seat of government; but in 1G80, the people of this town considered Oyste/' Point a more suitable place for a city, removed there, and laid the foundation of the present city of Charleston. The first settlers suffered extremely from the climate, and from the hostility of the natives. In 1690, Seth Sothel, who had been banished from North-Carolina, was, by favour of a party, made governor; but, on account of his oppression, he was afterwards removed from office. The English episcopalians, being very numerous, manifested a spirit of determined opposition against the French protestants. They were not willing to admit their representatives into the general assembly. The French were mild and peaceable, and the governor favoured their cause, and endeavoured to appease the feelings of their unchristian opposers.

In 1695, John Archdale was appointed governor of both Carolinas; order waa now restored, and the French soon enjoyed all the rights of freemen. But not long after this, Lord Gianville, one of the proprietors, and James Moore, the governor, determined to establish the episcopal religion by law. An act was passed for this purpose, depriving dissenters of all participation in the government; but the dissenters made complaint to the house of lords, and soon after the obnoxious law was declared void. During the war between England and Spain, Governor Moore made an unsuccessful expedition against the Spanish settlements. Soon after his return he marched against the neighbouring Indians. He burnt their towns, took many prisoners, and enriched himself by selling them as slaves. In 1706, a Spanish fleet appeared in Charleston harbour; but finding the whole force of the colony appeared to oppose them, they retired without a general attack. One of their ships, however, was taken by the colonists.

A general war with the Indians, who had conspired to extirpate the whites, commenced in 1715. It began by a general massacre of the colo aists around Port Royal; a band of seventy whites, and forty negroes, after a short contest, surrendered, and were all immediately cut to pieces. Governor Carver, with a force of twelve hundred men, fought a bloody battle with the enemy, when the savages were defeated with great slaughter; four hundred whites were killed in the war, and a great deal of property destroyed. Besides the calamities of war, the colonists groaned under the cruel measures of the proprietors, and their oppressive officers. In 1719, a general union was formed, and after several unsuccessful attempts to produce a change in their favour, the people met and appointed James Moore their governor. He immediately assumed supreme authority, and controlled the affairs of the colony with spirit and decision.

Its peace was again disturbed, in 1738, by an insurrection of the slaves. At Stono they killed the keepers of a warehouse, and supplied themselves with guns and ammunition; they then marched forward with their colours flying, killed the whites, burnt their houses, and compelled the blacks to join them. The alarm soon reached Wiltown, where a large congregation were assembled for divine worship; having their arms with them, they immediately marched against the negroes, whom they found in an open field, dancing anl rejoicing at their success. They fell upon them, killed some, and put the rest to flight. The colony afterwards suffered from the Indians; yet the population continually increased.

South-Carolina presents a great variety of soil and surface. Along the seaboard and for forty miles into the interior, the face of the country is flat and unpromising; covered with extensive tracts of pine barren, swamp, and savannah, or open meadow without wood; comprising the most fertile and the most sterile extremes of soil Ascending towards the centre of the state, the country rises into hills of moderate elevation. Advan. cing still further in a north-westerly direction, it becomes mountainous, and very picturesque. The first section, which is generally cailed the lower

country, includes the sea-islands, famous Tor producing the finest kind of cotton, called the sea-island cotton, which bears a higher price than the other kinds: the tide lands are equally celebrated for their valuable crops of rice. The high lands of this region are generally poor, interspersed with strips of great fertility. The climate is moist, very changeable, and during the summer and autumn months, extremely unhealthy. The region which lies between the tide lands and the granite or mountain ridges, is called the middle country, less healthy in summer than the latter, but much more so than the former. In winter and spring, it may be regarded as much more healthy than either. It is well irrigated by rivers and water-courses. It possesses, amidst long and barren tracts of swamp and forest, many fine spots for culture, and produces, in considerable abundance, the kind of cotton which is called upland, or short staple.

The first constitution of South-Carolina was formed in 1775; the first which was formed in the Union. The present constitution was ratified at Columbia, June 3d, 1790. The governor is elected for two years by the joint vote of both houses of the legislature, and is ineligible for the next four years. He must be thirty years of age, have resided in the state for ten years, and possess, within the state, property to the amount of £1500 sterling, above his debts. The lieutenant governor is elected at the same time, in a similar manner, and with similar qualifications; and in case of the death, removal, resignation, or absence of the governor, discharges the duties of the office. The senate consists of forty-five members, elected for four years by the people. One half the number is elected biennially. A senator must be a free white citizen of the age of thirty years or upwards, and must have been a citizen and resident in the state for five years next preceding his election, and possess a freehold estate in the district for which he is elected, of the value of £300, clear of debt. If a non-resident within the district, he must possess within it an estate of £1000 clear of Jebt. The house of representatives consists of one tundred and twenty-five members, elected biennially by the people. A member must be a free citizen of the United States, twenty-one years of s?e or upwards, and have been a citizen of the state for at least three years next previous to his election, and possess a freehold estate of five hundrea acres of land, and ten negroes, or real estate of £150 sterling, clear of debt. If a non-resident, he must possess a freehold estate of £400 sterling, clear of debt. The judges of the superior courts are elected by the joint ballot of the legislature. The courts consist of ten judges, and are three in number:—of law, equity, and appeal. The two former are common to all the districts; the latter is held only in Charleston and Colombia. The secretary of state, treasurer, and surveyor-general are elected in the same manner, and for the same period as the governor. Citizens and inhabitants of the state, who have paid taxes for the year preceding the election, and who have resided for six months in the county where they offer their vote, are entitled to the right of suffrage.

GEORGIA.

Georgia was the latest settled of the original thirteen United States. In 1732 George II. granted the territory now constituting the state oj Georgia to a company of benevolent individuals, who desired to provide an asylum for the poor of England, and for the persecuted protestaois of all nations. The affairs of the colony were committed to a board of twenty-one trustees, who made many wise and useful regulations. Is January of the next year, James Oglethorpe, with one hundred and thirleeu emigrants, arrived at Charleston, and after receiving a good supply

of provisions, they proceeded south and settled at Savannah. The next year a large company of poor persons arrived and commenced clearing up the wilderness; but the trustees finding many of these emigrants idle and inefficient, made liberal offers to any one who would settle in the colony, and this induced hundreds from Scotland, Germany, and Switzerland to emigrate.

In 1638 George Whitefield, the most celebrated preacher of modern times, visited the colony. His benevolence and piety had led him to explore the habitations of the poor in England, where he found bun dreds of helpless orphan children, and his object now was to establish an orphan asylum in Georgia, where they might be trained up in the paths of virtue and religion. In 1740 about twenty-five hundred emigrants had settled in the colony; more than fifteen hundred of these were from among the poor of Europe, or persecuted protestants, and for their support the trustees had expended nearly $500,000.

At this time the Spaniards had possession of Florida, and Oglethorpe, fearing that they would combine with the Indians and invade Georgia, undertook an expedition against St. Augustine; this expedition proving unsuccessful, the Spaniards threatened to subdue Georgia, the Carolinas, and Virginia. Oglethorpe applied to South Garolina for assistance; but alarmed at their own danger, the people of that colony prepared only for their own defence. The general, hoping to be able to resist the enemy till aid should arrive, collected all his forces at Frederica; soon after a Spanish fleet arrived, and landed more than three thousand men. Oglethorpe, learniug that the Spanish army was separated into two divisions, determined to attack one of them by surprise. He advanced his troops in the night within two miles of one division; then selecting a small band, he advanced nearer, and, while observing the situation of the enemy, a French soldier in his service fired his musket, and deserted to the Spanish camp. The general, fearing that this deserter would make known to the enemy his bad situation, devised a very happy expedient, by which his little army eseaped. He wrote a letter to this French soldier, instructing him to make known to the Spaniards the weakness of the English forces, and urge them to attack Frederica; and that he should persuade them if possible to remain on the island until the expected reinforcement should arrive from South Carolina. He also cautioned him not to drop a word respecting the attack which a British fleet was preparing to make upon St. Augustine. He concluded by promising him a large reward for hiB services. The letter was sent by a Spanish prisoner, who promised to give it to the deserter; but instead of this he carried it directly to the Spanish general, as was expected. The deserter was now supposed to be a spy, and was put in irons. Soon after three vessels of war appeared off the coast; the Span ish general supposing this to be the reinforcement spoken of in the letter, determined to attack the English without delay. Oglethorpe, anticipating his designs, placed a party of his men in ambuscade, and falling suddenly upon the Spaniards, killed many, and threw the rest into disorder. Thus defeated, and fearing the approach of the reinforcement, the enemy embarked and left the coast as soon as possible. By these successful manœuvres Gen. Oglethorpe saved his own, and perhaps all the neighbouring colonies. The trustees of Georgia being disappointed in their expectations, gave up their charter in 1752, when thj king soon after established a government over Georgia similar to those in the other colonies, and it then began to flourish.

The present constitution of Georgia was formed in 1798, and amended in 1839. The governor is elected by the people, and holds his office for two years; his salary is $3000 annually, and with the other executiva officers he is required during his term of office to reside at Milledgeville

The state is divided into forty-six districts, and each district is en lined to one senator. The representatives are proportioned to the population, including three-fifths of the people of colour. The counties, according to their population, have from one to three members. The general assembly meets annually in November, at Milledgeville. The slate is divided into eleven circuits, with a judge for each. An inferior court is held in each county, composed of five justices, elected by the people every four years; those courts possess the powers of courts of probate. The judges of the supreme court are elected for three years by the legis lature; and the judges of the inferior courts and justices of the peace, are elected for four years by the people. All white male inhabitants, who shall have resided in the county in which they vote six months preceding the election, and shall have paid taxes in the state for the year previous, are entitled to the right of suffrage.

MAINE.

The first permanent settlement in Maine was made in Bristol as early as 1625, at Pemaquid point. In an old fort once called William Henry, and afterwards Frederic George, built of stone in 1692, and taken by the French in 1696, arc found grave-stones of a very early date, and in other places coffins have been dug up, which bear indubitable evidence of a remote aiuiquity. In 1635 the district was granted by the British crows to Sir Ferdinando Gorges, and he appointed a governor and council, la 1647 a government was established by the settlers. In 1652 the state ol Massachusetts purchased the territory of the heirs of Gorges fur ♦5334. In 1691 it was incorporated with Massachusetts, by a charter of William and Mary, and continued under its jurisdiction until it became an independent state. It haddong a sufficient population to become a slate, and efforts were made for this purpose in 1785, 1786, and 1802, but the inhabitants were averse to a separation. In 1820, however, a constitution was formed, and it was admitted to the Union as a sovereign stale.

Maine is diversified, and has an uneven surface, but is not generally mountainous. On the western side of the state, east of the White mountains in New-Hampshire, an irregular chain of high lands commences, and passing north of the sources of the Kennebec and Penobscot rivers, and south of the sources of the Aroostook, extends eastwardly to the eastern boundary of the United States, and terminates at an isolated peak denominated Mars Hill, 1683 feet high. This chain, which is not continuous, the British, before the late treaty, claimed as the highlands described in a previous treaty. Katahdin, between the east and west branches of the Penobscot, 5300 feet above tide-water, is much the highest laud in the state, and constitutes a part of the above range, if such it can be called. The rest of Maine is hilly, though the hills are not very elevated; the land on the sea-coast, for the distance from it of from tea to twenty miles, is not in general very fertile, but further inland, its quality is greatly improved. The uncleared lands are ot great exteat, and furnish a vast amount of pine and other timber. Lumber cut aai ■awed may be regarded as the staple production of the state, and is exported to the amount of about $10,000,000 annually. The state is well adapted to grazing, and the wool produced is estimated at §3,000.000 annually. Lime is manufactured, particularly at Thomastou and the vicinity, to the annual amount of $100,000. A fine building granite is found at Hallowell, and is extensively exported; the Hall of Justice in the city of New-York is composed of it. Previous to the year 1807, the wars ii Kurope gave to the United States much of the carrying trade of the

world, and Maine engaged largely in commerce, and neglected her land for this superior source of wealth; but when the embargo, non-intei course, and war crippled her commerce, her agricultural resources were developed.

Maine has a sea-coast of over two hundred miles, indented by nume rous bays, and protected by numerous islands, and has more good har hours than any other state in the Union. Ships are extensively built, no only for their own use, but for a foreign market. The fisheries employ many of the inhabitants, and are not only a source of wealth, but are a nursery of seamen. Maine in point of shipping is the fourth state in the Union.

The government consists of a governor, senate, and house of representatives. The governor is elected by the people, and holds his office for one year; a council of seven persons to advise the governor is elected annually, by the joint ballot of the legislature. The senate consists of thirty-one members, elected by the people; the house of representatives consists of one hundred and fifty-one members, elected annually by the people. The right of suffrage is possessed by every male citizen of the United States of twenty-one years of age and upwards, excepting paupers, persons under guardianship, and Indians not taxed, who have resided in the state for three months next preceding an election. The election must be by written ballot. The judiciary is vested in a supreine judicial court, and such other courts as the legislature shall from time to time establish. The judges are appointed by the governor, with the advice and consent of the senate, and hold their offices during good behaviour, or until they are seventy years of age. In a similar manner are appointed the attorney general, the sheriffs, coroners, registers of pro bate, and notaries public.

VERMONT.

The first settlement of this state was at Fort Dummer, in the south east part of the state, by emigrants from Massachusetts. New-Hampshire claimed the territory from 1741 to 1764, and granted many townshipt in it to proprietors, which were thence called the "New-Hampshire grants," and comprise now many of the best towns in the state. NewYork also claimed the territory, and obtained a grant of it from the British parliament in 1764. These conflicting claims exceedingly harassed the inhabitants. At the commencement of the revolutionary war, Congress dared not admit Vermont to the Union, though the state proclaimed itself independent, for fear of offending New Hampshire and New-York, espe cially the latter. Vermont had a difficult part to act, and it conducted itself with great wisdom and patriotism. The British hoped to be able to detach it from the American confederacy; and its leaders, without committing themselves, flattered these hopes, and saved its exposed frontier from attacks, while no portion of the Union showed a more devoted patriotism, or contributed more, according to its means, to the common cause. The "Green Mountain boys" were characterized by daring bravery in the revolutionary struggle. In 1790 New-York was induced, by the payment of $30,000, to withdraw her claims to the territory; and in 1791 Vermont was admitted to the Union, whose independence she had extensively contributed to acquire.

The surface of Vermont is hilly or mountainous. A few townships along the margin of lake Champlain may be regarded as level, extending from five to ten miles from it; but otherwise the surface is generally un even consisting of hills and valleys, alluvial flats, gentle acclivities, ele