of the second provincial Congress of South Carolina, printed immediately after the session. The same day on which this constitution was adopted, that is, March 26th, 1776, the officers of the new government were elected. John Rutledge was chosen president, or governor, and Henry Laurens vice president. From these facts, it is evident that the constitution of South Carolina was promulgated before that of Virginia, and, as far as we know, it was the first written constitution in America.

A primary object of historical societies should be to collect manuscripts, to publish the best of them, and preserve those of less value in such a manner that they can be consulted by the historian and curious inquirer. The country abounds with historical manuscripts, in the hands of individuals and in public offices. It is to be lamented, however, that few public colonial manuscripts remain. In some of the states, the early journals of the assemblies and of the councils have been kept unbroken, but it is a fact worthy of particular remark, that in very few of the states, in none certainly south of New York, can be discovered a vestige of the correspondence of the provincial governors, nor any of the unpublished state papers anterior to the Revolution. This can be accounted for only upon the supposition, that the governors took away with them all the papers of this description. The journals are barren in matters of history, exhibiting little more than a dry detail of the daily proceedings of the legislative and executive bodies. The journal of the Council of South Carolina, under the provincial government, amounts to forty manuscript folio volumes. These contain specimens of Indian eloquence, and occasional copies of letters. In Georgia there is very little to elucidate early history, but what there is, we have good reason to believe, has been thoroughly examined, and will be faithfully reported, by Mr Bevan, who is now engaged under the auspices of the legislature in writing a history of the state. North Carolina is not without materials for early history. Mr Francis Xavier Martin many years ago made preparations for writing a history of that state, but his project never came to maturity. Judge Murphey is engaged in the same undertaking. Williamson's history is very imperfect. In Virginia all the public records and papers were burnt in January, 1781, when the British took possession of Richmond under Arnold. Up to that date the offices are blank. Maryland was more fortunate, and its provincial records are well preserved. In Pennsylvania these continue without interruption from the first session of Penn's council, down to the end of the old government. The journals of New Jersey were printed nearly, if not quite, from the beginning of the government.

But none of these sources is by any means fertile in the best materials. In short, the colonial history of America is shut up in the office of the Board of Trade and Plantations in England. The original papers are all there, and no tolerable history can be written without a free and full use of them. A copy of the entire mass of those papers, as far as they relate to this country, ought to be obtained and deposited in the national archives at Washington. The government is the proper organ for managing this business, and we can hardly imagine an act more honorable, or more indicative of wisdom, good sense, and patriotism, than an effort to procure such a copy, through our minister at London. It cannot be supposed, that the British cabinet will at this day have any objection to copies being taken of papers, relating solely to this country, especially when we consider the enlightened and liberal men of whom that cabinet is now composed.

There is much room for zeal in finding out and collecting manuscripts, at present in the hands of individuals, which have a direct bearing on the origin and events of the Revolution. This is the grand period in our national history, upon which future ages will look back with peculiar interest, and mark as a prominent epoch in the progress of mankind. The correspondence of the officers of the army, the first governors of the states, the delegates in Congress, and other leading men of the times, should be eagerly sought and rescued from the fate, which is impending over it. Much of this we know has already been lost, by the carelessness or indiscretion of the persons, into whose hands it has fallen. It will all gradually disappear, unless seasonably deposited in the safe keeping of some public body, where a perpetual watchfulness will be exercised over it.

The history of some private manuscripts has already been curious. Our readers will recollect, that two or three years ago a large bundle of letters was brought to light in a baker's shop in New York, which proved to be the private correspondence of Paul Jones. When Paul Jones left America for the last time, he committed to the care of his friend, John Ross, of Philadelphia, several packages of manuscript papers, consisting of letters, journals, and vouchers of his landed and other property in America. A power of attorney was afterwards sent to Mr Robert Hyslop, merchant of New York, to receive those packages in trust for the heirs of Paul Jones. An agent came to this country and settled the pecuniary affairs, but the papers, on being examined, were allowed to remain in the hands of Mr Hyslop in trust, as undivided property belonging equally to all the heirs of Paul Jones. At length Robert Hyslop died, and the papers then fell into the hands of his executor, John Hyslop, baker in New York. This is a brief explanation of the somewhat singular circumstance, of papers of this sort having been discovered in a baker's shop. They were valuable, as containing the correspondence of some of the most eminent leaders of the Revolution.

Another remark we may add respecting the papers of Paul Jones. By his will he left all his effects to his two sisters, who resided at or near Dumfries, in Scotland, to be divided equally between them and their children, in as many shares as there were individuals in the two families, constituting his two sisters guardians of their respective children during their minority. In 1793, one of the sisters, and the husband of the other, went to Paris, to recover a debt due from the French government to Paul Jones, and took with them to Scotland, among other things, all the papers left by him. A division of the effects and papers was immediately made, by a gentleman appointed for the purpose, with the mutual consent of the parties, who bound themselves to abide by his decision, This gentleman pursued an extraordinary course in regard to the papers. He portioned them out in two parcels, by weight and measure, just as they happened to come to hand, without regard to their value or connexion. The two families resided for some time in Scotland, and when Dr Duncan, eight or nine years ago, prepared the short biographical sketch of Paul Jones, for the Edinburgh Encyclopædia, he appears to have had access to all the papers. Since that time a branch of one of the families has removed to America, and brought hither a part of the papers, all, it is presumed, which this branch had in its possession.

A few years ago, a niece of Paul Jones, who inherited from her mother the portion of papers that fell to her lot, made an overture to the Historical Society of New York to publish them. The negociation was not successful, but the manuscripts were sent out to New York for inspection, where they now remain in the hands of an individual in trust for the owner. They are fair copies, collected into four volumes, the three first of which relate chiefly to the part the author took in the American RevoVOL. XXIII. NO. 53.

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lution. The last volume is written in French, and is devoted wholly to his services in Russia. The contents of all the volumes are chiefly letters, and official papers, some of which have been published. To the first volume is prefixed a memoir of his life, but by what hand we know not. There is also a short narrative of the transactions in which he was engaged during the American war, but the substance of this is nearly the same as that, which he presented to the king of France. It is a mistake, however, which some way or other crept into the Edinburgh Encyclopædia, that Paul Jones has left anything, which can be properly called a memoir of his own life by himself. What is to be the destiny of these papers we are not informed, but they are obviously essential to any correct delineation of the life and character of Paul Jones.

In closing these hints, we cannot but repeat a suggestion made by us on a former occasion, that individuals, who possess manuscripts of public interest as affording materials for history, should deposite them in the archives of public institutions, where the chance of their being preserved will be much greater than in private hands. The example of Mr Richard H. Lee, author of the valuable biography of his grandfather, is in this respect worthy of the highest commendation. The numerous papers, which belonged to his grandfather, Richard Henry Lee, he has resolved to deposite in the library of the Philosophical Society at Philadelphia, and the papers of Arthur Lee he intends in like manner for Harvard College. Thus will these wise men, and warm patriots, speak to posterity through their writings, and the writings of their friends, which for many reasons it might not be expedient to publish in detail. As works of reference such collections will be invaluable to the historian; and members of historical societies, and of similar institutions, cannot exercise their influence or their industry in a more profitable way, than in gathering up from every quarter materials of this kind.

ART. III. A List of Patents granted by the United States, for the Encouragement of Arts and Sciences, alphabetically arranged from 1790 to 1820; continued by Supplements to 1826; containing the Names of the Patentees, their Places of Residence, the Dates of their Patents, &c. Washington, D. C. Printed and sold by S. Alfred Elliot.

The above work, though merely a catalogue of inventions and names, possesses an interest of the highest kind to an enlightened American citizen, and affords us an opportunity of calling the attention of our countrymen to the importance of the Patent Law, the influence it has had upon the practical industry of the nation, the present state of the system of granting patents, and the necessity of the law being revised and made more efficient for its original purpose. Our own attention has been awakened to these topics, by the following passage in President Adams's Message to Congress, at the opening of the last session.

'The laws relating to the administration of the Patent Office are deserving of much consideration, and, perhaps, susceptible of some improvement. The grant of power to regulate the action of Congress on this subject, has specified both the end to be obtained, and the means by which it is to be effected-" to promote the progress of science and useful arts, by securing for limited times, to authors and inventors, the exclusive right to their respective writings and discoveries." If an honest pride might be indulged in the reflection, that, on the records of that office, are already found inventions, the usefulness of which has scarcely been transcended in the annals of human ingenuity, would not its exultation be allayed by the inquiry, whether the laws have effectually insured to the inventors the reward destined to them by the constitution-even a limited term of exclusive right to their discoveries?'

Such a notice, coming from such a source, and at such a time, was sufficient proof that investigation was on some account or other indispensable. It is a little strange therefore, nay, not a little, that during a session, protracted to almost six months, Congress passed over this subject in silence and unconcern. They did indeed refer that part of the Message, as well as other parts, to a committee, at the commencement of the session; but such a reference of this, and many other important subjects,