MR. ADAMS'S LETTERS.
LETTER, XVIII.
Amsterdam, Oqtober 26, 1780.
SIR,
QU EST lON eighteenth.—" Does fufficient tran
, quility, contentment, andprofperity, reign in
thjc places where the war does not rage ? Can one fttf-
Jicientlyfubjijl there without feeling the opprejjion of the
taxes ? Does plenty abound there ? Is there more than
is necessary Jor confumptiov ? Are the people well af
filed and encouraged to pursue the war, and endure
its calamities P or is there poverty and dejection ?"
There has been more of this tranquility and
contentment, and fewer riots, infurre<slions, and
seditions, throughout the whole war, and in the
periods of its greatelt distress, than there was for
seven years before the war broke out, in those
parts that lam best acquainted with As to fub
lillence, there never was or will be any difficulty.
There never was any real want of any thing but
■warlike Itores and cloathing for the army, and
fait and rum both for the army and people ; but
they have such plentiful importations of thel'e
articles now, that there is no want, except blan
kets, cloathing and warlike stores for the army.
The taxes arerifing very high, but there never
"will be more laid on than the people can bear,
becaule the representatives who lay them tax
tiiemfelves and their neighbours in exac r t pro
portion.—^The taxes indeed fall heavielt upon the
rich, and the higher clafles of people.
The earth produces grain and meat in abun
dance ior theconfumption of the people, for the
support of the army, and for exportation.
The people are more universally well effected
and encouraged to pursue the war, than are the
people of England, France, or Spain, as far as I
can judge.
As to poverty, there is hardly a begger in the
country.—As to dejection, I never saw, even at
tha time of our greateit danger and perplexity,
so much of it as appears in England, or France
upon every intelligence of a difaftrons event.
The great source of grief and affiiiftion, is the
fluctuation of the paper money ; but this,although
it occasions unhappinefs, has no violent or fatal
effedts.
I have the honor to be,
MR. CALKOEN. I "'" D A M S '
LETTER XLX.
Amsterdam, Oct. 26, 1780.
o 1 A,
QUESIION nineteenth.—" Is not peace very
vnich longed for in America ? Might not this
tfef.re oj peace indue; the people to hear ken to pro
" pofds appearing very fair, hut which really are not
J" ■ w! ;' c l h the P : °P<■ fight be too quick in lijlenine
" to, and the government forced to accept ?"
1 lie people, in all ages and countries, wish for
peace ; human nature does not love war—yet this
does not hinder nations from going to war, when
it i> neceflary, and often indeed for frivolous pur
poses of avarice, ambition, vanity, refentnient
and revenge.—l have never been informed of
more delire of peace in America, than it coin
iu on to all nations at war. 1 hey in general know
that they cannot obtain it, without to
.conditions infinitely more dreadful than alllhe
horrors of this war.
If tliey are ever deceived, it is by holding out
to them falle hopes of independence, and Great-
Britain's acknowledging it.
The people of America are too enlightened to be
deceived ,n any great plan of policy. They un
derstand the principles aud nature of <roveni
ment too well to be imposed 011 by any proposals
ihort of their own object.
Great-Britian has tried Co many experiments to
deceive them, without effect, that I think it is
scarcely worth lier while ro try again. The liif
tory of these minilterial and parliamentary tricks
would fill a volume.—l have not records nor pa
pers to recur to; but if Mr. Calkoen deftres it I
could give him a J'cetch from memory of tliefe
artinces, and their fuccefL which I think wwulcl
convince him there is no danger from that quar-
I have the hoijor to be,
MR. CALKOEN. J°HNA DAM s -
EFFECT of COLD BATHING.
A VERY beautiful young Lady of Glasgow late
ly met vvitii a niqfl extraordinary accident by the
drawing of oik- of her eye-teeth. The nervous
jyftem was so much derailed on that fide the
face, that the upper eye lid fell over the eve
without the power of the muscles to raise and de
press it at pleasure, in theufual way. After try
ing several remedies without effect, a medical
gentleman, who had long declined public practice
recommended the cold bath, and the effects of
it were wonderful indeed ! In a few days the
power and force were reftpred, and the
eye iid now performs its functions as well as ever.
ODE,
By John Rannie.
I cannot but remember such things were,
And were moji precious to me. Shakespeare.
SCENES of MY Youth ! ye once were dear,
T hough sadly I your charms survey :
I once was wont to linger here,
From early dawn to closing day,
Scenes of my Youth ! pale Sorrow flings
A shade o'er all your beauties now ;
And robs the moments of their wings
That scatter pleasures as they flow.
While, still, to heighten every care,
Reflettion tells me, such things were.
'Twas here a tender mother strove
To keep my happinefsin view ;
I fmil'd beneath a parent's love
That foft compaflion ever knew.
In whom the virtues all combin'd ;
On whom I could with faith rely :
To whom my heart and foul were join*d
By mild Affe6Hon's primal tie !
Who Imiles in Heav'n, exempt from care,
Whiiftl remember, such thincs were.
'Twas here, where calm and tranquil reft,
O'erpays the peasant for his toil,
That, Hrft in blcifing, I was blest
With glowing Friend fliip's open smile.
My friend, far distant, doomed to roam,
Now braves the fury of the seas ;
He fled his peaceful happy home,
His little fortune to encreafe.
While bleeds afrefli the wound of care,
When I remember such things were.
Twas here—e'en in this blooming grove,
I fondly gaz'd on Laura's charms,
Who, blulhing, own'd a mutual love,
And melted in my youthful arms.
Thohard the foul-conflicting ftiife,
Yet Fate, the cruel tyrant, bore
Far from my fight, the charm of life
The lovely maid whom I adore.
'Twould ease my foul of all its care
Could I forget that such things win.
Here firft I saw the Morn appear
Ofguiltlefs Pleasure's ihining day ;
I met the dazzling brightness here,
Here mark'd the foit Reclining ray,
Beheld the skies, whose dreaming light
Gave splendor to the parting fun ;
Now loft in sorrow's fable night,
And all their mingled glories gone !
'Till death, in pity, end my care,
I must remember, such things were.
LONDON.
VALENTINE MORRIS
DIED, as the expreflive common phrase is, of
a broken heart !
Those changes and chances, which had been
through the latter end of his life, from bad and
worle, bore hard and heavy 011 him, till his
spirit, in spite of much strong effort, quite funk
under them.
He had enjoyed in good days, great resources
of temper, intellecft, and good spirits. Onquef
tions of taste and the finer arts, to embellilh and
plealure life, lew men could be more expert and
ready, either for thought or action—either to
tell what others did, or indeed to do, what by
others will be told. J
When his days, alas ! where good no more—
those resources in great part failed him. His con
versation-talents flagged—His mind, excelling
in powers of judgment, gradually grew motion
leis and dim—not willing to distinguish itfelf—
not able to contribute to the delight of others
His temper alone lived to the last—and it is
here, from the fragments of his heart, you could
understand how large and valuable it was before
it was broken ! Unregarded to the last, by ob
duracy, or what is worse perhaps, the love of
money, he was fcarcly ever peevish—penurious
he was never. Little as he had left, the writer
of this article, has seen him, with admiration,
give of that little ; and handled as he was by
his own woes, he (hewed a mind at leisure to at
tend to any severer fufFerings in others.
And yet, in good men's lives, not exasperated
by shame or guilt, what fufFerings could be more
severe ? He loft« wife ,„.ft deplorably; who, if
a Shenftone was a judge, was more amiablethan
himfelf. She had fallen into diftra&ion long be
fore she fell into the grave. By the Coarfefripe
of unrelenting law he was driven from his home
and a homy with such never-cloying amenity as
Piercefield . From thence he was consigned to
the horrors of a life between the tropics-and
from the Weft-Indies to the King's Bench Prison 1
Such alas ! was poor Valentine Morris-whom
M. le Due deNivernois said, was one of the nioft
elegant companioned men in England—whom M
Meuffin Poufchkin congratulated as having the
noWeft featured villa, and the sweetest mfnded
wife—whom the frugal may blame, and whom
indeed too truly, the generous mult deplore !
PROCEEDINGS OF COA'CRESS. ~
ABSTRACT®/P u RNA l of the first SESSION
of the SENA Th of the UNITED STATES
A ESD AY, May iq.
I **■*-* committee to whom was »v> <■ r
1 the Journals of the M
wsrsissitinpsss
inencmg the fi,ft publication on the !irlt Ja' of lune'l
that each member be fur n.fhnl wnh a c,my -that Ihe p, oceVrf '
of the Senate when tliev '1, ,1 A • .1 ' P'oceedtngs
b, , nUK-J, and SSES
" That every xotc of the Senile frail be entered on the t„ ,
and that a brief ilatemcnt of the contents of each petition
iial or paper, presented to the Senate, be also infer ted on i'sH?" 0 *
rials. ineJour
" That the Journals previous to each publication be reviM I
a committee to be appointed Irom time to time, for that - J
Which report was accepted. ' P ur pol< *
The committer appointed to confer with a committee nf ,i
Houfeof Representatives, and report, what newspapers the 1
bers of congress shall be turnifticd with at the rmblic exoc r
ported in part;— Ordered to lie oil the table. * ' n c ' l: "
Adjourned.
THURSDAY, Ma* 21.
Refolvcd, That all bills on a second reading (hall he ci
ed by the Senate in the fame manner, as if the Senate »
committee of the whole, before they (hall be taken n„ , j
ceeded on by the Senate agieeably to the Handing rules unleT
therwife ordered. 0 ' ' so "
Mr. Grayfon was added to the committee appointed on trr, „l,
of May,'' Todefine thee rimes and offences thai lhall becoetv Jht
under the authority of the United States, and ll.eir punUhmmt"
FRIDAY, May 22.
A mefTage from the House of Representatives, bv M Beclt'e •
their Clerk ; who brought to the Senate an enrolled bill
" An ast to regulate the time and manner of adminifte r im ctrU i„'
oaths," figncd by the Speaker of the House of Reprefenutives
and informed the Senate, that the House had agreed in the an'
pointment of a committee on their part, confiftirio- of Mr p>T
ridge and Mr. Floyd, to lav the bill before the President 'after ,t
shall have pal Ted the formalities prescribed in the resolve of the
18th of May.
The committee appointed to examine the afore-mentioned bill
reported, that they had performed the service,—Whereupon the
bill was signed by the Vice-President, and was hv the committee
thereunto appointed, laid before the President of the United Sato
for his approbation. Adjourned.
T U E S D A Y, May 26.
A message was delivered from the House of Reprefentativfi by
Mr. Becklev, their Clerk, who delivered the follow.n • resolve—
" In the House of Representatives of the United States.
Monday, the 2,5 th of May, 1789
" Refolvcd, That a committee be appointed to confer with any
committee which may be appointed by the Senate, on the prop,*
method of receiving into either House, bills or meflages, from the
Piclident of the United States.—The members appointed Mr
Partridge, Mr. Floyd and Mr. Thatcher.
Extract from the Journal.
JOHN BECKLEV, CM.
. Concurred:—And Mr. Lee and Mr. Izard were joined. Ad
journed.
FRIDAY, Mat sg.
A message from the House of Representatives, by Mr. Becklev,
their Clerk: who brought to the Senate anengroffed bill,cn®tled,
"an ast imposing dutiesoa tonnage;"
A resolve of the House of Representatives, of the 28th, providing
the members of the Senate and House of Reprcfciitaiives each,
with a set of the Journals of the late Congress.
A resolve of the 28th, on the report of a joint committee ap
pointed to confer on the mode of furnilhing the members of the
Senate and House of Representatives with newfpapers,journal!, 4c.
Alloa resolve of this day, on the reportof the joint committee
appointed to confer upon the mode of receiving in the Senate
and Houfeof Representatives, bills, &e. from the President of the
United States, desiring the concurrcnce of the Senate thereto.
•' 111 the House of Representatives of the United States.
f( The 29th of May, 1789.
" Mr. Partridge, from the committee appointed toconfer with a
j committee of the Senate on the proper method of receiving into
either House, bills or mefTages from the President of the United
States, made a report, and the said report being amended to read
as followcth :
, '• That until the public offices are established, and the
officers arc appointed, any returns of bills and resolutions 01 other
communications from the President, raay be received in either
House under cover directed to the President ofthe Senate or Speak
er of the House of Representatives (as the cafe may be) and traot
mitted by such person as the President may think proper.—
Refolvcd, That this House doth agree to the said report-
In Senate, read and concurred.—The bill and other resolutions
were ordered to lie for consideration. Adjourned.
T U E S D A Y, June 2.
1 he resolve of the House of Representatives of the 28th May,
was considered, viz.
* In the House of Representatives of the United States.
, Thursday, the 28th May, 1789.
I he House proceeded to consider the two reporft, one made
tl>e 19th instant, the other the 26th instant by the committee ap
pointed to confer with the committee of the Senate,to confidents
report what newspapers the members of Congress shall befurnifli
cd with at the public expense, and to receive proposals for prim
ing the acts and other proceedings of Congiefs: And thefuft re
port in the words following, to wit:
" That in their opinion public ceconomy requires that theei
penfe heretofore incurred by the public, of supplying every mtE "
of Congress with all the newspapers printed at the feat of Con
gress, lhould be retrenched in future ; but as your committee con
sider the publication of newspapers to be highly beneficial indif
feminating ufeful knowledge throughout the United States, and
deserving of public encouragement, they recommend that each
member of Congress be supplied at the public expense with onepa-
P er '» leaving the choice of the fame to each member, and that itbe
the duty of the Secretary of the Senate, and Clerk of the Houfeof
Representatives, to give the neccflarv dire&ions to the different
printers, to furnifh each member with such paper ashefta'l
choose,"—Being again read and debated,
Resolved, That this House doth disagree to the said report The
other report being again read and amended, was as follows:
1 hat it would be proper that it should be left to the Secretary
of the Senate and Clerk of the House of Representatives, to contract
with such person as shall engage to execute the printing and bind
ing business on the moll reasonable terms, the paper being fm nifhf
by the said Secretary and Clerk to such person at the public ex
pense. That such person as they shall contra# w;th, shall be 0-
bliged to render a state of his accounts quarterly; and that fix hun
dred copies of the acts of Congress, and seven hundred copierot
the Journals be printed, and distributed to the Executive and Ju
dicial, and heads of departments of the Government of the Inite
States, and the Executive, Le?iflative arid Judicial of the fe vert
States."
Resolved,, That this House doth agree to the said report.
Extract from the Journal,
JOHN BECKLEY, CM-
And on the qucftion of concurrence on the firft report, it^ as
postponed. Adjourned.
WEDNESDAY, June 3.
Ordered, 1 hat Mr. Langdon administer the oath to the lC
President; which was done accordingly :—And the Vice-Pren cn.
administered the oath occordingto law to the following mem
lo Mr. Langdon, Mr. Wingate, Mr. Strong, Mr. Dalton, * r<
Johnson, Mr. Elfworth, Mr. Patterfon, Mr. Maclay, Mr. Morris.
Mr. Read,J Mr. BafTett, Mr. Carroll, Mr. Henry, Mi.
Grayfon, Mr. Izard, Mr. lew, and Mr. Gunn. .
The fame oath was by the Vice-President administered to the 1
cretary, together with the oath of office. .«
Ordered, That Mr. Morris, Mr. Carroll, Mr. Langdon, »
Read, and Mr. Lee be a committee, to consider and re
mode of communicating the ads of Congress to the fevera
in the L T nion, and the unmber neceflary for that purpose.
journcd. (To be continued.)