character of both governors and people has been retrieved by integrity of conduct; and the attention now paid to the principles of the rising generation, gives a pleasing assurance that a total reformation in public morals will soon be apparent throughout the state. Through the whole of the war which established American independence, the people of Rhode Island evinced a most patriotic spirit; the citizens in arms fought with great gallantry, and the second general in the field (Greene) was brought up among them. A respectable military force is still kept up by this small state; the return of militia for the year 1818, amounted to 8,350 effective men.

Trade and manufactures.-While Rhode Island remained a British colony, its principal commerce was the importation of dry goods from Great Britain, slaves from Africa, sugar, coffee, and molasses from the. West Indies, and lumber and provisions from the neighbouring colonies, With the bills which they obtained in the West Indies, they paid the English merchants; their sugars they sold in Holland; the slaves, lumber, and provisions, they carried to the West Indies; the rum distilled from the molasses was sent to Africa to purchase negroes; and with the dry goods from England they traded with the neighbouring colonies. By this kind of commerce they subsisted, and many of them grew rich; but the war of the revolution, and other occurrences already stated, greatly injured their trade, the principal part of which was for a long time carried on by the flourishing towns of Providence and Newport both these towns, with a few others, strenuously opposed the nefarious paper money system. At present, the whole state has a very considerable foreign commerce, exporting grain, flax-seed, lumber, horses, cattle, beef, pork, fish, poultry, butter, cheese, onions, spirits, and cotton and linen goods; the total value of exports for one year, ending the 5th of September, 1817, amounted to 950,467 dollars; in 1791, it was only 470,000 dollars. The imports are European and India manufactures, West India produce, and logwood from Honduras.

The manufactures are cottons and linens to a very considerable and increasing amount; bar and sheet iron, steel, nails, anchors and other iron work for shipping, sailcloth, paper, rum, &c. The cotton manufacture in particular is extending, and some of those engaged in it have been very successful; but it is yet in its infancy, and being subject to a competition with the long-established manufac¬

tures of Britain, it must for some time labour under difficulties. The other manufactures of this state are chocolate, wool and cotton cards, bells, &c.; besides domestic manufactures for family use, which in this, as in the other states, amount to a vast sum, which cannot be ascertained.

Constitution.-The constitution of this state is founded on the charter granted by Charles II., in 1663, and the frame of government was not essentially altered by the revolution. The legislature consists of two branches; a senate, or upper house, composed of ten members, called in the charter "assistants;" and a house of representatives, composed of deputies from the several townships. The members of the legislature are chosen twice a year, by all the freemen of the state; and there are two sessions of this body annually, in May and October. The supreme executive power is vested in a governor, or, in his absence, in the deputy-governor, who are chosen annually, in May, by the suffrages of the people; the governor presides in the upper house, but has only a single voice in enacting laws. There is one supreme judicial court, composed of five judges, whose jurisdiction extends over the whole state, and who hold two courts annually in each county. Besides these, there is an inferior court of common pleas and general sessions of the peace, held twice a year in each shire town, for the trial of causes not capital, arising within the county, from which an appeal lies to the supreme court. The justices of the peace, as in other states, have cognizance of small causes; and since the revolution their powers have been enlarged to an uncommon, if not to a dangerous extent.

History. This state was first settled from Massachusetts; from whence Mr. Roger Williams, a minister, who came over to Salem, in 1630, was banished by religious perse cution. Governor Winthrop advised him to pursue his course to Nehiganset, or Narraganset-bay, which he did, and fixed himself at Seekhonk, now Rehoboth. But this place being within the bounds of the Plymouth colony, governor Winslow, in a friendly manner, advised him to remove to the other side of the river, where the lands were not covered by any patent. Accordingly, in 1635, Mr. Williams and a few others crossed Seekhonk river, and landed among the Indians, by whom they were hospitably received, and thus laid the foundation of a town,

which, from a sense of God's merciful goodness to him, he named Providence.

The whole colony of Massachusetts, at this time, was in a violent ferment from religious disputes. Accordingly, a synod was called, in August, 1636, which condemned eighty erroneous opinions; and a court holden two months afterwards at the same place, banished some of the leading persons who were accused of these supposed errors, and censured several others; principally, it appears, for seditious conduct. Those who were banished by the court, joined by a number of their friends, went in quest of a new settlement, and came to Providence, where they were kindly entertained by Mr. Williams, who, by the assistance of sir Henry Vane, jun. procured for them, from the Indians, Aquidniek, now Rhode Island. Here, in 1638, the people, only eighteen in number, formed themselves into a body politic, and chose Mr. Coddington, their leader, to be their judge or chief magistrate; the other parts of the state were purchased of the natives at several successive periods.

In the year 1643, the people being destitute of a patent, or any legal authority, Mr. Williams went to England as agent, and obtained a free and absolute charter of civil incorporation, by the name of the "Incorporation of Providence plantations in Narraganset-bay." This lasted until the charter was granted by Charles II., by which the incorporation was styled "The English colony of Rhode Island and Providence plantations in New England." This charter, without any essential alteration, has remained the foundation of their government ever since. Mr. Williams is said to have become a baptist in a few years after his settling at Providence, and to have formed a church of that persuasion; which, in 1653, disagreed about the right of laying on hands; some maintaining that it was necessary to church communion, and others holding it indifferent; upon which the church was divided into two parts. At Newport Mr. J. Clarke and some others formed a church in 1664, on the principles of the baptists; which church was afterwards divided like that of Providence.

In 1720, there was a congregational church gathered at Newport; and out of this church another was formed in 1728. The worship of God, according to the rites of the church of England, was instituted here in 1706, by the society for propagating the gospel in foreign parts; and in 1738, there were seven worshipping assemblies in this town, and a large society of quakers at Portsmouth, at the other end of the island.

In 1730, the colony was filled with inhabitants, chiefly by the natural increase of the first settlers; the number of souls in the state at this time was 17,935; of which no more than 985 were Indians, and 1,648 negroes: eight years afterwards, there were above 100 sail of vessels belonging to the town of Newport.

Rhode Island, from its local situation, has ever been less exposed to the incursions of the Indians, and to the French, when masters of Canada, than either Massachusetts or Connecticut. Many of the colonists have, from its first establishment, professed the principles of the quakers, which forbade them to fight; for these reasons, the colony was very little concerned in the old wars with the French and Indians. In the expedition against Port Royal, in 1710, and in the unsuccessful attempt against Canada the year following, they had some forces. Towards the intended expedition against Canada, in 1746, they raised 300 men, and equipped a sloop of war with 100 seamen; but in their voyage to Nova Scotia, they met with misfortunes and returned: soon after, the design was entirely dropped.

From this period nothing occurred in the affairs of Rhode Island deserving particular notice, until the memorable epoch when the American colonies determined to oppose the authority of the mother country; from which time the history of that state becomes in a great measure identified with that of the other sections of the Union.

STATE OF CONNECTICUT.

Situation, Boundaries, and Extent.

CONNECTICUT is situated between 41° and 42° N. lat. and 3° 20′ and 5° E. long. It is bounded on the north by Massachusetts; south, by the Sound, which separates it from Long Island; east, by Rhode Island; and west, by the state of New York. Its length, from north to south, is fifty miles; and its breadth from east to west, eighty miles; forming an area of 4,000 square miles, or 2,560,000

acres.

Rivers and harbours.-The principal rivers in this state are, Connecticut, described under Massachusetts; it falls into Long Island sound between the towns of Saybrook

and Lyme. An elegant bridge has been lately erected over this fine river, connecting the towns of Hadley and Northampton, in the state of Massachusetts. It is 1,060 feet in length, and thirty in width, and supported by nine piers; elevation thirty feet above high water mark.* Housatonick river rises in Berkshire county, Massachusetts, and after running a south-east course the whole breadth of the state of Connecticut, and passing through several pleasant and thriving towns, empties into the Sound between Stratford and Milford. It is navigable twelve miles to Derby, and above that town is very important for mills and machinery; but a bar of shells at its mouth, obstructs the navigation of large vessels. Just above the bridge which connects the towns of Canaan and Salisbury, the whole water of the river, 225 feet wide, falls about sixty feet perpendicular, in a perfect white sheet, and, when the river is full, presents a scene truly grand and beautiful. Naugatuk is a small river which flows into the Housatonick, at Derby; a great number of mills and iron works are upon this stream and its branches. Farmington river rises in Massachusetts, and runs south-easterly through Hartland, Barkhampstead, and New Hartford, all in Connecticut, to the town of Farmington, where, meeting with mountains, it turns northerly in search of a passage, and after running fifteen miles it meets with Salmon river, when the confluent stream rushes through the mountain, and down a cataract of 150 feet, after which it is called Windsor river, and continuing a south-east course, falls into Connecticut river four miles above Hartford. Thames river is formed by the junction of Shetucket and Norwich rivers, at the city of Norwich, to which place it is navigable for three-mast vessels, and thus far the tide flows. From thence it takes a southerly course fourteen miles, passing by New London, and flows into Long Island sound, forming the fine harbour of New London. About a mile from the mouth of Norwich river there is a very romantic and remarkable cataract; and at the entrance of Shetucket river is a bridge of timber 124 feet in length. Paukatuk is a small river which empties into Stonington harbour, and forms a part of the division line between Connecticut and Rhode Island. East, or North-haven river, rises about twenty miles south-west of Hartford, and passing through Wallingford and North-haven, falls into Newhaven harbour. Byram river is a small stream, no otherwise remarkable than as forming part of the western boundary of Connecticut.

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• The account of this bridge was received too late to appear in its proper place.