known to fall in fuch abundance that the earth, by measurement, has received fix, five inches on a level, in the short space of four hours. The quantity of water which falls in rain and fnow, one year with another, amounts to from twenty-four to thirty-fix inches. + In the northern parts of this district the fnow falls in larger quantities, lies longer, and the cold is more fteady and intenfe, by many degrees, than in the fouthern; hence the climate of the former is more agreeable in winter, and that of the latter in fummer. The more weather is generally in the month of July; but intenfely warm days are often felt in May, June, Auguft, and September.Dr. Rittenhoufe fays, that during his refidence in the country, in the State of Pennfylvania, he never had paffed a fummer without discovering froft in every month in the year, except July. The greatest degree of heat upon record in Philadelphia, in 1789, was 90°. The standard temperature of air in Philadelphia is 52 degrees, which is the temperature of their deepest wells, and the mean heat of their common fpring water. There are seldom more than four months in the year in which the weather is agreeable without a fire: in winter, the winds generally come from the north-weft in fair, and from the north-cast in wet weather. The north-weft winds are un commonly dry as well as cold. The climate on the weft fide of the Allegany mountains differs materially from that on the east fide, in the temperature of the air, and the effects of the wind upon the weather, and in the quantity of rain and snow which fall every year. The fouth-west winds on the weft fide of the mountain are accompanied by cold and rain. The temperature of the air is feldom fo cold or fo hot, by feveral degrees, as on the eaft fide of the mountain. On the whole, it appears that the climate of this divifion of the United States is a compound of most of the climates in the world-it has the moisture of Ireland in the fpring-the heat of Africa in fummer-the temperature of Italy in June-the fky of Egypt in autumn-the fnow and cold of Norway, and the ice of Holland in winter the tempefts, in a certain degree, of the West-Indies in every season—and the variable winds and weather of Great-Britain in every month of the year. From this account of the climate of this district, it is easy to ascertain what degrees of health, and what difeafes prevail. As the inha Dr. Mitchill + Dr. Rufh. 002 bitants bitants have the climates, fo they have the acute difeafes of all the countries that have been mentioned. Although it might be fuppofed, that with fuch changes and varieties in the weather, there would be connected epidemical difeafes and an unwholfome climate, yet, on the whole, it is found in this district to be as healthy as any part of the United States.* HISTORY OF ITS SETTLEMENT, &c. NEW-Y OR K. The colony of New-York was fettled by the Dutch, who named it the New-Netherlands. Charles II. refolved upon its conqueft in 1664, and in March granted to his brother the Duke of York, the region extending from the western banks of Connecticut to the eastern shore of the Delaware, together with Long-Ifland, conferring on him the civil and military powers of government. Colonel Nichols was fent with four frigates and three hundred foldiers to effect the business. The Dutch governor being unable to make refiftance, the New-Netherlands submitted to the English crown in September, without any other change than of rulers. Few of the Dutch removed: and Nichols inftantly entered upon the exercife of his power, as deputy-governor of the Duke of York, the proprietary. In July 1673, the Dutch re-poffeffed themselves of the province, by attacking it fuddenly when in a defenceless state. By the peace in February following it was restored. The validity of the grant, while the Dutch were in quiet poffeffion, having been questioned, the Duke of York thought it prudent to obtain a new one the following June; and Edmund Andros having been appointed governor, the Dutch refigned their authority to him in October. Thus was NewYork regained; but the inhabitants were again enslaved to the will of the conqueror; for being admitted to no fhare in the legislature, they were subject to laws to which they had never affented. To be relieved from a fervitude that had degraded the colony, and now gave diffatisfaction to every one, the council, the court of asfizes, and the corporation of New-York, concurred in foliciting the Duke "to permit the people to participate in the legislative power." *The foregoing remarks are grounded on the authorities of Dr. Rush and Dr. Mitchill, who have published the refult of their inquiries in Mr. Carey's Museum, vols. 6th and 7th, The The Duke, though ftrongly prejudiced against democratic affemblies, yet, in expectation that the inhabitants would agree: to raise money to discharge the public debts, and to fettle fuch a fund for the future as might be fufficient for the maintenance of the government and garrifon, informed the lieutenant-governor, in 1682, that "he intended to establish the fame frame of government as the other plan tations enjoyed, particularly in the choofing of an assembly,' Mr. Dongan was appointed governor in September, and inftructed to call an affembly, to confift of a council of ten, and of a house of reprefentatives, chofen by the freeholders, of the number of eighteen members. The affembly was empowered to make laws for the people, agreeable to the general jurisprudence of the state of England, which fhould be of no force, however, without the ratification of the proprietary. "Thus the inhabitants of New-York, after being ruled almost twenty years at the will of the Duke's deputies, were first admitted to participate in the legislative power." An affembly was called on governor Dongan's arrival, which paffed an act of general naturalization, in order to give equal privileges to the various kinds of people then inhabiting the province; together with an act "declaring the liberties of the people;" as also one "for defraying the requifite charges of government for a limited time." The legiflature was convened once more in August 1684, when it explained the last act. These feem to have been the only affemblies called prior to the revolution. When the Duke became King of England, he refused to confirm that grant of privileges to which as Duke he had agreed. He eftablished a real tyranny, and reduced New-York once more to the deplorable condition of a conquered province. NEW JERSEY. New-Jerfey, which was also taken from the Dutch (who were con fidered as having no right to any of their fettlements in thefe parts of America) was included in the grant to the Duke of York. The Duke difpofed of it to Lord Berkley and Sir George Carteret, in 1664, who being fole proprietors, for the better fettlement of it agreed upon certain conftitutions of government, fo well relished, that the eastern parts were foon confiderably peopled. One of the ftipulations was, "no qualified perfon, at any time, fhall be any ways molested, punished, difquieted, or called into question, for any difference in opinion or practice in matters of religious concernments, who who does not actually disturb the civil peace of the province; but all and every fuch perfon and perfons may, from time to time, and at all times, freely and fully have and enjoy his and their judgments and confciences, in matters of religion, they behaving themselves peaceably and quietly, and not using this liberty to licentioufness, nor to the civil injury or outward disturbance of others; "any law, statute, or claufe contained, or to be contained, ufage or custom of the realm of England, to the contrary thereof in any wife notwith ftanding. The lords proprietors further agreed, "for the better security of all the inhabitants in the province-that they are not to impofe, NOR SUFFER TO BE IMPOSED, any tax, cuftom, fubfidy, tallage, affeffiment, or any otherduty whatsoever, upon any colour or pretence, upon the said province and inhabitants thereof, other than what fhall be impofed by the authority and confent of the General Affembly." What can more ftrongly exprefs the then opinion of Lord Berkley and Sin George Carteret, as to the parliament's having no right to tax the inhabitants of the province, poffeffed by them as lords proprietors! Lord Berkley fold his moiety of the province to John Fenwick, in truft for Edward Byllinge and his affig.s in 1674. After which the proprietors, E. Byllinge, William Penn, Gawen Lawrie, Nicholas Lucas, and Edmond Warner, of the Quaker perfuafion, agreed with Sir George Carteret upon a divifion, 1676; and that his moiety should be called New Eaft-Jerfey, and their's New Weft-Jerfey. The agreement refpecting the not impofing or fuffering to be imposed any tax, &c. was adopted; the other ftipulation is worded fomewhat differently; "no men, nor number of men upon earth, hath power or authority to rule over men's confciences in religious matters; therefore it is confented, agreed and ordained, that no perfon or perfons whatfoever within the province, at any time or times hereafter, fhall be any ways, upon any pretence whatfoever, called in question, or in the leaft punished or hurt, either in perfon, estate, or privilege, for the fake of his opinion, judgment, faith, or wor hip towards God, in matters of religion; but that all and every fuch perfon and perfons may, from time to time, and at all times, freely and fully have and enjoy his and their judgments, and the exercise of their confciences, in matters of religious worship, throughout all the *Smith's History of New-Jersey, p. 513. +Ibid. p. 517. province." It was alfo agreed, "that all elections be not determined by the common and confufed way of cries and voices, but by putting balls into balloting boxes, to be provided for that purpose, for the prevention of all partiality, and whereby every man may freely choose according to his own judgment and honeft intention."† Soon after, many Quakers reforted to Weft-Jerfey from England, and the country filled apace. But the people early experienced the dreadful effects of arbitrary power. Major Andros, the governor of New-York, impofed ten per cent. on all goods imported at the HoarKill, and demanded five per cent. of the fettlers at arrival or afterward, though neither Weft-Jersey, nor the Hoar-Kill, was legally under his jurifdiction. They complained of the hardship from the firft, but bore it patiently, till about 1680, when applica tion was made to the Duke of York, who referred the matter to the council, where it refted for a confiderable time, and then was reported in their favour, and the duty ordered to be difcontinued. Among the arguments ufed by Meffrs. William Penn, George Hutchinfon and others, chiefly, if not all quakers, in the paper prefented to the Duke's commiffioners, were thefe, "powers of government are exprefsly granted in the conveyance Lord Berkley made us, for that only could have induced us to buy it; and the reafon is plain, becaufe to all prudent men, the government of any place is more inviting than the foil; for what is good land without good laws? the better the worfe. And if we could not affure people of an eafy and free, and fafe government, both with refpect to their fpiritual and worldly property, that is, an uninterrupted liberty of conscience, and an inviolable poffeffion of their civil rights and freedoms, by a juft and wife government, a mere wilderness would be no encouragement; for it were a madness to leave a free, good, and improved country, to plant in a wildernefs, and there adventure many thoufands of pounds, to give an abfolute title to another perfon to tax us at will and pleasure. Natural right and human prudence oppofe fuch doctrine all the world over, as fays, "that people, free by law, and under their prince at home, are at his mercy in the plantations abroad." The king's grant to the Duke of York is plainly reftrictive to the laws and government of England. Now, we humbly con Corrupted by time into Whore-Kill. The names of many rivers, in NewYork government particularly, terminate with kill, which means both river and sivulet. |