"At a refpe&table meeting, held in the city of New-York, for the purpose of confidering on the propriety of establishing a fociety for the information and affistance of perfons emigrating from foreign countries,

"It was unanimously refolved, that from the great increase of enigration from Europe to the United States, it is highly expedient to form fuch an inftitution.

"In conformity to the above refolution, a fociety was instituted on the 22d of May, 1794. The following is the plan of their conftitution.

"WHEREAS, from the oppreffions of many of the governments of Europe, and the public calamities likely to enfue, persons of various defcriptions are migrating to the United States of America for protection and fafety; And

"Whereas emigrants, upon their first arrival in these States, frequently sustain inconveniencies in confequence of their being unacquainted with the manners and cuftoms of the country, and the most eligible mode of establishing themfelves in their leveral profeffions.

"We, the fubfcribers, agree to form ourselves into a fociety, for the purpose of affording information and encouragement to perfons of the above description: and for the better effecting thefe objects, adopt the following

re

CONSTITUTION;

"1. This fociety fhall be known and diftinguifhed by the name and defcription of "The New-York fociety for the information and affiftance of perfons emigrating from foreign countries."

"2. The fociety fhall meet regularly the first Thursday in every month, or oftener if neceffary, at fuch time and place as they may appoint.

"3. No perfon fhall be admitted into this fociety but upon the recommendation of two members, and with the confent of a majority; to be taken by ballot at the meeting of the Society immediately fucceeding that, at which fuch perfon fhall have been propofed.

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4. The officers of this Society fhall confift of a prefident, veefident, treasurer, phyfician, regifter, fecretary and at f conference and correfpondence, to be elected by

x months.

ommittee of conference and correfpondence fhall 've members, of whom the treafarer, phyfician,

regifter and fecretary for the time being fhall be members: four of the remaining eight members fhall go out every three months; they fhall correfpond with individuals and public bodies for promoting the objects of this Inftitution; and upon the arrival of emigrants, fhall afford them fuch information and affiftance as their respective circumstances may require, and the funds of the fociety enable them to grant.

6. This Conflitution fhall not be altered except fuch alteration be propofed at one meeting, and agreed to at the next fuc ceeding meeting, by three fourths of the members prefent.

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7. No new bye-laws fhall be made, nor any alteration in the exifting ones, unlefs propofed at one meeting, and agreed to at the next, by a majority of the members prefent.

Published by Order of the Society,

WM. SING, Prefident,

L. WAYLAND, Secretary.

LITERATU r e.

Until the year 1754, there was no college in the province of New-York. The ftate of literature, at that time, I fhall give in the words of their hiftorian ;* Our schools are in the lowest order; the inftructors want instruction, and through a long and fhameful neglect of all the arts and sciences, our common speech is extremely corrupt, and the evidences of a bad taste, both as to thought and language, are visible in all our proceedings, public and private." This may have been a juft reprefentation at the time when it was written; but much attention has fince been paid to education. There are eight incorporated academies in different parts of the State; and we are happy to add, that the legislature have lately patronized collegiate and academic education, by granting a large gratuity to the college and academies in this State, which, in addition to their former funds, renders their endowments handfome, and adequate to their expenditures. The legiflature have likewife appropriated the fum of 30,000 pounds per annum for the purpose of establishing fchools throughout the State; a school at least to be kept within the limits of every four miles fquare.

King's college, in the city of New-York, was principally founded by the voluntary contributions of the inhabitants of the province, affifted by the General Affembly, and the corporation of Trinity Church; in the year 1754, a royal charter fand grant of money) being then obtained, incorporating a num

* Smith's Hiftory of New-York

ber of gentlemen therein mentioned, by the name of "The Governors of the College of the Province of New-York, in the City of New-York, in America; and granting to them and their fucceffors for ever, amongst various other rights and privileges, the power of conferring all fuch degrees as are ufually con ferred by either of the English universities.

By the charter it was provided that the president fhall always be a member of the church of England, and that a form of prayer collected from the liturgy of that church, with a particular prayer for the college, fhall be daily ufed, morning and evening, in the college chapel; at the fame time, no teft of their religious perfuafion was required from any of the fellows, profeffors, or tutors; and the advantages of education were equally extended to ftudents of all denominations.

The building, which is only one third of the intended ftructure, confifts of an elegant ftone edifice, three complete ftories high, with four ftair cafes, twelve apartments in each, a chapel, hall, library, museum, anatomical theatre, and school for experimental philofophy.

The college is fituated on a dry gravelly foil, about one hundred and fifty yards from the bank of Hudson's river, which it overlooks; commanding a most extenfive and beautiful profpect.

Since the revolution, the legiflature paffed an act conftituting twenty-one gentlemen, of whom the governor and lieutenantgovernor for the time being are members ex officiis, a body cor. porate and politic, by the name of "The regents of the univerfity of the State of New-York." They are entrusted with the care of literature in general in the State, and have power to grant charters of incorporation for erecting colleges and academies throughout the State, they are to visit thefe inftitu. tions as often as they fhall think proper, and report their state to the legislature once a year.

King's college, which we have already defcribed, is now called COLUMBIA COLLEGE. This college, by an act of the legiflature paffed in the fpring of 1787, was put under the care of twenty-four gentlemen, who are a body corporate, by the name and ftyle of "The Trustees of Columbia College in the city of New-York." This body poffels all the powers vested in the governors of King's college before the revolution, or in the regents of the univerfity fince the revolution, fo far as their power refpected this inftitution. No regent can be a truftee of any particular college or academy in the State. regents of the univerfity have power to confer the higher deand them only.

The college edifice has received no additions fince the peace. The funds, exclufive of the liberal grant of the legislature, amount to between twelve and thirteen thousand pounds currency, the income of which is fufficient for prefent exigencies.

This college is now in a thriving state, and has about one hundred ftudents in the four claffes, befides medical ftudents. The officers of instruction and immediate government are a prefident, profeffor of mathematics and natural philofophy,, a profellor of logic and geography, and a profeffor of languages.-A complete medical fchool has been lately annexed to the college, and able profeffors appointed by the trustees in every branch of that important fcience, who regularly teach their refpective branches with reputation. The number of medical students is about fifty, but they are increafing. The library and museum were destroyed during the war. The philofophical apparatus is new and complete.

Of the eight incorporated academies, one is at Flatbush, in King's county, on Long-Ifland, four miles from Brooklyn-ferry. It is fituated in a pleafant, healthy village. The building is large, handfome, and convenient, and is called Erafmus Hall. The academy is flourishing under the care of a principal and other fubordinate inftructors.

. There is another at East Hampton, on the east end of LongIfland, by the name of CLINTON ACADEMY. The others are in different parts of the State. Befides these there are schools eftablished and maintained by the voluntary contributions of the parents. A fpirit for literary improvement is evidently diffusing its influence throughout the State.

CONSTITUTIO N.

Conftitution of the State of New-York, eftablished by the Convention, authorifed and empowered for that Purpofe, April 20, 1777,

I. This Convention, in the name and by the authority of the good people of this State, doth ordain, determine, and declare, that no authority fhall, on any pretence whatever, be exercised over the people or members of this State, but fuch as fhall be derived from and granted by them.

II. This Convention doth further, in the name and by the authority of the good people of this State, ordain, determine, and declare, that the fupreme legiflative power, within this State, fhall be vested in two feparate and distinct bodies of men ;

the one to be called, The ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF NEWYORK; the other to be called, THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF NEW-YORK; who, together, fhall form the legiflature, and ineet once at least in every year for the dispatch of business.

III. And whereas laws inconfiftent with the fpirit of this Conftitution, or with the public good, may be haftily and unadvitedly paffed, be it ordained, that the governor for the time being, the chancellor, and the judges of the Supreme Court, or any two of them, together with the governor, fhall be, and herby are conftituted a council to revife all bills about to be paffed into laws by the legiflature; and for that purpose hall alfemble themfelves, from time to time, when the legiflature thall be convened; for which, nevertheless, they fell not receive any falary or confideration, under any pretence whatever. And that all bills which have paffed in the Senate and Alembly, fhall before they become laws, be prefented to the laid council for their revital and confideration; and if upon fuch revifal and confideration, it fhould appear improper to the fud council, or a majority of them, that the faid bill thould become a law of this State, that they return the fame, together with their objections thereto in writing, to the Senate or Houfe of Affembly, in which foever the fame fhall have originated, who fhall enter the objections fent down by the council at large in their minutes, and proceed to re-confider the faid bill. But if after fuch re-confideration, twothirds of the faid Senate or Houfe of Affembly fhall, notwithstanding the faid objections, agree to pafs the fame, it fhall, together with the objections, be fent to the other branch of the legiflature, where it fhall alfo be re-confidered, and if approved by two-thirds of the members prefent, fhall be a

law.

And in order to prevent any unneceflary delays, be it far ther ordained, that if any bill fhall not be returned by the council within ten days after it fhall have been pretented, the fame fhall be a law, unless the legiflature fhall, by their adjournment, render a return of the laid bill within ten days impracticable; in which cafe the bill thall be returned on the trit day of the mecting of the legislature, after the expiration ten days.

the Affembly fhall confift of at leaft feventy memually cheien in the feveral counties, in the pruing, viz.

county of New-York, nine.

county of Albany, fin,