j-VR THE GAZETTE OF THE UXITED STATES,
MR. FENNO,
Agreeable to thi hint hi No. 74 of your Gazette, J fend
yon the fotlnniing, which may enable your readers to
form foine ideas on
THE PRESENT STATE OF THE AMERICAN
NATION
Population of the united states,
Whites, 3,300,000 Blacks, 700,000
*Pieprefentatives to the general government, 65
Number of" fouls to each representative, 61,53s
Number of males between 16 anil 60,
Whites, 825,000 Blacks, 175j° 00
Number of persons exempted from militia
service, about — — —
Number of fighting men from 18 to 45,
about — — —
600,00
Cross amount oj duties, impoji and taxes, culhiied
in the year I 790.
For fupportof the general government,
payment of foreign interest, and to
create a finking fund, 2,500,000
Forfupport of the State governments, 1,500,000
Each foul pays i dollar.—Each male between
16 and 60, pays 4 dollars
The amount to be collected in the present year
will be greater, because piovifion rauft be made
for paying the interest on the national debt. —
The whole gross amount that will be necellary,
may be computed at 6,000,000 dollars-)- —out ot
■which the United States may have a finking
fund, which, in addition to the Western lands,
may reduce the debt, in a period of time not very
long, to a trifle. Each foul will then pay ij dol
lar. Each man, between 16 and 60, would pay
6 dollars ; but when it is considered that the re
venue of the United States is chiefly collected by
duties on consumption, and that the rich consume
more than the poor, it is probable that the poorer
class of citizens will not pay half a dollar a year.
The debt of the United States divides itfelf
into foreign and domestic.
The foreign debr,the interest of which
is payable in Europe, including t.lie
last 2,000,000 loan, may be comput
ed at — — —
This part of the debt is liable to augmentation,
as-there is power to borrow 12,000,000 to dif
chargc arrearages of interest, and to effedl some
changes in the debt, beneficial io the Union.
The domestic debt may be as follows—ou the
idea of the whole being subscribed—
6 per cents, bearing interest from ift
January,. 1791, about 19,000,000
6 per cents, bearing interest. from Ift
January, 1792,
6 per cents, bearing interest from iffc
January, 1801, — — 13,000,000
3 per cents, bearing interest from ] ft
January, 1791, — — 14,000,000
5 per cents, bearing intcreft from ift
January, 1792,
Interest to be provided in l 791.
On foreign debt,with neceflary charges, 600,000
* This number, in all probability, at the next general ckaion,
will be inereafed to one hundred.
+ Formed as Jollows, viz.
For the general government,
Annual expences of government, about 800,000
To pay foreign and domestic interest, about 3,000,000
For a finking fund, about 200,000
For the slate governments.
Annual expence of civil lift in each state ; interest
on debt not aflumed ; improvements in inland navi
gation and roads; poor rates ; city taxes ; contri
butions to clergy, and public buildings,
Which may be raised in the following manner, viz.
For the general government.
Jmpoft, including the additional duties and tonnage,
Excise, or duty on rum and other spirits imported,
or diftiUed within the United States,
For theJlaie governments.
Tax on carriages,
Tax on Slaves,
Tax on hotfes, cattle, fliecp, and other animals,
Tax on monies at intcri ft,
Tax on piofeflions andilock in trade,
Tax on houses and town lots,
Tax on land,
Tax on law proceedings,
Tax on collateral legacies,
And the Stairs may devise many others, if feme one or other o
hefe do not fait their purpose. One advantage may arise from
ihis divided mode of taxation, viz. an equalizing of the burthens
of nil the people of the State ; for if the system of taxation adopt
ed bv the general government Ihould fall partially on any defcrip
lion of persons, the (late legiOature may collect the neeefifary re
venue for state purposes, from those on whom the geneial revenue
4oes not fall.
Domcftic debt,
19",000,000 6 pr. cents. —
14,000,000 3 pr. cents. —
For i 792,
Foreign d«br, — —
29,000,000 6 pr. cents. —
21,000,000 3 pr. cents. —
Total annual interest until 1801, 2, I ) 7°> 000
Soine part of the domestic debt lias been en re
charged in the course of the last year, perhaps as
much as 300,000 dollars, the annual interelt ot
which, and the interelV on all other funis which
may be hereafter discharged, becomes an aug
mentation to the finking fund.
The whole debt of the United
States is about
I 00,000
What the debts due by the several
States will be, after c.he aflbmption,
is difficult to fay, but at 1110 ft cannot
exceed — — — —
The whole territory of the United States, is
1,000,000 square miles.
That part which is granted to individuals, or
which the United States, or particular States,
have a right to grant, may be computed at five
hundred thousand square miles, or 320,000,000
acres—which is 80 acres to each foul.
4,000,000
On the idea that the land is bound to pay
the whole debt, every square acre is mortgaged
for about 14 cents ; but if only that part which
is already in pofleflton of the United States, and
several States, be taken into view, then every
square acre will be mortgaged for about 28 cents,
and admitting that every acre of land, on an
average, is worth five dollars, it will then be
pledged for only oneeighteenth part of its value.
If we look among the European governments
for such as are neardt in extent to our own, we
fliall find France and Germany, together with
Spain, nearly equal to our present territory in
pofTellion ; but when we contemplate the whole
extent of our territory, we shall find it nearly
equal to France, the Netherlands, Germany, Po
land, Switzerland, Spain, Great Britain and Ire
land, Italy, Portugal, and Turkyin Europe.
It is said that tlie debt of Great-Britain is nearly
equal to one half the value of the whole property
of the people—whether in.land, cash-, (hips, i'cock
on lands, produce, manufactures, plate, jewels,
furniture, or the royal navy and implements of
war.
12,000,000
If we compute the value of the several heads
as they respect the United Slates, perhaps the
following may be nearly the truth, viz. Dolls.
300,000,000 acres land, at 5 dollars
on an average (includingall the
cities) —. — —
Cafli of the United States,
Merchant Ihips of the United States,
10,000,000
29,000,000
including coasters, — —
Stoijt on the lands, and neceflary
implements of husbandry, boats,
waggons and geers, —
Value of produce and manufac
tures exported and for home con
sumption, — —
Plate, jewels and furniture,
700,000 Haves may be valued
7,000,000
21,000,000
Beside which is the right of pre-emption to the
land in pofleflion of the Indians, and the veflels
and warlike llores belonging to the United States
and the several States.
Say the debt of the United States and the se
veral States, foreign and domestic, is 85,000,000,
then the proportion between the value of the
whole property and the debt will be about twenty
to one, and the ability of the people of the United
States to pay their debt, is ten times greater than
that of the people of Great-Britain.
4,000,000
2,000,000
6,0©0,000
800,000
4,000,000
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
FRIDAY, Jan. 14.
IN committee of the whole 011 the bill to de
termine the time when the electors of Presi
dent and Vice-Prefidejpt lhalj bechofen,and when
they lhall meet and give in their votes.
A motion by Mr. Smith, (S. C.) to flrike out a
clause in the firft fetfiion, which referred to va
cancies happening from special contingencies,
after a fliort discussion was disagreed to.
Mr. Benfon, who was of the committee which
reported the bill, then stated the reasons which
influenced the committee in the arrangement of
726
CONGRESS.
Mr. Bowiinot in the chair
tire time£ qf cliufingtlie eledors, and thei,
ingin their votes.
Mr. Sedgwick said he supposed, that the defir,,
of the provifioi) oil tliis fubjeift in ilie conlUu
tion. was to prevent, as far as pollible, tile p.no
tices of cortuption and intrigue in the buiineft
of election: To-effect this falurary object, he
thought it r.ecellary that the time of chiding <-lec-
tors should be fixed, and that as lliort a period as
pollible should be fuffered to elapse, between tlie
titne of chuiing, and the time when the eledois
should give in their votes ; the bill, said lie, pio
- eight weeks—he thought that too
period.
Mr. Benfon observed that the term of eio; ; - L
weeks was thought not more than fufficicnt to
accommodate the circiunftances of some i,f t' nc
States—a fliorter p_eriod might have suited others
—but the idea of uniformity, rendered it ncief
fary to fix 011 a particular period.
Mr. Goodhue objedted 10 alligning one parti
cular day for all the States, as, lie observed, ilie
modes of eleiftion in the several States a:e <1 lifer
ent : In some tlie electors are chosen immediate
ly by the people at large ; in others they are
chosen by the itate legillatures ; this will render
it extremely difficult to comply with the law, if
they are to be chosen on one and the fame day
throughout the Union.
Mr. Carroll said, that it appeared to him ne
cefiary in the firft place, to determine who (hall
cliufe the electors : For his part he was fully
convinced, that this power is exclusively vefuJ
in the people by the Conilitution.
Mr. Jackson observed, that the difficulties
mentioned by the gentleman from Maflacfnifetts,
would accrue from fi'-ing on a particular day in
the State of Georgia; there the electors are cho
sen by the legillature, which meets at a particu
lar season of the year : 1 his clatife will render
too feiiions neceflary,which would be exceedingly
inconvenient : He moved therefore lhat theclanle
which appoints a particular day when the elec
tors fliall be cholcn, should be flruck our, and
that the time when they {hall meet and give in
their voles should only be deilgnated : This mo
tion was seconded.
1,140,000
420,060
2,160,000
600,000
1,740,00°
030,000
75,000,000
10,000,000
8 5,Q00,000
Ivlr. Giles said that he conceived but one mode
of chufing electors was contemplated by the con
stitution ; the itate legislatures he thought ought
not to cbufe thein—they ought to be chol'en by
the people. He adverted to the Conffiiutinn—
the words are, " That each State {hall cliufe, !kc.''
This plainly implies that the legislatures are not
authorised to exercise that power themselves :
Congress has a power to fay when they fliall be
chosen—this imposes a necessity for one iriode,
and that the mode should he uniform, and be by
the people ; for the legislatures, from the diii'er
ent circumstances of the States must meet at tiif•
ferent periods : He wiflied this point to be. fettled
—He thought the people ought to clutfe the elec
tors.
1,500,000,000
10,000,000
Mr. Jackson contended that the power was left
discretionary with the state legislatures.
Mr. Goodhue said, this was plainly the cafe,
by the express words of the conftitu'iion.
Mr. Ames moved that the clause ihould be i
mended, so as to include the words of the conl'i
tution " in fucli manner as the legillatui e ilicve
of may direcft."
20,000,000
5,000,000
6j,000,000
Tliis was fecoiuled by Mr. Stone.
Mr. Livermore was also in favor of the nicoii.
5,000,000
75,000,000
Mr. Madison faid,a question arose here,wfacl»
was, whether the power of Congress extei-ds to
determining the manner of chufing, by virtue of
pofleffing the power of determining the time of
their being chosen :—he was however di'pofedto
thinkthat the best idea was that fuggeft-'dby the
gentleman from Maflachufetts.
Mr. Sedgwick said, he was in favor of the mo
tion of the gentleman from Georgia—and in this
view of the fubie<ft—he wasoppofed to theopini
-011 of the gentleman from Virginia '.Mr. Ones/
as interfering with the legiflativc rights of the
several slates.
1,680,000,000
Mr. Tucker was oppofeti to the idea of a pa'-
ticular interference of the general Government,
in refpec r t to the time, and mode of chufing the
electors—He wished therefore that the motion
for striking out the words, should obrain ; if that
was done hcfliould move a clanfeto thispurpoit,
that the electors shall be constitutionally chosen.
Mr. Lawrance was in favor of leaving the time
of chufing to the several tlate legislatures— a
general regulation could not be agreed upon,
which would not involve the difficulty that gen
tleinan appeared felicitous to guard against,
that was the opportunity which would neceflau
ly be given for caballing—in consequence of'the
great extent of some states, and the confined li
mits of others—it appears therefore fai-d he, a
folutely neceflary to leave the time of ehufi"£\ 0
the ilate legislatures, and this will put it in their
power to reduce the interval between chafing w
voting, in such manner as circumltances may IC
tare, to prevent the inconveniences contem
plated.
Mr. Giles said, he believed he had been "iiiun
derftood, he did not mean to invade the rig, ll *
of the state legislatures. —so far from that, he» a