tro

perienced in the navigation of the river Thames, the channel of which has been confiderably deepened; this machine will, no doubt, be productive of very great advantages to navigation throughout the United States.

The Rev. Jofeph Badger, while a member of Yale College, in 1785, constructed an ingenious planetarium, (without ever having seen one of the kind) which is deposited in the library of that uni verfity.

Mr. Chittendon, of New-Haven, has invented a useful machine for bending and cutting card teeth; this machine is put in motion by a mandril twelve inches in length, and one inch in diameter; connected with the mandril are fix parts of the machine, independent of each other; the first introduces a certain length of wire into the chops of the corone; the second shuts the chops, and holds fast the wire in the middle until it is finished; the third cuts off the wire; the fourth doubles the tooth in proper form; the fifth makes the last bend; and the fixth delivers the finished tooth from the machine. The mandril is moved by a band wheel five feet in dia, meter, turned by a trunk. One revolution of the mandril makes one tooth; ten are made in a fecond; thirty-fix thousand in an hour. With one machine like this, teeth enough might be made to fill cards fufficient for all the manufacturers in New-England.

CONSTITUTION AND COURTS OF JUSTICE.

The revolution, which fo effentially affected the governments of moft of the colonies, produced no very perceptible alteration in the government of Connecticut. While under the jurisdiction of Greate Britain they elected their own governors, and all fubordinate civil officers, and made their own laws, in the fame manner, and with as little controul, as they now do. Connecticut has ever been a republic, and perhaps as perfect and as happy a republic as has ever existed; while other States, more monarchical in their government and manners, have been under a neceffity of undertaking the difficult task of altering their old, or forming new conftitutions, and of changing their monarchical for republican manners, Connecticut has uninterruptedly proceeded in her old track, both as to government and manners; and, by these means, has avoided those convulfions which have rent other States into violent parties.

The conftitution of Connecticut is founded on the charter which was granted by Charles II. in 1662, and on a law of the State. Agree

Nn 2

Agreeably to this charter, the fupreme legislative authority of the State is vested in a governor, lieutenant-governor, twelve affiftants or counsellors, and the representatives of the people, ftiled the General Affembly. The governor, lieutenant-governor and affiftants, are annually chosen by the freemen in the month of May. The repre fentatives (their number not to exceed two from each town) are chosen by the freemen twice a year, to attend the two annual feffions, on the second Thursdays in May and October. This Affembly has power to erect judicatories for the trial of causes, civil and criminal, and to ordain and establish laws for fettling the forms and ceremonies of government. By thefe laws the General Affembly is divided into two branches, called the Upper and Lower Houses. The Upper House is compofed of the governor, lieutenant-governor and affiftants. The Lower House of the representatives of the people. No law can pafs without the concurrence of both Houses. The judges of the fuperior court hold their offices during the pleasure of the General Affembly. The judges of the county courts, and jus tices, are annually appointed. Sheriffs are appointed by the gover. nor and council, without limitation of time. The governor is cap. tain-general of the militia, the lieutenant-governor lieutenant-gene. ral. All other military officers are appointed by the Assembly, and commiffioned by the governor.

The mode of electing the governor, lieutenant-governor, affiftants, treasurer and secretary, is as follows: the freemen in the several towns meet on the Monday next after the first Tuesday in April annually, and give in their votes for the perfons they chufe for the said offices respectively, with their names written on a piece of paper, which are received and fealed up by a constable in open meeting, the votes. for each office by themselves, with the name of the town and office written on the outfide. These votes, thus fealed, are fent to the General Affembly in May, and there counted by a committee from both Houses. All freemen are eligible to any office in government. In chufing affiftants, twenty perfons are nominated, by the vote of each freeman, at the freeman's meeting for chufing reprefentatives in September annually. These votes are fealed up, and fent to the General Affembly in October, and are there counted by a committee of both Houses, and the twenty perfons who have the most votes stand in nomination; out of which number the twelve who have the greatest number of votes, given by the freemen at their meeting in April, are in May declared affiftants in the manner above mentioned.

The

The qualifications of freemen are, quiet and peaceable behaviour, a civil conversation, and freehold estate to the value of forty fhillings per annum, or forty pounds perfonal estate in the lift, certified by the select men of the town; it is neceffary, alfo, that they take the oath of fidelity to the State. Their names are inrolled in the town-clerk's office, and they continue freemen for life, unlefs dis franchised by sentence of the fuperior court, on conviction of misdemeanor.

The courts are as follow:-The justices of the peace, of whom a number are annually appointed in each town by the General Af fembly, have authority to hear and determine civil actions, where the demand does not exceed four pounds. If the demand exceeds forty fhillings an appeal to the county is allowed. They have cognisance of fmall offences, and may punish by fine, not exceeding forty fhillings, or whipping, not exceeding ten ftripes, or fitting in the stocks. There are eight county courts in the State, held in the several counties by one judge, and four juftices of the quorum, who have jurifdiction of all criminal cafes arifing within their respective counties, where the punishment does not extend to life, limb, or banisliment. They have original jurifdiction of all civil actions which exceed the jurisdiction of a juftice. Either party may appeal to the superior court, if the demand exceeds 201. except on bonds or notes vouched by two witnesses.

There are feveral courts of probate in each county, confifting of one judge. The peculiar province of this court is, the probate of wills, granting administration on inteftate estates, ordering dif tribution of them, and appointing guardians for minors, &c. An appeal lies from any decree of this court to the superior court.

The fuperior court confifts of five judges. It has authority in all criminal cafes extending to life, limb, or banishment, and other high crimes and misdemeanors; to grant divorces; and to hear and determine all civil actions brought by appeal from the county courts, or the court of probate, and to correct the errors of all inferior courts. This is a circuit court, and has two stated feffions in each county annually. The fuperior and county courts try matters of fact by jury, or without, if the parties will agree.

There is a fupreme court of errors, confifting of the lieutenantgovernor and the twelve affiftants; their fole business is to determine writs of error brought on judgments of the fuperior court, where the error complained of appears on the record. They have two

stated

stated feffions annually, viz. on the Tuesdays of the weeks preceding the stated feffions of the General Affembly.'

The county court is a court of chancery, empowered to hear and determine cases in equity, where the matter in demand does not exceed one hundred pounds. The fuperior court has cognisance of all cafes where the demand exceeds that fum. Error may be brought from the county to the fuperior court, and from the fuperior court to the fupreme court of errors, on judgment in cafes of equity as well as of law.

The General Affembly only have power to grant pardons and reprieves to grant commiffions of bankruptcy-or protect the perfons and estates of unfortunate debtors.

The re

The common law of England, fo far as it is applicable to this country, is confidered as the common law of this State. port of adjudication in the courts of king's bench, common pleas, and chancery, are read in the courts of this State as authorities; yet the judges do not confider them as conclufively binding, unless founded on folid reasons which will apply in this State, or sanctioned by concurrent adjudications of their own courts.

The feudal system of defcents was never adopted in this State. All the real estate of inteftates is divided equally among the children, males and females, except that the eldest son has a double portion.

And all eftates given in tail must be given to fome perfon then in being, or to their immediate iffue, and fhall become fee simple eftates to the iffue of the firft donee in tail. The widow of an inteftate is entitled to a third part of the personal estate for ever, and to her dower, or third part of the houses and lands belonging to the inte tate at the time of his death, during her life.

PRACTICE OF LAW.

The practice of law in this State has more fimplicity, but lefs precifion, than in England. Affiftants and judges are empowered to iffue writs through the State, and juftices through their respective counties. In these writs the substance of the complaints, or the declarations must be contained, and if neither of the parties fhew good reason for delay, the causes are heard and determined the fame term to which the writs are returnable. Few of the fictions of law, fo common in the English practice, are known in this State. The plaintiff always has his election to attach or fummon the defendant. Attornies are admitted and qualified by the county courts. Previous

to their admiffion to the bar, they must study two years with a prac tifing attorney in the State, if they have had a college education, and three years if they have not; their morals must be good, and their characters unblemished, and they must sustain an examination by the attornies of the court of the county where they are admitted, and be by them recommended to the court. When admitted to the county court, they can practise, without other qualifications, in any court in the State. There are, upon an average, about fifteen attornies to each county, one hundred and twenty in the State; a very great proportion for the real exigencies of the people. Yet from the litigious fpirit of the citizens, the most of them find employment and fupport. There is no attorney-general, but there is one attorney to the State in each county.

MODE OF LEVYING TAXES.

All freeholders in this State are required by law to give in lifts of their rateable eftate, fuch as horfes, horned cattle, cultivated and uncultivated land, houses, shipping, all forts of riding-carriages, clocks and watches, filver plate, money at intereft, &c. and of their polls, including all males between fixteen and seventy years of unless exempted by law, to perfons appointed in the respective towns to receive them, on or before the 20th of August annually. These are valued according to law, arranged in proper order, and sent to the General Affembly annually in May.

age,

The fum total of the lift of the polls and rateable estate of the inhabitants of Connecticut, as brought in to the General Affembly in May 1787, was as follows:

Having thus taken a general view of the New-England States, we cannot help obferving, that prefent appearances warrant us in concluding that industry and happiness are in a very great degree blended in them, that they offer every encouragement for the former, and furnish every thing neceffary to promote the latter in a virtuous mind. In these States, the principles of liberty are universally understood, felt, and acted upon, as much by the fimple as the wife, the

weak