NEW-YORK. 423 



freehold of the value of fifty dollars, or has rented a tenement of the 

 yearly y^i.ie Oi tony shillings, and been rated and paid taxes to the 

 state for six months preceding the day of election, is entitled to vote 

 for members of the assembly ; but those who vote for the governor, 

 and tne members of the senate, are to be possessed of freeholds of 

 the value of two hundred and fifty dollars. The judges, council of 

 appointment, &c. are to be chosen by ballot of the senate and assem- 

 bly. 



Religion.. ..It is ordained by the constitution of New-York, that 

 the iree exercise and enjoyment of religious profession and worship, 

 without discrimination or preference, shall for ever be allowed within 

 that state to all mankind. The English Presbyterian and the Dutch 

 Reloi meci churches embrace two-thirds of the inhabitants. 



Colleges... .A college was erected at New-York, by act of par- 

 liament, auout the year 1755, and received the appellation of King's 

 Con ge. It was incorporated by a royal charter, and was very liber- 

 ally endowed by grants from the provincial assembly, as well as by 

 private contributions. The faculty consists of a president, and pro- 

 fessors o the sciences and learned languages. It has since been 

 dene irated Columbia College. It has about one hundred and forty 

 students in the four classes, besides medical students. 



A college, called Union College, was established at Schenectady 

 in 1794, which has now about forty students in the four classes. Be- 

 sides these there are dispersed in different parts of the state upwards 

 of forty incorporated academies, containing in the whole as many as 

 six or seven hundred students. It is also provided that schools shall 

 be established, one at least in every district of four square miles ; 

 the legislature having appointed a literary society, whose business 

 is to superintend education, and to establish seminaries, wherever 

 they may be useful within the state. 



History. ...The Swedes and Dutch were the first Europeans who 

 formed settlements on this part of the American coast The tract 

 claimed by the two nations extended from the 38th to the 41st de- 

 gree of latitude, and was called the New Netherlands. It continued 

 in their hands till the time of Charles II, who obtained it from them 

 by right of conquest in 1664; and it was confirmed to the English by 

 the treaty of Breda, 1667- The New Netherlands were not long in 

 the British possession before they were divided into different provin- 

 ces. New-York took that name from the king's brother, James duke 

 of York, to whom the king granted it, with full powers of govern- 

 ment, by letters patent dated March 20, 1664. On James's acces- 

 sion to the throne, the right to New-York became vested in the 

 crown, and it became a royal government. The king appointed the 

 governor and council; and the people once in seven years elected 

 their representatives to serve in general assemblies. These three 

 branches of the legislature (answering to those of Great Britain) had 

 power to make any laws not repugnant to those of England : but, in 

 order to their being valid, the royal assent to them was first to be ob- 

 tained. 



In 1763, a dispute originated between New-York and New-Hamp- 

 shire, respecting the title to the New-Hampshire grants, now 

 the state of Vermont. This was followed by a series of confusion 

 and riots which impeded the settlement of the country for many years, 

 and was not terminated till the inhabitants wisely renounced .subjec- 

 tion to both, and declared themselves an independent state. 



