THE STEAMBOAT [CAR OF NEPTUNE] ON THE HUDSON, l8l I Woodcut by Hewitt after sketch by J[ames S.] Glennie, [1811] From The Port Folio, 3d. series, Vol. II, No. 5, November 1813 Government] and in conjunction with him a patent for navigating the rivers for the space of 25 years, but the inhabitants have disputed this act of their Government on the same plea as the House of Representatives of Georgia disputed the Yazoo act, and in spite of the patent have established boats on every river in America and in the face of an Act of Congress.' In a country like America, where the vox populi is the law of the State, and where the most solemn acts of Government are rendered ineffectual if they in the least tend to operate against the equal liberty of all, the arts sciences and manufactures must linger in mediocrity, for there is nothing that will bring them sooner forward than just reward, which seems to be denied as incompatible with the liberty of the subject in this country. At nine at night we touched at Hudson City, 132 miles from New York, to which vessels of 500 tons may ascend, opposite to which is Athens, a new town on the west side of the river at the bottom of the mountains, and at 3 o'clock in the morning we arrived at Albany which is 167 miles from New York. The beauties of the North River consist in the boldness of its banks, the extensive sheet sometimes seen before one, & the numerous small 'In 1811, in the face of the Fulton-Livingston monopoly, a group of Albany investors built two steamboats, the Hope and the Perseverance, and put them in operation on the Hudson. On July 27th the Hope and Fulton's North River engaged in the first of the steamboat races. 273