Slike strani
PDF
ePub

One years interest on the
lafi balance.

[blocks in formation]

from 1st of January, 1783, to 1st January, 1787, both inclufive.

[blocks in formation]
[blocks in formation]

N. B. The above exports are the produce of South-Carolina, and are exclufive of dry goods, rum, sugar, falt, coffee, &c. fhipped to North-Carolina, Georgia, East-Florida, Bahamas and Savannah, neither are the exports from George-town and Beaufort included therein, though at a moderate calculation all those articles for the above years may be estimated

at

In the exports, specie is not included, though it is thought that the sum annually fent from hence is from £.150,000 to 1.200,000 at leaft.

of 1000 negroes) to shew the period of time necessary for the extinguishment of the on the foregoing principles.

[blocks in formation]
[blocks in formation]

44,818 15 1,206,193 15

I Jan. 89 to 1 Jan. 90

500,000 706,193 15

35,309 13 91,006,503 891 Jan. 90 to 1 Jan. 91

500,000 506,503 89

25,325 3 3 796,828 12

Jan. 91 to 1 Jan. 92

500,000 296,828 12

14,841 8

576,670

1 Jan. 92 to 1 Jan. 93

500,000

76,670

[blocks in formation]
[blocks in formation]
[blocks in formation]

The balance of £.500,000 sterling is the supposed amount of the for reign private debt of this state at the commencement of the late war.

The foregoing calculations were made during the period the instalment act was in progress in the legislature, and is more unfavourable to the ftate of the debt, than any other that was produced at that time, except fome that were calculated with a view to extend the inftalments as far as poffible; but as the importation of negroes is prohibited for three years, the balance of debt at the end of that time, say March 1790, will be reduced to £.580,093.

It is to be observed that the value of exports in this calculation, are not rated higher than the nominal value here in the late bad feafons; so that a few fuccefsful crops would decrease the debt in a much greater degree.

Practice of the Law, Courts, &c.] From the first settlement of this coun try in 1669, to the year 1769, a fingle court, called the Court of Common Pleas, was thought fufficient to tranfact the judicial business of the state. This court was invariably held at Charleston, where all the records were kept, and all civil business transacted. As the province increased, inconveniences arose, and created uneasiness among the people.

To remedy these inconveniences, an act was passed in 1769, by which the province was divided into seven districts, which have been mentioned. The Court of Common Pleas (invested with the powers of the fame court in England) fat four times a year in Charleston. By the above-mentioned act, the Judges of the Court of Common Pleas were empowered to fit as Judges of the Court of Seffions, invested with the powers of the Court of King's Bench, in England, in the criminal jurifdiction. The act likewife directed the Judges of the Courts of Common Pleas and Seffions in Charleston district, to divide, and two of the Judges to proceed on what is called the Northern Circuit, and the other two on the Southern Circuit, distributing justice in their progrefs. This was to be done twice in the year. This mode of adminiftering juftice continued till 1785, when, by the unanimous exertions of the two upper districts, an act was paffed, eftablishing county courts in all the counties of the four districts of Camden, Ninety-Six, Cheraws and Orangeburg; in the two last, however, the law has not taken effect. The County Courts are empowered to fit four times in a year. Before the establishment of county courts, the lawyers all refided at Charleston, under the immediate eye of government; and the Carolina bar was as pure and genteel as any in the United States. Since this establishment, lawyers have flocked in from all quarters, and settled in different parts of the country, and law-fuits have been multiplied beyond all former knowledge.

Hiftory.] The reformation in France occafioned a civil war between the Proteftant and Catholic parties in that kingdom. During these domeftic troubles Jafper de Coligni, a principal commander of the Proteftant army, fitted out two ships, and fent them with a colony to America, under the command of Jean Ribaud, for the purpose of fecuring a retreat from perfecution. Ribaud landed at the mouth of what is now called Albemarle river, in North-Carolina. This colony, after enduring incredible hardships, was extirpated by the Spaniards. No further attempts were made to plant a colony in this quarter, till the reign of Charles II. of England. Mention is, however, made of Sir Robert Heath's having obçained

[ocr errors][ocr errors]

tained a grant of Carolina, from Charles I. in 1630; but no fettlements were made in confequence of this grant.

In 1662, after the ref oration of Charles II. Edward, earl of Clarendon, and seven others, obtained a grant of all lands lying between the 31st and 36th degrees of north latitude.

A fecond charter, given two years after, enlarged their boundaries, and comprehended all that province, territory, &c. extending eastward as far as the north end of Currotuck inlet, upon a straight line westerly to Wyonoke creek, which lies within, or about latitude 36° 30'; and fo weft, in a direct line as far as the South fea; and fouth and westward as far as 29o north latitude, inclufive, and so west in direct lines to the South fea*. Of this large territory, the king conftituted these eight persons abfolute Lord's Proprietors investing them with all necessary powers to fettle and govern the fame.

Nothing was successfully done towards the fettlement of this country till 1669. At this time the proprietors, in virtue of their powers, engaged the famous Mr. Locke to frame, for them, a conftitution and body of laws. This conftitution, confifting of 120 articles, was aristocratical, and though ingenious in theory, could never be fuccefsfully reduced to practice.

Three

* Various causes have rendered it expedient to divide this extensive territory. In 1728, North-Carolina was erected into a separate province. In 1732, George II. granted to certain trustees therein mentioned, and to their fucceffors, a charter of all that part of Carolina lying between the most northern stream of Savannah river, along the fea-coast, to the most fouthern stream of Alatamaha river; westward, from the heads of these rivers, respectively in direct lines to the South fea, inclufively, with all islands within 20 leagues of the Same.

In 1761, the governor of South Carolina, conceiving that the lands lying South of Alatamaha river, belonged to South-Carolina, granted feveral tracts of faid land. Upon complaint being made by the government of Georgia, of the supposed encroachment on their territory, his majesty issued a proclamation in 1763, annexing to Georgia all the lands lying between the river Alatamaha and St. Mary's. The boundary line, dividing the two provinces (now States) of South-Carolina and Georgia, has been long the subject of controverfy; the former claiming the lands lying between the North Carolina line, and line to run due west from the mouth of Tugulo and Keowee rivers; confequently that that spot was the head of Savannah river; the latter contended that the fource of Keowee river was to be confidered as the head of Savannab

river.

a

For the purpose of fettling this controversy, commissioners were appointed in April 1787, by the contending ftates-vested with full powers to determine the controverted boundary, which they fixed as follows:

• The most northern branch or tream of the river Savannah, from the fea or mouth of fuch stream, to the fork or confluence of the rivers now called Tugulo and Keorvee, and from thence the most northern branch or stream of the faid river Tugulo till it interfects the northern boundary line of South Carolina, if the faid branch of Tugulo extends so far north, referving all the islands in

the

Three claffes of nobility were to be established, (viz.) barons, cassiques and landgraves. The first to possess twelve-the second twenty-fourthe third forty-eight thousand acres of land, which was to be unalienable.

In 1669, William Sayle, being appointed first governor of this country, embarked with a colony, and fettled on the neck of land where Charleston now ftands.

During the continuance of the proprietary government, a period of 50 years (reckoning from 1669 to 1719) the colony was involved in per. petual quarreis. Oftentimes they were harrailed by the Indians-fometimes infetted with pirates-frequently invaded by the French and Spanish fleets-conftantly uneafy under their injudicious governmen:-and quarrelling with their governors. But their most bitter dissentions, were refpecting religion. The Epifcopalians, being more numerous than the Diffenters, attempted to exclude the latter from a feat in the legiflature. These attempts were fo far fucceeded, as that the charch of England, by a majority of votes, was established by law. This illiberal act threw the colony into the utmost confution, and was followed by a train of evil confequences, which proved to be the principal cause of the revolution. Notwithstanding the act establishing the church of England was repealed, tranquility was not restored to the colony. A change of government was generally defired by the colonifts. They found that they were not fufficiently protected by their proprietary conftitution, and effected a revolution about the year 1719, and the government became regal.

In 1728, the proprietors accepted 1.22,500 fterling from the crown, for the property and jurifdiction, except Lord Granville, who reserved his 8th of the property, which has never yet been formally given up. At this time the conftitution was new modelled, and the territory, limited by the original charter, was divided into North and South-Carolinas.

From this period the colony began to flourish. It was protected by a government, formed on the plan of the English constitution. Under the fostering care of the mother country, its growth was astonishingly rapid. Between the years 1763 and 1775, the number of inhabitants was more than doubled. No one indulged a wish for a change in their political conftitution, till the memorable itamp act, paffed in 1765.

From this period till 1775, various attempts were made by Great-Britain to tax her colonies without her confent. These attempts were invariably oppofed. The Congress, who met at Philadelphia this year,

the faid rivers Savannah and Tugulo to Georgia-but if the faid branch or ftream of Tugulo does not extend to the north boundary line of South-Carolina then a wift line to the Missisippi to be drawn from the head spring or fource of the faid branch of Ingulo river, which extends to the bigbeft northern Latitude, shall for ever bereafter form the feparation limit and boundary between the states of South-Carolina and Georgia.'

It is fuppofed, in the map of this state, that the most northern branch of Tu gulo river, interfits the northern boundary of South-Carolina, which, if it be fact, brings the late to a point in latitude 35°, and about 8° 35' west longitude from Philadelphia.

unanimoufly unanimously approved the oppofition, and on the 19th of April, war commenced.

During the vigorous conteft for independence, this state was a great fufferer. For three years it was the feat of the war. It feels and laments the lofs of many of its noble citizens. Since the peace, it has been emerging from that melancholy confufion and poverty, in which it was generally involved by the devastations of a relentless enemy. The inhabitants are faft multiplying by emigrations from other ftates the agricultural interests of the ftate are reviving-commerce is flourishingeconomy is becoming more fashionable and science begins to spread her falutary influences among the citizens.-And should the political difficulties, which have, for feveral years past, unhappily divided the inhabitants, fubfide, as is hoped, upon the operation of the new government, this state, from her natural commercial and agricultural advantages, and the abilities of her leading characters, promises to become one of the richest in the union.

[blocks in formation]

Length 6001
Breadth 250

Boundaries.] B

}

[blocks in formation]

OUNDED east, by the Atlantic Ocean; fouth, by East and West Floridas; weft, by the river Missifippi; north and north-east, by South-Carolina, and by lands ceded to the United States by South-Carolina.

Civil divifions.] That part of the state which has been laid out in is divided as follows:

[blocks in formation]
« PrejšnjaNaprej »