the members elected to both houses, viz.: Vermont, Connecticut, New Jersey, Alabama, Florida, Arkansas, Kentucky, Indiana, and Missouri. In Illinois, the governor and the judges of the supreme court form a council to revise all bills which have passed the general assembly, and a majority of the council may return bills with their objections, to the house where the same originated; after which, if approved by a majority of all the members elected to both houses, the bill may become a law.

In the following eight states, the approval of the governor is not required to bills or resolutions passed by the legislature, but the same may become laws, after receiving the signature of the speaker or presiding officer of each branch of the legislature, viz.: Rhode Island, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Ohio.

In all of the states, except Virginia and South Carolina, the governor is elected by the people; in those two states he is chosen by the legislature. Lieutenant-governors are chosen by the people in Massachusetts, Vermont, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Michigan, and Texas; in Virginia and South Carolina by the legislature. In the other states, the office of lieutenant-governor does not exist.

In the New England states, a majority of all the votes given is required to constitute a choice, in elections generally, by the people; there are exceptions in Vermont, as to senators, also in Connecticut, in elections for state senators, members of Congress, and on second trials, at adjourned meetings for the choice of representatives to the general assembly, in which cases a plurality of votes only is required for a choice. In all of the states except those of New England, a plurality of votes given effects a choice in elections by the people.

In all of the states, at popular elections, the manner of voting is by ballot, except in Virginia, Kentucky, Missouri, and Arkansas, in which states, in all elections to any office of trust, honor, or profit, with exceptions as to electors of president and vice-president, the votes are given. openly, or viva voce, and not by ballot.

North Carolina is now the only state which requires a freehold qualification for electors for either branch of the legislature, members of the senate in that state being chosen by freemen possessed of a freehold within the district where they reside and vote, of fifty acres of land. In Virginia, freeholders may vote for members of the house of delegates, in any county where they own a freehold of the value named in the constitution; housekeepers and heads of families who shall have been assessed with a part of the revenue of the commonwealth, within the preceding year when they vote, are also entitled to vote at elections.

Persons of color are entitled to vote at elections in the states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island. In the state of New York they are also qualified to vote, if possessed of a

freehold estate of the value of two hundred and fifty dollars, without any incumbrance. In all other states of the Union, persons of color, or those of African descent, are excluded from the right of voting at elections.

Ministers of the gospel are not eligible as legislators in Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas. In South Carolina, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Missouri, they are eligible neither as governors nor legislators. In New York and Delaware they are not eligible to any office whatever.

New Hampshire and Massachusetts are the only states whose constitutions make provision for religious establishments. In New Hampshire, the legislature is empowered to authorize, and in Massachusetts the legislature is enjoined to require, the several towns, parishes, &c., in the state to make adequate provision, at their own expense, for the support and maintenance of protestant teachers, or ministers of the gospel.

The council of censors is peculiar to Vermont; that body is chosen once in seven years, and among their other powers, they can call a convention to amend the constitution of the state.

Massachusetts is the only state whose constitution appoints titles to the officers of government. The governor is entitled " His Excellency,” and the lieutenant-governor "His Honor."

CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE

Of the principal political and other Events in American History, from the Discovery in 1492 to 1846.

Jan. 16, Columbus returns to Spain.

Dec. 6, Hayti or Hispaniola discovered.

Sept. 25, Columbus sails from Cadiz on his second voyage.

Dec. 8, Columbus lays the foundation of Isabella, in Hispaniola, the first
European town in the New World.

May 5, Jamaica discovered.

Mar. 10, Columbus sails again for Spain.

June 24, Newfoundland discovered by the Cabots.

May 30, Columbus sails from Spain on his third voyage.
July 31, Trinidad discovered.

Aug. 1, America discovered by Columbus.

June 16, America discovered by Americus Vespucius.
Amazon river discovered by Pinzon.

April 23, Brazil discovered by Cabral.

May 11, Columbus sails on his last voyage.

Aug. 14, Bay of Honduras discovered by Columbus.
Sept. 2, Columbus returns to Spain.

May 20, Columbus dies, in his fifty-ninth year.

1508.

St. Lawrence river first navigated by Aubert.

1512.

April 2, Florida discovered by Juan Ponce de Leon.

Baracoa, the first town in Cuba, built by Diego Velasquez.

Sept. 25, Pacific ocean discovered by Vasco Nunez de Balboa.

Rio de la Plata discovered by Juan Diaz de Solis.

Patent granted by Charles V. for an annual import of 4,000 negro slaves to
Hispaniola, Cuba, Jamaica, and Puerto Rico.

Yucatan discovered by Francis Hernandez Cordova.

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1521.

1522.

1525.

1528.

Nov. 8, Cortes enters Mexico.

Montezuma dies.

Nov. 7, Straits of Magellan discovered by Ferdinand Magellan.

Aug. 13, Mexico taken by Cortes.

Bermudas discovered by Juan Bermudez.

First invasion of Peru by Pizarro and Almagro.

Pizarro appointed governor of Peru.

1539.

California discovered by Cortes.

May 18, Ferdinand de Soto sails from Havana, on an expedition for the conquest of Florida.

1541. Aug. 6, Orellana explores the Amazon, and arrives at the ocean. 1545.

Mines of Potosi, in South America, discovered.

1548. Platina discovered in the south of Mexico.

1563.

1576.

Slaves first imported into the West Indies by the English.

Elizabeth's and Frobisher's straits discovered by Martin Frobisher. 1585. June 26, Virginia visited by Sir Walter Raleigh.

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May 20, Long Island sound first navigated by Dermer.

Aug. 5, Puritans sail from Southampton, England, for America.
Nov. 10, Puritans anchor at Cape Cod.

first white child born in New England.

Dec. 11, first landing at Plymouth.

Slaves first introduced into Virginia by the Dutch.

May 12, first marriage at Plymouth.

Boston settled.

Oct. 19, first general court of Massachusetts colony, holden at Boston.
Delaware settled by the Swedes.

66 25, first house built at Plymouth.

1639.

First church built at Boston.

First house erected in Connecticut, at Windsor.

Maryland settled.

Roger Williams banished from Massachusetts.

Hartford, Connecticut, settled.

Providence founded by Roger Williams.

First synod convened at Newtown (now Cambridge), Massachusetts.
New Haven founded.

Harvard college founded.

June 1, earthquake in New England.

Jan. 14, convention at Hartford, Connecticut, for forming a constitution.
April, first general election at Hartford.

First printing-press established at Cambridge, Massachusetts, by Stephen Day. 1642. Oct. 9, first commencement at Harvard college.

May 19, union of the New England colonies.

First act passed by the general court of Massachusetts, for the spread of the
gospel among the Indians.

May 19, first general assembly of Rhode Island.
First execution for witchcraft.

New London settled.

Harvard college chartered.

Constitution of Maryland settled.

Navigation-act passed by Great Britain.

1651.

1652.

First mint established in New England.

Jan. 26, earthquake felt in New England, New Netherlands, and Canada.
Aug. 27, surrender of New Amsterdam to the English.

June 12, New York city incorporated.

Mississippi river explored by Marquette and Joliet.
June 24, commencement of King Philip's war.
Aug. 12, death of King Philip.

1681. Mar. 4, grant of Pennsylvania to William Penn.
Oct. 24, arrival of William Penn in America.
Louisiana taken possession of by M. de la Sale.
First legislative assembly in New York.

First printing-press established near Philadelphia, by William Bradford.
New York and New Jersey united to New England.

1690. Feb. 8, Schenectady burned by the French and Indians.

1693. Episcopal church established at New York.

First printing-press established in New York, by William Bradford.
Rice introduced into Carolina.

First French colony arrive at the mouth of the Mississippi.
Captain Kidd, the pirate, apprehended at Boston.

1695.

1698.

1699. 1700.

1701.

Oct., Yale college chartered and founded at Saybrook.

1702. 1703.

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1704.

66

66

1706.

Episcopal church established in Pennsylvania.

Episcopal church established in New Jersey and Rhode Island.
Culture of silk introduced into Carolina.

Duty of £4 laid on imported negroes, in Massachusetts.

Tonnage duty laid by Rhode Island on foreign vessels.

Act" to prevent the growth of popery," passed by Maryland.

First newspaper (Boston News Letter) published at Boston, by Batholomew
Green.

Bills of credit issued by Carolina.

1709. First printing-press in Connecticut, established at New London, by Thomas

1711.

Short.

South Sea Company incorporated.

1712. Free schools founded in Charlestown, Massachusetts.

1714. First schooner built at Cape Ann.

1717.

1718.

Yale college removed from Saybrook to New Haven.

Impost duties laid by Massachusetts on English manufactures and English ships.

1719. First presbyterian church founded in New York.

1720.

1721.

1722.

1725.

1726.

1727.

Tea first used in New England.

Inoculation for smallpox introduced into New England.

Paper-money first issued in Pennsylvania.

First newspaper in New York (the New York Gazette), published by Wil-
liam Bradford.

First printing-presses established in Virginia and Maryland.
Earthquake in New England.

1730. First printing-press and newspaper established at Charleston, South Carolina. 1732. Tobacco made a legal tender in Maryland at 1d. per pound, and corn at 20d. per bushel.

First printing-press and newspaper established at Newport, Rhode Island. 1733. Georgia settled.

Freemason's lodge first held in Boston.

Earthquake in New Jersey.

College founded at Princeton, New Jersey.

Jan. 1, General Magazine and Historical Chronicle, first published by Benjamin Franklin.

Faneuil Hall erected at Boston.

First theatrical performance in Boston.

Columbia college founded in New York.

Defeat of General Braddock.

Sept. 8, battle of Lake George.

Earthquake in North America.

First newspaper (Connecticut Gazette) published at New Haven.

May 17, war declared with France by Great Britain.

First printing-press and newspaper established at Portsmouth, New Hampshire, by Daniel Fowle.

July 26, Louisburg taken by the English.

Aug. 27, Fort Frontenac taken by the English.

Nov. 25, Fort Du Quesne (now Pittsburgh) taken by the English.
Ticonderoga taken by the English.

Sept. 18, Quebec taken by the English.

Mar. 12, earthquake in New England.

Feb. 10, treaty of peace signed at Paris, between the English and French.
First newspaper published in Georgia.

Mar., right to tax American colonies voted by house of commons.
April 5, first act for levying revenue passed by parliament.

21, Louisiana ordered to be given up to Spain.

Stamp act passed by parliament.

Mar. 22, stamp act receives the royal assent.