תמונות בעמוד
PDF
ePub

The value of the whole exported produce and commodities from this ftate, before the year 1774, was then eftimated at about £.200,000 lawful money, annually. Since this time no accurate estimate has been made, fo that it is impoffible to tell whether the amount has fince been increased or diminished.

;

In 1774, the number of fhipping in Connecticut, was 180; their tonnage 10,317; feafaring men 1162; befides upwards of twenty fail of coafting veffels, which employed about ninety feamen. This ftate has not yet fully recovered the confufion in which it was involved by the late war fo that the number of fhipping, &c. has not, at any period fince 1774, been ascertained with accuracy. It is probable, however, confidering the loffes fuftained by the war, the delicacy of the fhip-building businefs, and the number of unfortunate fhipwrecks, and lofles by hurricanes in the Weft-Indies, that the fhipping and feamen are not now fo numerous as in 1774

The number of fhipping from the port of New-London employed laft year in the European and Weft-India trade, was four hips, one fnow, fifty-four brigantines, thirty-two fcooners, and forty-five floops. The number of horfes and cattle exported from the district round New-London, from the 10th of January, 1787, to the 10th of January, 1788, was 6917; besides jack-affes imported and exported, not included. From 1786 to 1787, the number was 6671, fo that the last year exceeded the other 246. From March, 1787, to January, 1788, 1454 horfes, 700 oxen, and 23 cows, were exported from the port of Middleton.

Manufactures.] The farmers in Connecticut and their families are moftly clothed in plain, decent, homefpun cloth. Their linens and woollens are manufactured in the family way; and although they are generally of a coafer kind, they are of a stronger texture, and much more durable than those imported from France and Great-Britain. Many of their cloths are fine and handsome.

1

The woollen manufactory at Hartford has already been mentioned. The legislature of the ftate have encouraged it, and it bids fair to grow into importance. We have alfo mentioned Mr. Chittendon's useful Machine for bending and cutting card teeth. This machine is put in motion by a manderil twelve inches in length, and one inch in diameter. Connected with the manderil are fix parts of the machine, independent of each other; the first, introduces a certain length of wire into the chops of the corone; the fecond, fhuts the chops and holds faft the wire in the middle until it is finished; the third, cuts off the wire; the fourth, doubles the tooth in proper form; the fifth, makes the last bend; and the fixth, delivers the finished tooth from the machine. The mandenil is moved by a band wheel, five feet in diameter, turned by a crank. One revolution of the manderil makes one tooth; ten are made in a second, and 36,000 in an hour, &c. as has been already obferved (P. 88.) With one machine like this, teeth enough might be made to fill cards fufficient for all the manufacturers in New-England. In New-Haven is a linen manufactory, which flourishes; and one for cotton is about to be established. In East Hartford is a glafs work, a fnuff and powder mill, and an iron work and flitting mill. Iron works are established also at Salisbury, Norwich, and other parts of the fate. At Stafford is a furnace at which is made

large

large quantities of hollow ware, and other ironmongery, fufficient to fupply the whole ftate. Paper is manufactured at Norwich, Hartford, New-Haven, and in Litchfield county. Nails, of every fize, are made in almost every town and village in Connecticut; fo that confiderable quan tities can be exported to the neighbouring ftates, and at a better rate than they can be had from Europe. Ironmongery, hats of the beft kind, candles, leather, fhoes and boots, are manufactured in this ftate. We must not omit to mention wooden dishes, and other wooden-ware, which are inade in vaft quantities in Suffield, and fome few other places, and fold in almost every part of the eastern states. Oil-mills, of a new and very ingenious conftruction, have been erected in feveral parts of the

ftate.

It appears from experiments made formerly in this ftate, that a bufhel of fun-flower feed yields a gallon of oil, and that an acre of ground planted with the feed at three feet apart, will yield between forty and fifty bufhels of the feed. This oil is as mild as fweet oil, and is equally agreeable with fallads, and as a medicine. It may moreover be ufed with advantage in paints, varnishes, and ointments. From its being manufactured in our own country, it may always be procured and ufed in a fiesh ftate. The oil is preffed from the feed in the fame manner that cold drawn linfeed oil is obtained from flax feed, and with as little trouble, Sweet olive oil fells for fix fhillings a quart. Should the oil of the funflower fell for only two-thirds of that price, the produce of an acre of ground, fuppofing it to yield only forty bushels of the feed, will be thirtytwo pounds, a fum far beyond the product of an acre of ground in any kind of grain. The feed is raifed with very little trouble, and grows in land of moderate fertility. It may be gathered and fhelled, fit for the extraction of the oil, by women and children.

Civil divifions and population.] Connecticut is divided into eight counties, viz. Hartford, New-Haven, New-London, Fairfield, Windham, Litchfield, Middlefex and Tolland. The counties are fubdivided into upwards of eighty townships, each of which is a corporation, invetted with power to hold lands, choofe their own town officers, to make prudential laws, the penalty of tranfgreffion not to exceed twenty fhillings, and to choose their own reprefentatives to the general affembly. The townships are generally divided into two or more parishes, in each of which is one or more places for public worship.

The following table exhibits a view of the population, &c. of this ftate in 1782. Since this time the counties of Middlefex and Tolland have been conftituted, and a number of new townthips, made up of di vifions of the old ones, have impoliticly been incorporated.

*

*The multiplication of townships increases the number of reprefentatives, which is already too great for the most democratical government, and unneceffari'y enhances the expence of maintaining civil government in the ftate.

TABLE

[blocks in formation]

and

Connecticut is the moft populous, in proportion to its extent, of any of the thirteen ftates. It is laid out in fmall farms, from fifty to three or four hundred acres each, which are held by the farmers in fee fimple; are generally cultivated as well as the nature of the foil will admit. The ftate is chequered with innumerable roads or high ways, croffing each other in every direction. A traveller, in any of these roads, even in the most unfettled parts of the ftate, will feldom pafs more than two or three miles without finding a houfe or cottage, and a farm under fuch improvements as to afford the neceffaries for the fupport of a family. The whole ftate resembles a well cultivated garden, which, with that degree of induftry that is neceffary to happinefs, produces the neceffaries and con veniences of life in great plenty.

In 1756 the number of inhabitants in Connecticut was 130,611. In 1774, there were 197,856 fouls. In 18 years the increase was 67,245, From 1774 to 1782, the increafe was but 11,294 perfons. This comparatively timall increase of inhabitants may be fatisfactorily accounted for from the deftru&tion of the war, and the numerous emigrations to Vermont, the western parts of New-Hampshire, and other states.

* Middleton and Tolland, are now the fhire towns of Middlefex and Tolland counties. Courts are alfe held at Haddam, which is the baf fhire town of Middlefex county.

The

The inhabitants are almoft entirely of English defcent. There are no Dutch, French, or Germans, and very few Scotch or Irish people in any part of New England.

Character, Manners, &c.] In addition to what has been already faid on thefe particulars, under New England, it may be obferved, that the people of Connecticut are remarkably fond of having all their difputes, even thofe of the moft trivial kind, fettled according to law. The prevalence of this litigious fpirit, affords employment and fupport for a numerous body of lawyers. The number of actions entered annually upon the feveral dockets in the state, juftifies the above, obfervations. That party fpirit, however, which is the bane of political happiness, has not raged with fuch violence in this state as in Malachusetts and Rhode-Ifland. Public proceedings have been conducted generally, and especially of late, with much calmnefs and candour, The people are well informed in regard to their rights, and judicious in the methods they adopt to fecure them. ftate was never in greater political tranquility than at present.

The

The clergy, who are numerous, and, as a body, very respectable, have hitherto preferved a kind of ariftocratical balance in the very democratićaį government of the state; which has happily operated as a check upon the overbearing spirit of republicanifin, It has been lamented that the unhappy religious difputes which have too much prevailed among fome of the clergy; and the too great attention that others have paid to their temporal concerns, to the neglect of their flocks; and an inattention to the qualifications of those who have been admitted to the facred office, have, heretofore, confiderably diminished their influence. It is a pleafing cir cumftance that the rage for theological difputation is abating, and greater ftrictness is obferved in the admiffion of candidates to the ministry. Their influence is on the increase; and it is no doubt to be attributed, in part, to their increafing influence, that an evident reformation in the manners of the people of this state, has taken place fince the peace. In regard to learning and abilities, the clergy at the present day are equal to their predeceffors at any former period.

Religion] The best in the world, perhaps, for a republican government. As to the mode of exercising church government and difcipline, it might not improperly be called a republican religion. Each church is a feparate jurifdiction, and claims authority to choose their own minifter, to exercile government, and enjoy gospel ordinances within itself. The churches, however, are not independent of each other; they are affociated for mutual benefit and convenience. The affociations have power to licenfe candidates for the ministry, to confult for the general welfare, and to recommend measures to be adopted by the churches, but have no authority to enforce them. When difputes arife in churches, councils are called by the parties to fettle them; but their power is only advisory There are as many af fociations in the ftate as there are counties; and they meet twice in a year, These are all combined in one general affociation, who meet annually.

All religions that are confiftent with the peace of fociety, are tolerated in Connecticut; and a spirit of liberality and catholicifm is increafing. There are very few religious fects in this ftate. The bulk of the people are Congregationalists. Befides thefe there are Fpifcopalians and Baptifls;

and

[ocr errors]

and formerly there was a fociety of Sandimanians at New-Haven; but they are now reduced to a very finall number. The Epifcopalian churches are refpectable, and are under the fuperintendence of a bifhop. There were twenty-nine congregations of the Baptifts in 1784. Thefe congregations, with thofe in the neighbouring ftates, meet in affociations, by delegation, annually. Thefe affociations confift of meffengers chofen and fent by the churches. Some of their principles are, The imputation of Adam's fin to his poflerity- the inability of man to recover hinfelf-effectual calling by fovereign grace-juftification by imputed righteoufiefs-immerfion for Laptifm, and that on profeffion of faith and repentance-congregational churches, and their independency-reception into them upon evidence of found converfion.' The Baptifts, during the late war, were warm and active friends to their country; and, by their early approbation of the new form of government *, have manifested the continuance of their patriotic fentiments.

Damages fuftained in the late war. ar.] After the establishment of the peace in 1783, a number of gentlemen were appointed by the general affembly to eftimate the damage done by the British troops, in the feveral towns which they ravaged. The following is the refult of their enquiries.

[blocks in formation]

New-Haven, ravaged by Governor Tryon July 1779

£24,893 7 6

Haft Haven

Co.

do.

4,882 16 4

[blocks in formation]

valued as in 1774

Amount of the loffes in the whole ftate in money, ?

474 O 3 536 o

£ 30,836 4

} £ 294,235 16 *

[blocks in formation]
« הקודםהמשך »