A Lift of the several PROPRIETORS, GOVERNORS, LIEUTENANTGOVERNORS, and Presidents of the Province, with the times of their refpective Administrations. PROPRIETORS. The Honourable William Penn, born 1644, died 1718. John Penn, died 1746. Thomas Penn, Richard Penn, died 1771. John Penn, GOVERNORS, &c. Governor, Prefident, William Penn, Proprietor, from Oct. 1682, to Aug, 1684. Thomas Lloyd, Lt.-Governor, John Blackwell, Aug. 1684, to Dec. 1688. Dec. 1688, to Feb. 1689-90. Feb. 1689-90, to April 26, 169326 April, 1693, to 3 June, 1693. 3 June, 1693, to Dec. 1699. 3 Dec. 1699, to 1 Nov. 1701. 1 Nov. 1701, to Feb. 1702-3. Feb. 1702-3, to Feb. 1703-4 Feb. 1703-4, to Feb. 1708-9. March, 1708-9, to Prefident and Council governed, 1717 1717 to June, 1726. Charles Gookin, Sir William Keith, Bart. Patrick Gordon, June, 1726 to George Thomas, 1738 to Prefident, Anthony Palmer, 1736. 1747. 1748: 1748 to Cct. 1754O&. 1754, to 19 Aug. 1756. 19 Aug. 1756, to 17 Nov. 1759 17 Nov. 1759, to 31 Oct. 1763. BENJAMIN FRANKLIN, 31 Cat. 1763, to 6 May, 1771. 6 May, 1771, to 16 Oct. 1771. 16 Oct. 1771. March, 1777, to April, 1778. DELAWARE. Boundaries.] BOUND from Pennfylvania; eaft, by Delaware river and Bay; fouth, by a due eaft and weft line, from Cape Henlopen, in lat. 38° 30' to the middle of the peninfula, which line divides the ftate from Worcester county in Maryland; weft, by Maryland, from which it is divided by a line drawn from the western termination of the fouthern boundary line, northwards up the faid peninfula, till it touch or form a tangent to the western part of the periphery of the above-mentioned territorial circle: containing about 1400 fquare miles. north, by the territorial line*, which di Climate.] In many parts unhealthy. The land is generally low and flat, which occafions the waters to ftagnate, and the confequence is, the inhabitants are fubject to intermittents. Civil Divifions.] The Delaware ftate is divided into three counties, viz. Counties. Kent, Suflex, Chief Towns, Wilmington and Newcastle, Milford and Lewistown. Rivers.] Choptank, Nanticok and Pocomoke, all have their fources in this ftate, and are navigable for veffels of 50 or 60 tons, 20 or 30 miles into the country. They all run a weftwardly courfe into Chefapeek Bay. The eastern fide of the state, along Delaware bay and river, is indented with a great number of small creeks, but none confiderable enough to merit a description. Soil and Productions.] The fouth part of the ftate is a low flat country, and a confiderable portion of it lies in foreft. What is under cultivation is chiefly barren, except in Indian corn, of which it produces fine crops. In fome places rye and flax may be raised, but wheat is a foreigner in these parts. Where nature is deficient in one refource, the is generally bountiful in another. This is verified in the tall, thick forests of pines, which are manufactured into boards, and exported in large quantities into every fea-port in the three adjoining ftates. As you proceed north the foil is more fertile, and produces wheat in large quantities, which is the staple commodity of the ftate. They raife all the other kinds of grain common to Pennsylvania. The ftate has no mountain in it, ex *The Territorial Line, fo called, is a circle defcribed with a radius of 12 English miles, and whofe centre is in the middle of the town of Newcaftle cept cept Thunder Hill, in the western part of Newcafile county, and is generally level, except fome fmall parts, which are ftony and uneven. Chief Towns.] DOVER, in the county of Kent, is the feat of government. It itands on Jones' creek, a few miles from the Delaware river, and confifts of about 100 houfes, principally of brick. Four streets interfect each other at right angles, in the center of the town, whose incidencies form a fpacious parade, on the eaft fide of which is an elegant ftate-houfe of brick. The town has a lively appearance, and drives on a confiderable trade with Philadelphia. Wheat is the principal article of export. The landing is five or fix miles from the town of Dover. NEWCASTLE IS 35 miles below Philadelphia, on the weft bank of Delaware river. It was first fettled by the Swedes, about the year 1627, and called Stockholm. It was afterwards taken by the Dutch, and called New Amfterdam. When it fell into the hands of the English, it was called by its prefent name. It contains about 60 houfes, which have the afpect of decay, and was formerly the feat of government.This is the first town that was fettled on Delaware river. WILMINGTON is fituated a mile and a half weft of Delaware river, on Chriftiana creek, 28 miles fouthward from Philadelphia. It is much the largest and pleafanteft town in the ftate, containing about 400 houfes, which are handfomely built upon a gentle afcent of an eminence, and fhow to great advantage as you fail up the Delaware. Befides other public buildings, there is a flourishing academy of about 40 or so fcholars, who are taught the languages, and fome of the sciences, by an able instructor. This academy, in proper time, is intended to be erected into a college. There is another academy at Newark, in this county, which was incorporated in 1769, and then had 14 trustees. MILFORD, the little emporium of Suffex county, is fituated at the fource of a small river, 15 miles from Delaware bay, and 150 fouthward of Philadelphia. This town, which contains about 80 houses, has been built, except one houfe, fince the revolution. It is laid out with much tafte, and is by no means difagreeable. The inhabitants are Episcopalians, Quakers and Methoditts. DUCK CREEK, is 12 miles north-weft from Dover, and has about 60 houfes, which fand on one street. It carries on a confiderable trade with Philadelphia-and certainly merits a more pompous name. A mile fouth from this is fituated Governor Collins's plantation. His houfe, which is large and elegant, ftands a quarter of a mile from the road, and has a pleafing effect upon the eye of the traveller. Trade.] The trade of this ftate, which is inconfiderable, is carried on principally with Philadelphia, in boats and fhallops. The articles exported are principally wheat, corn, lumber and hay. Religion.] There are, in this ftate, 21 Prefbyterian congregations, belonging to the Synod of Philadelphia-Seven Epifcopal churches-Six congregations of Baptifts, containing about 218 fouls-Four congrega tions of the people called Quakers; befides a Swedish church at Wilmington, which is one of the oldest churches in the United States, and a number of Methodists. All thefe denominations have free toleration by the conftitution, and live together in harmony, Population Population and Character.] In the convention held at Philadelphia, in the fummer of 1787, the inhabitants of this state were reckoned at 37,000, which is about 26 for every fquare mile. There is no obvious characteristical difference between the inhabitants of this flate and the Pennfylvanians. Confitution. At the revolution, the three lower counties on Delaware became independent by the name of The Delaware State. Under their prefent conftitution, which was established in September, 1776, the legiflature is divided into two diftinct branches, which together are filed The General Affembly of Delaware. One branch, called the Houfe of Ajfembly, confits of feven reprefentatives from each of the three counties, chofen annually by the freeholders. The other branch, called the Coun cil, confits of nine members, three for a county, who must be more than twenty-five years of age, chofen likewife by the freeholders. A rotation of members is established by displacing one member for a county at the end of every year. All money bills muft originate in the houfe of affembly, but they may be altered, amended or rejected by the legislative council *. A prefident or chief magiftrate is chofen by the joint ballot of both houfes, and continues in office three years; at the expiration of which period, he is ineligible the three fucceeding years. If his office becomes vacant during the recefs of the legiflature, or he is unable to attend to bufinefs, the fpeaker of the legislative council is vice-prefident for the time; and in his abfence, the powers of the prefident devolve upon the Speaker of the affembly. A privy council, confifting of four members, two from each house, chofen by ballot, is conftituted to affift the chief magiftrate in the adminiftration of the government. The three juftices of the fupreme court, a judge of admiralty, and four juftices of the common pleas and orphans courts, are appointed by the joint ballot of the prefident and general affembly, and commiffioned by the prefident to hold their offices during good behaviour. The prefident and privy council appoint the fecretary, the attorney-general, regiters for the probate of wills, regifters in chancery, clerks of the com * The first part of this claufe is found in feveral of the American conftitutions, and feems to have been fervilely copied from the practice of originating money bills in the British houfe of commaus. In Great Britain this is deemed a privilege, and yet it is difficult to discover the privilege, awhile the house of commons have a negative upon all bills whatever. But in America, where the property of bath houfes is taxed alike, and the men who compose them are, at different feffions, changed from one house to the other, there feems to be not a show of reason for giving one branch the exclufive privilege of originating money bills. To prove with how little reafon this article of the conftitution is introduced in America, it might be useful to read a short history of the customs in the parliament of Great Britain-a cuftom introduced merely for the conve nience of doing business. For this useful piece of history, the reader is refer red to the American Magazine, published in New-York, 1788, by Noah Webfter, Efquire, No. VII. page 456. mon mon pleas, and orphans courts, and clerks of the peace, who hold their offices during five years, unless fooner removed for mal-conduct. The houfe of affembly name twenty-four perfons in each county for juftices of peace, from which number the prefident, with the advice of his council, appoints and commiffions twelve, who ferve for feven years, unless fooner difmiffed for mal-administration. The members of the legislative and privy councils are juftices of the peace for the whole state. The courts of common pleas and orphans courts have power to hold chancery courts in certain cafes. The clerk of the fupreme court is appointed by the chief juftice, and the recorders of deeds, by the justices of the common pleas, for five years, unless fooner difrified. All the military and marine officers are appointed by the general affembly. The Court of Appeals confifts of feven perfons-the prefident, who is a member, and prefides by virtue of his office, and fix others, three to be chofen by the legislative council, and three by the house of affembly. To this court appeals lie from the fupreme court, in all matters of law and equity. The judges hold their office during good behaviour. The juftices of the feveral courts, the members of the privy council, fecretary, trustees of the loan office, clerks of the common pleas, and all perfons concerned in army or navy contracts, are ineligible to either houfe of affembly. Every member, before taking his feat, muft take the oath of allegiance, and fubfcribe a religious teft, declaring his belief in God the Father, in Jefus Chrift, and the Holy Ghoft; and in the infpiration of the Scriptures. The houfe of affembly have the privilege of impeaching delinquent officers of government, and impeachments are to be profecuted by the attorney-general, or other perfon appointed by the affembly, and tried before the legiflative council. The punishment may extend to temporary or perpetual difability to hold offices under government, or to fuch other penalties as the laws shall direct. There is, in Delaware, no eftablishment of one religious fect in preference to another, nor can any preacher or clergyman, while in his paftoral employment, hold any civil office in the ftate. Hiftory. The Dutch, under the pretended purchase made of Henry Hudfon*, took poffeffion of the lands on both fides the river Delaware'; and as early as the year 1623, built a fort at the place, which has fince been called Gloucester. In 1627, by the influence of William Ufeling, a respectable merchant in Sweden, a colony of Swedes and Finns came over, furnished with all the neceffaries for beginning a new fettlement, and landed at Cape Henlopen; at which time the Dutch had wholly quitted the country. The Dutch, however, returned in 1630, and built a fort at Lewif town, by them named Hoarkill. The year following the Swedes built a fort near Wilmington, which they called Chriftein or Chriftiana. Here also they laid out a fmall town, which was afterwards demolished by the Dutch. The fame year they erected a fort higher up the river, upon Tenecum illand, which they called New Gottenburgh; they * See hiftory of New-York. alfo, |