But if a revenue be established equal to charge
of 1801, (viz.
For the deb? 5)887,0947
Expences of gov. 2,700,0003 °'577>°94,
tbe whole debt may be extinguished by the yeai
1824, befiries a considerable additional debt, i
such should arifefroin contingencies.
Probable permanent annual Expences «( Govern
' ment.
Civil lift 486,00t
Intercourse with foreign natiosi 10®,«oc
Mint eftablilhment 40,00 c
Light houfcs 35,00 c
Loan offices j z,ooc
Miscell aneous object and contingent
expences 37,00«
Militia and naral department, and
penfiant 2,e00,c0c
' 3,700,00 c
'Estimating thf expences of government at 2,700,
000, it follows hat, to avoid future loans, it is re
qailite to tftablift a revenue, to the close ot 1800,
viz.
Eor the debt 4,729,368") „
Expences S gov. 2,700,000 j 7>4 2 9>39
And fron the jear 1801 to 1809, intlufive, viz.
For the deit 5,877.694") a
Expences a gov. 2,700,0003 '577'°94
Though) revenue on thislaft scale would be
more thon jfficient todifcharge the whole debt be
fore 1824, jet the abfalute engagements of the Uni
ted states wl not require, after 1809, more than
7,3 19,668,iz. for debt 4,619,668")
for<pencescfgov. 2,700,0003
Existing corads and expences require therefore
at present 7,429,390
Contra&i'nd expences existing after the year
ißop and MBO9 inclufivcrequire 8,577,094
Probae Revenues from existing laws.
Duties on irrtrts am> tonnage 5,588,961
ondoiftic distilled fpi
ril refined fug&r,
sal at auction, li
cqs, carriages 337,255
Revenue frormft offices 35>000
Dividends on nk stock, cal
culated on theses 150,000
Inter, on ftockfinking Fund 88,636
Duties on pat< and contin
gent receipts 7-46
Estimated amt.rr. revenue 6,200,600
1c results thhe following sums mud be pro
vided, in additito existing revenues, viz*
1. Fiom thef en t time to
\ the end of 180 c $228,798
2. From '18a the end ef
iBo 9 2,376,494
3. From 181. the end of
*823 . ' ' 1,119,061
To provide thjsg annually required till 1801
inay be done wit( imposing inconvenient bur
dens. . ■
To reimbtyfe Whole foreign debt, by direfl
payment before 1 ma y be practicable. It is
however after 18c I occasional loans
will be advilable,h a view of postponing the
final re imburfmenpai-t until after 1818, when
the present 6 per y c bt will be discharged,
Mr. Smith laid fibans could not how be had,
upon :iny reafonabl$ S) there was no way of rail
ing the money wantjt by tax upon the people.
The question was w' Br t of taxes should be resorted
to? Members, he f% ere divided betwee* direa
and indiredl taxes iJ| we re agreed than an addi
\ * tional revenue of I,dollars being wanted, some
tffedlual steps were ix r y to be taken. Jf indiruft
taxes had proved inlmt, it was necessary to have
recourie to some knew of no other that
wouiu bi. so tfi'e>slual ijre<fl tax on land."
relpedl to rajfurther revenue from com
merce, h« believed itnot poflible to do it to any
considerable exter t, *is source, he said, was at
baft but a precarious off, then, they had tried all
other sources without t, they should be obliged
to have rtco«rfe to a li x . And he'would submit
it to gentlemen whethyas not best to meet the dif
ficulty at onv. If, M the necefiities of govern
ment, the ptibftc laict\ ( > j the country, re
quired it, it is nteeflarjj) ro p er we should look the
evil in face.
Notwithstanding he this opinion, Mr. S.
said, he should be glad \ r t j,e sentiments of gen
tlemen on the jubje*, were !n favor of other
plan 6, though he was ap n f lv e they should be o
bliged to have recourse t|- ource hc had ment ioned.
Indeed there was one of the fubjea which
•would such a fyftc( rab [ e) though our neces
sities did not immediately it _ At pre f cnt) he
said, ajmoft the whole of . vcnue aro s e from com
merce, and was liable to* much deranged by
any European war, aud who n y dsftroyed, if
this country Ihould engag wsr> j t wcre tQ be
wished, therefore, that tfy u j d bc a p| an created,
which might at any time, t, ort not ; SCi be carried
into effea to an extent wh u , d be equal t0 t , le
necessities ot would anfwfr
l!,i« purpefe so well as a Suppo f e) he f aidj
the plan was onginated w^ 9QO dol | ars>
the lyftem open, they cou:y time raise it t0 onc
or two millions; as, if c^ efcrj tion , of , and
wcre charged a qnarter per , hey mi hl ea r ]y be
advanced to one half, three rs or,one per cent,
without embarraflTment.
»Mr. S. laid, this fubjeft h n frequently under
the confidcration of the com of WJ End mean ,
and had always been aof at jm .
pertanee, and as attended wit derable difficulties, j
There had always been a d,v, that Co mmitteeon
this fuhjedl, certain of them , to raift [he mo .
ney by and others taxatioil) b ut it
had always been found that ey turned from
direst to indirea taxation, so cb j e aions were
brought againfl any planwwhs, s propo s e d, that
there was no possibility of pro. j n tbf j- tJ
fien fevrral objeils were prop (jt were ob
jeifted to and abandoned, and tb tbey bad de
termined t» ref«rt to a fyllem taxa (i ani ' afld
had accordingly given dne»ft !o Jie secretary of
the tre«!u y to prepare a plan l pu ,. p8 f c . Thi
plan had bem reported, and re, t) ,e committee
of way. and mc^ns: an. 1 . befor^ inm|tte< . c)lof;
to go tai ther into the bufiiftls. :g ]ed holJi r e
lo dettnniuc'Lpon the priiicipley ardj) jf aaia .
I jority fbou'.d be in favor of direA taxation, the com
mittee would bring in such a bill as (hould appear to
them to be least bmrthenfome to the people. But, if
I gentlemen were of opinion rht money wanted i oald
be better raised in any other way, they would, of
course, pr®pofe their plans ; but he hoped tley should
r not fhift from one thing to another, without fixing on
any thing, since the wants of governmeat mult be
supplied.
Mr. Coit hoped the resolution would be adopt
-1 ed : not that he wished to pledge himfelf to agree
to any fyflem of dire& which might b*
1 proposed He looked upon the agreeing to the re
solution as only one rtep. Whether eventually such
a plan could be devised as the house approve
was tin eitain j bat he (hould wish to look at the
plan which gentlemen bad in contemplation.
« Mr. Harpei said, if they could look at the plari, as
the gentleman from Conneai-.-ut (Mr C»if) had sup
posed, without pledging themselves to adopt a lyfttna
of direa taxation, he would also be glad to fee it ;
but, he believed, to adopt the resolution before them,
would be to decide upon the principle of direa taxa
tion. Afterwards, all the question would be as to the
modification of the system, and the manner in which
it should be carried Into effea. But, he believed, a
majority of that house, neither was, nor would be
prepared to fay this was the mod eligible and conveni
ent mode of raising revenue.
It was true that they all knew, they knew it last
session, that the money wanted mull be raised from the
people by means of taxati®n The queftioa was only
about the mode. The committee of ways and means
had given them a resolution of four lines, that direa
taxes ought to be laid ; but how, or under what mo
dification, or how the difficulties which were acknow
ledged to exifi, were to be got over, they were not
told ; but 'hey were called upon to determine upon
thp principle, without any information on the fubjea
He wished the committee of ways and means might be
inflruaed to give them the data upon which they
meant to found their plan; that they might be in
ftruaed to shew the'm the means by which this plan
was to be effeaed. They eloubtlefs had considered
tins; but tne committee of the whole had not consi
dered it; nor had they the matKrials for going into the
mveftigation. It w*s his desire. that before they com
mitted themselves, that they might know more about
the matter than they then knew ; that they should
have the system before them, and-that they might not
decide upon the abltraa principle, without having
that system He should, therefore, be againfl the re
solution, and move for the committee to rife, that the
report might be re-corumitted, for the purpose of ob
taining a sketch of the plan which had been contem
plated. ,
Mr. Swtnwick hoped the committee would not
rife, until they had determined upon a question
wlii< h was of the firll importance to this country ;
a question which it had been well for us if it had
been intioduced'long ago, but which, he trulled
was not now too late to be of cflVntial service. At
present, he said, produce was falling, and <jf course,
any tax upon the farmer would not be so well re
ceived as if their produce was upon the rife ; but,
he trulted, the wealth of the country mull have be
come so considerable, from the high price which
every agricultural production had long been at, as
to enable them very well to support the necessary ex
pences of government. Theft expences, they
knew, mud be supplied from one of three fourccs ;
either from loans which have heretofore been made
in Europe, at great expence of agency, brokerage,
coramiffion, &e. or from impofl, erbyinteinal re
venue,' or excise.
Into what situation, he asked, had this loan-ma
king business brought this country ? They have
created, what seemed to be wished on all hands to
be avoided, a foreign influence over thu country.
It had made us dependent upon what i: was not in
otir power ; upon every accident which
might happen at Amlterdam or Antwerp. So far
as related to imports, this fouice of revenue wasex
pofed to the influence of war, and absolutely de
pendent upon any foreign government which might
please to annoy us. Was this, he aflced, an envia
ole situation ? He thought not. This dependance
upon f'6reign nations, was a great difadvautage in
ali negociations. %
With refpeft to excise, he need not fay how un
pto luctive it had been. Tjie article of fnuff, in
stead of producing any thing, had brautjht the
revenue in debt ; and the excise on another article,
had called forth the military to enforce it. For his
part, he saw no way of avoiding these difficulties,
but to come to that cardinal point, which they had
in view, of direst taxation He (hould, there
fore, be hi favour of the resolution before them, be
cause it fixed the principle.
It was necessary, Mr. S, said, to the importance
and firmnefs of Government, to determine whe
ther the land of the country be not equal to bear
its share in the expences of Government. This tad
hitherto been evaded ; but he trulled this mass of
! property would no Lnger escape from paying its
1 due proportion towards the public burthens. For
when it was known in foreigr? countries, that all
our revenue was bottomed upon our commerce, it i
was holding out an invitation to them to piay'off!
hollilities upon us. Great Britain, be said, had ta- i
; ken the lead in annoying our trade, which had
brought us to the Britilh treaty. We- were row '
brought into another situation by that inflrument •
the French were now laying hold of our cotamerce!
It was said that Great Britain drew very little
support trom her land, in comparifan to what she
drew from her commerce ; but she had a fleet to
defend her commerce, and therefore, if she drew
a great deal from it, she was also at some expense
in ftipporting it. Our trade, he laid, was unpro
tected. It was true, we obtained seven millions of
dollars from it, without being at any ,expense in
return. But, he said, there was no certainty of
this ; aud without some plan like the present, there
would be no security for supporting the expenses of
our government; nor could aijy negotiation ever be
properly supported, until the yeomanry of our coun
try should join in the support of our common inter
ell. It was absolutely neceflary, Mr. S. said, to
decide upon one of two principles, either to support
commrr. e by a navy and thereby secure the re
venue arising from it, or «!fe call upon agricul
ture to bear its lull (hare *of the public burthens.
—He therefore wilhed the principle to be fettled with
out regard to modification, because the more fun pie
the in which the objea was placed the better,
i'he modification would probacy be an »fter business ■
asd, when members had agreed upon the neceflity of
adopting the principle of a direa tax, thtiropp c fiti cn
• to any particular pLjis wlncti might fee offered would
>be moderated, to tbe best fyiteni which coul.l be
devised w«uki probably be adopted.
I [To be Continued.']
1 wiima——i^—
: Philadelphia,
THURSDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY », 1797.
Married, on Tuesday tvenirig last, by the Rev. Dr,
I Helmut!*, Ur. G-jillaume Waster Adleustbrren,
j of Lancaster, to Miss F. C. Louise Eckstein, daughter
of John Eckfteio of this city.
to correspondents.
On further consideration, we think it proper to
defer the publication of " X. X."'
The publication of th« piece figncd " ARGUS,"
at the present moment, we conceive, could infwer no
valuable purpose.
Thi Swedilh brig, Vigilance, Capt. Rieter, from
Corfiea and Malaga, it arrived at Reedy Iflaud.'
The veflels mentioned to have arrived at Reedy
Iflaud, have got up to the Hook.
* The ftiip Columbia, Mason, fr»m Amsterdam is arri
ved at Mareus Hook.
The Swedish brig Vigilance was boarded the 30th
Decctnber by the Lynx floopof war ; three of her crew
preffid, and olherwife uncivilly treated.
Communication.
It was at fit ft imagined that the Agents of the
French Directory in the Well-lndiea were ifluing
and executing ordeis for capturing and condemning
American veflels, without authority from the Di
rectory : but this is probably a mittake. Their a
gents in Spain are doing the fame thing there. It
is also a fa& that the captures by French armed
veflels are not confined to Americans, several
Swedilh and JDanifh veflels have been already
captured and earrird into Spanilh Forts in Eu-'
rope, and an this principle, that they were go
ing to or from ports of the enemies of France ;
and on this prim iple the French coiifnl at Cadiz
avowed his determination to condemn all neutral
veflels—faying he had authority so tc do.
By this day's Mail.
CHARLESTON, January 16.
Saturday arrived the (loop Nancy, Huntington,
Havartna, I4days; ihip Northern Liberties, Ged
des, Hie of France, 117 days; brig Lydia, Caf
farena, Cadiz, 14 daysfloop Mercury, Brown,
Savannah, 2 days.
Yesterday arrived the ftiip Phebe, Stone, Cape
de Verds, 76 days, in diltrefs, bound to Kenne
beck ; brig Harmony, Marshall, Port-au Prince,
15 days; brig Gute Henrietta, Schmidt, Teneriffe,
56 days ; sloop Fame, Benfon, Africa, 77 day 6,
in distress, bound to Bollon ; fiiip Hop&, Rodman,
Turk's Island, 12 days; brig Hannah, Kenny, St.
Thomas's, 35 days, in distress, bouud to Philadel
phia ; ship M/ry, Peterfon, Bath, 14 day 6.
Off C&pe Tiberoon, captain Siane, ot the (hip
Pfeebt;-, from the lfle of Bona Villa, was brought
to by a British frigate ; a boat boarded him and
carried off an American seaman, named Samuel
Huff, belonging to Kennebunk river ; their pretext
for taking him was that he had n«t a protection.—
Capuifi Stone could not learn the frigate's name.
Entkkib.
Brig Nabby, Gardner, Barbadoes
Mary, Callender, Cape Francoi>
Aurora, Brown, Hamburgh
Thomas Pinckney, , New-London
Catawba, , Sr. Thomas's
Aurora, Wooldridge, Marblehead
Sloop Maryland, , Nassau
Walhiagton, Prior, Bolton
'■ Three Brothers, Mauran, Rhode-Island
Revenue, Sawyer, Ntw-London
Mary, Briggs, New-York
January 18.
Yesterday arrived the schooner Industry, Rofs, Sa
vannah, in a days; schooner Letreiy, Crabb, Rhode
| llland.
The day before capt. Marlhall, who arrived on
| Sunday last, left Port-au-Prince, a government cutter 4
arrived therein 38 days from England. She brought'
I accounts of admiral Thompson having failed for the
' Well-Indies, with j fail of the line, with General
| Abererombie on board. Nothing further had trans
pired. An iS gun brig, belonging to Guadaloupe,
had been captured by the Briifti fleet, and a frigate
that was in company with her, was drove on Ihore.
NORFOLK, January 23.
Extra& from the Log Book of the sloop Zilplia,
Benjamin Guild, mailer, twenty-seven days from
Jamaica.
Left at St. Lucie, the brig Dauphin, Captain
Cutis, of Portsmouth, (N. H.)
j Jan. 12, in lat. 32, 16, N. long. 78, 28, W.
I spoke the sloop of Philadelphia in dillrefs,
| having fpiung a beam, atid the fca making a fair
breach .over her. At 6 P- M. the cap.airi told
me the leak increased on him ; lay to by the sloop
the whole night, (it blowing a gale) but supposed
she mult have funk, as nothing could \>e seen of
her in the morning.
Jan. 13, in lat. 33, 43, N. long. 76, 11, W*
spoke the btig Lydia, Cornelius Dunman, mailer
from Cadiz, out 106 days, quite cut of provisions.
Capt. Guild fupplii-d him with bread, meat, wood
and water ; the brig was tight, the crew all well,
but the fails were much weather b.%ten. Captain
Dunman was bound t» Boflon ; had got supplies
from the schooner Abigail of Baltimore, bound for
[ the Indict, the whole ofwhofecrew (except
the captain and one hand) were so badly frdlt bit
ten that they could not fiand tha deck.
ARRIFED.
Brig Eliza, M'Connel, Liverpool
Courtney, Livingllon, Havanna
Schr. Minerva, Perkins, Antigua
Citizjft, Gilbert, "Guadaloupe
Elizabeth, Goodwin, St. Thomas's
Ziljsha, Guild, Jamaica
Sloop Thomas and Sally, Allen, P«rt-au Prince.
BALTIMORE, Jam* y 31.
Friday anivtd at Anuapuh.-., Uie (rhooner Dor
cliefter, captain BJuth, ffum Porto-Rico, 16 days.
Captain Booth left there—
Ship Mount Vernon, (till Under trial.
Halcyon, Taylor, as Providence, t<» (ail for Ha
vannah.
Brig Minatrva, Long, of Philadelphia fur St.
Domingo. v 1
Hiram, Lowering, ditto for dittn,
Schosner Betsey," Jones, of Norfolk, for Balt»
Sljop Indnftiy, Wheeler, for Ph a el Kia.
The thipja>e, captain Besrd, arrived ai Porto-
RicO; from Baltimore, in 29 days. Was boarded
by an English cruifcr, had his fetters broken open,
and was other wife ill treated.
A French armed brig, from Charleston, arrived
at Porto-Rico, the-fajne day the Jane arrived, who
reported, that alj the American ports were (hut.
Captain Baoth informs, tjiat fume time last
month, the French privateer Flying-Filh, hoarded
a Genoese (hip, and after an adion of 3 gloffcs, 1
captured her. '1 he Genoese had 011# man kilted
and another wounded. The MuUn. Vernon was
not yet condemned. Orders areiexpcdled from St.
Domingo rcfpe&ing her ; the governor is charped
with partiality to the Americans by the s Spani(h
merchants, which haaforthe present put a (top to
all proceedings in this cafe, and an entire ftagna
tiou of btrfinels.
Captain Booth left Annapolis on Sunday morn*
iug, at which time there "were tweulyone fail in
ward-bt>und veflels lying there.
Arrived on Friday last at Annapolis schooner s
e RSy> captain Gorfurh, 28 days from Jaquemcl.
Captain G- informs, that he wis boarded in the
Bite of Leogane by the Bri i£h frigate Arabufcade,
which pressed one of his men, an American by
birth and prote&ion—Spoke a (loop off the coafi,,
(name not recolle&ed) belonging to New-York,
from Jamaica to Norfolk, out 49 days, in.diftiefs.
Arrived at Annapolis on Saturday Schooner
Barbara captain White from the Havannah, which
he left on ihe 10th inliant. The mate lias arrived
in town, and informs, that the Nelly, Dfhitlds,
of Baltimore, was lying there, but had been seve
ral times ordered away by the governor, as the sale
of flv ur (h<?r cargo) was prohibited in that port.
Came up the bay in company with the brig Hiram,
from Norfolk ; and the schooner Beifey, Boyd
Arrived at Annapolis, on Saturday la it, fl.iap
Salty"; captain Hall, fiom Philadelphia, with good*
far this port. Captain Hall was detained 28 days
at Rheedy-Ifland, in the Delaware, by the iee.
The (loop Robert and William, captain Watts,
is arrived at Annapolis, in 19 days from Si. Mar
tin's. Weleain, by this ar-rival, that a great many
Ameriean veffrls hi;ve been carried in there and
condemned. An Indiaman, belonging to Clarke
and Nightingale, of Providence, Rhode Island,
from Batavia, with a cargo of £ 200,000 fralue,
had been sent in by a French privateer, and was
under trial when captain Waits (ailed.
The schooner Adeline, Stanley, is arrived at
Annapolis, from Jacqtlemel.
Snow Light-Horse is arrived at Annapolis, from
Porto-Rica, via Norfolk.
On SATURDAY EVENING NEXT, Feb. 4,"
\ between the hours of 6 and 8 o'clock,
IVillpafitively bt Sold at Public Vendue, at the Mcr •
ihant's Caffee House,
A N O T E,
Drawn by William Burgifs & Co. of SotflPThird
ftreet, near Market-street, Linen Drapers, in favour
of Robert Burgifs, jun. or order, for 600 dollars.
The said Note became due the 30th December last,
and was protested for non-payment.
An approved N»te at 60 days will betaken in pay.
nent. ,
February 1. 3
Insurance Company of the State of
Pennsylvania.
OTICE is herehy given, that the directors have de
i\ clared a dividend of thirty dollars per (hare, en
-he bufieufs of the last fix months 1 which will be paid to
he stockholders or their legal representatives, after the
10th instant.
SAM. W. FISHFR, Stc'y.
Philadelphia, Feb. ad, 1797. dtioth.
Lancajier, Harrifburgh, CarlifJe, Ship
penjburg and Sunbury
STAGES.
The public are requested to take notice, that the part
ner/hip which has for sometime fubfifled between Mathi
as Slough of Lancaster, and William Geer, is nowdiflel
ved . but, not as M. insinuates to the public,
without just cause 5 as will more fully appear by a letter
on the fu'jedl from M. SloOgh te W. Geer, dated the
29th December last a recital o) which is Hot cow dcen «d
necessary. Auy gentleman who wilhes to be more cir r
currftantially informed of the mer its of this business, by
applying to W. Geer may have the perusal of M.Sloiigh's
letter, and then can be at full liberty to determine whe
ther or not W. Geer is not perfectly juftifiabie in attach
ing himfelf to any other per'on in the prosecution of the
Stage conveyance from PbiladsJj hi a to Shippenfbarg,
or any other place. *
Now from tbe liberal and generous support the public
were pleased to confer on the firft.effort in this business",
Vt illiam Geer, in conjunflion with Meffrj. Reily, Weed
and Wi'.mer, is determined ro profecuta and carry it on,
with every eare| attention and dispatch that'a zeal to 0-
blige tbe public can possibly exert.
The above company, who are amply provided with
carriages, horf-s, and every appurtenance to render the
psffage fafe and commodious, inform those who wi(h to
patronize and encourage the undertaking, that they can
take their feats at George Weed's, the sign el the White
Horse, Market Street, Philadelphia, on every Monday
and Friday, to proceed to Laacalter Harrilburg, Carliflt
and Shipper]fburg The fare as hrthJrto eftabliflied.
For tbe further accommodation ot the public, a Staee
will start every Wednesday from the house of Samuel
Elder, in Harrifburg, arrive at Sunbury in Northumber
land county, every Thurlday, and return from the»ce and
arrive at .Harrifourg every Saturday, so that paiTengera
ueftined for Laucafter or Philadelphia, may proceed on
Morfdays,
WILLIAM GtER.
Lancaster, Jan. *7, 1797.
„ B> Tkii ef Stages ft arts from the house of
William Ferree, in Lancaster, on every Tuesday and Sa
turday morning at 6 o'clock, proceeding to the weft ward ;
and from the house of Mr. Samuel I'lder in Harnlburg
every Wednesday morning, o* {he fame evening arrive*
at Patrick Cochran's in Shippenfburg, and returns , from
thence on every Thursday : performing the fame routine
daily as in itftour from Philadelphia.
»•