pitable to ftrangers, and maintain a friendly and improving interconfe with each other; but the bulk of the inhabitants, recently collected from almoft all quarters of the world--bent on the purfuit of wealth-varying in their habits, their manners, and their religions, if they have any, are unfocial, unimproved, and inhofpitable.

Market-ftreet is the principal ftreet in the town, and runs nearly east and weft, a mile in length, parallel with the water. This is croffed by feveral other streets leading from the water, a number of which, particularly Calvert, South and Gay ftreets, are well built. North and east of the town the land rifes, and affords a fine profpect of the town and bay. Belvidera, the feat of Col. Howard, exhibits one of the fineft landscapes in nature. The town-the point-the fhipping both in the bafon and at Fell's Point-the bay as far as the eye can reach-rifing ground on the right and left of the harbour-a grove of trees on the declivity at the right-a ftream of water breaking over the rocks at the foot of the hill on the left, all confpire to complete the beauty and grandeur of the profpect.

FREDERICKTOWN is a fine flourishing inland town, of upwards of 300 houfes, built principally of brick and tone, and mostly on one broad ftreet. It is fituated in a fertile country, about four miles fouth of Catokton mountain, and is a place of confiderable trade. It has four places for public worship, one for Prefbyterians, two for Dutch Lutherans and Calvinifts, and one for Baptifts; besides a public jail and a

brick market-house.

HAGARSTOWN is but little inferior to Fredericktown, and is fituated in the beautiful and well cultivated valley of Conegocheague, and carries on a confiderable trade with the western country.

HEAD OF ELK is fituated near the head of Chesapeak bay, on a small river which bears the name of the town. It enjoys great advantages from the carrying trade between Baltimore and Philadelphia. The tides ebb and flow to this town.

Mines and Manufactures.] Mines of iron ore, of a fuperior quality, are found in many parts of the ftate. Furnaces for running this ore into pigs and hollow ware, and forges to refine pig iron into bars, have been erected in a number of places in the neighbourhood of the mines. This is the only manufacture of importance, carried on in the state, except it be that of wheat into flour.

Trade.] On this head I can only fay, that the trade of Maryland is principally carried on from Baltimore with the other ftates, with the Weft-Indies, and with fome parts of Europe. To thefe places they fend annually about 30,000 hogsheads of tobacco, befides large quantities of wheat, flour, pig iron, lumber and corn-beans, pork and flax-feed in finaller quantities; and receive in return clothing for themfelves and negroes, and other dry goods, wines, fpirits, fugars, and other Weft-India commodities. The balance is generally in their favour.

Religion. The Roman Catholics, who were the first fettlers in Maryland, are the moft numerous religious fect. Befides thefe there are Proteftant Epifcopalians, English, Scotch and Trifh Prefbyterians, German Calvinifts, German Lutherans, Friends, Baptifts, of whom there are

about

about twenty congregations, Methodists, Mennonists, Nicolites, or New Quakers.

Seminaries of Learning, &c.] Washington Academy, in Somerset county, was inftituted by law in 1779. It was founded and is fupported by voluntary fubfcriptions and private donations, and is authorised to receive gifts and legacies, and to hold 2000 acres of land. A fupplement to the law, paffed in 1784, increased the number of trustees from eleven to fifteen.

In 1782, a college was inftituted at Cheftertown, in Kent county, and was honoured with the name of WASHINGTON COLLEGE, after his Excellency General Washington. It is under the management of 24 vifitors, or governors, with power to fupply vacancies, and hold eftates, whofe yearly value fhall not exceed .6000 current money. By a law enacted in 1787, a permanent fund was granted to this inftitution of 1250 a year currency, out of the monies arifing from marriage licences, fines and forfeitures, on the Eastern Shore.

St. John's College was inftituted in 1784, to have alfo 24 truftees, with power to keep up the fucceffion by fupplying vacancies, and to receive an annual income of £.9000. A permanent fund is affigned this college, of £.1750 a year, out of the monies arifing from marriage licences, ordinary licences, fines and forfeitures on the Western Shore. This college is to be at Annapolis, where a building is now preparing for it. Very liberal fubfcriptions were obtained towards founding and carrying on these feminaries. The two colleges conftitute one univerfity, by the name of The University of Maryland,' whereof the governor of the ftate, for the time being, is chancellor, and the principal of one of them vice-chancellor, either by feniority or by election, as may hereafter be provided for by rule or by law. The chancellor is empowered to call a meeting of the trustees, or a reprefentation of feven of each, and two of the members of the faculty of each, (the principal being one) which meeting is ftiled, The Convocation of the University of Maryland,' who are to frame the laws, preferve uniformity of manners and literature in the colleges, confer the higher degrees, determine appeals, &c.

The Roman Catholics have lately erected a college at George-Town, on Patomak river, for the promotion of general literature.

In 1785, the Methodists instituted a college at Abingdon, in Harford county, by the name of Cokesbury College, after Thomas Coke, LL.D. and Francis Afbury, Bishops of the Methodist Epifcopal Church. The college edifice is of brick, handfomely built, on a healthy fpot, enjoying a fine air and a very extenfive profpect.

The students, who are to confift of the fons of travelling preachers, the fons of annual fubfcribers, the fons of the members of the Methodist fociety, and orphans, are to be inftructed in English, Latin, Greek, Logic, Rhetoric, Hiftory, Geography, Natural Philofophy and Aftronomy; and when the finances of the college will admit, they are to be taught the Hebrew, French and German languages.

The college was erected and is fupported wholly by fubfcription and voluntary donations.

The ftudents have regular hours for rifing, for prayers, for their meals, for ftudy and for recreation. They are all to be in bed precifely at nine o'clock.

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o'clock. Their recreations (for they are to be indulged in nothing which the world calls play,) are gardening, walking, riding and bathing, without doors; and within doors, the carpenters, joiners, cabinet-makers, or turners bufinefs. Suitable provifion is made for thefe feveral occupations, which are to be confidered, not as matters of drudgery and conftraint, but as pleafing and healthful recreations, both for the body and mind. Another of their rules, which though new and fingular, is favourable to the health and vigour of the body and mind, is, that the students fhall not fleep on feather beds, but on mattreffes, and each one by himfelf. Particular attention is paid to the morals and religion of the ftudents.

There are a few other literary inftitutions, of inferior note, in different parts of the ftate, and provifion is made for free-fchools in moft of the Counties; though fome are entirely neglected, and very few carried on with any fuccefs: fo that a great proportion of the lower clafs of people are ignorant; and there are not a few who cannot write their names. But the revolution, among other happy effects, has roused the spirit of education, which is faft fpreading its falutary influences over this, and

the other fouthern states.

- Natural Curinfitics.] There are feveral remarkable caves in the western part of this ftate, but particular and accurate descriptions of them have not been received.

Expences of Government and Taxes.] The annual expences of government are estimated at about £.20,000 currency. The revenue arifes from duties and impofts on imports and exports, and taxes on real and perfonal property.

Conftitution.] The legislature is compofed of two diftinct branches, a Senate and Houfe of Delegates, and ftiled, The General Affembly of Maryland.

The fenators are elected in the following manner. On the first of September, every fifth year, the freemen choose two men in each county to be electors of the fenate, and one elector for the city of Annapolis, and one for the town of Baltimore. Thefe electors must have the qualifications neceflary for county delegates. They meet at Annapolis, or fuch other place as fhall be appointed for convening the legislature, on the third Monday in September, every fifth year, and elect by ballot fifteen fenators out of their own body, or from the people at large. Nine of these must be refidents on the western fhore, and fix on the eastern-they must be more than twenty-five years of age-must have refided in the ftate more than three years next preceding the election, and have real and perfonal property above the value of a thousand pounds. In cafe of the death, refignation, or inability of a fenator, during the five years for which he is elected, the vacancy is filled by the fenate. The fenate may originate any bills, except money bills, to which they can only give their affent or diffent.

The fenate choofe their prefident by ballot.

The houfe of delegates is compofed of four members for each county, chofen annually on the first Monday in October. The city of Annapolis and town of Baltimore fend each two delegates. The qualifications of a delegate, are, full age, one year's refidence in the county where he is chofen,

chofen, and real or perfonal property above the value of five hundred pounds.

Both houfes choose their own officers, and judge of the election of their members. A majority of each is a quorum.

The election of fenators and delegates is viva voce, and fheriffs the returning officers, except in Baltimore town, where the commiffioners fuperintend the elections and make returns. The ftated feffion of the le

giflature is on the firft Monday in November.

The qualifications of a freeman are full age, a freehold eftate of fifty acres of land, and actual refidence in the county where he offers to vote,property to the value of thirty pounds in any part of the ftate, and a year's refidence in the county where he offers to vote.

On the fecond Monday in November, annually, a governor is appointed by the joint ballot of both houfes, taken in each houfe refpectively,: and depofited in a conference room; where the boxes are examined by a joint committee of both houfes, and the number of votes feverally reported.. The governor cannot continue in office longer than three years fucceffively, nor be elected until the expiration of four years after he has been out of office.

The qualifications for the chief magiftracy are, twenty-five years of age, five years refidence in the state, next preceding the election, and real and perfonal eftate above the value of five thousand pounds, one thousand of which must be freehold eftate.

On the fecond Tuesday of November, annually, the fenators and delegates elect by joint ballot, five able, difcreet men, above twenty-five years of age, refidents in the ftate three years next preceding the election, and poffeffing a freehold of lands and tenements above the value of a thousand pounds, to be a council for affifting the governor in the duties of his office.

Senators, delegates and members of council, while fuch, can hold no other office of profit, nor receive the profits of any office exercised by another.

Minifters of the gospel are excluded from civil offices.

The governor, with the advice of his council, appoints the chancellor, all judges and juftices, the attorney general, naval and militia officers, regifters of the land office, furveyors, and all other civil officers, except conftables, affeffors and overfeers of the roads.

A court of appeals is established for the final determination of all caufes, which may be brought from the general court of admiralty or of chancery.

This conftitution was established by a convention of delegates, at Annapolis, Auguft 14, 1776.

Hiftory. Maryland was granted by king Charles I. to Cecilius Calvert, baron of Baltimore, in Ireland, June 20, 1632. The government of the province was, by charter, vefted in the proprietary; but it appears that he either never exercifed these powers alone, or but for a fhort time; for we find that in 1637, the freemen rejected a body of laws drawn up in

*In fome of the eastern states the legislature is called The General Court. In fome of the fouthern, the General Court is the Supreme Judicial Court. England,

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in England, and tranfmitted by his Lordship, in order to be paffed for the government of the province. In the place of thefe, they propofed fortytwo bills to be enacted into laws, by the confent of the proprietary, These were however never enacted; at least they are not on record.

The hon. Leonard Calvert, Efq; lord Baltimore's brother, was the first governor, or lieutenant general. In 1638, a law was paffed, conftituting the first regular House of Affembly, which was to confitt of fuch reprefentatives, called Burges, as fhould be elected purfuant to writs iffued by the governor. Theie burgelles poffeffed all the powers of the perfons electing them; but any other freemen, who did not affent to the election, might take their feats in perfon. Twelve burgeffes or freemen, with the lieutenant general and fecretary, conftituted the affembly or legislature. This affembly fat at St Mary's, one of the fouthern counties, which was the first fettled part of Maryland.

In 1642, it was enacted that ten members of the affembly, of whom the governor and fix burgeffes were to be feven, fhould be a houfe; and if ficknefs fhould prevent that number from attending, the members prefent fhould make a house.

In 1644, one Ingle excited a rebellion, forced the governor to fly to Virginia for aid and protection, and feized the records and the great feal; the last of which, with moft of the records of the province, were loft or deftroyed. From this period, to the year 1647, when order was reftored, the proceedings of the province are involved in obscurity.

In July 1642, the houfe of affembly, or more properly the burgeffes, requested they might be feparated into two branches-the burgeffes by themselves, with a negative upon bills. This was not granted by the lieutenant general at that time; but in 1650, an act was paffed dividing the affembly into two houfes. The governor, fecretary, and any one or more of the council formed the Upper Houfe; the delegates from the several hundreds, who now reprefent the freemen, formed the Lower House. At this time there were in the province but two counties, St. Mary's and the Ifle of Kent; but Ann Arundel was added, the fame feffion. This was during the Adminiftration of governor Stone.

In 1654, during Cromwell's ufurpation in England, an act was paffed, reftraining the exercife of the Roman Catholic religion. This mult have been procured by the mere terror of Cromwell's power, for the firft and principal inhabitants were Catholics. Indeed the power of Cromwell was not established in Maryland without force and bloodfhed. His friends and foes cane to an open rupture, an engagement enfued, governor Stone was taken prifoner, and condemned to be thot. This fentence however was not executed, but he was kept a long time in confinement.

In March, 1658, Jofiah Fendall, Efq; was appointed lieutenant general of Maryland by commiffion from Oliver Cromwell. He diffolved the upper houfe, and furrendered the powers of government into the hands of the delegates.

Upon the restoration in 1660, the hon. Philip Calvert, Efq; was appointed governor; the old form of government was revived; Fendall, and one Gerrard, a counfellor, were indicted, found guilty and condemned to banishment, with the lofs of their eftates: but upon petition they were pardoned.