CAROLINA. 



North During these sickly seasons, the countenances of the 

 Carolina.^ inhabitants have a pale yellowish hue, occasioned by 

 s "" 'V*' the prevalence of bilious afreet ions. Yet more fall 

 victims during winter, to pleurisies and peripneumo- 

 nies, than to the fevers occasioned by the heats of 

 gtimmer. Physicians allege, that these fatal diseases, 

 which are generally brought on by intemperance, 

 and an imprudent exposure to the weather, might in 

 general be escaped by sobriety and caution. The 

 use of flannel next to the skin, they recommend as an 

 excellent preventative of the diseases incident to this 

 climate and season. In the western hilly parts of the 

 state, the air is as pure and salubrious as in any part 

 of America, and the inhabitants in general live to a 

 great age. The heat of the summer's day is succeed- 

 ed iii the evening by a grateful and refreshing cool- 

 ness ; autumn is temperate and serene ; and in some 

 years the winters are so mild, that autumn may be 

 said to continue till spring. Wheat harvest com- 

 mences in the beginning of June, and that of Indian 

 corn early in September. 



Constitu- When the conduct of the British government had 

 tion. roused the Americans to an assertion of their in- 



dependence, a constitution was framed for each in- 

 dividual state, by its representatives assembled in 

 congress. The constitution of North Carolina, ra- 

 tified in December 1776, vests all legislative autho- 

 rity in two distinct branches, both dependent on the 

 people, viz. a Senate, and House of Commons. Each 

 county hi the state is represented in the Senate by 

 one member, chosen annually by ballot ; and in the 

 House of Commons by two members, elected in 

 the same manner. The towns of Edentown, New- 

 hern, Wilmington, Salisbury, Hillsborough, and Ha- 

 lifax, have each, likewise, the privilege of having one 

 representative in the House of Commons. The Se- 

 nate and House of Commons, assembled for the pur- 

 . . pose of legislation, are styled the General Assembly. 



No person can be elected a senator who has not resided 

 at least one year immediately before the time of elec- 

 tion in the county which he wishes to represent, or who 

 does not possess there 300 acres of land in fee ; and 

 those who vote for his election must be freemen, not 

 below twenty-one years of age, who have resided in 

 the state one year previous to the day of election, 

 and have possessed a freehold of fifty acres of land, 

 for at least the last six months of that time. The 

 candidate for a seat in the House of Commons must 

 have resided one year previous to the election in the 

 county which he is to represent, and must have pos- 

 sessed for at least six months, and continue to pos- 

 sess, not less than 100 acres of land in fee, or for the 

 term of his life ; his election is decided by a majority 

 of the freemen in the county, not under twenty-one 

 years of age, who have resided in the state a year be- 

 fore the time of election, and have contributed their 

 portion of public taxes. These two houses, when 

 convened, choose each its own speaker, and decide 

 on the qualifications and elections of their respective 

 members. At their first meeting, after each annual 

 election, they jointly choose by ballot a governor for 

 one year, who is not eligible to that office oftener 

 than thrice in six successive years. The governor 

 must possess a freehold of more than 1000, and 

 must have resided in the state at least five years. At 

 the same time, and in the same manner, they elect a 

 council of state, consisting of seven persons, to assist 



the governor in discharging the duties of his office. North. 

 They appoint one or more treasurers for the state ; a < - 

 state secretary, who continues in office for three years-; 

 judges of the supreme courts of law and equity, 

 judges of admiralty, and an attorney-general, who 

 are commissioned by the governor, and hold their 

 offices during good behaviour. Intended laws must 

 be proposed in the form of bills, which must be read 

 three times in each house, and signed by the speakers, 

 before they can be enacted. 



Judges of the supreme court, cmbers of council, 

 judges of admiralty, treasurers* secretaries, attorney- 

 generals for the state, clerks of record, clergymen, 

 receivers of public money whose accounts are un- 

 settled, military officers in actual service, and persons 

 who deny the being of God, the truth of the Protes- 

 tant religion, and the divine origin of the Old and 

 New Testament, cannot hold a seat either in the se- 

 nate or House of Commons. No business can pro- 

 ceed in either house, unless a majority of its members 

 be present. 



We are not able to state precisely what the public Public ex- 

 expenditure of this state may be at present. A few penditure- 



years ago, it fluctuated from about 38,000, to 45,000 debt ' and 

 j M mi. LV j L^ u- L i a revenue, 



dollars. The public debt, which was chiefly con- 

 tracted during the revolutionary war, consists in bills 

 of credit to the amount of 150,000, which are either 

 in the treasury, or in circulation. By the determina- 

 tion of the commissioners, the debt, which the Union 

 owes to this state, amounts to 500,882 dollars, or 

 *200,752 sterling. The money necessary for the 

 exigencies of the state is raised by the following 

 taxes: 1. Eight-pence for every hundred acres of 

 land, whatever its situation or quality may be. 2. 

 Two shillings for every hundred pounds of taxable 

 property, in town lots. 3. Two shillings for every 

 inhabitant, whether white or black, freeman or slave, 

 from 12 to 15 years of age. 4-. Ten shillings for 

 every stallion. 5. Forty shillings for the licence to 

 keep a tavern, or for selling spirituous liquors. 6. 

 For every sentence or decree, from eight to twenty 

 shillings, according to the different courts by which 

 it is pronounced. The justices of the peace are, in 

 virtue of their office, collectors of the taxes ; they 

 receive six per cent, on the amount of the taxes which 

 they collect, and sixpence for every mile which they 

 travel on that errand. In 1795, the taxes amounted 

 to o 18,447, 4s. sterling, or 39,200 dollars, in the fol- 

 lowing proportions : The taxes on town lots, to 2500 

 dollars ; on lands, to 6386, 10s. sterling ; the poll- 

 tax, 25,400 dollars ; the taxes on law suits, billiards, 

 and horses, 2500 dollars ; making in all 46,118 dol- 

 lars, or < 18,447, 4s. sterling. Deducting from this 

 sum the expences of collecting the taxes, and the loss 

 arising from defaulters, there remains a neat surplus 

 of j15,6'Sl sterling, or 39,200 dollars. 



In North Carolina, as in all the other states of the Religion* 

 Union, the establishment of any religious sect or de- 

 nomination, in preference to others, is expressly pro- 

 hibited by the constitution. The western parts of 

 the state, which have been settled within the last 50 

 years, are chiefly inhabited by Presbyterians from 

 Pennsylvania, the descendants of people from the 

 north of Ireland. The Moravians form a very nu- 

 merous sect, and have many flourishing settlements 

 in the state, particularly in Surry county, between 

 the rivers Dan and Yadkin. The Quakers hav a, 



