Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XIII.djvu/281

 PENNY government framed by William Penn in 1682 and subsequently amended until 1776, when a provisional constitution was prepared by a convention of which Benjamin Franklin was S resident. A new constitution was adopted i 1790, which has since been several times amended. In 1838 provision was made for electing, instead of appointing, county officers, the right of voting was limited to white per- sons, and the term of judicial offices was re- duced from life to 10 and 15 years. In 1850 the judiciary was made elective by the people ; in 1857 the state, county, and municipal au- thorities were prohibited from subscribing to the construction of internal improvements; and in 1864 soldiers in the field in time of war were guaranteed the right of suffrage. In 1873 an amended constitution was approved by the people by a vote of 253,744 against 108,594, and went into force on Jan. 1, 1874. In 1794 resistance, known as the " whiskey rebellion," was made by the people in the western part of the state to the enforcement of the United States excise law. Troops were sent to the disturbed district, but no blood was shed, and the movement soon ceased. Except a brief period when the seat of government was at Old Chester, Philadelphia was the capital du- ring the entire period of the proprietary gov- ernment. In 1799 Lancaster was chosen as the seat of government, and in 1812 Harris- burg became the capital. In September, 1862, Gov. Curtin called for 50,000 volunteer militia to repel a threatened invasion of the state by the confederates under Gen. Lee. The latter, however, after invading Maryland, retired with- out entering Pennsylvania. In October a body of confederate cavalry made a raid as far as Chambersburg, but soon retreated. For an account of the invasion of the state in 1863, see GETTYSBURG. In July, 1864, the confed- erates advanced upon Chambersburg, and near- ly destroyed the town by fire. During the war Pennsylvania furnished 387,284 troops to the federal army, being 269,645 reduced to a three years' standard. PENNY, an English coin and money of ac- count, equal to -fa of a shilling. It was the only coin generally current among the Anglo- Saxons, and the most ancient except the sceat- ta. The name seems to be the same as the German Pfennig, and connected with the old German pfant, a pledge, and the Latin pendere, to weigh out, hence to pay. It was made of silver, and weighed 22 grains troy, or -^ of the Saxon pound, corresponding to the Roman PENNYROYAL 271 denarius, ^^ of the libra. The ancient penny was divided by a deeply indented cross into four quarters, which might be broken apart ; whence the terms halfpenny and farthing, which were not coined separately until the time of Edward I. In the reign of Edward III. its weight was reduced to 18 grains, in that of Edward IV. to 12, in that of Edward VI. to 8, and in that of Queen Elizabeth to 7ff, or -fa of an ounce in silver, which value 648 VOL. XIIT. 18 was retained till 1860. Copper halfpence and farthings were first coined in 1672, but the copper penny was not introduced till 1797; twopenny pieces were coined at the same time, but soon withdrawn because too large for circulation. In 1860 a new bronze coin was introduced to replace the old copper coin- age. The bronze penny is of only about half the value of the old copper penny. PENN TAN, a village and the capital of Yates co., New York, on the outlet of Keuka (for- merly Crooked) lake, 1 m. from its foot and 6 m. W. of Seneca lake, 170 m. W. of Albany and 95 m. E. by S. of Buffalo ; pop. in 1870, 3,488. It is centrally situated in the lake re- gion of western New York, and has a brisk and growing trade. The Northern Central railroad connects it with the New York Cen- tral on the north and the Erie on the south. The Sodus Bay and Corning railroad, now (1875) in progress, is to connect it with the Pennsylvania coal region and Lake Ontario. Two steamers ply daily during the season of navigation to Hammondsport at the head of Keuka lake. The outlet of this lake furnishes fine water power, and is bordered throughout its course by the Keuka Lake canal. The prin- cipal manufactories are two flouring mills, a barrel factory, a planing mill, and an exten- sive malt house. The principal depot and storehouses of the Northern Central railroad are situated here, and a rolling mill and horse- shoe nail manufactory are in course of erec- tion. The county buildings stand on a public square in the centre of the village. There are two fire engine houses, a commodious public hall, five hotels, a national bank, an academic union school, two primary schools, three week- ly newspapers, and five churches (Baptist, Epis- copal, Methodist, Presbyterian, and Roman Catholic). The village was incorporated in 1833. The name is composed of the first syl- lables of the words Pennsylvania and Yankee, some of the early settlers being natives of that state and some of New England. PENNYROYAL (Lat. pulegium regium). I. A species of mint, mentJia pulegium, having the general characters of the genus (see MINT), but with smaller leaves than in any other useful species, being seldom over half an inch long. It'is a perennial, very common in the south of Europe, and found as far north as Denmark ; and it also grows in portions of Asia and Africa. Its odor, due to an essential oil, is very strong, quite distinct from that of other mints, and to most persons much less agreeable. In former times it was held in high esteem, and its medicinal virtues are recorded by Dios- corides and by Pliny, who recommends it to be hung in sleeping rooms as more conducive to health than roses. Except as a domestic remedy, pennyroyal has fallen into disuse, as its properties are not different from those of other similar aromatics ; the oil, which has the properties of the plant in a concentrated form, is kept in the shops. II. A plant so called in