OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE,
Michigan, February 14, 1848.

To the President of the Senate:

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SIR:-I have the honor to submit to the Senate an abstract of the reports of the Seperintendents of the poor, of the several counties of this State, for the year 1847, so far as the same have been received at this office.

Very respectfully,

Your obedient servant,

GEO. W. PECK,

Secretary of State.

[a] There is no poor house in this county. There have been nơ accounts presented either from Justices of the Peace or Directors of the poor. Under the old law, the Justices and the Directors of the poor were in the habit of presenting their accounts to their respective town boards, and they were by them allowed.

[6] This county owns a farm on which the poor of the county are kept. The superintendents advertise for proposals to keep all the poor that may become chargeable upon the county, for a specified time, (which is usually one year,) and the contract is let to the lowest bidder, and he for a specified sum, keeps all who may during his time become a county charge, receiving therefor, such sum as he agrees for in his proposals, and having besides the use of the farm and the benefit of all the labor he may derive from the paupers, he saving the county from all expenses arising from the support of all paupers. The paupers and their treatment being at all times under the supervision and subject to the direction of the board of superintendents of county poor.

[c] No poor house nor farm. The poor let by contract to the lowest bidder.

[d] The sum of $29 75 of the $50 20 in the fourth column, was paid to B. Taft as a health officer for the town of Carmel, to attend on the family of a Mr. Foote, having the small pox.

[e] The year ends on the last day of October, 1847. Families relieved are reported as persons. No poor house occupied by the county during the year.

[f] The superintendents suggest the propriety of so altering the law that the poor masters and justices shall draw their orders on the superintendents of the poor, instead of the county treasurer, as they have no means of obtaining the number of persons relieved by their orders on the treasurer.

[g] Of the expenses of such support, $383 81 was for physicians bills.

[h] The superintendents beg leave to report that in accordance with directions received from the supervisors, they have purchased a farm on Gull Prairie and stocked and improved the same, which constitutes the item $2157 56. The number of paupers now reported, are permanent ones with one or two exceptions, ie: the num