the other, called the Lower House of the Representatives of the people. These united form the general court, or assembly, and the concurrence of both is necessary for the passing of a law. There are two annual elections, in May and October. The chief officers are chosen annually, and the representatives halfyearly, (the number in each town not to exceed two,) by electors who have "maturity in years, a quiet and peaceable behaviour, a civil conversation, and forty shillings freehold, or forty pounds personal estate."

The governor and lieutenant-governor are chosen by the people; the assistants by twenty persons named by the electors the preceding October; eighty towns sending two representatives, and thirty-nine, one each, the present house consists of 199

members.

Religious Institutions.-There are thirteen associations and consociations; the first composed of ministers only; the second of ministers, with a delegate from their respective churches. The general association in Connecticut, which meets annually in June, is composed of two representatives from each district association, with whom is united a representation of three members of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian church in the United States; of one member from the General Convention of Congregational and Presbyterian churches in Vermont; of two members from the General Association of Massachussetts Proper; and of two members from the General Association of New Hampshire. The same number of representatives is sent annually to these several bodies from the General Association of Connecticut. There is a committee of twelve members chosen for the purpose of certifying the regular standing of preachers travelling from this state to other parts of the United States.

Seminaries of Learning.-Throughout this state education has been an object of constant attention; and is now so generally diffused, that it is rare to find a person of mature age, of either sex, who cannot read and write. There is a grammar school in every county town. The fund for schools amounts to 1,201,065 dollars, the interest of which, with 12,000 dollars of the public taxes, are yearly expended for the support of education, each town receiving in proportion to its amount on the grand list; and the schools in each are regulated and superintended by a committee chosen by the inhabitants.

Colleges.-Yale College, founded in 1701, has flourished under popular protection. In 1812, the number of students was 305. In 1814, the number of graduates was eighty-two. In 1817, sixty-one were graduated, and about the same number entered. They are divided into four classes. The senior recites to the president, and attends the lectures of the professors. The three lower classes, which form two divisions, are instructed by the tutors. This seminary is under the direction of a corporation consisting of the governor, lieutenant governor, six senior members of the council, and ten fellows, all clergymen. The corporation meets annually. The affairs of the institution are under the direction of a committee of three or four members, who meet four times a-year. There are a president, four professors, six tutors, a treasurer, steward and butler. The different lectureships are, 1st, Divinity, of which the president is professor; 2d, Mathematics, and Natural Philosophy; 3d, Chemistry and Mineralogy; 4th, Languages and Ecclesiastical History; 5th, Law.

Agriculture.-The whole state is divided into farms of from 50 to 500 acres, holden in fee-simple by the cultivators thereof, who, without being rich, live in the most comfortable manner. The painted dwellings and farm houses, surrounded with woods and orchards, give a very animated appearance to the country. The principal agricultural productions are Indian corn, rye, oats, barley, buck-wheat, wheat in some parts, flax and hemp. The uplands, well manured, give from 40 to 50 bushels of Indian corn per acre. Rye is raised in considerable quantity; and tobacco thrives well.

Commerce. The exports consist of live stock, timber, grain, fish, pork, beef, cider, butter, and cheese; also articles of iron and steel manufacture, which are exported to the West India islands, and maritime parts of the Union. To the Carolinas and Georgia are sent salt beef, butter, cheese, hay, potatoes, apples, and cider, in exchange for rice, indigo, or treasure. The exports, in 1805, amounted to 1,443,729 dollars; in 1810, to 768,643. The imports consist of wines, groceries, and European manufactured goods, of the finer kind. Theshipping, which, in 1800, amounted to 32,867 tons, was increased in 1811 to more than 45,000 tons. The ports of entry are five in number; New London, Newhaven, Fairfield, Middletown, and Stoning

ton. The two principal harbours are those of New London and Newhaven. The former, which is fortified, admits of large vessels; the latter, situated near the mouth of the Thames, is well adapted for commercial purposes.

There are light-houses at New London, Faulkner's island, Lynde point, Five-mile point, and Fairweather island.

NEW JERSEY.

Situation and Boundaries.-New Jersey is situated between 38° 56′ and 41° 20′ north latitude, and 1° 33′ and 3° 5' east longitude. It is bounded on the north by New York; south, by Delaware Bay; east, by New York and the Atlantic Ocean; west, by Pennsylvania and Delaware. Its length, from north to south, is 160 miles. From the Hudson river on the east, to the Delaware on the west, its least breadth, near the middle, is 42 miles; its greatest breadth towards the north is 70, and towards the south 75 miles.

Area.-6600 square miles, or 4,224,000 acres.

Temperature. The climate resembles that of the southern parts of New York; but near the sea it is much warmer than in the mountains, where the cold of winter is as great as in Massachussetts and Vermont. Kalm, when he visited this country, remarked, that the cattle remained in the fields during the whole winter, (Travels, Vol. II.) The summer season is very regular. The vegetable productions are seldom injured by drought, rains, or frosts. Rudyard, the deputy-governor, speaking of the climate in 1683, says, "As for the temperature of the air, it is wonderfully suited to the humors of mankind; the wind and weather rarely holding in one point, or one kind, for ten days together. It is a rare thing for a vessel to be wind bound for a week together, the wind seldom holding in a point more than forty-eight hours; and in a short time we have wet and dry, warm and cold weather; yet this variation creates not cold, nor have we the tenth part of the colds we have in England; I never had any since I came."

Rivers.-1. Hackensack River, which rises in the state of New York, runs parallel with the Hudson forty miles, and joins the

Passaick, as the head of Newark bay, from which it is naviga ble, to the distance of fifteen miles. 2. Rariton River is navigable, to the distance of sixteen miles from its mouth, in Rariton Bay. 3. The Passaick, which takes its rise in the state of New York, and has a southerly course of about sixty-five miles to its outlet in Newark Bay, is navigable to the celebrated falls, or cataract, a distance of ten miles. 4. Maurice River is navigable for vessels of a hundred tons, to the distance of twenty miles, from the Delaware Bay, into which it empties. 5. The Muscanecunk, another branch of the Delaware, is forty miles in length. The sea-coast is indented with a number of small streams, or creeks,

Mineral Kingdom.-Iron ore. There are seven mines in the mountain of the county of Morris. Irón bog ore is found in the sandy tract towards the south, at Balstow, on the head waters of Little Egg Harbour River; and in the south-western parts, where it is renewed by deposition from water. Brown scaly iron ore abounds near the surface, in the northern parts of Burlington county. Ore of copper occurs in Bergen county, near Newark Bay. The mine discovered in 1719, and wrought at different periods, yields about 75 per cent, of pure copper. Copper ore is also met with at New Brunswick, and at Rocky Hill, in So-. merset county, Antimony is said to have been discovered in 1808. Lead ore, in the township of Hopewell, four miles from Trenton. Black lead, in limestone, at Sparta, in Sussex county. Native silver. Native copper, at Woodbridge, in a blackish friable rock, disseminated in grains; also in Schuyler's mines, Loadstone, or native magnet, at Schooley's mountain. Soapstone of a whitish color and compact structure, in Montgomery county, twelve miles from Philadelphia. Magnesia, at Hoboken, on the estate of Mr. John Stevens, in an uncombined state, discovered by Dr. Bruce. Ochres in different places, which are employed as paints; white, yellow, black, green, and red. Coal, on the Rariton River, below New Brunswick, and at Pluckemen. Gypsum, in the county of Sussex. Slate, in Hunterdon county, near the Delaware, seventy-five miles above Philadelphia. Freestone, in the township of Aquakanock, and county of Newark, where there are nineteen quarries. Zeolytes and serpentine are found at Hobocken. Barytes, in Sussex county, Marl, in the counties of Monmouth and Burlington. In the latter it is of

a greenish color, containing shells. The skeleton of a shark, in a state of preservation, was discovered in it some years ago. Amber, in Crosswick's Creek, four miles from Trenton, in small grains of a yellow and whitish color, reposing on carbonated wood; also near Woodbury, in a bed of marl.

Diseases.—The temperature on the sea-coast, subject to rapid changes, is unfavorable to health. On the borders of the Delaware, bilious and intermitting fevers prevail in autumn; but in the hilly parts, diseases are rare, and many persons arrive at the age of eighty. The yellow fever prevailed in the autumn of 1798, in the village of Port Elizabeth, supposed to have been generated by stagnant waters in the neighbourhood. Of ninety-seven inhabitauts, thirteen persons were attacked by the disease, and six died.

Manners and Character.-The population being composed of Hollanders, Germans, Scotch, Irish, and emigrants from the New England States, or their descendants, has no uniform character. The necessaries of life are in great abundance; and even the lowest class of laborers are well clothed and fed, and, like the rich, have their tea and coffee daily.

The inhabitants of this state sacrificed every personal consideration to the cause of independence, and were the first to appoint delegates to the memorable congress of 1774. Their vote in favor of the ratification of the federal constitution was not only unanimous, but was passed anterior to that of all the other states except Delaware and Pennsylvania, being passed on the 19th of December 1787.

Constitution.-The constitution was established by a provincial congress held at Burlington in 1776, and has since suffered no other alteration than the substitution of the word state for that of colony. The power of making laws is vested in a legislative council and general assembly; and the executive power is lodged in a governor chosen annually by the joint vote of the council and assembly, at their first meeting after their election.

The Legislative Council is composed of one member, the General Assembly of three, from each county, chosen by a plurality of votes of the free inhabitants who have property to the value of £50 proclamation money, and who shall have resided a year at least in the county in which they have a right to vote. The qualifications of members of the council are, 1st, To have been 23.-VOL. II.

E