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article necessary for family use; such as shirting, sheeting, toweling, table-cloths, gowns, petticoats, aprons, caps, pantaloons, vesting, and summer coats for the men's use; besides sofa-cloths, fringes, tassels, hosiery, &c. The articles made in this manner are substantial and durable, many of them handsome; and in all probability the trade will increase to nearly the total exclusion of foreign manufactures from this state.

The agriculture of Georgia differs little from that of the Carolinas, except it be in a more extensive growth of the cotton plant, for which the soil and climate are admirably adapted. Formerly, cotton was planted here only by the poorer class of people, and that only for family use. They raised only two kinds, the annual and the West Indian; the former is low, and planted every year; the balls are large and the wool long, perfectly white, and strong. The latter is a tall perennial plant, the stalk somewhat shrubby, several of which rise up from the root for many years successively, the stems of the former year being killed by the winter frosts. The balls of the West India cotton are not quite so large as the other; but the wool is long, extremely fine, silky and white. A plantation of this kind will last several years, with moderate labour and care. The culture of cotton is now much more attended to than formerly; many indigo planters having converted their plantations in to cotton fields; and especially since a new species of cotton plant has been introduced from the island of Waitahoo, one of the Marquesas, in the South Pacific ocean: the wool of this kind is of a very fine texture, and has proved a great acquisition not only to Georgia, but to the other southern

states.

Constitution.-The civil government is vested in an assembly, consisting of a senate and house of representatives, a governor, and a judiciary. The assembly are elected annually, by all citizens and inhabitants of the state, of the age of twenty-one years or upwards, who have paid all taxes which have been lawfully demanded from them for the last year, and who have resided six months in the counties for which they vote. The governor is appointed by the legislature, for two years only. The judges are also elected by the legislature, for three years. The constitution provides, that "arts and sciences shall be promoted, in one or more seminaries of learning; and the legislature shall give such further donations and privi

leges to those already established, as may be necessary to secure the objects of their institution." The state constitution was adopted in 1789: Georgia now sends two senators and four representatives to the general congress of the United States.

History.—The first settlement of Georgia by a British colony, in the year 1732, has been already noticed in page 4. The promoters of this settlement were certainly actuated by humane and generous sentiments; yet the imagination of man could scarcely have framed worse regulations for the government of the infant colony. The people sent out were poor and unfortunate, therefore they were to be provided with necessaries at the public store; and they received their lands upon condition of cultivation, and, by their personal residence, of defence. Silk and wine being the chief articles intended to be raised, the trustees for Georgia conceived that negroes were not necessary for these purposes. Rum was indeed pernicious to health, and ruinous to new settlers, the importation of it was therefore prohibited; and a free trade with the Indians was considered as having a tendency to involve the people in quarrels with the powerful savages, and expose them to danger and destruction.

Such were, probably, the motives which induced the benevolent founders of this colony to impose such absurd and ruinous restrictions on the settlers; who soon found that abundance of land could be obtained in America upon much better terms, and without any such prohibitions. By interdicting the use of negroes, the trustees rendered it impracticable, in such a climate, to make any impression on the thick forests, Europeans being utterly unqualified for the heavy task. By not allowing a trade with the West Indies, the colonists were not only deprived of a good market for their lumber, of which they had abundance on their lands, but also of the essential article of rum, which, when mixed with water, has been found by experience the most refreshing, and the cheapest drink for workmen in such a foggy and burning climate. The trustees, like other distant legislators, who framed their regulations upon principles of speculation, were liable to many errors and mistakes, and however good their design, their rules were found improper and impracticable. The Carolinians plainly perceived that they would prove insurmountable obstacles to the progress and prosperity of the colony, and therefore from motives of pity, began to

invite the poor Georgians to come over Savannah river, and settle in Carolina, being convinced that they could never succeed under such impolitic and oppressive restrictions.

After the representation and memorial from the legislature of Carolina had reached Britain, the nation considered Georgia to be of the utmost importance to the British settlements in America, and began to make still more vigorous efforts for its speedy population. The first embarkations of poor people from England, being collected from towns and cities, were found equally idle and useless members of society abroad, as they had been at home. An hardy and bold race of men, inured to rural labour and fatigue, they were persuaded, would be much better adapted both for cultivation and defence. To find men possessed of these qualifications, they turned their eyes to Germany and the Highlands of Scotland, and resolved to send over a number of Scottish and German

labourers to their infant province. When they published their terms at Inverness, an hundred and thirty Highlanders immediately accepted them, and were transported to Georgia. A township on the river Altamaha, which was considered as the boundary between the British and Spanish territories, was allotted for the Highlanders, on which dangerous situation they settled, and built a town which they called New Inverness. About the same time 170 Germans embarked with James Oglethorpe, and were fixed in another quarter; so that, in the space of three years, Georgia received above 400 British subjects, and about 170 foreigners. Afterwards several adventurers, both from Scotland and Germany, followed their country. men, and added further strength to the province, and the trustees flattered themselves with the hopes of soon seeing it in a promising condition.

Their hopes, however, were vain. Their injudicious regulations and restrictions, the wars in which they were involved with the Spaniards and Indians, and the frequent insurrections among themselves, threw the colony into a state of confusion and wretchedness, too great for human nature long to endure. Their oppressed situation was represented to the trustees by repeated complaints; till at length, finding that the province languished under their care, and weary with the complaints of the people, they, in the year 1752, surrendered their charter to the king, and it was made a royal government. In consequence of which, bis majesty appointed John Reynolds, an officer of the navy, governor of the province, and a legislature, similar

to that of the other royal governments in America, was established in it. Great had been the expense which the mother country had already incurred, besides private benefactions for supporting this colony; and small had been the returns yet made by it. The vestiges of cultivation was scarcely perceptible in the forests, and in England all commerce with it was despised. At this time the whole annual exports of Georgia did not amount to £10,000 sterling, Though the people were now favoured with the same liberties and privileges enjoyed by their neighbours under the royal care, yet several years elapsed before the value of the lands in Georgia was known, and that spirit of industry broke out in it, which afterwards diffused its happy influence over the country.

In the year 1740, the Rev. George Whitfield founded an orphan-house academy in Georgia, about twelve miles from Savannah. For the support of this, in his itinera tions, be collected large sums of money of all denominations of Christians, both in England and America. A part of this money was expended in erecting proper buildings to accommodate the students, and a part in supporting them. In 1768, it was proposed that the orphan-house should be erected into a college. Whereupon Mr. Whitfield applied to the crown for a charter, which would have been readily granted, on condition that the president should, in all successions, be an episcopalian of the church of England. Several letters passed between the archbishop of Canterbury and Mr. Whitfield on the subject, in which the archbishop insisted on this condition. But Mr. Whitfield, though himself an episcopalian, declined it, alleging to his grace, that it would be unjust to limit that office to any particular sect, when the donations for the foundation of the institution had been made and entrusted to him, by the various religious denominations, both in England and America. In consequence of this dispute, the affair of a charter was given up, and Mr. Whitfield made his assignment of the orphan-house in trust to the countess of Huntingdon. Mr. Whitfield died at Newbury Port, in New England, in October, 1770, in the 56th year of his age, and was buried under the presbyterian church in that place.

Soon after his death, a charter was granted to his institution in Georgia, and the Rev. Mr. Percy was appointed president of the college. Mr. Percy accordingly went over to execute his office, but, unfortunately, on the 30th of May, 1775, the orphan-house building caught fire, and was entirely consumed, except the two wings, which are

still remaining. The American war soon after came on, and put every thing into confusion, and the funds have ever since lain in an unproductive state.

From the time Georgia became a royal government, in 1752, till the peace of Paris in 1763, she struggled under many difficulties, arising from the want of credit, from friends, and the frequent molestation of enemies. The good effects of peace were sensibly felt in the province of Georgia. From this time it began to flourish, under the fatherly care of governor Wright. To form a judg ment of the rapid growth of the colony, we need only attend to its exports; which have been already given.

During the revolutionary war, Georgia was over-ruu by the British troops, and the inhabitants were obliged to flee into the neighbouring states for safety. The suffer ings and losses of her citizens were as great, in propor tion to their numbers and wealth, as in any of the states. Since the peace, in 1783, the progress of the population of this state has been astonishingly rapid.

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