HISTORY AND CIVIL GOVERNMENT.—The mouth of the Hudson river was probably one of the first places reached by European navigators on the coast of North America; but no well authenticated instance of actual settlement took place until 1609 or 1610. The Dutch, who made the discovery and settlement, entered seriously on their project of colo nization, and in 1621 the states general of the Dutch republic gave the country the name of New Netherlands, and granted its government to the Dutch West India Company. The New Nether lands embraced New York, Long Island, New Jersey, and both banks of the Delaware. The city of New Amsterdam, now New York, continued the capital until 1664, when the whole country was conquered by the English. Charles II. granted this province and adjacent parts to his brother James, Duke of York, under the name of New York. After much oppression under the dukes' governors, a legislative assembly was formed in 1683, and the powers of the people augmented and secured by a bill of rights soon after the revolu tion in 1688.
New York soon became a colony of considerable consequchce, but her subsequent history up to the revolution in 1775, was barren of events of much consequence. Previous, however, to the overt act of resistance, the people of New York, had been made ready for opposition to any length by in dividual oppression. With other colonies they re sisted the stamp act of 1765, and in 1767 was by royal authority restrained from legislation, until quarters were provided for British troops. This impolitic and unjust imposition of burthening the people with soldiers in time of peace, was one of the most operative causes of the revolution, and in the case of New York, was aggravated by all the insolence of power. The consequence of such measures was to add the colony to the continental confederacy. The city of New York was early in the war seized by the British, and held by them until November 25, 1783.
Some of the most memorable events of the war occurred in New York, particularly the capture of General Burgoyne and his army, Octoher 1777, a year rendered still more interesting in her annals by the adoption, on the 20th of April, of a repub lican constitution. This instrument was amended October 27th, 1801, and was superseded by a new constitution, adopted at Albany on the loth No vember 1821, the general provisions of which do not materially differ from those of other states.
By this constitution the legislative power is vested in a senate and an assembly. The senate
consists of thirty-two members, who are required to be free-holders; they are elected for four years, the seats of one-fourth being vacated annually. The assembly is composed of 128 members, all of whom are annually elected.
The executive power is vested in a governor, who is elected for two years; he must be a free holder, and have attained the age of thirty-five years. It is requisite also that he shall be a native citizen of the United States, and have resided five years in the state, unless during that period he shall have been absent on public business of the state, or of the United States. The governor has the power of pardon in all cases of conviction, except for trea son and on impeachments: in case of treason he can suspend the execution of the sentence until the de cision of the next session of the legislature. The lieutenant-governor is elected at the same time and for the same period as the governor, and in case of vacancies in the latter office, its duties are per formed by the lieutenant-governor.
the article UNITED STATES, in this volume, page 289-307, the reader will find the general principles of the climate of the entire phy sical section of our continent, including New York. The writer of this article has travelled over nearly every part of New York, with the express view of examining the prevailing winds, the real controling cause of every climate. In the western part of the state, so powerful and so constant are the western winds, that the entire forests are bent eastward to an extent to arrest the attention of every observer. Extending through 41 degrees of latitude, a very perceptible difference of temperature exists be tween the extremes arising from mere difference of equatorial distance, but the intermediate mountains operate to increase the real extreme of tempera ture. The winters are long and severe at Albany, N. Lat. 42° 39', and still more intense advancing northwestward from that city.
Similar to all surfaces so large and broken, any general character given to its climate must be sub ject to so many local exceptions as to admit but little precision. Of the aeriel temperature over New York, we can only, therefore, say, that along the ocean border, it is subject to less severity of cold than even a few miles inland, but that the winters arc in most years severe. The mercury has fallen at Albany to 18 degrees below zero. The rivers are annually and permanently frozen from two to three months.