CONGRESS.
HOUSE OK REPRESENTATIVES
TUESDAY, Feb. 8.
The BANK BILL under confdsration.
MR. VINING
APOLOGIZED for rifmg to offer his sentiments
on tliis fubje<ft, which had been already so
ably difcufled ; but considering the nature of the
objections as arising from conltituiional princi
ples, it had acquired an importance which would
juftify his troubling the lioufe with foineremarks.
He began by noticing the leading argument of
Mr. Madison, refpecfling the sense of the conti
nental convention, on the power proposed to be
exercised by Congrels in this bill. He Ihewed
that the opinion of the gentleman, in this in
flance, was, if not Angular, different from that of
his cotemporaries ; at lealt a similar objection
bad not been started by those gentlemen of the
Senate, who had been members of the conven
tion ; but granting that the opinion of the gen
tleman from Virginia, had been the full sense of
the members of convention, their opinion at that
day, he observed is not a fufficient authority for
Congi ess at the prefcnt time to construe the con
llitution by.
Mr. Viniiig, in explaining the powers proposed
by the bill to be given to the corporation of the
bank, adverted to the particular power of " mak
ing rules and regulations not contrary to law."
He (hewed that this terra law, means the common
law—and alluding to the enquiry of Mr. Madi
son, what law was intended by this clause ? who,
in answering his own queition. had said, that if
the laws of the United States-were intended, the power
contemplated was dangerous and unconjlitutional f as
those laws were very few in number,
Mr. Vining observed, that the reftri<ftion con
tended for by the gentleman as the result of his
ebjeiftion, would annihilate the most essential
rights and privileges of the citizens of the Uni
ted States. He then observed a corporation is
nothing more than conftitutinga body with pow
ers to eftedi certain objects in a combined capa
city which an individual may do in his indivi
dual capacity—agreeable to the usage and cus
toms of common law.
Adverting to the atfl by which the United
States became a free and independent nation, he
said, from that declaration, solemnly recognized
at home and abroad, they derive all the powers
appertainingto a nation thus circnmftanced. and
consequently the power under consideration. He
traced the origin of corporations to the time of
Moraa-the firft of which was for agricultural
purposes, they weie afterwards extended to other
objects—and from that day to this, said he, all
civilized and independent nations have been in
the practice of creating them, and what do they
amount to but this, enabling a number of per
sons in a combined capacity to do that to a more
certain effedt that an individual may do but
fubjetil to the controul of common laiu, in all its
regulations and transactions.
On the do&rine of conftru&ion as applied to
the constitution ; he observed, that on some oc
casions the constitution is like the sensitive plant
■which (brinks from the smallest touch ; on others,
it is like the sturdy oak which braves the force
of thunder. He referred to the a»ft containing
the power of removability—in which the utmolt
latitude of construing the constitution was con
tended for and adopted ; and, faidhe, the fund
ing system cannot be defended on any other prin
ciple than than of implication.
He then enquired, of what right does this in
corporation deprive a lingle citizen ? And can
an act poliibly meet the disapprobation ofafingle
person which does not infringe his rights, and
which puts money into his pocket ? I think not.
He insisted that the power of Congress alone was
equal to establishing a bank competent to creating
a currency which shall pervade all parts of the
union ; the paper of the State banks cannot cir
culate beyond the bounds of the particular States.
From the reftritftions to the government con
tended for by the oppofers of the bill, he simi
lized tha constitution to a horse finely propor
tioned in every refpecft to the eye, and elegantly
caparizoned, but deficient in one, and the molt
efletrtial requisite, that of ability to carry the
owner to his journey's end ; he had rather, he
said, mount the old confederation, and dragon
in the old way, than be amused with the appear
ance of a government so eflentially defective.
N EW-HA V EN, March 30.
Extrad of a letter front the Rev. Mr. Holm;s of
Georgia, dated March 3d, to the publijher of this
paper.
*' We have no news ofimportance, else I would
have communicated it with pleasure to the prin
ter of the New-Haven Gazette —W eare in a (late
of perfect tranquility in regard to our Cree
neighbours; even your friend , who antici
pated so much danger, is under no apprehen
fionfrom this quarter. Several Indians have le
peatedly been down of late to trade with our
merchants, without insult or injury on either
fide. Our winter has been very levere for this
climate ; in one instance we had a snow
which lasted for three hours, and though it die
not whiten the ground here, in many places in
the vicinity, the snow was two or three inches
deep, which was conlidered very extraordinary.
The mercury, however, by Farcnhcit's thermome
ter has never fallen below 17° above o : In Con
necticut, I am informed, it has fallen ij° be
low o—What a surprizing difference in our cli
mates ! Our spring has been very temperate ;
vegetation comes on rapidly ; we have peas very
forward in our gardens, and our peach trees are
in full bloom."
FOR THE GAZETTE OF THE UNITED STATES.
To ELLA.
NO {kill I boast, no forccful art,
To (hake the nerves of Ella's heart;
Save such as from the Thrufti's throat,
Is ufticr'd in her feeble note,
When fitting on the hawthorn bufti,
She whistles to her fellow Thrush.
But Ella, dost thou think to find,
Hid in my lines, the artful,flattering mind ?
Far from the tow'ring city was I rear'd,
Where pois'nousflattery ever vig'ror.s grows ;
In earliest youth my Parents I rever'd,
To what their virtue taught, my spirit bows :
Here have I liv'd and heard sweet Nature's voice,
Where Brandywine rolls on with rushy-noise ;
The stream from many murm'ring rills supplied,
Along a curving channel pours his tide;
'Ere long the flood its mazy windings leaves,
And fwift from clift to clift down da(h the waves ;
Now sweeping round beneath a lofty hill,
With rapid force it whirls full many a mill.
Below, the smoother current, spreading wide,
Full freighted Barks along its bosom glide ;
Above, the trees their verdant branches spread,
And o'er the tinkling stream throw their deep (hade ;
Here oftentrane'd—l've slowly ftepp'd along,
And heard the Robin's solitary song;
Touch'd by his thought-exciting note,
I cast my tear-wet eyes around,
Beheld the richly flower'd ground,
Whilst borne on zephyrs airy wing,
The spirits of the bluftiing Beauties float ;
And overfwelling hill, and delving dale,
Their sweetest odours fling,
Upon the bosom of the flowing gale ;
Then fading, fink in earth,
And when the Spring returns again come into birth.
But Man, when ibme few hasty hours have flown,
Drops in the yawning grave,
Nor lives again on Life's e'er changing wave ;
Where throbs of anguish tear the feeling breast,
And from the heavy lid steal nature's healing reft ;
Bur, " pleafmg, dreadful thought!" mounts into worlds
When the rofv-color'd morn ! [unknown.
Came lightly tripping o'er the hills,
Dancing on the dimpling rills,
And lucid pearls pour'd from her dewey horn :
Here have I heard the warbling Lark awake
The voice of Echo, (leeping in the brake,
Ana as the heaven-taught bird pour'd out his loul,
The lift'ning Fairy half his music stole,
And blew the thrilling founds fiom grove to grove,
Till nature feem'd to breathe but harmony and love.
The foft-eycd Turtle breath'd her plaintive note,
Soul-tend'ring notes ! which on clcar asther float,
And oft prophetic, tell the tardy swain,
To shield his harvefl from the coming rain.
When the creative God of Day,
His flaming Car drove down the Western sea,
And sober Evening's twilight grey,
Borne on the wings of Time had pafs'd away.
Along the curling wave in radiance bright,
The fair Moon shot her silver fhaftsof light,
And all was silent as the cave of Death,
Where shadowy beings walk,
Who ne'er presume to talk,
Nor ruffle silence with a founding breath :
There have I flood, and wrapt in Thought sublime!
Mark'd the quick flight of light'ning-footed Time !
Or gaz'd with rapture on the worlds on high,
Till my full foul would breathe th' extatic sigh,
And the big pearl flart from my glifl'ning eye.
While late I prefs'd my downy bed,
And sleep her poppies bound around my head ,
A heav'nly Phrenzy seized on my foul,
And fwift as lightnings dart from pole to pole,
A hofl of Beauties rufh'd upon my fight,
By Fancy, clad in changeful robes of light!
I saw again the verdant grove
Its wild, luxuriaut foliage move,
And heard the plumy Songsters shout their love.
I heard again the dashing wave,
Its wild and rocky borders lave.
I saw thy Spirit, like the Bird of Jove !
On never-failing v\ ings, mount to the Iky ;
With eyes of light'ning pierce the realms above,
And hail the God of Music, thron'd on high.
Charm'd with thy air, he gave a heav'nly Harp,
And bade thee pour the music sweetly sharp ;
Then sweep the golden firings,
And rouse the deeper tones—and form the awful Pause,
That opes the sacred springs
Of joy sublime, and wafts the spirit up to Nature's Caufc !
Then wake the swelling founds to roll
In burfling floods of harmony upon the panting foul.
He> o'er thy toi m a sky-dipt mantle threw,
Where silver flars glow'd on th' etherial blue ;
And bade thee to old Earth descend, and take
Thy Lyre, and from the firings the sleeping Music wake.
I saw thee in the shady Grove alight,
Whose woven branches caught the blaze of light;
1 hy rosy finger* careless swept the Lyre,
And drew the music-breathing Spirit from each wire.
Lur'd by the founds of thy sweet Strings,
The fcather'd Warblers diopp'd their wings,
818
And liftcn'd to thy melting tone,
Still more enchanting than their own !
Borne on the undulating breeze,
Thy heaven-taught Notes my Spirit seize,
And waft it to ihc iky :
Now sweetly fofi they lingVmg die ;
Now in awful solemn found,
Float on the Air around ;
The deep majcftic base most sweetly clear,
Now burftsupon my car ;
And where the rushing Waters roar,
" It winds in wild'ring echoes down the dalhing Ihore.''
The thrill of rapture darting through my breail,
Mv nerves with heav'nly anguish ihook,
And I awoke !
But found no jitlion broke upon my reft ;
For how the truths unfold,
In thy nervous Song is told.
What e're I heard, or saw, and as I read, "my foul, mv
El la, " Seraph, opes the Skits." [lancy rife,"
Delaware, April 10, 1791.
NEW-LONDON, April 1.
Ext raft of a letter from a foreign correspondent, tt
the editors oj this paper, dated Jan. 21, 1791.
" TT is with great pleasure I learn that the in-
X habitants of your country have grown more
industrious and temperate, and have left off the
excessive u(e of Rum. It is also highly pleafino
to observe the number of ufeful inventions of se
veral kinds—the rapid progress making fc in ma
nufactures, and the perfection to which some of
them are brought ; particularly maple sugar,
coal mines, lead and copper; and the Boilon fail
duck ; and ,the cotton and silk manufactures,
See. The water machines for spinning 3or 4000
threads of cotton, flax, and long wool (of which
I perceive there are models in Philadelphia) will
doubtless soon be conflruCted, and begin to work.
These will enable them to make a rapid jirogrefs
indeed, and I apprehend nothing will promote
the general interefl of the country, and the in
terell: of the farmers, more than such a progress
in manufactures.:—Wonderful is the coincidence
of events 111 favor of your country.—This ma
chine, I think, was invented by Arkwright, a
bout the beginning of the late war, and hath
since been broughc to great perfection.—This
hath led to the invention of the other machines
for spinning flax and long wool. This happen
ing at a time, fixed in the decrees of heaven,
when a great i>ation which had been dependent,
and not allowed to ereCt manufactures, without
discouraging and embarrafling circuin fiances, was
freed from the galling yoke, seems to point out
a particular providence ; as if directed chiefly
for the benefit of a country which had but a few
hands to spare from the culture of the land, that
it might be able, with those few hands, to fuppl*
itfelf with neceflary and decent cloathing, and
be no longer dependent either in name or in faß.
—Yon have a moil brilliant prospeCt before you.
" Amazing is the progress England has made
in the manufacture of cotton since the invention
of the machine above mentioned. So great a
quantity of cotton cloth is made there, and it is
now so cheap, and so commonly worn by rich and
poor, that it hath nearly annihilated the use of
lilk. Some of the articles are brought to such
perfection, that the English East-India company
exports a great quantity of them, even to China;
and if the Chinese do not make thenifelves tnaf
ters of this invention, this trade will become a
great object in so populous a country. From all
this you may plainly perceive what it will be pos
sible for your countrymen to do in time, and
what they ought to do without delay.—The ma
nufactures of England are the principal fourc t of
her great wealth and (trength, and the chief ba
lls of her navigation. Experience I think has
furnilhed fufficient evidence to prove that you
will never grow rich merely by agriculture, na
vigation and commerce. It is weak to suppose
the farming business cannot be overdone.—lt is
certainly overdone when the produce of the land
and labour of the farmer far exceed the demand
ofevery foreign and doineftic market ; and when,
through its abundance, he is unable to procure
a living pries for it. You ought not to depend, so
much as you have done, on foreign tnarktU. What
is it that renders land in Europe so valuable to
its proprietor beyond any thing of the kind in
America ? It is the number of the inaniifafturiiig
towns in the neighborhood of every farmer, to
which he can carry his produce, and where lie
is sure to receive such a price, as will enable him
to pay his rent, and yet maintain his family.—
This certain market and good price, alfogWe ef
fectual encouragement to the high cultivation ol
land which prevails in some countries, but es
pecially in England. Your land will never be
so valuable as land of equal goodness is there,
until you can find markets as certain and as good
as their's. But this you mull never expeA un
til the number of your manufacturers bears a!
just a proportion to the number of your farmer».
(To be continued.J
LONDON,
In confequenceof the premiums offered by the
Hon. Board of Trustees, at Edinburgh, twopw
ces of cotton were completely bleached in n ve
hours ; one piece of linen in forty hours
half, and another in forty-eight hours and a hal,
January a 6