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the fynods, &c. Thus the whole prefbyterian intereft is judiciously com bined and governed.

The fynods of New-York and Philadelphia, during their feffion at Philadelphia, in May, 1788, refolved themselves into four fynods, viz. The fynod of New-York; the fynod of Philadelphia; the fynod of Virginia; and the fynod of Carolina. Thefe fynods are to meet annually in their respective states, whence they take their names; and once a year, by their commiffioners, in general council, at Philadelphia.

There are a number of Prefbyterian churches, commonly called Seceeders, who have a feparate ecclefiaftical jurifdiction. Thefe, as well as the other prefbyterians, and the Dutch reformed churches, hold the doctrines of the gospel upon the Calviniftic plan, without any effential differences.

The Dutch reformed churches in this state are divided into four claffes; viz. The claffis of New-York, comprehending eighteen churches; the claffis of Kingston, twenty-three churches; the claffis of Albany, twentythree churches; a part of the claffis of Hackinfak, four churches. Thefe claffes, together with the claffes of Hackinfak and New-Brunswick, in New-Jerfey, compofe the Dutch reformed fynod of New-York and NewJerfey. The claffes confist of minifters and ruling elders; each claffis delegates two minifters and an elder to reprefent them in fynod. From the first planting of the Dutch churches in New-York and New-Jerfey, they have, under the direction of the claffis of Amfterdam, been formed exactly upon the plan of the established church of Holland, as far as that is ecclefiaftical. A ftrict correfpondence is maintained between the Dutch reformed fynod of New-York and New-Jerfey, and the fynod of NorthHolland, and the claffis of Amfterdam. The acts of their fynods are mutually exchanged every year, and mutual advice is given and received in difputes respecting doctrinal points and church difcipline.

The principles and conftitution of the Baptift churches have already been mentioned.

The Epifcopalian churches hold the fame principles-have the fame mode of worship and church government-and are in every other refpect conftituted upon the fame plan with the church of the fame denomination in England.

For an account of the Friends and the Moravians, fee Pennsylvania. The Methodist interest, though small in this state, has greatly increased in the fouthern ftates fince the revolution. They have estimated their number at 37,8co. But their numbers are fo various in different places, at different times, that it would be a matter of no fmall difficulty to find out their exact amount. The late famous Mr. John Wefley has been called the Father of this religious fect. They warmly oppofe the Calviniflic doctrines of election and final perfeverance, and maintain that finlefs perfection is attainable in this life. Their mode of preaching is entirely extemporaneous, very loud and animated, bordering on enthufiafm. They appear ftudiously to avoid connection in their difcourfes, and are fond of introducing pathetic stories, which are calculated to affect the tender paffions. Their manner is very folemn, and their preaching is frequently attended with a furprifing effect upon their audiences. Their churches are fup.. plied by their preachers in rotation,

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The Shakers are a fect who fprung up in Europe. A part of them came over from England to New-York in 1774, and being joined by others, they fettled at Nifqueaunia, above Albany, whence they spread their doctrines, and increased to a confiderable number; but their intereft is now faft declining. The late Anna Leefe, whom they ftiled the Elect Lady, was the head of this fect. Her followers afferted, that she was the woman fpoken of in the twelfth chapter of the Revelation, and that the fpoke feventy-twe tongues:-And although thefe tongues were unintelligible to the living, the converfed with the dead who understood her language. They alledged also that she was the mother of all the Elect-that the travailed for the whole world that no bleffing could defcend to any perfon but only by and through her, and that in the way of her being poffeffed of their fins, by their confefling and repenting of them, one by one, according to her direction. The Elect Lady ufed to affert that the was immortal-that the day of judgment had commenced, and that the and her followers were already fet to judge the world. But her death has indifputably proved that fhe was not immortal as to her bodily prefence; and this circumstance, no doubt, has created fufpicions in the minds of fome of her followers refpecting fome other of her affertions and doctrines, and occafioned them to renounce the scheme.

Their worship, if fuch extravagant conduct may be fo called, confifts principally in dancing, finging, leaping, clapping their hands, falling on their knees, and uttering themselves in groans and fighs, in a found refembling that of the roaring of water; turning round on their heels with aftonishing swiftnefs, to fhew, as they fay, the power of God. All these gefticulations are performed in the most violent and boisterous manner, and occafion, at intervals, a fhuddering not unlike that of a perfon in a ftrong fit of the ague. Hence they are called, not improperly, Shakers. Before we leave this head, we must mention, that in April, 1784, the legiflature of this ftate paffed an act enabling all religious denominations to appoint trustees, not less than three, or more than nine, who fhall be a body corporate, for the purpofe of taking care of the temporalities of their refpective congregations, and for the other purpofes therein mentioned.

The minifters of every denomination in the ftate are fupported by the voluntary contributions of the people, raised generally by fubfcription, or by a tax upon the pews, except the Dutch churches in New-York, Albany, Skenectady, and Kingfton, which have, except the two laft, large eftates confirmed by a charter. The Epifcopal church alfo in New-York poffefs a very large eftate in and near the city.

Conftitution and Courts of Justice.] The prefent conftitution of the ftate was established by convention, authorised for the purpose, April 20, 1777. The fupreme legislative powers of the state are vefted in two branches, a Senate and Affembly. The members of the fenate are elected by the freeholders of the ftate, who poffefs freehold eftates to the value of £.100, clear of debts. For the purpofe of electing fenators, the ftate is divided into four great diftricts, each of which chooses a certain number, viz. New-York, Suffolk,

Weft Chester,

Southern District,

including the

King's,

counties of

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Nine Senators.

Middle Ulfter,
Dutchefs,

District

Orange,

Six.

Western

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gomery,

Eastern Washington,
Cumberland, Three.
Gloucefter,

District

The fenators are divided by lot into four claffes, fix in each clafs, and numbered, first, second, third, and fourth. The feats of the first clafs are vacated at the expiration of one yeat-the fecond, at the expiration of the next, &c. and their places filled by new elections. Thus a fmall change is made in the fenate every year; but three-fourths of the members remaining preferve a knowledge of the business of a former feffion. A majority of the fenate is neceffary to do bufinefs, and each branch of the legislature has a negative upon the other.

The legislature can at any time alter this divifion of the ftate for the choice of fenators; and an increase of electors in any district, to the amount of one-twenty-fourth of the electors in the whole ftate, entitles the district to another fenator. But the number of fenators can never exceed one hundred.

The affembly of the ftate is compofed of reprefentatives from the feve ral counties, chofen annually in May, in the following proportion : For the city and county of New-York, nine.

For the city and county of Albany, feven.

For Dutchefs,

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For Richmond,

2

Montgomery, 6
Washington,

Orange,
King's,

2

4

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Gloucefter,

By the conftitution, however, it is ordered, that at the end of feven years after the termination of the late war, a cenfus of the electors and inhabitants fhall be taken, and the reprefentation apportioned according to the number of electors in each county.

Every male inhabitant of full age, who has refided in the ftate fix months preceding the day of election, and poffeffing a freehold to the value of twenty pounds, in the county where he is to give his vote; or has rented a tenement therein of the yearly value of forty fhillings, and has been rated and actually paid taxes, is entitled to vote for reprefenta tives in affembly. The freedom of the cities of New-York and Albany likewife entitles a perfon to the privilege of voting for members of affembly in the city or county where he refides. The method of voting is now by ballot, but fubject to alteration by the legislature. The houfe of af fembly, a majority of which is neceffary to proceed to business, choofes its own fpeaker, and is a judge of its own privileges.

In all debates on great queftions, the house refolves itself into a commit. tee of the whole-the speaker leaves the chair, and a chairman is appointed for the occafion. After the bufinefs is completed, the committee rifes the speaker takes the chair-and the chairman reports to the houfe the pro ceedings of the committee. How far this imitation of the British houfe of commons is fupported by good reafons, it may not be easy to determine. Certain it is, that in other legiflatures, the proceedings are equally well conducted without this formality.

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The number of reprefentatives is limited to three hundred. The prefent number is fixty-five.

The fupreme executive power of the ftate is vefted in a governor, (in whofe abfence a deputy-governor is appointed to ferve) chofen once in three years by the freemen of the state. The lieutenant-governor is, by his office, prefident of the fenate; and, upon an equal division of voices, has a cafting vote; but has no voice on other occafions. The governor has not a feat in the legislature; but as a member of the council of revifion and council of appointment, he has a vaft influence in the state.

The council of revifion is compofed of the chancellor, the judges of the fupreme court, or any of them, and the governor. This council is empow ered to revife all bills which have paffed the two houfes of the legislature, and if it fhall appear to the council that fuch bills ought not to pass into laws, they fhall be returned to the houfe in which they originated, with the objections of the council. The house fhall then proceed to reconfider the bills, with the objections, and if, notwithstanding, two-thirds of the houfe fhall agree to the bills, they fhall be fent to the other houfe, where they fhall be reconfidered, and the affent of two-thirds of the members pafs them into laws. But if a bill is not returned in ten days, it becomes a law of course.

The fubordinate officers of the ftate are appointed by the council of appointment, which is compofed of one fenator from each district, to be chofen annually by the legislature, with the governor, or, in his abfence, the lieutenant-governor, or the prefident of the fenate, who has a casting vote only.

All military officers hold their commiffions during pleafure. The chancellor, the judges of the fupreme court, and the first judge of each county court, hold their offices during good behaviour. The officers can hold no other office at the fame time, except that of delegate to Congress.

Sheriffs and coroners are appointed annually, and can serve but four years fucceffively.

A court of errors and impeachment is inftituted, composed of the president of the fenate, the fenate, chancellor, and judges of the fupreme court, or the major part of them, under the regulation of the legislature. The power of impeachment is vefted in the house of representatives, and the

members on trial mult be fworn.

Befides the court of errors and impeachment, there is, first, a Court of Chancery, confifting of a chancellor, appointed by the council of appointment, who holds his office during good behaviour, or until he arrive at the age of fixty years. Secondly, a Supreme Court, the judges of which are appointed in the fame manner, and for the fame time, as the chancellor. This is a circuit court.-Thirdly, County Courts, held in each county, the judges of which are appointed in the manner above-mentioned, and the firft judge holds his office during good behaviour. Befides these, there are the juftices' courts, court of probates, court of admiralty, court of exchequer, a court of oyer and terminer and general goal delivery, and courts of quarter feffions.

The practice in the fupreme court, to which an appeal lies from the courts below, is in imitation of the courts of commons pleas and king's bench in England.

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All free governments abound with lawyers. Where men have the privilege of thinking and acting for themselves, they will involve themselves in debt, and quarrel with their neighbours. In proportion to the debts and difputes of the people, lawyers will multiply. Of these America furnifhes a plentiful growth, and New-York has its fhare, as it contains not lefs than 120 licenfed attornies. In this ftate, the practice of law is conformed to the English mode, and is perhaps better regulated than in the other ftates. The feveral degrees in the profeffion, the number of critical examinations that candidates are obliged to pafs through before they can be admitted as counfellors in the higher courts; together with the time of ftudy required by the rules of admiffion, render an access to the first honours of the bar fo difficult as to preclude ignorant pretenders to the im portant science of law. New-York can boaft of many men eminent in every liberal profeffion, and which has hitherto furnished America with fome of her most able legiflators. It is however to be feared, that a too rigid adherence to the forms of legal procefs in England, has fometimes perplexed the road to juftice, and prevented valuable improvements in the practice, not only in this, but of most of the states.

Mode of raifing internal taxes.] The legislature fix upon the fum to be raifed, and apportion it among the feveral counties. This being done, the fupervifors, one from each township in the refpective counties, affemble, and affign to each township its proportion of the quota of the county. The fupervifor and affeffors in each township then apportion their quota among the individuals of the townfhip, according to the value of their real and perfonal eftates. The tax, thus laid, is collected by the collector of the township, and lodged with the county treasurer, who tranfmits it to the treasurer of the state.

Indians.] The Oneidas inhabit on Oneida Creek, twenty-one miles weft of Fort Stanwix. The tribe confifts of about 400 men, women and children.

The Tufcaroras migrated from North-Carolina and the frontiers of Virginia, and were adopted by the Oneidas, with whom they have ever fince lived, upon the fuppofition that they were originally of the fame nation, because there is a fimilarity in their languages.

The Senecas inhabit on the Cheneffee river, at the Cheneffee caftle. The tribe confifts of about 800 fouls. They have two towns, of fixty or feventy fouls each, on French Creek, in Pennsylvania; and another town on Buffaloe Creek, attached to the British; and two small towns on Allegany river, attached to the Americans. Obeil or Corn-planter, one of the Seneca chiefs, refides here.

The Mohawks were acknowledged by the other tribes, to use their own expreffion, to be the true old heads of the confederacy;' and were formerly a powerful tribe, inhabiting on the Mohawks river. As they were ftrongly attached to the Johnfon family, on account of Sir William Johnfon, they emigrated to Canada, with Sir John Johnfon, about the year 1776. There is now only one family of them in the ftate, and they live about a mile from Fort Hunter. The father of this family was drowned in the winter of 1788.

All the confederated tribes, except the Oneidas and Tufcaroras, fided with the British in the late war, and fought against the Americans.]

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