NEW YORK. ITS WESTERN SECTION.

principally from New Haven, consisting of the export of live stock and provisions, and the import of the productions of the sugar cane and coffee tree. The whale fishery is carried on from New London and Stonington.

Manufactories in cotton and woollen are established to a considerable extent, principally on the waters of the Quinnebaug and Shetucket; and iron foundries in the western section of the state.

The most considerable cities are Hartford and New Haven; the former pleasantly situated on the west bank of the Connecticut river, at the head of sloop navigation, fifty miles from its mouth; population, 12,793. The latter at the head of a bay extending four miles up from Long Island Sound; population, 14,390. The city is laid out in squares; the centre one is reserved for public purposes; one half for a walk, and the other for public buildings.

NEW YORK. The state of New York extends from the Atlantic ocean to the borders of Canada on lake Champlain, three hundred miles; and from Niagara river to the west line of the state of Massachusetts, three hundred and forty miles; containing an area of forty-five thousand square miles; and a population of 2,428,921, averaging fifty-four to the square mile. The real estate estimated in the year 1841, for the purpose of taxation, amounted to $531,987,886; and the personal estate, to $123,311,644. Number of militia in 1840, 162,172.

ITS WESTERN SECTION. The country west of Albany is a high, rich, table land; its summit being seven hundred feet above the level of tide water at Albany; from this table, the waters flow northerly into the St. Lawrence, southerly into the gulf of Mexico, by means of the Alleghany river, a branch of the Ohio; into the Chesapeake bay by the Susquehanna; into the Delaware bay by the Delaware river; and into New York bay by the Hudson. This country, during the revolutionary war, and for some years after, was inhabited by the Six Nations of Indians, the most powerful and warlike of any in the northern section of the United States. They were under British influence, and carried on a destructive warfare against the frontiers of New York and Pennsylvania. It then constituted one county, called Tryon, embracing only a few white inhabitants, principally settled on the flats of the Mohawk river.

The whole country, with the exception of some reservations, has been obtained after the American mode of purchasing Indian titles, and now contains nearly a million of inhabitants. The great body of these tribes have migrated to the west, or become extinct. The rights of those remaining on the reservations have for the most part been respected. On a question before the supreme court of New York relating to these Indians,

ITS CONSTITUTION.

for acts done on the reservations, the court held jurisdiction, on the ground that the Indians, from their reduced number and condition, had ceased to be a political community.

On the northern section of this territory, and near lake Ontario, are the Onondaga salt springs, at which a million and a half bushels of salt are annually made by evaporation and by artificial heat. They are owned by the state, and rented with the privilege of getting fuel from the state lands reserved for that purpose, at a certain rate per bushel. There appears to be no limit to their productiveness but the want of fuel. Evaporation by natural means has lately been resorted to with success. A communication with the springs is opened to the Erie canal, by means of a side cut, which gives to this salt a greatly extended market. In the year 1841, 3,340,769 bushels were inspected.

ITS CONSTITUTION. The constitution, formed in 1821, provides, that there shall be a house of representatives chosen annually by counties, and a senate chosen once in four years, and classed in such a manner that one fourth may be annually renewed; for the choice of senators, the state is divided into eight senatorial districts, to consist of contiguous counties, and as nearly equal as may be, each of which are to select four senators. The governor is elected biennially, and has assigned to him the appropriate duty of appointments, with the advice and consent of the senate. He has a qualified negative upon the acts of the legislature. Judges hold their offices during good behavior, but not beyond the age of sixty. This restriction operates to deprive the state of the services of its judges between the ages of sixty and seventy, when, as a general rule, they are best qualified to discharge judicial duties.

The political year commences on the first of January, and the legislature meets on the first Tuesday. The constitution guards against executive influence on the legislature, and intriguing for office among its members, by a provision, that "no member of the legislature shall receive any civil appointment from the governor and senate, or from the legislature, during the term for which he shall have been elected." It also guards against the influence of the clergy in civil affairs, by disfranchising the members of that profession. The article is in the following terms: "whereas the ministers of the gospel are, by their profession, dedicated to the service of God, and the care of souls, and ought not to be diverted from the great duties of their functions; therefore, no minister of the gospel, or priest of any denomination whatsoever, shall, at any time hereafter, under any pretence or description whatever, be eligible to, or capable of holding any civil or military office within this state."

The assent of two thirds of the members elected to each branch of the legislature, is requisite to every bill appropriating public money for local or private purposes, or for creating, alter

SAFETY FUND BANKS. EDUCATION.

ing, or renewing, any corporation. The tolls on the Erie and Champlain canals, the duties on the manufacture of salt, and certain other items of revenue, are inviolably pledged for the payment of the canal debt, and until that is extinguished, they cannot be diminished. The constitution prohibits the legislature from disposing of their canal property, or the salt springs, and from granting lotteries.

SAFETY FUND BANKS. The legislature of New York have adopted a new principle in relation to banks. By an act of 1829, every bank thereafter to be chartered or renewed, is required to contribute annually one half of one per cent. on its capital, to constitute what is called a mutual safety fund, the object of which is to provide for the payment of the debts of such of them as should become insolvent. These banks and the fund are placed under the supervision of commissioners appointed by the state, to whom they are to make annual reports of their condition.

The principle of making one corporation or joint stock company accountable for the debts of another with whom it has no connection, and over whose conduct it has no control, is a novel experiment in legislation. It is expected that the safety fund banks will be compensated for this contribution, in the greater credit and consequent more extensive circulation of their bille. The number of banks subject to this regulation is ninety. Whole number of banks in the state, ninety-six. Capital, $36,801,460.

In 1838 a law was passed, which is usually called the "General Banking Law," which authorizes any person or association who deposit with the comptroller of the State, United States stocks, or the stocks of any State, to issue bills, (countersigned and registered by the comptroller,) equal in amount to the stocks deposited, such stocks to be equal to New York state stock, bearing five per cent. per annum.

Or if preferred, one half the issue of bills can be based upon bonds and mortgages, bearing at least six per cent. interest, upon real estate in the State of New York, provided such mortgages be only on improved, productive, unincumbered lands, worth independently of any buildings thereon, at least double the amount for which they are mortgaged.

This currency, chiefly in consequence of the depreciation in stocks, has not proved as valuable as the friends of the law had hoped.

Imprisonment for debt, as it respects citizens of the State, has been abolished; and citizens of other States, after a short residence, may be exonerated by a process of insolvency, unless proved guilty of fraud in contracting debts, or in the disposition of their property to avoid payment.

EDUCATION.

EDUCATION. Great exertions have been made by the legisla ture to extend the benefits of education to all classes. The ap propriations which have been made for this puropse have been frequent and liberal. There are six colleges in the State; Columbia, at the city of New York, founded in 1754. Number of students, one hundred and thirty-nine. Union, at Schenectady, founded in 1795. Students, two hundred and eighty. Hamilton, at Clinton, founded in 1812. Students, seventy four. The Hamilton Literary and Theological College, at Hamilton. founded in 1819. Students, seventy-four. Geneva, founded at Geneva, in 1923. Number of students, sixty-four. And the University of New York, founded in the city in 1831. Number of students, one hundred and thirty five. The last is projected on the broad scale of European universities, and is governed by a council of thirty-two members, together with the mayor and four of the common council of the city. It depends on private subscription for funds.

Each town is divided into a suitable number of school districts, and each district is required by law to provide itself with a school house, furniture and fuel. There is an annual appropriation to these districts from the school fund, according to the number of scholars from five to sixteen years of age, and the towns are required to raise by a tax a sum equal to that received from the fund. There are 10,769 school districts, and 572,995 children who receive instruction. The amount of expense incurred by the public and individuals annually, for the support of common schools, is estimated at more than a million of dollars.

There are two institutions for the instruction of the deaf and dumb; one in the city of New York, and one at Canajoharie. Meteorological reports are annually made from the principal academies, from which it is ascertained that for the five years immediately preceding 1831, the mean temperature of the climate in twenty different places was 48° Fahrenheit, and that the mean depth of rain and snow water which fell annually at the same time and places, was thirty-eight inches.

The clergy are generally supported by the voluntary contributions of their respective congregations.

The average annual salaries of the clergy are estimated at $500.

The first newspaper printed in the state, was in 1725. At the census of 1790, New York was the fifth state in the Union as to numbers, containing 340,120 inhabitants, being about the twelfth part of the whole. At the enumeration of 1830, its numbers had increased five fold, containing about the fifth part of the whole free inhabitants of the United States, and considerably more than any other state. In 1835, the population was 2,174,517. In 1840, 2,428,921.

ERIE CANAL. The idea of connecting the waters bordering on the west of the state, with the navigable waters of the Hudson at Albany, was early entertained. Public opinion vibrated for some time between a canal terminating at the eastern extremity of lake Ontario, and one extending to lake Erie. The former would be but about half the distance, and require but half the expense, but the superior advantages of the latter soon led to a decision in its favor.

The Erie canal owes its origin to the powerful and persevering exertions of De Witt Clinton. It was thought by many to be visionary, and far beyond the means of the state to accomplish, and by way of derision it was called Clinton's big ditch. The first ground was broken, July 4th, 1817. The first boat passed from lake Erie to the Hudson, in October, 1825. Its length is 363 miles; breadth at the surface of the water, forty feet, at the bottom, twenty-eight; depth of water, four feet; 658 feet of rise and fall, by 84 locks, and cost seven millions of dollars. Amount of tolls collected in 1840, 1,617,246. The most noted towns on the Erie canal are Utica, Rochester, and Buffalo, all celebrated for their enterprize and rapid growth.

Champlain canal was commenced the same year, and under the same board of directors, connecting the waters of lake Champlain with those of the Hudson and the western lakes. I commences at Whitehall, and enters the Mohawk river at Waterford, opposite the Erie canal. Length, 64 miles, of the same dimensions as the Erie canal; rise and fall 188 feet by 21 locks. Cost, $1,179,871.

OSWEGO CANAL, &c. Oswego canal connects the Erie canal with lake Ontario at Oswego. Length, 38 miles; descent to the lake, 123 feet, by 14 locks. Cost, $565,437.

Cayuga and Seneca canal extends from Geneva on the Seneca lake to the Erie canal at Montezuma, distance 20 miles; descent 73 feet, by 11 locks. Cost $236.804.

Chemung canal extends from the head waters of Seneca lake to the Tioga river, a distance of 23 miles; the Crooked lake canal is eight miles long, and connects the waters of the Crooked and Seneca lakes.

The Chenango canal extends from the city of Utica to Bingampton, where it unites with the Susquehanna river; its length is 97 miles; it was commenced in 1833, completed in 1837, and cost $2,270,605. These canals have been constructed at the expense of the state, and are under the administration of its government.

The most important canal undertaken by a private company, is the Delaware and Hudson, commencing at the head of tide water on the Rondout creek, three miles from the Hudson, and terminating at Honesville, in Pennsylvania, opposite the mouth of Lackawaxen river; length, 83 miles in New York and 25 in