wondered how any body could be loolifli enough
to spend hours in tattling to a woman without
thinking to gain a farthing by it. They gave a
long liti of young men who had been frugal and
industrious, till they were enticed by love to pre
fer pleasure to profit. They declared, that when
we take an account of balls and treats, and trin
kets of various kinds, with the loss of time inse
parably attendant upon them, it was at the peril
of a fortune to attempt the heart of a beloved ob
ject. I was a good deal amused with the manner
in which they treated of love ; they considered it
as they would any other commodity, setting a
price upon every part of it. They reckoned a
ligh at a ihilling, and if it chanced to be observed
by the person for whom it was intended, it was
■well if half a guinea cleared the expence of it.
A fide glance was reckoned at half as much as a
full view ; they proportioned out all the parts of
a beautiful peifon, and made a valuation of each
of them—the fame scale was applied to their ve
ry attitudes ; for the fight of a beautiful woman
dancing, was accounted an enormous expence,
and if Ihe chanced to fmilc with any degree of
complacency on any one, it was well if he was
not ruined ; under these impressions they consi
dered love as a certain forerunner of poverty.
There was one complaint raised against this
paflion, which I thought had something in it
more plausible, than any I have yet mentioned ;
it turned upon the eale with which it makes its
approaches upon us, and the impofllbiliiy of
guardingagainlt its firft advances. We have been
able, fay they, by art, to manage the elements
so as in general to prevent any dangerous over
flowings of them. We brave the storm 111 (hips,
and dive into the feain bells, but the ingenuity
of man has hit upon no contrivance to five us
from the influence of love. Could we cull it in
to amulea leisure hour, or to relieve the languor
oi" a few tedious moments, and then difinifs it
again, it might be efteeined a blefiing, in a life
so barren of enjoyment. But ic is an influence
that is shed all around us, and pours itfelf upon,
us from every corner. It often lies hid betwixt
the keys of an harpficord, and is fliaken out with
a few touches of the finger. It flounces in an a
pron and is trailed along in a petticoat. Nocir
cumftance can preserve us from it, for it will of
ten Ileal upon us when we are the least upon our
guard. It hides itfelf in a look, and waves in
ringlets of the hair. It will enter by an eye, an
ear, a hand or foot.—A glance and gaze are
sometimes equally fatal.
I was next presented with a scene which I thought
as interesting and solemn as tan enterttie imagi
nation of man. This was 110 other than a view
of the whole train of disappointed lovers. At
the fight of them my heart infeiifibly melted in
to the most tender compassion. There was an ex
treme dejection mingled with a piercing wildnefs
in their looks, that was very affecling. Chear
fulnefs and fereniry, I could easily percieve they
had been long ftrangersto. Their countenances
were overspread with a gloom, which appeared
to be of long Handing, and to be collected there,
from dark and dismal imaginations. There was
at the fame time, all that kind of animation in
their features,which betokens troubled thoughts.
Their air and manner was altogether lingular,
and filch as marks a spirit at once eager ana irre
solute. Their step was irregular, and they ever
and anon started and looked around them, as tho
they were alarmed by fonie secret terror. I was
fomewliatfurprifed in looking through the whole
aflembly, not to fee any one that wept. When
they had arrived at the place where they had de
termined to present their united petitions, I was
particularly attentive to observe every thing that
palled. Tho I listened I could not learn any tiling
diftindtly. After an interval of profound lilence,
a murmur only of broken sighs and piercing ex
clamations, was heard through the aflembly. I
should have mentioned that some of them fell off
before they had got to the place of rendezvous.
They halted for some time, and continued in a
melancholy fufpence, whether they fliould turn
back or go forward. They knew not which to
prefer ; the tranquility of indifference or the
tenderdiftreflesof love ; at length they inclined
to the latter, not having resolution even to wilh
for the extinction of a paifion which mingled it
felf with the very elements of their exigence.
Why, said they,(hould we banish from our minds,
the image of all that is pleasing and delightful,
and which if wefliould once forget, there would
be notlii ng left in the world worth remembering
The agitation and anjciety felt upon this occafiim
could I lay it fully open to the reader, would
form a more intereding picture than thejdelibera
tions of Cajfar whether he fhouldpafs the Rubicon.
I imagined there were several orlier diitindt
bodies of men who complained to the heavenly
powers of the tyranny of love, but the particu
lars having in a great measure faded from my me
mory,the reader mnft exeufe my paliing them over
in lilence. 1 must not however forget to observe
that the number and unanimity of those who pre
fented tlieir petitions upon this occasion, were
fuch,that they might fairly be cotifidered as repre
f'enting the fentinients of far the greatijl part oj
mankind. (To be concluded in our next.)
[-326-]
CONGRESS
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
WEDNESDAY, JAN. 20, 1790.
ON motionof Mr. Sturges, the petitior of Je
remiah Ryan was referred to the ' retary
at War.
A petition from Cornelius Hoffman, in behalf
of sundry inhabitants of Weft Chelter county,
State of New-York, praying coinpenfation for
property taken by the American army, was read,
and laid on the table.
Mr. Wadfworth moved that sundry petitions
from invalid officers and ibldiers which were read
yeiterday and laid on the table, should be refer
ed to the Secretary at War—which motion was
adopted
The report of the committee on thepetition of
Hannibal William Dobbyn, was taken up.
Mr. Scot, one of the committee on this peti
tion informed the House, that on enquiry of the
gentleman petitioning, it appeared that he was
solicitous to purchase a larger trad of land than
is at present convenient to him to pay for : He
proposes to pay one third of the money down.—
Mr. Scot therefore moved that the following ad
dition be made to the report, That one third be
paid down, one third at the end of seven years,
and the other third at the end of twelve years,
with interest at fix per cent, on the two thirds
unpaid, from the time ot closing the contra&.
The immediate adoption of this motion was ob
jected to by Mr. Smith, (S. C.) as the terms of
naturalization and citizenship are not yet deter
mined on, and aliens cannot hold real property
but as trultees, and it may be doubted how far
natives of foreign countries may be able to com
ply with fuel) laws as may be ena<fted—at least it
will be prudent not to precipitate the business,
but to wait till the plan of uniform naturali
zation is reported. He therefore proposed, that
the confiderat ion ofthe report should be poftp^ned.
It was observed, in answer to thei'e objections,
tliat it is of importance that the proposals of fo
reigners for the purchase of the unappropriated
lunds, should be attended to with promptitude—
that they should meet with as little difficulty as
possible, especially in the firft applications, left
they should bedifcouraged : With refpeft to the
terms of naturalization,the difficulty might beea
fily surmounted by felling the lands uponcondition
of a compliance with the laws of the United States
in that cafe.
Mr. Boudinot objecfted to the motion for an ad
dition to the report: He observed, that desultory,
partial sales of the Western Territory, would be
attended with great loss to the United States : He
preferred the adoption of a system for the faleof
those lands, previous to any partial sale : There
have been large sales made—there are existing
contracts, which are not compleated: It there
fore appears that the House cannot proceed un
derftandingly in the business, with the informa
tion on the fubjetft now in their pofleffion : If
proper methods are adopted, the unappropriated
lands may be rendered a source of wealth to the
Union. Under proper regulations, (said he,) I
lhould be fully in fentiinent with gentlemen who
are in favor of the motion ; bur at present I should
prefer a suspension of the business—and therefore
would move that the repoft of the committee be
referred to the Secretary of the Treasury.
i he motion, with the following addition, was
seconded by Mr. Sedgwick, viz. To report a uni
form system for the sale of the Western Territory
of the United States.
Mr. Sherman, in favorof themotion, observed,
that the Western Territory, if properly disposed
of, would prove of very great importance to the
United States—but if fold indiscriminately to
adventurers and speculators, the United States
might get an acceflion of inhabitants whose prin
ciples may be oppoied to our republi an govern
ment, and we (hall never realize the value of the
lands, or those advantages which are expected to
be derived from that source : He then pointed
out the necelfity of adopting a previous system,
of dividing the Territory into townships, coun
ties and Itates—and of making proper reserva
tions for public uses, and felling in such lots as
would tend to enhance the value of the residue.
Some gentlemen objected to the motion in this
form : It was proposed that the report fhouldlay
on the table—and that the Secretary should be
direftedto prepare a uniform system for the sale
of the Western Territory of the United States.
It was said, that the motion as it now stood, if
adopted, would dispose of the report of the com
mittee in such manner, as appeared to preclude
the petition, on which the report is founded.
Mr. Baldwin said, That in his opinion the House
of Representatives is not a proper body to arrange
this business. The executive officers of govern
ment, in whose pofleffion are the documents of
information, are the most competent to form the
neceflary fyftenis : Nor is this a novel mode of
doing business of this nature : It is consonant to
the practice ofCongrefs under the late Confeder
ation : He then read several resolves from their
journals, by which the late Board ofTreafury
were empowered to contrast with purchasers
and in cases where credit was given, the purcha
ser received a certificate of his being entitled to
the lands—but not a deed : In respect to credir,
it had been cuilomary, and one resolve lpecifieil
seven different payments in a purchase. He was
therefore in favor of refering the bulinefs to the
Secretary of the Treasury, that he might report a
uniform fylteni for the f'ale of thole lands ; butt<>
refer the report of a committee of the House to
any executive officer, appeared to him informal.
The motion for refering the report to the Se
cretary being put, was negatived.
It was then moved that the report should lie on
the table, and the Secretary be directed to report
a plan as above.
This motion, Mr. White observed, must be con
sidered as a negative to the application now be
fore the house—and would prove a discourage
ment to future applicants, and prevent emigra
tions to this country : In refpedt to which, said
he, I do not entertain any apprehensions of dan
ger from the principles of those who may wiih
to fettle among us. The present application, if
attended to, may be productive of others, as ic
will of very great advantage to the United States
and need not preclude the adoption of a uniform
system, by which in future, applications to Con
gress will be rendered unneceflary.
Mr. Sedgwick said, that whatever might have
been his own private opinion, he Ihould now
from experience, be for ihutting the doorao-ainft
all particular applications. It will be impoiG
ble to attend to the numerous instances that
may be expected to follow, if the petitions of
individuals are to employ the time of the legisla
ture. There can not any great inconveniencies
result from a little delay. He was therefore for
digesting a regular system, and not for determin
ing in any particular cafe until that was done.
Adivilionof the motion was called for, and the
question, Shall the report lie on the table? was
determined in the affirmative.
The second part of the motion for refering the
fubjeft of a uniform plan to the Secretary of the
Treasury being put, was adopted.
The report of the Secretary of the Department
of War, on the petition of Charles Marckly, was
read a second time,and ordered to lie on the table.
Mr. Sherman moved that aftateoffaifts refpecft
ing the Western Territory, as reported by a
Committee to this House the laftTeffion, be refer,
ed to the Secretary of the Treasury for his infor
mation.
Mr. Wadfworth of the committee on that part
of the President's Speech refpecfting the South-
Weltern Frontiers, and Indian Affairs, informed
the House that the committee is ready to report.
This report, relating to bufinefsof a confidential
nature, the doors of the gallery were flint. After
a short interval the galleries were again opened.
A meflage was received from the Senate, in
forming the House, that they had appointed Mr.
Maclay, Mr. Ellfworth, and Mr. Henry, to confer
with a committee of the House, upon the question
whether or not the unfinifhed buiinefs of the lalk
feflion (hall be taken up in the present, in the
fame manner as if no adjournment had taken
place.
A concurrence with the Senate and the ap
pointment of a committee on the part of the
House was moved : This motion was objedted to,
and the recent instance of the appointment of a
committee, de novo, on a business which was left
unfinifhed the last felfion, was urged as declaring
the fepfe ofthehouferefpe<ftingtheunfini(hed bu
siness—the sense of the house being thus declared,
there is no propriety in appointing a committee
of conference, when there does not appear to be
any fubjett of disagreement ; on the contrary it
rather is probable, that there is a majority of the
Senate in favor of the pra&ice which the House
has adopted.
1° support of the motion it was said, that the
appointing of a committee of conference did not
neceflarily infer the existence of any fubjedl of
disagreement: That except the two Houfesfliould
a<sl jointly and upon similar rules, it is difßculc
to conceive how the public business could proceed.
Several initances were cited of the embarrailments
which would arise from one House' taking up the
unfinilhed bufiijefs in the State it wasleft, and the
other originating the fame business dt novo.
The motion was adopted, and a committee of
five members appointed, viz. Mr. Sherman, Mr.
1 hatcher, Mr. Hartley, Mr. White, and Mr.
Jackson.
Mr. Lee then moved, that the committee be in
structed by the House to inform the committee of
the Senate, that this House had already decided
in favor of taking up the unfinilhed business of
the last fefiion de novo.
Mr. \V hite observed, that inftrutflions would
be unneceflary, as the Senate must have known al
ready of this decision.
_Mr. Livermore was againftinftru<fling the com
mittee : VVe are not informed that the Senare
have inftrutfled their committee, said he : If the
committees are reftridted, perhaps they will not
meet upon equal ground. The business of com
mittees is to inveftigate,and therefore they should
not be. reftriifted. The House adjourned,
without a decision on Mr. Lee's motion.