and flax are the staple productions. In addition to the above, buckwheat, peas, beans, potatoes, turnips, &c.; apples, pears, cherries, peaches, grapes, currants, gooseberries, plums, &c., are extensively cultivated in various parts of the country. Table, showing the estimated quantities of different articles produced on an acre, in the principal parts of the United States. Explanations, g. c. good Minerals. Gold is found extensively in the upper country of North Carolina, and in some few points in the adjacent parts of Virginia, South Carolina, and in Georgia. It is found in alluvial deposits, and has been lately wrought to considerable extent. Some of the ores of iron are found in almost every state; and mines of this metal are worked in New Hampshire, Vermont,. Rhode Island, New York, Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and North Carolina. The United States are supplied with copper chiefly from Mexico and other foreign countries, but ores of this metal exist in most of the states, and in the north-west territory are said to be in great abundance, in situations easy of access. Lead is chiefly procured from Missouri, where forty-five mines are worked, and yield three millions of pounds annually. Of coal there is a large field twenty miles long by ten broad, twelve miles from Richmond, which has been long worked. This useful mineral is also found at various places, in New England, New York, and Pennsylvania. But the most abundant supply is on the west side of the Alleghanies, where a coal formation, one of the largest in the world, extends, with some interruption, from the western foot of the mountains across the Mississippi. Salt is chiefly obtained from the sea, or imported in the eastern states; but salt springs abound in various parts of the United States, particularly in the valley of the Mississippi, from the Alleghanies to the Rocky Mountains; and in some situations on the western side of the valley, plains occur of many miles in circuit, which are periodically covered with a thick crust of salt. The salt springs, at Salina, in New York are extensively worked, and vast quantities of salt are made from them annually The legislative power in the United States is separated into two Legislative branches, the state governments, and the federal government: the power. government is therefore two-fold. To the state governments is committed that branch which relates to the regulation of internal concerns. These bodies make and alter the laws which regard property and private rights, regulate the police, appoint the judges and civil officers, impose taxes for state purposes, and exercise all other rights and powers not vested in the federal government by positive enactment. To the federal government belongs the pow er of making peace and war with foreign nations, raising and supporting an army and navy, fixing the organization of the militia, imposing taxes for the common defence or benefit of the Union, borrowing money, coining money, and fixing the standard of weights and measures, establishing post offices and post roads, granting patents for inventions, and exclusive copyrights to authors, regulating commerce with foreign nations, establishing uniform bankrupt laws, and a uniform rule of naturalization, and lastly, the federal tribunals judge of felonies and piracies committed on the high seas, of offences against the law of nations, and of questions between the citizens of different states. No country in the world enjoys a more free and equitable system of government. All power originates with the people, who are governed by laws which are enacted by men of their own choice. The Constitution secures to the citizens the grand principles of freedom, liberty of conscience in matters of religion, liberty of the press, trial by jury, and the right of choosing and being chosen to office. The executive power, which is the power that administers the government, is vested in a president, who, together with the vice president, is chosen for four years by electors, from all the states. The principal subordinate officers, in the executive department, are the secretaries of state, of the treasury, of war, and of the navy. The president is commander-in-chief of the army and navy, and of the militia when in active service. He grants reprieves and pardons for offences against the United States, except in cases of impeachment. With the advice and consent of the senate, he makes treaties, nominates ambassadors, consuls, judges: and he appoints several other officers by his own authority. He must be a native born citizen, and not under thirty-five years of age. For a more full account of the power and duties of the president, the qualifications necessary for senators and representatives in congress, see Constitution of the United States. Senators and representatives in Congress receive an allowance of eight dollars per day for the time they attend the session of congress, and eight dollars of travelling charges, for every twenty miles they have to travel in going and returning. Members of congress take an oath to support the constitution, but no religious test is required from them, or any person holding office under the federal government. Senators and representatives vacate their places, if they accept of an office under the federal government, and are not re-eligible while they hold it. The forms of business in congress are chiefly borrowed from those of the British parliament. Bills are read three times, and in a certain stage sent to committees; but what is deemed a great improvement in congress, there are a large number of committees appointed in the House of Representatives, at the commencement of each session, viz. for commerce, finance, foreign affairs, &c. The federal judiciary consists of a supreme court, which sits at Judiciary. Washington, and a district court in each state, in which one judge sits. In the supreme court, there is a chief judge and six associate judges, who hold their office during good behavior. This court has original jurisdiction in all cases affecting ambassadors and consuls, and those in which a state is a party. It has appellate jurisdiction in all cases arising under the federal constitution, in all admiralty cases, in controversies between two states, or two citizens of different states, and between a state, or the citizens thereof, and foreign states or subjects. The supreme court, deriving its power from the constitution, exercises a power not enjoyed by the inferior courts. judges are appointed by the executiye, with the approbation of the senate. In this and other federal courts, jurors and witnesses are allowed one dollar twenty-five cents per day, and five cents a mile for travelling expenses. State govern The federal The state governments are extremely similar to that of the fede ments. ral in their composition. The legislature consists always of two branches, both of which are returned by the same electors; and these electors may be said to comprise the whole adult white population; the usual qualifications being citizenship, with one or two years' residence, and payment of taxes. The only exceptions are the following:-In Vermont, the legislature consists of a House of Representatives only; in North Carolina, representatives are chosen by the whole resident free citizens who pay taxes, but senators only by freeholders; in New Jersey and Virginia, the right of suffrage for both houses is limited to persons holding a small amount of landed property; in Maryland, the senators are chosen by delegates named for the purpose by the people. In all the states, the period for which the representatives serve is either one or two years. The elections are biennial in Delaware, South Carolina, Tennessee, Louisiana, Illinois, and Missouri; and annual in the other eighteen states. The shortest period for which the senators serve in any state is one year, and the longest five. In Maine, New-Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New-Jersey, North Carolina, Georgia, the senators hold their office for one year only; in Ohio and Tennessee for two years; Mississippi, Alabama, Indiana, for three years; in New-York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Virginia, South Carolina, Kentucky, Louisiana, Illinois, Missouri, for four years; and in Maryland for five years. Except in Maryland, when the senate of any state serves for more than one year, it is renewed by parts or divisions, one-third of the members going out annually when they serve for three years, and one-fourth when they serve for four. In some cases, however, when the senators serve for four years, the renewal is by halves every two years. for office. In Pennsylvania, Mississippi, and Tennessee, a belief in a Deity, Religious qualifications and in a future state of rewards and punishments; and in Massachusetts, Maryland, and North Carolina, a belief in the Christian religion, is required as a qualification for office. In New-Jersey no protestant can be excluded. In the other states no religious test is required. Such is a brief sketch of the political system of the United States. "It has survived the tender period of infancy, and outlived the prophecies of its downfall. It has borne the nation triumphantly through a period of domestic difficulty and external danger; it has been found serviceable in peace and in war, and may well claim from the nation it has saved and honored, the votive benediction of esto perpetua." The expenses of the government are maintained without any Revenue. direct taxes for its support; the produce of the customs levied at the ports on the importation of foreign goods, and the sums derived from the sale of the public lands, constitute the whole of the public revenue. The average produce of the customs may be estimated at from 16 to 18 millions of dollars, and the sum derived from the sale of public lands in 1833, was 4,900,000; in 1834, 6,000,000; in 1835, 16,000,000; in 1836, 25,000,000; in 1837, 7,000,000; in 1838, 4,000,000; in 1839, 6,000,000; and in 1840, 3,000,000 of dollars. Post-Office. The Post-Office yields over a million of dollars a-year; but it is almost wholly consumed in supporting the establishment. RATES OF POSTAGE. For single Letters, composed of one piece of paper. Any distance not exceeding Over 30, and not exceeding Over 80, do No. of Miles. 30 80 Over 400, 25 Double Letters, or those composed of two pieces of paper, are charged with double those rates. Triple Letters, or those composed of three pieces of paper, are charged with triple those rates. Quadruple Letters, or those composed of four pieces of paper, are charged with quadruple those rates. All Letters, weighing one ounce avoirdupois, or more, are charged at the rate of single postage for each quarter of an ounce, or quadruple postage for each ounce, according to their weight; and no letter can be charged with more than quadruple postage, unless its weight exceeds one ounce avoirdupois. Newspaper Postage. For each newspaper, not carried out of the state in which it is published; or if carried out of the state, but not carried over 100 miles, 1 cent. Over 100 miles, and out of the state in which it is published, 14 cents. Magazines and Pamphlets. If published periodically, distance not exceeding 100 miles, do. over 100 miles 1 cts. per sheet. do. do. If not published periodically, distance not exceeding 100 miles, 4 Small pamphlets, containing not more than a half sheet royal, are charged with half those rates. Eight pages quarto are rated as one sheet, and all other sizes in the same proportion. The number of sheets which it contains, must be printed or written on one of the outer pages of every pamphlet or magazine sent by mail. Every thing not coming under the denomination of newspapers or pamphlets, is charged with letter postage. Statement of the Revenue and Expenditure of the Post-Office Department for the Ton Army. A standing army is necessarily an object of jealousy in a republican state; and as North America has no formidable enemy in its vicinity, and as the people are, at the same time, extremely studious of economy in all the branches of the government, their military force has always been kept on a very low scale. By an act of Congress, 1815, the strength of the regular army was fixed at 9,980 men. In 1821 it was reduced to 6,642; and on the 1st of January, 1841, the number was as follows: General Return of the Army, as stated by Colonel Roger Jones, Adjutant General. General Staff, Medical Department, Purchasing Department, Militia. The militia, which constitutes the principal military force of the United States, consists of all the males between the ages of 18 and 45. MILITIA FORCE OF THE UNITED STATES. General Abstract of the Militia Force of the United States, according to the Returns received at the Office of the Adjutant-General of the Army, as stated in the Army Register for 1841. |