EXECUTION OF PIRATES.

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were carried to Goat Island, and buried on the shore, between high and low-water mark.

The names of the pirates that were executed on Friday, July

the 19th, 1723, at Newport, on Rhode Island, were

Most of these men were foreigners; but one belonged to Rhode Island. They were principally natives of England. Perhaps there never was a greater number executed at any one period, in the history of this country.

Block Island, was named after Adrian Block, a Dutch navigator, who, in the summer of 1644, built on the banks of the Hudson, the first decked vessel ever built within the old United States. The vessel was called Yatch, and made her first voyage through Hell Gate, into the Sound, as far as Cape Cod, by the Vineyard. It was on this voyage that Block Island was discovered. The island is about nine miles long, and contains a population of 1,262, according to the last census, in 1850. They are a hardy race of men, engaged principally in fishing and agriculture. It is nine miles to the nearest land.

The codfish cured by the islanders, commands a higher price in the market, than those which are taken and cured elsewhere. The soil is rich and fertile, which enables them to export oats, stock, poultry, &c. Their boats, which are perfectly unique in their construction, will live in a gale, while larger craft have to. make a harbor. There is on the island, three places of publicworship. One close communion, and two free-will Baptist churches. It lays thirty miles south-west from Newport..

A number of pirates were executed in November, as appears

by an Act of the Assembly, for paying the expense of the conviction and execution. They are said to have been executed in the lot, near the Powder-house, at Newport, which afterwards bore the name of the "Gallow's Field."

William Jeffray, was a native of England; at what time he came to America is unknown, but we find him in Massachusetts as early as 1628. He came to Rhode Island soon after the first settlement, and, in 1639, was one of the persons appointed to set off the lands of the first settlers of Newport.

He appears to have been held in great respect by the colonists, and was consulted on all important occasions, and was sev eral times an assistant or deputy from Newport. He was in England about the time of the trial and execution of Charles I., which it is probable, was the origin of a tradition which has always existed, that he was one of the judges on the trial of that unfortunate monarch, and as such his grave is pointed out to this day. He owned a farm of about seventy acres on the Neck, and the point extending out from the farm, is called Jeffray's Point. The extremes of the Neck belonged to Coggeshall and Brenton, while the centre part embraced Price's Neck. We presume Price was an owner, as well as Jeffray's. He died on the 2d of June, 1675, at the advanced age of eighty-five years, and was buried in the common burial place.

Here lieth interred, the body of

WILL. JEFFRAY, GENT.

WHO DEPARTED THIS LIFE ON YE 2D DAY OF JUNE, 1675.

In the 85th year of his age.

Since every tomb an epitaph can have,

The muses owe their tribute to this grave

And to succeeding ages recommend

His worthy name, who lived and died their friend.

VIVIT POST TEMERE VIRTUS.

DISTRESSING ACCIDENT.

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DISTRESSING ACCIDENT.

Sept. 17, 1744, was memorable for a most distressing accident, which took place in Newport. A number of gentlemen had collected on the wharf of Col. Malbern, to view the fitting out of two privateers, when a quantity of powder, which had been placed in one of the stores, by some unaccountable means, exploded, killing or wounding a number of persons.

By this accident, the town lost three of its principal citizens, William Coddington, Esq., Mr. Grant, and John Gidley, Esq., who were either killed or died of their wounds. Mr Coddington was a grandson of Governor Coddington, and had held many offices in the colony. Mr. Grant was a native of Scotland, and a respectable merchant of Newport; he was the maternal grandfather of the late Christopher G. Champlin; and Mr. Gidley was an enterprizing merchant, and son of Judge Gidley, of the Vice-Admiralty Court. The house owned and occupied by Mr. Gidley, passed from his grandson to the late Major Breeze, and is now in possession of the heirs of the late Thomas Breeze, of the United States Navy. The street north, is named Gidley, in honor of that gentleman. To those who are fond of reminiscences, such incidents will prove highly interesting and amusing. Newport has been the scene of many wonderful events, and it would be impossible to embody, in a work of this kind, all of them, but as a record of facts, we have aimed to give the reader the benefit of the most striking incidents which have occurred on the island.

Col. William Coddington, was son of Thomas and Mary Coddington, and grandson of the elder Gov. William Coddington, who emigrated from England to Boston with Gov. Winthrop, in 1630. His first wife was Comfort Arnold, eldest daughter of Benedict, son or grandson of Gov. Benedict Arnold. Col Coddington was born January 1st, 1690, and was a well-educated and accomplished gentleman. The Rev. John Callender, in his century sermon, delivered in Newport, in 1738, which was dedicated to him, says:

"It is not barely to give you a public testimony of my grati tude for many personal favors, nor yet that esteem and respect

which all men bear you, for your singular equity and benevolence, not only in private life, but in all the various offices in which you have adorned your country, that I prefix your name to these papers-but because an attempt to recover some account of this happy island, and to make a religious improvement of the merciful providence of God towards it, is justly due to the lineal representative of that worthy gentleman, who was the great instrument of its original settlement.

"If the following discourse has done any justice to the memory and character of the pious people who first settled this colony; or, if it has any tendency to promote the true, original ends of this plantation, I am sure of your patronage. And, as to what relates to some articles, different from your judgment and practice in religious matters, the generosity and candor you inherit from your great ancestors, will easily bear with me in endeavoring to vindicate my own opinions on such an occasion."

Such an eulogium, from the pen of the gifted Callender, on the excellencies of character which were possessed by Col. Coddington, and his ancestor Gov. Coddington, place them in the first rank as the advocates of those sound and liberal principles, which operated in a most remarkable manner, in building up this colony.

It would seem from a perusal of Mr. Callender's sermon, that he was entirely free from sectarianism. While he took the liberty to think for himself, and to make his own deductions, he left to others the same inherent right, and hence a mutual good feeling existed among the different branches of Christ's Church in Newport, and which has continued to a great degree, and perhaps greater than in any other spot in New-England.

JOHN CLARKE, AND THE CHARTER OF 1663.

Having already alluded to John Clarke, and the important part which he took in the cause of religious liberty, we now propose to enter more fully on the work, as this is a point of vital interest to the inhabitants of the ancient metropolis. Too long have the laurels been plucked from his brow to grace those of another, without one voice being raised in its condemnation.

JOHN CLARKE, AND THE CHARTER OF 1663.

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Like Americus Vespucius, who stole the glory from Columbus, to enrich and ennoble his own character, so has the merit been bestowed on Williams, which pre-eminently belongs to Clarke. We have said that owing to the decline of commerce in Newport, which was her chief support, and which made her the second commercial emporium in the Colonies, has followed in its train, a want of self-respect, in not fearlessly asserting her just claims, of being the first in the sacred cause of human rights. Adverse providences in communities, as well as individuals, are apt to lessen the interest which should ever predominate in the human mind, to stand by the principles which were purchased at a great sacrifice by our pious forefathers, and never permit them to be wrested from us with impunity. This has been sadly realized in the matter now under consideration. There has been a spirit at work in this State which has operated most sensibly against that true independence of character, which ought most especially to distinguish this people above others. A few have assumed to have in posses. sion all the wisdom, to guide and direct the affairs both of Church and State, and to crush the least emotion of patriotism, which has occasionally burst forth from the bosom of others. It is to this cause alone that we attribute the want of talent so obviously witnessed in this State. The question is often asked by those of other States,-" Are there no minds in Rhode Island qualified to compete with men of other sections, whose abilities have assisted them to the highest posts of honor and distinction?" Our reply has ever been in the affirmative; and that the only cause has arisen from not encouraging and putting men forward, but rather laboring to hold them back, for fear that their own ignorance would be the more apparent. What' other valid reason can be offered? Have we not facilities for education? Is there not an institution called Brown University, which professes to rank high in the scale of literature? Then what prevents the development of mind? Is the moral soil sterile and unproductive? Is this our unhappy lot? The reason is too plain and obvious to admit of a question-it is the want of independence to speak out boldly our thoughts; every thing has become stereotyped, in morals and in politics, so that the moment a sentiment is advanced, not in agreement with previous views, such minds must be sacrificed on the altar of