Novemeep. 30.
The Duke of Orlean's defence has jufl made
Its appearance in an English dress; together with
the advice of his Counsel, who recommended
liim to commence an adtion againlt the King's At
tormy for a malicious prafecution ; and agaiiift se
veral of the witnefles for perjwy. In an intro
ductory advertisement tliefe circumltances are
applied to a celebrated trial now depending.
Alexander Maconochie, Esq. is to succeed the
late Dr. Adam Smith as one of the Commilfioners
of the Customs in Scotland.
On Wednesday lad the Lord Provolt, Tvlagif
trates, and Council of Edinburgh, unanimouily
agreed to address his Majeily on the continua
tion of peace, in consequence of the convention
entered into between the Courts of Great-Britain
and Spain.
It was yesterday determined in the Court of
King's Bench, that a man marrying a widow is
not bound to maintain her children by her firft
husband.
Ireland, in the ten last years, has paid to Swe
den and other countries, the enormous sum ot
five millions for Iron alone, which their own
mines were adequate to produce.
Letters from Vienna confirm the vi<ftory ob
tained by the Generalissimo of her Imperial Ma
jetty over the Turks in the Cuban. This victory
is represented to have been very complete, and
will, no doubr, have its weight in the negocia
tions with the Porte.
Immediately after the convention has been ta
ken into consideration, the following important
objects will be submitted lo Parliament by the
minister, viz.
The forming of two diftincft governments for
Canada and Brunfwick, in North-America.
The appointment of an Ambaflador to the
United States of America. And
A revision of the laws of Guernsey and Jersey.
We hear that Mr. Elliott, father-in-law to Ad
miral Digby, is to be the Ambaflador to America,
with a salary of 30001. a year.
The church lands and houses in France have
fold for a larger Jum than could be fairly ex
pected.
On the 31ft of October, M. Blanchard, being
then at Prague, made his 37th excursion
in his balloon, accompanied by one of the mem
bers of the Royal Society of Prague. The bal
loon was filled with 9000 cubic fe;et of <raz ; and
at 4, P. M. he ascended from the plain Baumgar
ten, in presence of a multitude of spectators.
They were provided with several infti'uments
for making observations, but the machine was
scarcely at the height of 1000 feet, before they
were ail broken, or thrown down from the galle
ry by a violent motion of a stream of wind,which
tofled the machine in all directions—Notwith
standing their apparent danger, they descended
in perfect faf'ety.
A private letter from the East-Indies, jnft re
ceived, mentions that a war has begun between
our troops and Tippoo Sultan, who now stiles
liimfelfShah Allum, or king of the world.
In consequence of a duel which took place,
Nov. 12 between M. deCaftries, of the ariltocra
tic, and M. Lameth, of the patriotic party, in
France ; it has been proposed to the Aflembly,
that the practice of duelling be made capital.
M. de Lameth was dangerously wounded, and in
revenge, jhe mob have demolished the house of
M. de Castries, who had previoiifly made his
escape. ; —
The folio-win? extrafis are tranflatedfrom the LEY
DEN GAZETTE.
HAGUE, Nov. 23 —30
" We ar'e waiting with the greatest impatience
for news from Brabant, where we expert the
Austrian army are at this moment arrived. The
Belgic Congress, weary of the fanatical obstinacy
of Van der Noot, Van Enpen, and others of that
calV, have concluded, at last to make an attempt
to avoid an absolute fubmiflion to the Emperor,
and preserve their ancient constitution without
having recourse to military exertions. From all
appearances, the Belgic Congress have no other
relource left them but to accept the re-eltabli(h
ment of their old conllitnrion, with every gua
rantee for the ftricS observance thereof that can
reasonably be desired—the two superior orders
of the nation, fee the absolute neceflity of ac
cepting those terms immediately, and nothing
but the influence of the inferior clergy over the
dregs of the people, keeps alive the present dis
turbances, and prevent the low countries from
enjoying the bleflings of peace-"
" On the 13th inft. the Belgic Congress metto
debate upon the Emperor's manifeft. Van Eupen
and Van der Noot, conluded their harangues
with afolemn oath never to enter into any ac
commodation whatever with the emperor, or to
return under his sovereignty, and advised the
other members td follow their example ; but
this was peremptorily refufed ; and the delegates
from HainauJt, Flanders, Tournay and Tournefis
and from Malines, joined the other members in
their refufal, adding, " that they were ordered
by their conftitueiits to accommodate matters,
if poflible, witH their ancient sovereign.' And I
thus the Belgic nation is split into two parties,
the more moderate under the controul of the
moll numerous and violent, hurried on by a blind
impetuoficy and a few designing leaders.
(t Letters from Vienna, dated Nov. 13, men
tion a compleat vicftory gained by the Ruffians
over the Turks in the Cuban, on or about the
tenth of October. Notwithstanding the fuperio
ty of the Turks in numbers, they were totally
vanquished, and their whole camp with their
artillery, consisting of more than 300 pieces of
cannon, their baggage, provision, and even the
Serafkier and all his family, fell into the hands
of the conquerors."
STATE PAPER.
The following Minijlerial Paper,fignedby the Plenipotentiaries oj the
thjeeallied Powers, England, Puflia, and Holland, inanjzverto
the Belgic deputies, is too interejling, in the present juncture oj aj-
Jairs, to be omitted :
YOUR conflituents seem to doubt our having received posi
tive inflruttions, and fufHcient powers to allure to your nation, the
means which ought to precede the ceHdtion of hollilities, and that
we have not spoken minifteriallv in our verbal answers. To fct a
fide all such scruples and uncertainty, we here speak for the third
and last time, alluring you that we do it ministerially, in the name
of our refpe&ive sovereigns. " That it rests only with the Belgic
nation to fee their legitimate constitution re-established, such as it
existed, in the greatest purity, before the commencement of the
last reign, with all its privileges, civil and religious, and a per
fect oblivion of every thing, that has pafled during the late trou
bles. We are moreover au'horifed to add, that if your conflitu
ents enter again frankly and willingly into obedience to the Em
peror's government, his Imperial Majesty is disposed to grant such
farther conceflions as (hall elfentially alter the constitutions. But
we are obliged to declare openlv,that no longer a term than twen
ty one days, from the date of this letter, is allowed to accept their
propositions.
If you permit this time to pass, or it in the interval you give
occasion for any new holtile aggreflion, we protest, that our re
fpe&ive Sovereigns can no longer guarantee your fate.
Done at the Hague, the 31ft of Oft. 1790.
(Signed)
NEW-YORK, Jan. 18
ExtraSl of letter from London, dated Nov. 24
By these inclosed papers you will fee that the
so much talked of revolution of the Belgic Pro
vinces lias come to nothing. Every effort has
been made to oppose the Emperor, but to no
purpose. The desertion of the Belgic army is
almott universal ; and the consternation occasion
ed by a convicftion of the utter impoflibility of
refitting troops so infinitely superior in discipline
and courage to their own, has obliged the people
to yield to irrefiftable necelfity. So it wouldhave
been with you in your contest with this country
had not the wide Atlantic and fovne other cir
cumstances interposed to save you.—As to our
selves, we are congratulating each other on cer
tain imaginary advantages gained in our nego
ciation with Spain, such as the right of fifhing
for whales in the middle of the South Seas, and
eredling fortrefles in a barren country at the ex
tremities of the Globe, which even by our own
accounts is not worth pofiefling, except on ac
count of an article of commerce which must soon
be exhaufled.
CONGRESS.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
TUESDAY, Jan. n.
(Continued from our
In committee of the whole, on the bill repealing after
the lafl day of next the all laying duties on
dijlilledfpirits, ire. and im[>ofi>ig others m their
/lead. Mr. Boudinot in the chair.
MR. Williamson adverted to the publica
tion of the resolutions of the aflembly of
North-Carolina, in which business he said, some
mifinforniation had taken place. He then al
luded to the assumption, and observed that since
the United States had made the State debts the
debts of the union, it becomes necefl'ary to pro
vide for them, and he supposed some fort of ex
cise was neceifary. He reprobated aland tax—
and then observed that excises according" to- the
constitution, ought to be equal ; he proposed to
equalize them by impohng a tax 011 beer and cy
der. If there will bean excess in the revenue,
as appears pretty evident, let the duty on our
own produce be struck out. He infilled on the
injustice of layingthis duty 011 those States, which
had been averse to the afl'umption.
He fuggefled other sources of revenue—men
tioned newspapers, on which he supposed if a
duty was laid, it would be advantageous to the
public and to the printers. He concluded by
faying he hoped the i 3th feOtion would be ftrutfk
out.
Mr. Ames offered a few remarks, to shew the
obligation of the government to provide perma
nent funds for the payment of the interest ofthe
debt agreeable to the fpiritof the law pafled the
laltfeffion—nor did he conceive that acafual sur
plus was any fufficient reason for not making
complete provision ; annual grants for the pur
pose of supporting the public credit had been fuf
ficiently proved inadequate to the objetfl.
714
AUCKLAND,
KEI.LER,
VAN DE SPIEHEL.
Mr. Elocdu crtli observed that if prejudices do
exist, whether well founded, or not, ihey pro
duce all the niifchiefs of a we(l founded oppofi"
tion till they are removed ; he said a universal
opposition to excifes,exifts in North-Carolina, and
he dreaded the consequences of this measure's
being urged ; North-Carolina has been well dis
posed to the government —what is the reason this
is not at prefentthe cafe ? It is owing fir, to the
ineaCures which have been pursued by the govern
ment. The r.Huinption was a m,eafure aniverfally
odious to the people of that State, and he believ
ed it was so to many other persons in the South
ern States. With refpeifl to the observations of
the gentleman from Mallachufetts, that North
Carolina knew when (lie adopted the Conl'citution
that the general government had a right ro lay
excises, he observed, that' North Carolina expect
ed that some attention would havn been paid to
her proposed amendments : On the whole he
hoped the clause would be struck out—and if an
excise is thought to be necefl'ary, let it be laid
only on foreign spirits, andfpirits manufactured
from foreign materials.
Mr. Lawrance replied to Mr. Bloodvvorth's ob
servations refpedtingconfining the duty to foi eigu
spirits : He said this would operate to produce a
very great deficiency in the revenue—The impor
tation of foreign spirits will be destroyed, and
the revenue derived from that source will be loft.
He adverted to certain objections which had
been urged againltthe bill, from the experience
of Great Britain—he (hewed, that none of these
applied on the present occasion : The bill is di
velted of those qualities, commonly supposed to
be connected •-it h Excise Laws. He took notice
of the accounts of uneafinelles which are said to
exist in some of the States—and counterbalanced
them by the tranquility and fatisfaction which
appear in others : In those which it is presumed
bear at leafl: a full proportion of the burdens al
ready imposed by government.
He contended, that the operation of the bill
would be to equalize the public burdens—and
when this is realized, as it will be, he doubted not
a fpiritof conciliation and good humor would be
the consequence.
Mr. Jackson said that the funding law had ap
propriated the revenue for the payment of all
the debts original and a (Turned—and the faith of
the United States is pledged only to make up
such deficiency as may happen. It appears from
the calculations before the committee, that no
such deficiency will be to be provided for. He
wished gentlemen to shew some plausible reason
for this additional burthen on the people—The
estimates he had offered cannot be invalidated.
Mr. Parker said he had heard nothing to in
duce him to change his mind refpet'ting this bill.
He had been uniformly opposed to excises—and
he should not withdraw his oppo(ition at the pre
sent time.
He then adverted to tlie unequal operation of
an excise, especially on the foiithern States, \\ hich
he said rendered it entirely cantrary to the spirit
of the Constitution.
He doubted not the revenue would encrenfe,
not withllanding the supposititious defalcations
which had been mentioned. He urged the un
popularity of the tueafure—the cultivation of
the foiithern orchards ought to be encouraged by
the northern states, as the foothern states had
encouraged their navigation and fifheries. But
if this partial duty is to be prefled upon us in
this manner, I fliall not think it my duty, said he,
to be equally zealous in their favour in future.
Mr. Livermore observed, that several estimate s
had been offered to the committee—they cannot
be all right because they disagree. He observed
that itliad not been noticed by any person that
the,prefent duty on foreign rum would be taken
away by this bill, and the whole funi to bevaifed
from that article is from the bill now under con
sideration. But suppose a surplusage of revenue
of i or 200,000 dollars should be in the Treasury,
which I wi(h with all my heart may be the cafe,
are there not ways enough to apply this surplus
age to the advantage of the United States ! He
instanced a variety of ways in which such.a ftir
plus might be applied ; but he did not seriously
contemplate such a surplus. He then adverted
to the objection on account of the inequality.—
He said the duty on spirits diftillec! from rnolaf
fes is agreed to—why should not the spirits dis
tilled from peaches in the southern States be also
fiibjedl to a duty : This he confideredas unequal
—and discovered a want of candor in the gentle
men from the southward.
Mr. Parker aiked the gentleman if molasses
was an article of the produce of this country?
the southern Hates have nothing by which they
can procure molafles : If the gentleman would
confentto excise fifh, he would content to an ex
cise on peach brandy.
Mr. Fitzfimons observed, that the deficiency
occasioned by the alteration in the duty on fo
reign ruin, would occasion a very considerable
addition to the deficiency of the revenue. With
refpedt to theinequality mentioned, he said there
was no probability that the southern states would
ever pay an over proportion of the revenue.