MEMORIAL of the Hon. ROBERT MORRIS, to the Legislature of the United States.. SIR, J TAKE the liberty to trouble you with the enclosed memorial, and must pray you to lay it before the House of Representatives. The requtil which is therein made, will be found lo consonant with justice, that I cannot doubt of its being granted. Permit me through you, Sir, to make another, which is, that the said memo rial may be entered at large on the Journals of the House. I have the honor to be, with great refpeft and esteem, Sir, your obedient humble servant, ROBERT MORRIS. New-York, Feb. 8, 1790. To the Honorable the Speaker of the House of Representatives of the United States. To The President, the Senate, and Houss of Represen tat 1 v es, of the United States of America. The MEMORIAL of ROBERT MORRIS, late fuperintendant oj the Finances of the said United States HUMBLY SHEWETH, THAT on the twentieth day of June, onethoufand (even hun dred and eighty five, and subsequent to your memorialist's resig nation of his office of fuperintendant, the Congress paired a relo lution in the words following : " Rcfolved, That three commifli oners be appointed to enquire into the receipts and expenditures of public monies, during the administration of the late Superinten dant of Finance, and to examine and adjust the accounts of the United States with that department, during his administration, and to report a state thereof to Congress which resolution, to persons unacquainted with the nature of the office, and the mode of conduttins the business of the department, gave occasion to the supposition, that your memorialist had accounts both difficult and important to fettle with the United States, in refpeft to his official tranfa&ions. That though your memorialist forefaw the difagrce able consequences which might result to himfelf from the diftu fion o such an opinion, he not withstanding, not only forbore anv representation on the lubjett, but scrupulously avoided every spe cies of interference dirett or indiVett, left it should be imagined, either thnt he was attuated by the desire of. obtaining from Con gress those marks of approbation, which had in repeated instances been bestowed on the servants oi the public, or that he feared to meet the proposed investigation. Refpe&for the sovereign of the United States, concurring with motives of delicacy, to forbid even the appearance of asking, what if merited, it was to be presumed would beconfered, (as being the proper reward of services, not of folicitation)and a firm confidence in the re&itudc of his condutt, leaving your inemorialift no inducement to evade any enquiry in to it, which it might be thought fit to institute That your memorialist taking it for granted, that the reasons which had produced a determination to establish a mode of en quiry into the tranfa£lions of the most important office under the government would have ensured a profecutou of the object till it had been carried into effect, long remained in silent expe&ation of the appointment of commiflioners, according to the resolution which had been entered into for that purpose. But it has so hap pened, from what cause ) our memorialist will not undertake to explain,that no further steps have ever been taken in relation to it : And your memorialist has remained exposed to the surmises, which the appearance of an intention to enquire into his conduct had a tendency to excise, without having been afforded an oppor tunity of obviating them. That the unsettled condition of certain accounts of a commerical nature between the Unitel States, and the late house of Willing, Morris and company, and your me morialist prior tohis appointment as Superintendant of the finan ces, having been confounded with his tranfattions in thru capaci ty, your memorialist has in various ways been fubje&ed to injurious imputations on his official conduct, the only fruits of Cervices, which at the time they were rendered, he trusts* he may without incuring the charge of picfumption, affirm, were general ly eftcemrd both important and meritorious* and wereatleaft ren dered with ardor and zeal, with unremitted attention, and unwea ried application. That your mcmorialift defirousof rescuing his reputation from the afpcrfions thrown upon it, came in the month of O&ober, 1788, to the city of New-York, as well for ihe purpose of urgirlg the appointment of commiflioners to infpeft his official transac tions, as for that of procuring an adjustment of the accounts which existed previous to his administration. But the firft objrft was fruftrated by the want of a fuflficient number of members to make a Congress, and the last was unavoidably delayed by the pre liminary Hivefligations requisite on the part of the commiflioner named by the late h«ard of treasury, towards a conjpet-ent know ledge of the business. That in the month ot February, 1789, your mcmorialift returned to New-York, for the fame purposes, but the obstacles which he had before experienced, still operated to put it out of his power to prcfent the memorial whichhad been prepared by him in October, praying for an appointment of com miflioners. That he was therefore obliged to confine himfelf to measures for the fcttlement of his accounts refpe&ingthe transac tions antecedent to his appointment as Superintendant, which he entered upon accoidingly with the commiirioner appointed by the board of treasury : and in which, as much progress as time and eircumftances would permit was made until the fourth of March last, when that commiflioner, conceiving his authority, by the or ganization of the new government to have ceafcd, declined fur ther proceedings, and of course, your memorialist was obliged to wait the establishment of the new treasury department for the fur ther prosecution of that fealerrient, which has been accordingly refumcd, tind he hopes will speedily be accomplished. But in as much, as no mode of enquiry into his official conduct has hitherto been put into operation, and as doubts of its propriety have been raised by'nn a£t of the government, your memorialist conceives himfelf to have a claim upon the public justice, for some method of vindicating himfelf which will be unequivocal and definitive. Wherefore, and encouraged by a consciousness of the integrity of his administration, youi memorialist is desirous that a ftrift ex amination should be had into his condu£l while in office, in order that if he has been guiltv of mal-adminiftration, it may be dc tc&ed and puniftied ; if otherwise, that his innocence may be man ifefted and acknowledged. Unwilling from this motive, that longer delav (hould attend the object of the resolution which has been recited, your memorialist humbly prays that an appoint ment of cornm iflioners may take place, to carry the said refofution intoeffett. And your memorialist as in duty bound, will pray, ROBERT MORRIS. New-York, Feb. 8 1790. CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES, At the second Seflion, begun and held at the City of New-York, on Monday the fourth day of January, one thousand seven hun dred and ninety. An ACT for giving effect to the fcvcral a£ls therein mentioned, in refpeft to the State of North-Carolina, and other purposes.' BE it enaffed by the Senate and Htm ft of Representatives of the Uni ted States of America, in Congrefi alfemblcd, that the Jeveral and refpeflive duties fpecifed and laid, in and by the aB, entitled, « An ast for las ing a duty on goods, waies amd merchandizes imported into the United Statesand in and by the a/1, entitled, " An all impojing duties on tonnage," [halt be paid and collefled upon all goods, ivares and mer chandizes,which after the erpirationof. thirty days from t't paging of this all, Pall be imported it, to. the of North Carolina, from any foreign port or place, and upon the tonnage of allfkips and vejfeh, which, afur the fa d di\, flail he entered within thef.iidflaUpf North Carolina, fub ecl to tin exceptions, qualijicaticits ', allowances, and abatements in the fuid atls contained or exprejfed; which aSs jka.ll be deemed to nave the like force an/i operation within the said Jlate of North Carolina, as else where within the United States, _ And be it further cnailtd, That for the due collection ofthe J. nd duties there Jhall be in thefridfiate if Aorth Carolina, jive dijtruts—one to be galled the diJlriQ of Wilmington, andto comprehend all the waters,Jhores, "bays, harborc, creeks and inlets, from Little River inlet, inchjive, to New River inlet mclufive. Another to be called the dijlriS of Newbern, and to comprehend ail the waters fhorcs, bays, harbors, creeks and inlets,from New River inlet, exclufwe, toOccacock inlet, mclufive, together with Pam ticoe Sbund (except that part of it into which the Pamtuoe or Tarr and Machapunga Rivers empty thenijclves, and which lies between the Royal Shea! extended to Machapunga blujf, and the shoal which projeffs jrom the mouth of Pamticoe river towards the Royal Shoal.) Another to be called the dt/iriß of Washington, and to comprehend .ill that part oj Pamticoe Sound excepted, out of the dijlrid of Newbern, and the waters, shores, bays, harbors, creeks and inlets adjacent to, and communicating with the fame. Another to be called the dijlritl oj Edenton, and to comprehend all the waters, bays, harbors, creeks ai d inlets, from the channel between Pamticoe Sound and Albemarle Sound incltfive. The other to be called the dijlriß of Cambden, and to comprehend North River, Pafquotank, ipd Little River, and all the waters, shores, bays, harbors, creeks and inlets, from the junction of Currituck and Albemarle Sounds,to the north ern extremity of Back Bay. That in the diflriß of Wilmington, the town of Wilmington /hall be a port oj entry and delivery, and Swanjbo rourh a port of delivery only; and there shall be a collector, naval officer anafurveyor,to reside at the fiidtown of Wilmington, and a surveyor to reside at Swar.fborovgb. That in the diflricl of Newbern, the town of Newbern shall be a port of entry and delivery, and the town of Beaufort a port of delivers' only ; and therefhall be a collector to reside at Newbern, and afurveyor to reside at Beaufort. That in the diflricl of Washington the town of Washington shall be the sole port of entry and delivery, and there shall beacolleßor to reside at thefame. That in the diflriß of Eden ton, the town of Edenton shall be a port of entry and delivery, and Hert ford, Murphcfborough, Plymouth, Windsor, Skewarkey, Wintonand Ben net's (reek, ports of delivery ; and there shall be a collector at the town of Edenton, and a surveyor at Hertford, another Surveyor at Murpheyf borouoh, one surveyor at each of the ports of Plymouth, Windsor, Skewar key, Winton, and Bennet's Creek. That all ships or vessels intending to proceed to Hertford, Plymouth, Windsor, Skewarkey, Winton, Bennet's Creek, or Murphey/borough, fhallfirfl come to, and enter at the port of Edenton. That in the dijlriß of Cambden, Plankbridve on Sawyer's Creek, shall be the port of entry and delivery, and Nixonton, Indiantown, Newbiggin Creek, Currituck inlet, and Pafquotank River-Bridge, ports oj delivery ; and there shall be a collector at Plankbridge, on Sawyer's Creek, and a surveyor at each of the ports of Nixonton, Indiantown, Cur rituck inlet, Pafquotank River-Bridge, ana Newbiggin creek. And that the authority of the ojficcrs of each dijlriß shall extend over all the wa ters, shores, bays, harbors, creeks and inlets comprehended within such diflriß. And be it further enacted, That the ports of Wilmington, ATew bern, Washington, and Eden ton, fiall be the sole ports of entry within the said State of North-Carolina, for ships or vejfels not regijiered or licenced within the United States, according to law, and for all /hips or vejfels whatsoever, which shall arrive from the Cape of Good Hope, or any place beyond the fame. And be it further enabled, That all the regulations, provisions, ex ceptions, allowances, compensations, directions, authorities, penalties,for feitures, and other matters whatsoever, contained or exprejjed in the act, entitled, " An ad to regulate the collection of the duties rnpofed by law on the tonnage of ships or vejfels, and on goods wares, and merchan dizes, importedintothe UniteaStates," and not locally inapplicable, shall have the like force and effect within, the said St Ate of North-iarohna, for the collection of the said duties, as elsewhere within the United States, and at if the fame were repeated, and re-enacted in this present act. Provided always, and be it declared, That the thirty-ninth section of the f*idact, and the third section of an act, entitled, " An act to suspend part of an act, entitled, " An act to regulate tfie collection of the duties impojed by law on the tonnage of ships or veJJcls, and on goods, wares and merchandizes imported into the United States, and for other pur pofi," did, by virtue of (he adoption of the conflitution of the United States, by the said State of North-Carolina, ceafc to operate in lefpect to the fame. And be it further enacted and declared, That the act, entitled, "An act for regijlering and clearing vejfels, regulating the coajling trade, and for other purposes, ,} shall, afttr the'expiration of thirty days fiom the pafjing of this act, hate the like force and operation within the said State of North-Carolina, at elsewhere zvithin the United States, and as if thefeveral clauses thereof were repeated, and re-enacted in this present act. J And he it further enacted, That the second section of the act, entitled, " An act to ftfpevd part of an act, entitled an act to regulate the col lection of duties imj'ofcd by law, on the tonnage ofJhips or vejfe/s, and on goods, wares, and merchandizes, imported into the United States, and for other purposes," pafed the sixteenth day of September lafl, shall, with respect to the inhabitants and citizens of the flute of Rhode-ljland and Providence plantations, be revived, and. afo, that the fourth section of thefaid act shall be revived, and both continue in force until the frfl day of April next, and vo longer. FREDERICK AUGUSTUS MUHLENBERG, Speaker of the House of Representatives JOHN ADAMS, Vice-President of the United States and Prefidcnt of the Senate Approved, February the Bth, 1700 GEORGE WASHINGTON, Prefidcnt of the United States CONGRESS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. WEDNESDAY, FEB. 10. ON motion,the memorial of Robert Morris was read the second time. The request which accompanied the memorial that it may be entered at large on the Journals of the House being alforead Mr. Scot moved that it should be entered ac cordingly, whioh pafled in the affirmative. It was then voted that this memorial should be referred to a fele<fl'committee, and Mr. Madison M. Sedgwick and Mr. Sherman were appointed'. In committee of the whole on the report of the Secretary of the Treasury— Mr. Scot's amend ment under consideration. Mr. Scot observed that the object contained in the above amendment is of so important a nature that two or three days more spent upon it will be time well employed.— It involves the whole doi r trineof discrimination and liquidation— those great points once established, the way will be o pened to proceed in the discussion of the princi ple of the report.-—That reper:, provided the principles of it are jufl and equitable, is a mas terly performance, and does great honor to the framer of it.—lt has been fan! that the domestic debt of the United States must be considered in the light of a fair and jull contract which cannot be violated.—l never considered it in this view- Let us revert back to the time when the public lecuiiiies, so called, were received by those, who 350 had through blood and llaugliter eftablilhed the liberties of the country.—Did they consider them as a contract to be made good agreeable to the terms exprefl'ed in the bills they received ? No Sir—they did not—how did they eftiniate their value? Why, Sir, taking into confederation the circumstances of their country at the moment they had compleated and eftablilhed its independ ence—in addition to all their other laci ifices they added this, they were contented to receive 2/6 in lieu of lof. He then -enlarged on jhe injus tice that would accrue from funding the whole debt agreeable to the face of the fee unties—and of taxing those who had made lb great and noble a facrifice, to make good the securities to their present pofleflors—and observed that Uriel, yn partial justice required that the securities fhoultl be reduced to their real value, and a tion of the whole made before funds are prcvi. ded to pay the interel};. —When this confollda tion iseffe<Sed, the interest ought to be pun&u. ally paid at fix per cent.—From some valuations which he had made, it appeared that some millions of the debt were unliquidated. He controvert ed the dodrine that the present poileftor of pnb lie securities Hood in the place of the original holder. With refpedl to those characters of whom lie spoken so highly, it had been said thai many of them held sentiments different from those he was now advocating—to which he obferved,thatfome who were once soldiers, had loft all title to the honorable appellation by commencing lpecula tors.—Thefe, like a woman in marriage, having changed their name, by wedding speculation, no longer speak the language of soldiers but of /pe culators. Mr. Hartley said he was opposed to the amend ment, not only on account of the mode of ex prellion used in it—but also on account of the very reasons urged by the gentleman in support of it.— lam one of those said he, to whom the gentleman alludes, having been in the army ; though 1 never speculated in public securities— but beg leave to differ from him with refpedt to a difcriinination, or postponing the present bu siness.—He then referred to the resolution of the last session when they resolved that provision ought to be made to support the public credit the idea of a discrimination I believe never en tered into the contemplation of any person lie represented the injustice, difficulty, and expence of the measure of a re-liquidation—the principle on which the public securities were originally iflued and received, he infilled were totally dif ferent from the idea held up by the gentleman, andtheaflertion that they were received by the soldier on the idea of their being worth only 2/6 in the pound has 110 foundation whatever— he shewed the capacity of the country to pay its debts ; being in pofleflion of great resources which have not been glanced at by the Secretary, in his report —this circumstance of our ability, greatly enhances the obligation to dojuftice.— He defended the principle of a funding system —as wife and politic in itfelf, and being faniftion ed by the experience of the molt flourifhing countries in the world—Great-Britain, by virtue of her funds, and paper credit, has extended her commerce and manufactures—and raised her cha* racSler to the most refpeftable rank, in the scale of nations—He then instanced in the history 'of Frederick the 2d King of Prussia to shew the ef fects of a contrary fyftein—that monarch accum ulated in his coffers specie to the amount of joo millions crowns—while his whole people were poor and wretched—he added a few. other ob servations—and concluded by faying, that' tbo he wasforry to differ from his colleague for whose judgment he had a high efteein, yet he muftvote against the amendment Mr. Sedgwick entered into a general considera tion of the subject of providing for the eftablilh nient of public credit—he laid he believed that government had a right to interfere in certain ca ses with contracts public and private, and inflan ced the condudt of Congress on former occasions with re(pe<si to paper money, and the confoliila tion of demands against the public—the great point to be fettled in the present business is our capacity to fulfil the exilting engagements of the country to its creditors—He should be in favor °f fulfilling those engagements as far as our a bilities extended—on this question there may be various opinions—he should think himfelf bound to acquiesce in the decision that shall be made after a due invelligation of our refonrces ; but was clearly of opinion that any further procras tination of the business would encreafe the dif ficulty of a final determination—the pernicious confequencesof speculation will be encreafed— for tho that business is neceflarjly connerted with a transferable debt—and derives its value from it in a great degree, and the public credit is thereby promoted ; yet when persons are seduced from the more ufeful occupations of life, and commence gamblers in the public funds, he thought the policy of any system that would promote iuch ("peculation ought to be reprobated he concluded by faying that very dangerous consequences to the government were to be ap prehended from delays in funding the public debt.
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