The Commonwealth of Massachussetts.
THE COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSSETTS. There are 331 towns in the Commonwealth including 14 cities. The whole population is 1,132,169, and the whole number of legal voters 211,809. The number of coloured persons in the States is 9,906 of whom 189 are Indians or half-breeds. Of the white population 244,685 are foreign born - 181,304 of these, very nearly three fourth, being Irish. The increase of population, throughout the State, in five years from 1850 t0 1855, was 16 per cent. The increase in the several cities was as follows: Lawrence, 92 per cent; Chelsea, 65; Newburyport, 40; Worcester, 39; Cambridge, 38; Charlestown, 36; New Bedford, 24; Springfield, 21; Boston, Lynn, and Lowell, each 15; Fall River, 13; and Salem, 10. There are 86 towns in the Commonwealth which have diminished in population since 1850. Transcribed by James TuffClose