[No. XCV.] THE TABLET " There is a certain frivolous falfhood that people indulge them selves in, which ought to be had in greater debellation thau it com monly meets with." IT is no small inconvenience for a man to be doubted as to the trath of any thing he as serts. Many people acquire an habit of speaking at random on indifferent matters, and without being aware of it, molt of the information they communicate is either falfe or incorrect. The consequence of this negligent mode of speaking is, that a pcrfon cannot be believed when he really Ipeaks the truth- People of a warm imagination are apt to exag gerate fa<fts t<7 such a degree, that whenever they make an aflertion, the hearer at once i'uppofes great allowance is to be made, as the represent ation is so far beyond the reality. There is an other fort of mert, whom onefhould believe with great reftridlions. I mean thole indolent per Tons, who never enquire into the circumstances of an affair, but take up and circulate every report that comes in their way. Whatever may be tliecaufe that leads a person aside from the truth, he will find a great incon venience, in having his word scrupled. Nothing will secure to a man the reputation of veracity but a most rigid attention to the prqpriety of what he communicates. It is true that a man may be difb"lieved in all he fays, andycr no per son will be so uncivil as to charge him with utter ing falflioods. There is a genteel way of eva ding any direift charge ia the matter. A man prone to an extravagant manner of converfatior gains little belief. His acquaintance modelHy fay of him, that they cannot ltric r ily rely on what he aflei ts, because he is accultomed to ex aggerate. He supposes such a charge conveys n j reproach, and he bears it with good humour. But it would be well for him to trace the effeifts of such a character. He soon forfeits the confi dence of his friends ; and his veracity, though, not explicitly called in queltion, can give no cur rency to his words. A careless man likewise. who is too indolent to inveltigate the truth of any matter, gets into an habit of miltaking things, and rendering suspicious whatever he alledges. Such a man, to be sure, is not called a liar, b«t still he never can be believed. When a person derives every disadvantage that could relult from being called a liar, it is of no great importance fini ply to avoid the character. Few men fufficiently eflimate the advantages of a reputation for truth and sincerity. It saves a person much trouble in his common intercourse with the world. For if any one has often been known to misrepresent a state of facts, whatever may have been his motive, he mud, in order to gain belief, produce something more valid than his own aflertions. On the contrary, a man who has never been discovered in misrepresentations, will find no difficulty in having his word receiv ed for truth. FOR THE GAZETTE OF THE UNITED STATES. LETTER. No. VI. MR. FENNO, AS the plan I am to unfold grounds itfelf, and depends entire ly on the gcnerofity of the nation for its execution; it in spires me -with the greatest confideuce that it will be crowncd with success : Abler heads than mine may propose better means for the gradual abolition of slavery, and the happinefsof the African free negroes, living now among us ; but no one can fix his plan on a .more solid dependence—l would propose : That Congress be requested to grant to every free negro man, 01 family, a trail of land in the diftri£l hereafter mentioned, propor tioned to what they can cultivate, but of no value in trade till oc cupied by him, his heirs, or those to whom it was granted. Thai when a certain number of applications has been made for obtain ingthat favor, that a strong Situation be chosen, such appears to be the Peninsula formed by Huron, lake Michigan, and lake Su perior, south St. Mary's strait and falls, on Pouchitanui river, weft of the said lands of the Peninsula, for a colonial town. That zi firft these free negroes be provided with the most neccffarv tool.-, and transplanted there at the expence of the Commonwealth ; that a governor,judges, white citizens, be appointed, and such othei measures as the wisdom of government shall dire£l be adopted to direfl the colony in its infant (late : That in future when any gen tleman manumits his (lave, he is to apply for the free grant of a land certificate, and pay the costs of necessary tools and transportation o government : That government may be requested to lay heavy fines on the importation of slaves, but that it may be lawful for the freemen to fell their slaves for misbehavior, under warrant of a Judge, in the Weft-India illands : That it may be lawful to have, wear, or in the next parish church, Sunday Schools, to teach the young Negro flavc, reading, religion, and moials. The benefits of such measures would be, that as reward, punish ment, and iuftru£lion, go hand in hand, the slave will become trus ty, lefstroublefome, and more profitable to his master ; the fear oi being sent to the Islands will mend his condu£l ; of free dom and wealth will excite him to deserve them ; the Augean lia ble will be cleaned without loss of property ; the general mass of slaves will become ripe for freedom ; their great number unnnc ceffary to agriculture ; arid as the resources of the nation appear to nie matchlefe'by any now on the globe, it may in future be coin ciding with the wisdom of our rulers to offer a gsnerous price for we slave thus become fit for freedom ?.vid colonization. C oft£e%fyoytfcb PUBLISHED WEDNESDAYS AND SATURDAYS BY JOHN fENNO, No. 9, MAIDEN-LANE, NEW-YORK No. XCV WEDNESDAY, MARCH, 10, 1790. ut as colonization has loft much of its credit, I will take a ig t urvcy of this matter. Where there is uncultivated land, co onization is prejudicial; it lelfens the progress of agriculture, and t e increale of population in the mother country : In modern urope, Portugal, Spain, and even England are the examples of this ; Holland is an exception, betaufe there is almost no land, ex cept in Guilderland, the reft of the Dutch inhabit chiefly marshes, diked and dammed ; trade is the field they have to cultivate this draws foreigners, who replenish what colonization exhausts. n ua it is advantageous to the Chinese, because almost every men ot land is cultivated,or ufefully employed, and its consequence, population, raised to such a pitch,that the fouthem borders of the ,ea are lined with barges, justly compared to permanent floating towns and villages, as the law forbids an individual born thereon o ileep on shore. Colonization is also beneficial there, because rhe colonies are trading ones, eftabhftied in the Asiatic iilands, nd on India's continental Ihore, and because the Chinese is so at iched to his native foil, that when industry has gained him a maintenance he returns home. To the United States, colonization will be a triumph ; it will >e performed within their own territory ; it will be a strong fron ier eftabliftiment, commanding three lakes, besides other advanta ges tor time to ripen, and the government bellowed on the African .ncn, will attach a permanent and inestimable jewel to the brillian cy of the national chara&er. Ana now Sir, I thank vou for the place you have given to my letters in your elegant, ufeful, and philosophical paper : Farewell, ; ou will hear no more from me, as in obtdience to the firft law 't nature relative to man, 1 take the plough in hand, to scratch my nother'j pate. RUSTICUS. CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES. At the Second Session, begun and held at the City of New-York, on Monday the Fourth of January, 1790. An ACT providing for the enumeration of the Inhabitants of the United States. BE it enacted by the Senate and House of Reprcfeotatives of the United States of America in Congress aflembled, That the Mji fhals of the several diftncU of the United States, (hall be, and :hcv are hereby authorized and requiredto caufc the number of the inhabitants viiihin their rffpcftive diftrifts to be taken ; omit *.ni(s ITI such enumeration Indians not taxed, and diftinguilhiiig free persons, includiog those bound to service for a term of years, from all others, didinguifhing also the sexes and colours of free ucrfons, and the fret males of (ixteen years and upwards from host under that age ; for effecting which purpose, the Marlhals (hall have power to appoint as many Afliftants within their ref peftivc diftri&s, as to them (hall appear neceflary ; afligning to ?ach Aflidant a certain division of his diftrift, which division (hall consist of one or more counties, cities, towns, towndjips, hundreds or parilhes, or of a territory plainly and diftiuQly bounded by water courses, mountains, or public roads. The Marshals and their Afliftants (hall refpeftively take an oath or affirmation, before fon>e judge or justice of the peace, resident within their refpeft.ve didrifts, previous to their entering on the discharge of the duties by this ast required. The oath or affirmation of the Marshal (hall be, " I, A. B. Marlhal of the didrift of do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will well, and truly cause to he made, a |u(l and perfect enumeration and description of all persons resident within my didrift, and return the fame to the Prelident of the United States, agreeably to the dtreftions of an ast of Congress, entitled, " An ast providing for the enumeration of the inhabit tants of the United States," according t the bed of my ability." The oath or affirmation of an Aflillant (hall be, " I, A. B. do so lemnly swear (or affirm) that I will make a just and perfect enu meration and description of all persons resident within the diviH on assigned to me, by the Marshal of the diftrift of and make due return thereof to the said Marlhal, agreeably to the di reftionsof an ast of Congress, entitled, " An ast providing for the enumeration of the inhabitants of the United States," accord ing to the bed of my ability. The enumeration (hall commence on the firll Monday in August next, and (hall close within nine calendar moi.rlit thereafter: the several Afliftants (hall, within ihe said nine months, transmit to the Marlhals by whom they (hall be refpeftively appointed, accurate returns of all persons, except Indians not taxed, within their refpeftive divisions, which re turns (hall be made in a fchcdule, didinguilhing the several fami lies by the names of their mailer, mistress, steward, overseer, or other principal person therein, in mauner following, that is to fay : The number of persons within my division, confiftingof appears in a schedule hereunto annexed, fubferibed by me, this day of onethoufand fevrn hundred and ninety A. B. Afliftant to the Marshal of Schedule of thr whole Number of Persons within the Di Names of heads of families. And be it further enacted, return, or making a falfe re (Hal, within the time by thi two hundred dollars. And be it further enacted, that the Marshals (hall file the seve ral returns aforefaid, with the clerks ot their refpcftive diftrift courts, who are hereby directed to receive and carefully prefcrve the fame : And the Marihals refpeftively (hall, on or before the fir 11 dav of September, one thousand seven hundred and ninety one, transmit to the President of the United States, the aggregate 1 mount of each description of persons within their refpeftive dif trifts. And every Mai (hal failing to file the returns of his Aflift ant, or any of them, with the clerks of their refpeftive diftrift courts, or failing to return the aggregate amount of each descrip tion of persons in their refpeftive diftrifts, as the fame (hall ap pear from said returns,to the President of the United States.with in the time limited by this ast, (hall, for every such offence, forfeit »the sum of eight hundred dollars; all which forfeitures lhall be recoverable in the courts of the dillrift*. where theofferices (hall be committed, ©r in the circuit courts to be held within the ivifion allotted <« A. B. s'^ -« ? " * S • i a-g.3 > O 5- n> *T3 & 3 x Z 7 2 3 f e. s ft) ST «• e 9 Cu n i_ xS 2 5-x S.S "i 7 u 2 3 3 2. sr. ST (■» M S* " 5' 0 c 1 2, c §• «-o 3 2J j», — cu JT TS'i* " •j> o ST. n <■» « S* " 5' 0 c 1 s'ffv D- * c rt a. 2 1 S3 ery Assistant failing to make if enumeration to the Mar ited, {ball forfeit the sum of , Thate :turn of tl is ast limi £>uus. amc, by a&ion of debt, information or Lndi&ment; the one half t ereot to the use of the United States, and the other half to the ! n . ori ? cr » where the prosecution shall be firft inftitutrd on behalf of the United States, the whole (hall accrue to their ufi. And for the more effectual discovery ofotfenccs, the judges of the leveral Dtflrift Courts, at their next feflions, to be Iteld after the expiration of the time allowed for making the returns of the cnurneration hereby directed, to the President of the Unit* d States, all give this a£l in charge to the Graod Juries, in their rclpec tive courts, and shall cause the returns of the several Afiiftanu 10 be laid before them, for their in(pe&ion. And be it further ena&ed, That every Afliftant (hall receive at the rate of one dollar for every one hundred and fifty persons by him returned, where such persons reside in the country ; and where such persons reside in a city, or town, containing more ti.an five thouland persons, such Afliftant shall receive at the rate of one dollar, for every three hundred persons; but where, from the difpeifed situation of the inhabitants in some divisions, one dollar for every one hundred and fifty persons Ihall be inefficient, the Marshals, with the approbation of the Judges of their refpe&ive diftri&s, may make iuch further allowance to the Afliftants in such diviftons, as shall be deemed an adequate compensation, pro vided the fame does not exceed one dollar for every fifty persons by them returned. The several marshals shall receive as follows i the Marshal of the diftri£t of Maine, two hundred dollars ; the maifhal of the diftrift of New-Hampshire, two hundred dollars ; the marshal of the diftnft of Massachusetts, three hundred dol lars ; the marshal of the diflrift ot Connecticut, two hundred dol lars ; the marshal of the diflrift of New-York, three hundred dollars ; the marshal of the diflnft of New-Jersey, two hundred dollars ; the marshal of the diflrift of Pennsylvania, three hun dred dollars; the marshal of the diiUitt of Delaware, one Hun-, dred dollars ; the marshal of the djflrift of Maryland, three hun dred dollars; the marshal of the diftrift of Virginia, five hun dred dollars; thr marshal of the diftrift of Kentucky, two hun dred and fifty dollars ; the marshal of the diftrift ot North-Ca rolina, three hundred and fifty dollars; the marshal of the di f tri& of South-Carolina, three hundred dollars ; the marshal of tie diftrift of Georgia, two hundred and fifty dollars. And to ob viate all doubts which may arise refpetting the persons to be re turned and the manner of making rciurns. Be it ena&ed, that every person whose usual place of abode fha I be in any family on the aforefaid lfl Monday inAuguftnext, shall be returned as of such family ; and the name of every perfon,who shall be an inhabitant of any diflri£fc, but without a fettled olace of residence, shall be inserted in the column of the aforefaid sche dule, which is allotted for the heads of families, in that division where he or she shall be on the said lfl Monday in Augufl next-r ---and every person occasionally ablent at the time of the enumera tion, as belonging to that place in which he usually resides in the United States. And be it furtherenafted, Thatcachand every person more than (ixteen years ot age, whether heads of families or not, belonging to any family'within any division of a diftrift made or etlabliihrd within the United States, (hall be, and hereby is obliged to render to such Aflidant of the division, a true account if required, to the bell of his or her knowledge, of all and every person belonging to such family refpeftively, according to the several delcriptions aforefaid, on pain of forfeiting twentv dollars, to be iurd fc/r.and recovered by such Affidant, the one half for his own use, and the other half for the use of the United States. And be it further ena&ed, That eachJAfliflant (hall, previous to making his return to the Marshal, cause a correct copy, signed by himfelf, of the schedule, containing the number of inhabitants within his division, to be set up at two of the moil publ : c placcs within the fame, there to remain for the infpe£tio n of all concern ed ; tor each of which copies the said Afliftant (hall be entitled to reccive two dollars, provided proof of a copy of the schedule having been so let up and fuffered to remain, Ihjll be transmitted to the Marshal, with the return of the number of persons ; and in cafe any Afliftant shall fail to make such proof to the Marshal, he lhall forfeit the compensation by this a£l allowed him. FREDERICK AUGUSTUS MUHLENBERG, Speaker of the House of Reprefentativcs. JOHN ADAMS, Vice-PreJident of the United States. ' and Prejidcnt of the Senate. Approved, March the id, 1790. GEORGE WASHINGTON. Prelident of the United States. ONE of the fineft instances of the sublime we ever heard of, is not as we imagine, any where recorded : George the Se cond was at Drury-lane Theatre, when the Culloden dispatches were prelented to him, from the Dukeof Cumberland, his darling lon. All was anxiety and apprehension. The inllant his Majesty had opened them, he started up while the tears streamed from his eyes, and in some glorious ejaculation, thankea his God and announced the vittory. Garrick in a moment caught the trans porting found. The Orchestra, by his orders, struck up " Goi> save great George our King !" and the whole audience in a wild enthusiasm, joined the chorus. Oft r» tm AN old soldier, one Jean Chevauch: otherwifc Dupont, aged near 100 years, has enrolled himfelf in the second com pany of the Burgeois militia at Bonetable, and has mounted guard several times since, in a manner which proves he has not forgot the trade he had left near 70 years. He served at the defence of Lisle, in 1708, and was at the battle of Malplaquet, in 1709. He has been married twice, had 27 children, and appears to be yet very distant from terminating his earthly career. A JT AJ OR Pigget, who is not only one of the liveliest wits, but i-VX one of the pleafanteft Punsters in Ireland, —being on avi fit to the late Duke of Leinfter, at Carton, paid a morning's atten dence to Mr. Conolly, at Caftletown, who was then very deep on the turf, and the morning was principally spent in examining and admiring the stud of his ("porting host. On his leturnto Carton, the Duke, after pleasantly interrogat ing the Major on his morning's amufement,propofed (hewing him his stud, which confided of about 50 monstrous bullocks, (lall feeding for market. 14 Well Major," fays the Duke, " which do you like better my stud or my friend Conolly's?" " Your Grace's" replied the Major " and I am Cure they will all come in for Jlcaks and plates before any of his." And pofleflion given the Ift of April, for one or more years, (two miles and half from this city, on the Greenwich road,) HPHAT New TWO STORY HOUSE—four Rooms on a floor ; with fix fire places; a new Barn, and Well of excellent Water ; a young Orchard of Fruit Trees, with acres of Land, thetr.oft part Meadow. For particulars enquire at No. 7, Maiden-Lane. New-York, February 20. PRICfc fHREE DOLLARS PR. ANN ANECDOTE OF GEORGE 11. BON MOT. To be LET,
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