NEW-JERSEY. 425 



SIetals, minerals. ...In this state are several iron mines, and in 

 Bergen county is a very valuable copper mine. 



Population and militia. ...The number of inhabitants in New- 

 Jersey, in 1790, was 184,139, of whom 11,423 were slaves ; in 1801 

 they amounted to 211,149, including 12,422 slaves; and in 1810, to 

 245,562, of whom 10,851 were slaves. The militia is stated at 

 37,000. 



Chief towns. ...Trenton is the metropolis, and the largest town in 

 this state; here the legislature statedly meets, the supreme court sits, 

 and most of the public offices are kept. It contains between three 

 and four hundred houses, and about 3000 inhabitants. 



Perth Amboy, and Burlington, were formerly the seats of govern- 

 ment : the governor generally resided in the latter, which is plea- 

 santly situate on the river Delaware, about twenty miles from Phila- 

 delphia. The town was laid out as early as the year 1677, five years 

 before William Penn commenced the building of Philadelphia. The 

 former is as good a port as most on the continent, and the harbour 

 is safe, and capacious enough to contain many large ships. The 

 other principal towns are Newark, containing 8000 inhabitants ; New- 

 Brunswick, 6000 ; Elizabethtown, 3000 ; Princeton, Swedesborough, 

 and Salem. 



Trade, manufactures... .The trade of this state is carried on al- 

 most solely with and from those two great commercial cities, New- 

 York on one side, and Philadelphia on the other, though it wants not 

 good ports of its own. The amount of exports from the ports of New- 

 Jersey was, in 1810, 430,267 dollars. Manufactures here have hither- 

 to been inconsiderable, if we except the articles of iron, nails, and 

 leather. The iron manufacture is, of all others, the greatest source 

 of wealth to the state. In Morris county alone are no less than seven 

 rich iron mines. In the whole state it is supposed there is yearly 

 made about 1200 tons of bar iron, and as many of pig iron, exclusive 

 of hollow ware and various other castings, of which vast quantities 

 are made. 



Government.. ..By the Charter of Rights, established by the pro- 

 vincial congress, Juiy 2, 1776, the government of New- Jersey is vest-- 

 ed in a governor, legislative council, and general assembly. The 

 members of the legislative council are to be freeholders, and worth 

 at least one thousand pounds real and personal estate ; and the mem- 

 bers of the general assembly to be worth five hundred pounds. All 

 the inhabitants worth fifty pounds are entitled to vote for representa- 

 tives in council and assembly, and for all other public officers ; and 

 until very lately, single women possessed of fifty pounds, voted at 

 elections. The elections of the governor, legislative council, and 

 general assembly, are to be annual ; the governor is chosen by the 

 assembly and council. The judges of the supreme court are chosen 

 for seven years, and inferior judges for five years 



Religion.. ..According to the present constitution of this state, 

 all persons are allowed to worship God in the manner that is most 

 agreeable to their own consciences ; nor is any person obliged to pay- 

 tithes, taxes, or any other rates, for the purpose of building or repair- 

 ing any church or churches, for the maintenance of any minister or 

 ministry, contrary to what he believes to be right, or has deliberately 

 er voluntarily engaged himself to perform. There is to be no esta- 

 blishment of any one religious sect in this state in preference to 

 another : and no protestant inhabitants are to be denied the enjoyment 



