pleted, and, it is thought, will bear a comparison with any other work of a similar kind that has been constructed. There have been transported on it from those mimes, during the past year, 21,000 tons of coal.

Contracts for mining coal at the old mines,and at the new mines at Room Run, and delivering it on board the boats at Mauch Chunk, have already been entered into for the ensuing season.

Mauch Chunk, Nesquehoning and South Easton have been much improved. On most of the lots which have been disposed of in those places by the Company, to individual houses, stores or mills have been already built or will be erected during the present year. Numerous applications continue to be received for other lots. The increase of population in these thriving towns will eventually add much to the trade on the Lehigh and Delaware Canals, and must speedily attract business from the Susquehanna, even under the present circumstances of the country. But the proposed connexions between the Susquehanna and the Lehigh, by the Nescopec Canal and by the Wilkesbarre Rail Road, are the only means by which the trade of the North and West Branches can be made tributary to the Lehigh and Delaware Canals.

The Delaware and Raritan Canal, we are informed, is nearly completed, and is expected to open for navigation in the ensuing summer. This will extend the market for coal in New Jersey, and, as it is capable of passing sloops, will increase our facilities for transportation to the northern and eastern states.

The Morris Canal is improving in strength, and has met with comparatively few casualties during the past season. The quantity of coal from the Lehigh, transported by it in 1833, was about 13,000 tons, and an increased demand upon that route may be confidently anticipated this year.

An additional wharf and yard have been procured by the Company in the Northern Liberties, for the sale and shipment of coal; and another establishment is in preparation, and will soon be occupied for the same purposes, in Southwark.

For information respecting the profits of the Company, and the cash transactions of the past year, the Stockholders are referred to the Report of the Divi dend Committee, and the Treasurer's Account, which will be laid before the meeting.

By order of the Board of Managers,
JOSEPH WATSON, President.

Philadelphia, January 13, 1834.

The Chairman stated the object of the meeting; when Caleb Cope, Esq. on behalf of the Committee appointed at a preliminary meeting, to have charge of the Memorial, presented the same, and stated that 10,259 signatures had been obtained; that no minor, so far as the knowledge of the Committee extended, had been permitted to sign; that all were freemen, speaking in the "fearless tones of freemen," and not in the "cautious whispers of trembling slaves." The following list contains the numbers and various occupations of the signers; and Memorials are still in circulation, for those citizens who have not yet had an opportunity of affixing their names to the memorial, viz722 Manufacturers 504 Weavers 1118 Merchants 256 Tailors

258 Boot & shoemakers 251 Grocers

185 Draymen, Carters, & Porters

268 Watchmakers, sil

ver smiths, & Jewellers

149 Tanners, Curriers, and leather dealers 432 Clerks & Account

ants

146 Blacksmiths & stove makers

441 Carpenters 205 Store keepers 241 Printers

119 Lamp and Instru
ment makers

228 Laborers
97 Ironmongers
224 Hatters
150 Druggists

84 Attorneys

105 Cabinet and Chair makers

102 Umbrella makers 188 Brick makers,bricklayers and Plaster

ers

74 Lumber merchants 281 Farmers and Millers 94 Inn keepers & livery stable keepers

53 Saddle & Harness makers

57 Painters and Glaizers 153 Book sellers and Stationers

33 Coach makers 37 Brush makers 51 Coopers

62 Ship carpenters, rig

gers, rope makers and sail makers

34 Comb makers

42 Copper Smiths and Tin workers

48 Brokers

53 Bakers

34 Tobacconists 20 Brewers

21 Auctioneers

47 Coal and Flour deal

ers

78 Mariners and Water

men

57 Engravers

35 Teachers

16 Sugar refiners

18 Distillers

30 Iron masters

439 Mechanics in various other branches

60 Stone cutters 82 Physicians 1718 Citizens, including artists, builders, engineers, publishers, shipwrights, paper hangers, gilders, iron founders, turners, upholsterers, wheelwrights, tallow chandlers, butchers and others, as may be seen by reference to the signatures, to which the signers have annexed their respective professions and occupations. Making

10,259.

On motion of John S. Riddle,

Resolved, That twenty-four delegates be appointed by this meeting, to represent at Washington, the views and wishes of the memorialists, and to take such measures there as may appear proper and expedient to satisfy the Senators and Representatives of Pennsylvania, of the urgent necessity of immediate legislation, to relieve the country from existing suffering, and avert the greatest temporary evils.

Resolved, That a committee of twenty-three persons be appointed by the chair to nominate to the meeting a suitable delegation, in conformity with the preceding resolution.

Whereupon the chair appointed

For the Register.

LOGAN, THE INDIAN CHIEF.

Mr. Hazard:

In your Register of Dec. the 28th, I perceive an article taken from the Germantown Telegraph, written it is probable by a well known and respectable antiquarian, whose authority upon most points of Colonial History I should not pretend to question; but as he has in this in stance been misled by some erroneous local tradition, and as I think the fact possesses an interest not altogether local, it may be well to set it in its true light. After speaking of the connexion of James Logan with the Indian Tribes of Pennsylvania during nearly fifty years, in which time he entirely secured their esteem and affection, the writer states "that Wingahocking one of their Chiefs proposed to Logan an exchange of names in the Indian Fashion: this being agreed to, the Indian took the name of Logan, and the name of the Chief was given to the Creek running through the Stenton Grounds," &c.

I would observe that it is not said here, nor is there any reason to believe that Secretary Logan, even among his Indian friends, ever bore the name Wingahocking which politeness and policy might have required-and it would have been a poor compliment to the Indian to give to a petty stream the name which he did not himself condescend to use.

I recollected afterwards that Secretary Logan and the Chieftain of the same name could scarcely be called contemporaries, and certainly could not have long enjoyed the friendship of each other-as James Logan terminated his connexion with the Indians as early as 1748-and the Indian was still a vigorous warrior when killed about 30 years later.

My doubts thus suggested were fully confirmed by further investigation, and I conceive that the etymology of the name Wingahocking is alone perfect evidence that this story is utterly without foundation.

Logan the Indian was a Cayuga Chief, and his origina name would have been in that language, but Wingahocking is in the Delaware dialect, and its n. aning is," Choice land for cultivating or planting-a favourite spot-fine land" exactly corresponding with the natural character of Stenton farm, no doubt its original name; and certainly never belonged to any Indian Chief-all whose names were significant of some quality or commemorative of some act-and tho' sometimes taken from an animal or inanimate object to which the Indian may have had some imagined resemblance, ne. ver that I can discover were derived from localities.

from one to the other an expression of affection, or some more substantial proof of recollection. Shicalamy died in 1749, a convert of the Moravian Missionaries, whose Historian, Loskiel, bears honourable testimony of his worth. His wife it is said, was a Shawanese woman, and their son received from them the name of their old friend and benefactor. Such is the history of the name which it is likely enough was given in Christian Baptism not after any Indian fashion whatever.

There is a short memoir of the Chieftain Logan in Mr. Thatcher's lives of the Indians, which if you have space, I would recommend to you to re-print as a sequel to this letter. With much respect,

MESSAGE OF THE GOVERNOR, Accompanied with a memorial of the Judges of the Supreme Courts of Pennsylvania.

To the Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Gentlemen:-a memorial signed by the judges of the Supreme court, and directed to the Senate and House manner, the total inability of that branch of the judicaof Representatives, setting forth in à plain but forcible tory to discharge, with satisfaction to themselves, or with advantage to the public, the onerous and continually accumulating duties which the present condition them, and suggesting the adoption of Legislative meaand circumstances of the commonwealth devolve upon sures, having a tendency to mitigate their labors and to enable them to dispense justice with greater deliberation and in a manner calculated to avoid the too frequent difference of opinion among themselves, as well as to ensure more confidence in their decisions, has been forwarded to me, with a request that I would cause the same to be laid before the General Assembly. Emanating as this request does, from so respectable a source, I take great pleasure in transmitting the memorial to the two Houses, and in recommending the views and suggestions of the memorialists to the early and favorable consideration of the Legislature, with whom facts stated in the memorial are notoriously true, and it alone exists the power to afford the relief desired. The is due to public justice as well as to the memorialists, that a speedy and an effectual remedy should be provided. Permit me, gentlemen, to urge this subject upon of the judges, which may be considered as addressed your attention, and to express the hope that the appeal not to the sympathies but to the justice of the General Assembly, will not be disregarded.

Harrisburg, January the 15th, 1834.

MEMORIAL.

GEO. WOLF.

To the Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the memorial of the undersigned, judges of the Supreme court, respectfully represents:

duties, has added very materially to the previous accumulation. Many causes come from the Circuit courts by appeal; and not, as in the case of a writ of error, for the examination of a few abstract points of law, but for a reinvestigation of the merits of the whole cause including both the evidence and the law. An appeal from the Circuit court, therefore, is found to occupy double the time that is requisite for the hearing of a writ of error; and to say nothing of the time consumed on the circuits, the whole increase of business from this source, is a clear addition to what was sufficiently burthensome before. From these causes, the accumulation has reached a point which renders the efforts of the judges though strenuously applied for more than three hundred days in the year, inadequate to reduce it or even to keep pace with it.

The extraordinary exertions heretofore made, must necessarily be relaxed when the object to be attained by them, is found to be a hopeless one. Even were the undersigned able to keep the business down by dint of labor, it would deserve consideration whether the rapidity with which it would be requisite to move, is compatible with safety in a court whose errors are without remedy in the particular cause. In the four country districts, the undersigned have usually despatched from seventy to a hundred causes in the four weeks, being at the rate of nearly four causes a day; and yet a considerable number have ordinarily remained untouched for want of time. In the western district, the remnants amount to more than a hundred, and are yearly increas ing. The consequences of this extreme haste, are occasional error, and a too frequent division of opinion, which lessens the authority of the decision, and would more seldom occur if time were allowed for deliberation. In order to eradicate an occasional vicious principle hastily introduced, before it has become inveter ate, the undersigned are compelled to review their own decisions more frequently than seems to be consistent with the stability of judicial precedents. These remarks, however, are applicable only to the country districts. In Philadelphia, where the amount in contest is usually greater, and the arguments consequently fuller, there is sufficient time for reflection and consultation.

Though an appellate tribunal is not, in its design, a court for the despatch of the current of ordinary business, it seems that a large proportion of the litigated causes in the fifty-three courts of Common Pleas and District courts, finds its way into the Supreme court, besides a very considerable share of the business in the Orphans' courts and Quarter sessions. It is worthy of remark, too, that a new and no inconsiderable share of appellate jurisdiction, has been created by the act for the distribution of monies in court among lien creditors. In addition, it is the duty of the undersigned, beside the usual Nisi Prius courts at Philadelphia, to hold a Circuit court in each of the counties in which there are causes at issue, (and there is usually business in three-fourths of them) the judgments in which ordinarily come up by appeal, to swell the business in bank. Finally a considerable share of business originates in the Supreme court itself, by Habeas Corpus, Mandamus, information in the nature of Quo Warranto, and the inspection of the charters of incorporation. From this, the Legislature may perceive that the business cast upon the court is more than it can bear. It is no alleviation of the circuit duties, to find that the number of causes in many of the counties, is comparatively small. The time consumed in the same whether there is business for the whole week or not; and it is rather a source of vexation than otherwise, that a judge is sometimes compelled to travel two hundred miles to try a single cause.

The causes of the increase of business in the Supreme court, are principally these:-1. The circuit duties imposed on its judges; and the consequent review in bank, of their own decisions:-2. The abuse of the right of appeal from the county courts:-3. The increase of population and consequent organization of additional

courts:-4. The general increase of litigation from the increase of trade and speculation. The accumulation from the last two, cannot be prevented.

The undersigned are aware that the accumulation from the Circuit courts, is an inconvenience which it is difficult to deal with; and they express no opinion on the subject of their abolition. Still it is due to the occasion to say that such a measure is one of the very few which are practicable, and at the same time competent to afford any thing like substantial and permanent relief. Should it be the pleasure of the Legislature to leave these writs untouched, something, though much less might be accomplished by lessening the amount of the business derived from the county courts.

The excessive use of the writ of error, which is sensibly felt to be a grievance in Pennsylvania, is the result of an absence of all those checks, the affidavit of the suitor excepted, which are interposed to guard it from abuse elsewhere. The costs in the Supreme Court are too inconsiderable to enter into the computation of the chances, or of the benefit to be derived from delay, even should the event be unpropitious. In appeals from the Circuit courts, even the affidavit, inefficient as it is found to be in other cases, is wanting. Including the tax of three dollars, the costs of a writ of error paid down at the purchasing of the writ, are barely five dollars; and those subsequently incurred are seldom as much more, and still more seldom paid. As an execution can not be issued from the Supreme Court on an affirmance or reversal, the prothonotary has no direct means of collecting his costs, but an action before a justice of the peace, which, if the party, as he usually does, lives in another county, is very inefficient. The lien which the officer has on the record, is fruitless, where no further steps are to be taken in the court below, as neither party has an object to accomplish in such a case, by carrying the record down; and where that was otherwise, instances have been known of a second trial by consent, with out an actual transmission of the record. It may readily be imagined, then, that an unsuccessful party will not be deterred from taking the benefit of a desperate chance, where there is comparatively nothing to pay for it; and accordingly we find that three-fourths of the judgments removed, are affirmed.

In the courts of primary resort, justice ought to be as cheap as possible, because the presumption of right is not unfavorable to the party seeking redress. But when his cause has been adversely judged, by a tribunal competent to the decision of it, the presumption is posi tively against him; and if he will obtrude himself on another tribunal, it ought to be at his peril. If it were practicable, it might be desirable for the satisfaction of the suiters to make the appellate court as easy of access as are the primary ones; but as that cannot be done without choking up the appellate court, and causing a stagnation of the entire stream of justice, necessity requires that it should be otherwise. In some, if not all our sister states, a penalty in proportion to the matter in controversy, is imposed on unsuccessful appellants or plaintiffs in error. In addition to this, if writs of error were subjected to the special allowance of a judge of the Supreme court, where the matter in contest is under one hundred dollars, it would materially lessen a considerable part of the business, and prevent important principles which are sometimes involved in these small matters, from being decided without the lights afforded by a full argument.

Beside these causes of increase, it is not certain but that a too wide extension of the terms of the Supreme Court, has encouraged appellate litigation; and perhaps something might be effected by consolidating the three middle districts as the seat of Government. In any event, it would relieve the judges from a fruitless expenditure of two weeks, in additional journey to the western countries, caused by fixing the period for holding the term at Chambersburg, between the season for holding the Circuit Courts in those counties and the term