der the sea-coast; from all which we may reasonably expect the most dismal scenes of distress the ensuing year, unless we exert ourselves by every means and precaution possible ; and whereas we of this colony of New Hampshire have the example of several of the most respectable of our sister colonies before us for entering upon that most important step of disunion from Great Britain, and declaring ourselves FREE and INDEPENDENT of the Crown thereof, being impelled thereto by the most violent and injurious treatment; and it appearing absolutely necessary in this most critical juncture of our public affairs, that the honorable the Continental Congress, who have this important object under immediate consideration, should be also informed of our resolutions thereon without loss of time, We do hereby declare that it is the opinion of this Assembly that our Delegates at the Continental Congress should he instructed, and they are hereby instructed, to join with the other colonies in declaring the Thirteen United Colonies, a Free and Independent State-Solemnly pledging our faith and honor, that we will on our parts support The Measure with our Lives and Fortunes and that in consequence thereof they, the Continental Congress, on whose wisdom, fidelity and integrity we rely, may enter into and form such alliances as they may judge most conducive to the present safety and future advantage of these American colonies: Provided, the regulation of our internal police be under the direction of our own Assembly. Entered according to the original, Attest,

NOAH EMERY, Cir. D. Reps.

Literary Notices, &c.

Laws of New-Hampshire. The second volume of revised statutes of this state is just published by Mr. Hill, Concord, It contains, beside the laws, an appendix comprising a varie. ty of interesting and valuable papers ; among which we would mention the following: Form of Civil Government adopted at Exeter, Jan 5, 1776. Declaration of Independence by the Council and Assembly of New Hampshire,

June 11, 1776. Constitution agreed upon by the Delegates of the people of the State of New-Hamp.

shire, June 1783. Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union, between the States of New Hamp

shire, Massachusetts Bay, Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, Connecticut, New-York, New-Jersey, Pennsylvania. Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North-Carolina, South-Carolina and Georgia; July 8, 1778, &c. &c.

The volume will be for sale at the bookstores within a few days.

Sketches of the Earth and its inhabitants. This new work of Mr. WORCESTER, sometime since announced as in the press, has just made its appearance. The learned and indus

trious author, has in this instance presented the public with a very useful and entertaining work, and one which we have no doubt will prove of great utility. A more particular notice will be given in a future-number of this Journal.

TRUMBULL'S HISTORY.--In 1810, the first volume of a history of the United States was published by the Rev. Dr. Trumbull, of Connecticut. It was originally intended by the author, that the work should consist of three volumes, the first to close with the year 1764 ; the second with the capture of Gen. Burgoyne and his army Oct. 17, 1777; and third with the year 1782; the whole comprising a general bistory of three complete centuries. The first volume of this history is all that has been published. In a late number of the New-Haven Journal it is announced that the work of Dr. Trumbull is to be continued, by a gentleman who is now engaged upon it.

A volume of Military and Naval Letters has been compiled and published by John Brannan of the city of Washington. It forms an official record of all the events of the war of 1812. Letters complimentary to the compiler, have been published from Mr. Jefferson, Mr. Monroe and Mr. Rush, the American minister at London.

John Foster, Jr. Esq. has issued proposals for publishing a History of the Town and City of Boston, from its early settlement to the present time, which, the prospectus states, will embrace a succinct account of the discovery of New-England; the emigration of our ancestors; progressive settlement of the country, previous to the foundation of Boston, in 1630; a sketch of the character and appearance of the natives, when first discovered by Columbus, and the aborigines of New-England as found by the Pilgrims; together with a complete history of Boston, including observations and remarks, embellished with elegant engravings representing the principal public buildings, with a particular description of each, &c.

Messrs. Smith & Shute, of Poultney, Vt. have lately published a “ VIEW OF THE HEBREWS,” by Rev. Ethan Smith, formerly of Hopkinton in this State. The work is divided into four divisions,exhibiting 1. the destruction of Jerusalem; 2. the certain restoration of Judah & Israel ; 3. the present state of Judah & Israel; 4. an address of the prophet Isaiah relative to their restoration. 12 mo. pp. 187.

Messrs. Wells & Lilly, of Boston, will shortly publish, in one volume, octavo, SERMONS and Tracts, by the late Rev.

Samuel Cooper Thacher, pastor of the new South Church; with a memoir of his life by the Rev. Mr. Greenwood.

Samuel Whiting, of New-York, has published the LETTERS of Adam Hodgson, Esq. of Liverpool, England, written during a journey through the United States, in the years 1819, 1820, and 1821.

Cummings, Hilliard & Co. of Boston, have issued proposals for publishing, by subscription, "THE FAMILY SHAKSPEARE," in which nothing is added to the original text; but those words and expressions are omitted, which cannot, with propriety, be read aloud in a family. By Thomas Bowdler Esq. F. R. S. and S. A.

Another new novel, by the author of Waverly, entitled St. Ronan's Well, has appeared. The scene lies in Scotland, and the period of the time chosen for the action is about 40 years back. It is contained in 2 volumes.

A new work from the pen of Miss Porter, author of "Thaddeus of Warsaw," "Scottish Chiefs," &c. will soon appear in three volumes, entitled Duke Christian of Lunenburg, or traditions from the Hartz.

From the National Gazette.

The following beautiful appeal to the charitable, was written by a gentleman in Montreal, when the distress of the poor in that place called loudly on the charity of the opulent, during the hard winter of 1817 and '18.

WINTER.

AT this chill time, while stormy winter reigns,
And driven snow lies scattered on the plains;
While bitter tempests howl with furious dread,
And search each crevice of the peasant's shed;
At this bleak hour the poor are doomed to know
The cutting pangs of undeserved woe;
To feel the sorrows that from want arise,
While famine waits when craving nature cries.
Bereft of means to earn their food each day,
They pine unknown their humble woes away.
Ye sons of fortune blest with happy lot,
Go view the misery of the poor man's cot;
See how distress bows down a father's head,
While hungry infants call aloud for bread;
See the low mother, sickly and opprest,
Weep o'er her child half famished at her breast;
Go, view this scene, and teach your hearts to feel
The force, the claim of poverty's appeal.
O charity! sweet nymph of every grace,
Extend thy arm to cheer a drooping race,
Raise up the wretched from their pining state,
And yield thy aid where want and death await

COLLECTIONS,
Historical and Miscellaneous.

FEBRUARY, 1824.

Ecclesiastical History.

MEMORANDA: relating to the Churches and Clergy of New

Hampshire.

[Continued from page 27.]

In 1765, the Rev. SAMUEL COTTON was ordained at Litchfield; Rev. GYLES MERRILL at Plaistow; Rev. SAMUEL PERLEY at Seabrook; Rev. PETER POWERS at Haverhill; Rev. NATHAN WARD at Plymouth; Rev. ABRAHAM CARPENTER at Plainfield; Rev. SETH DEANE at Rindge; and Rev. Amos MOODY at Pelham.

Rev. Samuel Cotton was son of the Rev. John Cotton, of Newton, Mass. and was a direct descendant from the celebrated John Cotton, one of the first ministers of Boston.* He

[*It is believed that the COTTON family in its various branches has produced more men of the clerical profession than any other in New-England. On looking over the Catalogue of Harvard College, we perceive no less than twenty-one of the patronymick name that graduated at that institution from 1651 to 1810. Of this number, fourteen were ordained miuisters of the gospel. Rev. Seaborn Cotton, son of Rev. John Cotton graduated 1651; ord. at Hampton, 1660; died 1686, aged 53. His brother, Rev. John Cotton, born March 15, 1640; grad. 1657; ord. at Plymouth, June 30, 1669; dismissed Oct. 5, 1697; went to Charleston, S.C. where he died, Sept. 18, 1699, aged 60. Rev. John Cotton, the oldest son of Seaborn, grad. 1678; succeeded his father at Hampton in 1696; died of apoplexy, March 27, 1710, aged 52--some say 57. Roland, the second son of Seaborn, was admitted a member of Harvard College in 1692; left on account of his health, but received a degree in 1696. Rev. John Cotton, oldest son of Mr. Cotton of Plymouth, was born Aug. 3, 1661; grad. at Harvard college 1681; ordained at Yarmouth, Mass. 1693; died Feb. 21, 1706, aged 45. Rev. Roland Cotton, the second son, born Dec. 27, 1667; grad. at Harvard College 1685; ordained at Sandwich, Ms. Nov. 28, 1694. Rev. Theophilus Cotton has been already noticed in Coll. vol. ii. page 289. Rev. John Cotton, of Newton, was son of Rev. Roland Cotton of Sandwich. He grad. 1710; ordained Nov. 3, 1714; died May 1757, aged 64. He was brother to Rev. Nath aniel Cotton of Bristol, and Rev. Ward Cotton of Hampton, (see page 298, vol. ii.) and father of Rev. Samuel Cotton of Litchfield. A number of persons of the clerical names of Mather, Williams, Cushing. Moody, Thayer and Tufts, were descendants in the female line from Rev. John Cotton of Boston.-EDITORS.]

removed to Claremont, where he died, at an advanced age, in the fall of 1819.

Mr. Merrill was graduated at Harvard College in 1759, and ordained at Plaistow as successor of Mr. Cushing, March 6, 1765, and died April 27, 1801, aged 62. "He was a sound scholar and learned divine, and possessed that simplicity yet dignity of manners and kindness of heart, which secured him the love and respect of all who knew him." James C. Merrill, Esq. of Boston, and Samuel Merrill, Esq. of Andover, are his sons.

Mr. Perley was graduated at Harvard College in 1763. He was the first minister of Seabrook and in 1775 was appointed Moderator of the Salem Presbytery. The same year he was dismissed from Seabrook. In Oct. 1778 he was installed the first minister of Moultonborough.* There was a very considerable opposition to his installation, and the next year he was dismissed. Soon after and in the same year of his dismission from Moultonborough, he was installed at Groton,the first minister of that town, where he continued five years and was dismissed. On the 8th of September, 1784, he was installed at Gray, in Maine, and in May, 1791, by mutual agreement between him and the people, he ceased preaching.

Mr. Powers was a son of Capt. Peter Powers, one of the first settlers of Hollis, and was the first male child born in that town. He was graduated at Harvard College in 1754, ordained over the towns of Haverhill, N. H. and Newbury, Vt. in 1765, and was the first settled minister in the county of Grafton. He was dismissed in 1784, and the next year was installed at Deer Isle, Me. where he continued to labour with zeal, activity and success for fourteen years, when in the early part of 1799, he was removed by death. "He was a faithful and discriminating preacher, and was possessed of superior talents. A publication of his, entitled A humble inquiry into the nature of covenanting with God,' was issued about three years before his death. It exhibits much strength of mind, and contains very conclusive reasoning against the practice of what has been termed the “Halfway Covenant."

[*Mr. Perley was installed, says a writer in the N. H. Gazette of Nov. 17, 1778, against the strenuous opposition of at least an equal number of polls, which included all the principal persons of character and interest in Moultonborough; insomuch that they paid 3-4 parts of the tax and were owners of at least 19-20ths of all the real estate there. He was installed Oct. 8, 1778.]