C.ONGRESS
In SENATE,
Friday, January 3
A motion wit made and seconded, that
the Secietf'V of the Treafjty lay before
the S.-ndTeth-e following returns, to v. it:
A fhtemcnt of the goods, wares ar.d
meivlftjulife, exported from the fevtral
from the ift of July, 1792, to the
ift'ufjuly 1793. fpecifying the quanti
ties and value of each kind, and tlii fevcr
ru countries to which the fame ha»e res
piclivelv been exported.
A ftitemeot of the goods, wares and
ntrchandife, imported into the Several
States for the fame period, fpecifying the
quantities, and the prime cost, and dutied
value of each kind, and the several coun
tries fiom which the fame have rcfpeilive
1\ I lv.i inir.il ltd.
A statement of the tonnage of foreign
vtil'els entered into the several States dur
ing the fame period, fpecifying the several
countries to which the said reifcls reipedt
i.J; 1 . I."'
A !l .t.Mnnit of the ton.iaye 1 the Uni
ted States' vessels, entered into the fevers!
States during the fame period, diilinguifli
ing those employed iu the filhcries, in the
coailing and in the foreign trade, and fpe
cifving the fevcral countries from which
the Said Vcflfels employed in said trade
tamo.
Op.dered, That this motion lie for
Consideration.
The Senate adjourned to 11 o'clock on
--Monday morning.
Monday, January 6.
The Senate met agreeable to adjourn
ment> and on motion,
Adjourned to 11 o'clock to-morrow
morning.
Tuefdav, January 7
The following written messages were
received from the Prelident of the United
by Mr. Dandridge his Secretary.
United Stales, Jtnuary 7, 1793
Gentlemen of the Senate, and
of the Hot.fe of Rrprefentanves,
Experience has (hewn that it would be
ufeful to have an officcr particularly churg
ed, under the dire&ion ff the Depart
ment of War,with the duties of receiving,
fofe-keeping, and distributing the public
fiipplits, in all cases in which the laws and
the course of service do not devolve them
upon other officers; and also with that of
fuperinteneing in all cases the iflues in de
tail of supplies, with power, for that pur
pose, to bring to account all persons en
trulted to make such ilfues, in relation
thereto.
An cftablifhmcnt of this nature, by se
c uting a regular and pur&ual accountabi
lity for the ifiues of public supplies, would
be a grtat guard against abuse, would
tend to ensure their due application, and
to give public fatisfaftiou on that point.
1 therefore recommend to the confider
ption of Congress, the expediency of an
c.lablifhment of this nature, under such
repxlatioos as (hall appear to them advife
sble.
G. WASHINGTON.
United States, "January 7, 1794.
Genii'mm of the S:nal <*, nnd
of tlx House of Rrprefcntatives,
I lay before you an official (latcment of
the' expenditure to the end of the year
1793, from the sum of ten thousand dol
lar, granted to defray the contingent ex
pences of government, by an act palled
on the 26th of Maixh, 1790.
G. WASHINGTON.
The messages and paper referred to in
the last recited mefTage, were severally
read.
Ordered, That they lie for considera
tion.
confidcration of the executive
hufinefs.
The Senate adjourned to 11 o'clock to
morrow mcrning.
Wednesday, January 8,
On' motion,
O*DEtED, That the. message of the
President of the United States of the 7th
instant, refpeiting \he ufefulnefc of an of
fcer particularly charged with the duties
. receiving, fafe-kieping and diftobuting
1 < .-üblic lnpplie* in certain cases, be re
' to Mr- EUfworth, Mr. Taylor and
* 'dley, to consider and report there-
Scuale.
Co 'igrejs of ike United Shiles.
Ifolj'e of ReprefcntJt'wa
Monday, Jan. 13.
A report was received from the Secre-
tary of 'the Treasury, containing a ftate
inent of the actual ton-age employed be-
tweei) the United States and foreign coun-
tries, for one year ending Sept. 30, '793
Mr. Shei bourne called up the petition
of Thomas Manning, prefentcd lait week
—he observed that the fotts set forth ia
the petition were ellablilhed by documents
which accompanied it. That the petiti-
on originated in a contract made by the
petitioner with an agent of the French go
vernment in Martinique ; that altho' that
government had recognized the powers of
their agent, and the performance of the
services which were the groundof the con
trail, they had refufed to fulfill it, but by
a payment of affignats, instead of specie,
which had been particularly fpecified.—
He obferred, had the contrail been made
with an individual, a process in a judicial
court would have procured an indemnity,
but it was with a nation, over which ju
dicial courts had no controul ; the petiti-
oner therefore could derive no redress
but from tile juflice of his country, which
was bound to protect the rights of its ci
tizens in ail cases, and when it could not
prevent an injury, it ought to repair the
damage. That this in the present cafe,
might be done with a moral afturance of a
rcimburfement, as it would be a just arti
cle of charge in the account of the Uni
ted States against France, to which jus
tice mull chearfully give its fan&ion, and
which in happier times, that government
will undoubtedly allow. That as the jus
tice of the demand was confelfed, indem
nifying the petitioner would be advancing
a payment for France, for which her cre
dit and honor were pledged, but which the
present situation of that country would
not at present allow her to make ; but, Mr
Sherboume observed, that as the cafe was
of the firft impression, and he wiihfd there
be a thorough investigation of prin
ciples as well as facts. He moved that
the petition with the documents accom
panying it, might be referred to the Se
cretary of State—This motion obtained.
The report on the petition of Henry
Hill, in behalf of himfelf and others, was
read and taken into consideration, and af
ter fomc debate wa3 laid on the table.
The house then, agreeably to the or
der of the dav, went into committee of
the whole, Mr. Trumbull in the chair, on
the report of the Secretary of State, re
lative to the situation of our commercial
1 elations with foreign countries.
The refplutions proposed by Mr. Madi
son fume days since, founded on this re
port, were read by the clerk.
Mr. Smith S. C. rose. He hopedthat
it would be in order to take into view the
general scope and cenor of the \vhol« body
of resolutions before the committee.
Amongst the variops duties of the iegi
ilature under the constitution, none ap
peared to him more important than those
which had for object the regulation cf
commerce, as they must involve th» consi
deration of a great variety of interells.
These interells open a copious field for
discussion, as they affe& the agriculture,
navigation and manufactures of this coun
try—this being considered, the committee
he hoped would, viewing the importance
of the fubjeft in the fame light he saw it,
excuse him if he took much of their time
in adverting to a variety of fadts connec
ted with it.
As the committee were on the report of
the Secretary of State on a commercial
fubje£t he ihould not go into political con
siderations which might by some be consi
dered as in a degree connected ; he hoped
other members would lee the propriety of
pursuing the feme plan. It would argue
a diltrult of the strength of the ground on
which the resolutions proposed, Hand, if
the advocates forthofe resolutions permit
ted themselves to recur to politics to sup
port them. He imagined it would be
right to dismiss the consideration of all
questions' relative to Indian?, Algerines
and Western pcfts at the present time.—
There will be a time, and perhaps not far
distant, when these questions will coir.e
under consideration, when this happened,
he said, he fhodd be prepared to give his
opinion, with firmnefs and according to
what he conceived the true interefti of the
country : but these fubiefls he conceived,
not properly connected with the prelent,
which gives of itfelf fufficient scope for
argument, he (hould not therefore mix
The present is a delicate crisis; this coun
try, since the'fcvoliition has probably never
been in «b critical a situation : the fubjefl
ought then to be weighed with calm reflec
tion and deliberation, passions should not
'be fubllituted for reason, and the decision
oughtnot to be founded on narrow or pre-
jud'eed views.
Tlie report of the Secretaey of State
is before the committee, it gives a compa-
rative view of our commercial regulations
with other countries and invites us to reta-
liatiou. The moll striking contrail there en
deavoured to be established is between the
fyllepis of France and Great Britain ; he
(hould proceed he said, to lay before the
committee an accurate statement of cer-
tain facts with which that reportbeing com-
pared it would be seen whether there is
lolid ground for the inferences endeavour-
Ed to be eftablilhedin it.
To view the fubjeft clearly it will be ne
ceflary to advert to the situation of affairs
before the revolution of France, the coin-
mercial regulations of that country since
that period having been produced by mo
mentary intereils, Tome of which are not
to be mistaken, are not therefore such facts
as the legislature (hould proceed upon.
He produced a table, made he said, by
a gentleman of commercial knowledge,
comprehending a comparative view of our
commerce with Great Britain and France
before the French revolution. With a view
to conciseness the scope of this table has
been confined to those articles which are of
consequence in our trade. We are accus
tomed to hear continually the generosity
and liberality of the French towards us
greatly extolled, and the conduct of Great
Britain as severely reprobated; it might
therefore be expected that this table
would contain instances of advantages al-
lowed on the one hand and reftrirtions
laid on the other; but the reverse of this
expectation, he said, will be realized. It
will be found that in France and the
French Weft-Indies, we are not more fa
voured in refpeft to our exporis than in
the British dominions except in the not
very important article of fifh oil; this Mr.
Smith, requested the committee particu
larly to notice; and that Great Britain and
her islands hold out to us leveral advanta-
ges, in refpett to our exports, not enjoyed
by other nations, that are of very great im
portance. Mr. Smith (S. C.) was pro
ceeding to read the table when Mr. Ma
dison rose to aflc what period it relates
lo.j Mr. Smith informed him that it was
built upon the state of things before the
French revolution.
Mr. Smith then read hi 6 table, through
which it will be fuflicient to follow him,
when he commented on it. Having men
tioned the authentic documents, on which
it is founded, such as proclamations of the
King of Great Britain and statutes of
their Parliament on the one hand, and ar
rets of the French Government on the
other, he proceeded to make some obfer
\ations on the principal exports from this
country.
FLOUR the article of firft importance
among our exports, is more farorcd by
Great Britain than France. France laid
a duty of one-eighth per cent, on it, and
no more on that imported from other na
tions. Great Britain lays a duty of 24/3
per quarter, until British flour rises to 50/",
when ours pays a duty not above 6i.—
The fame system as to grain prevails ge
nerally in Great-Britain. Both these
countries are good flour markets only in
times of fcarcrtv, when, the British mar
kets are high and the duties low and the
French not able to supply enough for
their own consumption, for when they are,
our flour will not pay freight and chatrges,
this will appear by attending to the price
of that commodity. The average price
in France, in abundant ye:rs, is 5 dollars
and 2-3 per bar. of Penn. It ought to
be fix and a third in France to bear expor
tation from Pennsylvania.,
France will generally produce enough
for her own consumption, wljile Great Bri
tain, it appears by a report of a commit
tee of the privy council is likely to be
incompetent to her own l'upply, which
may render her market Ik real's er better
1 for that article. '
France lays no duties of any confe
rence on our flour, because they have no
fear of our importations rivalling the sale
of their own.
In the Weft Indies, matters wear a dif
ferenta fpett. France prohibited the im
portation of onv flour there by apetmanent
law. To be sure the colonial governments
had the power to enaa temporary fufpen-
Aoiii of this law, bat thefc were oa!y ex-
ceptionsto the general rule and are not to
bo. calculated upon. He believed the Se
cretary of State mistaken in his aflertion,
that latterly the prohibition had been ta
ken off, unless he applies his observation
to a period subsequent to that to which
his report extends. There was, he wsb
told, an arret in 1789 directing a suspension
for some parts of the islands but it was
soon after repealed, in France, as he has
been informed.
In the Britifli islands this article stands
upon quite a different footing. Our flour
may be imported free of all duties, and
other foreign flour cannot be imported
there, even in Britifli bottoms.
He proceeded to give a view of the
operations of these different lyitems 111
1786, and 1788.
In '86 we exported to France 21 bar
rels only ;to her colonies 1808. In the
fame year, to Great Britain none ; but to
her colonies 45,1 18 barrels.
[11 '88, to Fiance, 2375 ; her colonies,
235. 111 the fame year to Great Brirain,
828, to her islands, 59,938.
Here then is a prodigious difference in
favor of the system of Great Britain, in
the article of flour. It is true that in
1791, '92 and '93, there were very large
exportations of this article to France and
her islands ; but as this was the effect of
the convulsed situation of that country,
it is no criterion to build upon. The Se
cretary of State is of thii opinion ; he
does not think it right to found calcula
tions upon any other than the former fet
tled state of things.
(Speech to be continued.)
PHILADELPHIA,
JANUARY 14.
ExtraS of a letter from John Bulkelry and
Son, of Lijbon, to a mercantile house in
this city, dated Lijbon, 28/1b OS. 1793.
" We have the pleasure to fay, we do
not find the Algerines have captured a
single American, numbers having arrived
here, at Oporto, Cadiz, Bilboa, &c. and
it is with infinite pleasure we acquaint you,
that the truce in question was mere the
result of an unexpected event, than any
studied plan of this cabinet, who, so far
from approving of the consequences, have
taken measures to protest your trade, and
have actually dispatched a frigate to their
squadron in the bay of Gibraltar, with or
ders to examine at sea every prize, and all
that (hall be found bound to the ports of this
kingdom are to be set free, and the Alge
rines not to molcft any of them in future
at sea; and this government has appointed
a convoy to protest the fifteen American
{hips now here, to a certain latitude,
whencc they will proceed home free from
the Algeriiies. So that the apprehen
sions we were under, in the firft instance,
are now nearly removed, as there is little
or no rifle to any of your vessels coming to
this port, on which we heartily congrstu
late you."
ExtraS of a letter from Hugh Goadan and
Co.of Lijbon, dated 31/Of!. 1793.
" Since writing this day, we have it by
a public edict on 'change, that the court
of Portugal have finally determined to pro
test all American Ihipsdeftined (with pro
per customhouse clearances) from your
ports to any ports in this kingdom, and
have ordered a small fleet on the coast to
protest the fame ; and we alio leam by
the arrival of the Andromache frigate from
Cadiz, that the President, of Baltimore,
from Philadelphia to Cadiz, is said to b«
taken by an Algerine gun-boat of fix guns
the 26th inft.
ExtraS of a letter from Lijbon, oSober 3 I/?.
" This goes bv the American vessels
that fail with convoy granted by this court,
who have finally determined to protest all
American vessels destined with clearances
from your to any port in
Portugal, and have ordered a fleet on the
coast to protest the fame."
Bank of North-America, 13 t'n Jan. 1794-
At an annual eleftionheld this day for
twelve Directors, the following gentlemen
were chosen :
John Nixon, Jofiah Hewes, Mordecai
Lewis,. TJiomas Fitzfimons, Benj. FulleT,
Wm. Smith, George Latirrur, Joseph
Swift, Robert Wain, Miers Fiiher, John
Morton, Richard Rnr.dir.
To the Crcdn rs oj tbe Vrcnch Krpublic.
(t> SUCH perions as are Creditors of
the Republic of France, for fupplieb fold
to their commifiioners in the Weft-India
i (lands, are requested to meet at the City-
Tavern, on Thursday evening the 16th
inft. to consider of the belt means of mak
ing application for payment of their r»>
fpeclive debts.