HALIFAX, a town and large parish in the wapentake of Morley, of the west riding of the county of York, 196 miles from London. The town is situated in a valley, through which the river Calder runs in its course to join the Aire at Wakefield. It is an ancient borough, and once had criminal jurisdiction even in capital offences, the punishment of which was inflicted by a machine called the Maid of Halifax, which was copied in Scotland, and afterwards by Dr Guillotin in France, whose name it has since borne. As the town is the centre of the woollen trade of the whole extensive parish, a magnificent building, called the Piece Hall, for the sale of goods, has been erected, covering more than 10,000 square yards, and containing upwards of 300 separate rooms, in which individuals deposit and dispose of their goods. This, and a venerable church, distinguished by its size and its numerous monuments, are the only public buildings which merit notice. The streets are narrow, some of them steep, and have rather a gloomy appearance, though the houses, mostly of stone, are large and well built. The population amounted in 1801 to 8886, in 1811 to 9159, in 1821 to 12,628, and in 1831 to 15,382.

The parish is nearly sixty miles in length, and has a medium breadth of seven miles. It contains twenty-three townships, whose population amounts to upwards of 100,000 persons, by whom are carried on extensive manufactures of woollen, and, latterly, of cotton goods, which commerce disperses over every country of the globe; and the extent and value of the machinery by which the operations are executed are beyond calculation. By the law of 1832 Halifax was erected a borough, and elects two members. The number of voters is about 530. The population of the parish amounted in 1821 to 92,050, and in 1831 to 109,899.

Halifax, the capital of Nova Scotia, in North America, and also of a county of the same name. It is situated on a peninsula near the centre of the eastern coast, and possesses one of the finest harbours in the world, originally called Chebucto, on a bay sixteen miles in length. It was founded in 1749, by General Cornwallis, and has since carried on nearly the whole trade of the country. Halifax stands on the west side of the harbour, upon the declivity of a hill, and is laid out in oblong squares, the streets running parallel to each other at right angles. The governmenthouse is one of the most splendid edifices in North America. There is here a splendid royal dock-yard, which, during war, is an important naval station, being particularly well calculated for the shelter, repair, and outfit of fleets cruising on the American coast and in the West Indies. The harbour is at all times accessible, and is rarely impeded by ice. Ships generally anchor abreast of the town, where the harbour is rather more than a mile in width. After narrowing to about one fourth of that width, it suddenly expands into a noble sheet of water called Bedford Basin, completely land-locked, with deep water throughout, and capable of containing the whole navy of Great Britain. There is a considerable fishery at Halifax; but the colonists are neither so enterprising nor so successful as the New Englanders. The principal trade of the town and province is with the West Indies, Great Britain, and the United States. To the former are exported dried and pickled fish, lumber, coals, grindstones, cattle, flour, butter, cheese, oats, potatoes, and other produce. The same articles are exported to the southern parts of the United States, and gypsum to the eastern parts of New England. To Great Britain, are sent timber deals, whale, cod, and seal oil, furs, and other articles. The imports consist chiefly of colonial produce from the West Indies, all sorts of manufactured articles from Great Britain, and of flour, lumber, and other kinds of goods from the United States, principally for re-exportation to the West Indies. Government packets sail regularly once a month from Halifax to Falmouth; and recently packets to Liverpool have been established. There are two private banking companies in this town. About one hundred large square-rigged vessels, and about the same number of large schooners, with several smaller craft, belong to Halifax. A canal across the country from this town to the basin of Minas, which unites with the bottom of the Bay of Fundy, has been commenced. It is expected, that when completed, this work will be of essential service to the trade of Halifax. The population, exclusive of the military, amount to about 18,000. Long· 63. 28. W. Lat. 44. 36. N.

Halifax, Earl of. See Saville.