1800.] 
perfecuting laws. The people then ought not 
to intruft themfelves at any one time with 
the choice of a majority, or of a half of the 
legiflature. But if one-third only (or any 
lefs number) be to go out at once; the chance 
always muft be, that the fettled fhould pre- 
vail over the occafional will of the people, 
the flower but maturer decifions of their 
judgment over the hafty phrenzy of tranfient 
impatience. 
For both thefe reafons, partial 
feems effential to wife reprefentation. 
If the foregoing arguments be valid, it 
rotation 
follows, thatin all fchemes of parliamentary © 
conftitution one ought to prefer ) 
Univerfal to privileged fuffrage, 
Gradationed to direét reprefentation,, 
And rotatory to fimultaneous difmiffal of 
the delegates. 
The do&trine of rotatory difmifial originates 
apparently, with Harrington, of gradationed 
election with Hume, and of univerfal fuffrage 
with Sir William Jones, 
peered 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine, 
SIR, 
EING a conftant reader of your high- 
ly ufeful and entertaining Magazine, 
you will do me a particular favour by in- 
ferting the two following queftions, which 
I thall be very happy to fee anfwered by 
any of your able philofophical corre- 
{pondents. 
Suppofing a felf moving machine ts ever. 
produced (whether of wood or metals), is 
there any certain premium offered to the 
ingenious contriver ? 
W hat effect has heat and cold, wet and 
dry, on woods, copper, brafs, and fteel ? 
The laft queftion I have propofed with 
the view of enlighting the mufical world 
refpecting ftringed inftruments, and hope a 
clear an{wer will tend to leflon the blame 
fo generally thrown on mufical inftrument 
makers, but particularly on tuners, at 
every change of atmofphere in our uncer- 
tain climate. Your's, 
A FRienp. 
—a ee 
For the Monthly Magazine. 
GEOGRAPHICAL ACCOUNT OF ALGIERS. 
The following fketch of Algiers and the pro- 
vinces fubjeét to its dominion is taken 
principally from an excellent German work 
on the fubje&. It contains fome particu- 
lars that are new and interefting, and may 
ferve, in fome inftances, to fupply the de- 
ficiencies, and correét the miftakes, in 
Dr. SHAw’s Account of that Country. 
HAT part of the northern coat of 
Africa which is known by the ge- 
neral name of Barbary, contains four prin- 
cipal divifions. Of the foun fates of the 
New and corre? Account of Algiers. 
~ 
C59 
Barbary coaft, Algiers is by far the moft 
confiderable with refpeé& to extent of terri- 
tory. According to Shaw, the country 
fubject to Algiers is feparated by the Tra. 
ra Mountains from the dominions of the 
Emperor of Morocco. According to Ho- 
eft, the river Mullooiha, or Malva, divides 
the two kingdoms. If, with Shaw, we 
make to the weft the Trara Mountains, 
and to the eaft the river Zaine, formally 
Tufca, the boundaries of the Algerine 
ftate, it extends from 6' of weft to 9? 
15’ of eaft longitude, from the meri- 
dian of Greenwich. With regard to its 
Jatitude, the extremities lie between 329 
and 37°. he city of Algiers, which 
is fituaied nearly in the centre, has, ace 
cording to the moft accurate: aftronomi-~ 
cal obfervations, a polar altitude of 36° 
49‘ 30"*. If we take the medium diffe- 
rence of latitude of the whole kingdom to 
be 2° 30’ and the difference of longitude 
to be 9° 30’ the fiperficial extent would 
amount to about 4,218 or, according to 
a more accurate altronomical calculation 
by M.von Zach, 4,262 geographical {yuare 
miles, 
On the population of the ftate ‘of Al. 
giers, nothing can be determined with cer- 
tainty : however, it feems to be incompa- 
rably lefs than in every other {tate of the 
fame extent ; for arts, fciences, and induftry 
flourifh not in this barbarous land. Even in 
the vicinity of the cities, we find extenfive 
tracts uninhabited and uncultivated ; and 
fuch wattes increafe in proportion as we re- 
cede to a greater diftance from the towns. 
In the interior of the country, commence 
the dreary deferts. The iron hand of def- 
potifm, the want of commercial intercourfe 
in the inland provinces, and the frequent 
ravages of the piague, contribute likewife 
te diminifa the number of inhabitants. 
In general, as far as the Defert (Sabra), 
the foil is fruitful, but more efpecially on 
the fea coaft, and in the valleys. Forctts, 
properly fo called, feldom occur. The 
diftri&t about Bugia is the moft woody, 
and produces the greateft quantity of tim- 
ber. Traéts, on the other hand, full of 
thickets and brufhwood are lefs rare. The 
country may be reckoned among the 
mountainous ; many of tiie chains of 
mountains contain minerals, the principal 
of which are lead and copper. Mineral 
{prings and waters are met with in many 
places; but the neceffary accommodations 
are wanting for thofe who might with to 

* This is nouthe polaraltitude ofthe city, , 
but properly of the light-houfe (Fanal), 
where the altitude was obferved. 
2G6 ufe 
- 
