their politki—her own at present demand a mo
nopoly oi iier attention and ingenuity ; but as far
as J lie can make her Commerce with foreign na
tions lublervient u> her interelt, found policy
prompts the connection.
The present government of the United States,
defer vedly pofleHes .111 extenlive ibare of the con
■ulence of the people—it remains now for thole
who are to adihinifter it, to complete that confi
dence, by the purliiit of thoi'e which
lliall tend to eitablifh. the belt iiuerelts of the na
tion, 011 a permanent basis : and here let me in
dulge the wish, that they would divelt themselves
of those local prejudices, and partial or Itate views,
which have already brought this country to the
verge oi'ruin ; and fondly clieriffi national ideas,
and national principles—which will alone les.d
10 the great objects for which they were conlli
tuted.—No one will pretend to deny, that on a
:irm and complete union, the future happinel's
of Ala erica is Appended ; a fear to exercile, in a
foil latitude, the powers veiled in
the general government, may be attended with
unfavorable consequences; ;-nd perhaps it were
better those powers had never been deputed,
than that they Ihould not be exercised when ne
cellary—as the community will be proportiona
lly disappointed, in not realizing those advanta
ges, to obtain which they have expressly delega
ted the beforementioncd authorities, and those
defe<fts which result from the adininiftrition, will
be fuppol'ed to ex ill in the principles of the fyft
ein.—The full iinpreliions are coinmonlv "the
molt pervious and lasting, and if timidity ihoald
charaifterife the early proceedings of the nation
al government, it will be difficult to determine,
at what future period the proper cnevgv and ne
ceilary decilion, appertaining to all good govern
ments,. will commence, and it would evidently
bespeak a diffidence in oUr rulers of the recftitude
and propriety of that inflitutioii, which we have
looKed to as our ark of fafetyj tenacious of
the opportunity ; faction would be likely
to rear its hydra head, and once more hope for a
riotous display of its These are among the
many evils which might ariie to deftroyour pro
mifed happiness at home—but here they do not
end.—Will not our boalled of refpeclability
and importance,with the reft of the world, vanhh ?
and will not foreign nations beyetfearful of en
tering into any negotiations wiih us ; neceflarily
diftruiting our refpr,ifibi!ity, while they find ns
incompetent toonrinternal government? A wish
to disclose the evils which inult result from an
inefficient administration—rather than tlie ex
pectation of feeing them realized, has led to the
foregoing observations. AMERICAN IjS.
— be j> —- —
KXTRACT FROM " AMLRiCAM ESSAYS."
On CfIMMERC E. [Coutiriuiition.]
AN extenlive and flcruriihing Commerce, will
alio, sooner or later, beget colonization, and there
tore naturally induces l'ome observations on that
subject, in which, from its intimate and impor
tant connection with commerce, jhe United States
cannot but consider themselves deeply interested.
The Co/onL-s of federal of the now
European kingdoms, may be fairly allowed at
this day, to be the almost sole support of their
commerce, and the 1110 ft certain, and most fruit
ful, if not the only source, of their riches and
lirength,: Some of then-are so largely indebted
to their foreign dominions, for their present
power, riches, and consequence, that no other
fatisfadtory caiafe, or reason, can be assigned, or
conceived, why they have not long ere now,
become the most infignificaHt p-ovinces of their
more powerful neighbours. The whole amount
of the customs in England, even so late as in the
beginning of the reign of Elizabeth, did not
exceed the sum of 40,0001. per annum, sterling
Germany, France, Spain, and Portugal, supplied
the Englilh with every luxury, and with almost
every neceflary manufacture ; and the Venetians
and Genoese, with Ealt-India goods, at an im
inenfe price ; the legal interest of money was 10
per cent.—and when compared with foine other
.European States, whom they now hold in con
tempt, the English may be said, with refpedt to
niany improvements, to have been at that era
in a state of infancy or barbarity ; but as soon as
rhey became sensible of the importance of Colo
nies, and wifely turned their attention to efta
blilh and encourage them, they began, from that
]«eriod, to emerge from obfeurity, and rapidly to
increase in riches and power, till they rivalled
every nation 011 the globe, in maritime strength.
extent of commerce, and arietv and perfection
of ruamifadhtres; and London is now irtftly con
ihleted, tin world's great v/art; and though some
of the British Colonies owe their origin to the
folly, or frenzy, and were peopled against the
will of the mother country, yet they were no
sooner ellablilhcd, than they became a ccnftant
lource of her riches, and increase of power: If
if ihould be asked, why the Englilh have so soon
: ivalled those nations, who were not only pof
iefled of, but greatly enriched by their Colonies,
before those of the Briti/h were planted; I an-
Iwer—that om probable, ar.d perhaps principal
cause, tliat may be alligned, appears to me tee be
the prevailing religion of that country, -which
circuniitance alone, indisputably gives them
many temporal advantages over thole countries
profeffing tlie Roman Catholic religion,, where
religious duties engross a larger (hare of the peo
ple's time : it lias even been oblerved, by the li
beral profellors of that religion, that frequent
avocations, and holy-days, naturally lead to idle
habits, and an averfioii to labour, very percep
tible in all Roman Catholic countiies. Jn foine
ot" the Cantons of Switzerland, nature has been
rather sparing of her favors to the foil; yet whei e
the inhabitants are principally Calvinilts, it has
been oblerved, that trade, agriculture, and ma
nufactures, flourilh much more than in those that
are chiefly inhabited by Roman Catholics, even
where nature has been far more bountiful. —Vaiious
are the chronological accounts of ancient times
and nations ; and though it is here of 110 great
importance to be very accurate wifih relpect to
dates, yet it may be fairly allowed, that nine
hundred years at least hrye rolled away, since
Scotland was united under one Monarch ; which
long period had produced'no material commer
cial improvements, or incfeale of wealth, or
power, in that covntry, till a few years iince, not
far exceeding half a century, when the Scotch
wifelj oegau to pi ofit of :'ieir union with Eng
land, by a pavticipation in the commerce wiili
the Britiih Colonies : From this memorable epoch,
the increase of their trade and manufactures has
been so aftonilbingly great and rapid, that they
are now become of vail importance to the com
mercial world, and have excited luch a national
spirit of agricultural improvements, that vail
tradts of barren country, which for time imme
morial had remained totally ulelels, being deem
ed incapable of cultivation, have, by the help of
art, indulhy, and increase of wealth, the fruits
of commerce, been- transformed into fruitfulfields-;
and where,
u Far as the eve coti!d r. aeh, no tree was seen
" Earth, eled in ruiret, fewU'd tht lively green."
Villa s, and villages, and Groves, are lpread ; and
roly health, anil jocund plenty reign, where
meagre famine, for ages, held her solitary court,
and leenied to claim a natural and exclusive rigfit.
E. c..
(To be continued.)
i 4
SCANDAL FROM HAY LEY.
Scandal, a restless fiend, who never kuow ,
The balmy blefling ot ar> hour's repose, v
Worn, yetunfatcd with her daily toil,
In hir kale work*T:onfumes thejn id night oil.
O'er fiercer fiends when heavy {lumbers creep,
Wheu wearied avarice and ambition sleep,
Scaadal is vigilant, and keen to ipread
The plagues that.fpring.from her prolific head.
On Truth's fair bails Ihe her falfehood builds,
With tinsel lent indent its furface gilds ;
To nightly labour from their dark abodes
The demons of the groaning press she goads,
And smiles to fee their rapid art fuppiy
'Srn thousand winq* to every infant lie.
SKLThH of tkULEt.DINui, of CONGRESS.
In the HOUSE of REPRESENTATIVES of tht
UNITED STATES.
Wednesday, May 21, 1789.
AGREEABLY to the order of the day,the House
went into a committee of the whole 011 the ton
nage bill.
It was moved by Mr. Thatche r , that the enaift
ing clause, " The Congress of the United States"
(hould be struck out—and "The Senate and House
of Representatives ofthe UnitedStates,in Cono- re fs
aflembled" substituted.—This motion after some
discussion was lolt.
A mellage was received from the Senate, inform
ing, that they had appointed a committee to join
with a committee ofthe House, to determine and
report a mode of receiving meflages from The
President.
A motion was made to insert in the Tonnage
Bill a clause, by which all veflels, not built in the
United States, which may become the property ol
the citizens thereof, shall be fubjedl to an impolt
of 50 cents :—This palled in the affirmative.
Amotion was made to limit the duration of this
bill, which was debated and finally loft.
A clause was added,providing ior its commence
ment the 15th of June, next.
Mr. Fitzsim on s, from the committee appoint
ed to bring in a bill tor the ceL'effion ofthe Reve
nue, reported a d 1 aught, which was read for the
firft time. Adjturued.
Thvrsday, May 28.
Mr. Scott moved, that the House now resolve
itfelf into acommirtee of the whole on the state of
the Union—to take into consideration thefubjetfi
ot the Land Office—when, he oblerved. he fliould
submit certain refblutions to the consideration of
the committee.
Several memWrs observing that this motion
woukl mreiiere-w id* the Order of the day, and
might, initsuif'cuifion, fupej-cede other im<H>u. i
buhnefs immediately before the House the Oi
der of the day was called tor, anil taken up, ev
reading the 'J onnage Bill,with thefevei'alai,,enu
nients and alterations agreed to in committee
tliefe alterations were adopted by the lioufe and
the bill ordered to be engrolled,for a third readiii.
The Houle then resolved itfelf into a committee
oftlie whole, on che motion of Mr. Scott.
Mr. Scot r o'olerved, that the itate of the Fe
deral Treal'ury was such, as made it necellary] that
lomething lhould speedily be done with reined to,
difbofing of the Western Territory: The ltate
of a certain contradtfor averylarge l'ale, through,
the incompleteness of thelurveys, ami odier cau
ses, by which payment had been delayed of a
million of dollars into the public ciiell, while the
interest on so much of the debt was accumulating
was another reason for foine immediate lteps be
ing taken with regard to that property.—Jt was
rendered necellary by the nature of the plans,
which had been adopted in the faies heretofore
made—Thole lands had been difpo'fed of in too
large quantities—to the greatly impeding their
letclement:—This had operated to discourage
great numbers who had moved off, towards trie
VVeftern Waters—Upwards of 7000 fouls, except
relieved by some favorable regulations,-\vliku
lliould prevent the engroiiingfuchiinmenfetr.au
by individuals, would ihordy be 101 l to the Unite;;
States—They will either throw themlelves intu
the Spanilh government, and become their fub
jeiTts—or they will combine,' and give theinfelves.
poflcflion of that territory ( which they are now
willing to purchnle) and defend themlelves in it
agi'inlt the power of the union.
Mr. Scot r further informed the House, that
overtures had been made to tliefe people by other
powers, to his certain knowledge, and great en
couragement proniifed, provided they would put
themlelves under their jurifdidtion : This, he
conceived, would be a very unhappy circumltance
tor the United States : Such enemies in the heart
□f our country, would be more dangerous than
any foreign power :—All these embarrassments,
and difficulties arise from their not being able to
purchase lands in (mall quantities : It never could >
be the intention of Congress, that this Ihould be
the cale : Million acre purchasers are but few—
and the present mode,if adhered to,will be attend
ed with fatal consequences : Congress now has it
in their power to obviate every difficulty: These
people alk their protection: They will, if pro
tected and encouraged, be obedient and loyal fub
jedts—they wiih for a Constitution, Laws, and
Government ; but if negledted, they will be 101 l
to the States.— fhcfe things plainly point out the.
necessity cf a new arrangement, and of eitablifli
ing a Land Qffice in that country —for it will be
impoflible for the people in thole remote regions
to travel agreat diltance to transact their buluiefe-
Scott then read a refolutiontothis effect.
1 hat it is the sense of this committee that an ac
of Congress ought to pass, eltablilhingand regu
lating a LAND OFFICE, forthe sale of vacant and
unappropriated lands in the Western Territory,
1 his was followed by several others, exhibiting
the outlines of a Bili for thepu rpofe.
Mr. Boudinot objedted to the resolve, so far
as it confined the idea to the institution of a Land-
Office—he moved, therefore, that the words
' Land-Office" be struck out—that the committee
might take up the business upon the moll exten
live scale He oblervecl, that limiting tliem to
tins fnnple idea, might interfere with former ar
langements, which it would be extremely diffi
cult to alter the eflablifhiritent also of such an
office, may be rendered entirely fuperfhious, in
as much as the conducting of this bulxnefs, might
with the utinoft propriety come under the cog
nizance of one of the three great departments, al
ready ellabliihed.
Mr. Vining fnpported the idea of a Land-
Office; and adverting to the ob'fervations.which,
had fallen from Mr. Scott, said, that it appeared
to hiin, that the exigencies of the cafe were such
as would admit of no delay : That such an insti
tution was highly necellary—and the only one
that held out a profpecft of seasonable and ade
quate relief.
Mr. Cl. ym e r observed, that the fubjedt before
the committee was very intricate and extensive—
that it would require a very elaborate difcuflion
to i.iiin a competent system— much more so, than
the committee was then prepared to invelligate —
Y e ~ the propriety of taking meafui es to
dupofe ol the lands in finall quantities, as it
would interfere with the sales already made un
lei the ordinances of Congress.—He moved,
therefore, that the committee should rife.—The
motion for riling was seconded.
Mr. Madison obfcrved, that he was not op
posed to the riling of the committee, but rather
m favor of it, that time might be given to ob
tain more accurate information; but as,Mr,
scott had given the committee very important
intelligence, which no doubt refpedted fadts, and
of a very serious import, he fnggelted the pro
pi lety of paying the earliest attention to the bu
linefs.
The committee then rose—and the Speaker res
umed the chair.