PUBLISHED WEDNESDAYS AND SATURDAYS BY JOHN FENNO, No. C 9, HIGH-STREET, BETWEEN SECOND AND THIRD STREETS, PHlLA^Tphia" [No. 57, of Vol. lII.] FROM THE NEW-YORK JOURNAL, &c. To the Gentlemen ej the GrarJ Jury of the County nf ABBEVILLE in Ike State of Sou th-Caro l i n a. A PRESENTMENT from your body t» one of the judical courts of your State, has been published in several Gazettes in the United States. As it applies solely to a national law, it is a pro per object of decent com ment for any of your fellow citizens ; and it cannot be doubted that you will be ready to hear any thing, which can prove you are honestly mifhkcn in a matter which ts deemed of so much importance to liberty, and which is also of conlequence to the cridit of our common country abroad, and a; home. You fay the cxcife ast is a grievance of the highest nature. This is (Irong language, brethren, and llronger, it is believed, than you will find the fa£ls to support. If this law had been pafled with out competent powers in Congress, aud to carry on an ambitious war, it would surely have been a grievance of a higher nature. This is no play on words, for grand juries are sober and important bodies of men, have the mod serious duties to perform—(hould " enquire diligently, and make true presentment." They (hould not mis name man-daughter and call it muider, nor (hould they call b) either of those criminal names, the lawful aflions of an individual, much less of a government, though those actions should unhappily end in death. It is never well in discharge of public duties to let expressions go forth, which, by irritating, may produce lament able evils. The more freedom is used with you, brethren, on this point, because it is supposed the language of freedom will not be oitenfive to you, and because you have (hewn all necessary mo deration and reason in the conclusion of your presentment, by re commendinga conftiiutional and lawfulapplication, through your fenatois and representatives, for an alteration of the law. You fay also, that all excifcs arc incompatible with liberty, which history, you observe, will fully (hew. This is certainly a miflake, lor the history of every nation that ever contra&ed debts, and formed a fyftein to discharge those di bis (hews that they have uniformly had recourse to them. The American provinces had excises laid by their own legidatures, the popular branches of which were freely chosen by the people—yet nobody ever thought, or said, the provincial legidatures enslaved their conllituents. On the contrary, it is well known they were conltantly engaged 111 druggies, against the crown, in favor of the people. The State of Pennsylvania, which had only one popular house, for many years, and no negative in the execuiive, had an excise through half this century—The amount of it being eight pence, their money, per gallon, was as near as poflible to nine cents, which is the rate of country fpirils, per gallon, under the a£l of Congress, unless the diftill: r, living in the country, chufes to pay sixty cents per an num, for each gallon his (I'll holds, for the right of (tilling as much as he can through a year -Then the duly will be lower, if there is any industry in working the Hill. Massachusetts, a free State, with a well conllituted government, had an excife—Con nefheut, with a legislature chofrn half yearly, had an excise ; and Co of other American States. Britain and Holland, two of the freeft countries in Europe, had an excise ; and Fiance, now freer than cither of them, or any other country in Europe, has anexcile. All taxes (including excise) are equally compatible with liberty, if the legijlature iifreely and frequently chosen. How can the cxcife of Congress be incompatible with liberty, if the people veiled them with power to lay it, and can turn out every Congress man that voted for it, if they really think it bell, and chufe others instead of them. Freedom can never be endangered by a law, the repeal of which, a bate majority can any moment effect. You suppose the dwelling houfesoi the people liable to be entered at all times, night orday, by ihe oiticers. In this, brethren, you are mistaken ; and it is a very great millake, for the officers are not authorised to go into the dwelling houses, in ihe night or day either. They can go into liquor (lores, liquor cellars, and liquor vaults, and distilleries marked as such, but that only in the day trmc. So tender is the law, that though it (hall be made to appeal, on oath to a judge or justice of the peace, that spirits are fraudu lently hid in a dwelling house, to deprive the country of the duty, the officer cannot go into even that house without a warrant under the hand and seal of a judge or justice, nor without a conft,.ble or peace officer with him, nor can he go at any time, but only by day. 1 1 It IS said, again, by you, brethren, that the dnty will not bear theexpenceof coining in some places. This, also, mult be a nunake, for a land tax, or poll tax, in a thin fettled country, must be more cxpenfive and troublesome. Ailments, Uvics, dis traints, advf rtifementss, and sales ot property for those taxes, are much more inconvenient. It fcems probable, that you were mifinformed about many parts of the law, especially the manner in which the duty is laid on country stills. Jomc have thought the duty to be sixty cents for every gallon that the still (hould make ; bui this is a great error. No more is laid than sixty cents tor a whole year upon thequantity that would fill t he still once, and if enough fpiiitslhould notbemade to amount to that at nine ccnts per gallon, the owner may have it deducted, by taking care to keep an account of what he makes in the manner the law dircdls. More than nine cents on what is made will, therefore, never be paid by those who take proper care of their own business ; but less will be paid by all those who arc so induftiious as to make more spirits than sixty cents, on the measure or capacity ot the still. will come to. This will have an effect very favorable to the planters and farmers, because industri ous men, who will make a trade of distilling, will set up work-, ant! making considerable profiti by this, and by distilling largely,' will be able to buy larger parcels of grain at better prices, to manufacture into spirits. You complain, that the northern distillers will have the ad vantage, but you will think otherwise when you have examined this point. Spirits from molafles pays two cents per gallon more than that from grairror fruit, which is above twenty-two percent, or twenty-two pounds in the hundied. This is too clear and plain to dwell upon. It would be to queftian your candor or understanding to do more than mention the tact. '»u appear to labor under the fame want of information, when you complain about theexcife being too high in proportion to the jmpoft «)i) foreig/t spirits. The loweit proof of foreign rum, randy, See. is at twenty cents ; the lowest proof of country grain or fru't spirits is at nine cents. The difference is prodigioufiy in h°f 1,0 homc anf * ' s Plainly better for him to have 1 e ftnall du y on country m.-de spirits, feeing it is accompanied with one so much greater on rival foreign spirits. It is but right to remember how much the States are made free • « he occafiori to lay taxes by the aflumption, which part of the P u ',c a "d the defence of the western country, this duty is appropriated to. If South-Carolina is averfc to the excise, she Saturday, September 5, 1791. ought not to avail herfelf of the opportunity of getting four mil lions of her debt on the United States. The ineafure comes re markably easy to your State, because little foreign rum is used on the sea coast countie , on account of the small number of whites, and great number of blacks : and in the western country the h' ne made spirits are to pay only nine cents, which is less than half the duty. I am, gentlemen, Your friend and humble servant, A New-York Grand Jury Man. J'ROM THE NORWICH PACKET. Mr. Trumbuli., In a late paper of your's, there appeared a para graph respecting a meeting of the Clergy at New-Haven, on the ensuing Commencement. Some have supposed that said publication 111 if took and mifreprf fented the object of the pro posed meeting ; you may explain the true ori gin and design of the fame, by publishing the following Extra:! 1 jrovi the Minutes of the Genera! Assembly ef the Prejbyterian Church in the United States, " A GREEABLY to the appointment of the General Afleinbly, lalt year, directing Dr. Rodgers, and Dr. M'Whorter, to correspond with the congregational churches in Connecticut, in order to renew and flrengthen the bonds of union between ihofe churches and the presbyte rian church in America, Dr. M'Whorter reports that some progress has been made in opening a planof correfpondtnce with said churches. That three modes of oorrefpondence are proposed for consideration, viz. — ift. By letter from a com mittee ot this body, with a committee of the <*e neral aflociation of Connecticut. 2d. By reviv ing a convention similar to one which fubfiited between those bodies before the late war. 3d. By fending delegates reciprocally from each bo dy, who shall fit in their refpecftive meetings, to answer the important purpose designed by this correspond en ce. , ni otion, resolved, That in order to carry intoefFeft the proposed plan for a correspond ence with the congregational churches in New- England, a committee confiding of Dr. Witlier fpoon, Dr. Rodgers, Dr. M'Whorter, Mr. Chap man, Dr. Samuel S. Smith, Mr. Tenant and Mr. Auflin, or any three of them, be, and they are hereby appointed to meet at New-Haven on the second Wednesday in September next, to confulr with such minitters from the New-England churches as may be there present, on the subject in contemplation, and ro determine on such plan of correfpondenceandintercourfe as fliall appear eligible. And that the profpeiftof accomplishing the desire of the General Aflbmbly in this ap pointment may be the more favorable, Doctor M'Whorter is hereby directed to write immedi ately to Dr. Timothy Dwight, of Connecticut, and inform him of this measure, requeuing him at the fame time, to lay it before the General Allocation of Connecticut, that they may be pre paid! to meet at tile time above-mentioned, and do what they may think expedient in this con cern. FROM THE COLUMBIAN CENTIXEL. JUST COMPLAINTS ought to be heard and REMEDY AFFORDED \X7HAT compensation are the right worthy * V citizens likely to receive, who not finding it in their hearts to put any confidence in our State or Continental Governments, never pur chased any of their fecuriiies—and now, contra ry to their belief, Publick Securities have risen so amazingly as to make fortunes for fume com mon folks—folks, we may fay, who never dream ed of such a thing ?—We despise fpecularion ; — if it had been right, we should have f:en through it, and gotten twici as much by it, as anv of thel'e moon-ftiine fortunes—lt's all delusion now, they will go to ruin falter, ten times, than ever they role, and our solid ellates will, ten chanccs to one, be taxed yet, to (uppoi t these pretenders to money—lt is impoflible there iliould be such a golden fliower and we not catch ic—Thiy hug a phantom, therefore, good people all don't wor ry your gizzards about them—don't make wry faces, nor look melancholy—Stocks fall already — tksir faces are half as long as our's now let 'em alone, we'll measure with them by and by. 145 SKINFLINT & Co Hkso [Whole No. 245.] W A R S A VV, May 15 different supreme tribunals have fern de , . P ut ' es Co the King and the States, acknow ledging their fidelity and fubmitiion to the new conlliiution. June if. The following articles have been added to the New Coiittitution, and have receiv ed the unanimous fantfion ofthe Diet of Poland. Of the King, the Executive Power. " No Government, though it were the mod perfect that can be imagined, can subsist unless the executive power be enabled to act with the fulled energy. [Would to Heaven that this principle, which is incontrovertibly just and true, were every where admitted ! Owing to the non-obfervaiice of this indif'penfible axiom, the revival of liber ty has become odious to all those who have Hill a regard for social order.] " Jult and equitable laws are the foundation of national happiness. All the good effects to be expected from them, mutt depend on their having been vigor ously executed. " Experience has taught us, that to a want of this executive energy, Poland owes all its mis fortunes. " For these reasons, after having insured li berty to the Polish nation, and having made it independent ; after having secured to it the right of making laws, and of watching over the executive authority, and also of chooling all pub lic magistrates ; we entrull the King and his Council (which shall hereafter be Ailed the Su pei intending Council) with the Supreme execu tion of the laws. '[ executive power fliall be under a ftritft obligation to superintend the execution of the laws, and exemplarily to ,conform to them, k (hall at't in all cases permitted by the law ; in all such cases which require a fuperintendance, exe cution, and even a coercive force. All Mapif trates are bound to obey it implicitly ; and by it they are liable to bepunifhed for neglect of duty or disobedience. " The executive power fliall neither make laws, nor explain them. It (hall not impose tax es, or levy contributions. It fliall not contract public debts, nor make the lealt alteration in the collection of the revenue. And finally, i c fliall neither declare war nor make peace ; not make any treaties with other powers. It fliall only be enabled to have a temporary correspon dence with foreign courts, so far as the fafery and tranquily of the ftatc may require ; and for this ir fliall be accountable to the following Le gfflature." ° ROME, June 3. The chagrin experienced by his Holiness, oc casioned by the revolt of Avignon and the de crees of the National AHembly of France relative to the Clergy, is a little alleviated by learning the progress of the Roman Catholic religion in some of the provinces of North-America, and chiefly in Acadia, Maryland, and part of Penn sylvania. Charles Walmefly, Bifliop of Rama has consecrated Mr. John Carroll, superior of the foreign milfions, in quality of Bifliop of Balti more, the Congress of Philadelphia having per mitted the free exercise of the Roman Catholic i eligion in the aforefaid provinces. L E Y D E N, June 9. The accounts from the empire are confirmed. The Count d'Artois has been at Ulm, but is re turned to Augfbourg. M. de Calonnc does not mean to go there, for which reason the Prince de Lambefc, and other emigrants of the old French nobility, have quitted Manheim and Deux Pouts, where they had aflfembled to wait the re lult of the attempt on Huninguen, which itfeenis has not answered their expetfation. HAMBURGH, June ro. The King of Sweden, who landed at Rostock the 2 d inft. went the fame evening to LudwigC t>urg to wait for his carriages. They arrived the sth, and his Majesty remaining incognito, un der the title of Count Haga, continued his jour ney to Aix-la-Chapelle. The 6th in the evening he arrived at lirnnfwick, where the Court was very brilliant on the occasion.
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