A Lift of the several PROPRIETORS, GOVERNORS, LIEUTENANTGOVERNORS, and Presidents of the Province, with the times of their refpective Administrations. PROPRIETORS. The Honourable William Penn, born 1644, died 1718. John Penn, died 1746. Thomas Penn, Richard Penn, died 1771. John Penn, GOVERNORS, &c. Governor, Prefident, William Penn, Proprietor, from Oct. 1682, to Aug, 1684. Thomas Lloyd, Lt.-Governor, John Blackwell, Aug. 1684, to Dec. 1688. Dec. 1688, to Feb. 1689-90. Feb. 1689-90, to April 26, 169326 April, 1693, to 3 June, 1693. 3 June, 1693, to Dec. 1699. 3 Dec. 1699, to 1 Nov. 1701. 1 Nov. 1701, to Feb. 1702-3. Feb. 1702-3, to Feb. 1703-4 Feb. 1703-4, to Feb. 1708-9. March, 1708-9, to Prefident and Council governed, 1717 1717 to June, 1726. Charles Gookin, Sir William Keith, Bart. Patrick Gordon, June, 1726 to George Thomas, 1738 to Prefident, Anthony Palmer, 1736. 1747. 1748: 1748 to Cct. 1754O&. 1754, to 19 Aug. 1756. 19 Aug. 1756, to 17 Nov. 1759 17 Nov. 1759, to 31 Oct. 1763. BENJAMIN FRANKLIN, 31 Cat. 1763, to 6 May, 1771. 6 May, 1771, to 16 Oct. 1771. 16 Oct. 1771. March, 1777, to April, 1778. DELAWARE. Boundaries.] BOUND from Pennfylvania; eaft, by Delaware river and Bay; fouth, by a due eaft and weft line, from Cape Henlopen, in lat. 38° 30' to the middle of the peninfula, which line divides the ftate from Worcester county in Maryland; weft, by Maryland, from which it is divided by a line drawn from the western termination of the fouthern boundary line, northwards up the faid peninfula, till it touch or form a tangent to the western part of the periphery of the above-mentioned territorial circle: containing about 1400 fquare miles. north, by the territorial line*, which di Climate.] In many parts unhealthy. The land is generally low and flat, which occafions the waters to ftagnate, and the confequence is, the inhabitants are fubject to intermittents. Civil Divifions.] The Delaware ftate is divided into three counties, viz. Counties. Kent, Suflex, Chief Towns, Wilmington and Newcastle, Milford and Lewistown. Rivers.] Choptank, Nanticok and Pocomoke, all have their fources in this ftate, and are navigable for veffels of 50 or 60 tons, 20 or 30 miles into the country. They all run a weftwardly courfe into Chefapeek Bay. The eastern fide of the state, along Delaware bay and river, is indented with a great number of small creeks, but none confiderable enough to merit a description. Soil and Productions.] The fouth part of the ftate is a low flat country, and a confiderable portion of it lies in foreft. What is under cultivation is chiefly barren, except in Indian corn, of which it produces fine crops. In fome places rye and flax may be raised, but wheat is a foreigner in these parts. Where nature is deficient in one refource, the is generally bountiful in another. This is verified in the tall, thick forests of pines, which are manufactured into boards, and exported in large quantities into every fea-port in the three adjoining ftates. As you proceed north the foil is more fertile, and produces wheat in large quantities, which is the staple commodity of the ftate. They raife all the other kinds of grain common to Pennsylvania. The ftate has no mountain in it, ex *The Territorial Line, fo called, is a circle defcribed with a radius of 12 English miles, and whofe centre is in the middle of the town of Newcaftle cept cept Thunder Hill, in the western part of Newcastle county, and is generally level, except fome small parts, which are ftony and uneven. Chief Towns.] DOVER, in the county of Kent, is the feat of government. It itands on Jones' creek, a few miles from the Delaware river, and confifts of about 100 houses, principally of brick. Four streets interfect each other at right angles, in the center of the town, whose incidencies form a fpacious parade, on the east fide of which is an elegant state-house of brick. The town has a lively appearance, and drives on a confiderable trade with Philadelphia. Wheat is the principal article of export. The landing is five or fix miles from the town of Dover. NEWCASTLE is 35 miles below Philadelphia, on the west bank of Delaware river. It was first settled by the Swedes, about the year 1627, and called Stockholm. It was afterwards taken by the Dutch, and called New Amfterdam. When it fell into the hands of the English, it was called by its prefent name. It contains about 60 houses, which have the aspect of decay, and was formerly the feat of government. This is the firft town that was fettled on Delaware river. WILMINGTON is fituated a mile and a half west of Delaware river, on Chriftiana creek, 28 miles fouthward from Philadelphia. It is much the largeit and pleasantest town in the state, containing about 400 houses, which are handfomely built upon a gentle afcent of an eminence, and show to great advantage as you fail up the Delaware. Befides other public buildings, there is a flourishing academy of about 40 or co scholars, who are taught the languages, and fome of the sciences, by an able instructor. This academy, in proper time, is intended to be erected into a college. There is another academy at Newark, in this county, which was incorporated in 1769, and then had 14 trufstees. MILFORD, the little emporium of Suflex county, is fituated at the fource of a small river, 15 miles from Delaware bay, and 150 fouthward of Philadelphia. This town, which contains about 80 houses, has been built, except one house, since the revolution. It is laid out with much tafte, and is by no means difagreeable. The inhabitants are Epifcopalians, Quakers and Methodists. DUCK CREEK, is 12 miles north-west from Dover, and has about 60 houses, which stand on one street. It carries on a confiderable trade with Philadelphia and certainly merits a more pompous name. A mile fouth from this is fituated Governor Collins's plantation. His house, which is large and elegant, ftands a quarter of a mile from the road, and has a pleasing effect upon the eye of the traveller. Trade.] The trade of this ftate, which is inconfiderable, is carried on principally with Philadelphia, in boats and shallops. The articles exported are principally wheat, corn, lumber and hay. Religion.] There are, in this state, 21 Prefbyterian congregations, belonging to the Synod of Philadelphia-Seven Epifcopal churches-Sim congregations of Baptifts, containing about 218 fouls-Four congregations of the people called Quakers; besides a Swedish church at Wilmington, which is one of the oldest churches in the United States, and a number of Methodists. All these denominations have free toleration by the conftitution, and live together in harmony, Population and Character.] In the convention held at Philadelphia, in the fummer of 1787, the inhabitants of this state were reckoned at 37,000, which is about 26 for every square mile. There is no obvious characteriftical difference between the inhabitants of this state and the Pennfylvanians. Conftitution.] At the revolution, the three lower counties on Delaware became independent by the name of The Delaware State. Under their prefent conftitution, which was established in September, 1776, the legiflature is divided into two distinct branches, which together are stiled The General Affembly of Delaware. One branch, called the House of Affembly, consists of seven reprefentatives from each of the three counties, chofen annually by the freeholders. The other branch, called the Coun cil, confists of nine members, three for a county, who must be more than twenty-five years of age, chofen likewife by the freeholders. A rotation of members is established by displacing one member for a county at the end of every year. All money bills must originate in the house of affembly, but they may be altered, amended or rejected by the legiflative council *. A president or chief magistrate is chofen by the joint ballot of both houses, and continues in office three years; at the expiration of which period, he is ineligible the three fuccceding years. If his office becomes vacant during the recess of the legislature, or he is unable to attend to bufiness, the speaker of the legislative council is vice-prefident for the time; and in his abfence, the powers of the president devolve upon the fpeaker of the affembly. A privy council, confifting of four members, two from each house, chosen by ballot, is conftituted to affift the chief magiftrate in the administration of the government. The three juffices of the fupreme court, a judge of admiralty, and four justices of the common pleas and orphans courts, are appointed by the joint ballot of the prefident and general affembly, and commiffioned by the prefident-to hold their offices during good behaviour. The pre fident and privy council appoint the fecretary, the attorney-general, regitters for the probate of wills, registers in chancery, clerks of the com * The first part of this claufe is found in several of the American conftitutions, and seems to bave been fervilely copied from the practice of originating money bills in the British house of commons. In Great-Britain this is deemed a privilege, and yet it is difficult to discover the privilege, while the house of commous have a negative upon all bills whatever. But in America, where the property of bath houses is taxed alike, and the men who compose them are, at different feffions, changed from one house to the other, there seems to be not a show of reason for giving one branch the exclufive privilege of originating money bills. To prove with how little reafon this article of the constitution is introduced in America, it might be useful to read a short bistory of the customs in the parliament of Great Britain-a custom introduced merely for the conve nience of doing business. For this useful piece of bistory, the reader is refer red to the American Magazine, published in New-York, 1788, by Noah Webfter, Esquire, No. VII. page 456. mon mon pleas, and orphans courts, and clerks of the peace, who hold their offices during five years, unless fooner removed for mal-conduct. The houfe of affembly name twenty-four perfons in each county for juftices of peace, from which number the prefident, with the advice of his council, appoints and commiffions twelve, who ferve for feven years, unless fooner difmiffed for mal-administration. The members of the legislative and privy councils are juftices of the peace for the whole state. The courts of common pleas and orphans courts have power to hold chancery courts in certain cafes. The clerk of the fupreme court is appointed by the chief juftice, and the recorders of deeds, by the justices of the common pleas, for five years, unless fooner difrified. All the military and marine officers are appointed by the general affembly. The Court of Appeals confifts of feven perfons-the prefident, who is a member, and prefides by virtue of his office, and fix others, three to be chofen by the legislative council, and three by the house of affembly. To this court appeals lie from the fupreme court, in all matters of law and equity. The judges hold their office during good behaviour. The juftices of the feveral courts, the members of the privy council, fecretary, trustees of the loan office, clerks of the common pleas, and all perfons concerned in army or navy contracts, are ineligible to either houfe of affembly. Every member, before taking his feat, muft take the oath of allegiance, and fubfcribe a religious teft, declaring his belief in God the Father, in Jefus Chrift, and the Holy Ghoft; and in the infpiration of the Scriptures. The houfe of affembly have the privilege of impeaching delinquent officers of government, and impeachments are to be profecuted by the attorney-general, or other perfon appointed by the affembly, and tried before the legiflative council. The punishment may extend to temporary or perpetual difability to hold offices under government, or to fuch other penalties as the laws shall direct. There is, in Delaware, no eftablishment of one religious fect in preference to another, nor can any preacher or clergyman, while in his paftoral employment, hold any civil office in the ftate. Hiftory. The Dutch, under the pretended purchase made of Henry Hudfon*, took poffeffion of the lands on both fides the river Delaware'; and as early as the year 1623, built a fort at the place, which has fince been called Gloucester. In 1627, by the influence of William Ufeling, a respectable merchant in Sweden, a colony of Swedes and Finns came over, furnished with all the neceffaries for beginning a new fettlement, and landed at Cape Henlopen; at which time the Dutch had wholly quitted the country. The Dutch, however, returned in 1630, and built a fort at Lewif town, by them named Hoarkill. The year following the Swedes built a fort near Wilmington, which they called Chriftein or Chriftiana. Here also they laid out a fmall town, which was afterwards demolished by the Dutch. The fame year they erected a fort higher up the river, upon Tenecum illand, which they called New Gottenburgh; they * See hiftory of New-York. alfo, |