THURSDAY, JANUARY 21 Mr. Fitzfimons, Mr. Sylvester, and Mr. Leo nard took their feats this day. Mr. Thatcher introduced the petition of Le muel Miller an officer in the late army—praying an allowance of commutation for reasons aifign ed.—Read and laid on the table. The petition of David Sturges, presented the last felfion, was read and referred to the Secreta ry at War. A meffagc from the President of the United States was received by the Secretary of the De partment of War, accompanied by a plan pre pared by the Secretary for the arrangement of the militia of the United States. UNITED STATES, JANUARY 21, 1790. Gentlemen of the Senate, and Houfi of Reprefeutatives, THE Secretary of the Department of War, has submitted tome certain principles to serve as a plan for the general arrangement of the militia of the United States. Conceiving the fubjedt to be of the highest im portance to the welfare of our country, and lia ble to be placed in various points of view, 1 have directed him to lay the plan before Congress for their information, in order that they may make such use thereof as they may judge proper. G. WASHINGTON. REPORT OF THE SECRETARY AT WAR. WAR-OFFICE, January 18, 1790. S I R, HAVING fubinitted to your consideration a plan for the arrangement of the militia of the United States, which I have presented to the late Congress, and you having approved the general principles thereof, with certain exceptions, I now rel'pectfully lay the fame before you, modified according to the alterations you were pleased to suggest. It has been my anxious defile to devise a na tional fyltem of defence, adequate to the proba ble exigencies of the United States, whether ari sing from internal or external causes ; and at the fame time to erect a standard of republican mag nanimity, independent of and luperior to the powerful influences of wealth. The convulsive events, generated by the inor dinate pursuit of riches or ambition, require that the government fiiould poflefs aftrong corrective arm. The idea is therefore fubinitted, whether an efficient military branch of the government can be invented, with fafety to the great principles of liberty, unless the fame (hall be formed of the people themselves, and fupparted by their habits and manners. I havethe honorto be, Sir, with the molt perfect refpecfl, your obedient servant, H. KNOX, Secretary for the War Department. The President of the United States. The Plan was then read Mr. Lawrance moved that the petition of the inhabitance of Weftchefter,read yesterday should be referred to the Secretary of the Treasury. Mr. Jackson objecfted to a partial reference ofa business of this kind to the Secretary of the Trea sury—he should make no objecftion to refering the whole fubjecfl of lodes of a similar nature, in the several States to that department, on the principal of doing equal justice to all. The mo tion for referring it to the Secretary was adopted. On motion, the report of the Secretary of the Department of War was referred to a committee of the whole House on the state of the Union. Voted, that 300c0pies of this report be printed. Mr. Sedgwick of the committee appointed to bring in a bill to make provision for persons em ployed in the intercourse between the United States and foreign nations, introduced a report which was read the firft time. Mr. Wadfworth moved for the order of the day, which was, that the House ftiould relolve it felf into a committee of the whole on the report of the committee on the state of the fouth-weit ern fronties, and Indian Affairs, which motion being adopted, the galleries were (hut, and not opened again during the day. FRIDAY, JANUARY 22- From the journal of yesterday's proceedings it appeared, that the report of the committee 011 that part of the President's Speech refpecfting the south-western frontiers, and Indian Affairs, was difcufled in a committee of the whole House, who accepted the fame without any amendments. The Chairman reported the determination of the committee to the House, but an adjournment be in called for, the business was not compleated yesterday. The Secretary of the Treasury, agreeable to notice given in his report on Tliurfday of last week, laid before the House this day, a report refpeiiling the poft-office, received from the Post- Master-General, which being read, was referred to a feledt committee confiftingofMr. Fitzfimons, Mr. Gerry, Mr. Sinnickfon, Mr. Parker and Mr. Stone Mr Sherman of the committee of conference on the part of the Hotife, brought in a report, which is in substance as follows —That the com- mittee of the House and Senate liave agreed that the unfiniihed business of tlie lalt fellion, which has palled from one House to the other, shall be considered as if it had not been aifted upon. This report was laid on the table. On motion of Mr. Thatcher, the petition of Lemuel Miller was read the second time. Thebill for making provision for persons em ployed in the intercourse between the United States, and foreign nations, was read the second time—and made the order of the day for Mon day next—then to be taken into consideration by the committee of the whole House. The attention of the House was then called to the report on the Indian Business and south- weil ern frontiers, which occasioned an order for clearing the galleries. FOR THE GAZETTE OF THE UNITED STATES. Interefling information for the Admirers and Patrons of the Fine Arts in America, refpeEling MR. TRUMBULL'S historical PAINTINGS MR. TRUMBULL, who lately returned from Europe, proposes to describe in a series of Paintings, the most remarkable Events of the late American Revolution. Heha& in contempla tion the following fubjeifts, viz. I. The Death of Warren at the Battle of Bun ker's Hill. 11. The Death of Montgomery in the Attack of Quebec. 111. The Congress of 1776111 the Declaration of Independence. IV. The Surrender of the Hessians at Tren- V. The Death of Mercer at the Battle of Princeton. VI. The Surrender of Burgoyne at Saratoga. VII. The Treaty with France. VIII. The Surrender of Lord Cormvallis at York Town. IX. The Signing the Treaty of Peace. X. The Evacuation of New-York by the Britiih in 1783. XI. The Resignation of Gen. Washington. XII. The President received by the Ladies of Trenton at the Triumphal Arch. XIII. The Inauguration of the PRESIDENT THE Portraits of the principal Actors in these great scenes will bepreferved ; and Prints will be published of the wiiole. The two firft of these Subjects are finifhed, and the Paintings in the hands of eminent Engravers in Europe. Four others are commenced, some of which are halt completed. These, with the remainder of the Work, if prosecuted, will require many years of application, and a very conliderable expence.— It is now to be decided, whether Mr. 1 rumbull will meet with such Patronage in America as will juftify him in involving himfelfin such consider able expences of Time and Money ; or whether he will be obliged to relinquish a favorite undertak ing and return to Europe: Where Subjects of a different nature and more interesting to the feel ings ofthe People of that Continent, will ensure him employment in a more profitable, though less agreeable manner. We' understand that che Engravings are to be published in numbers, con taining two each : The price will be three Gui neas for every Print ; and, we are told, a Sub scription for this purpose is soon to be opened. PETERSBURG, January 7. The bill, for cutting a navigable canal from the waters of P&fquotank river to the waters of Elizabeth river, which was under consideration at the last fefiion of the general aflembly of North- Carolina, is postponed until their next fefiion. They have palled an a<ft for the purpose of ced ing to the United States, certain western lands. BALTIMORE, January 15 Ext raft from " Political State of Europe, for Ofloiir, 1789. " The unsettled State of France is still, and in all probability will long continue to be, the grand fubiect of political and moral observation. Li berty that had been forced to take flielter in the extremities of the earth, returns and raises her standard in the very centre of the civilized where {he will extend her dominion andinfluence* to nations that now he under darkness and the fia dow of death. The throne of Freedom being once established, the gov eminent of France will become ftronser than it ever was, for any length of time, in the reign of defpotiim, and the genius of the people still more ardent and enterprising. The chain of authority is strongest when it is volunta ry. In forced obedience there is a principle of di (content and refiftence, which only waits for an opportunity of innovation. There is another way in which freedom ttrengthens the authority of government: By encouraging industry it multi plies the public resources; it affords a fund of credit, and the means of taxation." 327 TASTE NEW-YORK. JANUARY 23 The patriot, whose unwearied mind, Toils for the good of human kind ; Who on the wings of honor borne, Looks down on glittering duit with fcorn-- Whcn intends to save the State, His Counsels turn thefcalesof I'.;t . The United States have an extenlive field of contemplation opened before them in the business of funding the public debts.— Ourfituation in re gard to this important fubje<ft is truly interellitlg. Hitherto we have not availed ourselves of the wisdom and experience of foreign countries; but adopting such local and independent plans as ap peared expedient to the legislatures of the several States, all of which are calculated upon the lead ing views of the influencing majorities in the State Governments ; from the want of uniformity, confillency and ftridl justice, in all, or the most of them—in what a wretched predicament do we behold the debts of the individual governments placed ! With refpetfl to the debts of the United States, there is every apology to be made for their situation, which can arifefrom the want of every principle of power in the late confederation, ne ceflary to eftablilh the public credit, and lessen the burden of the debt, by arrangements calculated to promote these important objects. At different periods, some partial attempts were made to in stitute a department with a responsible officer at its head, to be veiled with necellary powers to carry such measures into effect, as the exigences of our affairs required; but it was reserved to the wisdom, and enlightened policy of the prelent competent Legillature of the Union, to compleat the eftabliihinent of such a department. The public is now favored with the result of the inde fatigable labors of the minister of this depart ment. As our country in many of its great movements, loses fight of those imbecile, inefficient and con fufed tranfadiions, which mark the early llages of other nations—and nobly ranks in politics, go vernment, and laws, with the oldest and wisest ; so in the great business of Finance, the best mo dels, and the best experience of the most inform ed and prosperous countries, appear to have at tracted the consideration of the Secretary of the Treasury, in the report laid before Congress. The Britiih finances were involved in confufion for several centuries ; but from the firft moment of their adopting a system of finance, their affairs aflumed a different afpedt, and have ever since been progrpffing in a line of improvement —con- trasted with their situation a century ago, tlieir present wealth, power and commercial conse quence, are enhanced, so as to elude calculation. It is beyond a doubt that no other nation upon the Globe could have supported the expence of the late American war; and with that amazing addition to her debt, to the astonishment of all the world, she now appears tobeftill rifipgin the scale of empire and extending her plans of trade, her manufactures and credit. This example, with out a parallel in the hi (lory of nations, of the power of a well I'upported credit,. may justly ar rest the attention of this country ; and the minis. ter who should not investigate and unfold to the people the principles which in their operation, have produced such wonderful effects, would be guilty of unpardonable remiflnefs. The Secre tary of the Treasury therefore with freedom and independence, has fairly proposed such plans as appear to be the result of such an investigation. There may be prejudices existing in the minds of some persons against almost every deviation from iyftems to which we have been accustomed ; but as our experience on those systems, is diredtly opposed to the general interest, and those now proposed have the test of success to recommend them, a fair, candid, and impartial examination should certainly precede a judgment on their me rits or defedls. Our public debt is no\V within manageable bounds—now is the day of falvation —if we are wife, we shall be wife for ourfelves,but.if we re je<fi the counsels of wisdom, and ltill procrafti cate the funding of all our debts, upon the prin ciples of found policy, which are those ofjuftice, " future generations will rife up, and call us" citrfed. The idea of a discrimination among the cre ditors of the United States,involves so many per plexities, and inextricable difficulties, that its advocates address all their observations upon the fubjeft, to the passions of their readers—in this |they are wife : An attempt to form a system on <iny line of justice, to effedt the obje(£i, will in stantly convince any perfou in his senses, of its total impracticability.—A. loaned government iooo dollars specie in the year 1776, but to prevent its being known that he was a creditor he took out his certificate in the name of B ; A long since has paid the debt of nature —B nowpoflefles this certificate, after passing fifty different hands—B's name stands recorded in thebooks of the United States—who can fay he is not an ori final creditor, tho he purchased the evidence of ebt at three shillings on the pound ? The Aflembly of the State of Rhode-Island have voted to call a Convention for the purpose of a doptingtheConftitutionofthe United States.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers