The following are worthy of notice, as variations from the Engliff law.

s;

Debtors unable to pay their debts, and making faithful delivery of their whole effects, are released from their confinement, and their perfons for ever discharged from reftraint for fuch previous debts but any property they may afterwards acquire will be fubject to their creditors. The poor, unable to support themselves, are maintained by an affeffment on the titheable perfons in their parish. A foreigner of any nation, not in open war, becomes naturalifed by moving to the State to refide, and taking an oath of fidelity, and thereby acquires every right of a native citizen. Slaves pass by descent and dower as lands do. Slaves, as well as lands, were entailable during the monarchy; but, by an act of the first repubJican Affembly, all donees in tail, prefent and future, were vested with the abfolute dominion of the entailed subject. Gaming debts are made void, and monies actually paid to discharge fuch debts, if they exceed forty fhillings, may be recovered by the payer within three months, or by any other person afterwards., Tobacco, flour, beef, pork, tar, pitch and turpentine, must be inspected by perfons publicly appointed before they can be exported.

In 1785, the Affembly enacted, that no man fhould be compelled to support any religious worship, place or minister whatsoever, nor be enforced, refstrained, molested or burdened in his body or goods, nor otherwife fuffer on account of his religious opinions or belief; but that all men fhould be free to profefs, and by argument to maintain, their opinion in matters of religion; and that the fame fhould in no wife diminish, enlarge or affect their civil capacities.

In October, 1786, an act was paffed by the Affembly, prohibiting the importation of flaves into the Commonwealth, upon penalty of the forfeiture of the sum of a thousand pounds for every flave. And every slave imported contrary to the true intent and meaning of this act, becomes free.

INDIANA.

INDIAN A.

INDIANA, fo called, is a tract of land lying on the Ohio river,

in the State of Virginia, ceded to William Trent and twenty-two others, by the Six Nations, and the Shawanefe, Delaware and Huron tribes, as a compenfation for the loffes they had fuftained by the depredations of the latter, in the year 1763. This ceffion was made in a congrefs of the reprefentatives of the Six Nations, at Fort Stanwix, by an indenture, figned the 3d of November, 1768, witneffing, "That for and in confideration of eighty-five thousand nine hundred and fixteen pounds, ten fhillings and eight pence, York currency, the fame being the amount of goods feized and taken by the faid Indians from the faid Trent, &c. they did grant, bargain, fell, &c. to his Majefty, his heirs and fucceffors, for the only ufe of the faid William Trent, &c. all that tract or parcel of land, beginning at the foutherly fide of the Little Kanhawa creek, where it empties itself into the river Ohio; and running thence fouth-east to the Laurel hill; thence along the Laurel hill until it strikes the river Monongahela; thence down the stream of the said river, according to the feveral courses thereof, to the southern boundary line of the province of Pennsylvania; thence weftwardly along the course of the faid province boundary line as far as the fame shall extend; thence by the fame course to the river Ohio, and then down the river Ohio to the place of beginning, inclufively." This indenture was figned by fix Indian chiefs, in presence of Sir William Johnson, Governor Franklin, of New Jersey, and the commiffioners from Virginia, Pennsylvania, &c. making twelve in the whole.

Since the Indians had an undisputed title to the above limited territory, either from pre-occupancy or conqueft, and their right was exprefsly acknowledged by the above deed of ceffion to the crown, it is very evident that Mr. Trent, in his own right, and as attorney for the traders, has a good, lawful and fufficient title to the land granted by the faid deed of conveyance.

This matter was laid before Congrefs in the year 1782, and a committee appointed to confider it, who, in May, reported as fol lows: "On the whole, your committee are of opinion that the purchases of Colonel Croghan and the Indian company, were made bona fide for a valuable confideration, according to the then usage and cuftoms of purchasing Indian lands from the Indians, with the knowledge, confent and approbation of the Crown of Great-Britain, the then government of New-York and Virginia, and therefore do recommend that it be

"Refolved, That if the faid lands are finally ceded or adjudged to the United States in point of jurifdiction, that Congrefs will confirm to fuch of the faid purchafers who are, and fhall be citizens of the United States, or either of them, their respective shares and proportions of faid lands, making a reasonable deduction for the value of the quit rents referved by the Crown of England."

Notwithstanding this report of the committee, the question could never be brought to a decision before Congress. The Federal Conftitution has, however, made provifion for the determination of this bufinefs, before the Supreme Federal Court. But previous to an appeal to this Court, the proprietors thought proper, by their agent, Colonel Morgan, who is also a proprietor, to present a memorial to the legiflature of Virginia, fetting forth their claims, and praying that the bufinefs might be equitably fettled. This memorial was prefented in November, 1790; and thus, we believe, the Indianą bufinefs refts for the prefent,

STATE

STATE OF

KENTUCKY.

SITUATION, EXTENT, AND BOUNDARIES.

THIS State is fituated between 36° 30′ and 39° 30′ north latitude,

and 8o and 15o weft longitude from Philadelphia; its length is about two hundred and fifty miles, and its breadth two hundred. It is bounded on the north and north-weft by Great Sandy creek and the Ohio river; on the weft by Cumberland river; on the fouth by the lands laid off from North-Carolina, called the Tenneffee government; and on the east by Sandy river, and a line drawn due fouth from its fource, till it ftrikes the northern boundary line of NorthCarolina.

CLIMAT E.

This country is more temperate and healthy than almost any of the other fettled parts of America. In fummer it is without the fandy heats which Virginia and Carolina experience, and receives a fine air from its rivers. In winter, which at moft only lafts three months, commonly but two, and is but feldom fevere, the people are fafe in bad houfes; and the beasts have a good fupply without fodder. The winter begins about Christmas, and ends about the firft of March, at fartheft does not exceed the middle of that month. Snow feldom falls deep or lies long. The weft winds often bring ftorms, and the east winds clear the sky; but there is no steady rule of weather in that respect, as in the northern States. The west winds are fometimes cold and nitrous, The Ohio running in that direction, and there being mountains on that quarter, the wefterly winds, by fweeping along their tops, in the cold regions of the air, and over a long tract of frozen water, collect cold in their courfe, and convey it over the Kentucky country; but the weather is not fo intensely fevere as thefe winds bring with them in Pennsylvania. The air and

feafons

seasons depend very much on the winds, as to heat and cold, dryness and moisture.

FACE OF THE COUNTRY, SOIL, AND PRODUCTIONS.

In defcribing a country like this, it is almoft impoffible to treat. thefe fubjects feparately without a repetition of the fame remarks and obfervations; we, therefore, have preferred blending them together, and as an attention to the different rivers which water this State will greatly affift the European reader, in attaining a proper view of the foil, &c. we fhall firft mention the principal of them.

The beautiful river Ohio bounds Kentucky on the north-western fide in its whole length, being a mile and fometimes less in breadth, and is fufficient to carry boats of great burthen: its general course is fouth 60° weft; and in its course it receives numbers of large and fmall rivers, which mingle with its ftreams. The only disadvantage this fine river has, is a rapid, one mile and a half long, and one mile and a quarter broad, called the falls of Ohio. In this place the river runs over a rocky bottom, and the descent is fo gradual, that the fall does not probably in the whole exceed twenty feet. In fome places we may obferve it to fall a few feet. When the stream is low, empty boats only can pass and repass this rapid; their lading must be transported by land; but when high, boats of any burthen may pass in fafety. Excepting this place, there is not a finer river in the world for navigation by boats. Befides this, Kentucky is watered by eight smaller rivers, and many large and small creeks.

*

LICKING RIVER, heading in the mountains with Cumberland ri ver, and the north branch of Kentucky, runs in a north-west direction for upwards of one hundred miles, collecting its filver streams from many branches, and is about an hundred yards broad at its mouth.

RED RIVER heads and interlocks with the main branch of Licking, and flows in a fouth-west courfe into Kentucky river, being about fixty miles long, and fixty yards wide at its mouth.

The river Ohio is, beyond all competition, the most beautiful in the univerfe, whether we confider it for its meandering courfe through an immenfe region of forefts, for its clean and clegant banks, which afford innumerable delightful fituations for cities, villages and improved farms, or for those many other advantages, which truly entitle it to the name originally given it by the French, of La Belle Riviere. Journal of a Tour in Kentucky, American Museum, for 1792.

This river is a principal branch of the Kentucky.