the argument of the gentleman is altogether groundless. The '.-entlcmin told the house, that this clause was meant to apply to certain afts of t.ie acknowledged agents of France who. inuy open a trade with us, notwith- Itanclmg the decrees of the Directory, and he introduced the proclamation of Hedouville to fheiv that this was the intention of the bill. Whatever the proclamation of Hedou ville may have been, this bill was certainly hot meant to meet anyfach cafe ; if it had, it would have been differently exprelTed. This feclion fays, that when any persons claiming and exercifmg command, &c. shall clearly dil'avow—what ? the aggressions, de predations and hoftiiities of the government under whose authority they aft. What does this amount to ? certainly to an ofEcial disa vowal of all the afts of the governpent of the mother country, which have violated our national rights and sovereignty. Both the gentleman from South Carolina and the gentleman from Massachusetts proceeded to fay, that the effects produced by this clause would be beneficial to the United States. Suppose this should, in some degree be the cafe, if other effects of a serious and mif chievoua nature may proceed from it, the jneafures ought not to be adopted. The effect expected to be produced is to operate not upon France, but upon certain agents, or commanding officers in the Weft India Islands, by inducing them to forbear from privateering. Suppose this effect is produced, will it not also be Considered as a lure thrown out toencourage those agents to negotiate in their private capacity ? certain ly one effeft will not prevent the other, and the whole of the fubjeft ought therefore to ije considered together. It is said, that any kind of negociation which might be entered into with any agent of the executive Directory, whatever maybe the situation of that agent, ought to be con sidered as lawful, because we ought not to enquire into the right which a person has to ejcercifc a power ; that it is enough for our purpose, if. he does exenSfe it. This doft rine, said Mr. G. will not apply to the com manding officer of any island; it will apply only to the government of a nation, and not to a part or feftion of a nation. No one eould suppose it right to treat with a town or any foreign, nation, which was in a state of infurreftion, from whatever source the per son proposing to treat might have received, his power. I'he cafe is different with re (peit to a nation. Whoever exercises the fovernment of a nation, is supposed to do it y consent of the nation. This rule will not apply to colonies ; an agent in an island under the government of France, must be considered as an agent of the French govern ment. So long as he remains an agent of France, it is no matter to us, whether he obtains his situation by transporting his pre decessor in office, or by any other improper aft j whilst he remains an agent of the French government he must be considered as such. But this feftion has nothing to do with a cafe of this kind; it contemplates a period when these agents lhall have ceased to eonfider themselves as such ; when they shall have thrown off their allegiance to their go vernment,-then this feftion fays, we shall be ready to negotiate with them. Mr. G. conceived, therefore, that the que (Ivan couies to tWS- It Is proper to give poWer to the President under oiir present eircumftanees, to stipulate with certain agents, that in cafe they will disobey their government by declaring themselves indepen dent. or by throwing themselves into other bands, we will renew our commercial inter course with you. No man, said Mr. G. will deny, thkt a trade of this kind would be advantageous to the United States ; be be lieved it to be one of the mod lucrative bran dies of our commerce ; but it was neverthe less thought proper, at the last session, to suspend it, in order, as then supposed, to ef feft a greater good. Therefore this com merce being advantageous to the United States, is not a fufficient reason why this measure should be taken, if it be wrong in, itfelf, and may produce greater mifchiefs, than the trade can do us good. What, said Mr. G. are the inconvenieu cies which would arise from a mealure ot this kind ? it must be allowed, in the firft place, that it would give the lie to all our fo reign declarations of abhorrence against the attempts of other countries to divide the people of a nation from their government ; for we here, said heaffume the ground, that it is proper to negociate and stipulate with a part of the people, with a certain diftrift 01* acounti-v, with any person who shall chufe to fay that he claims the right of governing in any place. We abandon the general ground of treating with a foreign govern ment, and determine to treat with any indi vidual who may either have, or claim to have authority. Mr. G. believed a princi pie of this kind at all times improper; and it would be peculiarly improper for us to aft upon it, with refpeft to a nation, against whom we have so many grounds of com plaint of this kind. He had already stated, that it could only bi» juftified in a state of war, if then, to hold out encouragement to intur reftiontind rebellion to the coionies of airc jher country. But, provides! the aft bejuftifiable, would it be our interest to do it ; and what would be the probable effeft of such a measure ? To be able to speak upon this point with perspi cuity, it would he necessary to investigate the real objeft of this fefticn a little moie clofrly. Mr G. wished gentlemen had been so good as to have given the house all the information they poflefs on this fuhjeft ; he wished Cor.grtfs had received whatever offi cial information th£:e may be on this fubjeft in the archives of the Secretary of State, or a'J the information which may exitt with some gentlemen on this floor. Deprived of ♦his information, f id Mr. G. we can only Wak of what we hats heard, but which, he heJ eved, fufeeptihie, in some degree, of proof. Mr. G. belirved he might go so far as so fay, that this feftion was not inserted to nwet the caf: spoken of by the geudeman from Maryland ; but for the admiflion of one which had been a fubjeft of difcuflion ip the newspapers forfome time pad. He meant what was generally understood by the mifSon of Touflaint, a black general, »f St. Domingo. It had been aliened, from the moment sf the arrival of a supposed agent, that he came here with the late confui of J the United Statei at that port ; that he j brought difpatche* from Touflaint t > our government. Farther than this we j}**": fcen in some of the newspapers printed at the eastward, that this million is likely to have some effeft ; we have seen it there ftateH, " that the President is neither rash nor dif fident, and that good effefts may be expeft ed'to flow from this mifion" So far on the authority of the public newspapers, and none of these assertions have been denied. Should I be doing right, said Mr. G. to fay, that I believe that this feftion of the bill is an effeft of that negoc ation ? It is true I onlydeduce this from probability, but the probability is ftrcng. Mr. G. said he knew that the independence of St. Domin go had been a favorite theme with gentlemen and they had made an appeal upon it to the avarice of the people of the United States, that in cafe of war, this independence would be of advantage to the United States, and that during a time of peace, the minds of the people ought to he prepared for this event. But gentlemen seem to think that the public mind is riot yet teady for this change, or they do not chufe to avow the objeft of this million. Which, he could not tell ; but he would advise those gentlemen who have received. infsrmatioh on this fub jeft to communicate it. Mr. G. said he should be dispatches of Gen. Touffaint- What is his offer to our gov rnment. Whether his ideas go to independence ot not ? Whether he i 6 any way connefted with the Biitifh government, or not ? Whether the sudden and extraordinary evacuation tjf St. Domin go by general Maitland wasfto promote something of this kind, or to support the force of General Touflaint .? He should wish to know what is the disposition of the Exe cutive with refpeft to this buflnefs, so far as it shall have come to the knowledge of any of these gentlemen ? He would also be glad to know the disposition of this agent, or the nature of hi:- objeft, at lead so much of it as may have escaped at any petit foupc or dinner, at which these gentlemen nay have been parties ? If any such information could beobtained,it might tend to throw some light upon the fubjeft. If he should be milUken in his views of ik, it would be wholly owing to hi# being deprived of that information, which he believed either the Executive, or some of the members on this floor poflefs. Mr. G. believed the objeft of this feftion is to give encouragement to the Black Gen eral in his present views. A (ingle senti ment had dropped from the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Otis) in the" course of the debate, which had given rife to part of what he had said on this fubjeft, and which led him to believe that he had forae informa tion which hr ought to communicate. He said, " if St. Domingo should finally be in dependent, it was proper to cultivate a good understanding with that island at present, jud nnt —L -» > k 7? tainencouragementtothem in fuchan,ever.t" When-? Now ; so that we are not only to cultivate a good understanding with St. Do mingo, if it should become independent, but in the expeftation of'and before it takes place, it is proper to cultivate a good un derstanding with that island, by holding out the encouragement proposed by this bilL This wa6 nothing less than to confefs, that this feftion is inserted in the bill to encou rage Touflaint to declare the island indepen dent. Nay, bis views, if he is a man of sense, mull go further ; he must not only fectire a temporary trade, but he would also desire to know whether it be the wish of this country that St. Domingo should become independent ; because he should ftippofe that if the government of the United States was opposed to such an event, a temporary trade would not be s fufficient inducement to him to throw off his present allegiance. Tome, however, said Mr. G. if it be the intention of the General to declare it, the independence of St. Domingo is a very pro blematical event. It would certainly be the intrrefl of Great Brtain to oppose an attempt of this kind since it could not be her interest to have a black government there. But supposing the event poflible, he should consider it as extremely injurious to the interests of the United States. Sup pose that island, with its present population under present circumstances, should become an independent state. What is this popu lates? it is known to consist almost altoge ther, of Haves just emancipated, of men who . received their firft education under the lash of the whip, and who have been initiated to liberty only by that series of rapine, pillage and massacre that have laid wade and delu ged that island in blood ; of men who, if left to themselves, if altogether independent, are by na means likely to apply them selves to the peaceable cultivation of the country, but will try to continue, to live as heretofore, by plunder and depredations. No man, said Mr. G. wishes more than I do to fee an abolition of slavery, when it can be properly effefted ; bus no man would be more unwilling than I to constitute a whole nation of freed slaves, who had arri ved to the age of 30 years,and thus to throw so many wild tygers on society. If the po pulation of St. Domingo can remain free in that ifland,he had no objection; but how ever free, he did not wish to have them independent, and helwonld rather fee them urder a government that would be likely to ketpthem where they are, and prevent them from committing depredations out of the island. But if they were left to govern ■ theuifelvcs, they might become more trou blesome to us, in ourcommerce to the Weft Indies, than the Algtrines ever were in the , Mediterrarean.they might also become dan gerous neighbours to the Southern States, and an asylum for lenegadoes froTi thof parU. This oeingffie cafe, Mr. G. said, he mud deprecate evety encouragement which may b; held out to produce such an event. Did not gentlemen recolle£t what an alarm was founded last year, with rtfpeft to the pro bability of an invation ofthe Southern States from the Well Isdies, an a'arm upon whicli of th.t ftro'npeft measure* ot the last feflion wc e grounded, f- r. G. could not help .opinif, thVre would be a general wifti ot to take any measure which may embo dv so dangerous a description of men in ur neighbourhood, whose objeft may be plunder, and who might viflt the States of South Carolina and Georgia, and spread their views amangft the negro people there, and excite dangerous infurreftions amonglt them. He did not wish, therefore, to fee this bl ck population independent; and that the inteieft will be wholly black is clear. —The general is black, and his agent here is mjrried to a black woman in this city. Mr. G. did not mean hv this to throw any refle&ion upon the general. He believed tie had behaved well to Americans. His remarks were general, and were only intend ded to (hew that it would be with a black population we must treat. But Mr. G. believed a conduft of this kind would have the efTe& to remove to an immense diftanceany expeflation of an ac commodation of 1 ur dffputes with France. We have, continued he, just had dispatch es bid on our table from Mr. Geiry, one of our late commiflioners to the French re public, by wh'ch we are told that he believes there exists in that government a sincere de sire to treat with us. Since thafe dispatch es were communicated, it is true, that the Secretary of State has sent us a repo: t in which he endeavours to prove the deduc tion of Mr, Gerry unfounded. Beit so. At lead, he believed, without entering into an examination of the dispatches, or the Se cretary of State's reasoning upon them, it must be a'lowed that appearances are more favorable at pre'ent than they were nine months ago. The disasters which had hap pened to the fleets of Krauce, her want of success in other parts, she determined tone aflumed by all the neutral powers, and oiher occurrences, have rendered it more the inte rest of France to treat with us than it was nine months ago. So that the profpeft is rather better of an honorable accommodati on of our differences. Whilst things are thus situated, and after we have made a de claration, by echoing the sentiment con taining in the Prefident'* speech refpe&ing the rights of embassy, that we are still rea dy to treat on honourable terms ; it would in his opinion, be highly impolitic to change our ground, and take the most offenfive, a ground that would Ihew our desire for war and not only for war but a war of extermi nation ; for no meafurecouldbeiaken which could affe& a Iwtion in a more lively man ner, than an attempt to detach from it its co lonies,.by giving an encouragement to in furreftion. Even, said Mr. G. if we were obliged to go to war with France, it would be impolitic to take a step of this kind. Every war must be terminated by a treaty ; and we (hall be able to obtain better condi tian£ 0 prnjpA 11 kr this be nof j and, in cafe the attempt at independence by theiOand was not to exceed,we should cut up at the root a brancS of the most advanta geous part of our commerce for ever. In his opinion, we ought neither to recede from the ground takeq,nor take newground, but let our measures, whatever they are, be such. "6 are calculated to affeft the nation altogether, and not any particular part of it. He hoped therefore the feAioa would be struck out. The committee rose, and had leave to fit agjia. Monday, February if. The bill authonliug thedilcharge of Ro bert Sturgeon from his confinement, and The bill providing for the ccmpenfation of Marthals, Clerks, Attornies, Jurors: and Witnesses, in the courts of the United State's, for repealing such parts ot the for mer law as are therein mentioned, and for! other purposes, were read the third time and pa fled. A bill from the Senate making an appro priation for defraying the expences which may arise in carrying into effeft certain trea ties with tribes or nations of Indians, was read and committed. Mr. Allen believed, from what appeared on thedifcuffion of the bill on Saturday, for augmenting the salaries .of certain officers of the United States, that there is a majority of this house in favor of advancing the salaries of some of the principal officers of the gov ernment ; he believed the difference in opinion was as to the rate of this advance. In order to bring the fubjeft again before the house, he propoled a resolution, for aug menting the salaries of the following offi cers, dollars, viz. the Secretary of State, Secretary of the Treasury, Secretary of War, Secretary of the Navy, andtheAffif tant Port-mailer General. Mr. D. Foster moved to refer this resolu tion to a committee of the whole, but this being objected to by Mr. it was ordered to lie on the table. The house went into a committee of the whole on the bill for amending the law pro viding for the sale of land north-weft of the river Ohio ; when after fomedifcuflion, and fevesal amendments, a motion was made by Mr. Craik for the committee to rife, with a view of poll polling the further consideration of it, till the next feflion. This motion was carried, and the bill was postponed ac cordingly. On motion of Mr. Harper, the house went into a committee of the whole, on the bill to regulate and fix the compensation of clerks ; and after introducing some amend ments, the two principal of which were to allow the Poit-maftcr General 4250 dollars for clerk hire, and art additienal clerk of 800 dollars salary to the war office, the bill was agreed to, and ordered tc be engrofled for a third reading. A bill from the Senate making •mnpenfa- j tibn to James Mathers, for his fervices-.and j expenses as sergeant fit arms oi the S'-'nate", | during the reed's, was read and committed, | as was alio : : , i '• ! A bill from Senate giving eventual i authority to the Pjefic|ent of the , Dnited j States to augment the army. This .bill gives the President authority, in cafe a war. (hall break out between the United States and ' any forejgp power, qv : in cafe of imminent danger of .such war" in his opinion, tjo to-organize and raise 34 regiments of infan-. I try, one regiment of riflemen, and three,re- j giments of cavalry. The President is also authorized to call out the volunteer corps, on ali oecafionsin which he is at present au thorized to call out the militia, provided that he does not call a greater profioition from any one Hate, than he is authorized to call out of the militia, by the law which direfts the 80,000 militia to be held in readiness. If it be necessary to cany this law into effect, two millions of dollars are appropriated for the purpose. On the que (lion for reading this bill a fc cond time, it was rirried 4.5 to 37. On motion of Mr. Otis, the house went into a committee of the whole, Mr. Rutledge in the chair, on the bill encouraging the capture of French armed vessels, by armed (hips or vessels, owned by a citizen or citi zens of the United States,-and for allowing salvage on certaiH cafesl The bill, which , proposes a bounty on guns, according to their sizes, having been read, Mr. M'Dowell moved to ffrike <sut the firft fedlion ; which, being put, it appeared there were for the motion 43, against it 42, and the chairman said, u It is carfied," but immediately recollefting that by his nega tive vote, he might have tied the question, lie declared himfclf in the negative. Having however, previously declared the que [lion carried, after some conversation on the point of order, the decision was declared binding. A motion was then made for the com mittee to rife, which wag negaiived 48 to 2 *' The bill was then gane through, and the committee having rifenj Mr. Nicholas called the Yeas and Nays upon it. Mr. S. Smith alked for information a9to the objedt of this bill, and was answered by Meffr*. Champlin and Otis ; when Mr. J. Parker said, he should have voted for thi> bill; but he had just recived infor mation which led him to bel eve there will be no occasion for it, whiclj was, 41 That the President of the U. States had this d>y no minated a Minister to go to France. " Mr. Rutledge moved an adjournment, which was negatived 48 to 43. After fomc obfervationsfrom Mtflrs. Rut ledge, Goodrich and Otis, in favour of the bill, and of Mr. S. Smith against it, the mo tion for an adjournment was renewed by Mr, Otis, and carried 49 to 47. TUESDAY, Feb. 19. The Speaker being indisposed, this day, tlie House of Representatives adjourned without proceeding to business. For sale by, PETER. BLIQHT, At lis Store—South-Jit eet nbarf, A quantity of Jamaica Rum, do Brandy, Bthproof, Red Port Wine, in pipes, hhds. and (jr. calks Madeira, in pipes fit for use, Catalonia White Wine in pipes, HiZlenuts in sacks Castile Soap Old Arrack—in cafki and cafesef 3 dozen eack. fcb. *9 eod6w IMPORTED, By late arrivals from Hamburgh, 9.8 wide Brown Ruflia Shectings-% generally German 6 4 wide Dowlailet J entitled to Brown Silefias L foreign ei- Bregtagnes I portdraw- Tickltnburg* J back. tos salb Br GEORGE PENNOCK. f'h. 19. a6t_ TO BE LET, " ~ And immediate possession given, 1 HE Stores and Wharf lately occupied by Ro bert Thotjias, between Chcfnut and Walnut-llreet, for terms apply to WILLrAM SHEAFF, No. 168, High-ftrect. fch- 19 d6t Advertijbment. HPHE Creditors of WILLIAM PURNELL, X (C. N.) late ofWorceßer county, Maryland, deccifcd, are hereby notified to appear at the court house in Snow Hil, in the said county, on the Bth .day of March next, with their refpeflive claims against the said deceased, properly authenticated, at which time, or as soon thereafter as can be, a portionable division of the assets in the hands of the fubferiber will be made between thena, agreeably to the direftions oi the a«ft of aflembly, entitled '• An aft to alter and amend the law in certain cases." Edward Henry, executor. »?• <ltßMar FOR at, ~~ By the Subscribers, 15 pipes Old Madeira Wine, I pair of 9 peund Cannon 5 packages of Gum Guiaccum 1 bales of St. Domingo Cotton 100 boxes of Wax Catidl««, of 241b* each. Willings If Francit, Penn.ftreet,"> February 1 9 . } w&f tf RICKETTS'S CIRCUS. MRS. M'DONALD Begs leave to aiquaint far Friends and the Pub lic iu general, that in confequenet of the BALL (in honor of our beloved GENERAL WASH INGTON'S Bulb Day) at the Circus, precludes a poffibihty of her having her Benefit at the tm appointed, but ajfures them that on TUBS DAT the 16th in/1, there -will be a great variety of iVEW ENTERTAIN t4i<o COMIC SO AGS by a Toung Gentleman, a Native of England, ho haj kindly offered his services, being his firjl attempt in public. She humbly folic,ts their patronage and, roteßion, it being her firft Benefit in this City.—Particulars will be exprejjed in the Bills. £3" Tickets to be had at Mr. O'EUer's Hotel, at No. 10, South Fifth Street, and at Mr. Bry son s, Ao. 1, Grceuleaf-Court. , Fti - »9- ■%AytdSajette,..., PHILA D EL? HIA, TUESDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 19. The following mcinorandiim politely hand ed me by Capt. Bainbridge, of die Retalia* tion, : \v|H Ihew the degree ,of credit which ought to he attached to the letter of Def fourneaux. • : • 1 " On the sth January 1 waited on Gen. Desforneaux: during the conversation I then had with him, he informed me, that affairs had been amicably fettled between America' and France. On enquiring _ the grounds of this information, he said Dr. Logan had ar rived in America, and had terminated the dispute between, the'two countries. I ob served to Desfourneaux that I did not believe Dr. Logan wa:, anthorifed by our Govern ment to aft in any official capacity in He said no, he was not from the Govern ment, but was adeputy from the People.— A fulKcient evidence of his belief that our Government and People are divided. " He mentions in his, letter to the Presi dent, that he has ,lent home the Americans made priforiers previous to his arrival. 1 declare that great numbers of them,continued to be made prisoners after his arrival, and that every vefliel that was brought into the island of Guadaloupe previous to my depar ture, on the iSth January, was condemned, ve.flel and cargo, except one from New-Bed ford, bound to Surinam, the trial of which was not decided. " WM. BAINBRIE&E> Philadelphia, Feb. 18, 1^99. To Colonel THOMAS L. MOORE. late Captain of the VOLUNTEER GRENADIERS. Sin, 1 he Philadelphia Vo:unteer Company, of Grenadiers, approach you with hearts at once animated with gratitude, and filled with regret. The adlive attention which you gave to the duties of your station, the cor dial politeness with which you treated each individual, and the dignified deportment which you'at all times maintained, are enti tled to and receive our nioft grateful applause; but organized as we were under your au spices, and disciplined by your inftruftioas, it cannot but be a source of fever; mortifica tion that we are debarred from th<r prospect of afting under £our command. It is how ever, a consolatory reflexion that in a higher sphere your services will be still more tifeful to our country, and more glorious to your» felf, and that, in repelling t-he attacks of our inveterate foe, or in defeating the attempts of domestic traitors, you will continue to be guided by the fame spirit, and that your Ef forts will be still direded to the fame end. Accept ourmoft ardent wifties for the con tinuance of your health and happiness, and be allured, Sir, that this tribute of gratitude is dictated by the fincereft affe&ion for your perfoH, and the moll refpe&ful esteem for your charafter. Signed, on behalf of the Corps, JOSEPH HIGBEE, Captain. JOSHUA M. WALLACE, Jun. zd Lieutenant. Gentlemen of the Philadelphia Volunteer Company of Grenadiers, PERMIT me to offer you my thanks for this flattering mark of your approbation and eiteem : It is received by me with every sen timent of gratitude and affeftion. It was with pleasure I accepted frotn you the honor of commanding this refpeftable corps ; and the politenels with which I hnve been treated by every one of you, and the promptness with which my commands were always obeyed, gave me the highelt fatisfao tion. If in my exertions to perfea you in milita ry discipline, I have been so happy as to me rit your applause, my labors have been well rewarded. Go on, Gentlemen, in your glorious pur suit: and may you, as heretofore, be ever ready to protest our country, from the at tacks of an insidious and inveterate foe, as well as te crulh every effort ofdomeftic fac tion. I beg leave, gentlemen, to present you my sincere wifties for t your happinefs,individ ually, and for the honor and reputation of the corps. THOMAS L. MOORE. Philadelphia, Fed. 14, 1799. J 1 .,,,. ,gggg-ga»'%v * 1 United States, 1 Permfyhania DiJlriS, J Xf 0 J ICE t hereby given, That, a special diflriA 1 e " UiUd States ' w '" he holden at the City Ha l ,n the City of Philadelphia in and for the Pennsylvania diftriift, on Friday the Bth day of March next at ro o'clock in the foranoon fil A e w m H day^for I th ; trialof an '"formation filed by Wilhamßawl.ef,. Attorney of the Unit- the said diflrid, against the With her tackle, apparel, and appurtenance* and the Cargo on board of her, confiding of 103 Hhds. -I I Ticrce, vSUGAR, 6 Bbts ) 45 Hhds. 7 108 Bbl». L COFFEE. 16 half bbls. J 17 tons Logwood. The said Bngantine Express, being a veflll own ed by persons rsfident within the Utritrd and employed in traffic with a perfuii refiffent wi h m the junfHiaion of the French R. public contra ry to the form of the a« of the C. ngrc's of th« United Stites in such cale m, de and provided, and seized therefor, &c. " By order of tht Court, DAVID CALDWELL, vl; j, , , Cler ! ; C f' he Di^ria Ccu t - Philadelphia, 7 l * b Fti > 1 799- J twti/ttthmar.
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