near the north-western angle of the state, and Talimock on the western border. These mountains present a great variety of beautiful and impressive scenery, noble elevations alternating with dark green forests and pleasant well-sheltered valleys. Mount Tom and Mount Holyoke, near the Connecticut River, are striking elevations, and from their summits afford a beautiful prospect of the surrounding country. A second ridge passes through the state near its centre. The greatest elevation of this ridge is that of Wachuset, in the town of Princeton. The state abounds in small lakes, which are generally called ponds. The largest of these are the Assawamset and Long Ponds in Middleborough, Podunk and Quabang Ponds in Brookfield, and the Nauckeag Ponds in Ashburnham. The last-named are situated more than 1100 feet above the level of the sea, and several other ponds in the western part of the state have a still higher elevation. Massachusetts has no very large rivers wholly within its bounds. The Connecticut traverses it from N. to S., and is navigable by steam-boats of 12 feet draught, above 30 miles from its mouth. The Merrimac passes out of New Hampshire into the northern division of the state, and empties itself into the sea at Newburyport. The Housatonic, Charles, Ipswich, Concord, Blackstone, Miller's, Chicopee, Deerfield, Westfield, Neposset, and Taunton, though they have short courses, are pleasant streams. Indeed no country is better provided with rivers and streams, which flow in all directions, and afford abundance of water for every necessary purpose. The rivers abound in falls admirably adapted for mill sites.

Every product which the northern states furnish, and much that is not indigenous to the soil and climate, have been naturalized in Massachusetts by skill and careful cultivation. The principal productions are Indian corn, rye, wheat, oats, barley, peas, beans, buckwheat, potatoes, hops, and hemp. Beef, pork, butter, and cheese, are abundant in most parts of the state, and of excellent quality; the county of Berkshire, in particular, is distinguished for its extensive dairies. There are fine orchards in many parts of the state. The fruits principally cultivated are apples, pears, quinces, plums, cherries, and currants. Peaches are also cultivated to a considerable extent, but they are generally of an inferior quality to those produced further south,—the principal towns in the state being chiefly supplied with that delicious fruit from New York and New Jersey. Great quantities of cider are annually made, and this formerly constituted the common beverage of the majority of the inhabitants.

There are several valuable mines in Massachusetts. Bog-iron ore is found in several parts, and there are many establishments for working it. In Southampton, Hampshire county, there is a lead mine, to which a subterranean passage of about 900 feet through solid rock has been made; but it has not been wrought for many years, owing to the facility with which the article is obtained from mines in the west, especially from Missouri. There are inexhaustible quarries of marble and limestone, and an abundance of granite of the best description for building. Soapstone, slate, ochre, and other mineral productions, are also to be met with in various parts.

A greater number of persons are engaged in commerce in this than in any other state in the Union. It shares in the greater proportion of the bank and whale fisheries of the United States. In this branch of industry many thousands of men are employed. The shipping is more extensive than that of any other state; and in the importance of its foreign commerce Massachusetts is second only to New York. The principal articles of export are—fish, beef, pork, lumber, ardent spirits, flax-seed, whale-oil, spermaceti, and various manufactures, as those of cotton cloth, boots and shoes, leather, cordage, wrought and cast iron, nails, woolens, straw bonnets, hats, cabinet-work, paper, oil, and muskets. There is an extensive national establishment for the manufacture of arms at Springfield.

There being no very large rivers in Massachusetts to facilitate intercourse far into the interior, a number of canals were undertaken about the beginning of the present century; but since the introduction of railroads these have sunk into insignificance, and are almost entirely disused. There was the Middlesex Canal, of about 37 miles in length, connecting Boston Harbour with the waters of the interior of New Hampshire. Around the falls in Connecticut River, called Turner's Falls, at South Hadley, there is a canal cut through solid rock, more than 40 feet deep and 300 feet long. Other falls on the Connecticut, above and below South Hadley, have been obviated by canals, dams, and other improvements, which make the river navigable for boats throughout the whole of its course in this state, and as far as Bath in New Hampshire. The Blackstone Canal extended from Providence in Rhode Island to Worcester in this state, about 45 miles S.; but it has now been rendered almost, if not quite useless, by a railroad nearly upon the same line, completed a few years since. The Farmington Canal extends from the city of New Haven in Connecticut to the S. line of Massachusetts, there connecting with the Hampshire and Hampden Canal, which extends to Northampton on the Connecticut River, a distance of about 35 miles.

The railroads of Massachusetts are the most striking feature of internal improvement which the state presents. Of these, in 1856 there were within its limits 1450 miles. The most important are—the Western 156 miles, Boston and Maine 83 miles, Old Colony and Fall River 87 miles, Vermont and Massachusetts 77 miles, Norwich and Worcester 66 miles, Fitchburg 68 miles, Boston and Worcester 68 miles, Boston and Providence 55 miles, Boston and New York Central 75 miles, Boston and Lowell 28 miles, Worcester and Nashua 46 miles, Providence and Worcester 43 miles, Connecticut River 52 miles, Eastern 60 miles, Cape Cod 47 miles, Cheshire 54 miles, New Bedford and Taunton 21 miles, Salem and Lowell 17 miles, Nashua and Lowell 15 miles. The lengths of the roads here given include the branches. Their construction, together with the equipments for running cars upon them, cost about L12,000,000.

The colleges in Massachusetts are—Harvard University at Cambridge, founded in 1636; Williams at Williams-town, founded in 1793; Amherst at Amherst, founded in 1821; Holy Cross, Worcester, founded in 1843; Tuft's College, Somerville, founded in 1854. All of these are Protestant institutions, except the Holy Cross, which is Catholic. Harvard College has a library of upwards of 100,000 volumes; Amherst has about 20,000 volumes. At Andover there is a well endowed theological institution. Academies and other schools for advanced pupils are found in all the principal towns in the state. No less important are the common town schools, established by law, which requires that every town and district containing fifty families shall be provided with a school or schools equivalent in time to six months for one school in a year; one containing a hundred families, twelve months; and so on; and the several towns in the state are authorized and required to raise such sums of money as are necessary for the support of the schools, and to assess and collect the money in the same manner as other town taxes. The schools are under the supervision of a school committee, chosen annually by each town. These committees consist of from three to seven persons. In 1855 the amount raised by taxation for the support of schools was about L237,000, and the number of schools was 4215. There is a school fund, which, in the end of the same year, amounted to about L338,750. The interest of this fund is annually distributed among the towns. The number of incorporated academies in the state is seventy-one, for the support of which there are local funds of about L135,000.

Slavery has not existed in Massachusetts since the Revolution. The Supreme Court of the state decided in 1783, that as, by the declaration in the Bill of Rights, "all men are born free and equal," slavery could not exist under it. This was a virtual abolition of slavery in Massachusetts, and there has never been any disposition among the inhabitants to restore it.

From the census, bearing date, June 1, 1855, the population of Massachusetts as shown at that time, was 1,133,123. The state is divided into fourteen counties, the names and population of which follow:—Barnstable, 35,877; Berkshire, 52,791; Bristol, 87,425; Dukes, 4401; Essex, 151,167; Franklin, 31,655; Hampden, 54,852; Hampshire, 35,485; Middlesex, 194,082; Nantucket, 8064; Norfolk, 94,448; Plymouth, 61,513; Suffolk, 171,818; and Worcester, 149,545. Included in the population, there are about 9000 negroes, or persons of colour. They are scattered all over the state, but reside chiefly in the cities or populous towns. There are now in the state thirteen cities. These, arranged according to the dates of their charters, are as follow, together with the populations in 1855:—Boston (county of Suffolk), 160,508; Salem (Essex), 20,933; Lowell (Middlesex), 37,553; Hoxbury (Norfolk), 18,477; Cambridge (Middlesex), 20,473; Charlestown (Middlesex), 21,472; New Bedford (Bristol), 20,389; Worcester (Worcester), 22,286; Lynn (Essex), 15,713; Newburyport (Essex), 13,357; Springfield (Hampden), 13,788; Lawrence (Essex), 16,114; Fall River (Bristol), 12,680. The towns containing 5000 inhabitants and upwards are,—Chicopee, Adams, Pittsfield, Attleborough, Taunton, Beverly, Gloucester, Haverhill, Marblehead, South Danvers, Northampton, Newton, Somerville, Waltham, Woburn, Nantucket, Abington, North Bridgewater, Plymouth, Dedham, Dorchester, Quincy, Randolph, Weymouth, Blackstone, Fitchburg, Milford, and Chelsea.

The aggregate value of the products of the state, for the year 1855, is L61,629,310. This amount is thus divided among the different counties:—

| County | Value | |--------------|---------| | Barnstable | L644,259 | | Berkshire | 2,657,555 | | Bristol | 6,110,078 | | Dukes | 1,096,906 | | Essex | 8,301,571 | | Franklin | 1,049,635 | | Hampden | 2,253,093 | | Hampshire | 1,463,109 | | Middlesex | 12,128,174 | | Nantucket | 335,167 | | Norfolk | 5,050,845 | | Plymouth | 2,084,313 | | Suffolk | 10,030,366 | | Worcester | 8,483,256 |

There were at the commencement of the present year (1857) 172 banks in the state, with L22,148,063 capital; of these thirty-six were in Boston, and contained above one-half of the whole banking capital of the state.

The first permanent settlement made in Massachusetts, was by a small colony of English, not numbering above one hundred and two persons, men, women, and children. They came in the inclement month of December, in the year 1620, and landed in a desolate and barren place, to which they gave the name of Plymouth. Eight years after, a second settlement was effected in another part of the coast. The place of this settlement was called Salem. There were indeed other attempts at settlements between 1620 and 1628, but they either failed, or were so considerable as to be overlooked in a general view, as was the case at the point afterwards called Boston, and an adjacent island. Two years after the settlement at Salem, however, a large company of emigrants arrived, and occupied the district where Boston now stands. The settlers of Plymouth had fled to this country that they might enjoy their peculiar religious sentiments without molestation. This is partially true with respect to those who settled in Salem and Boston. Massachusetts did not originally include Plymouth, which was a separate colony, hail its patent, and was governed by its own laws. The Massachusetts charter was annulled by the king in 1686. In 1692 the two colonies were united in one, and governed by a viceroy until the year 1776, when the American colonies were separated from Great Britain.

The constitution of the state of Massachusetts was formed in 1780, and revised in 1820. Amendments of minor importance were made in 1831, 1833, 1837, 1840, and 1855. As a form of government it is substantially the same now as it was when originally formed. The legislative power is vested in a Senate and House of Representatives, which together are styled the "General Court of Massachusetts." The General Court meets annually at Boston on the first Wednesday of January. The Senate consists of 40 members who are chosen by districts annually. The House of Representatives consists of from 300 to 400 members who are elected annually. By the amendment of the constitution adopted in 1840, every corporate town having 1200 inhabitants is entitled to one representative; larger towns are entitled to as many additional representatives as the number 2400 is contained times in the number of its inhabitants over 1200. Smaller towns are entitled to one representative as many times in ten years as the number 160 is contained in the number of its inhabitants; and also one representative on the year in which the valuation of property is taken, being every tenth year. For the purpose of being more frequently represented, towns having less than 1200 inhabitants each may unite themselves into districts, and then be entitled to be represented in proportion to the population of the districts. As the population of the state increases, a greater number of inhabitants is required as the basis of representation in accordance with a sliding scale.

The governor or chief magistrate is elected annually by the people, and is assisted in his office by a council of eight members, also elected annually by the people, voting in districts, each district being entitled to one councillor.

The right of suffrage is granted to every male citizen twenty-one years of age (except paupers and persons under guardianship), who has resided within the commonwealth one year, and within the town or district in which he may claim a right to vote, six calendar months immediately preceding any election, and has paid a state or annuity tax assessed upon him within two years preceding such election; and also to every citizen who may be by law exempted from taxation, and who may be in all other respects qualified as above mentioned. Further amendments of the constitution are in contemplation, and have already received the sanction of the legislatures of 1856 and 1857, and re- quire nothing more for their final adoption but the sanction of the popular vote. By one of these, the number of members of the House of Representatives is to be reduced to 240, who are to be chosen in districts, and the right of representation is to be in exact proportion to population. By another, the ability to read and write is to be added to the qualifications necessary for the right of suffrage.

The judiciary power is vested in courts established by the legislature, and in justices of the peace. The judges of the courts and the justices of the peace are appointed by the governor with the consent of the council. The former hold their offices during good behaviour; the latter for seven years. The supreme judicial court, as at present established, consists of six judges. It has original and exclusive jurisdiction in the trial of all capital offences, and in all cases of divorce and alimony; with few trifling exceptions, it has original and exclusive jurisdiction of all civil causes in which relief is sought in equity; also in all real actions, except for the foreclosure of mortgages. In the county of Suffolk it has jurisdiction concurrently with the superior court of the county of Suffolk, in all actions at law except real actions in which the amount in controversy exceeds 3000 dollars (£625); and in the other counties concurrently with the court of common pleas, in all such actions where the amount in controversy exceeds 300 dollars (£62, 10s.). It has appellate jurisdiction in all matters heard in the probate court. It has a general superintending power over all inferior tribunals; and all questions of law determined in any of them, where there is no right of appeal upon the facts, may be brought into this tribunal by writ of error, bill of exceptions, or otherwise, and reheard. In trials of actions at law before a jury, and in hearings of questions of fact on probate appeals in matters of equity, and in cases of divorce and alimony, the court is held by a single judge; but in capital trials, and in the hearing of all questions of law brought from the inferior tribunals, or on exceptions taken to the ruling of a single judge of its own bench in any matter tried before him, the court is held by not less than three judges, and usually by a full bench.

The superior court of the county of Suffolk consists of four judges. It has civil jurisdiction in the county Suffolk, concurrently with the supreme judicial court in all actions at law except real actions, when the amount claimed exceeds 3000 dollars. It has exclusive jurisdiction in all such actions where the amount claimed is less than 3000 dollars and more than 100 dollars (£20, 16s. 8d.); and jurisdiction concurrently with justices of the peace when the amount claimed is less than 100 dollars and more than 20 dollars (£4, 3s. 4d.). It has jurisdiction in all cases of crimes not capital, except breaches of the peace, trifling assaults, larcenies of small amount, and other slight offences. It has appellate jurisdiction of all cases tried before justices of the peace. The court of common pleas consists of seven judges. It has in the other counties the same jurisdiction which the superior court of the county of Suffolk has in that county; except only that in actions at law it has jurisdiction concurrently with the supreme judicial court in all actions in which the amount claimed is more than 300 dollars (£62, 10s.). Justices of the peace have civil jurisdiction concurrently with the superior court and court of common pleas, in cases where the amount claimed is more than 20 and less than 100 dollars; and exclusive jurisdiction where the amount claimed is less than 20 dollars. They have criminal jurisdiction in cases of breaches of the peace, trifling assaults, larcenies of small amounts, and other slight offences. In all cases tried before them there is a right of appeal. In the city of Boston, and in several other cities of the commonwealth, there are established police and justice courts; with the jurisdiction of justices of the peace in other places.

There is in each county a probate court, having jurisdiction in the probate of wills, settlements of estates of deceased persons, and guardianship of minors, idiots, lunatics, and others. There is also in each county a court of insolvency, having jurisdiction in cases of insolvent debtors, and the settlement of their estates.