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very scarce, and greatly wanted; many hundreds could then have had employment at Franklin* and the adjacent country. Masons, carpenters, and joiners, are paid two dollars a day, or 2 bushels of wheat, 4 of Indian corn. The hire of a labouring man on a farm, is from 120 to 150 dollars a year, with board and lodging. Tools for tradesmen very high, and often not to be had at any price.

Well-improved lands in this state will produce, on an average, twenty-five bushels of wheat an acre, (within a few miles of Philadelphia forty have been raised ;) of Indian corn from thirty to fifty bushels. The price of wheat, in 1818, was from 78. 6d. to 98. 8d. sterling a bushel; Indian corn, 3s. 7d. to 4s. 44d.; oats, ls. 9d. to 2s. 6d. Horses are worth from £11 to £33; a good milch cow will cost about £5 158.; sheep (which are much smaller than the English) are sold from 11s. to 21s. 6d. ; rams, £4 to £11; pigs a month old, 2s. 3d.; a sow and pig, £1 11s. to £2 14s.; a hog of 100lb. weight, £1 118. 6d. to £2 5s. ; a yoke of oxen, £16 to £28. A farm waggon will cost from £22 to £27; a farm cart, fifty dollars; a gig, from 300 to 450 dollars.

The farmers throughout Pennsylvania are generally in a state of affluence; the farms, with a few exceptions only, being the property of the persons who cultivate them. The northern parts of the state are still thinly inhabited; but towards the south, the whole way from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh, it is well settled. The most populous part of it is the south-east corner, which lies between the mountains and the river Delaware; and through which the turnpike road passes which leads to Lancaster. The country on each side the road is pleasingly diversified with hill and dale; but cultivation is chiefly confined to the low lands, which are the richest, and the hills are generally left covered with wood, affording a pleasing variety to the eye. The further you go from Philadelphia the more fertile is the country, and the scenery the more beautiful. In the cultivated parts of the state, it is rare to find a farm exceeding 300 acres; towards the north, however, where the settlements are not so numerous, large tracts of land are in the hands of individuals, who are speculators and land-jobbers. Adjoining to the farm houses there is mostly a peach or apple orchard; with the fruit they make cider and brandy, and have also a method of drying the peaches and apples in the sun, and thus cured they last all the year round. Many of the farmers who are • Franklin, the chief town of Venango county, is 479 miles distant from New York, and 136 from Pittsburgh.

remote from a market, distil their grain, finding whisky to be the most convenient and profitable form under which to carry and dispose of their stock.

It has been observed in another part of this Work that the German, Dutch, and Swiss emigrants succeed much better in the United States than those from any other country. This is not so much owing to greater industry or economy, as to the more judicious mode they adopt in settling. In general, before these people emigrate they form associations, lay down plans, and send an agent over in whom they can confide. He purchases for them a suitable extent of land, and prepares the way when their arrangements are made, they move over in one body. The consequences of this prudent system is no where more visible than in Pennsylvania, in all parts of which, they are in possession of the best lands. With a view to the instruction of emigrants from this country, and for the sake of example, the progress of one of these societies shall be described. This is the Harmonist society, which originated in the duchy of Wurtemburgh, and in the year 1803, sent George Rapp and others, as deputies, who fixed upon a situation in Butler county, in this state, about twenty miles from Pittsburgh, where they purchased 9,000 acres of land. The year following the whole society, amounting to 160 families, embarked at Amsterdam in three ships, and arrived safe in America. In November, a part of the society removed to their place of destination, and built nine log-houses; in the spring of 1805, they were joined by the remainder, the whole of their property amounting to 20,000 dollars. In February, a constitution was formed, whose principles were the same as the first apostolic church, (see Acts iv. 32.) "And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart, and of one soul: neither said any of them that aught of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common." There is no such thing as individual property, every thing belongs to the seciety, all labour is in common. All the produce and provisions, are deposited in a large brick store, and served out according to the wants of the different members. During the winter of 1805, they erected eighteen log-houses, eighteen feet by twentyfour, and a large barn. Ground to the amount of 150 acres was cleared for corn, forty for potatoes, and fifteen for meadow. A grist and saw mill were erected, and a race way dug three-fourths of a mile long. Thirty additional houses were built in the autumn of the same year. In 1806, 300 acres of land were cleared for corn, fifty

eight for meadow; a public inn, several dwelling-houses, a framed barn, 100 feet long, and an oil mill were erected. The next year, among other improvements, 400 acres were cleared; a brick store-house, saw mill and beer brewery were built. Every succeeding year has added to their wealth and buildings. They have now several capacious brick and framed barns, a brick meeting-house, warehouse, fulling, dyeing, grist and hemp mills, carding machines, spinning jennies, distilleries, &c. The annual quantity of produce, consisting of wheat, rye, oats, barley, and potatoes, exceeds 40,000 bushels, besides 5,000 lbs. of flax and hemp, 100 gallons of sweet oil, distilled from the white poppy, and the product of twelve acres of vineyard. This truly economical people appropriate every foot of the earth within the limits of their little republic, to some object of utility. Hills, which are too steep for the plough or the harrow, are planted with the vine. Their vineyard is situated on the south side of a steep hill, and exhibits to the eye a succession of benches, rising one above the other, like the galleries of churches, the front of each bench or flat being walled up with stones, to prevent the sliding or caving of the earth. They have about 3,000 acres of ground cleared; have a large stock of cattle, and about 1,000 sheep; part of which are merino. Their cloth has obtained a high reputation. There are about 100 mechanics, who work for the country as well as the society. The number of common labourers amounts to about 700 men, who will readily dispose of a large job of work, a field of 100 acres is scarcely the labour of a day. Nothing can exceed their industry. Idleness and intemperance are unknown among them. Food, clothing, and physic, are all received from the public stores. Their costume is very plain; the women dress with no motive of conquest. All are uniform; a linsey or woollen jacket and petticoat, a close black cap, with a patch of cotton or wool on the crown, and tied under the chin, are their constant attire. The whole society attends divine worship on Sunday. The venerable Rapp fills the pulpit. Every thing, in short, proceeds with the regularity of clock-work.

Their village is called Harmony, after the society. It is situated on the right bank of the Connoquenesing creek, which heads near the Allegany river, and runs into the Big Beaver, about fifty miles above its entrance into the Ohio. Over this creek they have a bridge 220 feet long. The creek affords many facilities for water machinery. The surrounding country is excellent for pasturage, but

not of the first quality for grain. This interesting little colony have principally removed to the banks of the Wabash, below Vincennes, where they have commenced the culture of the vine, and the manufacture of broad cloths from merino wool.

Constitution. The civil government of Pennsylvania is vested in a legislature, consisting of a senate and house of representatives, The senators are chosen for four years, and the representatives annually, by the people. The executive authority is vested in a governor, who is also chosen by the people, and holds his office for three years. The constitution declares, "That all men are born equally free and independent; that all power is inherent in the people; that all men have a natural and indisputable right to worship God according to the dictates of their own consciences, and no man can be compelled to attend, erect, or support any place of worship, or to maintain any ministry against his consent; that no human authority can, in any case whatever, controul or interfere with the rights of conscience, and that no preference shall ever be given, by law, to any religious establishments or modes of worship; that elections shall be free and equal; that trial by jury shall be inviolate; that no law shall ever be made to restrain the liberty of the press; that the people shall be secure against all unwarrantble searches, and excessive bail shall not be required; that the legislature shall provide by law for the establishment of schools throughout the state, in such a manner as the poor may be taught gratis; and that the arts and sciences shall be promoted."The qualifications required to render a person eligible to sit in the legislature, is two years residence in the city or county for which he is chosen; no member can hold any other office, except in the militia, the colonels of which are chosen by the freemen.* The qualifications of the electors are, full age, having resided in the state two years next before the election, and paid a state or county tax; the sons of freemen, being twenty-one years of age, are also entitled to vote.

History.-Pennsylvania was granted by king Charles II. to Mr. William Penn, son of the famous admiral Penn, partly in consideration of his father's eminent services,

The militia of this state, according to the last returns, amounted to 118,018 effective men.

and partly on account of a large sum due to him from the crown, a portion of which he offered to remit on condition he obtained his grant. The charter was signed by the king on the 4th of March, 1681, and the first frame of government is dated 1682. By this frame, all legislative powers were vested in the governor and freemen of the province, in the form of a provincial council, and a general assembly. The council was to consist of seventy-two members, chosen by the freemen; of which the governor or his deputy, was to be perpetual president, with a treble vote: one-third of this council went out of office every year, and their seats were supplied by new elections. The general assembly was at first to consist of all the freemen, afterwards of 200, and never to exceed 500.

In 1683, Mr. Penn offered another frame of government, in which the number of representatives was reduced, and the governor vested with a negative upon all bills passed in the assembly. By several specious arguments, the people were induced to accept this frame of government. Not long after, Mr. Penn having occasion to go to England, he committed the administration of government to five commissioners, taken from the council. In 1686, Mr. Penn required the commissioners to dissolve the frame of government; but not being able to effect his purpose, he, in 1688, appointed captain John Blackwell his deputy from this period, the proprietors usually resided in England, and administered the government by deputies, who were devoted to their interest. Jealousies arose between the people and their governors, which never ceased till the revolution. The primary cause of these jealousies, was an attempt of the proprietor to extend his own power, and abridge that of the assembly; and the consequence was incessant disputes and dissentions in the legislature.

In 1689, governor Blackwell, finding himself opposed in his views, had recourse to artifice, and prevailed on certain members of the council to withdraw themselves from the house; thus defeating the measures of the legislature. The house voted this to be treachery, and addressed the governor on the occasion.

In 1693, king William and queen Mary assumed the government into their own hands; and colonel Fletcher was appointed governor of New York and Pennsylvania, by one and the same commission, with equal powers in both provinces; by this commission the number of counsellors in Pennsylvania was reduced. Under the admipistration of governor Markham, in 1696, a new form of

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