two houses elect one of the two, who have the highe number. To be a qualified candidate for governor, a man must have been an inhabitant of the ftate feven years; he must be thirty years of age, and poffefs an eftate of the value of fixteen hundred and fixty-feven dollars, one half of which muft be freehold,

219. The Council. To affift and advife the governor in his office, a council is inftituted, confifting of fix members, one in each county, annually chofen, by the electors; and in cafe no choice is made by the people, the defect is fupplied by the two houfes from the two perfons who have the highest number of votes. The qualifications of a councillor, are the fame as for governor, except that a councillor must have real estate to the amount of a thousand dollars only.

220.

Powers of the Executive. All bills which pafs the two houses must be presented to the governor; if he figns them, they become law; if not, he returns them, with his objections-if they are then paffed by two thirds of the members of both houses, they become laws; otherwife, they do not. The governor and council appoint the judges of courts, fheriffs, registers of probate and the attorney general. The governor and council have a negative on each other.

221. Powers of the Governor. The governor is commander in chief of the army, navy and militia, and has power to pardon offenfes after conviction, except in cases of impeachment. He can prorogue the general court in its recefs, for a time not exceeding feven months, and during the feffion, he can adjourn or prorogue it, at the request of the two houses. He can alfo fummon the general court on special occafions. In cafe of the death or absence of the governor, the prefident of the fenate adminifters the government, till the next election fhall fupply the vacancy, there being no lieutenant governor.

222. Militia. The militia of New-Hampshire confifts of all able bodied men, from fixteen to forty years of age, with the exception of civil officers, clergymen, quakers, inftructors and students in feminaries of learning,

phyficians and furgeons, fhip mafters, ferrymen, millers and a few others. The regiments are twenty-feven, and the effective men, about thirty thousand. The field officers are appointed by the governor and council, the captains and fubalterns are nominated by the field officers, and appointed by the governor; the non-commiffioned officers, by the captains and fubalterns.

223. Secretary and other Officers. The fecretary of the ftate, treasurer, and commiffary-general, are chofen by joint ballot of the fenate and reprefentatives. The county treasurers, and regifters of deeds are chofen by the freemen of the respective counties. The judges of courts hold their offices during good behaviour, except that they cannot remain in office after feventy years of age.

224. Religious Denominations. The chief part of the inhabitants are congregationalists, epifcopalians, prefbyterians, baptifts, and quakers; of which the firft are the moft numerous. In Portsmouth is alfo a fociety of univerfalifts, and another of fandemaninans. All perfuafions and modes of worship are protected by law, without preference. The congregation elect and maintain their own ministers, and no perfon can be compelled to contribute to the fupport of those of another denomination.

225. Taxation. Taxes are laid upon polls and property, the several species of which are rated at a certain value, fixed by law. In April annually, an invoice of the polls and ratable property of each town is taken by perfons appointed for the purpose, and taxes are laid upon each town in proportion to the amount of this invoice, and upon each man according to his part of it.

226. Authority of Towns. Every town is a corporation, empowered to choose its officers, make regulations and lay taxes for the fupport of minifters, fchools, bridges, highways and the poor. The general concerns of the town are under the direction of certain perfons chofen for the purpose, and called Selectmen.

I

VERMONT.

227. Situation of Vermont. The state of Vermont lies on the weft fide of the Connecticut, between forty-two degrees, forty-four minutes, and forty five degrees, of north latitude and between feventy-one degrees, thirtytwo minutes, and feventy-three degrees, twenty-five min utes, of weft longitude.

:

228. Bounds. The eaft limit of Vermont is the western fide of the Connecticut-the fouth boundary is the north line of Maffachusetts-the weft line divides Pownal, Ben-nington and fome other towns from New-York; then runs down Poultney river to Eaft Bay, then along the middle of that bay, and lake Champlain to Canada, which begins in the forty-fifth degree of latitude-and that degree conftitutes the north boundary.

229. Extent. The length of Vermont from north to fouth, is one hundred and fifty-feven miles; the bredth on the fouth, is forty-one miles, and on the north, ninety miles, the mean or average bredth being about fixty-five miles. The contents of the ftate are nearly ten thousand two hundred and thirty-feven fquare miles; or fix millions and a half of acres. It is probable that water covers about one hundred and fixty thousand acres.

230. Natural Divifion of the State. The ftate of Vermont is divided by a range of mountains running nearly north and south, called, from their appearance, green mountains, from which the ftate takes its name.. The bafe of thefe elevations is about fifteen miles in bredth; and they are interfected, in many places with valleys.

231. Rivers in the Weflern part of the State. The principal ftreams in Vermont, are Onion River, or Winoefky, which runs north-wefterly feventy-five miles, and after washing a fertile country, enters the lake near Burlington-Otter Creek, which waters the wekern diftrict of the state for ninety miles, and falls into the lake at Ferrisburg-the Lamoil, a fine smooth stream of seventyfive miles in length, which falls into the lake five miles

orth of Onion River, the Miffifko, of the fame fize, which winds across the north line of the ftate, and falls into the lake in Highgate.

232. Rivers in the eastern part of the State. Weft riv er rifes near the head of Otter Creek in Bromley, and running fouth-east about thirty-feven miles, enters the Connecticut at Brattleborough. White river, after a course of fifty miles, falls into the Connecticut at Hartford.Pofoomfuck, rifes in a pond in Weftmore, and after a courfe of forty-five miles, enters the Connecticut in Barnet. The Connecticut which washes the whole eaftern fide of Vermont, is one of the finest rivers in the eastern states.

233. Lakes. The Lake Champlain washes a large part of the western fide of Vermont, furnishing navigable water into Canada. Memfremagog, on the north line of Vermont is about forty miles in length and two or three in bredth. It is chiefly within the limits of Canada and communicates with the St. Lawrence by the river St. Francis.

234. Counties, Vermont is divided into eleven coun. ties-On the weft, Bennington, Rutland, Addifon, Chittenden. On the north, Franklin and Orleans; and on the Connecticut, Windham, Windfor, Orange, Caledonia, and Effex. The ftate is further divided into townihips, of which there are two hundred and fifty.

235. Population. In the year 1771, the inhabitants of Vermont amounted to about feven thoufand. In 1792 a cenfus was taken and the number exceeded eighty-five thoufand. In the year 1800, the number had increafed to one hundred and fifty-four thousand. The people are moftly emigrants from the other New-England ftates or their defcendants; the largest portion of them from Con

necticut.

236. Chief Towns. Bennington, a fhire town of the county, on the fouth-western part of the ftate, and fettled in 1764, is the oldeft town. It is finely fituated upon elevated ground, contains many handfome private buildings, a church, ftate-houfe, and jail, and in 1800,

two thousand two hundred and fifty inhabitants. It is about forty miles north-east of Albany, and celebrated for a victory over the British troops in August 1777.

237. Manchester. Manchester a fhire town alfo in Bennington county, is fituated pleafantly on elevated ground, twenty-two miles north of Bennington. It con. tains a number of handsome buildings and in 1800, fourteen hundred inhabitants.

238. Rutland. Rutland, the fhire town of Rutland County, lies on Otter Creek, fifty-feven miles north of Bennington. It contains a church, a ftate-house, and in 1800, two thousand, one hundred and thirty inhabitants.

239. Windfor. Windfor, the fhire town of Windfor county, is one of the most confiderable towns in the ftate. It lies on the Connecticut, about one hundred and forty miles north of Hartford in Connecticut. It contains many elegant houses, and in 1800, two thoufand and two hundred inhabitants. Over the Connecticut at this place, is a handfome bridge, connecting the town with Cornifh.

240. Other confiderable Towns. There are many handfome and thriving towns in this state, as Westminster, Newfane, Brattleborough, Newbury, Woodstock, Middlebury Burlington, Vergennes and others. Middlebury and Vergennes on Otter Creek, are furnished by the falls, with excellent mill-feats-as is Burlington by falls on Onion River. Burlington is fituated on a beautiful bay of Lake Champlain, which forms a crefcent at the foot of the town, and the town has a fine view of the lake.

241. Employments of the People. The principal occupation of the inhabitants is agriculture. The lands in the ftate are in general very rich, and covered with forests of heavy wood. In all new fettlements, the first object is to clear the land of wood, which is done by girdling, or falling the trees, and burning them with the leaves and dry branches. No fooner is the land in Vermont