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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 ftands on Jones' creek, a few miles from the Delaware river, and confifis of about 100 houfes, principally of brick. Four streets interfect each other at right angles, in the centre of the town, whofe incidencies form a fpacious parade, on the caft 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 firft 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 aspect 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 pleasantest town in the ftate, containing about 400 houses, which are handsomely 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 50 fcholars, who are taught the languages, and fome of the sciences, by an able inftructor. 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 truftecs.

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 houfes, 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 Methodists.

DUCK CREEK, is 12 miles north-weft from Dover, and has about 60 houfes, which ftand 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 Collin's plantation. His house, 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, conteng about 218 fouls-Four congregations of the people called Quakers; befides a Swedish church at Wilmington, which is one of the oldeft churches in the United States, and a number of Methodists. All these denominations have free toleration by the conftitution, and live together in harmony,

I

Population

Population and Character.] In the convention held at Philadelphia. in the fummer of 1787, the inhabitants of this ftate were reckoned at 37,000, which is about 26 for every fquare mile. There is no obvious characteristical difference between the inhabitants of this ftate and the Pennsylvanians.

Conftitution.] 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 diftin&t branches, which together are stilad The General Affembly of Delaware. One branch, called the House of Affembly, confifts of feven reprefentatives from each of the three counties, chofen annually by the freeholders. The other branch, called the Council, confifts of nine members, three for a county, whio mult be more than twenty-f -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 byne joint ballot of both houses, 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 legislature, 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 vice prefident devolve on the fpeaker of the affembly.

A privy council, confifting of four members, two from each houfe, chofen by ballot, is conftituted to affift the chief magiftrate in the adminiftration of the government.

The three juftices of the fuprème 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 commisioned by the prefident-to hold their offices during good behaviour. The prefident and privy council appoint the fecretary, the attorney-general, regifters 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 fervidely copied from the practice of originating money bills in the British houfe of commons. In Great-Britain this is deemed a privilege, and yet it is difficult to discover the privilege, while the house of commons have a negative upon all bills whatever. But in America, where the property of both houfes is taxed alike, and the men who compose them are, at different feffions, changed from one houfe to the other, there seems to be not a fhow of reafon 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 fhort hiftory 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 referred 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 house of affembly name twenty-four perfons in each county for justices of peace, from which number the prefident, with the advice of his council, appoints and commiffions twelve, who serve for seven years, unless fooner difmiffed for mal-administration. The members of the legislative and privy councils are justices 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 justice, and the recorders of deeds, by the juftices of the common pleas, for five years, unless fooner difmiffed.

All the military and marine officers are appointed by the general affembly,

The Court of Appeals confifts of feven perfons-the president, 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, must 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 house of affembly have the privileges 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 legislative council. The punishment may extend to temporary or perpetual difability to hold offices under government, or to fuch other penalties as the laws thall direct.

There is, in Delaware, no establishment of one religious fect in preference to another, nor can any preacher or clergyman, while in his pastoral 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 Gloucefter.

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 of 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 Christiana. Here alfo they laid out a small town, which was afterwards demolished by the Dutch. The fame year they erected a fort higher up the river, upon Tenecum island, which they called New Gottenburg; they also,

* See hiftory of New-York.

about

about the fame time built forts at Chefter, Elfinburg, and other places. John Printz then governed the Swedes, who, in 1654, deputed his fonin-law, John Papgoia, and returned to Sweden. Papgoia foon followed his father-in-law to his native country, and John Ryfing fucceeded to the government.

In 1655, the Dutch, under the command of Peter Stuyvefant, arrived in Delaware river, from New-Amfterdam (now New-York) in feven veffels, with 6 or 700 men. They difpoffeffed the Swedes of their forts on the river, and carried the officers and principal inhabitants prisoners to New-Amsterdam, and from thence to Holland. The common people fubmitted to the conquerors and remained in the country.

On the first of October, 1664, Sir Robert Carr obtained the submisfion of the Swedes on Delaware river. Four years after, Col. Nicolls, governor of New-York, with his council, on the 21st of April, appointed a Scout and five other persons, to affift Capt. Carr in the government of the country.

In 1672, the town of Newcastle was incorporated by the government of New-York, to be governed by a bailiff and fix affiftants; after the firft year, the four oldest were to leave their office and four others to be chofen. The bailiff was prefident, with a double vote; the constable was chosen by the bench. They had power to try causes not exceeding ten pounds, without appeal. The office of Scout was converted into that of fheriff, who had jurifdiction in the corporation and along the river, and was annually chofen. They were to have a free trade, without being obliged to make entry at New-York, as had formerly been the practice.

Wampum was, at this time, the principal currency of the country. Governor Lovelace, of New-York, by proclamation, ordered that four white grains and three black ones, fhould pafs for the value of a stiver or penny. This proclamation was published at Albany, Efopus, Delaware, Long-Ifland, and the parts adjacent.

In 1674, Charles II. by a fecond patent, dated June 29th, granted to his brother, duke of York, all that country called by the Dutch New Netherlands, of which the three counties of Newcastle, Kent, and Suffex were a part.

In 1683, the duke of York, by deed, dated Auguft 24th, fold to William Penn the town of Newcastle, with the diftrict of 12 miles round the fame; and by another deed, of the fame date, granted to him the remainder of the territory, which, till the revolution, was called the Three Lower Counties, and has fince been called the Delaware State. Till 1776, these three counties were confidered as a part of Pennsylvania, in matters of government. The fame governor prefided over both, but the affembly and courts of judicature were different; different as to their conftituent members, but in form nearly the fame.

MARY

MARY LAN D.

Miles.

Length 134
Breadth 110

}

B

SITUATION and EXTENT.

Between {37° 56' and 39° 44' North Latitude.
and 4° 30' Weft Longitude.

Boundaries.] OUNDED north by Pennfylvania; eaft, by the
Delaware State; fouth-eaft and fouth, by the Atlantic
Ocean, and a line drawn from the ocean over the peninfula (dividing it
from Accomac county in Virginia) to the mouth of Potomak river;
thence up the Patomak to its firit fountain; thence, by a due north line,
till it interfects the fouthern boundary of Pennfylvania, in lat. 39° 43′
18", fo that it has Virginia on the fouth, fouth-weft, and west.
It con-
tains about 14,000 square miles, of which about one-fixth is water.
Civil Divifions.] Maryland is divided into 18 counties, 10 of which
are on the weitern, and 8 on the eastern fhore of Chefapeek-Bay. These,
with their population in 1782, are as follows:

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N. B. Thofe counties marked (†) are on the east, the reft are on the weft fide of the Chefapeek-Bay.

Each

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