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on conviction in a court of law, fhall be for ever difqualified to hold any office of truft or profit in this State.

LV. That every perfon appointed to any office of profit or truft fhall, before he enters on the execution thereof, take the following oath, to wit, "I A. B. do fwear, That I do not hold myself bound in allegiance to the King of Great Britain, and that I will be faithful, and bear true allegiance to the State of Maryland,” and shall alfo fubfcribe a declaration of his belief in the Christian religion.

LVI. That there be a court of appeals, compofed of perfons of integrity and found judgment in the law, whofe judgment fhall be final and conclufive in all cafes of appeal from the General Court, Court of Chancery, and Court of Admiralty: that one perfon of integrity and found judgment in the law be appointed chancellor : that three perfons of integrity and found judgment in the law be appointed judges of the court now called the Provincial Court; and that the fame court be hereafter called and known by the name of THE GENERAL COURT; which court fhall fit on the western and eastern shores for tranfacting and determining the bufinefs of the respective shores, at fuch times and places as the future legislature of this State fhall direct and appoint.

LVII. That the ftile of all laws runs thus, Be it enacted, by the General Affembly of Maryland: that all public commiffions and grants run thus, The State of Maryland, &c. and shall be figned by the governor, and attefted by the chancellor, with the feal of the State annexed, except military commiffions, which fhall not be attested by the chancellor, or have the feal of the State annexed: that all writs shall run in the same stile, and be tested, fealed and figned as usual : that all indictments fhall conclude, Againft the Peace, Government, and Dignity of the State.

LVIII. That all penalties and forfeitures, heretofore going to the King or proprietary, fhall go to the State, fave only fuch as the General Affembly may abolish or otherwife provide for.

LIX. That this Form of Government, and the Declaration of Rights, and no part thereof, fhall be altered, changed or abolished, unless a bill fo to alter, change or abolish the fame, fhall pafs the General Affembly, and be published at least three months before a new election, and fhall be confirmed by the General Affembly after a new election of delegates, in the first feffion after fuch new election provided, that nothing in this Form of Government which relates to the eastern fhore particularly, fhall at any time hereafter be VOL. III. altered,

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altered, unless for the alteration and confirmation thereof at least twothirds of all the members of each branch of the General Affembly fhall concur.

LX. That every bill paffed by the General Assembly, when engroffed, fhall be prefented by the fpeaker of the House of Delegates, in the fenate, to the governor for the time being, who fhall fign the fame, and thereto affix the great feal, in the prefence of the members of both Houses. Every law fhall be recorded in the General CourtOffice of the western fhore, and in due time printed, published, and certified under the great feal, to the feveral county courts, in the fame manner as hath been heretofore used in this State.

This Declaration of Rights and Frame of Government was affented to, and paffed in Convention of the Delegates of the freemen of Maryland, begun and held at the city of Annapolis, the 14th of August, A. D. 1776.

EXPENSES OF GOVERNMENT AND TAXES.

The annual expenfes of government are estimated at about twenty thousand pounds currency. The revenue arifes chiefly from taxes en real and perfonal property.

CITY

CITY OF

WASHINGTON,

IN THE TERRITORY OF COLUMBIA.

THE territory of Columbia was ceded to the United States by the

States of Maryland and Virginia, for the purpose of establishing a fede ral city, that might become the permanent feat of the Federal Government. This city, now building, is called after the name of that brave defender of American liberty and fupporter of the rights of mankind, GEORGE WASHINGTON, who having vindicated the rights of his countrymen, and contributed to the establishment of his country's independence, has been called by the voice of gratitude and affection to fill the highest office a generous and brave people had to beftow-this city will therefore ftand as the most honourable monument of his worth and the people's gratitude that could poffibly be erected; and we trust that when it becomes the feat of government, which it is to be after 1800, that it will recall to the minds of future legiflators his virtues, and the principles on which American liberty is founded, and its government established. This city stands at the junction of the rivers Potomack and the Eastern Branch, in latitude 380 53′ north, extending about four miles up each, including a tract of territory, exceeded in point of convenience, falubrity, and beauty, by none in America, if any in the world: for although the land is appa rently level, yet by gentle and gradual fwellings, a variety of elegant profpects are produced, while there is a fufficient descent to convey off the water occafioned by rain.

Within the limits of the city are twenty-five springs of excellent water; and by digging wells, water of the best quality is readily had; befides these, the streams that now run through that territory, are alfo to be collected for the use of the city.

The waters of Reedy branch and of Tiber creek may also be conveyed

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to the Prefident's houfe; for the fource of Tiber creek is elevated about two hundred and thirty-fix feet above the level of the tide in the faid creek, and the perpendicular height of the ground on which the capital is to ftand, is feventy-eight feet above the level of the tide in the fame the water of Tiber creek may, therefore, be conveyed to the capital, and after watering that part of the city, may be deftined to other ufeful purpofes.

The Eaftern Branch is one of the fafeft and most commodious harbours in America, being fufficiently deep for the largest ships for about four miles above its mouth; while the channel lies clofe along the edge of the city, and affords a large and capacious harbour.

The Potomack, although only navigable for fmall craft, for a confiderable distance from its banks next to the city, excepting about half a mile above the junction of the rivers, will neverthelets afford a capacious fummer harbour; as an immenfe number of ships may ride in the great channel, oppofite to and below the city.

The city, being fituated upon the great poft road, exactly èquidiftant from the northern and fouthern extremities of the Union, and pearly fo from the Atlantic ocean to the Ohio river, upon the best navigation, in the midst of the richest commercial territory in America, and commanding the moft extenfive internal refources, is by far the most eligible fituation for the refidence of Congrefs; and as it is now pretling forward, by the public fpirited enterprite of the people of the United States, and by foreigners, it will grow up with a degree of rapidity, hitherto unparalleled in the annals of cities, and will probably foon become the admiration of the world, and one of the principal emporiums of American commerce.

The inland navigation of the Potomack is fo far advanced, that craft loaded with produce now come down that river and its feveral branches, from upwards of one hundred and eighty miles to the great falls, which are within fourteen miles of the new city. The canals at the great and little falls are nearly completed, and the locks in fuch forwardness, that in the courie of the prefent year, the naviga tion will be entirely opened between tide water and the head branches of the Potomack, which will produce a communication by water between the city of Wafhington, and the interior parts of Virginia and Maryland, by means of the Potomack, the Shannandoah, the South Branch, Opecan, cape Capon, Patterson's creek, Conoocheague, and Monocaty, for upwards of two hundred miles, through one of the n.oft healthy, pleafant, and fertile regions in America, producinga

ducing, in vaft abundance, tobacco of fuperior quality, hemp, Indian corn, wheat and other fmall grain, with fruit and vegetables peculiar to America, in vast abundance, and equal in quality to any in the United States.

The lands upon the Potomack above the city of Washington, all around it, and for fixty miles below, are high and dry, abounding with innumerable springs of excellent water, and are well covered with large timber of various kinds. A few miles below the city, upon the banks of the Potomack, are inexhauftible mountains of excellent free-ftone, of the white and red Portland kinds, of which the public edifices in the city are now building. Above the city, also upon the banks of the river, are immenfe quantities of excellent coal, limeftone, and marble, with blue flate of the best quality.

The founding of this city in fuch an eligible fituation, and upon fuch a liberal and elegant plan, will by future generations be confidered as a high proof of the judgment and wisdom of the prefent government of the United States, and whilft its name will keep fresh in mind to the end of time, the many virtues and amiable qualities of the Prefident, the city itself will be a standing monument of their public fpirit.

The plan of this city, agreeably to the directions of the Prefident of the United States, was defigned and drawn by the celebrated Major L'Enfant, and is an inconceivable improvement upon all others, combining not only convenience, regularity, elegance of profpect, and a free circulation of air, but every thing grand and beautiful that can poffibly be introduced into a city.

The city is divided into fquares or grand divifions, by the streets running due north, fouth, eaft and weft, which form the ground-work of the plan. However, from the capitol, the Prefident's houfe, and fome of the important areas in the city, run transverse avenues or diagonal streets, from one material object to another, which not only produce a variety of charming profpects, but remove that infipid famenefs that renders fome other great cities unpleafing. These great leading streets are all one hundred and fixty feet wide, including a pavement of ten feet, and a gravel walk of thirty feet planted with trees on each fide, which will leave eighty feet of paved street for carriages. The rest of the streets are in general one hundred and ten feet wide, with a few only ninety feet, except North, South, and East Capitol ftreets, which are one hundred and fixty feet. The diagonal streets are named after the respective States compofing the Union, while thofe running north and fouth are, from the capitol

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eastward,

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