MR. ADAMS'S LETTERS. LETTER XVI. Amsterdam, Oct. 26. 17S0. S 1 R, THE sixteenth enquiry is, " Who Icjes inofl by 11 desertion ? Do the English and German de " farters Jer-js voluntarily and well in the American '• army P Hov> dnthofe who do not enter into the ar " my fubfft P" Tl>efe queftionsl answer with great pleasure. — There has been, frem the beginning of the war to this day, scarcely an example of a native Ameri can's defecting from the army to the Englifli. There have been in the American army, some icattering Scotch, Iriffi, and German soldiers ; fomeof these have defected, but never in great numbers ; and among the prisoners they have taken, itisafton ifning how few they have been able to persuade, by all their flatteries, threatenings, promifesand even cruelties, toenlift into their service. The number of deserters from them has been all along considerable more. Congress have general ly prohibited their officers from enlisting desert ers ; for some particular services permillion has been given, and they have served well. Those who do not enlist in the army have no difficulty to subsist. Those of them who have any trades, as weavers, tailors, lmiths, ihoemakers, tanners, curriers, carpenters, bricklayers; in ffiort, any trade whatsoever, enter immediately into better bulinefs than they ever had in Europe, where they gain a better fubfHtcncc and more mo ney ; because tradefmenof all denominations are much wanted: Those who have no trade, if they are capable of any kind of labor, are immediate ly employed in agriculture, See. labor being much wanted, and very dear. I am not able to tell the precise numbers that have deserted ; but if an hundred thousand were to desert, they would find no difficulty in point of fubliftence or employment, if they can and will work. Sir, yours, JOHN ADAMS. MR. CALKOEN. LETTER, XVII. Amsterdam, October 26, 1780. SIR, TH E seventeenth enquiry is, " Whether we " have any information that we can rely on con " coming population ? Has it increaftd or dimin " ifhed Juice the war P" In some former letters I have made some ob servations upon the fubjeJt of theincreafe of man kind in America. 111 the year 1774 there was much private con versation among the members of Congress, con cerning the numbers of fouls in every colony. The delegates of each were consulted, and the eftiniates made by them were taken down as fol low : In New-Hainplhire 150,000 Maflacliufetts 400,000 Rhode llland 59,678 Connecticut 192,000 , New-York 250,000 New-Jersey 130,000 Pennsylvania and Delaware 350,000 Maryland 320,000 Virginia ■ 640,000 North Carolina 300,000 South-Carolina 225,000 3,016,678 This however was but aneftiruate, and some per sons have thought there was too much speculation in it.—lt will be observed, that Georgia was not represented in the firft Congress, and therefore is not included in the estimate. In a pamphlet publiflied in England about ayear ago, entitled a memorial to the Sovereigns of Europe, 011 the present State of Affairs, be tween the Old and New-World," written by Mr. Pownal, a Member of Parliament, and for merly Governor of Maflacliufetts, and Lieut. Go vernor of New-Jersey—we are told that " The Maflachufets had, in the year 1722, 94,000 inha bitants ; in 1742, 164,000; in I 751, when there -was a great depopulation, both by war and the small pox, 164,484; in 1761,216,000; in 1765, 255,500; in 1 771, 292,000; in 1773, 300,000. In Connecticut, 1 756, 129,994 ; in 1774, 157,356. These numbers are not increased by strangers, butdecreafed by wars and emigrations to the west ward, and to other States; yet they have nearly doubled in eighteen years. In New-York, in 1756, 96,776 ; in T771, 168,007 ; in 1774, 182,251. In Virginia, in 1756, 173,316 ; in 1 764, 200,000; in 1774, 300,000. In Soutli-Carolina, in 1750, 64,000; in 1770, 115,000. In Rliode-Ifland, in 1738, 15,000; in 1748, 28,439. As there never was a militia in Pennsylvania, before this war, with authentic lifts of the popu lation, it has been variously estimated on specu lation. There was a continual importation, for many years, of Irifii and German emigrant#, yet many of these fettled in other provinces ; but the progress of population, in the ordinary course, advanced, i:i a ratio between that of Virginia and that of Maflachufetts; the city of Philadelphia ad vanced more rapidly ; it had in I 749,2,076 houses ; in 1 7J3, 2,300; in 1760,2,969; in 1769, 4,474; from 174910 1753, from 16 to 18,000 inhabitants ; from t760t0 J 769, from 31,318 to 3J,000. There were in 1754, various calculations and estimates made of the numbers on the continent. The fanguinemade the numbers one million and a half; those who admitted lels (peculation into the calculation, but adhered closer to fadts and lilts, as they were made out, Itated them at one million two hundred and fifty thousand.—Gover nor Pownal thinks, that 2,141,307 would turn out nearelt to the real amount in 1774. But what an amazing progress, which in eighteen years has added a million, to a million two hundred and fifty thousand, although a war was maintained in that country for seven years of the term ! In this view one fees a community unfolding itfejf, be yond any example in Europe. Thus you have the estimates made by the gen tlemen in Congress, in 1774, and that of Gover nor Pownal for the fame epocha.—That made in Congress is mod likely to be right: If in their es timate some States wete rated too high, it has been since made cei tain, that others were too low. But admitting Mr. Pownal's estimate to be just, the numbers have grown, since 1 774, fomuch, not withftandingthewar, and the interruption of mi grations from Europe, that they mult be well nigh three millions.—lf the calculation made by the members of Congress was right, the numbers now mull be nearer four millions, than three millions and an half. I have observed to you in a former letter, that the Maflachufetts Bay has been lately numbered, and found to have increased in numbers as much as ill former periods, very nearly. I now add, that Delaware, which in 1774 was estimated at 30,000, upon numbering the people since, they appeared to be 40,000. Pennsylvania is undoubtedly set too low in both estimates. I have the honor to be, very refpe<ftfully, &c. JOHN ADAMS. MR. CALKOEN. PROCEEDINGS OF CONCRESS. ABSTRACT of JOURNAL of the first SESSION of the SENATE oj the UNITED STATES. Wednesday, May 13, 1789. ORDERED, That Mr. Langdon, Mr. Strong and Mr. Carroll, be a committee, to confer with any committee that may be appjinted on the part of the House of lleprefentatives, and report what newspapers the members of the Se nate and House of Representatives, fliall be fur niflicd with, at the public expense. A committee consisting of Mr. Johnson, Mr. Read, Mr. Langdon, Mr. Morris, Mr. Dalton, Mr. Elmer, Mr. Henry and Mr. Gunn, was ap pointed to report a bill, defining the crimes and offences that shall be cognizable under the autho rity of the United States, and their puniftnnent. Adjourned. Thursday, May 14. The committee appointed the 9th inft. to de termine " under what Title it will be proper for the Senate to address the President" and to confer with a committee of the House of Repre sentatives, " upon the disagreeing votes of the Senate and House," informed the Senate, that they had conferred witha committee of the House of Pieprefentatives, but could not agree upon a report. The committee appointed the 9th inft. "to consider and report under what Title it will be proper for the Senate to address the President of ;he United States of America," Reported, That in the opinion of the committee it will be proper thus to address the President—His HIGHNESS THE PRESIDENT of the UNITED STATES of AMERICA, and PROTECTOR of their LIBERTIES. Which report was postponed—and the follow ing resolve was agreed to, to wit :— From a decent respect for the opinion and practice of civilized nations, whether under mo narchical or republican forms of government, whose custom is to annex Titles of respectability to the Office of their Chief Magistrate ; and that, 011 intercourse with foreign nations, ad ue refpedt for themajefty of the people of the United States may not be hazarded by an appearance of An gularity ; the Senate have been induced to be of opinion, that it will be proper to annex a refpec fable Title to the Office of President of the Uni ted States : But the Senate desirous of prefervinp; harmony with the House of Representatives where the practice lately observed in presenting an address to the President was without the addi tion of Titles, think it proper for the present to act in conformity with the practice of the House ;— Therefore Rcfolved, that the present address be—" To the President of the United States"— without addition of Title. ■A motion was made to ftnke out the prt-.,it as t ",u- as the words "but the Senate;" which"'."'- ed in the negative—and on motion for 'the m'* queftioii J it palled in the affirmative. ~" il The committee appointed to confiderand renor a mode of carrying into effect the provilionin-h ---fecond clause, of the third feet ion of the hut-. tide of the Confiitution, reported VV hereupon ReJ jloecl, that the iieuatprs be di videdinto three clafles, the fir it to coniilt of M-" Langdon, Mr. Juiinfon, Mr. Morris, Mr. Henrv Mr. Jzard and Mr. Giinn— y ' The second of Mr. Wingate, Mr. Strong Mr Patterfon, Mr. Baliett, Mr. Lee, Mr. Butler and Mr. few— And the third of Mr. Dalton, Mr. Ellfworth Mr. Elmer, Mv. Maclay, Mr. Read, Mr. Carroll and Mr. Gray lon. That three papers of an equal iize, numbered 1,2, and 3, he by the Secretary rolled up and put into a box, and drawn by Mr. Langdon; Mr Wingate and Mr. Dalton, in behalf of the re! fpeOtive clafles in which each of them are|placed • and that the clafles lhall vacate their feats in the Senate according to the order of numbers drawn for tliem, begining with number one— And that when Senators fli-j.ll take their fents from States that have not yet appointed Senators they lhall be placed by lot iuthe foregoing dalles' but in fucli manner as lhall keep the clafles us nearly equal as may be in numbers. The committee appointed to confer with a com mittee of the Houf<? of Representatives, in pre paring proper rules to be eitablifhed for the en rollment, &c. of the acts of Congress—Reported, which report was ordered to lie for consideration! Ordered, That the committee appointed to draft an answer to the President's Speech wait 011 him, and requeit him to appoint the time when it will be agreeable to receive the address of the Senate at his own house. Adjourned. Friday, May 15. The Committee appointed to draft an answer tp the President's Speech further reported W hereupon it was Agreed, That the Senate should wait upon the President at his own house on Monday next, at a quarter after eleven o'clock, and that the Vice President then, prefentthe ad dress of the Senate, as agreed to on the 7th in itant. The Senate proceeded to determine the Clafles agreeably to the resolve of yesterday, 011 the mode of carrying into effeift theprovifion in the second clause, of the third lection, of the firft article of the Conltitution, and the numbers be ing drawn, the clafles were determined as fol low :— Lot No. 1, drawn by Mr. Dalton—containing Mr. Dalton, Mr. Ellfworth, Mr. Elmer, Mr. Mac lay, Mr. Read, Mr. Carroll, and Mr. Grayfon— Wliofe feats ftiall accordingly, be vacated in the Senate at the expiration of the second year. Lot No. 2, drawn by Mr. Wingate—containing Mr. Wingate, Mr. Strong, Mr. Patterfon, Mr. Baffett, Mr. Lee, Mr. Butler, and Mr. Few— whose feats shall accordingly be vacated in the Se nate at the expiration of the fourth year. Lot No. 3, drawn by Mr. Langdon—containing Mr. Langdon, Mr. Johnson, Mr. Morris, Mr. Henry, Mr. Izard, and Mr. Gunn—whofe feats shall accordingly be vacated in th£ Senate, at the expiration of the sixth year. Adjourned. Saturday, May 16. A meflage from the House of Representatives by Mr. Beckley, their Clerk, who informed tie Senate that " the House had concurred in theap pointment of a committee, consisting of Mr.Syl vester, Mr. Wynkoop and Mr. Smith (of South- Carolina) to confer with a committee appointed on the partjof the Senate, the 13th instant, and to re port what newlpapers the members of Congress ihall be furnifhed with at the public expence; and that it was an inftruiftion to the said commit tee on the pare of the House, to receive prop"- sals for printing the a<fts and other proceed)"!? of Congress." Adjouned. Monday, May 18. Agreeably to the order of the 15th instant the Senate waited on the President of the Unite® States, at his own ho.use, when the Vice-President in their name, delived to the President the ad dress agreed to 011 the 7th instant: To which the President of the United States waspleafedtorepl)- (Set our paper of May 20.) Ordered, That Mr. Lee be a committee on the part of the Senate, to join any committee ap pointed for that purpose on the part of the Ho" * of Representatives, to lay before the President of the United States for his approbation, a > entitled, " AnAcft to regulate the time and man ner of adininiftering certain oaths," after it fha be enrolled, examined by the faidcoinmitte, an signed by the Speaker of the House of Represen tatives, and by the Vice-Prefident. ADVERTISEMENT. r.. &T MR. ADAMS's LETTERS which have appeared inM zettc, arc part of a f cries, 26 in number, wrote by his £< Uc ' f J'., f . Holland.—the wholf arepublifhcd m a pamphlet of 64 P a 6 e *\ , to he fold by Messrs. Berry & Rogers, Hanover-Square, Hodge, Queen-Street, and by the Editor hereof. Pnblifhed by JOHN FEJSfNO, No. 9. MaiD *'V Lane, ucartlizUfuie£o-Mark:t, New-Yok[3 '•
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