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convenient chambers for the accommodation of the ftudents, befides a dining hall, chapel room, and a room for the library. Its fituation is exceedingly pleafant and healthful. The view from the college balcony is extenfive and charming.

This college has been under the care of a fucceffion of Prefidents eminent for piety and learning; and has furnished a number of Civilians, Divines, and Phyficians of the firft rank in America. It is remarkable, that all the Prefidents of this college, except Dr. Witherspoon, who is now Prefident, were removed by death very foon after their election into office *.

The charter for Queen's college, at Brunfwick, was granted just 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 students are under the care of Prefident Hardenberg. The grammar-fchool, which is connected with the college, confifts of between thirty and forty ftudents, under the care of the trustees. This college has lately increafed both in numbers and reputation.

There are a number of flourishing academies in this ftate. One at Trenton, in which are about eighty ftudents in the different branches. It has a fund of about one hundred and fifty pounds per annum, arifing from the intereft on public fecurities. Another in Hakkenfak, in the county of Bergen, of upwards of an hundred fcholars. Inftruction and board are faid to be cheaper here than in any part of the ftate. There is another flourishing academy at Orangedale, in the county of Effex, confifting of nearly as many fcholars as either of the others, furnished with able inftructors, and good accommodations. Another has lately been opened at Elizabeth town, and confifts of upwards of twenty ftudents in the languages, and is increasing. There is alfo an academy in Burlington, In which young ladies and gentlemen are taught the English language grammatically, geography, and the learned languages. Befides thefe, there are grammar-fchools at Newark, Springfield, Morriftown, Bordentown, and Amboy. There are no regular eftablishments for common fchools in the ftate. The ufual mode of education is for the inhabitants of a village or neighbourhood to join in affording a temporary fupport for a fchool-mafter, upon fuch terms as is mutually agreeable. But the encouragement which thefe occafional teachers meet with, is generally fuch, as that no perfon of abilities adequate to the bufinefs, will undertake it; and of courfe, little advantage is derived from thefe fchools, The improvement in these common fchools is generally in proportion to wages of the teacher.

the

*Acceffus.

Prefidents.

Exitus.

1746,

Rev. Jonathan Dickinfon,

1747

1748,

Rev. Aaron Burr,

1757

1758,

Rev. Jonathan Edwards,

1758.

1758,

Rev. Samuel Davies,

1760.

1761,

Rev. Samuel Finley, D.D.

1706.

1767,

Rev. John Witherspoon, D.D.

Chief Towns.] There are a number of towns in this ftate, nearly of equal fize and importance, and none that has more than two hundred houfes, compactly built. TRENTON is the largeft town in New-Jerfey. It is fituated on the north-east fide of the river Delaware, oppofite the falls, nearly in the center of the state, from north to fouth, in lat. 40° 15', and about 20 eaft of the meridian of Philadelphia. The river is not navigable above thefe falls, except for boats, which will carry from five to feven hundred bufhels of wheat. This town, with Lamberton, which joins it on the fouth, contains two hundred houses, and about fifteen hundred inhabitants. Here the legislature meets, the fupreme court fits, and the public offices are all kept, except the fecretary's, which is at Burlington. On thefe accounts, it is confidered as the capital of the ftate. In the neighbourhood of this pleafant town, are feve ral gentlemen's feats, finely fituated on the banks of the Delaware, and ornamented with taste and elegance. This town, being a thoroughfare between the eastern parts of the ftate and Philadelphia, has a confiderable inland trade.

BURLINGTON (City) extends three miles along the Delaware, and one mile back, at right angles, into the county of Burlington, and is twenty miles above Philadelphia by water, and feventeen by land. The ifland, which is the most populous part of the city, is a mile and a quarter in length, and three quarters of a mile in breadth. It has four entrances over bridges and caufeways, and a quantity of bank meadow adjoining. On the island are one hundred and fixty houfes, nine hundred white, and one hundred black inhabitants. But few of the negroes are flaves. The main streets are conveniently fpacious, and moftly ornamented with trees in the fronts of the houses, which are regularly arranged. The Delaware, oppofite the town, is about a mile wide; and, under shelter of Mittinnicunk and Burlington Islands, affords a fafe and convenient harbour. It is commodioufly fituated for trade, but is too near the opulent city of Philadelphia to admit of any confiderable increase. There are two houfes for public worship in the town, one for the Friends or Quakers, who are the moft numerous, and one for Epifco palians. The other public buildings are two market-houfes, a cour'house, and the best gaol in the state. Befides thefe, there is an academy, already mentioned, a free-school, a nail manufactory, and an excellent diftillery, if that can be called excellent, which produces a poifon both of health and morals.

The city is a free port. The mayor, recorder, and aldermen hold a commercial court, when the matter in controverfy is between foreigners and foreigners, or between foreigners and citizens. The island of Burlington was laid out, and the firit fettlements made as early as 1677. In 1682, the island Mittinnicunk, or Free-School ifland, was given for the ufe of the island of Burlington; the yearly profits arifing from it (which amount to one hundred and eighty pounds) are appropriated for the education of poor children.

PERTH AMBOY (City) took its name from James Drummond, earl of Perth; and Ambo, the Indian word for point, and ftands on a neck of land included between Raritan river and Arthur Kull found. Its fitua tio4

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tion is high and healthy. It lies open to Sandy-Hook, and has one of the best harbours on the continent. Veffels from fea may enter it in one tide, in almost any weather. Great efforts have been made, and legiflative encouragements offered, to render it a place of trade, but without fuccefs. This town was early incorporated with city privileges, and continued to fend two members to the general affembly until the revolution. Until this event, it was the capital of Eaft-Jerfey; and the legislature and fupreme court ufed to fit here and at Burlington alternately.

BRUNSWICK (City) was incorporated in 1784, and is fituated on the fouth-weft fide of Raritan river, twelve miles above Amboy. It contains about two hundred houfes, and fixteen hundred inhabitants, one half of which are Dutch. Its fituation is low and unpleasant, being on the bank of the river, and under a high hill, which rifes back of the town. The ice, at the breaking up of the river in winter, frequently lodges on the fhallow fording-place, juft oppofite the town, and forms a temporary dam, which occafions the water to rife many feet above its ufual height, and fometimes to overflow the lower floors of thofe houses which are not guarded against this inconvenience, by having their foundations elevated. The water in the fprings and wells is generally bad. The inhabitants are beginning to build on the hill above the town, which is very pleafant, and commands a pretty profpect. The citizens have a confiderable inland trade, and several small veffels belonging to the port. PRINCETON is a pleafant, healthy village, of about eighty houfes, fifty-two miles from New-York, and forty-three from Philadelphia. Its public buildings are a large college edifice of ftone, already defcribed, and a prefbyterian church built of brick.

Its

ELIZABETH-TOWN (City) is fifteen miles from New-York. fituation is pleasant, and its foil is equal in fertility to any in the ftate. In the compact part of the town, there are about one hundred and fifty houfes. The public buildings are, a very handfome prefbyterian brick church, lately built, an epifcopal church, alfo of brick, and an academy. Governor Livingfton's feat is about a mile weftward of the compact part of the town. Its fine fituation-the elegance and convenience of the buildings--the arrangement and variety of fruit-trees-the gardens -the artificial fifh-ponds, &c. difcover a refined and judicious tafte. Ornament and utility are happily united. It is, indeed, a feat worthy of a Republican Patriot, and of the author of the Philofophical Solitude *.'

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This is one of the oldeft towns in the ftate. It was purchased of the Indians as early as 1664, and was settled foon after.

NEWARK is nine miles from New-York. It is a handfome, flourishing town, about the fize of Elizabeth-town, and has two prefbyterian churches, one of which is of ftone, and unfinished, and is the largest and moft elegant building in the ftate. Befides these there is an epifcopal church, a court-house and goal. This town has the fame of making the best cyder in the world.

A celebrated Ode, written by Governor Living fon in early life.

SHREWSBURY

SHREWSBURY is between thirty and forty miles fouthwest by fouth from New York, on the fea coaft, and is the largest and most populous town in the county of Monmouth. The foil in this and the neighbouring towns of Freehold and Middletown, are remarkably fertile. The inhabitants, 4321 in number, in the whole township, are a mixture of friends, epifcopalians, prefbyterians and methodifts. Each has a house of worship. The friends are the moft numerous. Among the first settlers of this town, which is one of the oldest in the state, were a number of families from New England.

MIDDLETOWN is fifty miles eaft by north from Trenton, and thirty fouth-west by south from New York, adjoining Shrewsbury. SandyHook (fo called from its fhape and foil) is included in this township. On the point of the Hook ftands the light houfe, one hundred feet high, built by the citizens of New York.

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Practice of Phyfic.] There is a Medical Society' in this ftate, 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, testifying his skill and abilities. It is remarkable that in the county of Cape May, no regular phyfician has ever found fupport. Medicine has been adminiftered by women, except in fome extraordinary cafes.

Practice of Law. No perfon is permitted to practife as an attorney in any court without a licence from the governor. This cannot be obtained, unless the candidate fhall be above twenty-one years of age, and shall have served a regular clerkship with fome licenced attorney for four years, and have taken a degree in fome public college, otherwife he must serve five years. He muft alfo fubmit to an examination by three of the most eminent counsellors in the ftate, in the prefence of the judges of the fupreme court. After three years practice as an attorney, he becomes a candidate for a counsellor's licence, which is granted on a like examination. In confequence of thefe wife regulations, the practice of law in this ftate is refpectable. Many of the people here, however, as in other states, think (because perhaps they are inftruments in obliging them to pay their debts) that the lawyers know too much. But their knowledge will not injure those who are innocent, and who will let them alone. Experience has verified this obfervation in the county of Cape May. No lawyer lives within fixty miles of that county, and it is feldom that any attend their courts. The confequence is, that no perfon's landed eftate was ever fold in this county, by a fheriff, for the payment of a debt. It is wished that this county may ever form this fingular exception, perhaps, from all the counties in the United States.

Conflitution.] The government of this ftate, agreeably to their conftitution, is vefted in a governor, legislative council, and general affembly. The governor is chofen annually, by the council and affembly jointly, and is stiled, “Governor and commander in chief in and over the state of New Jersey, and the territories thereunto belonging, chancellor and ordinary in the fame." The legislative council is compofed of one member from each county, chofen annually by the people. They must be worth one thousand pounds in real and perfonal estate within the county,

and

and have been freeholders and inhabitants of the counties they reprefent for one year. The general affembly is composed of three members from each county, chofen as above; each of them must be worth five hundred pounds, in real and perfonal estate within the county, and have been freeholders and inhabitants as above. All these, on taking their feats in the legislature, must swear" that he will not assent to any law, vote or proceeding, WHICH SHALL APPEAR TO HIM injurious to the public welfare of the state, or that shall annul or repeal that part of the conftitution which establishes annual elections, nor that part respecting trial by jury, nor that part which fecures liberty of confcience."

'The governor fits in, and presides over the legiflative council, and has a casting 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 laft refort, as to points of law in civil cafes, and poffefs a power of pardoning criminals in all cafes whatsoever. The council chuse one of their members to be vice president, who, when the governor is absent from the state, poffeffes the fupreme executive power. The council may originate any bills, excepting preparing and altering any money bill, which is the fole prerogative of the assembly. 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, sheriffs, or any perfon pofieffed of any post of profit under the governor, except juftices of the peace, is entitled to a feat in the assembly. The eftate of a suicide is not forfeited for his offence.

Courts of Justice, Laws, &c.] The courts of justice in this state are, first, Justices Courts. A competent number of persons 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, persons aggrieved, may appeal to the quarter sessions. 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 same manner as the justices of the peace, and who are commonly of their number, and hold their com miffions five years. This court may be held by a fingle judge, and has cognizance of demands to any amount, and is conftructed on, and governed by the principles of the English laws.

Fourthly, Supreme courts, which are held four times a year, at Trenton, by three judges appointed for that purpose, who hold their offices three years, but one judge only is necessary to the holding this court. This court has cognizance of all actions, both civil and criminal throughout the state, having the united authority of the courts of king's bench, common pleas and exchequer in England. The courts of oyer and terminer and nifi prius, commonly held once a year in each county, for the trial of caufes arifing in the county, and brought to issue in the fupreme

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