m
Excra& from the New-York Magazine—for
November, i 790.
THOUGH v>faith may obtain refpeCl, and though
. talesits may gain admiration, yet it is the life of inte
grity and virtue which will alone secure to us the esteem
«f the world. This will command refpe* and regard,
though fortune Jhould rob ui oj her gijts, and though
faClion Jhould deny ui the dtfplay of our talents. Of
the importance that a virtuous character is towards
giving us public confidence, cach day's observation may
assure us. How many do we mat within life, on whom
nature hath beftovsedthe mojl diftinguijhed talents,yet
who remain undijlinguifhed by public honors, merely
because their countrymen have not a confidence in their
virtue and integrity ? while, on the other hand, how
frequently do we fee men of moderate abilities called
to public employment, from the refpeEl and veneration
which is borne to the virtues oftheir private char all tr ?
But as example is of more efficacy than precept, behold
in the char after of one whom you boajl of as your fel-
Jow-citizen, and who now directs the finances of your
country, a proof of the principle that I wijh to esta
blish, and let his success serve as a ft intuitu to your
virtue ana to your ambition.
Though even now at an age, at-which viojl charac
ters begift their political career, yet he hath for years,
received the mo ft fiatteri/ig marks of public diflinc
tion, and now holds one of the tnojl important offices
in any government. In hit appointment to that of
fice the wijhes of the public had anticipatid the judi
cious nomination of our firjl magijlrate, whose dis
cernment in ejlimating chatatters is not the leajl va
luable of his political talents.
Though his abilities, no doubt, firjl procured him
public diflintlion, yet to the uniformity of his political
condufl, and to his inflexible and unde-j'tating integ
rity, he ztnqueflionably owes that unbounded confidence
which he now enjoys, which is so honorable to hivtfe(f t
and so serviceable to his country.
SALEM, December ar
The contention in Martinique appears to have
110 reference to the late French revolution, as
both parties acknowledge the prefentgovernment
in France. From the revolution, however, the
colonies derived the privilege of constituting
Assemblies to legislate for them. The equal laws
made by the Colonial Aflembly of Martinique no
longer left any exclusive commercial privileges
to the town of St. Pierre ; and the free people
of colorfelt the enjoyment of the rights of men.
This equality excited the jealousy of the inhabi
tants of St. Pierre, and produced an enmity to
wards the reft of the colony, which continually
increased, till the maflacre of the Mulattoes <»n
the 3d of June last. The jullice of government
was now oh]ig#fl.tQ intcrpoft , and 4Vom bencc*
have arisen the parties, of thegovernment, plan
ters, free mulattoes, &c. on one fide—and the
inhabitants of St. Pierre, on the other.
ALBANY, Dec. 23
A letter from a young gentleman of this city,
now at Manchester, Vermont, dated the 20th in
stant, mentions the sudden death of two young
women of that town, (Patty Savage, aged 18, and
Lois Godrich, 16) who having agreed, on Wed
liefday evening the 15th, to <leep in a newly
plaiftered bed-room—on account of the dampnfcfs
of the walls the servant was directed to place a j
pot of charcoal in it; and 011 the morning follow
ing! melancholy to relate ! the latter was found
dead, and the former poflefled only some of the
remaining symptoms of life—lhe however lived
lhree or four hours
ELIZABETH TOWN, Dec. 29
Extract of a letter from Will/borough, (on Lake
Champlain) to the printer hereof, dated Dec. 10.
'f The crops of every kind of grain 011 the bor
ders of Lake Champlain, have been very great,
this year, winter and summer wheat especially ;
a farmer in Willfborough had, from one single
root of wheat, one hundred and.forty-eight ears,
1110 ft of them of a large growth ; one of the reap
ers cut the grain before the number of ears were
noticed, so that the number of grains could not
be counted ; but the field in which it grew, con
tains 28 acres, on which was sown 31 bu(h«ls, and I
it yielded upwards of 800."
NEW-YORK, January, 3.
The latest accounts from Martinique state the
affairs of that Island to be (till 111 the greateftcon
fufion ; the planters, and the inhabitants of the
town of St. Pierre being still in arms against each
other, and as often as opportunity offers com
mitting the greatest enormities. However, a
seventy four gun fiiip and a frigate having late
ly arrived from France to the aid of the country,
the town of St. Pierre is entirely blocked up both
by land and sea, and being cutoff from supplies
on every fide, it was thought, when the lalt ac
counts came away, it inuft foou be brought to
fubmiflion. The disputes in this island are said
to have no reference to the late French revoluti
on, as both parties acknowledge the present go
vernment. ; but merely arise from the general
Affejjjbly having taken away certain exclusive
comiheicial privileges from the town of St.
Pierre.
CONGRESS.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
TUESDAY, Dec. 28.
(Continued from cur lafl.
LAWRANCE. Tlie people have great
LVA dependance or) tlie Wcftern Territory as
i fund to extinguish their debt ; it therefore be
oincs tlie duty of the government to obtain the
>eft price they can for it. The question is, whe
her we shall fix a price, or adopt the plan pro
lofed by the gentleman from Maflachufetts. He
vas in favor of the latter, and said he doubted
JOt it would be easy to make a discrimination
n the relative qualities of the lands. Tlirs dif
ference in price may render it worth while for
he commissioners to have the land of a parti cu
ar district explored. He replied to the objec
tion from the want of integrity in thefurveyars
Admitting the full force of the objection, it wa<
probable that the United States would gain by it
at any rate they would not lose; and it was moK
probable that, to avoid suspicion, if the f'urveyor;
(hould be inrerefted in the tracts surveyed, thej
would give more than 30 cents. Withrefpect t<
foreigners, after they ariive in the country, tliej
then will be on the fame footing with our owr
citizens. He adverted to the mode which had
been adopted by New-York—they had fold landi
in every way, at a certain price, at auction, anc
are now felling them at the discretion of com
iniffioners, at a rate not below a certain sum.
Mr. Stone objected to the mode of leaving the
price unfixed, as it would involve a complex fyf
tern, subjecting the purchasers to great inconve
nience, perplexity and uncertainty. He repro
bated the system adopted by New-York, and ask
ed the gentleman (Mr. Lawrance) whether New-
York had not been subjected to great loss and
vexation in consequence of the plan they had
pursued ? He wiflied the system of New-Yori
should be fully linderfbood, in order that the
United States may avoid it. He concluded bj
faying tliat he was in favor of fixing a price, anc
supposed that the Western Territory, fold at 3c
cents per acre, would whoi« of ttic na
d COT.
Mr. Lawrance replied to Mr. Stone: He faic:
that when the state of New-York fold their land:
at a fixed price, there had been complaints on ac
count of the bell tracts being taken up. When
they had fold them at auction, the value of the
lands had been generally realized in proportion
to the With 1 efpect to the lalt mode
adopted, the result was not yet known.
I Mr. White said, if the gentleman had propofec
i the amend mem to the clause which refpecfts large
purchases, he fliould not have objected to it. He
however objected to it in the present cafe; and,
in order to drew that a fixed price was most eli
gible for small quantities, he instanced the prac
tice of Lord Fairfax, who had been a great pro
prietor in Virginia—and also the practice of the
firft proprietors of Pennsylvania : These fold their
lands, good and bad, at one price—their experi
ence for fiich a length of time, near a century,
( he thought fufficient to shew that mode ro be
most eligible. He would not object to affixing
that condition to special contracts.
Mr. Sedgwick obviated the objection in the
firft instance, by faying that the officers will be
able to determine with very considerable preci
sion, what will be for the interest of the United
; States. He said experience had proved that there
were no insuperable difficulties in the cafe.
Mr. Moore observed, that the actual value of
the best lands in that territory was about 30 cents
per acre : When all of that description is fold,
the next will bringthe fameprice; from whence
he inferred, that there could be 110 difficulty
or loss attending fixing the price. He stated
some difficulties which would result from adopt
ing the mode proposed.
Mr. Sherman observed, that the committee
was now only fettling principles. The principal
objection to the idea of leaving the price discre
tionary, appearld to arise from the difficulty of
carrying it into execution.—He endeavored to
obviate the difficulties. He said there was un
doubtedly a, great difference in the value of the
lands : He had been informed by a fnrveyor that
some of those lands are worth a guinea per acre.
He doubted not that such information may be ob
tained by the firveyors as that a very great sav
ing may be made to the United States.
Mr. Bloodworth said he was in sentiment with
the gentleman last fpeakingfrom Virginia. Hi<
experience in the state of North Carolina was en
tirely in favor of fixing a price.
Mr. Sedgwick's motion being put, was loft.
Mr. Scot then moved that the clause whici
makes a discrimination in the fecuvities to be
paid for the land, fhoulcl be struck our. His ide;
694
was that all the securities fliould be received at
their face for the land : He said this he consi
dered as the only apology which the United
States could make to their creditors, for not pay
ing them 6 per cent, on the whole of their de
mand.
Mr. Fitzfimons objecfted to the motion He said
it would be reducing the price of ahe land to one
half the sum already agreed to.
Mr. Lawrance preferred to Mr. Scot's motion
striking out all that relates to public'fecurities,
and making gold and silver oi.ly a tender for the
land.
Mr. Sedgwick was in favor of the article as in
the report : He enlarged on the importance of
finking the public securities, and making provi
sion for extinguifliing thedefered (lock in a par
ticular manner
Mr. Scot's motion was negatived.
_ Mr. Lawrance then propoled that public feeur
ities flioukl be struck out. The gold and lilver
said/he, received for the land, may be appropri
ated to finking the debt, agreeable to the provi
sion already made for appropriating the surplus
revenue.
Mr. Jackson objected to the motion ; he ob
served that the lands in the Western Territory
had always been considered as a fund for fink-
ing great part of the public debt of the union ;
he wi/hed not to Jose fight of this objecfl—many
persons have securities in their pofl'eflion, who
may be disposed to apply them to the purchase
of lands ; those persons may not find it conveni
ent to turn their paper into gold and silver, and
1 fee no necefiity. said he, for this round about
process—a more Ample method is to be prefer
red. As the gentleman last fpenkinghad thought
proper to allude to the aisl palled the last feffi'on,
making provision for the reduction of the public
debt, beg'd leave to offer a few remarks on
that fubjedi : It is true said he, we appropriated
a lurplus revenue of one million of dollars, to
be applied to purcliafing the public debt in the
market, while at a reduced price ; but what is
the refillt ? By the report of the commifiioners
it appears that only 200,000 dollars of the debt
have been bought ; the securities have risen,
and one defcripcion of them is nearly up to par ;
why the whole sum has not been applied to make
purchases when the price was low, 1 ain not able
to fay but the benefit to the public derived from
the ineafure is so trifling, that it suggests a fnf
ficient reason to my mind for not Agreeing to
appropriate any more money in that way.
Mr. Lawrance, in answer to Mr. Jackson, ob
served that it is true the sum of one million of
surplus revenue was appropriated as a finking
fund the last fclfion ; but it was well known that
that sum was not then in the treasury, not* was
the whole expected to be realized till towarfts
the close of the year; this would account for the
whole amount's not being appropriaied. With
iefpe(t to the proceedings of the commiflioners,
lie was not so fully informed as to give the com
mittee full information 011 the fubjetft ; but
doubted not that their tranfacflions would be
round to be perfectly conformable to the spirit
and meaning of the law under which theyacfted.
The motion for finking out public fecuritias
was loft.
MONDAY, Jan. 3
The bill for the relief of Shubael Swaine was
read the second time, and ordered to be engross
ed for a third reading.
Mr.Hathorne presented the petition of William
Reynolds, a soldier of the late army, wounded at
the attack on tort Montgomery, praying to be
placed 011 the pension lift.
Mr. Fitzfiinons presented the petitionof Joseph
Huck. The above petitions were referred to
the Secretary of War.
A mefiage was received from the President of
the United States, by Mr. Secretary Lear, with
the copy of an adl of the legislature' of New-Ter
fey, ceding to the United States the lot of ground
at Sandy Hook, on which the light-house isereift-
The House then took in consideration the re
port of the committee of the whole house, on the
report of the Secretary of the Treasury relative
to the eftabliftiment of land-offices, for the faleof
lands in the Western Territory—The Speaker
read the report. The firft rel'olution provides
for the.eftablifliment of a general land-office, at
the feat of government. Thefecond, for two fu
boi dinate land-offices in the Western Territory
One to the South—the other to the North Weft
of the Ohio. The third, that all sales above
acres /hall be negociated at the general land-office,
tourth, Indian titles to be extinguished previous
to any sale. These resolutions were adopted byi
the house, without a division. The fifth refolu-
tion provides that convenient locations shall be set
off ior actual fcttlers.—This resolution on motion
of Mr. Scot was struck out. He proposed a sub-
Ititute, which after some debate was disagreed to.
1 he sixth resolution provides, that tliefe"en ran
ges already laid out fliall be surveyed and fold.
This was adopted. The seventh, that any quan-/
titles within natural boundaries, of lines, or both,