3>ire& your attention aita to the fconduft of the nationalofocers and let not any corruptions,frauds, extoniops, or criminal neg ligencies, with which you may find any of them justly chargeable, pass unnoticed. In a word, Gentlemen, Your province and your duty extend (as has been before observed) to the enquiry and pre sentment ot all offences of eveTy kind committed againftthe ni j" cd States in thisdiftri&, or on the high seas by pcrfons in it. in the performance bf your duty, you Ihould meet with difficulties, the court will be ready to'afford you proper afliftance. It cannot be too ftronglv imprefled on the minds of us all, how greatly our individual prosperity depends on our national proipo lity ; and how greatly our national orofperity depends on a well organized, vigorous government, ruling by wife and equal laws, faithfully executed, nor is such a government unfriendly to liber ty to that liberty which is really inestimable. On the contrary, nothing but a strong government of laws,irrtlillably bearing down arbitrary power andlicentioufnefs, can defend it agaiuft those two formidable enemies. Let it be remembered, thaf civ liberty con sists, not in a right to every man to do just what he pleases—but it consists in an equalright to all the citizens to have, enjoy, and to do in peace, security, and without moleftaiion, whatever the equal and constitutional law* of the country admit, to be confident with'the public good. It is the duty and the interest, therefore, | of all good citizens, in their several stations to support the laws and government, which thus prote£l their rights and liberties. I am persuaded, Gentlemen, that you will chearfully and faithfully perform the tafknow afligned you: and I forbear, by additional retparfcs, to detain you longer from it. rTo the foregoing Charge, the following REPLY uvs made by the Grand-Jury,for the Majfuhujctts DijfriH.] IT PLEASE YOUR HONOURS, THE Very excellent charge givrn lothe Grand-Jury of this d'«- trift, by his Honor the chief Judge ot the Federal court, demands our thanks', and particular attention : And that it may be more in fluential, and iraprefs the minds of our It'll;) -v citizens at large, w beg leave to ask a copy of it for the pre!. Your Honou s may be assured, wr*fh i> <everal depart- Tnents, when dismissed, exert our in&u* x promote peacc, good order, and a ftrift regard to the la\A s of toe I niti d Stairs, agreeably to the constitution so lately adopted • and we trust thr judicial department will ever be filled, as ii now is with genuemei. of the firll characters for learning, integrity aud a' .y. We wiih your Honours the divine presence in jII your circuits, and that you may be guarded by a got>d providence. BENJAMIN AUSTIN, Foreman. May 4, 1790. f{3~ The Supreme Court of the United States for the Eaflcrn Circuit, u'JJ held in the DiJlricl of New-York, on the \th—oJ Conne licut on the tiidays of April— 0/ M.ijjachujetts on the 4M, and 0/ Nesu Hamfjhut en the 20//1 dap 0/ May laji. THE TABLET. No. CXXIII. '< The belt institutions may appear imperfect, -while the people are so, among whom they are established." , (Continuation and conclujion of the arguments infupport of the petition, that the universal dijfujion of literature nujt precede and-prepare the way Jor the universal prevalence of religion.) THERE may b« *n objeflion brought agaioft tfie princi ples of thii difcuflion. It may be suggested, and lam -willing to concede to the truth of it, tbatin nauoni arrived to the greatest degree of refinrn»ent in learning, every fpeciti of vict and immorality his been carried to the grnteft degree of exceft. To obviate this objrQion it must be confidcred, that these vices proceed from eauici lotaUy alien from litenry improvements. The corruption of learning,«f manner sand religion, are a neceflary stage in the progress of nations, and inseparable from humanity. Xiterary improvements flourifh moll in the period immediately subsequent to the civilization of a kingdom, and their declension always precedesitsdeftruQioor These stages are elTential to every thing capable of progreflion. In the vegetable world we fee plants spring from the earth, grow to muturity, and decay. Our bodiesexhibit the tendernefa of infancy, the vigor of manhood then the feeblenefs and deformity of age. Our intelleaual facul ties pass through stages precisely corresponding to those of the bo dy ; and we may as well impute the decays of old age to the en largement of our intellectual jwweis, as to ascribe national decays of religion to improvements in literature. These stages are in a peculiar manner incident to nations. And as the growth of the body must, in some measure, precede the improvement of the mind ; so the introduftionof literature into a nation must, in fame measure, precede the reception of religion. Then both flourifh in their purity and are corrupted together. Literature, like the body, ceafesto exist; religion like the intelleaual faculties is ex tended to immortality. The obie&ion therefore amounts to no more than this : that it is impofiible to give a perse& religion to imperfect cteatures; that is, one fjiflicient, without miraculous in terposition, to restrain their vicious Inclinations j or to express it in other words,that it isimpoflible to give perfe&ion to the mor al character of a race of beings, who are imperfect in all other ref pefls. . When therefore we reflcft that religion is cultivated most in a {late of mediDcritv, equally removed from opulence and indi gence, every rational mind must be convinced not only of the fu tility of the objection just mentioned, but that religion, as well as civil liberty, flourifhes best in a land of knowledge. This enumeration of historical fafls, and the Ibfervations we have made, may be comprised in the following concise deduflions, —That mankind in the savage state are incapable of entertaining any just notions of an infinite invisible Deity, or of understanding the fundamental principles of ciiriftianity; ihatof couife it is na turally impofljble they ftfoold believe r «uklllefs pra£ttfe its pre <epts ; that this difpenfatien was firft publirtiei and propagated' among the most learned nations on earth, the Greeks and Romans; thai wherever it has been preached among faipges, it has been immediately buried in ignorance, or blended with idolatry ; that wherever it has been established, it has been preceded by the in troduction of literature or fuppotted and promoted by progres sive civilization ; that at present it exists only in nations whrrfc learning is more or lefsencouraged ; that a corruption of liteiature, of mannersand of religion are elTcptial to humanity and infepara bie companions. From these principles, which wefind establish ed by the invariable experience of the whole human race, we con clude with all poflible certainty, that so glorious an event as the vniverjal prevalence of religion mvjl be preceded by the universal diffu literature. fion oj CONGRESS. HOUSE OF REPRESEN TA I IVES, MONDAY, MAY 17 JN the bill for extending the Judiciary laws to the state of N. Carolina, a clause was infertcd by which the Diftritt Couit of lite State of N. Hampfhiie was to have been held only at Ports- Vnouth, instead of Portsmouth and Exeter alternately as in the ast patted last session. was amended in the House by in f< rting Exeter" : The Senate difagrced to this amendment— 2 conference was held, and the joint committee proposed that the lio-Je lhbnld rccede from their disagreement. This was moved :(i House accordingly—and the motion fupponed by Mr. Li • {more, ;mi opposed by-Mr, Oilman and Mr. Foftcr. Mr. Oilman called for the reading read! committee on the M™™ al no doubt the fact, stated Mr.Ltvermoreobferved thathehaon, hurtdrfd in this report were true, and that IMBthat the ship tons had been at K«*r;but I. nvcr llght was Only built there . that ll.e i.awled by ropes over mud without mails, or kad.ogof any f.ncc, | , n d flats dowu to Portsmouth, ncvcr w3sor ci „ boa w d will never go there »f£n. Th*&£ mhcr laccs th e S»" 3 .»«"•»''" ,J " The Maritime Court was always held there it ! P the bell place for the Di drift Court, and I hope fa.d Mr. liver more it will never be held any where elte. . , . Mr. Oilman replied to Mr. Livermore : Hrobfcrved that there was a majority of the representation rom . cv.- » vor of adhering to the original arrangement. Helbougl tome .raid (hould be paid to their opinion—that a jn j ;or ty ■ h nature of that siate, it was to be perfumed, werealio .n favor ol it. He further obfcrved that he had no doubt hi. Hon. WlMgue was inftrufted to fay, what he did ; but he beg d kavto oblerve, that the gentleman's information was falfc re water in the navigation to E.vtcr so (ai 10 . r jat mud creek, there was from Bto ,oeet water at h.gh .nd a Ipring tides feet ; and it „ fact that veflcl. from 5 o tom tom partly load there, and bring their cargocsto tliat place Ihe dil puteisa meer scramble between two towns, and if Col.gr hould agree to the alteration «Vr alterations wi.l be found ne jelTary, when theExcife law fii.H be paffed-for m .he aeirtbor oodofF.xeter more than three-fi-mth. of the will b- co efted-and there are noplaces bef.de, in thev.c.n.ty, which can accommodate Courts,but Exeter He w.lhed therefore that the House would adhere to the original arrangement. Mr. Thatcher hoped the House would not agree to the report ol > ioint committer, but would intift on then amendment It f emed to*be a party matter between the towns ot Portsmouth and Exeter, and the former only has bren heard before tins house. So ne gentlemen from Portsmouth have com. forward and prayed Congress to grant them a particular privilege, to the injury ot Ex- ter The feting of Courts in a place is efleemed bv the inhab itants thereof, a confiderablc privilege ; but Exeter has not yet been heard—He therefore hoped this House would not agret to remove the Courts from Exeter to Portsmouth, till time enough has elapsed for the gentlemen in Exeter to come forward arid itate their reasons why the Courts should be continued as they now are. And this undoubtedly would be done by next session of Congress. N.» iniuftice can accrue to Port (mouth til I that time. There will not be more than one or two sessions of the Court before C ngrefs meets again. He could nociielp observing, that the Senate, in this cj'.c, had not aaed with their ufua) {lability, but seem to have at- I tempted to change the place of holding the Courts in Hampfhue without due consideration. They have attended to the pi aver ot the gentlemen from PoTtlmouth, and have not given the gentlemen of Exeter an opportunity of lhewing why that prayer ought not to he granted It is a fact that Portsmouth and Exeter are, in some refpefts, rivals—and this House ought not to favor one to the injury of the other. Portsmouth has many natural advantages for carrv ing on frade and commerce, while Exeter labors under every in c ivenu nce, and therefore Congress will do well to extend to her everything that may promote and cncouia je her trade. ihe gen tleman firlt up from N. Hampftme, ( Mr. l.iveimoi cf) 'ays, that he has been informed there is not more than 3 or 4 lect of water t> Exeter; but another gentleman, from tint State, ''Mr. Gil mau,) who has lived many years in Exeter, and been engaged in Commerce there, declares the 1 c is a depth ot water ol 8 or 10 feet leading to that town. It is to b pre fumed the latter <*-ntlcin>n is best acquainted with this fact, I therefore lh.ill take it tor grant ed the depth of water greater than has been repref u:<d by those who advocate rem >val ot the Court. It has been said the nitUiooevs are refpe£table fherchants in Portsmouth—He doubted not but maoy ot them were very refpcc table merchants—but hexiad rc.it >n to believe tome of them were not in the mercantile lino—lt '.s laid the mat itime courts were ne ver he'd Exeter ; but during the war were established, by the Le gifl.iture of that ftatc, at Portsmouth—the reason was because the maritime courts were then erected folcly for the purpose of trying captures—and at that time there was but little, or no commerce carricd on at Exeter, which if he had been rightly informed, is not the cafe now. It the law tor ettablifhing the courts be infpc&ed, it will apocar, that in several in(lances,thev are appoint ed to be held at phces where they were never held betore ; he be lieved that was thf cafe in th<- diftrift of Maine—the courtis now held twice a year for that didrift, at Wifcafiett, which begins to be a flourifhing place, though but a few years ago there might be no commerce there. This he took to be the cafe with Exeter. It has been said the Gentlemen at Portsmouth are willing the circuit court (hould be held alternately at Portsmouth and Exettr, and he conceived there was the fame reason why the diftri& couit (hould be held at Exeter also. He thought this reason would be much stronger when the excise laws were contemplated as a source ot judicial buGnefs. He sard he had one observation to make on the method the Se nate had taken to effe£l the removal of the court'from Exeter. A clause is tucked in at the very close of a bill for eflablifhing the judicial courts in the state of North Carolina—lt is of great impor tance to have the courts eftablifhcd, as soon as pofTiblr, in thit State, and withou doubt the Senate presumed the House, under this impreflion, would consent to the clause refpefting Exeter, ra ther than retard the pafling of the more essential parts of the law. But he hoped the House would perfitl in their original amendment, and if at the net feflion it thould appear necellary to remove the court from Exeter to Portsmouth, it will then be time enough to do it, and a law may pass for that purpose. Mr. Sedgwick said that some obfervationshad been thrown out against the Senate, which he did not conceive their conduct me rited ; and from the known canddr of the gentlemen who had used them, he did not doubt that on mature retlcftmn they would confidcrthcm in the fame light that JTe did. The fubjett now be fore the House has been canvallcd by acomnfittee from both Houf. es ; every member of wh£ch except one, was in favour of the re port which had been ma<)e —they arc gentlemen of undoubted in tegrity—they had the fulK.lt opportunity of investigating the fub jeft, a much better opportunity than (tie House can poflibly have— and if the reports of such committees are not to be a rule to the House, their utility is deltroyed. He had foimerlv been in favor of the court's being held at Exeter, as a majority of the members j from that State had represented it as eligible , but fincc t has be come a fubjeft ofdilpute, and the matter has been carried to such lengths, and the result has been the repoitnow read, he was in fa vour of receding. Mr. Foster observed that the Gentleman from MafTachufctts was mistaken, as there were two members of that committee against it —he added some observations which we did not hear. The queflion for receding being put, was loft—and the house v oted to adhere to their amendment. MONDAY, JUNE 14, 1790. The Committee to whom was re committed the bill for the relief of Nathaniel Twining, report ed an amendment to said bill, which was, to flrike out the firft clause. The bill as it nowitands, provides only for a remiflioi} of the penalties in curred by said Twining for failures in his con tra<sl for transporting the mail The amend 490 ment re ported was agreed to, and the bill ordered to be engrofled for a third reading. In Committee of the whole oh the bill for re pealing, after the lalt day of the duties heretofore laid on spirits of foreign manufacture, and laying others in their (lead. Mr. Seney in the Chair. The Committee proceeded in the difcullioii of the bill, andfinifliedit.—They then rose, and the Chairman reported the fame to the Houl'e, ■with sundry amendments. Mr. Sedgwick madefoine objections to entering into a consideration of the amendments proposed to this bill.—He vvifhed that the question of as sumption iliould be firlt decided upon. Mr. Sherman was in favor of fiuilhing die bill at this time—He wilhed and expected that the aflumption would be taken up,'before the dole of thefellion —andfaid, it may be made the fubjed of a separate bill. Mr. Bloodworth offered several objections to the bill. .„. . Mr. Madison was in favor of fimfluug it. Mr. Kitzfuuons observed, that the gentlemen who are for delaying the pafljge of this bill, do not explicitly object td the mode pointed out fur 1 ailing the additional revenue—They donotfay, that if this plan is rejetfied, they will agree to sub. ftituting other objects of revenue—so that those who are in favor of providing the Ways and Means to carvy into e(Fe<ft the funding system, are em barralfed how to proceed.—lf the gentlemen vill be explicit—and declare that if the proposed du ties are not taken by the general government, they will point out, and agree toothers, we (hall know wliatto do—but at present, it is utterly im poflible to determine, from their mode of proce dure, what their objecft is. Mr. Sedgwick replied to Mr.Fitzfimons. He said for his own part, he had always aimed to be open and explicit on this fubjedt— and that he was now ready to declare, that on the principle of not af funiing the State Debts, the duties contemplated by the bill would be impolitic and unjnll—tliey will operate in a molt inauspicious manner, both with refpetft to the creditors of the States, the tran quility of the State Governments, and the peace and honor of the peneral government —This liad been he said the invariable tenor of his obierva tionson this fubjetfl, from the firft to thelaft. Mr. Si one read a statement which he h?d pre pared, containing several duties on Imports and Tonnage, in addition to those already laid—and some new ones—which he supposed might befub ftitnted, in lieu of the Excise proposed in the bill, to which he was oppofied. Mr. (Jerry was oppoftd to proceeding in the consideration of the bill—He wilhed it for a few days, till the House could poflefsthem. fclves of the opinion of the Senate—whom, he had been informed, now had the fubje<ftof aflumption under consideration. Mr. Fitzfimons replied to Mr. Gerry. He tho t it a very extraordinary propofit ion, tnat the house (hould wait for the determination of the Senate upon any fubjet r t, more especially a question of this kind—besides he very much doubted the l ight of the Senate to originate any thing on the busi ness ofthe aflumption—but we arc not to decide hastily, said he,becaufe a majority may determine differently froni what some gentlemen appear t» wiih should take place ! I would ask, said he, how this legislature is ever to go on with the important business before tlieni, except they are to abide by the decilion ot the majority. Some gentlemen appear to be opposed to the principle ofthe bill—others are oppoie't to all duties except the State debts are aliened. Let us reflect 011 our situation, provided no pa vilion is to be made for the doineftic debt ot the United States. He hoped the consideration 0 the bill would be delayed no longer. Mr. Gerry replied to Mr. Fitzfimons ; he con tended that the Senate had a right to originate the business of the aflumption, and that it hat been customary for that house to wait for theue- of the Senate, when they had been inform ed that they were on a fubjeel which the hou e had contemplated taking up; he declared t iat no man realized more than he did, the nnpor tanceof funding the public debts—but then e wilhed the system to be commensurate to the 0 jed:—to be impartial, liberal, and just. On the question to take up the report 0 t Committee, Mr. Vining moved for the Ayes an Noes, which being called, areas follow: AYES. Meflrs A (he, Bald win, Brown, Contee, Fitzfimons, Floyd, Foster, Galft, Giln» a > Griffin, Hartley, Heifter, Jackson, Livermore, Madison, Matthews, Moore, Sehureman, s>en J r Sherman, Sinnickfon, Smith (M.).St°n e > er, Vinin<;, White, Wynkoop, Williamfon.—3 NOES. Meflrs Ames, Bloodworth, Boudinot, B" 1 ' e > Coles, Gerry, Goodhue, Grout, Huger, Lawranc > Leonard, Page, Partridge, Parker, Sedgwic » RanfeSlaer, Sylvelter, Smith (S. C.) Steele, ges, Thatcher, TrnnAull, Tucker, WaJfwo 2 4.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers