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