PRESENT SITUATION

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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

SOUTHERN STATES.

THIS third, which is much the largest divifion of the United

States, comprehends

MARYLAND, VIRGINIA, KENTUCKY, NORTH-CAROLINA, TERRITORY S. of the OHIO, SOUTH-CAROLINA, and GEORGIA.

This extenfive divifion is bounded on the north by Pennfylvania and the Ohio river; on the weft by the Miffiffippi; on the fouth by Eaft and Weft Florida; and on the caft by the Atlantic ocean and the Delaware State. It is interfected in a N. E. and S. W. direction by the range of Allegany mountains, which give rife to many noble rivers, which fall either into the Atlantic on the caft, or the Miffiffippi on the weft. From the fea coaft, fixty, eighty, and in fome parts an hundred miles back towards the mountains, the country, generally fpeaking, is nearly a dead level, and a very large proportion of it is covered, in its natural ftate, with pitch pines. In the neighbourhood of ftagnant waters, which abound in this level country, the inhabitants are fickly, but in the back, hilly and mountainous country, they are as healthy as in any part of America.

Vol. III.

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This district of the Union contains about two millions of inhabitants, of whom about fix hundred and forty-eight thoufand are flaves. The influence of flavery has produced a very dif tinguishing feature in the general character of the inhabitants, which, though now defcernible to their disadvantage, has been foftened and meliorated by the benign effects of the revolution, and the progrefs of liberty and humanity,

HISTORY OF ITS SETTLEMENT, &‹.

MARYLAND.

This State was granted by a patent of King Charles the Fift, June 30, 1632, to George Calvert, Baron of Baltimore, in Ireland,* who had been obliged, on account of the French government, to abandon the province of Avalon, in Newfoundland, after having expended twenty-five thousand pounds in its ad

vancement.

The government of this province was by charter vested in the proprietary; but it appears, that he either never exercised thefe powers alone, or but for a fhort time; for we find, in 1637, that the freemen rejected a body of laws drawn up in England, and tranfmitted by his lordship, in order to be paffed for the government of the province. In the place of these they propofed forty-two bills to be enacted into laws, by the confent of the proprietary: thefe were, however, never enacted, at least they are not on record.

The firft emigration to Maryland confifted of two hundred gentlemen of confiderable fortune and rank, with their adherents, chiefly Roman Catholics, who hoped to enjoy liberty of confcience under a proprietary of their own profeffion. They failed from England in November, 1632, and landed in Maryland the beginning of 1633. The Honourable Leonard Calvert, brother to Lord Baltimore, who was the first governor, very wifely and juftly purchased, by prefents of various goods, the rights of the Indians, and with their free confent took poffeffion of their town, which he called St. Mary's. The country was fettled with fo much eafe, and furnished with fo many conveniencies, that emigrants repaired thither in fuch numbers, that the colony foon became populous and flourishing.

In 1638 a law was paffed, conftituting the first regular House of Affembly, which was to confift of fuch reprefentatives, cal

A Copy of this patent may be feen by referring to Hazard's Hiftorica Colle&ions, page 327.

led burgeffes, as fhould be elected pursuant to writs iffued by the governor. Thefe burgeffes poffeffed all the powers of the perfons electing them; BUT ANY OTHER FREEMEN, WHO DID NOT

ASSENT TO THE ELECTION, MIGHT TAKE THEIR SEATS IN PER

SON. Twelve burgeffes or freemen, with the lieutenant-general and fecretary, conftituted the Affembly or Legiflature. This Affembly fat at St. Mary's.

Slavery feems to have gained an early establishment in Maryland, for an act of this Affenbly defcribes the people" to confift of all Chriftian inhabitants, "flaves only accepted." The perfecuting laws which were paffed by the Virginians, foon af, ter this period, against the Puritans, made the latter emigrate in confiderable numbers to Maryland, that they might enjoy, under a Popish proprietary, that liberty of confcience of which they were deprived by their fellow Proteftants.

In 1642 it was enacted, that ten members of the Affembly, of whom the governor and fix burgeffes were to be seven, should be a House; and if fickness fhould prevent that number from attending, the members prefent fhould make a House.

In 1644 one Ingle excited a rebellion, forced the governor to fly to Virginia for aid and profection, and feized the records and the great feal; the laft of which, with most of the records of the province, were loft or deftroyed. From this period to the year 1647, when order was restored, the proceedings of the province are involved in almost impenetrable obfcurity.

In July, 1646, the House of Affembly, or more properly the burgeffes, requested that they might be feparated into two branches--the burgeffes by themfelves, with a negative upon bills. This was not granted by the lieutenant-general at that time; but in 1650, an act was paffed dividing the Affembly into two Houses; the governor, fecretary, and any one or more of the council, formed the Upper Houfe; the delegates from the feveral hundreds, who now reprefented the freemen, formed the Lower House. At this time there were in the province but two counties, St. Mary's and the Ifle of Kent, but another (Ann Arundel) was added the fame feffion. This was during the administration of Governor Stone,

In this year there was alfo paffed "an aft against raifing money without the confent of the Affembly." It enacted, " That no taxes fhall be affeffed or levied on the freemen of the province without their own confent, or that of their deputies, firft declared in a General Affembly," The printed words and early date of

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this Maryland act are worthy of particular notice. The acts of the General Affembly and governor were of the fame force in their own province as acts of parliment in England, and could not be repealed without the concurring affent of the proprietary or his deputy, with the other two estates.

In 1654, during Cromwell's ufurpation in England, an a& was paffed reftraining the exercife of the Roman Catholic religion. This must have been procured by the mere terror of Cromwell's power, for the first and principle inhabitants were Catholics. Indeed the power of Cromwell was not established in Maryland without force and bloodshed. His friends and foes came to an open rupture, an engagement enfued, Governor Stone was taken prifoner, and condemned to be shot ; this fentence, however, was not executed, but he was kept a long time in confinement.

In March, 1658, Jofiah Fendall, Efq. was appointed lieutenant-general of Maryland by commiffion from Oliver Cromwell; he diffolved the Upper Houfe, and furrendered the powers of government into the hands of the delegates.

Upon the refloration in 1660, the Honourable Philip Calvert, Efq. was appointed governor; the old form of government was revived; Fendall, and one Gerrard, a councellor, were indicted, found guilty and condemned to banishment, with the lofs of their eftates; but, upon petition, they were pardoned.

In 1689, the government was taken out of the hands of Lord Baltimore by the grand convention of England; and in 1692, Mr. Copley was appointed governor, by commiffion from Wil. liam and Mary.

In 1692, the Proteftant religion was established by law.

In 1699, under the administration of Governor Blackifton, it was enacted, that Annapolis fhould be the feat of govern

ment.

In 1716, the government of this province was restored to the proprietary, and continued in his hands till the late revolution, when, though a minor, his property in the lands was confifcated, and the government affumed by the freemen of the province, who formed the conftitution now exifling. At the clofe of the war, Henry Harford, Efq. the natural fon and heir of Lord Baltimore, petitioned the legislature of Maryland for his estate, but his petition was not granted. Mr. Harford eftimated his lofs of quit-rents, valued at twenty-five years. purchase, and including arrears, at two hundred and fifty-nine thousand, four hundred and eighty-eight pounds, five fhillings,