cxcifes ; he said he should continue his oppo£- tion to the lalt. Mr. Moore offered another modification of the fe<ftion. The queflion on adding the words, was put and negatived. Mr. Boudinot called the attention of the house to the fourth fetflion, which authorizes the Pre sident of the United States, by the advice and consent of the Senate, to appoint such a number of officers, as he may think necefTary—he thought that the most, if not the only exceptionable clause of the bill ; his opinion was, that the number of officers fbould be limited. He moved this addi tion to the fecftion—" provided the number do not exceed in any county, city, town or village." He objected to the clause as eftablifbing a dan gerous precedent. Mr. Bloodworth seconded this motion Mr. Parker said lie was in favor of this motion, becaule he wiflied to have the number of these officers as small as possible. Mr. Boudinot's motion occasioned considerable debate, it was said that the number of officers is virtually reftrifted by the cotnpenfation to be re ceived, this allowance cannot be exceeded, so that the number of officers cannot be encreafed beyond what may be neceflary—if they are, the President of the United States muftpay them out of his own pocket, ortliey must receivealefs sum. It was said in answer to this, that experience shews when once the objecfl is obtained in the appointment of these officers, ways and means will be found to pay them—in confirmation of this idea it was said, there arc already two mo tions on the table for enhancing the compensa tions to the officers of the revenue. Mr. Boudinot's motion was negatived. Several other amendments were proposed by different members, and rejeifled. Ajourned. THURSDAY, Jan. 20 The house resumed the consider ation of amend ments to the new revenue bill. An amendment was proposed by Mr. Sedgwick, to strike out part of the 4th feiftion, which ref pedts the compensations to the infpetfiors, and to introduce a substitute, to limit their compensa tions to a certain sum. Mr. Sherman said he should prefer ftrikingout the whole clause, and passing the bill without it —and leave the compensations to be provided for in a separate bill. Mr. Gerry proposed an amendment, which he conceived was not liable to the objections which apply to the original clause, and to the amend ment at present under confideratiou, and which arise from their giving 1 he President the power of establishing offices. Mr. Sedgwick stated certain principles of con ciliation which had induced him to move the amendment now under consideration. He (hew ed by a variety of particulars, that the services will be various, and merit in some cases a much greater cotnpenfation than in others. Mr. Ames objedied to the amendment proposed, on principles of economy,both of time and money. The time is already so exhausted that there will be scarcely fufficient in the present felfion, to fi nifli the bill—and if the amendment is adopted, it will follow, that in order to make adequate provision in all cases, you must, in many instan ces, make that compensation too much. He ur ged the importance of passing the law with fucli a power as would enable the Executive to appor tion the compensations in proportion to the me rits and services of the refpe&ive officers. This law is said to be obnoxious to the disapprobation of the people : It therefore becomes our duty to make the compensations such, as may command the services of men of responsibility, in point of property and • character—men of prudence and judgment. He conceived the power of apportion ing the salaries might be left with the Supreme Executive : Nor did he conceive there was any thing in the Constitution contrary to this idea. Gentlemen have cautioned the house against ex ceeding the powers of .the Constitution by impli cation ; he supposed that it was equally reprehen sible to refrain from exercising the full powers, indisputably vested in the legislature by the con stitution. Mr. Boudinot, agreeable to the idea of Mr. Sher man, moved that the clause {hould be (truck out, and leave the compensations to be provided for in a subsequent bill. This motion was seconded from various quar ters, and occafiohed a considerable debate. Mr. Burke said he was sorry to fee such a dis position in many of the members of thishoufeto extend the powers of the executive. The excise bill is universally odious—and gentlemen seem to be trying to render this more odious, by urg ing one exceptionable clause after another: He hoped this clause would be llruck out, and that the legidature would retain the power of dispos ing of their own money. He said that his ideas on the fubjetl had been called chimeras—but this was a (Vale trick, which has been long prac tised by those who are in favor of ftrengrhening the arm of the executive—it was always made use of in that country whose precedents we often recur to; but, for his part, no such obfervatiotis should deter him from placing every poflible guard round the liberties of the people, and checking the undue extension of the executive arm. v The motion for striking out was carried — 29 to 27 A motion from Mr. Clymer, as a substitute for the 4th fe(ftion, was then read. This proposed an inspector for each Hate, atafalary of dol lars per annum, with power ro appoint fucli num ber of deputy infpecfiors as they may think pro per—these deputy inspectors to receive per cent, on the gross amount of the funis by their: respectively colle<sed. Mr. Sedgwick .proposed that this motion fhonld je referred to a felecft committee, with other motions now on the table. Mr. Vining was opposed to referring it to a fe ledt committee. He said the consequence of a re ferreuce would be an unneceflary prolongation of the business. He thought it might as well be taken up and decided upon at the present time as any. Mr. Lawrance was in favor of referring this motion to a feletfl: committee. The Speaker observing that it would not be in order to commit this motion, except in connec tion with the whole clause, Mr. Clyiner with drew it for the present. Mr. Lee then moved, that the bill fliould be recommitted for the purpose of bringing in a clause deviling a proper mode of collecting the revenue. Mr. Livermore seconded the motion, and in a few general remarks condemned the bill alto gether. Mr. Stone also spoke against the bill, and in support of the motion for a recommitment. Mr. Gerry objected to the motion, especially as it was contemplated to make an arrangement by which the duties of the officers of the reve nue, already established, are to be blended with those t)f the officers to be appointed by this law— this would deprive the government of that check which it has in view by this bill. Mr. Livermore said, that he did not conceive there was any thing like an excise contemplated by the bill. The duty proposed on spirits is a mere duty of import. As to checks, lie did not think any additional ones were neceflary. If the officers already appointed to colle<ft the reve nue are not fufficient for the purpose, let them be encreafed—but as to any further checks, he considered them altogether fuperfluous. It is ac knowledged, said he, on all hands, that the pa triotism and pumftualiry of the importers has been such as to produce a very ltridt compliance with the revenue laws. Mr. Gerry read several daufes in the hill, to shew that it was something more than a mere im port: law. Mr. Giles said he hoped the bill would not be precipitated, there are a number of propositions on the table calculated to amend the several de feds it contains, he therefore hoped the bill would be recommitted for the purpose of amend ing thole deletes ; he fully objected to fending the bill up to the Senate in a confefledly imper fe»fl state, and hoped no such precedent would ever receive the fancftion of the lioufe, especially in a money hill. Mr. Sedgwick called the attention of the house to the procels of this business ; much time was spent in the difcufiion ofitlaftfeflion—we are now past the middle of the present ; more than three weeks have already been spent in the business, and now at this late period, gentlemen come for ward with propositions that strike at the very principles of the bill. He hoped no such mo tion would take place. Mr. Vining objected to a recommitment; for general purposes. The qneftion on recommitting generally was loft, 30 to 37. A motion was then made For recommitting for a particular purpose, which was loft, 24 to 33. Adjourned. WEDNESDAY, Feb. 2 The bill making appropriations for the sup port of government, for the year 1 791 ; and for other purposes, was brought in, engrossed, read the time and pafled. Sundry petitions were read, and referred to the heads of departments. A meflage was received from the Senate, by Mr. Otis their .Secretary, informing the bouse, that they have pafled the bill declaring the as sent of Congrefsto a certain a<ft of the state of Maryland. The bill to incorporate the subscribers to the National Bank, was taken irrto confederation a lengthy and interesting debatetook place. Me (Irs. Jackson, Lee, Giles and Madison sup ported the argument against the bill, princi pally, as being tinconffitutional—Meflrs. Law ranee, Sherman, and Gerry severally in favor of its parting :-iio vote was taken this day on the fubjccft. 730 Mr. Floyd of the committee of enrolment i formed tlie house thattlie Kentucky bill was'nr"" femed to the Prelident for his aflent. Mr. Ames presented the petition of Daniel Loller, praying to be placed on the pension i;, t —referred to the Secretary of the Treafurv. Adjourned. THURSDAY, Feb. 3. Sundry petitions were read and referred to the heads of departments. Mr. Clymer presented the memorial offundrv Widows, creditors of the United States—remon ttratingagainll the funding fyltem—and praying that they may receive fix per cent. on the »h" 0 le 'amount oftlie demandsagainft the United States —referred to the Secretary of the Treasury. A memorial of sundry merchants of Philadel phia, refpetfting the ereillion of piers, at New. Castle in the Delaware, for the security of the navigation, was read and referred to the Secre tary of the Treasury. A committee consisting of Meffis. Sedgwick Sturges, and Contee was appointed to report a bill making a temporary provifionfortlie clerki and other officers of the federal courts—alfocom penfation to the jurors attending said courts. The Bank-bill was further difcufl'ed this dav\ A motion was made by Mr. Williamfon to mit the bill, for the purpose of amending thefirft fecflion by prolongingthe time for receiving sub. fcriptions from Ocftober to April—this motion occasioned some debate, and was determined in' he negative—the and Noes being as follow J '(AYES. Messrs. Baldwin, Blood-worth, Brown, Burli Carroll, Coatee, Gals, Giles, Grout, Jack/on, Lu Vladifon, Matthews, Moore, Sevier, Smith (S. C. Steele, Stone, Tucker, White, Williamfon. \NOES. : ' Messrs. Ames, Berfon, Boudinot, Bourne, Cad •vallader, Clymer, Fitzf'imons, Floyd, Foftcr, Gerry Oilman,Goodhue, Griffin, Hartley, Hathorne,HdJ!tr t Huntington, Lawrance, Leonard, Livermore, Mub lenherg, Parker, Partridge, Rcnfellaer, Schureman, Scott, Sedgwick, Seney, Sherman, Smith (M.) Syl vefier, Sinnickfon, Sturges, Thatcher, Trumbull, Vi n'tng, Wad/worth, Wynkuop. v Mr. Ames, in a length; supported tli« onftitutionality of the 1 till—the iurrher consi deration of which was ] oftponed. Adjourned./, FRIDAY, Feb. 4 Mr. Heifter pt;efented the petition of Andrew Holmes : Referred to the Secretary of the Trea sury. The petition of John Hollins was read, pray ing an abatement of the additional dutiesoil Im ports, which took plaeethe firft Jauuary laft,ari fing on a cargo, which, tho it had arrived before, could not be entered till subsequent to that period. Referred to the Secretary of State. A report of the Secretary of State, on the fub jetft of the Filheries, was l aid before the Houle. by the Speaker, and read by the Clerk—and on motion, it was voted, that this Report, with a letter from the French Charge des Affaires, which accompanied the fame, be sent to the Senate. The order of the day was called for—which being the Bank-Bill, the Speaker propoled the following question : Shall this billpafs ? A lengthy debate then ensued on the general principles of the bill—which continued until the time of adjournment. PARI S, October 14. ANEW order of Knighthood is certainly forming in France, with a view to overturn the new French Co'nftitution. The fta» ends in eight points, with four Jl curs dc lis in the spaces, sur mounted with the Crown of France ! In the centre is a medallion representing on one fide the Marquis de Favras rising from his tomb, on the other a crofspotcncec. There are rhree ranks of dig nity in this order. The Cross stars of the fir ft and second differ from that of the third, for instead of the croix potcncec on the re verse of a medallion, there are the words— 44 Alpha and Omega." Many silver-smiths are employed at Paris, Strafburgh, and Milan, in making these stars. The Grand Master is at Turin; the Trea surer, M. H. a near relatic*i of M. Barentin, late Keeper of the .Seals; the Cashier, an ancient Advocate in Council; and the Se cretary in Chief, an Abbe of great repute. The ribbon is black. The Knights Commanders aie to wear the star at the bread; the Matters and Apprentices at the button holes. At present the So ciety wear them in their pockets (I have fcen two of them) be caule the hour is not yet come. This order goes under three or four different names—it is called the order of Refurre&ion—of the Counter Revolution— ot the Holy Sepulchre—or. simply of Jerusalem, a denomination that aflimilates it, together with the black ribbon, to th2t of Malta. The Cavaliers have proper signs and contra&s, like the Free Ma sons, and many Members of the National" Assembly have been al ready admitted into it. LONDON, Dec. 3. The Count dc Merci Argcntcau, the impciial Ambafiador at the Hague, has written a letter to the Marechal Baron de Bender, dated the zzA of November, which docs him infinite credit. It breathes throughout the noblest fent'ments of genuine patno tifm, and is written with firmnefs, tempered by mercy, and ir.aj, therefore, be justly supposed to have been di&ated by the humane Leopold, who is infinitely greater as a man, than asan Emperor* though an excellent sovereign. The poor Belgic multitude are mentioned as, u fiieep who have gone astray," and who are to be treated with the utmost mildne s. To spare, to protest, to forgive, these are the orders given to we Austrian General. The members of the parliament of Toulouse, overcome by t c earnest entreaties of their friends, are gone to St. Sebzftian, Spain, where they have been received most politely and cord ia )• By this timely precaution they have, for the prefant, avoi c the chains with which they were threatened to be loaded, an t
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