New I heat rs. Cn FRIDAY EVENING, December 43, • Will be presented, A TRAGEDY, called The Orphan ; Or, The Unhappy Marriage, Acafto, Mr. Warren Caftalie, Mr. Moreton Polydore, Mr. IVignell Chamont, Mr. Cooper Ernefto, Mr. Warrell Paulino, Mr. Warrell, jun. Cordelio, (the page) Miss L'EJlrange Chaplain, Mr. L'EJlrange Monimia, Mrs. Merry Serina, Mrs. Francis Florella, Mrs. Harvey End of the Tragedy a new Ballet Dance, (eompofed by mr. Byrne) called THE BOU QJU E T : In which will be introduced, the favorite TAMBOURINE DANCE. To which will be added,, A FARCE, (written by Foote) recuced to one aft, called The Mayor of Garrat* Sir Jacob Jollup, Mr. Francis Major Sturgeon, Mr. Warren Jerry Sneak, Mr. Harixiood Crispin Heeltap, Mr. Darky, jun. Bruin, Mr. Warrell Roger, Mr. Bliffett Mrs. Sneak, Mrs. Francis Mrs. Bruin, Mrs. Mechtler The French company of Comedians, having been honored with considerable applaufeon their Rrft appear ance, will perform again on Saturday next, and every Sa turday, until further notice. Particulars will be express ed in future Bills. On Saturday the Comedy of SflE STOOPS TO CONQUER; Or, The Mistakes of a Night. "Vfith a celebrated French Opera, in a afls, called LES SOULIERES MORCLORES. Box, One Dollar twenty-five cents. Pit one Dollar And Gallery, half a dollar. 0- Tickets to be had at H. & P. Rice's riook-ftore, No. 50 High-street, and at the Office adjoining the Theatre. Places for the Boxes to be taken at the Office in the front of the theatre, from 10 till 2 o'clock, and from ■ to till 4on the days of performance. No money or tickets to he returned, nor any person, on any account whatsoever, admitted behinti •the fccnes. The Doors of the Theatre will open at 5, and the Curtain rife precisely at 6 o'clock. Ladies and Gentlemen are requested to fend their servants to keep places a quarter before 5 o'clock, and to order them, as soon ai'the company are seated, to withdraw, as they cannot on any account be permit ted to remain. VIVAT R ESPUBL XCA! Readings and Recitations, Moral, Critical, and Entertaining; Mr. F E N N E L L UESPECTFULLY informs the Ladies and Gentlemen . ef an.! its vitinity, that an In redu-Story Reading will be delivered at the on Tuesday evening next, at 7 o'clock. —Where, by permiflion of the honorable, theTruftees of the University, the courfewill be regularly contiuued during the winter. Occafical admiflion tickets to be had of Mr. Poulfon, Jun. at the Library ; at Mr. M'Elvec's looking-glass-store, No. 70, South Fourth-street; and at Mr. Carey's, Book seller, Market-street. 1 Dec, ii. djt. This Day is Publiflied, Porcupine's POLITICAL CENSOR, For NOVEMBER, 1796. CONTAINING OBSERVATIONS J On the Insolent afld Seditious Notes, ( Attacking the Sovereignty and independence of the United States) Communicated to the People, by the late French minister, ADET. December ai. * Iw On Wednesday, the 28th inft. At 6 o'clock in the evening, will be fold at public au6tion, (if not before disposed of at private sale) at the City-Tavein, All that capital mansion-house, stables, out-houfes, &c. and three contiguous tra&s of land fitaate on the Weft-fide of,Schuylkill in the townihip of Blockley and county of Philadelphia, generally known by the name ofl,anfdown, containing 199 acres i®i perches more or lefsand a messu age plantation and traifl of land in Blockley, townihip a forefaid adjoining Lanfdown, containing 64 acres one perch. The premises are so well known as to need no particular defeription. Few feats in America can compare with Lanfdown for convenience and elegance ; it commands a variety of rich beautiful profpe&s and is remarkably heal thy. Terms ©ffale will be made -known by PHILIP NJCKLIN, } Attornies in AND > fa& to ROBERT E. GRIFFITH, 3 James Greenleaf. Dec. 12. §teßth Jutt Arrived, Per fchoentr Daphne, Cflptain Morse, from Aux- Cayes,f A Cargo of Sugar and Coffee. Aljo, per brig Betsey, Captain IV. bite, from the Isle of trance, 71 Hogsheads, x puncheon, and 25 eanifters, of Batavia Sugar 45 Hogsheads Pepper of Malabar 65,000 lb. Coffee 33.000 Cotton 4,000 Indigo For Sale by F. Coppinger, No. aai, South Frur.t-ftreet December 11 $ ~For Sale, Seven elegant Seites for Buildings, Opposite the State-Houfc Garden and Congress- Hall; each Lot heing 25 feet front on Sixth-street, and 120 feet deep to a 14 'eet Court, agreeable to a plan which may be seen at the Coffee-Houfe or at the office of Abraham Shoemaker, No. 124, S<*. Fourth ftreet, where the Urms will be made known. D«e«mber 16 F«r the Gazette or rat United States. TWO WORDS OF AN EUROPEAN, On the Conflagrationt that have,diflrcjfed this Country. IF preferva'ion from the deftru&ive ravages o* fire is one of the greatest interests of the public ; the importance of it invitei thofc who have liitle, as well as those who have extenlive kaowlcdge to communicate it ; and the right of nations which grants protection to the foreigner, imposes upon him to take in the welfare and prosperity of the people, where he enjoys it, a lharc when it is not contrary to that of his owa nation. This is a iuf bcient apology. Spectator of some fives in various parts of the United States, I'faw with pleasure, the courageous zeal, and the iotc'ili.-enj-e of thi itizemj and Sre companies ; but I thought I , eri cived two essential defeats ; and I mult fupp'ife twt many others exist ■whic J h I rfid pticeivr, but which others must have taken notice of. The firfl of these deficiencies seems to me to be a want of a fufficiftit quantity of hose that ought always to be with every engine. It is nccefiary that the firlt engine or. the spot, (at the burning of a church for ioftance,) (had!. have hose enough, to conduct the waterat lead as far as the bells, ami in houses, they fliould not o:»ly reach the roof of the burning house, but do it even if they were on the roof of fc.me house. The men who direst, the hole may then, with the aid of a lyct blanket ar {kin, approach the center of the con flagration, ?.nd cru!h hy the violent and diredt ray < r the water, tlie violence of the deftru&ive element. In a late fire which I witnessed to the ealtward, three qnarters at leafl of the water were loft, walled in the streets, they could uot aim at the feat of the fire which was in a third story, having not hose enouph, the enginesfp fAted-the water making half circles like the bomb font a mortar, and the water fell like rain on the fire of the roof ; whea at the faine time the interior ar.d mod violent fire was not reached by the engines. It isfcsrtainly an acknowledged fa&, that a single engine whose hose strikes the fire, has a more certain and a more prompt effctt than twenty others which spout the water in an indirect manner, and 3t a great dis tance. As in many parts of Europe they are obliged to be very ecoriomical, inilead «f hose of leathei,thry make use of a wovsn ftuff of hemp, made without a seam, and of which a foot does not toft ten cents. I leave the reader to judge whether a ma nufacture ef this isgsmous and modern invention obght not to be introduced into the United States, at the expense of the government ? In the second place you have never seen in this country, ladders which are made use of in different parts of Europe. If a building on fire ilands a - lone, if it threatens falling, or it the tire is alrea dy so violent it is not possible to make use of the common ladders, to save the lives and the property of the people, without the greatest danger, from the common ladder ; like wife you can never oppose the fire with advantage, because k is out of your power to support them on any thing when the con flagration is already violent, except on the neigh bouring buildings, either in the fame row or sppo pofite. In all tbefe cases nothing is more ufeful than the lfolee ladder, which fnpports itlelf with out help, by its superior extremity. You may like wife employ ufcfully, (where you can get them) the Gardener's ladders, which are double, tnd sup port one another ; but more convenient still are the Tripple ladders joined at the top by a triangle sf iron, and which rife upon a basis as extensive as you please, being secured by etamp irons. These lad ders may be ported opposite the fire at any conve nient dillance, like the wooden towers of the Ro mans, which approached the walls of a besieged eity ; then the ladders become so many batteries from which the men caw take aim at the fire. Thir ty or forty men can easily mount with the hose, up on a ladder of this oefcription. S. CONGRESS of tbi UNITED STATES. &>■ — HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Continuation of the delate on the address in anfvier to the President's speech. Thursday, December 15- Mr. Ames said that the gentl man from Virgi nia (Mr. Giles) bad represented him as fayihg that he took it for granted that we were 011 the eve of a war with France. So far was this from being eorreft, fie had grounded his expreflion care fully upon what fell from the gentlema-o himfelf. He said if we were on the eve of a war, as Giles insinuated, it was above all things necefTary that they (hould cling around the government, and not let an idea go forth to the world that there was' a division of sentiment on the fubjedt of the re fpeftive duties we owe to Fiance and to our own country. He knew not what more he could lay with refpeft to France. He had advocated yvords strong enough for any thing but a love-letter, and such weic reported by the committer. It was pos sible indeed he might not feel all the ardor in heit favor wriich was exprefTed by other ; for thcir's he was free to fay he thought exceflive and pernicious. He wished molt ttordially for peace with all nations, but if that could not be had, he wished for an union of sentiment in support of our national character and dignity. So much for that fubje£t. With refpeft to what had fallen from the speaker, it wa* possible on so many points, and with so many afpe&s of the fame point, in the business of several years, he might not have a&ed confidently,tho'as to the mat ter in question, he neither admitted nor believed any such thing He always "afled as lie thought befl at the time ; but at different periods he might, and this he said merely for the argument's fake, have acted differently. Sincerely, he was sure he had acted, and the house would believe he had ever avowed his sentiments as he really felt them. But he could not fee any thing of tbtVincsnfiftent kind in his cendutft. Admitting that the capturing of our vefleU by the British were a6l) of hostility, and tliere was great difference- between such ails and 'the just causes of war, were we, he said, even then without refledlion or preparation, or demand of ju ft ice, to return hostility for hostility? Ihe French had also captured our vessels, and yet no one spoke of this as an adt of hostility, or of se questration, prohibition or embargo, or blamed those who were silent. If one nation committed an adt of hostility againfl another, was it not ad visable, rather than immediatelg to retaliate, to en deavor to adjust the matter ty negocialion ? He thought so, the citizess of tht United States un queftinnabiy thought so, and that our adminiflra tion had great merit in so fettling the late differ ences with Great-Britain as to avoid war. It was true that the British had taken our vessels under a claim of right which they had to do so; and as contraband goods were liable to be fejzed, part as their co»du£V was clearly right by the law of na tions, and a great part clearly wrong. So that it was difficult to determine which were acts of hos tility. This of course required examination of fads, and adjulltnent of principles. The treaty wifely provided for both. For this purpose a ne gociacioH was opened, and was in a train 'hat he sincerely hoped would be finally fuccefstul. Gentlemen had been greatly offended by the term# jultice and magnanimity, addressed by Mr. Jay in his memorial to the British government ; b»t now our country was threatened, wronged and in fultcd, in a very extraordinary manner, no lan guage was foft enough to be used towards their fa vorite republic. This diftinftion was remaikable. The remarkets on inconfi4ency would no doubt ta'.ior for a solution of thi6 enigma. Our teal pa triots would labor with them to be fatisfied why the language of custom and common decency, fho-jid be so (hocking in one cafe, and why even humility and fuppiication should fecm too harfli for offended France in the other. With refpeft to the present situation of our country with the French republi;;, it was no re proach upon our government that the French had issued complaints against us It was said the Bri tish treaty was the ground of offence ; if so, he hoped there was not a drop of true American blood that was not carried wit|i tather mo'e heat and rather more hurry through the heart, by such a declaration. It was an insult that marked the utmost infelenee of spirit on one fide, and its low est abasement on the other. No caufc of offence, Mr. Ames said, could jtift ly be taken on account of that treaty, since the French treaty was in common with our other trea ties declared to be of prior force by an article of Mr. Jay's, and were the articles of the two trea ties to clash, those of the French would de stroy any opposing article in that made with G. B. so that the treaty would continue the law of the land, the fame as if no British treaty existed. Our juries and courts could be relied to carry the law of the land into effrdl. Information had been received, Mr. Ames said, and (fated to the public in all the newspapers, that continual efforts were making in Paris to excite a spirit of animosity against this country, and this by persons who were (though unworthily such) A merican citizens. Whether the language held by gentlemen in this house on the present occasion would not have a tendency to encteafe, to encou rage and to aflift that spirit, he left these gentle men to.determine. Whether to fay we were whol ly in their power ; that they were the only power which could annoy our teriitory, that they were invulnerable and irrefiflable, and we defeneelefs, that they were in the right and we in the wrong was becoming any charadfer but that of a French man. If we are'on the eve of a war, said Mr. Ames, I blush for gentlemen who can ufi such lan guage, at a moment when the power with whom the war yas contemplated is offering injuries and" menaces to our country. If the event be war, he acquitted the admimftration of blame. It had not provoked it ; but it was, if we ma) cre dit such various and concurring information as we had owing to the intrigues carried on in Paris. It had been there represented that there was a di vision of sentiment betrixt the government and the people of this country, and that they (the French) had only to speak the word, and the go vernment would fall, like other despotisms, which they affedted evary wher* to ©vercurn. If !h*is was the fadt, and so it had been represented, this house and this whole country ought to (hew it no coun tenance, he thought it the duty of the place where he flood to make it manifeft to the French nation it would not be borne: that in eafeof extremities he did not balance for a moment which country he should declare for, that of Hungers or liis own. Mr. Ames said, he himfelf did not believe there was any chance of war. The French could have no pretext for it and as little intercft or dclire to drive us to tha» alternative. As this kind of threat he doubted not, was to answer a certain parpofe, and was timed at the very moment when it wasex pedled to fix it, when that buftnefs had palled over, he supposed we (hould hear t,o more of war. We may fuffer many wrongs, and depredations 6n our trade, said Mr. Ames, but this country will seek redrefi, not by war, in the firft inflance, but by ne gocistion as before. Whatever be our govemment, I said he, whether perfedl or not, we are bound to support it ; and not, at such a peried to speak of injuries and evils which are not derived from the negledf or imptovidcnce of our government, and therefore ought not to chill the ardor of our zeal for its fuppott. • They are not true ; but if they were, they should now be kept out of fight. Mr. Ames concluded with an apology for having said so much, as it was well known he did net propsfe to speak often, he intended to have said but little and hoped the committee would fee that he had been personally called upon and therefore would excuse him. [Debate to be continued,] Wednesday, December 21, Mr. Heath callcd up the resolution which he yesterday laid upon the table refpedling an alterati on in the law as it relates to Revenue officers, which after a few the propriety of referring it to the committee of ways and mean#, it was referred to that commit We. Mr. D Foftfr wiftsd Ae committee of -elairns to be discharged from the farther -conlideratioTi of the petitions of Charles Pierras and D. S. Frank* as the petitioner were dead. Agreed. Mr. Blount called up the resolution which he ycflerday laid upon ihe table refpefting the ex'en lion of grants made to officers and soldiers killed «» battle, te those who died in the fervicc. A com mittee of three members was appointed. Mr. D. Foster, from the committee of ways and means, made a report on the petitions ot Abia lom Baham, Daniel Burns, Jacob Belfher and Oliver Barnct, for compensation for services per formed during the war, which was against them, recommended leave (o be given to withdraw their petitions. The report was read a second time, and the three firft cases were continued by the house ; but a deeifion on the last, on motion of Mr. Muh lenberg, who said he wished to give some inform ation on the fubjeft which he had not then with him, was postponed till Monday. Mr. Pat ton movsd that the report of the com mittee of commerce and manufactures made last ses sion, refpedtiirg the kidnapping of negroes and mu latto;) from different states, contrary to the laws of the said states, (hould be committed to a commit tee of the whol? house. Agreed, and made the order for Monday. Mr. Milledge prefetfted the petition of Jonas Forf:b, of the state of Georgia, for compensation for himfelfand men under his comm nd, when cal led oat to defend the frontiers. Referred to the Secretary at War. Mr. Thatcher presented the petition of Samuel Freeman, deputy poft-malter of Portland, in the diftrifl: of Maine, praying for additional compcnfa tion, which was read. Mr. Coit moved the House to take up the refa ction which he yelterday laid upon the table ref pe&ing the balances due from individual dates to the United States. He observed that tbofe balan ats amounted at the time of fettleotent, to three and a half millions, and that witk the interest paid u pon them, they were now four and a half, and it was therefore desirable that something should be done in the business. Mr. Williams said it was to be lamented that they could not come at the principle upjn which the eommiffioners had fettled these balances. He thought if this matter was duly examined that those (laies which were made creditor.Hates would not be found to be so. He thought tjie business of importance, and frich as might not be hurried thro' the house. He did not expedt the resolution would have been called up to day, and therefore wished a few days might be allowed before it was decided upon. Mr. W. Smith did not think farther time ' was neceflary for determining upon the resolution, as it went no farther than todireit an enquiry on the fubjeft. If this enquiry was not gone into fuan, they (hould be able to do nothing this fefiion, as it mult terminate on the 3d of March. He hoped therefore, the fubjeft would not be deferred. Mr. W. Lyman said this resolution trtight not to go to a feleft committee, but he referred to a com mittee of the whole. He wished to know what en quiry could be made': The principles 011 which the accounts had been fettled, were ol jested to. Were a fele& committee to determine the jiiltnefs of tins? He wished not this. He never (hould be in favor of referring any fubjeft to a felefi committee, in order to have an opinion exprefTed. Such rcteien ces were only a loss of time ; he was for referring the matter at once to a committee of the whole. Mr. Gilbert had no objd&ion to this ftibjeCi be ing referred to a committee of the whole, in order to bfing it before the view of the house When, ever this was done, he trusted a due investigation would take place, and the matter be rightly ad* jullcd. Mr. Coit fafd he had hoped his resolution wa» so framed as that no objection could have been made to it. Every one acknowledged something was neceuary to be done. The most natural way, in his opinion, would be to make an application ( which had not yet been done) to the debtor Hates for> payment ; bur, since tljey had a com mittee specially appointed to adjust all money mat ters, notwithstanding what had fallen from the gentleman from MufTachufetts (Mr. W.Lyman) to the contrary, he thuugbt it bed to dircS the enquiry to be made by them. Mr. Baldwin thought the resolution a very pro per one for bringing the business before the house. Some objections, he observed, had been made la the principle. He believed the principle upon which the accounts had been adjusted was such as had Keen generally approved of ; and 'hr tho't if the fubjeft was gone into, there would be bo difficulty in fettling the business. The resolution was agreed to. Mr. Williams moved the order of the day on the petitions of certain refugees frnra Nova Scatia and Canada. The house accordingly went into a committee of the whole on the fubjeA ; and a number of papers having been read relative there-" to, together with the last report of a feleft com* mittee, which was against the petitioners, Mr. Greenup hoped the report would be agreed to, He was upon the committee who made it. He (aid, in their examination, they could fir.d no resolution under the old government to allow these refugees the bounty of lands prayed for, and there fore he thought they ought not to be atfowedv 1 Mr. Livingfton spoke in favour of the allow, ance, and called for the leading of a former report in their favour, which he hoped would be agreed to. Mr. Sitgreaves said, upon eßquitry rf the clerk, he found none of the reports on this fulj 6\ had been piinted. He himfelf stood in the predica ment of many others who were unacquainted wi; h the bu[hiels. As it was a fubje£t ot complexity, he (hould therefore move that the committee rife, in order to have the papers printed. ihe committee rose accordingly, and the pa pers were ordered to be printed. Mr. Chiftie presented a- petition from John Sears, for a claim against jhe.Unitcil States. Thf petition being read, Mr. C. said it would be re«l It fled that this c;t<* had been reported upon last; feflion in favour of the petitianer, and that, a t; ill
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