% 1
FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE.
BRITISH PARLIAMENT.
HOUSE OF COMMONS.
FRIDAY DECEMBBR 22.
ASSESSED TAXES.
Previous to the house going into a com
mittee,
Sir E. Knatchbull moved, that there be
laid before the house an iccoutit of the num
ber of houses under 81. afleffed taxes and
upwards ; fpecifying the number of each
clafs, from 81. to 501. and so on to 220j.
TK« honfe frt a committee,
Mr. Pitt moved a clause, which was a
dopted, fixing those who kept horfea, car
riages, and male servants, at the higher
rate (as already printed.)
Sjr C. Bunbury moved that taxed carts
be exempted from any additional tax.
Mr. Pitt said, as the law now stood,
there was a great deal of evasion in the pay
ment of this tax ; he could not cohfent to
the insertion of such an exempting clause ;
but the amount of the tax might be a iub
je<ft of future consideration.
Mr. Wilberforce wi(hed to raise the tax
on such as kept men servants, fcc. one rate
higher than was proposed.
Mr. Addington (the speaker) explained,
that no augm«at4U9il &f_a ta* could be pro
posed in £ cfwtnittee, although a reduction
Bn'gitxr
Mr. Pitt brought up a clause to leflen
the proportion of rates upon (hops and lodg
ing-houses.
Upon the clause for imposing a double
rate upon horses used in huftandry, Mr.
Pitt dated, that it was proposed to exempt
those whose farm rents were under 701. per
annum.
Mr. H. Browne proposed, that from "?01.
and under iool. only a single rate (hvuld
be imposed. • I
After some conversation upon this propo
rtion, the committee divided,
For the original clause, 94
For the amendment, 6
Mr. Pitt brought up the clause requiring
the statement of properly to be upon oath ;
he said, that he conceived the oath to be
ncceflary to give complete effeft to the
flatement ; but as many gentlemen had fig
nified their intention of opposing this part,
he begged to submit to the committee whe
ther it would not be better to refetve the
consideration of that paint until the report,
and in the mean time firft to go through
with the schedule of the mode of dating in
come which would have a considerable in
fluence upon the operation of the other
clause, and would narrow it so much as to
require the intervention of an oath but in
few cases. Upon the report they would
have full opportunity of objedling to the •
clause, if they retailed their opinion of the
impropriety ef an oath.
Mr. Pitt brought up another claqfe, that
persons having more than four lawful chil
dren under sixteen years of age (hould be
entitled to abatement—from four to eight,
so per cent abatement—from eight to teVi
15 per cent—above ten, 20 per cent. '
Mr. Wilberforce thought that the abate- '
ment (hould be farther extended, as the ex
pences of children were greater from the
age of sixteen to twenty-one than at any o- '
ther period of their lives.
Mr. Pitt observed, that in all former a&s, 1
■where the diftindion of ages had been in- '
troduced, the age of fixteeu was the usual '
line of demarcation—lt was so in the poll- '
tax. '
After some further consideration, the ,
clause was brought up.
Another elaufe was proposed for exempt- !
ing boarding-schools and public houses, mak- ?
ing them fubjeft to the fame rates of afleff- 1
mentS' as (hops and lodgfhg houses. I
Mr. Baker thought they would be able,
by railing thei'r prices, to throw the bur
then upon those persons who sent their f
scholars ; and, therefore, ought to pay their r
full proportion. n
Mr. Pitt and ferjeant Adair were of a j
contrary opinion j and after some further
conversation, it was agreed to where the 3
boarders were not less than 101.
Mr. Pitt next presented the clause con- 1
taining the schedule, fpecifying the rules. n
It was a fubjeft, he said, which required c
great deliberation. He thought the bed
way would be now to bring it up, have it
printed, and go into the difcuflion upon b .
the report.
Au exsmption was moved in favor of me- "
dical gentlemen, allowing them to keep a
coach and horses in town, and two horses
in the coMntry- This clause produced a
conversation of some length.
Sir E. Knatchbull thought there was no
difference between town and country prac- u]
titioners, and that the exemption ought to
extend to them both. tl
The Attorney General was not favorable so
to the principle of general exemptions, but re
thought that the carriage of the physician T
required indulgence. It was an introduc
tion to praftice : at the fame time, there re
were so few carriages kept by country phy- ro
ficians, that the diminution of the produce
of the tax would be very inconsiderable if fe
the indulgence was extended to all of them, jo
Mr. Pitt thought the abatement of the
duty in town would be very proper, a«,
perhaps, there was no perfon'would fsffer
more by a discovery of income than the can- I pa
didate for medical praftice. But he coil- ha
ceived that a carriage kept in the country ! ex
was a proof of opulence. The fame rea- an
son did not apply, to the profeffion of the ' at
v> for it was of little consequence wheth- or
er the Barrister walked down to Wedmin- th
tter-Hall, or carried bis blue bag in a hack- foi
nty-coach.
The committtee divided on an amend- :
ment proposed by Sir Ed. Knatchbull, for fa'
extending the abatement to all physicians, pr
both in country and was ne- th
gatived by 59 against 42. ,
The committc then divided otl the origtn-
F al claufe—fur it, 59, againd it* 39-
Mr. D. P. Coke proposed 4 clause, to
prohibit any fees from being taken by t e
tellers of tho exchequer on the money rait
ed by-thi» »d. In making this motion,
he declared that he was not aSuated by any
hollile motives againil the two noble per'ons
who held this office; lie was attached to
the preftnt ministry, and the mora io, fce
:om- caufethofe who Hood forward to futeeed
them had declared for a radical reform,
re be which, in his opinion, wa4 other terms tor
mm- ra di ca l ru i n : reform in parliament, he be
and licked, mud be the forerunner of ai'evolu
cach- tion. But at a time when the country
>°} : „ were called upon for such great exertions,
" ' ' and were to contribute so largely, he tho t
" a the uobfe persons who held the office cou.
car " have no objection to fubferfbe their pro.it a ,
Sher he was in hopes that a noble lord, son ot
one of thfcm, who was in hiu place, would
:arts r jf e an( j f CC ond his motion. In the present
emergency, he believed the noble marquis
ood, (Buckingham) would have no obje&ion to
P a T" facrifice that additional income fortbefci
-1 to vice of his country.
jf e ; Mr. Pitt f?id, he did not fujjpofe that the
lub " hon. gentleman could ait hodilely againil
noblemen who had given him no provoca
,ax tion; He gave the hod* gentleman credit
rate for that sentiment, and hoped th t he also
(hould be believed that his opposition to the
claufe was not founded in motives of pri-
P ro " vate partiality. It bfcame the house fe
:hon rioufly to consider wither they would at
„ tack a freehold r*ght vetted in the noblemen,
:^ en and giver, is the reward of services, to
J S" their fathers, and which had descended to
them as absolute ptoperty. And this too
was moved jud after a elaufe empowering
r " any one to fubferibe volu»tarily ; the rea'
mpt fan assigned that the hon. gentleman believ-
P er ed they could have no objeftion, if
had not, surely it would be fully as agreea
ble to them to leave them to exert that in-
H tqntioh of their own free will. He mod
complain also of the manner in which the
'P 0 son of one of the noble lords was called up
on to second the motion. It was dealing
unfairly by him, and placing him in a very
J . unpleasant situation. It was calling him
ta speak for his father without consulting
1 ' him, inducing him either ta oppose the mo
, " tion, or support it for another, without au
l.he thority.
'S* Sir Wm. Pulteney supported the motion;
! rt ' he thought it perfeftly fair, that in times
of such public distress, persons holding such
tne lucrative offices (hould not benefit*by the iri
,rV crtafed burthens laid upon tfie people.
Mr. Pitt replied, that the hon. Baronet
! n " was mistaken in the idea that the tellers of
the Exchecquer would derive any benefit
er from the imposition of this tax. They
•° would not receive any fees in cOnfequenoe
of it ; and, therefore, upon no principle of
, judice could this motion he supported.
The Solicitor General said, the object of
the learned Gentleman's motion was una-
tainable, because it was not pofiible in
■j the issuing of the public money from the
Exchecquer to ascertain whether it was mo-
I ney arising from this tax, or whether it was
; J the other revenue of the country.
Sir William Pulteney said, as this was a
te completely new measure, he saw no reason
why the money raised by this tax (hould not
be paid into the Bank, instead of the Ex
chequer.
Mr. Coke said, he would persist in bring
ing up this claule, and would take the sense
j n ' of the committee upon it. He was convin
jaj ced, that if this bill (hould ever pass the
>ll Legislature, it could not be carried into ex
ecution.
he Mr. Pitt, in reply to what had fallen from
Sir W. Pulteney, said, that if the money
was paid into the Bank, it would set aside
all the checks and guards which the Consti
tution had set over the expenditure of the
public money.
I f Mr. Dundas said, the language which had
ir! a " en from thehon. gentleman who had pro
,;r posed this clause, was highly unparliamenta
■ir ry ' bim t0 explain what he
meant by faying, " the bill could not be
a carried into execution if it was passed by the
er Legislature." Did he mean, that there was '
xe any force from one corner of the kingdom :
to the other that would resist the Legifla
n_ ture ?If he did not mean that, he ought |
s not to use general expressions, which were '
)( j capable of such dangerous conftru&ions.
; ft Mr. Addington spoke against the clause.
Mr. Coke laid, he did not mean that any
in body would resist the law, but he meant
that he believed there were numbers who 1
would not be able to comply with it.
a The committee then divided : '
. s For bringing up the clause, 6.
a Against it, 75
Majority, , 69
o There beingnomore clauses to be brought '
:- up, 0
o Mr. Pitt dated, that it was his intention
that the report (ho«ld be brought up, p ro 1
e forma, to-monow, and to propofethat the '
it report (hould be taken into confederation on (
n Thursday next.
The House was then resumed, and the
•e report was ordered to be received to-mor
r- row. r
■C r The other orders of the day were difpo
if fed of, and at iz o'clock the House ad
1. journea.
c
!• *, LONDON, Jan. 12. ]
r It is reported at Plymouth, that the pre
- ■ parations going on iu the Dock-yard there' ]
- j have for their objett the expediting of the ]
f expedition now the fubjed of conversation, 1
- and which is to be commanded by Sir Hor- ]
e atioNtlfon. From the various rumours afloat ]
ontheoccafion, there is great reason to think I
that the armament is for the deftruaion of I
- Tome one or other of the flotillas of sua- I
, boats &c. colleftimr ; n the French ,
A letter from Gibraltar, dated Nov. ,0 ]
' 7S \'7/ e S P aniftl g"n-boats lately'ap!
, proached so near as to fire several (hots i n f ß v
' WD ' °/f °U Wh,ch struck two Emigrant I v
J Noblemen (father and f. D ) walking arm and 1 e
, arm .opttar ,*« .«f il£
the other ft'erely wom.dec
3 Bnttjh
c quiffes, ten of whom have Me
- J»t dignity durmg the Mu-fcy -
, Pitt. Of ? rtt o office,
r been mad; hnce Mr. f wtu)m
s There are frxteen;«»g f one hun
» hate been made bv Mr. Pit
- dred and twenty Barons sixty
1 , recommendation of Mr. '
, all the Bishops owe their mure* to hi •
r I Morton's new Comedy
- third time, a brilliant bumper f
- evening at Covent-Garden. Ihe »lf
f literally t>*el flovrtd in many ?»ru at an*at£
I 17
1 figure of modern Tonifm eter exhibited. he
; appears " a neat bit o'hlood." 1° ™*™
f Dafhtrs, it may he said „
1 » He, Knight ,'tb'fiin. anJ , cfr'fgt, y«< a"-
t The splendid Drama of the French 1 lua
, tre, " Ba.be Bleue," is to be given at N<-w
---, Drury with decorations molt superb 1 <ic
. powers of the Enchanter Blue Beardare
exemplified by the fineit powers of mecha
. nifm. Mr. Colman fee ins to have taken the
hint from Shakespeare,
" His verfc di:tll'd by nuaic,ili^hts.
" Shall raise such artificial Cprighte."M,*c»tTH.
The Glee Club held their monthly mee
ting on Saturday evening, at the Crown and
Anchor in the ftrand,which wan numeroiilly
attended by Amateur?; as well as Mtihcal
ProfeflorS. After dinner •' Non noils" was
sung by near four fcoie of the belt voices
the capital affords, in a manner which no
1 recital can describe. Afterwards three new
' Glees, by Mr. Cook, Mr. Linley, and Mr.
1 Webb, jun. were performed for the fir ft
time, and received with great applause. Dig
num gave his celebrated naval long of Cam
dertown with rapturous effeft : that was
r- ill /*tl C 1 1-V
fucceede d by various t*iee»
celebrity, &c. In a word, thee ainmenU
of th« day we»t-«ff-ca»i«nnabi
spirit of thiii refpeftable inftitui • > "
thoughout.
" rhc feaft of reason, and the fio of i'
Account cf the quantity of Wine expor: :dj[t otn_
Oporto from the firjl nf January 1797» ,e
the 30th November 1797, and -which was
the whole quantity exported from Oporto
within that year. Pipes.
To Great Britain and Ireland* 19,500
To America, - - 1,800
To Hamburgh, - ■> 337
To various parts of the Baltic, 135
Tu Russia, - - 190
Of the 19,50® pipes sent to Great-Bri
tain and Ireland, the proportion of pipes
sent to Ireland is about 5000. Perhaps
1000 are sent from Oporto to Cruern/ey and
Jersey. At any rate the largest quantity
exported from Oporto and imported into
Great-Britain, docs riot exceed 14,000 pipes
during the year 1797- —In the years 1794
and 1795, that is, before Mr. Pitt had laid
on his enormous and intolerable duties, there
were imported into Great-Britain 45,000
pipes each year ! _ [ Jacobin Print.2
PRESENT EFFECTIVE FORCE
IN GIIEAT-BRrTAIN.
- 8 troops
2 regts. of lifeguards, esch,ofßo
1 ditto horse guards, P" v & 3*
j. 1 6 . s officers & J. 16,164
3 ditto dragoon ditto oon com _ f 4
15 ditto light dragoon m ffioned
officers. J
26 regimentsfenciblecavalry, each"
comprising 8 troops of 18 offi
cers and 45 privates and non- ' 1 3>
commissioned officers.
32 regiments infantry (regulars);"
of these many are skeletons, but
including the miliary depot at
Chatham, may be estimated at }> 13,540
20 effeftive regiments of 600 I
rank and file, and 77 officers &
non-commissioned officers.
12 Skeleton regiments, including! ' £W'
officers, °|^.l24
18 regiments of fencible infantry"}
each 600 rank and file, and 69 /
officers aitd non-commifliotied J 11 >°4 2
officers, J
69 regiments of militia 45,000
252 troops of gentlemen and yeo-1
manry cavalry, f 'J' l2O
; 856 companies volunteers, •, »« 51,360-
Supplementary millitia, 60,000
Making in the whole!
Effective men, J 22 7>45°
To this force are to be added, 117 com
panies of artillery, 10 ditto of invalids dit
to, and 59 independent companies of inva
lids.
IN IRELAND.
Exclulive of its own militia and yeoman
ry, which compr.fe upwards of 90,000 men
Ireland has received from Britain the
4th, sth, 6th and 7th regiments of dra
goon guards.
sth, 9th, 22d, 23d and 24th regiments ef
light dragoons.
6th, 13th, 30th, 41ft, 54th, 64th, 68th
and 89th regiments of foet.
fencible cavalry.
The Ancient Briti(h,_ Caiabridgelhire—
New Romney.
FENCIBLE INFANTRY.
Aberdeen Argylefhire 2 bat.
Breadalbane, Ift and Caithness Legion '
2nd battalions Dunbartonshire
Devon & Cornwall Lord Elgin's
Durham Fifefhire '
Frazel'f' InTcrnefs Higliland-
Leicester North Lowlaß(i
i laux, 2d battalion Northhampton
Northumberland Perthftire
o r „. Rofhfay & Caithness
Somersetshire Suffolk [2d bat.
L*ya) Tay Yo?k
With five independent companies of in
valids—makmg in the whole a force of up
wards of one hundred and twenty thousand
enectivc irrcn,
L AWS oVTHEUSU ED STATES-
yytlUftGlity
fifth ConfTffr of t!\e United States :
AT SECOND SKSMOU,
Be-'in and hett at the City of PTiifadelp.ua,
! the' State of Pennfylvnnia, oil Mon
day, the thirteenth of November,
one thousand seven hundred
and ninety-seven.
AN ACT
For the relic} of Sylvanus Crowd!.
BE it encßed by the Senate and House of
Reprrfentatives of the Uriitcd States oj
, jtrnerica, in Qangrefs assembled, I hat if it
fliall be proved to the fatisfa&ion of the col
lector of the port of Barnftable, in the
state of Massachusetts, that agreements
were made according to the direction of the
| aft, intituled " An aft concerning certain
! fiftieries ©f the United States ; and for the
' regu'atroti and government of the lifhermen
! employed therein," bttween the masters
: and fiflicrmen employedonboard, the schoon
ers Jeruflia, Phoebe and Ruth, belonging
to Yarmouth, in the ft:3te aforefaid, cotin
terfigned by the owners, or their agent, for
a fifhing voyage, iri the year one thousand
seven hundred and ninety-fix ; and that the
said agreements cafually destroyed by
! fiw »K«n -nd in such cafe, the said collec
■d and diredled to make and
j.ay i ii4-&ylTOTHis CroweH, or Oilier
,f 1. .. owners of tlie said fctiooticTs,
f such j'iev- ice as they been en
' titled f mder the aft aforefaid, provided
j the reements had been produced to
f. d • . n
JONATHAN DAYTON,
Stealer of the House of Representatives
TH: JEFFERSON,
Vice Prcfident of the United States
and President of the Senate.
United States,
Approved, March 19, 1798. j
JOHN ADAMS,
President of the United States <
AN ACT
To amend the Ai7, intituled "An afi laying
duties on Stamped Vellum, Parchrr.ent and
Paper."
n Tn> E it enaEted by the Senate and
ec. 1. House of Repi efentatives of the
United States of America, in Congress ajfem
bled, That whenever any person, other than
officers t napleyed in colledting the revenue
of the United States, ihall apply to any fu
pervifwr or infpeftor of the said revenue, at
the omee of such supervisor or infpeftor, for
the purchafir, at one time, of any quantity
of vellum, parchment, or paper, stamped
and marked in the manner directed by the
aft, intituled "An aft laying duties
on stamped vellum, parchment and paper,"
the whole amount of the duties on
which quantity (hall be ten dollars,
or upwards, such supervisor or infpeftor (hall
be, and hereby is authorized and required
to deliver to such person, such quantity of
vellum, parehment or paper, stamped, as
aforefaid ; the said person paying down the
amount of the said duties, after dedufting
therefrom, seven and one IrJfper ceritum on
fueh amount ; which deduftion the said su
pervisor or infpeftorishereby authorized and
required to allow.
Sec: 2- j4aJic U Jnrther enacJed, That
■ vjlier.ever any stamped vellum, or parchment
(hall be applied for, and delivered, in the
manner aforefaid, the said purchaser, in or
der to become entitled to the aforefaid de
duftion. (hall pay to the said supervisor, or
infpeftor, in addition to the amount of the
laid duties, a reasonable rate for and on ac
count of the price of the said vellum, or
parchment, which rate, the Secretary of the
Treasury is hereby authorized and required
to fix, as nearly as jnay be, according to the
aftual cdft of those articles.
Sec. 3. And be it further enaßed, That
whenever any person, other than officers em
ployed in the colltftion of the
the United States, (hall bring any vellum,
parchment or paper, to be stamped, in the
manner direfted by the aforefaid aft, in any
quantity, at one time, the whole
amount of the duties for (lamping which,
fliall be ten dollars, or upwards, the officer
(lamping such vellum, parchment or paper,
pursuant to the direftions of the said aft,
(hall be, & hereby is authorized & requir
ed to make to such person, the fame allow
ance and deduftion on theamount of the said
duties, as is direfteti by the firft feftion of
this aft, to be made in the cafe 3 therein
mentioned.
Sec. 4. And bfi it further enacted, That
the stamped paper, required by the afore
faid aft to be furnirtied to the citizens of the
United States, by the Treasury Depart
ment, (hall be furni(hed at the rate ef duty
provided by that aft, without any addition
al charge on account of the price of papery
or any other expence, any thing, in the said
_uct the contrary, notwithstanding, and
that all paper, for the purposes aforefaid,
finallbe furnifhed at the expence of the Uni
ted States, by th« Secretaryiof the Treasury
Department, who is hereby authorized to
employ annually, a Aifficient sum for that
purpoie, and for the necessary purchase of
vellum and parchment, out of any monies
in the Treasury of the United States, not
otherwise appropriated : Provided always,
That nothing herein contained, (hall be so
construed, as to require the treafary depart
ment to furnifh any stamped vellum, or
parchment without an additional charge for
"the price of thsfe materials,ever& above the
dUty*lWbe ftan>p , HuK , % all f
where ftamptd vellum, m pi, , ~t (}, if
be furnifhed, the Secretary of t;- jy
i ment is hereby authorized and required?"
fix, as nearly as may be, according to th!
aftual coftof those articles, tffp.ct velv
See. 5. And be U further enaßed, That fa
much of the aforcfuid aft, as relates to ft a
duties on " any certificate or debenture
drawbacks of customs or duties," fha!] h
and the fa ma is hereby repealed ■ and th C
in lieu of the said stamp duties, one fourth
per cent, on the amount of all drawbacks
allowed by law, on the expo-.tation of £ood ,'
wares, and merchandize imported, fl-,all h *
retained for the use of the United Stat™'
by the paying such drawbacks'
and in addition to the sum ef one percent'
direfted to be so retained by the adt, intitii*
led " An aft to provide more effectually far
the Collection of the duties impofad by law
00 goods, wares, and merchandizes imported
into the United States, and on the tonnage
of fliips or vessels."
JONATHAN DAYTON,
Speaker of the House of Rebrefentatives
TH : JEFFERSON,
Vice President of the United States,
and Prejident of the Senate.
United States, I
Approved, March 19, 1798. I
JOHN ADAMS,
President of the United States.
Deposited among the Rolls in the office of
the Department of State.
Timothy Pickering,
Secretary of Stole.
congress.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
- * »
FRIDAY MARCH 23.
1 he bill making an appropriation far the
bsknce found.ilUUS-lhg IsdUaaSknu
tives <.f \Villiofn Carmlchae! deceased, was
lead a third time and passed.'
Mr. Otis presented the petition of the
widow of Jofiah Flagg, a colonel in the
State troops of Rhode Island, pr ying f or
compensation, for the services of her late
husband, which being read, he mov»d to
have committed to the committee of claims.
This reference was opposed by the chair
man of the committee of claims (Mr. D
Foster.) He ftatrd, that colonel Raw
ought to have been, if he was not paid bv
the state of Rhode Island ; that a number
of applications of this kind had been made
to Cosgrefs, and uniformly rejefited; the
amount of these claims, he believed, would
not be less than several thousand dollars;
and the accounts of the several states
j who employed these troops had already been
, adjusted between the general government
, and the state governments—Ordered to lie
1 on the table.
Mr. Otis from the committee ta whom
was referred so much of the President's
fpcech as related to consuls, reported a bill,
which was read and committed for
Mr. D. Foster proposed the fallowing
resolution for the adoption of the house,
which was agreed to :
' 1 Refined, That the committee of claims
be injlru&ed to enquire -whether any, and -what
further provision ought to be mdde relative to the
payment or reimbursement if the unfunded or
regijlered-debt, now credited in the books of the
treasury, and relative to loan office and final Jet
tlement certificates ;. and that the said committee
be empowered to report by bill or other wife."
Mr. Sewall, from the committee for the
protection of commerce, and the defence of
the country, reported the bill from the Se
nate authorizing the President to purchafa
one or more foundries, with an opinion that
it ought to be adopted without amendir—'•
The bill was comr-'^*-- 5 ™ Mwiioay.
me amendment of the Senate to the bill
for declaring the assent of Congress to an
aft of the state of Maryland for the appoint
ment of a health-officer, was concurred in.
Mr. Pinckney moved that the petition of
Stephen Drayton, prefaced in June lift,
and upon-which no reference was made, be
referred to the committee of elaims.—
Agreed.
A message was received from the Presi
dent of the United States, informing the
house that he hafl approved and figneJ the
aft'for relief of Sylvanus Crowell, and the
aft for amending the aft for laying a duty
on stamped vellum, parchment and paper.
Mr. J. Williams called for the order of
the day on the bill for organizing and.disci
plining the militia of the United States.
Mr. Gallatin thought it better that the
house should again go into a committee o.
the whole on the bill for an amicable lettle
uient of limits with Georgia, and for the e
reftion of a government in the Mifiiuippt
Territory, as that fubjeft had already un
dergone some discussion and tlie bill had
been reported with the information to obtain
which it had been committed.
The letter business was preferred, arid the
house accordingly went into a committee of
the whole on the fubjeft ; when Mr, Mil
ledge's amendment beihg under confederati
on, for adding to the faction far appointing
a provisional government in the Natchez
country, " after the confeni of the legiflatureof
Georgia Jhall have been obtained, a con 1 e
rable discussion took place. The amea
ment was at length negatived 46 to 34.
Mr. Thatcher then moved to ftnke out
the following words in the 3d feftion, ex
cepting and excluding the lad article o t e
ordinance." [This last article prohibited
slavery in the north-weltein territory ; w 14
by this bill is n»t intended to he pro 1 ' te
in the Mississippi territory. The oje °
the amendment was to make the farce P™' 1
bition with refpeftto slavery in 1 ' s tc^ rl °
ry that was made in the northwe era err.
tory.] The motion was fupp»rted by
Messrs. Thatcher, Varnutn and Gallatin,
and opposed by Messrs. Rutledge, ' >
Giles, Nicholas and Gordon. It was 1
gatived, there being only twelve mem e
in favor of it.-A sketch of this de
bate will be given.