The population of the city of New York in 1814 was nearly 100,000; and the number of deaths, according to the bill of mortality, was 1974, of which 1062 were males, and 912 females, as follows:

Of whom 572 died of pulmonary consumption. According to the bill of mortality published by the board of health for the first six months of 1815, the number of deaths was 1097, of which 329 were occasioned by this disease. Its ravages are chiefly confined to persons in the vigor of age of both sexes, but more particularly to females, which is probably owing to imprudent dress during the excessive variations of temperature. Notwithstanding the annual ravages of this disease, and the occasional return of dysentery, of yellow and intermitting fever, we must not infer that the climate, in its nature, is unfriendly to health. In the villages and country places the cultivators generally arrive at a good old age, retaining to the last moment the full use of their faculties. Of this I saw several remarkable in- stances in the town of Kinderhook, situated on the east side of the Hudson river, 140 miles north of New York, where Isaac Nosburgh died at the age of 105; three brothers of the same name at the age of 90, and a sister at 93. Mrs. Pryn of the same place, in 1802, had reached her eighty-fourth year, and was then in excellent health; and two slaves, the one a black man, a native of the place, belonging to Mr. Nosburgh, the other an African, were supposed to have lived more than a century. In other towns there are many similar instances of longevity.

The pestilential, or yellow fever, has never prevailed except in the city of New York, and has entirely ceased since the year 1805, when rigorous measures of precaution were first enforced by the board of health. In 1803 it prevailed from the middle of July to the 1st of October, and the deaths occasioned thereby were nearly 700.

The immoderate use of ardent spirits is one of the great causes of premature death. In the city of New York they are retailed in 1600 grocers' shops, and at so cheap a rate, as to be within the reach of all.

Constitution. The constitution of this state was established, by the convention empowered for that purpose, in 1777, and afterwards revised and amended in 1801. It consists of two legislative bodies, a senate and house of assembly. The members of assembly are elected annually by ballot, in the different counties, by electors, who must be freeholders, to the value of fifty dollars, or persons of full age, residents therein, who have rented tenements of five dollars yearly value, and paid taxes six months previous to the election. The senators, elected every four years, by districts, are divided into four classes, so that a fourth of the members are renewed annually. The citizens, by whom they are elected, must possess clear freehold estates, to the value of 250 dollars. When the constitution was amended, it was determined, that the permanent number of senators should be 32; and that of the assembly 150; to which they were to be increased at the rate of two members for every year. The ministers of the gospel, and priests of every denomination, are incapable of holding any place or office, civil or military. The executive power resides in a governor, lieutenant-governor, and council. The last, composed of four senators, is chosen annually by the legislature, one for each of the four great districts, into which the state is divided. The governor, who must be a freeholder of the state, is elected for three years, by persons possessed of freeholds, worth 100 pounds more than the debts charged on them. He is commander-in-chief of the land and sea forces; is empowered to assemble the legislative bodies, and prorogue their session; also to suspend the execution of a sentence, in capital cases, till the sitting of the legislature, provided the offender be not an assassin, or traitor to his country. In concurrence with the council, of which he is president, he has

the right of nominating, annually, almost all other officers of the state. His principal duties are to inform the people of the situation of public affairs; to recommend such measures as he may think useful to the well-being of the republic; to treat of current affairs with the civil and military officers; to see that the laws are observed and executed; to expedite such measures as may be resolved on by the legislature; and to correspond on great national subjects with the national congress. In case of impeachment, removal, resignation, absence, or death, all the duties of his office are performed by the lieutenant-governor, until another governor is elected. The lieutenant-governor is chosen in the same manner, and for the same term; and is president of the senate, and has a casting voice when the votes are equally divided. In case of the death of this officer, during his term of service, the senators are empowered to elect one of their own members, pro hac vice. The senators, from the state to the general congress, are chosen annually by ballot, by the two houses of assembly; first by a concurrent vote, and, in case of disagreement, by a joint vote; the representatives are chosen by districts, without regard to residence.

All determinations of one house must be approved of by the other, and then submitted to a council, composed of the governor, chancellor, and judges of the supreme court, or at least by two of them, for examination and revision; and the bill must be returned in the course of ten days to the legislative body from whom it originated, accompanied with their comments, observations, or objections, notwithstanding which, it has the force of law, if approved of by two-thirds of the members of the senate and assembly. If a difference of opinion should exist between these two houses, commissaries are chosen in each, by ballot, to examine and determine on the subject of discussion. The legislature is authorized to naturalize, in such manner as they shall think proper, all persons born beyond sea, and without the limits of the United States, who wish to become subjects and residents of the state, to which they must swear allegiance, after having abjured and renounced all foreign allegiance, and subjection in all civil and ecclesiastical matters.

The English statute laws, and the acts of assembly under the king's government, which formed the law of the province, on the 19th of April 1775 became the law of the state, but subject to

alteration by the legislature. All grants by the king of Great Britain, or under his authority, after the 14th of October 1775, were declared void.

This constitution differs from that of Massachussetts; 1. In the election of representatives by counties, and not by villages or 2. In leaving the senators in office four years consecutively. And 3. In the revision of the laws by the council chosen by the legislature.

towns.

Judiciary. The judges, who are appointed by the governor and council, hold their offices during good behaviour, to the age of sixty years. This limitation, which is peculiar to the state of New York, has been censured, as no provision whatever is made for the dismissed judge, who is thrown destitute on the world, at a time of life when he cannot enter into any other line of business. The supreme court consists of a chief justice, and four associate judges. The circuit courts, for opening trials, are held in each county by a single judge; and the whole court meets four times a year, for the purpose of granting new trials, hearing appeals, or setting aside verdicts. The county and mayor's courts, from which an appeal lies to the supreme court, consist of from four to eight associate judges. The trial is by jury. The court of quarter sessions, with criminal jurisdiction, is held in each county, by the county court judges, and has power to try all, except capital cases, namely, murder and arson, which are decided by the court of Oyer and Terminer, held by a judge of the supreme court and his associates.

A great improvement in criminal jurisprudence is the establishment of a state prison, or penitentiary, at the city of New York, on the east bank of the Hudson river, where great crimes, rape, robbery, burglary, sodomy, and forgery, are punished by imprisonment for life; and lesser offences, for a term of years not less than three, nor more than twenty. In 1814, the number of prisoners was 494; men, 419; women, 75. Of 213 criminals, there were 153 white men; 11 white women; 23 black men; 26 black women;-173 were Americans, and 40 were foreigners: 156 were convicted for grand larceny; 26, forgery; 7, burglary; 6, assault and battery; 2, arson; 1, bigamy; 2, breaking prison; 1, felony; 3, highway robbery; 1, misdemeanour; 3, perjury; 3, rape; 1, robbery; and 1, unnatural crime, -19 were condemned for life.

The expence of the prison, in April 1817, amounted to nearly 50,000 dollars per annum, exclusive of that for conveying the convicts thither. The number of prisoners was about 500 du- ' ring the last five years, in which period, 740 convicts were pardoned, and 77 discharged by the expirarion of their sentences. Of those, who, within that same time, were committed for second and third offences, about two-thirds had been discharged from their former sentences by pardon; and of 23, the whole number convicted of second and third offences, in 1815, 20 had been previously pardoned, and only 3 discharged by the ordinary course of law.

Expence of Living.The price of every article has augmented with the population; and the manner of living, since the revolution, has undergone a considerable change; especially in the towns and villages, where the expensive customs of Europe have been gradually introduced. The annual consumption of Madeira, Porto, and Bourdeaux wines is now very great, so that these have almost become articles of necessity. Living is much more expensive in the towns than in the country;, but in the later it is every where nearly the same, owing to the great facility of water communication. The price of lands and wood has gradually augmented. The inhabitants of the country are generally clothed in a comfortable manner; and no person is ever seen without shoes and stockings.*

*The following table, though not rigorously exact, will give an idea of the price of articles necessary to life, at New York city:

The bushel of wheat, June 1816,

*

1 78* The pound of beef, mutton,

In Jefferson county, the price during and since the war has been two dollars, and ten years previous to that period it was never less than one dollar.