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.