one that requires that the occupant be a native citizen, or have been a citizen at the time of the adoption of the existing form of government, 1787,) are as fully open to a naturalized as to a native citizen. Many highly important offices in different states, and under the general government, are filled by the former. The following are the terms on which citizenship may be acquired by foreigners: five years uninterrupted residence in the United States, and one year in the state where it is applied for-a declaration on oath or affirmation, three years before the application, of a bona fide intention to become a citizen, and of a determination to support the constitution of the United States, with a renunciation of allegiance to all foreign powers. of Philadelphia for The whole number the last election in The number of votes presented in the city members of the legislature is about 8,000. of votes given for governor of the state at 1823, was 154,147, or more than one-ninth of the whole population. CRIMINAL CODE. Human life has its proper value in the United States-not so in Europe. In Pennsylvania there is but one capital crime-murder in the first degree. The severity of the criminal code has been gradually mitigating from year to year in most of the states. In some the mitigation has been slow; in others, rapid and important. But the progress of public opinion affords a sure pledge that at no distant day the criminal code of all the states will be purified from the wanton waste of human life engrafted on our systems by an imitation of the codes of Europe. FIRE-ARMS AND GAME-LAWS. While in parts of Europe the qualifications for the free use of fire-arms are so rigorous, and the expense of a license to keep them so great, that nineteen-twentieths of the population are wholly debarred from the possession of those weapons, lest they should use them to rescue themselves from oppression; every man in this country, in however low or humble a rank in society, may purchase and keep as many as he may judge proper and can pay for. And so far as regards game, the possessor of millions has no privilege beyond that which is enjoyed by one of our humblest citi zens. Having pointed out a few of the prominent features in the moral and political character of the United States, I proceed to consider the descriptions of persons to whom it holds out advantages and inducements to emigrate from their native countries, and also those to whom emigration for the purpose of settlement here, would be disadvantageous. AGRICULTURISTS. The greatest evil in the United States is the excess of the agri cultural population, which is at least 30 per cent. more than is necessary to furnish the foreign and domestic markets, limited as the former are by the wise policy of the European nations, which protect their own agriculturists, and never admit our bread stuffs, but when in danger of famine, or of such a scarcity as will so far enhance the price of those necessaries of life, as to oppress and distress the poorer classes of society. The mischievous effects of this unwise distribution of our population were not felt during the wars of the French Revolution, nor for a year or two afterwards, while the European markets were open to our bread stuffs, which commanded extravagant prices. But since those markets were closed in the fall of 1817,† the operation of this undue proportion of agriculturists has been highly pernicious. The export of flour in 1817, was 1,488,198 barrels, amounting to 17,751,375 dollars. Whereas, in 1822, 1823, and 1824, the export was only 2,581,359 barrels amounting to 15,724,829 dollars; or an average of 860,453 barrels, and 5,241,609 dollars. The export of 1825, was 813,906 barrels, amounting to only 4,212,127 dollars. From this view, it is evident that the policy of our Government has a withering influence on the agriculture of the United States. All the markets of the world, wherein the produce of our soil is received, are almost constantly glutted with our great staples, bread stuffs, cotton, and tobacco, the prices of which are therefore greatly depressed, to the injury of our farmers, and *The population of the United States in the year 1820, when the last census was taken, was arranged as follows: Engaged in agriculture in manufactures and the mechanic arts, generally Heads of Families. Per Cent. 2,079,363 83 349,643...... 14 in manufactures and the mechanic arts. The whole of the population at that period was 9,614,415, and was thus distributed :— Engaged in agriculture..... in commerce and shopkeeping.... 8,022,319 83 The total number of families in Great Britain in 1821, was.. 2,931,083 978,656 Thus, while in Great Britain one-third part of the population suffices for agriculture, and feeds the whole, there are, in this country, 83 per cent. engaged in that pursuit, the whole amount of whose exports in the year 1824, was only 43,884,844 dollars, produced by about 10,000,000 people; and, excluding tobacco, cotton, and rice, (produced by about 1,500,000 persons,) the whole of the exports of the remaining 8,500,000 agriculturists, was only 15,198,895 dollars! Whereas the export from Great Britain in 1825, of the mere article of cotton yarn, produced probably by 150,000 persons, was £3,135,496, equal to 14,109,732 dollars! What stupendous facts! The British ports were opened for the reception of our flour in November, 1818, and continued open until February, 1819. the too frequent ruin of our merchants.* Against this destructive policy, Alexander Hamilton,+ one of the greatest practical political economists that ever lived, Dr. Franklin,‡ and Thomas Jefferson, two of our greatest statesmen, have borne the most decided testimony, but in vain. Every attempt to introduce a sounder policy is resisted with as much zeal and ardour as if the change were fraught with destruction and, strange to tell, by those who are the greatest sufferers by the present system! It may seem extraordinary that I believe, nevertheless, that certain descriptions of farmers might advantageously immigrate * The consequence of this pernicious state of things, is, that in three cases out of four, the greater the quantity of our leading staples we export, the less in proportion they produce. This general result of glutted markets, occasionally, it is true, controlled and counteracted by circumstances, was two hundred years since discerned, and as far as practicable, guarded against by the sagacious policy of the Dutch, in the case of spices. They limited the cultivation within bounds calculated to guard against a ruinous diminution of price; and, when the crops were too abundant, went the extraordinary length of destroying the surplus quantity. Whereas the unvarying tendency of our policy has been, by converting the domestic customers of our farmers into rivals, to increase production, even while our foreign markets, as in the case of grain, were diminishing. A view of the quantity and amount of cotton and flour exported in different years, will shed strong light on this doctrine. The early settlers in Maryland and Virginia, finding the foreign markets ruinously glutted with their great staple, tobacco, adopted the Dutch policy, and passed aets suspending the culture for a limited time. "No remedy had been found for the low price of the staple (of Virginia) which had been so long and so feelingly deplored."—"To enhance, if possible, the price of a commodity, on which the existence of the colony depended, the Assembly prohibited the growth of tobacco for a limited time.” “The same inconvenience being at length probably felt in Maryland, a law was passed in 1666, to enforce a similar project.”—Chalmers's Annals, p. 314. +"If Europe will not take from us the products of our soil, upon terms consistent with our interest, the natural remedy is to contract, as fast as possible, our wants of her.”—Alexander Hamilton's Report on Manufactures, p. 40. + "Foreign luxuries, and needless manufactures, imported and used in a nation, increase the people of the nation that furnishes them, and diminish the people of the nation that uses them.' -Franklin's Works, vol. 4, p. 189. § "Where a nation imposes high duties on our productions, or prohibits them altogether, it may be proper for us to do the same with theirs-first burdening or excluding those productions which they bring here in competition with our own of the same kind: selecting next such manufactures as we take from them in greatest quantity, and which at the same time we could the soonest furnish to ourselves, or obtain from other countries; imposing on them duties light at first, but heavier and heavier afterwards, as other channels of supply open."-Jefferson's Report on the Privileges and Restrictions of the Commerce of the United States in Foreign Countries. into the United States. deavour to make appear. It is, however, the fact, as I shall en A few skilful farmers, without any capital, but possessed of good characters, and bringing with them such recommendations as would insure confidence, might derive great advantage from immigration into the United States. Such men in Great Britain and Ireland can scarcely hope to emerge beyond the situation of day labourers, at the rate of 8s. 6d. 9s. or 10s.* per week, and have no prospect for sickness, or old age, but the poor-house :+ whereas in the neighbourhood of our cities, persons of this description can readily procure contracts for the cultivation of farms from 40 to 80 or 100 acres on the shares, on the following plan. The owner of the land furnishes half the seed, the implements, and oxen; the farmer half the seed and labour. The proceeds are equally divided between them; and though the farmer's share is moderate, still the situation of the emigrant would be greatly improved, and by steady industry and economy he might make handsome savings, and finally become an independent landholder. Another class of farmers would find immigration into the United States highly advantageous. I mean those possessed of small capitals, say from 300 to 750 pounds sterling. What with rent, excise, tithes, and taxes, (poor rates are added in England,) such men can barely subsist in Great Britain and Ireland. Let me state their prospects in the United States. Good farms with valuable improvements, a dwelling-house, barn, and spring house on each, may be purchased at 20 or 30 miles from Philadelphia, for 30 or 40 dollars per acre.‡ At a greater distance from Philadelphia, say 40 or 50 miles, lands, with extensive improvements, may be purchased for 20 dollars per acre. In the interior of Pennsylvania and New York, * It appears by a recent publication, "A History and Review of the late Session of the British Parliament," that the wages of country labourers in Dorsetshire are only 7s. per week, equal to one dollar and fifty-six cents. From a late Morning Herald the following statement is taken of the wages and expenditure of an English labouring agriculturist: Earnings of a labourer in agriculture, at 9s per week, per annum..................... Expenditure of ditto. House rent Clothes for self and family. Fuel Candles, soap, salt, &c. Bread for a family of six persons, at 6s. per week, per annum. The balance is made up by the contributions of the overseers of the poor. + From the books of a Philadelphia agent for the sale of real estate, the following extracts are taken: 144 acres, in Bucks County, 32 miles from Philadelphia, with a large dwelling-house, stables, waggon house, &c. at 32 dollars per acre-100 acres, 35 miles from Philadelphia, with a stone davelling-house, stone kitchen, barn, &c. for 4000 dollars. -108 acres, 30 miles from Philadelphia, with a stone dwelling-house, barn. &c. &c. 4000 dollars. These, it is to be observed, are the prices asked from which probably a considerable abatement would be made. t 20 uncleared lands, contiguous to navigable streams, may be purchased for two, three, and four dollars. The expense of clearing is about ten or eleven dollars per acre-and I am assured, on re. spectable authority, that the first crop of wheat after clearing, will generally pay that expense. These lands hold out powerful encouragement to industrious and enterprising emigrants. The great progress of the woollen manufacture renders the raising of sheep a lucrative business for farmers. The internal improve. ments in canals and roads, effected and contemplated in both those states, will secure extraordinary advantages to setlers contiguous to these means of communication. To farmers with large and industrious families, these sections of the country hold out every temptation-as they may carry on cultivation extensively with little hired labour.* New lands, belonging to the United States, may be had in the western states and territories for 125 cents, or 5s. 74d. sterling per acre, in perpetuity. Thus, for a fourth part of the mere tithe per acre, paid in many parts of Great Britain and Ireland, lands may be purchased in fee-simple. This appears to offer strong temptation; as complete independence may be secured at so very easy a rate. But I am much inclined to believe that few English, Irish, Scotch, or German farmers are well calculated to struggle with the difficulties in those remote quarters, where the population is so thinly scattered, and where the settlers are in some degree debarred from markets for their produce. The following are the prices of stock in and near Philadelphia. Good working horses from 50 to 90 dollars. Cows from 15 to 20 dollars. Fresh cows, with their calves, from 25 to 30 dollars. Oxen in a lean state, sell for three and a half to four dollars cwt.-fattened, four and a half to five dollars. per In order to enable farmers to form an idea of what they have a right to expect by settling in this country, I will state the prices, in the Philadelphia markets, of various articles, some of which they will have to sell, and others to purchase, as extracted from the latest prices current.† *Desirous to avoid giving countenance to errors, or exciting undue expectations, likely to eventuate in disappointment, I judge it proper to state distinctly, that in the present depressed prices of farming produce, and the high rates of wages, it is scarcely possible, in the middle and eastern states, to farm profitably with hired labourers, wholly or chiefly, unless under particular advantages of soil and location. To facilitate the conversion of those prices into sterling money, I annex an exchange table. Cents. 11d sterling is equal at par to about 20.36 12d 22.22 24.5 25. 25.92 Cents. ld sterling is equal at par to about ....... 1.85 5.55 13d 5d 9.25 14d 11.11 15d 12.96 27d 9d 10d 18.50 27.76 50. 75. |