NEW JERSEY. 



203 



1830 shows a population of 320,779, and an increase 

 of 43,204 since 1820. The territory is divided into 

 fourteen counties Bergen, Morris. Sussex, Warren, 

 Essex, Somerset, Henderson, Middlesex, Burlington, 

 Monmouth, Gloucester, Salem, Cumberland, and 

 Cape May, and these are subdivided into townships. 

 The face of the country presents every variety ; from 

 the north to the south is found a succession of moun- 

 tains, hills, heights, and plains, each occupying a 

 distinct and well defined region. The southern sec- 

 tion of the state, from the Rocky hill ridge, in the 

 county of Middlesex, is an alluvial formation, of 

 which the soil and face of the country, trunks of trees, 

 oyster-shells, and various marine productions, found 

 at great depths, in wells and other excavations, fur- 

 nish satisfactory proof, strengthened by the fact that, 

 in this part of the state, the hills face the north, are 

 precipitous, and lie on the southerly side of the val- 

 leys, from which, on the northerly side, the land 

 rises in a gentle slope, evidently caused by the 

 breaking and subsiding of the waves, bearing in 

 their force the sands of the ocean. The principal 

 internal waters are Second river, Hackensack, Pas- 

 saic, Raritan, Musconetcong, Rancocus, Salem, 

 Shrewsbury, Tom's river, Great Egg-harbour, 

 Cohanzey, and Maurice river, llaritan bay is a 

 spacious estuary on the eastern coast, affording a 

 ready access, at all seasons, from the ocean to Perth 

 Amboy, the chief seaport of the state, and possess- 

 ing, for this purpose, peculiar and admirable advan- 

 tages, which have not yet been adequately improved, 

 from the proximity of the commercial emporium of 

 the nation. The Swedes early made settlements in 

 the county of Salem, where some of their descendants 

 still remain, and the names of places given by them 

 are, in some instances, retained. Dutch emigrants 

 spread at an early period from New York, over the 

 county of Bergen. The province was granted by 

 king Charles II. to his brother James, duke of 

 York, by charter, dated in 1C64 ; and being by the 

 latter speedily granted to subordinate proprietors, 

 the settlements of the British rapidly extended. It 

 was, in 1676, set off into two great divisions East 

 Jersey and West Jersey ; each belonging to different 

 proprietors, who held both the right of soil and the 

 powers of government, the latter of which were 

 exercised by governors appointed by the proprietors, 

 and representatives chosen by the people. The 

 proprietary government continued until the year 

 1702, when the powers of government were sur- 

 rendered to queen Anne ; and the colony remained 

 a royal government until the declaration of indepen- 

 dence, the governors being appointed by the crown, 

 and the legislature chosen, as before, by the people, 

 but afterwards representing the whole community, 

 and sitting alternately at ^Burlington and Perth 

 Amboy, then the principal towns of the respective 

 divisions. In the grants and concessions of the pro- 

 prietors, under which the colony was settled, the 

 soundest and most liberal principles of civil and 

 religious liberty are declared. These were sedu- 

 lously cherished by the early colonists, and were, in 

 many controversies with their governors, both pro- 

 prietary and royal, maintained by the representatives 

 of the people with great firmness, zeal, and intelli- 

 gence. A sincere attachment to the interests of 

 the mother country was, nevertheless, felt and dis- 

 played on all occasions, and was practically mani- 

 tVsted in the moneys expended and the blood shed in 

 the expeditions to Canada, and on the borders of 

 lake Champlain, and was maintained until arbitrary 

 exactions and unconstitutional oppression compelled 

 the people, in common with the other colonies, to 

 look to a separation. In the preparatory measures 

 and conventions the delegates of New Jersey were 



always found. She was among the earliest to resolve 

 on independence, unquestionably the second to com- 

 ply with the recommendation of the continental con- 

 gress, and form for herself a constitution of govern- 

 ment. One of the earliest members of the first con- 

 federation, she adopted promptly, and with peculiar 

 unanimity, the present constitution of the United 

 States. During the war of the revolution, her 

 patriotism was eminent. Some of the most inter- 

 esting scenes and of the most arduous conflicts of 

 that period, took place within her bounds. Her 

 privations and sufferings were great, from Having 

 been long occupied by the rival armies and the seat 

 of hostilities; and at the close she was found to 

 have advanced largely beyond her proportion of the 

 pecuniary expenditures of the contest. 



The legislature is composed of two bodies, the 

 legislative council and the general assembly; the 

 former having fourteen members, one from each 

 county ; the latter, fifty members, the counties being 

 represented by different numbers, from one to five. 

 The governor is annually appointed, and, like most 

 of the executive, judicial, and military officers, by 

 the two houses in joint meeting. The judicial 

 powers are distributed among a court of chancery, 

 modelled according to the English system, the 

 governor being chancellor, a supreme court of com- 

 mon law jurisdiction over the whole state, with a 

 circuit court for the trial of issues of fact in civil 

 cases in each county, courts of common pleas in the 

 several counties for the trial of civil causes, orphans' 

 courts for matters of testament, administration, and 

 guardianship, and courts for the trial of small causes 

 before justices of the peace. The courts of criminal 

 jurisdiction are courts of general quarter sessions of 

 the peace, courts of oyer and terminer, and general 

 jail-delivery, the supreme court, and the governor 

 and council for the trial of impeachments exhibited 

 by the house of assembly. The military force of the 

 state, according to the official report of the adjutant- 

 general for the year 1830, is 35,300, consisting of 

 cavalry, 1810, artillery, 1886, riflemen, 1115, infan- 

 try, 30,456, and general and brigade staff, 93. The 

 literary institutions are two colleges, numerous excel- 

 lent academies, and many valuable private schools. 

 The college of New Jersey at Princeton has long 

 and justly maintained a high reputation, and numbers 

 among its alumni many of the most eminent men of 

 the Union, especially in the Southern States. The 

 other institution, a few years since reorganized under 

 the name of Rutgers' college, has already earned 

 distinction. A theological seminary of the Presby- 

 terian church is established at Princeton, and another, 

 under the charge of the Dutch Reformed church, at 

 New Brunswick. A great attention to the cause of 

 public education has recently arisen throughout the 

 state, and measures are in progress which promise 

 important and happy results. A liberal spirit of 

 public improvement lias been awakened, and is now 

 encouraging and carrying on a number of works of 

 great public utility. 



The people of this state are chiefly engaged in 

 agriculture and manufactures, and but few, com- 

 paratively, are employed in commerce. While some 

 parts of the state are sandy and barren, or, being 

 rocky and mountainous, are not well adapted to cul- 

 tivation, large portions have a soil of great fertility, 

 well suited to the cultivation of grain, and for graz- 

 ing ; and, accordingly, upon the extensive meadows, 

 herds of cattle are raised for the markets of New 

 York and Philadelphia. Large quantities of butter 

 and cheese of superior quality are made. The breed 

 of horses is excellent. Apples, peaches, and fruits 

 of all kinds, are raised in abundance. The Newark 

 cider and the Burlington hams are of great celebrity. 



