[No. LV.] PLAN of the GAZETTE of the UNITED STATES. (A NATIONAL PAPER.) PMijktd at the Seat of the National Government, CONTAINING, I. EARLY and authentic Accounts of the PROCEEDINGS ot CONGRESS—its LAWS, ACTS, and RESOLUTIONS, communicated so as to form an HISTORY of the TRANSACTIONS qJ the NATIONAL LEGISLATURE. 11. Imp a rtial SketchEs'of the Debates of Congress. 111. ESSAYS oti the great fubjc&s.of Government; also uppn the national and local Rights of the american citizens, as founded uponthe National or State Constitutions ; alfoupon every other Suhjeft, which may appear suitable fomowfpaperdifcuifion. IV. A SERIES of PARAGRAPHS-, calculated to catch the lt living manners as they risx," and to point the public attention to Obje&s that have an important reference tvdomeflic, jocial and public happiness. V. The Interests of the United States as conne&ed with their li terary Institutions —religious and moral Obje&s—l mprovements in Science, Arts, EDUCATION' and HUMANITY—their foreign Treaties, Alliances, Connexions, &c. VI. Every species of INTELLIGENCE, which may affe&the commercial, agricultural, manufacturing, or political INTERESTS of the AMERICAN NATION. VII. ACfiAINofDOMESTIC OCCURRENCES. VIII. A SERIES of FOREIGN ARTICLES of INTELLI GENCE. X. The STATE of the FUNDS—Courses of Exchange—*Prieoj Current, See. CONDITIONS. I. PubMed every WEDNESDAY and SATURDAY. 11. Theprice toSttbfcribers{cxclufive of postage) THREE DOLLARS tr. annum. 111. Thefirftfemi-annua! payment to-be made in three month} from the time and future payments to be made every fix months. SUBSCRIPTIONS Will be rccefted in all the capital towns upon the Continent; also at No. 9, Maiden-Lane, near the Ofwego-Markct, New-York. To the PUBLIC. AT this important Crisis, the ideas that fill the mind, are preg nant with Events ot the greatest magnitude—to ftrenothen and complete the UNION of the State*—to extend and protett their COMMERCE, under equil Treaties yet to be explore and arrange the NATIONAL FUNDS—to restore and eftablifli the PUBLIC CR-EDIT —and ALL under the aufpicesof an untri ed System of Government, will require the ENERGIES of the Patriots and Sages of our Country—Hence the propriety of encreajtng the Mediums of Knomlege and Information. AMERICA, from this period, begins a new Era in her nation al exifter.ee— u tha world is all before ker"—The wisdom and foilv—the misery and prosperity of the EMPIRES* STATES, and KINGDOMS, which have had their day upon the great Theatre of Time, and are now no more, suggest the most important Mementos—Thcfr, with the rapid series of Events, in vhich our own Country has been so deeply interested, have taught the enlightened Gitiaeo* «f the United States, that FREE DOM and GOVERNMENT—LIBERTY and LAWS, arc inse parable. This Conviction lias led to the adoption of the New Conftituti «n; for however, various the Sentiments, xefpe&ing the ME RITS of this System, all good men are agreed in the nercflity tfiatexifts, of an EFFICIENT FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. A paper, therefore, efhbKftied upon NATIONAL, INDE PENDENT, and IMPARTIAL PRINCIPLES—which (hall ■aKeup the preinifcd Articles, tipon a competent plan,, it is presumed, will be highly interfiling, and meet with public ap probation patronage. The Editor of this Publication is determined tohrave no avenue of intormaton :—He fbheits the afliiiance of Persons of leisure and abilities—which, united with his own afliduity, lie flatters himfclf will render the Gazette of the United States not unworthy general encouragement and is, with due refpeft, the public's bumble fefvant, THE EDITOR. POSTSCRIPT. SIX Months have now clap fed since this paper was ufieveA wtoexiflenct how far the fpint of the plan has been exhibited, and * hired to, is not Jor the Editor to fry.—A generous and candid pub lc * a s awarded its approbation, by a fubjeription which is said to be m ort'txtenfive than ujual on pmlar occasion achnoicledjremeHt of t e favor is therefore due-from the publisher.—The expence attending an w erUking of this kind is always great; in the prcjent infance, it has *ot teen counterbalanced by any of the cvjfomary receipts on account oj a vertl f lents—the objefl being on extcnfwe circulation, the Editor con cetvi ng th&t their insertion would have eoitrterafied that part of his plan, ■as never admitted any. This con fide ration if it loas necessary to be Tu ovld point out the importance of pujiftualiiv on the part of the jMjcribcrs—it appears to have been very gsnerdtly attended to, as th) payments have been unufkally prompt. It is netejfaty toobferre that the Trimmer of norres which hare honored j * s nat f u .fJ tcr ent to defray the expence of the publication, an to afford the Editor a competent support, a f\ppcfit\OH that the n ejiiQuidbe colicfl ed.—Additional Jubfcriptions aj e therefore folio ted; an when rt it covfidered. that the paper is new in its conflruflion ; con a*n< intelligence of the mo ft inter efling nature ; abounds with more ort pfoiitSy than any other periodical publication ; and, viewed as a rtrtf- C f iaM cheaper than any nagazine t regifltr s (3c. it can not be doubted but that it will receive a A adequate patronage. In the prcjent number, the publication of the Journals of the Sen fit e is commenced. As there is no gallery to the Senate Chamoer, all thai e known of the proceedings of that Moss Honorable branch of Chi f a j} 9 ** l Ligijltturejsfrm their Journals ; iptuis veivof the fkbjeS.U isjuMofd they will be interring to the public. The price of the Laxus and f 'e Journals of the tiuo Hovft* only, which will be gucu in the conrje °t °xe year, amounts to more than the subscription. r Jb* F-d'tor is determined to prpfcvte the ffUbHcttion. upon its ongi* Principles : He hopes to make it wore intereftingy by the comr/uni* or * of his ingenious ctrrefpgndcnti : He falicits the aid of every J ru freedom and government: And such fpeculati&is as ara Jnendly ajpeft to -thepeace, honor and prosperity of our rising ion, will be received witkgratitud'. by the public r humble servant v , JO M N FEK NO. Wew-Yorr } OClobcr 14, 1789. * WEDNESDAY, October 21, 1739. THE TABLE T.—No. LV. Ci IV.k.en human creatures once submit to govern* wenty and. are nCed to live under th c rejlraint oj laws, it ij incredible how many ujcjul cautious and felj-de nials they.-mII learn toprattife by experience audimi tation." 'T'HERE prevails a* opinion, even among sensible politicians, that men are only obedient to government from compulsion. Iffear of punishment, fay they, is removed, there will no longer be any obedience to the laws. Whe ther this conference would follow to such a de gree, that, upon the removal of penal laws, go vernment would be diilolved, need not be brought into discussion. Certain howeverit is, that many ufeful, virtuous citizens pass through life, with out ever feeling any emotions of such a fear. Their obedience therefore is to be ascribed to other causes. Perhaps habit constitutes the molt pow erful one. Men are aecuftomed to perform du ties without a repetition of the motives which firft ilimulated them ; and they learn to sustain bur dens and l'acrifices without opposition or com plaint. Obedience resulting from such causes has a preference over that, which is produced by penalties. It colls the government less, and is a demonstration that the people love and re gard the laws. In a well regulated community it will be found that the orderly conduct of the citizens becomes a matter of general consent. It is understood and expected among the inhabitants that certain rules of decorum with refpeCtto behaviour, andaftea dy, peaceable observance of the laws fliould be deemed requisite in obtaining weight and popula rity of character. When a government has been long eftablifhetl, such regulations will introduce themselves as a matter of course, and will contri bute to relieve tlieinagiftrate from many painful aCts of duty. But inthe firft organization of go vernment, the friends of good order and virtue Ihould discover a peculiar degree of care and vi gilance. Otberwife the people will early form habits of difobedieuce to the laws, and disrespeCt for the magistrates. lhavebeforedifcufled points something like these, in the 13th and 14th num bers of my speculations, which were principally confined to the fubje<;t of fntuggling. In thole eflays I dwelt largeiy upon the advantage of as sociations, and pointed out how far they would prove efficacious in giving the revenue laws a fa vorable introduction. I afn inclined to imagine that the people are now so opposed to the fraudulent practice offmug gling, that few individual's will dare risque the attempt. Indeed I should feel a strong degree of security that the revenue would be honestly col lected, were not the ports of entry so numerous and scattered as to increase the temptation to the practice, by lert'ening the difficulty and hazard. Those persons who live in the vicinity of the lit tle ports will do well to refleCt that they hold their advantages only in a state of probation. If they discover an honest indignation against every attempt to defraud the revenue, aud give equal demonstrations of integrity with the inhabitants of larger ports, it is not improbable they maybe long indulged with the present accommodating arrangements. These people would likewise do well to refleCt that, it was with difficulty, Con gress were prevailed on to consent to the eftab liihment of such various ports of entry, as it was predicted that the produCt of the revenue would be endangered by the indulgence. If therefore the anticipations of those members, who objected to the plan, should prove true, it will no doubt induce Congress to make alterations in the sys tem less adapted to the general convenience of the citizens. In whatever light the subjeCt is viewed, there results the strongest arguments in favor of watching carefully over the reve nue, that it may prove so productive as not to defeat the purpose of the present lenient regula tions. The inhabitants of populous towns are more readily formed into habits of punctuality and ho nor, than those in smaller places, where credit and character are less eflential to prosperity. Ii therefore happens, that the mean, diflionorablt practice offmuggling finds more conntenance ir small than large ports. But the inhabitants in general, who derive no benefit from the illicit gains, should contemplate well the inconvenience to which they will be exposed, by acquiescing in so pernicious and difgraceful a practice. It pro motes the interests of a few unworthy individuals at the expence of the honest, industrious part of the community. For, if the government finds thefources of the revenue, already in operation inadequate to the public expenditure, new chan nels of supply must be opened. The people, by conniving at frauds in the collection of the iin- on ! tt, ; J S.ii::rcin} ,'| poft3, are giving themselves no relief, but are in fatit encreaiing their own burdens. Some men havefoch afalie taste in morals as to feel no reniorl'e at pradtifing knavery against the government. There is a J'ed-ucing kind of fallacy, in this idea. The reason it is not generally explod ed, and public knaves treated with the fame con tempt and abhorrence as priv ate, proceeds from the injury not being, l'o linking and apparent. Men do iiQt to readily discern the inconvenience as to complain of the injultice. All kinds of kna very however are a public dilhonor and detri ment ; and all good men ihould make a common cause in preventing and pumlhing it in all lhapes and degrees. In the present state of our government, we cannot depend on the penal force of the laws alone. Virtuous citizens Ihould have an under standing with each other, and make it a point of honor and ambition to eftablilh a fair collection of the revenue. When ajult and honorable pratftice has been a few months or years observed, men will annex ideas of infamy to every aift of fraud committed against the public treasury. The prosperity of fq.- ciety depends more than is ufnally imagined on the lioneft habits of the people. There is fuel).a connexion between different virtues that when one prevails it cherishes and promotes many oth ers. Honelty will prove favorable to economy ; and by paying punctually what is demanded, there is less reason to expeift an accumulation of demands. Virtuous and discerning men inuft therefore rejoice to find a spirit of honor and punc tuality e*ifting in all tranladtions relative to the public treasury. Nothing will more effedluallv contribute to this obje