affairs. There are noble exceptions to this selfish and exclusive principle;-it may be hoped that Louisiana will add one more. It cannot be considered a useless or an unprofitable appeal to the wisdom of the administrators of our national or state Legislatures, to call their attention towards a city, which in the common course of events must have a deep interest in the future progress of happiness, wealth, and power in the United States; to a city, whose name has become dear to the American people; as a scene where the nation has gained immortal renown;-and to a city, upon the prosperity of which depends that of an immense number of the inhabitants of our union. The general government is now engaged in providing security against attacks of invaders. It ought not to be forgotten, that there are enemies who have carried death and ruin into cities, and against whose attacks cannons or forts would be no defence. It is against this insidious foe, whose approach is slow and silent, whose deadly weapons are aimed at youth and beauty, as well as age and decrepitude, that national precautions ought to be most carefully taken. STATISTICS OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI. CHAP. VIII. LIMITS, EXTENT, POLITICAL DIVISIONS, GEOGRAPHICAL FEATURES. THE State of Mississippi was designated by the following Act of Congress. An Act to enable the people of the Western part of the Mississippi territory to form a Constitutional and State government, and for the admission of such State into the union on an eqnal footing with the original states. BE IT ENACTED by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled, That the inhabitants of the western part of the Mississippi territory be, and they hereby are authorized to form for themselves a Constitutional and State Government, and to assume such name as they shall deem proper; and the said state, when formed, shall be admitted into the Union upon the same footing with the original states, in all respects whatever. Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, that the said state shall consist of all the territory included within the following boundaries, to wit:-Beginning on the Mississippi river at the point where the southern boundary line of the State of Tennessee strikes the same, thence east along the said boundary line to the Tennessee river, thence up the same to the mouth of Bear Creek, thence by a direct line to the northwest corner of the county of Washington, thence due south to the Gulf of Mexico, thence westwardly, including all islands within six leagues of the shore, to the most eastern junction of Pearl river with Lake Borgne, thence up said river to the thirty-first degree of north latitude, thence west along the said degree of latitude to the Mississippi river, thence up the same to the beginning. Sec. 3. And be it further enacted, That all free white male citizens of the United States, who shall have arrived at the age of twenty-one years, and resided in the said territory at least one year previous to the time of holding the election, and shall have paid a county or territorial tax, and all persons having in other respects the legal qualifications to vote for representatives in the general assembly of the said territory, be, and they are hereby authorized to choose representatives to form a Convention, who shall be apportioned among the respective counties in the said territory as follows, to wit:-From the connty of Warren, two representatives; from the county of Claiborne, four representatives; from the county of Jefferson, four representatives; from the county of Adams, eight representatives; from the county of Franklin, two representatives; from the county of Wilkinson, six representatives; from the county of Amite, six representatives; from the county of Pike, four representatives; from the county of Lawrence, two representatives; from the county of Marion, two representatives; from the county of Hancock, two representatives; from the county of Wayne, two representatives; from the county of Greene, two representatives; from the county of Jackson, two representatives: and the election of the representatives aforesaid, shall be holden on the first Monday and Tuesday in June next, throughout the several counties above mentioned, and shall be conducted in the same manner as is prescribed by the laws of said territory, regulating elections therein for members of the House of Repre sentatives. Sec. 4. And be it further enacted, That the members of the Convention, thus duly elected, be, and they hereby are authorized to meet at the town of Washington, on the first : Monday in July next; which Convention, when met, shall first determine by a majority of the whole number elected, whether it be or be not expedient, at that time, to form a Constitution and State Government for the people within the said territory and if it be determined to be expedient, the Convention shall be, and hereby are authorized to form a Constitution and State Government:-Provided, That the same, when formed, shall be Republican, and not repugnant to the principles of the ordinance of the 13th of July, 1787, between the people and states of the territory northwest of the river Ohio, so far as the same has been extended to the said territory by the articles of agreement between the United States. and the State of Georgia, or of the Constitution of the United States; and provided also, That the said Convention shall provide, by an ordinance irrevocable without the consent of the United States, that the people inhabiting the said territory, do agree and declare that they for ever disclaim all right or title to the waste and unappropriated lands lying within the said territory, and that the same shall be and remain at the sole and entire disposition of the United States; and moreover, that each and every tract of land sold by Congress, shall be and remain exempt from any tax laid by the order or under the authority of the state, whether for state, county, township, parish, or other purpose whatever, for the term of five years from and after the respective days of the sales thereof, and that the lands belonging to citizens of the United States, residing without the said state, shall never be taxed higher than the lands belonging to persons residing therein; and that no taxes shall be imposed on lands the property of the United States, and that the river Mississippi, and the navigable rivers and waters leading into the same, or into the Gulf of Mexico, shall be common high ways, and for ever free, as well to the inhabitants of the said state as to other citizens of the United States, without any tax, duty, impost or toll therefor, imposed by the said state. Sec. 5. And be it further enacted, That five per cent. of the nett proceeds of the lands lying within the said territory, and which shall be sold by Congress from and after the first day of December next, after deducting all expenses incident to the same, shall be reserved for making public roads and canals; of which, three fifths shall be applied to those objects within the said state, under the direction of the Legislature thereof, and two fifths to the making of a road or roads leading to the said state, under the direction of Congress: Provided, That the application of such proceeds shall not be made, until after payment is completed of the one million two hundred and fifty thousand dollars, due to the state of Georgia in consideration of the cession to the United States, nor until the payment of the stock which has been or shall be created by the act, entitled "An Act providing for the indemnification of certain claimants of public lands in the Mississippi territory," shall be completed: And provided also, That the said five per cent. shall not be calculated on any part of such proceeds as shall be applied to the payment of the one million two hundred and fifty thousand dollars, due to the State of Georgia, in consideration of the cession to the United States, or in payment of the stock which may or shall be created by the act, entitled "An Act providing for the indemnification of certain claimants of public lands in the Mississippi territory." Sec. 6. And be it further enacted, That until the next general census shall he taken, the said state shall be entitled to one representative in the House of Representatives of the United States. H. CLAY, Speaker of the House of Representatives. President of the Senate pro tempore. March 1, 1817-Approved, JAMES MADISON. The State of Mississippi is divided politically into two portions. The part included in the counties named in the foregoing Act of Congress, forms the least, but much the most valuable part of the state. The second |