A
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
FRIDAY, July 23.
f)ebate on the amendment of the Senate to the Fund
ing Bill, to affabie a part of the State Debts.
Mr. Smith. (S. C.) *
Concluded.
THE opposition to the alTumption was ftrongeflfrom the States
of Virginia and Maryland, and was founded in a belief that
those States would be coniiderably injured by it. It had been
said that they had cxtinguifhed a considerable portion of their
State debts, and had placed the balance in a convenient train of
fcttlcment : the'Scate of Virginia,including Kentucky,he faid,was
a very targe and opulent State, abounding in internal iefoiirces,and
the exertions the had made towards the discharge of her debt
ought ndt to be eftimated'by a eompaiifon with other States, but
by • reference to her own lizc «ntd ftrcngth : exertions which
rn'fght appear considerable when put in opposition to those of
fmallerStates, would perhaps appear of less importance when
her magnitude and vail resources Werecontcmplated. The mem
bers from that State had not informed the h«ufe of her
debt had been discharged, tlio* they had generally spoken of a
large fuin ; he had been informed that it did not in the whole
exceed three millions of dollars ; now this was surely a moderate
sum to be raised in a period of eight year* by a State which, ac
cording to a refpc&able author, might without inconvenience,
even in the time of war, raise 1,500,000 dollai* annually. 'But
South-Carolina, a State of not half the size and population, had
paid mote than three millions of her debt, although Ihc had un
qucflionably fullered much more by the war.
With refpett to the State of Maryland, notwithstanding Hie
had fortunately efcapcd the, ravaging hand of the enemy, yet ftie
was obliged to resort to her confiscated property as a fund tor the
discharge of her debt, while South-Carolina had, in pursuance of
ihe treaty of peace, and the recommendation of Congress, libe
rally relinquished a mass of valuable conftfcated property, with
which lhe might lftng ago have funk every farthing of her debt.
Upon iuveiligation it did not then appear,that those States were
entitled to more applause for their exertions, or would be more
injured by the assumption than other States ; but admitting, he
said, that their exertions have been confiderablc, they will ob
tain a credit for them in the final fettle men t, and will become
creditor States in proportion to their advances. The afluihptfon
will be favorable to both the. debtor and creditor States ; thefor
mer will be relieved from their debts, and will not be compelled
to pay their balances by dire& taxes which they otherwise niuft
do ; the latter can receive their balances by no other process ; af
ter the alTumption, th*re will be more creditor than debtor States,'
consequently there will be a majority in both houses to enforce a
■ftttlenient and payment. The advantages to the States in general
will be considerable; relieved from a grievous preflure of State
debt, and from an expensive mode of taxation, they will apply
their internal resources to the improvement of their manufa&ures,
the opening their inland navigation, and the encreafing of their
cxpotts.
The non-aflumprion will \>c produ&ive of endless embarrass
ments ; some States were unable to discharge their debts with the
aid of the impost and excise ; how will they be equal to it, de
prived of those resources, or having only a partial afliftance from
the latter ? If the Union (hould rtfort to the excise as well as the
impost, the States will have nothing left hut dire& taxation, and
can thev with that resource alone defray their civil lift and con
tingent annual expcnces, and fink their debts ? The States will be
compelled to carry on a warfare of revenue againll each other:
manufactures prote&ed bry duties in a manufacturing Sfate will
be crushed by a heavy excise in a consuming State; excise will
be la'id on import, and excise will be laid against excise, and the
people will be ground between the rival systems. One of the
principal causes of the present government was the mifchief re
fusing from a conrrariety of commercial regulations in the dif
ferent States ; the no'n-aflumption will renew ihcfe einbarruffments
—will defeat one of the main obje&s of the constitution, and bef
repugnant to its very ■principles ; the meeting at Annapolis had in
view a uniform system of commercial regulation* and duties and
from that meeting fpiungtHe prefcqt conftjtution. Th£ rejection*
of this measure will induce a repetition « f a)L ihofe clashing iyf
tems whicto were so injurious to our"trade and manuta£lures.
A-slhe assumption relates to the government of the United States,
there can be no doubt that viewing it as a federal question, it will
be a measure, which will contribute to the more durable union of
the States and will greatly facilitate the collection of the revenue.
It will lie just and politic : Jult, brraufc the*xpences were incur-■
red in the common cause, and ought to belaid from the com
mon treasury ; and because Congress are ejtclulivelv poficir>_d of
the betV rtfources of the country ; politic, becaufc the State sys
tems nf revenue will obftrufi and injure the national system and
impai- the credit of the United StMcs. These conliderations
should have weight with those who arefpecially appointed to ad
minnler this government. — In < great national queliion they
%iuld not futfer local confideranons to warp their judgment and
influence a vote-on which perhaps the very exigence ot the union
may defend. Will it be denied that there -will be a clashing be
tween fche States on the fubjeft of taxes and exiifcs, that there will
be heart burnings on the part of the State creditors who will be
left destitute while ample provision ij made for the continental
creditors ; that many of them will not only connive at frauds in
iNe revenue, but will even promote tliem to-rcducethe continent
al creditor to a level with themlelvrs, that smuggling, infteod of
being viewed as a crime against the union, will be deemed an ui
tiocent a£l, and even brcflme popular ; because those who think
abandoned by the government will feel themSclves juf
lificd iu thwarting the colleftiottof a revenue which is to be dis
tributed with so partial a hand ; shall one creditor be ruined be
caufc hp happened to be a citizen of a State, diltant from the re
fidcnce of Congress, and received State securities, while another,'
perhaps less meritorious (for he might not have been a voluntary,
creditor) will have the principal and interest of his debt well
funded, and a conformable subsistence provided for the remainder;
of his days? Shall the baie ciicumftance of a continental comj
miffioner not going into a diltant State till a considerable time af
ter the peace, to liquidate the claims of its' citizens, deprive them,
ef a coinpenfatipn for their services, or a retribution tor their
property employed in the common cause ? Or (ha'.i the (offerings!
of a State dining the war be aggravated as the peace, by saddling
her with the payment of a large debt incurred for general purpo-
Jes ? When thefc reflections rulH on the minds of the State cre
ditors, would it be surprising that they Ihould abhor a govern-,
merit b,y which they (hall be treated with futh palpable inj-iftice il
llut it is contended that jultice will be done them by leaving
the payment of their demands to the several States ? And that jus*
tice will be also done tq those States which have made greater ex
ertions than-ethers on a final I'ettlement of accounts. With res,
pett to' the latter STileWation, itYannot be urgrd with finTritv
by thyfc who ha«c d-Kared themftlve* purfuaded that, no fettle?
jiic.-it will cyct taKc pl.v>e, and who hive relied on that circum-t
(lance as an argu me«t agairift the aflumption, bccaufe, fay they, it
is unjust that the States which have made considerable efforts linje
the peace to*difcharge their debts, should he taxed a second time
to contribute towards the debts of other States; when this ob
jection is obviated, by telling them that on a final settlement of
accounts, they will have credit for these payments, and that the
smaller the debt which is aflumed by the union, the larger will be
their balance as creditor States, they ridicule the idea ot any final
adjuflment of account* ; now when it is declared that theairuinp
tion isneceflary to do jufiice to those States which made the moil
confidcrable exertions to repel the enemy, we are referred, for
that juflice to a final fettlemcnt of accounts. ISut cither-there will
be a fettlcnient or there will not ; If there will be a feujement,
no injuflice will be done by the alTuinption to tWe States which
have already paid off a portion of their debts, for on such settle
ment thry will have credit for their payments with interest, and
will have iheir advances refunded : If there will not be a fcttle
ment, the argumeut in of the assumption is unanlwerable,
for it is the only mode by wl\ich jufticc£*m be done to the States
which were moll expo fed to the attacks of the enemy, and made
the greatest advances in the common defence. But if there be uo
feitlement, I shall be alked how is retribution to be made to the
States which have cancelled part of their debts finee the war ; wall
not the a (Turn pt ion be jqjurioua.to them ? I aufwer in a confiier
ably smaller degree titan the non-alfumptioii to the others ; because
their ability to discharge part of their debt finer the peace is a
strong proof that they fuffcained little injury by the war ; and al
though they (hould coutnbute to ths discharge of the deb*s of the
fuffering States, it vyou'q'be uo more than equalizing the expeoces
and burdens of War. Let o# however inquire by. what extraor
dinary exertions some States nave reduced their debts, and if in
the projjrcfs of our inquiry we should find that they have got rid
ot their debts, in fonie instance* with little difficulties to them
'elvcs, and in othe/s with little,benefit to their creditors, we shall
not be ready to allow them so much n\prit for their exertion as
they wish to obtain.—Some f/ave paid no interest to their crv
duors for a number of year , b'ut have cut down the capital of
the debt at once, by afaleof confifehted property, or vacant and
ufclefs lands—ln this pafe the State ipade no exertions ; her citi
zens were not taxed, por was her government put to any incon
venience or difficulty—tfcie property of her enemies* which Con
grefsat the peace recommended tt/them to restore, or unappro
priated back lands were applied *to'the discharge of the debt,
while the creditor after waiting several years'without receiving
any interest on his certificate was obliged to receive the principal
in confiscated property of wild lands, at an extravagant price.
Others have dil'charged their debts with depreciated'paptr or by
taxes payable in the principal of-their debt, or by Jother arrange
ments as little burdenfomc to the State as advantageous to the cre
ditor. No material injury therefore can reiult to thcic States,
even (hould they never have credit for such payments.
Mr. Smith then observed, that the juilice, policy, expediency,
and even neceflity of the allumption being ev\dent in every view
in which it could be contemplated, and the mifchiets which would
flow from a rejection of it being equally obvious and alarming, he
trusted it would on a further consideration be agreed to. A fund
ing fyftrtn without it would want the only basis on which it Coufd
Aanc\; justice and the confentof the people were necelTary loi its
exigence ; (hould it appear to them partial and unjyih.its opera
tion would be embarraired and the continental creditors them
selves woiild be the firft persons to lament the absence of that ne
•ceflary ingredient without which it would be vain arid ineffectual
He then to some of Mr. Jackson's obfervatious.
REMARKS ON THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE,
IN vulgar speech, the word got answers a ftrcat variety of pur
poses : A man has get a horfc ; his house done :-has
got his leg broke ; hasgqt his wheat to reap ; has got to go to
work : A boy has got \u get hisleflon, or has got his(Ton to get:
In short, if I attempt to ok ntion a thousandth part oi the ways by
Which this poof got is abused, I fhouid have a task indeed. Let
arty farmer who comes from his field and fits down to read this
paper, afic himfelf whether it is not quite as easy to fay he has a
horfc, as to lay, he has got a Horfc, and cafier to fay he mujl go, than
to fay, he has got'to go. Let me ask whether it does not found
better to fav.' he mull get a cart," than to fay, 4 * he has got to
get a cart ?" If he ihoutd ihjnk this a matter of no consequence,
I can only lose my labor of writing—no harm will be done.
Again; it is" a custom with our modest country people to.ask
questions thus ; 'you dont want any corn, do you : You have not
any rum to fell ,havc you, you dont want to buy veal, do you ?
New-England.people are much laughed at, for Jthis singular prac
tice ; and indeed it is ridiculous.. Let meafkour market people
why it is not juflt as eafv to ask a decently and directly
at once ;do you want to buy veal; or, will,you buy corn ? One wuo'ld
think it beftto finilh theburincf* dvrettly andhandfomcly.
And here let me to my countrymen a lit-tJe more drci
flon in aiifw'ering aueitions. If I aik a man a civil question, 1
Want a dirfcft artfwer : I want no round aboqt indirect answers,
such as," I don't much care if Ido ;. I don't know but J will; I can't
tell whether 1 will or not. There may be cases when such an inde
cisive ahfWer is neceifary ; but if I ask a man to cat or drink, or
take a'ride with me, 1 want no such answers as," •* Why, I don't
care much ifl do."
How mahy at: there le(t ? Sa-jd Ito a man (landing by me ;
WVr a one, replied he. Ne'er a onc y ne'er a one y said I'; this is not
Englilh. Never a one, never a one ; this is Irilh or Scotch, it cer
tainly is not English. So When I ask a man, how many horCes
he keeps,, he tells me, he keeps never a one This is odd indeed !
But when he fays he has none, this is plain intelligible Englilh.
. > «■ * [ American Mercury.]
LONDON, JUNE 7.
OUR Constitution if kept upon its original pu
rity, is far superior to any of the boalted
republics of antiquity. In Rome, whose constitu
tion was an improvement on the Grecian models,
the citizens eledfced their Consuls, Prajtors, Tri
bunes of the pewple, &c. but the Senate was an
hereditary body, and all powers might be said to
be committed to their hands ; for though the Tri
bunes, who fat in the porch o£ the Senate House,
might give their "Veto" to any law, yet the
whole of them tnuft agree, asone diflentient voice
would set aside the negative of the reft. In these
kingdoms, however, we ele<fl our Senators, and
were but the Boroughs reformed, our form of
constitutional government would come as near to
perfection, as any political institution can pofli
bly admit.
When the news of the late defeat of the Patri
otsreaclied Namur, several citizens, well afFecfted
to the house of exprefled the higheftfa
tisfaiftion at the event. This was imprudent.
But when they saw a number of wounded men
brought from the Patriot army to the hospitals
of Namur, their exultations increased, which
doubtless were inhuman.
Intheutmoft consternation at the rumours of
a defeat, and enraged at the treachcry and info
568
lence of the Royal party, the populace aOembleil
•attacked, pillaged, and completely demolifiied
three houses belonging to tlielioyalills. A child
was accidentally killed in the tumults.
On the Z2d, the populace again ail'embled for
the purpose of devaluation and revenge, but the
garrifoil troops joined the armed citizens and de
feated their deligns.
The exceiles were again renewed 011 the 23d;
at night, and the house of a Bookfellcr was de
ltroyed, and himfelf thrown out of a Window.
An Irilh Gentlemaii being lately alked what ho
thought of Gen. Burgoyne's abilities, replied
—" that, as a military man, he was a deccnt farce
writer." Being asked what he meant by that, fir
Patrick replied.—" the General wrote a good
farce in England, and aifted a bad one in Ame
rica."
Nothing has yet trail spired concerning Dqdtor
Warton's literary occupations at the time of
his death. It has been generally believed that
he had undertaken a new edition of
LolV, at the particular requelt of his Majesty;
and as he was peculiarly c|Ualified both in critical
talents and taste to do honor to such a work, we.
hope to hear that it is at least in such a stare of
advancement as to admit of publication.
COALITION between FRANCE and SPAIN,
ITS NATURAL EFFECTS:
The Grandees of Spain about 300 years ago
fojd the liberties of the people to the then Mo
narch, the ancient constitution of every province
being governed by its own peculiar laws was
abolilhed, and a new system adopted, which
obliged the Nobility, Clergy, and Reprefema
tives of the people to meet, confirm, and record
the decrees of the Sovereign, without allowing
them a negative on any occasion.
This arbitary mode seemed so well formed for
carrying into execution 1 lie opprellive views of
tyranny, that Cardinals Richlieu and Mazarine,
effetfted its eltablifliment in France, deprived the
twelve Provinces of their privilege of making
laws, or rather giving their aflent or diflcnt to
arrets, parted by the King for the Gov eminent of
the Empire, and thereby made France a Monar
chy as absolute as Spain in every other rcfpedL
except on the point of deciding upon civil acti
ons.
The riots in Dublin have been of a very alarm
ing nature, the election mobs fweepingall before
them. Several persons have loft their lives in
consequence of the Military being obliged to fire
on the deluded hirelings of the party in that
kingdom. Ihe ele&ion for the city of Dublin,
concluded something like our Weftuiiniter elec
tion, the mobility of weavers polling over and
over again, in consequence of which, the Duke
of Leinfter's brother, and Mr.Grattan,have been
returned by a larg'e majority. The county of
Dublin election is also finifhed, and Sir Edward
Nevvenham aud Mr. Talbot returned. Mr. Tal
bot is one of those independent gentlemen who
mean to iupport government.
ADVERTISEMENT.
PURSUANT to a Resolve or ast of Congress of the 10th day
of May, 1780, relative to the deftru&ion of Loan-Office Cer
tificates by accident ; notice is hereby giver* to all whom it may
concern, that on the 2d day of January the houle occupied
by ihe fubtcriber in Market-Street, Philadelphia, took, fire and
was confamcd, injyvhith was lodged a numbe* of Loan-Oftce
certificates as pr. lift below, which were deftvoyed by the fa id
fire ; Therefore if any person, hath any objection why the laid
Ceitificates should not be renewed, agreeable to the re so Ives of
Congress. they mult make them before the expiratio of three
months, from th«- date hereof.
Invoke of Loan-Ojfice Certificates dejlroyed in the hovjc of John Holht
on the 2d day ofJanuary 17 80.
-S. No. ' Dols.
1636 r Samuel Cooke, jun. New-York, 6o#
1673 1 ditto. dc. 6ot
.No.
1636
»6?3
1778.
March 13.
In testimony whereof I have signed the present for pub
lication. HOLKER.
Neio-Yo, !ij July 26th 9 1790.-
TO BE LET,
On very low terms—and entered upon immediately, until the JirJl ef
May next.
THAT elegant new TWO STORY BRICK HOUSE, io tjie
Bo\yery-Lan«, formerly occupied by Robert Gu» eri
Livingston, deceased ; it has seven Fire Places with a good
Cellar under the whole Houie—a convenient out-Houfe in the
rear, with a Coach-House, and Stables ; for further particulars en
quire of MANGLE MINTHORN.
(2 w. i. f.) Corporation Dock.
This day pubUJhed,
And to be fold by THOMAS AILEN, Quecn-Strect, corner M
Fly-Market,
A COLLECTION" OF
ESSAYS AND FUGITIVE WRITINGS#
By Noah Wsbstek, Jum.
The Mail Diligence,
TOR PHILADELPHIA,
LEAVES the Ferry-Stairs, at New-York, Ten minutes a tef
Eight o'clock every morning exccpt Sunday.
Stage Office, City Tavern, )
Bioad-Way, New-York June 5,1790. 5
jC?* Dr. Price's Revolution tuts it
the Editor. Price lj[j*
AND
On virions fubje&s.
*
Dollars, j'46o.