Brunfwick city, a poft town is fituated on the fouth weft fide of Raritan river, over which a fine bridge has lately been built, twelve miles above Amboy. It contains about three hundred houses, and about two thousand eight hundred inhabitants, one half of whom are Dutch. Its fituation is low and unpleasant, being on the bank of a river, and under a high hill which rifes at the back of the town. The citizens have a confiderable inJand trade, and several (mail veffels belonging to the port, thirty-five miles fouth weft from New-York, north lat. 40 deg. 30 min. W. long. 74 deg. 30 min. Princetown is a pleasant poft-town of about eighty houses, fifty-two miles from New-York, and forty-two from Philadelphia. Its public buildings are a large college edifice of flone, and a Prefbyterian church built of brick. Its fituation is remarkably healthy. Elizabeth-town a poft town is fifteen miles W. from New-York. Its fituation is pleasant, and its foil equal in fertility to any in the flate, la the compact part of the town there are about one hundred and fifty houses. The public buildings are a very handfome Prefbyterian brick church lately built, an Epifcopal church alfo of brick, and an Academy. This is one of the oldeft towns in the ftate. It was purchased of the Indians as early as 1664, and was fettled foon after, fifteen miles fouth west of New-York. Newark a poft town is nine miles weft from New-York. It is a handsome flourishing town, about the fize of Elizabeth-town, and has two Prefbyterian churches, one of which is of ftone, and is the largelt and molt elegant building in the ftate. Befides thefe there is an Epifcopal church, a court houfe, and a gaol. This town is celebrated for the excellence of its cider, and is the feat of the largest fhoe manufactory in the flate: the average number made daily throughout the year, is estimated at about two hundred pair. An academy was established here in 1792, and promises to be a ufeful inftitution. THERE Religion and Character. HERE are in this State about fifty Prefbyterian congregations, fubject to the care of three Prefbyteries, viz. that of New-York, of Brunf wick and Philadelphia. A part of the charge of New-York and Philadel phia Prefbyteries lies in New-Jerfey, and part in their own refpective ftates. Befides thefe, there are upwards of forty congregations of Friends, thirty of the Baptifts, twenty-five of Epifcopalians, twenty-eight of Dutch reformed, befides Methodists and a fettlement of Moravians. All thefe religious denominations live together in peace and harmony, and worship Almighty God agreeably to the dictates of their own confciences; they are not compelled to attend or fupport any worship contrary to their own faith and judgment. All proteftant inhabitants of peaceable behaviour are eligible to the civil offices of the flate. It may, in truth be faid, that the people of New-Jerfey are generally induftrious, frugal and hofpitable. There are, comparatively, but few men of learning in the ftate, nor can it be faid, that the people in general have a talle for the fciences. The poorer clafs, in which may be included a confiderable proportion of the inhabitants of the whole flate, have been inattentive to the education of their children, who are but too generally left to grow up in ignorance. There are, however, a number of gentlemen of the first rank of abilities and learning in the civil offices of the flate, and in the feveral learned profeflions. THE Manufactures, Trade, &c. HE trade of this State is carried on almoft folely with and from thofe two great commercial cities, New-York on one fide, and Philadelphia on the other, though it wants not good ports of its own. Several attempts have been made by the legislature to fecure to the flate its own natural advantages, by granting extraordinary privileges to merchants who would fettle at Amboy and Burlington, two very commodious ports. But the people having long been accustomed to fend their produce to the markets of Philadelphia and New-York, and of course having their correfpondencies eflablifhed, and their mode of dealing fixed, they find it difficult to turn their trade from the old channel. Befides, in these large cities, where are fo many able merchants, and fo many wants to be fupplied, credits are more eafily obtained, and a better and quicker market is found for produce than could be expected in towns lefs populous and flourishing. Thefe and other caufes of the fame kind have hitherto rendered abortive the encouragements held out by the legiflature. The articles exported, befides thofe already mentioned, are wheat, flour, horfes, live cattle, hams, which are celebrated as being among the best in the world, lumber, flax-feed, leather, iron in great quantities, in pigs and bars, and formerly copper ore; but the mines have not been worked fince the commencement of the late war. The imports confift chiefly of Weft India goods. The manufactures of this ftate have hitherto been very inconfidérable, not fufficient to fupply its own confumption, if we except the articles of iron, nails, and leather. A spirit of industry and improvement, particularly in manufactures, has, however, greatly increased fome years fince. Most of the families in the country, and many in the populous towns, are clothed in ftrong, decent homefpun; and it is a happy circumftance for the country, that this plain American dress is every day growing more fashionable, not only in this but in all the States. In Trenton, Newark, and Elizabeth town are several very valuable tanyards, where leather in large quantities, and of an excellent quality, is made and exported to the neighbouring markets. In Gloucefler county is a glafs-house. Paper mills and nail manufactories: are erected and worked to good advantage in feveral parts of the State. Wheat alfo is manufactured into flour, and Indian corn into meal, to good accourt, in the western counties, where wheat is the flaple commodity. But the iron manufacture is of all others the greatest source of wealth to the State. Iron works are erected in Gloucefler, Burlington, Suffex, Morris, and other counties. The mountains in the county of Morris give rife to a number of Areams neceffary and convenient for these works, and at the fame time furnish a copious fupply of wood and ore of a fuperior quality. In this county alone: are no less than seven rich iron mines, from which might be taken ore fufficient to fupply the United States; and to work it into iron are two furnaces, two rolling and flitting mills, and about thirty forges, containing from two to four fires each. Thefe works produce annually above five hundred and forty tons of bar iron, eight hundred tons of pig, befides large quantities of hollow ware, fheet iron and nail rods. In the whole State, it is fuppofed there is yearly made about twelve hundred tons of bar iron, twelve hundred tons of pig, eight hundred tons of nail rods, exclufive of hollow ware, and various other caftings, of which vast quantities are made. Literature, Improvements, &c. THERE are two colleges in New-Jersey ; one at Princeton, called Naffau-Hall; the other at Brunswick, called Queen's College. The college at Prince town was firft founded by charter from John Hamilton, Esq. Prefident of the Council, about the year 1738 and enlarged by Governor Belcher in 1747. The charter delegates a power of granting to the fu dents of faid college, or to any others thought worthy of them, all fuch degrees as are granted in either of the univerfities, or any other college in Great Britain." It has twenty-three trustees. The governor of the State, and the prefident of the college are ex officiis, two of them. It has an annual income of about nine hundred pounds currency, of which two hundred pounds arise from funded public fecurities and lands, and the reft from the fees of the flu dents. The prefident of the college is alfo profeffor of eloquence, criticifm and chronology. The vice-prefident is also profeffor of divinity and moral philofophy. There is alfo a profeffor of mathematics and natural philofophy, and two maflers of languages. The four claffes in college contain commonly from seventy to one hundred ftudents. There is a grammar-school of about twenty fcholars, connected with the college, under the fuperintendance of the prefident, and taught fometimes by a senior scholar, and fometimes by a graduate. Before the war, this college was furnished with a philofophical apparatus, worth five hundred pounds, which (except the elegant orrery conftructed by Mr. Rittenhoufe) was almoft entirely deftroyed by the British army in the late war, as was also the library, which now confits of between two and three thousand volumes. The college edifice is handfomely built with ftone, and is one hundred and eighty feet in length, fifty-four in breadrh, and four flories high, and is divided into forty-two convenient chambers for the accommodation of the students, befides a dining hall, chapel, and room for the library. Its fituation is clevated, and exceedingly pleasant and healthful. It is remarkable, that fince the removal of the college to Prince town, in 1756, there have been but five or fix deaths among the ftudents. The view from the college balcony is extenfive and charming. The college has been under the care of a fucceffion of prefidents, eminent for piety and learning, and has furnished a number of civillians, divines and phyticians, of the full tank in America. The charter for Queen's College, at Brunfwick, was granted juft before the war, in confequence of an application from a body of the Dutch church. Its funds, raifed wholly by free donations, amounted, foon after its establishment, to four thousand pounds, but they were confiderably diminished by the war. The grammar-fchool, which is connected with the college, confifts of between thirty and forty ftudents, under the care of the truflees. The college at prefent is not in a very flourishing flate. There are a number of good academies in this flate; viz. one at Freehold in the county of Monmouth; one at Trenton; one in Hackinfack, in the county of Bergen; one at Orangedale, in the county of Effex; one at Elizabeth town; one at Burlington; one at Newark. Besides thefe, there are grammar schools at Springfield, Morristown, Bordentown, Amboy, &c. There is a medical fociety in this State, confifting of about thirty of their moft refpectable phyficians, who meet twice a year. No perfon is admitted to the practice of phyfic without a licence from the fupreme court, founded on a certificate from this fociety, or at least two of its members, tellifying his skill and abilities. It is remarkable, that in the county of Cape May no regular physician has ever found fupport. Medicine has been adminiflered by wouen, except in fome extraordinary cafes. Conftitution and Courts of Justice. THE government of this flate, agreeable to the conflitution, is vested in a governor, legiflative council, and general Affembly. The governor is chofen annually, by the council and Affembly jointly, and is Ailed, Governor, and cominander in chief in and over the fate of NewJerfey, and the territories thereunto belonging, chancellor and ordinary in the fame. The legiflative council is compofed of one member from each county, chofen annually by the people. They muft be worth one thousand pounds in real and perfonal eftate, within the county, and have been freeholders and inhabitants, of the counties they reprefent, for one year. The general affembly is compofed of three members, from each county, chofen as above; each of them must be worth five hundred pounds, of real and personal eftate, within the county, and have been freeholders and inhabitants as above. Each of thefe, on taking his feat in the legislature muk fwear," that he will not affent to any law, vote, or proceeding, which fhall appear to him injurious, to the public welfare of the flate, or that fhall annul or repeal that part of the conflitution which establishes annual elections, nor that part refpecting trial by jury, nor that part which fecures liberty of confcience." The governor fits in and prefides over the legislative council; and has a caffing vote in their debates. His privy, or executive council, is compofed of any three members of the legislative council; and the governor, and any feven members of the council, are a court of appeals in the lait refort, as to points of law in civil cafes, and poffefs a power of pardoning criminals in all cafes whatfoever. The council choofe one of their members to be vice- Prefident, who, when the governor is absent from the flate, poffefs the, fupreme executive power. The council may originate any bills, except preparing and altering any money-bill, which is the fole prerogative of the affembly. In every other refpect their powers are equal. Every bill is read three times in each house. None of the judges of the fupreme court, or other courts, fheriffs, or any perfon poffeffed of any poft of profit under the governor, except juflices of the peace, 'is entitled to a feat in the affembly. The courts of juftice in this flate are, firft, Juftices courts. A com petent number of perfons are appointed in each county by the Council and Affembly in joint meeting who are called juftices of the peace, and continue in office five years; who, befides being confervators of the peace, agreeably to the English laws, are authorized to hold courts for the trial of caufes under twelve pounds. From this court, perfons aggrieved may ap peal to the quarter fellions. Secondly, Courts of quarter feffions of the peace are held quarterly in every county, by at least three of the juftices. This court takes cognizance of breaches of the peace, and is generally regulated by the rules of the English law. Thirdly, Courts of Common Pleas, which are held quarterly by judges appointed for that purpose, in the fame manner as the juftices of the peace, and who are commonly of their number, and hold their commissions five years. This court may be held by a fingle judge, and has cognizance of demands to any amount, and is constructed on, and governed by the principal of the English laws. Fourthly, Supreme Courts, which are held four times in a year, at Trenton, by three judges appointed for that purpose, who hold their offices three years; but one judge only is neceffary to the holding this court. This court has cognizance of all actions, both civil and criminal, throughout the flate, having the united authority of the courts of king's bench, common pleas, and exchequer in England. The courts of oyer and terminer and fini prius, commonly held once a year in each county, for the trial of caufes arifing in the county, and brought to iffue in the fupreme court, are properly branches of this court, and are held by one of the judges of it, except that in the courts of oyer and terminer, fome of the gentlemen of the county are always added in the commillion as affiftants to the judge: but they cannot hold the court without him. Fifthly, Orphan's courts, lately established by act of Affembly, are held by the judges of the courts of common pleafs, ex officiis, and have cognizance of all matters relating to wills, adminiftrations, &c. Sixthly, Court of Chancery, held by the government ex officio, always open. It is a court of law and equity, founded on the fame principles, and governed by the fame rules as the court of Chancery in England. Seventhly, High courts of Errors and Appeals, compofed of the governor and feven of the council, and is a court of appeals in the last resort in all cafes of law. All the English laws which have been practifed upon in the ftate, and which are not repugnant to revolution principles, were adopted by the conftitution, and very few alterations of confequence have fince been made, except in the defcent of the real estates, which inftead of defcending to the eldest son, agreeable to the old feudal fyftem, as formerly are now divided where there is no will, two fhares to each fon, and one fhare to each daughter, i. e. the fons have double the daughters portions, but all the fons have equal portion, and all the daughters. THIS Hiflory. HIS flate was the feat of war for feveral years, during the conteft between Great Britain and America. Here loffes both of men and property, in proportion to the population and wealth of the ftate, was greater than any other of the thirteen ftates. When General Washington was retreating through the Jerfeys, almost forfaken by all others, her milizia were at all times obedient to his orders, & for a confiderable length of time, compofed the ftrength of his army. There is hardly a town in the ftate that lay in the progrefs of the British army, that was not rendered fignal by fome enterprize or exploit. At Trenton the enemy received a check, which may be faid with juftice to have turned the time of war. At Princetown the feat of the mufes, they received another, which, united obliged them to retire with precipitation, and take refuge in difgraceful winter quarters. But whatever honor this State might derive from the relation, it is not our business No. 26, |