UNITED STATES. PORTSMOUTH, Dec. 29. SKETCH of the Proceedings of the Legi/latureofthis State. MESSAGE of His Excellency The President of this State. Gentlemen of the Honorable Senate, and House of Representatives, IT affords me the highest pleasure, to meet you again in AfTembly to advise and consult with you upon the affairs of the State at a time when so important matters will fall under your consi deration. The public papers received since the last session, will be laid before you by the Secre tary, and among them, you will find many aits and resolves of Congress which will require your deliberations ; among others, it is of consequence to consider the proposal of the Federal Govern ment, to take under their care the fuppoi t of the Light Houses upon the conditions therein men tioned" and determine what territory, and whe ther any ihall be ceded to the United States : Also to consider upon the expediency of parting alaw impowering the United States to confine their prisoners in the prifonsof this State. Perhaps it maybe thought worthy of your at tention to take under confederation the present Excise Ait, and determine how long it ought to be continued: And whether the duties ought to be leflened, on account of the import now drawn by the United States. It may be of importance to have an inquiry, ■whether any of the exifling laws of the State, militate with, or are repugnant rotlie laws of the United States, or the Constitution of the Fede ral Government. The amendments proposed by Congress to the Constitution of the United States, cannot fail of beino' considered and determined upon as early as the nature of the business before you will ad mit. Some other matters of importance will from time to time, as they may be in readiness, be communicated by private mefliiges. " This beipg the season for granting the supplies of the present year, that object cannot pals un noticed. Gentlemen, I recommend to you unanimity and difpat6h, and beg leave to aflure you, that I iball be very happy in joining with you to promote and carry into execution allthofe measures which may tend to advance the good of our common country. Given at the Council-Chamber in Port/.'mouth, the lid day of December, 1789. , JOHN SULLIVAN. IN SENATE, December 2J. VOTED, That Jofiah Gilman,jun Esq. Na thaniel Parker and Nathaniel Gilman, Efq'rs. be a committee to examine in the several offices of this State for proper vouchers to authenticate the accounts of this State against the United States, andfurnifh John Taylor Gilman, Esq. one of the Commiflioners, with them. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. This vote, after being read, was concurred with this amendment, " that Nathaniel Parker, and Nathaniel Gilman, Efq'rs. be the committee." Voted, That this House joinin conferrence with the Hon. Senate (if they fee fit) as soon as con veniently may be, on the fubjett, " whether His Excellency President SULLIVAN can constituti onally continue in the Chair of Government while he holds the office of Diftriit Judge." HARTFORD, January 7. We are informed, that at the general meeting of the merchants of this state, convened at Mid dletown on the 31ft ultimo, a petition and remon ttrance to the general aflembly, for a repeal of the excise law, was drawn up and unaninioufly adopted, and is to be presented to the honorable the legislature at their next session, by a deputa tion from the feveraf counties in the state. While we reprobate an a<t so ojjpreffive and unequal in itsoperation, we cannot but be grati fied that a body so refpetftable have adopted a measure which tends to keep up the good harmo ny and peace of the state. They have likewise written to the Hon. Alex ander Hamilton, Secretary of the Treasury, re questing that light-houses might be erected and buoys placed for the improvement and fafety of the navigation of this and the neigbouring states. Since the firft of September 1788, ten thousand two hundred and seventy eight yards of woollen cloth have been made at the woollen manufactory in this city. It is with pleasure we add that this manufactory is in a flourifhing state—sour thou sand weight of fine wool has just come to hand from Spain, which with what was before on hand makes a large stock—A number of good workmen are employed, and broad and narrow cloths of various colours, fuperfine, midling and low priz ed, are fold on as reasonable terms as they can be imported. Last Monday four fine salmon were caught in the river just below this city. FROM THE CONNECTICUT COURANT. THE NEWS-BO Y'r ADDRESS TO HIS CUSTOMERS. BEHOLD, another year is past, Full as important as the lall; For TIME, like hares, our papers fay, Conceives, and brings forth every day ; Pregnant at once with dire distempers, Conventions, Congress, and young Empires. Four years employed th' American nation, In nursing up the Confederation ; A child of frame so weak and slender, No Doctor's lkill could cure or mend her > Doom'd to decay, in heCtic deep, And leave all good old whigs to weep. But soon a general States' Convention, Withmuch lov'd Washington the bench on, Proposed a federal gpvernment, To all the States f<y their consent. How did its foes with jealous ftrife, Attempt to take the infant's life ; Predict a tyrant's reign, and bawl, That Freedom by the brat must fall ! Like Herod, who, to keep command, Destroyed all children in the land, Left a good Prince should fill the throne, And scourge all knaveries with his own : But Wisdom, which prevails o'er bawling, Has fav'd the child from tory mauling ; Given him a Guardian and Protector, As wife as So lon, strong as Hector : And Congress too, with powers extending, Farther than patching work and mending ; Have now begun, in Freedom'scaufe, A code of energetic laws. Have our papers every week, Told you what Congress think and speak ? That words and dogmas, fall like hammers, When raging nowfpouts and itammers How bawls in southern cause, And tiresome hems and haws ? How Old Dominion in a paifion, Swears flie'll separate from the nation— If government should not reside, On Allegany's rocky fide ? Such pati iotifm was never known, From times of Brutus to our own : For how can Congress rule the State, With vast Kentucky's added weight ; Unless in center borne alone By huge American back bone ?* North Carolinians too appear, With State of Franklin in the rear, Demanding Congress now Ihould fettle, In woods, with Gougers, Creeks, and cattle : For know you not, the time will come, When Yankies, ftarv'd at home, will roam To southern climes, to find good fare, And then—your Congress' ready there ? Have you not seen our CHIEF carefled, In panegyric strains addrefled ? In praise ginttely told t' his eyes, He's gteateft, best, most just, molt wife ? On stage high rais'd, like puppet <how, T' amuse the gaping croud below ? Now States, 'tis clearly prov'd at Boston, Their sovereignty should in3ke the most on ; Each State, in governor's opinion, At home should rank before the Union ; And should our President bur doubt, We'll try the reasoning, force of gout.f Have not our friends, acrofsthc Atlantic, Found Freedom growing wild and antic ? At haughty nobles rais'd her heel, Aiid made all f>esher vengeance feel ? Open'd the Baltile's dark recess, Releas'd the victims from distress ? Made tyrants fly before her arms, And thioughout Europe spread alarms ? All this, and more, we printers tell, And hope this year to do as well.— You'll hear, each week, what duty's laid, To pay our debts, and help our trade ; And if you'll pay the boy, he'll try, Againftth' Excise to raise aery ; That fraudfultax, which makes you swear, To save your money, when you dare. But this, all this, cannot be done, Without a fee to help us run ; Eor boys, like wheels, in constant toil, Will lag and creak without the OIL. notes. * The Allegany mountains, so called. + Alluding to a reccntfatt. MR. FENNO, | I REQUEST you to re-publish the following Ex tract, with the accompanying observations, and oblige PETER. From the review of the Debates of Congress, in the ' Analytical Review, or New Literary Journal,' J>ub lijhed by J. John/lon, London. ' Their parliamentary forms, language and con stitution, are nearly the fame, mutatis mutandis, with those of the Britifti and Irilh parliaments : but the fpiritandair that breathe in their speech es are more candid, sincere and patriotic. The several speakers, it is evident, are left under the inßuence of prejudice and political faflion than ours, and more open to convi<Sion. ' The free and republican spirit of America ap pears in nothing more than in the toleration of taking down the public debates in short hand. This, if the British government shall verge, in proccfs of time, towards republicanifin, will be granted by our parliaments : If the genius of mo narchy shall, on the contrary, overset the present political balance, the gallery doors will not be so cafily opened, and less indulgence will be extend • ed to those who report debates on theftrengthof memory.' THE liberality of mind which dictated the above, does honor to the human heart—The publication of the debates of Congress, have proved an unbounded source of information, in ftrixftion and aniufevnent to the citizens of the United States. And altho from the circum stance of the novelty of the bulinefs, the various fjeeches have not been so fully detailed, as some persons have wished, yet upon the whole, more perfect Iketches have perhaps never appeared in any country, than many of the publications have been, and the portraits of the speakers in gene ral, have been held up to the view of the peo ple thro this medium, in a very refpeiftable point of light.—The National Legislature has been identified, if the exprellion may be allowed, to the mental eye of every citizen. The transaCti ons of Congrels have been " open and abovtf board." The voice of clamor has not been heard, nor have insidious reproaches of intrigues, con claves, and dark proceedings grated upon our ears* —The people have without doubt* been led to entertain the moil favorable and honorable sen timents of the Representative body, whose en lightened and candid policy has not only kept: the doors of their Gallery open, but I'ufFered their debates to be taken on the floor of the House as a matter of course.—Such a privilege once en joyed (like the precious blefling of freedom) makes an indelible imprefiion on the mind; and itwould be infinitely better not to have realized the gratification, than, after having participa ted it for a season, to be deprived of it for ever. NEW-YORK, JANUARY 13, Monday the legislature of this state convened in this city, pur suant to adjournment : Not making a quorum, they adjourned until twelve o'clock yellerday. A CORRESPONDENT Begs leave to observe.that nothing can be more absurd than to pretend the least finiilarity between the American Revolution, and the present Inlur re<!tion in France. The one effeifled by the uni- 1 ted exertions of an opprefled people — The other proceeding from the ebullitions of a frantic po pulace, who always clamor against the Govern ment in a time of fcai city, and return to admira tion and submission upon an appearance of plen ty ; who so far from being enslaved by LOUIS THE SIXTEENTH, never experienced so mild a reign, nor poflefled a Sovereign so truly deserv ing the appellation of Father of his People. very American ought to regret, that the gallant Mar quis de la Fayette has fuffeied his disappoint ment o£theMare/chal's llaff to induce him to head those popular clamors. A knowledge of the hiC* tory of France alone, without the spirit of pro phecy, is fufficient to ascertain the event of the present commotions. The few refpedtable cha ra<slers that support the popular cause, will con tinue to fall off, until the reaping of the har vest ; when the disturbances will .cepfe, and the Government be restored to its original form, un less LOUIS THE SIXTEENTH fliall really de sire to remit some of his privileges. The former infurre<fiions have generally enhanced the pow er of the Monarch, but it is not probable that the pacific LOUIS, will accept any such acquisition. Those who are called the PEOPLE of Paris are perhaps the molt versatile of the human race— generally a&uated by the mere impulse of the moment, and after one great exertion return to ease and imbecility. Massachusetts Centinel. There is some how or other a strange propenfitv in many per. sons to arraign the proceedings, depreciate the motives, and blast the reputation of those who diftinguifli themselves by their exer tions, and exemplary conduct on great occasions. This ti.fpofition discovers itfelf, not only towards eminent chai afters, but whole communities, and nations fall under the censure of such misan thropists. Several writers have been unwearied in their endeavors to lelTen the pleasure which the friends of humanity derive from contemplating the profpeft which opens upon our illustrious allies of obtaining a free conftittition. Their unparallelled facrifices— that blaze of sentiment, that energy of thought, that justness o£ ideas, which characterize the proceedings of the National Assem bly, animate the speeches and declamations of their patriots, and. run through their truly nervous publications—that intrepidity and firmnefs of their leadert, which asserts the long injured rights of their country in the face of despotism—in {hort that all-perva ding spirit of light and information; which has caught from mail to man, and roused every great and noble principle of "the human heart to action— all these and much more that might be mention ed are but the transient ebullitions of an unconquerable versatility t —and forfooth, because the people of France a century «go> wor irr.pped thro ignorance a tyrant; the present fermentation is to evaporate infumo ! but the cream of thejeft is, that the noble aflertor of the Rights of Mankind, " in both Hemispheres," the hero of volunteers in the noblest of causes, the Marquis de laFayette is actuated by chagrin and difappointraent, ia his glorious undertaking to make his country free. " Envy will merit, as its Jkaie pursue." Is there achara&erin the Roll of American Worthies, against whom the arrows v of malevolence have not been levelled at one period or another ? But they recoil—and may they ever recoil ox& tfie unprincipled traducers of patriotism and honor. The/hit AJlrea, Capt* « we// at Zatavia in Augtijl lift.
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