A NATIONAL PAPER, PUBLISHED WEDNESDAYS AND SATURDAYS BY JOHN FENNO, No. 69, HIGH-STREET, PHILADELPHIA
[No. no, of Vol. lII.]
JUST ARRIVED,
In the Ship Molly, Captain Pitt, from Lisbon,
pipes and quarter-calks of LISBON WINE, far
superior in quality to what is generally imported -
And a few bales of the very best CORKS,
TO BE SOLD BY
George Meade,
WHO HAS FOR SALE,
Choice three and five years old Bill of Ex-change MADEIRA
WINE, by the pipe or quarter-cask.
London Market MADEIRA WINE, five years old, by the
pipe or quarter-cafe.
Choice old SHERRY WINE, by the quarter-calk.
MESS BEEF, of a fiiperior quality, and such as is fit for
an East-India voyage, put lip in this city.
Choich firft quality BEEF, do.
Ditto second ditto do.
BOSTON BEEF, equal to any from that country.
BURLINGTON PORK, of the firft quality, and
114 Hhds. FLAX-SEED. &c. &c.
Philadelphia, May 16, 1795
SECOND CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES.
AT THE FIRST SESSION,
Begun and held at the city ol Philadelphia, in the State of Pcnn
fylvania, Monday the twenty-fourth of O&ober, one
thousand seven hundred and ninety-one.
AN ACT more effe&ually to provide for the Na
tional Defence, by establishing an Uniform
Militia throughout the United States.
BE it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives
of the United States of America in Congress afrembled,
That each and every free able-bodied white male citizen of
the refpe&ive States, refidetit therein, who is or fliall be of
the age of eighteen years, and under the age of forty-five
years, (except as is herein after excepted) shall severally and
refpeftively be enrolled in the militia by the captain or com
manding officer of the company, within whole bounds such ci
tizen (hall reside, and that within twelve months after the
parting of this act. And it shall at all times hereafter be the
duty of every such captain or commanding officer of a compa
ny, to enrol every such citizen, as aforefaid, and also those
who shall, from time to time, arrive at the age of eighteen
years, or being of the age of eighteen years and under the age
of forty-five years (except as before excepted) shall come to
reside within his bounds; and shall without delay notify such
citizen of the said enrolment, by a proper non-commissioned
officer of the company, by whom such notice may be proved.—
That every citizenfo enrolled and notified, shall, within fix
months thereafter,provide himfelf with a good musket or fire
lock, a fufficient bayonet and belt, twofpare flints, and a knap
sack, a pouch with a box therein to contain not !efs than twen
ty-four cartridges, suited to the bore of his musket or firelock,
each cartridge to contain a proper quantity of powder and
ball : or with a goad rifle, knapsack, shot-pouch and powder
horn, twenty balls suited to the bore of his rifle, and a quarter
of a pound of powder ; and fliall appear so armed, accoutred
and provided, when called out to exercise or into iervice, ex
cept, that when called out on company days to exercise only, I
he may appear without a knapsack. That the commissioned
officers shall feverallv be armed with a sword or hanger, and
efpontoon; and that from and after five years from the passing of
this ast, all mufquets for arming the militia as is herein re
quired, shall be of bores fufficient for balls of the eighteenth
part of a pound : and every citizen so enrolled, and providing
himfelf with the arms, ammunition and accoutrements re
quired, as aforefaid, shall hold the fame exempted from all
suits, dittrefles, executions or sales, for debt or for the pay
ment of taxes.
And be it farther enacted, That the Vice-President of the
United States; the officers, judicial and executive, of the go
vernment of the United States; the members of both Houses
of Congress, and their refpeftive officers; all custom-house of
ficers, with their clerks all poft-ofiicers, and stage-drivers
who are employed in the care and conveyance of the mail of
the poft-office of the United States : all ferrymen employed at
any ferry on the post-road; .11 infpeftors of exports; all pilots;
all mariners actually employed in the <ea service of any citi
zen or merchant within the United States ; and all persons
who now are or may hereafter be exempted by the lawsof th t
respective States, shall be and are hereby exempted from mi
litia duty, notwit'nftanding their be ; ng above the age ol
eighteen, and under the age of forty-five years.
And be it further enacted, That within one year after the
passing of this ast, the militia of the respective States shall be
arl-anged into divisions, brigades, regiment-;, battalions and
companies, as the legi<la»-m-e of each State fliall direst; and
each division, brigade, and regiment, shall be numbered at tht
lormation thereof; and a record made of such numbers in the
adjutant general's office in the State ; and when in the field,
or in jbrvice in the State, each diyiiion, brigade and regiment
fliall, respectively, take rank according; to their numbers,
Wednesday, May 16, 1792.
reckoning the firft or lowest number hlgheft in rank. That i<"
the lame be convenient, each brigade shall consist of four re-
giments ; each regiment of two battalions; each battalion of
five companies; each company of sixty-sour privates, That
the said militia (hall be officered by the refpe&ive States, as
follows : To eaca division, one major-general and tiro aids-de
camp, with the rank of major; to each brigade, one brigadier
general with one brigade infpeftor, to serve also as brigade
major, with the rank of major; to each regiment, one lieuten
ant colonel commandant; and to each battalion, one major ;
to each company, one captain, one lieutenant, one ensign, four
ferjeants, four corporals, one drummer, and one flier or bug
ler. That there lhall be a regimental ftaff, to consist of one
adjutant, and one quarter matter, to rank as lieutenants ; one
paymaster ; one surgeon, and one surgeon's mate; one fe;jeant
major ; one drum major, and one fife major.
And be it further enacted, That out of the militia enrolled,
as is herein directed, there shall be formed for each battalion,
at least one company of grenadiers, light infantry or riflemen;
aud that to each division there lhall be, at least, one company
of artillery, and one troop of horse : There shall be to each
company ol'artillery, one captain, two lieutenants, four fer
jeants, four corporals, fix gunners, fix bombardiers, one drum
mer, and one fifer. The officers to be armed with a sword or
hanger, a fufee, bayonet and belt, with a cartridge box to
contain twelve cartridges; and each private or matrofs lhall
furnifh himfelf with all the equipments of a private in the in
fantry, until proper ordnance and field artillery is provided.
There lhall be to each troop of horse, one captain, two lieute
nants, one cornet, four feijeants, four corporals, one fadler,
one farrier, and one trumpeter. The commissioned officers to
furnilh themselves with good horses of, at least fourteen hands
and an half high, and to be armed with a sword and pair of
pistols, the holsters of which to be covered with bearlkin caps.
Each dragoon to furnilh himlfelf with a serviceable horse, at
least fourteen hands and an half high, a good saddle, bridle, mail
pillion and valise, holsters, and a breast plate and crupper, a
pair of boots and spurs, a pair of pistols, a sabre, and a car
touch box to contain twelve cartridges forpiftols. That each
company of artillery and troop of horse lhall be formed of vo
lunteers from the brigade, at the discretion of the commander
in chief of the State, not exceeding one company of each to a
regiment, nor more in number than one eleventh part of the
infantry, and lhall be uniformly clothed in regimentals, to be
furnilhed at their own expense ; the color and falhion to be
determined by the brigadier commanding the brigade to which
they belong.
( C P9')
And be it further ena&ed, That each battalion and regi
ment lhali be provided with the state and regimental colors
by the field officers, and each company with a drum and fife or
bugle horn, by the commissioned officers of the company, in
such manner as the legislature of the refpe&ive States shall
direct.
And be it further enacted, That there shall be an adjutant
general appointed in each State, whose duty it shall be to dis
tribute all orders from the commander in chiefof the State to
the several corps; to attend all public reviews, when the com
mander in chief of the State shall review the militia, or any
part thereof; to obey all orders from him relative to carrying
into execution and perfecting the fyflem of military discipline
established by this ast ; to furnifh blank forms of different re
turns that may be required, and to explain the principles on
which they should be made ; to receive from the several offi
cers of the different corps throughout the State, returns of
the militia under their command, reporting the actual situa
tion of their arms, accoutrements and ammunition, their de
linquencies, and every other thing which relates to the general
advancement of good order and discipline : All which, the se
veral officers of the divisions, brigades, regiments and battal
ions arc hereby required to make in the usual manner, so that
the said adjutant general maybe duly furnifhed therewith:
From all which returns he shall make proper abftrafts, and
lav the fame annually before the commander in chics of the
State.
And be it further enacted, That the rules of discipline ap
proved and established by Congress, in their resolution of the
twenty-ninth of March, 1779, shall be the rules of discipline
to be observed by the militia throughout the United States,
excep't such deviations from the said rules, as may be rendered
neceiTary by the requisitions of this ast, or by some other una
voidable circumstances. It shall be the duty of the command
ing officer at every muster, whether by battalion, jegiment
or single company, to cause the militia to be exercised and
trained agreeably to the said rules of discipline.
And be it further enacted, That all commissioned officers
lhall take rank according to the date of their commissions ;
and when two of the fame grade bear an equal date, then their
rank to be determined by lots, to be drawn by them before
the commanding officer of the brigade, regiment, battalion,
company or detachment.
And be it further enacted, That if any person, whether of
ficer or soldier, belonging to the militia of any State, and call
ed out into the service of the United State-;, be wounded or
disabled while in actual service, he shall be taken care of and
provided for at the public expense.
And be it further ena&ed, That it shall be the duty of the
brigade infpeftor, to attend the regimental and battalion
meetings of the militia composing their several brigade?, du
ring the time of their being under arms, to infpett their arms,
ammunition and accoutrements; superintend their exercise
and manoeuvres and introduce the system of military disci
pline before described throughout the brigade, agreeable to
law, and such orders as they lliall, from time to time receive
from the commander in chief of the State ; to make returns
to the adjutant-general of the State t at lead once in every
year of the militia of the brigade to which he belongs, report
iirg therein the actual situation of the arms, accoutrements
and ammunition of the leveral corps, and every other thing
which, in his judgment, may relate to their government and
the general advancement of good order and military discipline;
and the adjutant-general lhall make a return, of all the militia
of the State, to the commander in chief of the said State, and a
duplicate of the fame to the President of the United States.
437
[Whole No. 518.]
And whereas sundry corps of artillery, cavalry and infantry,
r.ow eriit in several of the said States, which by the laws, cus
toms or usages thereof, have not been incorporated with or
fubje<?c to the general regulations of th<i reft of the militia.
Ee itenafted, That i'uch corps retain their accultomed pri
vileges, fubjeft, nevertheless, to all other duties required by
this ast, in like manner with the other militia.
JONATHAN TRUMBULL, Speaker
of the Hat ft of Representatives.
RICHARD HENRY LEE, Pre/ldent
pro tempore oj the Semite,
ArrßOV£» MA* TUI £ I GHTfI, »79®.
AN ACT for the relief of persons Imprisoned
for 4ebc.
BE it ena£led by the Senate and Hmife of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress aflembled, That
persons imprisoned on executions issuing from any court of the
United States for fatisfa&ion of judgments many civil attions shall
be entitled to like privileges of the yards or limits of the respec
tive gaols as persons confined in such gaols for debt or judgments
rendered in the courts of the several States arc entitled to, and un
der the like regulations and reftri&ions.
And be it further enacted, That any person imprisoned as afore
faid, may have the oath or affirmation h rein after expr("fled ad
ministered to him by any judge of the United States* or of the ge
neral or supreme court of law of the State in which the debtor is
imprisoned, the creditor his agent or attorney, if cither live with
in one hundred miles of the place of imprisonment, cr within the
diftrift in which the judgment was rendered having had at least
thirty davs previous notice, by a citation served on him, lflued by
any such jhdge, to appear at the time therein mentioned, at the
said gaol, if he fee fit, to shew cause why the said oath or affirma
tion should not be so administered j at which time and place, if
no fufficient cause in the opinion ot the judge, be (hewn or doth
from examination appear to the contrary, he may at the request
of the debtor, proceed to administer to him the following oa;h or
affirmation, as the the cafe may be viz. " You folemrly
swear (or airirm) that you have not estate, real or personal, nor is
any to your knowledge holdcn in trust for you io the amount
or value of twrnty dollars, nor fofficiem to pay the debt for
which vou are imprisoned." Which oath or affirmation being
administered, the judge (hall certify the fame under his hand, 10
the p» ifonkeeper, and (h ill fix a rtafonable allowance for the
debtor's support, not exceeding one dollar per week ; and if the
creditor shall theieafter any week fail to furnifh the debtor with
(uch weekly support, by paying or advancing the money to h>m,
or to the prifonkeeper, for his use, the debtor (ball be d (charged
from his imprisonment on fuchjudgment, and shall not be liable
to be imprisoned again for the laid debt; but thr judgment shall
remain good and fufficienr in law, and may be fatisfied out of
any estate which may then or at any time afterwards belong to
the debror.
And be it further enalted, That if any person shall falfely take
the oath or affirmation aforefaid, such person (hall be deemed
guilty of perjury, and fuffer the pains and penalties in that cafe
provided.
And be it further ena&ed, Thjt this ad D»a!l continue and be
in force, for the space of one year from the paHing thereof, attd
From thence to the end of the next fefiiou oi Congress, and Ho
longer.
JONATHAN TRUMBULL, Speaker
ofthe Himje oj Reprejentativti,
RICHARD HENRY LEE, Prejident
pro tempore of the Strttte.
APFROVID MAY THS 7IFTH, 1792,
THE PORTRAIT—an extract
•' —HE returned from the fatigues of his br.'-
linefs at ten in the morning. His feelings call
ed loudly for the poisonous draught ; but the
well was dry„and no water could be had but
from a distant spring. He dispatched a servant
express with the pitcher. The bottle of rum
was on the table in readiness—the weather was
hot, and his third was excefiive the moments
were anxiously courted, and rolled on more te
diously than they do when chided by an anxious
lover waiting for the mistress of all his affecti
ons.—He took up a Gazette to cheat the delay—
but the time was prolonged, for the servant had
broken the pitcher in his return from the spring,
and was afraid to provoke his mailer with the
disappointment ; lie therefore ran to buy ano
ther, but the fliop was ihut.
Charles walked the room in an agony ; but
contemplating on a fragment he had been read
ing in the Gazette, entitled the progress and ef
fects of drunkenness. It had made a deep im
pression on his inind, and held a mirror before
his eyes which gave him pain. His piclure, tak
en about three years before, was hanging in the
room. He viewed his image in the large glass,
and then turned and viewed the picture with
aftoniftunent. He counted the number of years
since he had been thrown on the canvass with
all the vigor and fprightlinefs of healthy man
hood ; and soon recollecting that none of his
neighbours, excepting two, who were intemperate
fats, had gone down the bill of life so fwiftly as
he had done. He was thus thrown by accident,
into a light, where he conld no longer conceal
GEORGE WASHINGTON.
Prejident of the United States.
GEORGE WASHINGTON,
Prejident of the United Statei.