duties oblige them to res.de conftandy at 'he feat of government. Ihe whole amount of the different augmentations, was 110 more than eleven tlioufand five hundred dollars per annum ; a mod inconlideiible film when compared Avith the Importance of the ohjeft, and'the resources of the nation. The aug mentation is for three jears only; to be continued or not, at the end of that period, according to cifcumftances. I jfpoke, in my last f of the general pros perity of our trade ; which has recovered from its late depression, and continues to flourifli with encrealing vigour. Ihe reve nue of the la ft year was greater than it had been e(limited at in the beginning of the year ; and exceeded that of the former year, instead of falling below it; as, from the de predations on our commerce, and its conle queiit (lagnation, there was realon to app.e hend. The exports too have conhderably encreafod during the lad year ; in .797, they were 51,294,7'° clollars ' and 111 17 9 S > 61,317,111 ; in 179', on the contrary, they amounted to no more than 18,399,202 io that, in one year, they have encrealed a firth, and more than trebled in eight years. Our (hipping all'*, notwithiWing the great number of vessels which have been cap tured, has encreaied very coniiderabiy. In 1794,' we owned 628,617 tons of (hipping ; in 1797 it had encrealed to 831,900 ton; ; and at ths commencement,of 1795, we had 876,912 ton?. From 1790 to 1796, inclu five,the foreign (hipping employed in our trade, had decYeafcd from 250,748.10113 to 46,846 ; -which decrease was occ.alioned, and replaced, by the great encreafe of our own Slipping. For two vears^ireceding 1798 our revenue, ' from commerce, encreafed at the rate of a million rnt 1 ally, or one-sixth, without an encreafe of duties : last year it very little, or account of the unprotected (Tate of our trade. l*rom 7,355,688 dollars, its produft in 1797, it role in 179810 7,405,420 only ; and this small encreafe must be attri buted, in part, though not wholly, to a small augmentation of duties, wnich began to ope rate upon the revenue in the course of last year. But, as our trade has now revived, in confequenee of the pi te&ion afforded to it, we may reasonably expett that the reve nue will regain its former state of rapid en- ere at'?. Our tituation with France still remains as it was \rhen 1 wrote last. When the French government found that general Pinckuey and general Marlhall could not be enticed or frightened into terms difgraceful to their country, that its schemes, with respect to Mr. Gerry, were baffled by his recal, and that the American government and nation, instead of crouching at its feet through weakness and divition, as so many other countries had done to their utter ruin, re pelled its attacks, despised its threats, and were preparing, with vigour and system, to defend, by arms, the. rights and honour of the country, it all at once changed its tone, and profelffid a great willingness- to treat ; our attempts at which it had so lately spurn ed; an anxious desire to avert a quarrel ; which before it fought by every possible in jury ; and the inoft friendly fentimejnts to wards a country which it had plundered and insulted for years together. One of Mr. Talleyrand's clerks was difjjatched to Hol land, under pretence of afting as secretary to the French minister there ; but in reality to an informal communication with our minister. He threw hhnfelf in the way of our minister, and having engaged hini in eonverfations, refpefting the state of affairs between the two countries, he wrote an ac count of those ccnvrrfations to Mr. Tal leyrand. Mr. Talleyrand wroteTiim letters in reply, which he was allowed to shew to the American minister. These letters, of which he even gave our minister copies, were filled wi' h profeflions of friendfhip for the United Sates, of regret at the existing dif ferences, and of willingness, and even anxiety, to enter into negotiations for their removal. The copies which our minister received, he transmitted to the President. , Hypocrites very often, in their abundant cunning", over-reach themselves; and so it happened to the French government, in this instance. We could be at no loss to discov er the drift of all this sudden mildness and apparent good nature ; when we considered that it was accompanied by no substantial change of measures towards us ; but that, on the contrary, the French contiuued in force all their laws again ft our trade, took as many of Our vessels as possible, and even in the midst of all these fair pretences, passed the atrocious and bloody edict, for hanging as pirates all our sailors who might bs found in liritifli (hips, though carried and kept there by force. But left all this evidence, joined to the numerous examples of cruel and studied perfidy which France had dil'played towards other nations, especially the Swiss, whom (he destroyed by (miliar arts, lhould Jiot be fufficient to put us on our guard a gainst her wiles, (he took a step which served, in the strongest manner to • oian.fjft her in tentions. This correspondence between Mr. Talleyrand's clerk, and our minister in Hol land, which was carried «n with the great est apparent mystery, and transmitted to the IVfident with particular and unusual precau tions, was nevertheless lent, doubtless by Mr. 1 alkyrand's order, for his clerk would .net ot himfelt have ventured on such a (lep, to a gazette in this cityj which is notorious ly in the ir.tereft, and grounds, of being in the pay of the French government ; rnd in that gazette it vas jwb'i/hcd. From hence alone, without o thet proofs, it would be manifeft, that the ivhale was a trick, contrived and executed (or ti-iC foil purport; of producing an effect Upatrthe people of America, of lulling this country, by the hopes of peace and accom modation, into a fatal repole, of encreafmi.- f-i;r divi£ons, offumilhing the FreiKli "pail ty wit'i pretences for all our niea ftires ol d fence and preparation, and of raif ''VT 1 cl;inor against the government, if it lhould refufe to listen to this inlidious over ture. C*ngrefi, however, did net fall into so very obvious a ; but continued to pur ine' its system of defence and preparation, with unabated, vigor. But as these letters contained a declaration that the I rench go vernment was iv-tdy to receive, in a proper and becoming manner, any minister whom the President might authorize to treat ref pedling an accommodation ; and as Mr. 1 al~ leyrand's permiflion to fliew the letters to our minister, and to give him copies for the purpose of being transmitted to our govern ment, might be conlidered as an advance towards reconciliation, 011 the part of the French government ; the President thought it proper to meet this at!vance ; and for that purpose appointed three mir.ifters, who were approved by the senate. These ministers are Oliver Elfworth, chief justice of the U nited States, Patrick Henry, formerly go vernor of Virginia, and Mr. Murray, at present minister of the United States in Hol land. They are not to leave this country till they receive regular and formal r.ffuran ces from the French government, that ;hey will be properly received, and that ministers, duly authorised, will be appointed, on the part of France, to treat with them. < . Thus (lands this affair. The sincerity of the directory, in this pretended wifil for recon ciliation, may be judged of from the circum ftancrs which I have mentioned, and from an additional fact, which I have authority to state. on the most accurate and undoubted in formation. It is this : Same tiine a > tl, ■ Direftory feirt to St. Domini';", iheii'i" t ciple W. I'idia poffcffion an agent f 1 • of Hedouviile. This ma", on his arr made, some profeflions of jullice and amicable conduit tawards the United States ; but he soon equalled, and even exceeded, his predrceflors in depreda tions n our cpmmerce— summer, while Mr. Gery was Itill in Paris, and the Di reftory was employing every artifice to keep him and to draw him into an endkls negotiation, Hsdouville was preparing to invade the southern states from St. Domin go, with an army ofc blacks ; which Was to be landed with a large Tupply of officers, arms and smmunition, to excite an infur reftion among the negroes by mea i's of missionaries previously sent, and firft to sub jugate the c untry, by thsir affiltance, and then plur.der andlay it waste. For the exe cution of this humane and friendly he waited only till the English (houid eva cuate a certain port in the ifland«-which lay most convenient for the expedition ; but he was interrupted by a black general, of the name of Tonflaint, who drcve him from the island, compelled him to embark for France, and took the whole authority into his own hands ; which he yet retains. This scheme came to our knowledge in the following manner . AJvery rich (hip, from the Eait Indies, valued at nearly fevea hundred thousand dollars, was taken last summer by one of Hedouville's privateers. The owners, merchants of this town, em ployed a man of honour and chara&cr, well known|here, and well acquainted in the Weft Indies, to go and endeavour to purchase the (hip at a low rat«. He went to St. Domingo for that purpose ; and while there, conversed with some of the black officers who where, to be emjrtoyed in the expedi tion. As he spoke their language well, he WAS led to cultivate an. acquaintance with them ; and from them, in their moments of conviviality, he learned the projeA. I have it from him, through a person of the highest confidence. Hesce may we learn to appreciate the profeffions of the French government and the wisdom, or honesty, of those counsellors, who perpetually tell us that there is no dan ger of an invailon from France, and no need to prepare against fucli an event. Refpding the state of affairs abroad, our accounts are (ill various and uncertain. It is, however, certain, that the king of Na ples has renewed the war against the French in Italy : and from his manner of dding it, there it little deubt of his afting in concert with the Auftrians, whole movements for some time pad, have indicated hostile de signs. Very diredt, though unofticial, ac counts, have been received of a complete victory over the French, by a part of the army of tne king of Naples. The French, it is (aid were 20,000 to 15,000, and de feated with jooo killed and taken. ■ Should this be true, and there is some reafoli te be lieve it frem the manner in which the ac count comes, it may be coniidered as the forerunnei as a general war and great events. It has been the uiual fortune of the French to overrun countries by their rmpetuolity, and hold them for a vVhile, and then be as luddenlv driven out. It is nut impro bable that the fame fate awaits them now ; and this defeat by the troops of Naples, if the account ot it be true, may be coniidered as tlit commencement of their uownfall. The accounts refpetting the delWtiou ot buonaparte and his array, have neither been confirmed as yet, nor uontradicted. I al ways coniidered his deft cu ttion as very cer tain, from the momtnt when he was left, without hope of recruit or (apply, ui the mulft of an hoihle and unhealthy country, where waknow that his army l'uiiered every want and hardlinp, and whose inhabitants by his own account, fought him perpetually and with great bravery. At any rate he is loft to France ; for, cut off as he U by the loss of his fleet, from all hope of return or communieatiou, he cannot ailift her in the new struggle wherein (he Items to be on the point of engaging. This cannot fail to have a very considerable effeft on her fuc cel's. The terror of his name was an host : and he has with him not only herbeft foops, but a great number of her btft officers. Under these circumstances, it is difficult to conjedture how Ihe may act towards us. I have no doubt, however, that (lie will at tempt to disarm us by deceitful appearanc es, and protefhons of a w:(h to negotiate : but I neither believe that (lie will keep peace with us, if we drformy even fliould we make one, nor attempt to strike us, while we re main on our guard. Cur wifdoui, I cannot repeat it too often, consists in a state of watch fulnefs and vigorous preparation. She of fumes ar air of mildness for the--prefeiii, as flic did towards the Svvifs, before she was prepared to fjtrike the fatal blow ; but we ought never to forget that " The Tyger al ways crouches befare he leaps 011 his prey." The Ruffians and Turks, it fetms, have conceived anJ expressed a wifli to be on friendly terms with us, and to foim treaties qf commerce. The Prcfident has thought fit, and very wißly ;i4 far as I canaudge, te cul tivate this disposition / from which great advantages in thr trade of those nations, may accrue to us. He has therefore, direc- minifter in England, to ire t with the Ruffian minister on the fubjeift ; and our mi ffter in Portugal, to repair to Con,- ftantinople for the fame purpose. This ad vance, on the part of those remote, but pow erful, nations, is a pleasing proof of 'he en creafiog importance aud refpeftability of our courtry. 1 find that in ipeaking of our domestic affair , I have omitted one circumflance of great importance, and a most fatisfa&ory na ture ; as it shews, in a very striking manner, the liability of public credit the confidence reposed in our government, and the extent of our financial refoutces. I mean the loan. Laftyear ths President was i r pow ered to barrow five millions of dollars for th.* public service. The money was not wanted iaft year, but, in the course of this, there will be need of it. A loan was there fore opened, and an int«:reft of 8 per cent, offered. Th. fubicription was kept open one day ; in the course of which no lcfs than fourteen millions eight hundred thou sand dollars was fubferibed ; of which tfte public accepts five millious only. That sum together with the ordinary revenue, amounting to something more than ten mil lions, will be fufficient for. all the expeofes of t(ie present year. Thus it appears that if the public had wanted fifteen millions, in stead of five, ths money might have been procured. Some person* have been of opinion that this money might have been borrowed on better terms. Perhaps it might; but it was better to offer a handfam - intercft, and make sure of success, than rilk a failure, which mud h;ve had the most unfavourable effect on our affairs. In th<: mean time, a right is reserved to the government of pay ing off the whole loan at the end of ten years Consequently, if civcumftances fhauld be fa vourable at that time, a new loan may be at a lower rate ofintereft, for the purpose of There are still, my dear Sir, many things, which, probably, it would be agreeable to you to hear ; but these appeared to me (he rneft important; and as you must be pretty well tired by this time, as well as myfelf, I conclude, *ith presenting to you the res* pe&s and best wi(h by nature'i strength the tablet grew " Rapture the pencil guided as they drew." LUSUS NATURE. The passion of news-printers for articles of this description, is as conspicuous and universal, as the taste- of the vulgaris prone to the niarvcllcTUS : but in no partwnriar-rc fpe£t is it more disgusting than in that of lusus as dii'played in the unnatural fecundity of the human fpe'cies. The publicity of iuch information originated in a system, of which it was no intignificant ramification, of en ticing foreigners to America. It is high time it were laid aside. Sir Thomas Brown, one of the deep Doctor? of the last century,. wished that the human species might procre ate like trees and plnnts ; these marvellous gentry seem to be of the Dodtor's way of thinking. * Days. The absurd principle of universal fuffrage, and the unrestrained admission of foreign barbarians into our country, and to a fliare in its government, must at no very late date, annihilate the one and ruin the other. To this ifl'ue are we rapidly tending ; and no thing can preserve tis from it, but a fndden and Violent end to doftvines and the influ ence of dodlers, Which ate ye t as d?ep-rooted and it is to»be feared as inextcrminable as the rocks of Niagara-: It is the very policy upon which oui system has been founded th# very sustenance by which we have beennou rilhed : but, like a plant hastened prema turely to fructification by caloric heat, we have early borne impreflions of decay. We ate actually becoming Helots, and a host of uncouth, outlandifti barbarians, are rising on the decaying spirit we inherited from bur forefathers, to domineer over our fortunes and our lives. Shall this be ? The efcapfr of a bad man, with impunity, from one crime, invariably emboldens him to new outrage. If TinVille had been ar raigned for his conduct at the riot, he might kave been debarred frcm those late "abomina ble acts, which, however abhorrent to the minds of all good men, will nevertheless con tribute to place him in a'ftation, where no honelt niancan wish to fee him, and where he will be (far more effectively and exten sively than he is at prelent) a terror to the upright, and a praise and encouragement to t'nem that doii.l and feledled—lntelligence refpefting Arts —Manufaftures—Agriculture and Sciences —Medical Fafls, Law cases—Decisions Poetry original andfelefUd—Lift of Marria ges and Deaths—Appointments—'-Captures and Maritime affairs—Different Price Cur rents, &cc.—Rate of Exchange—Price oi' Stocks—-Other Securities, See.'—Kvery thing ot the like which Hands peculiarly interesting to the community will be in inserted. 1 hus-the people of every business and CP.-" pacity will be abJe to seize the moment, and at their. leifim- be able to peruse near one hundred pages in the Friends Monthly Magazine, which are as large or largei* than any printed in the United States, and on moderate terms-—,will be able by this means to advance by degrees to g-ain knowl edge and information, by viewing such a multiplicity of matter, the most interesting and attractive." I he following is tjje detail given by one of our ingenious Gazetteers'of a lingular and and tragic Duel. " PHILADELPHIA, Mart!. i 5. Yefte-day,, a melartcholy accident took place, wliich will again forczvar.n people from earplefsly playing with fire arms ; the sequel is as fol:o%us ; a negro bey had bro't home his matter's pistols, w£ re engaged in domestic concerns, the for mer of whom took the pistol from him, and demanded it they were loaded ; the bey re plied no ; thereupon jestingly d'_fired the woman to take her ground, which unlhink 'ng[y tt> e did ; the word being given, they both fired ; the pistol fired by the man miiT-' ed the ivomav, but (hocking to relate, she fliot him dead upon the i'pot." Ihe badinage of this writer upon so tra gic an event as the death of a perfpn, who though a negro, was still (in spite of Mr. Jcffcrfon) an human being, is, to fay the Isaft, extrememely indecorous. The person ification of the pistols by the use of the rela tive " who," and the idea of such personages lodging at a public house, may have amused the violent turn of this writer for the ludi crous, but mutt pass 'with the majority of sober readers, as a very sterile species of wit. Nor is the idea of the poor negro hoy's lift ing a waggon on his shoulders and tranfport-' ing it into the kitchen, much more happy, or excufeable, unless upon the supposition that the writer meant thereby to convey an infiriuation that the negress was not absolute ly free from suspicion in the cafe, and that this and other roguish pranks of the unfor tunate Hercules, cott him his life. The scenes daily palling before our eyes, irrefiftvbly remind one of the (late of things, Iketched out by Cervantes, in Barratrantia, under the administration, of Sancho. Could the laughter moving Spaniard peep through the fhrcud of time upon the motled attion of this pompous farce, he would not proba. bly remain an exertion to the general cha ra-dler ot his countrymen. The British Sloop of War Camilla, capt. L.arkins, from Plymouth (£ng.) is. below, having on board, as passengers, ieveral Eng lilh officers,—Sailed the 6th of February. By the. Eastern Mai), which arrived at a very late hour, foreign advices are received, via Charleston, to the 2d..February, The King of Sardinia has renounced hit fovertignty, and the Sansculottes are ac knowledged lords of his kingdom. The Neapolitans had been defeated in five successive engagements, and the army of tho cut-throats was daily expend at Naples. New-Tori, April 1. Capt. Brown of the (hip Union, has be. A n ashore on Hatteras rocks. While the (hip was in that fituatiQn, 3 or 4 dead bodies were discovered floating by the ftiip, and the quarter deck of a (hip ot war The bodies were picked up by capt. Brown j one of them an officer dreffedin Briiilh regimentals, with a gold watch in his fob ; fourteen gun carriages were on the quarter deck. Baltimore, jlpril I. On Satarday arrived the f hoone- Hebe, captain Hubbard, 79 day 6 from Leg horn. Arrived yefterday.'ftiip Vigilant captain Boyle, 20 days from Vera ruz—Left fehooner Mary, c f this port, which had un laden part of htr cargo, but was expefted would be compelled to take it on board again, and 'to leave the port. Spoke no thing. , The Vigilant and Heb?, are both com pletely armed and on their arrival yifter day, at the Point, saluted the city with 16 guHs each. FOR LONDON. J-—The iJritifh armed ship DO U G L A S, J AMES Walker, captain. NOW" ready to receive a Cargo—t'rr freight or pafiage apply to Thomas & 'John Ketland. aprll 3 A POINTER. STRAYED from No. 97, Nevv-ftrvet, Philadel phia, on Sunday morning, 31ft March, 17'.9, a young Pointer .Dog, about t months «fd ; his body v.hite, intcrJpcned with grey fpott, his cars of a dark iiv.r colour, inclining to black, a large dark round spot in his forehead, dew claws on his feet, his name is Brush—Whoever will return said dog to the office of this gazette, (hall be band* iomeiy rev/arJtfd, apri) 3 *P