CONGRESS. 1 PHILADELPHIA. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, FRIDAY, December 23 IN COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE. On the Poft-Office Bill. the Bth Jeßion, vihich had been poflpo/ied, and "which regulates the rates of pojlage, was taken into con/i ---deration. MR. FITZSIMONS offered a Iketch of rates of portage, by way of amendment, differ ent from that reported in the bill, and the rates now paid—his plan was a general reduction of the rates. Mr. Goodhue said, he did not believe that the revenue from the poft-office, any more than that from the impott, would be increased by establish ing an high rate of poltage. He was pleased with the /ketch offered—and wi/hed it might be agreed to as an amendment— he had no doubt of its the revenue of the department. Mr. Livermore was in favor of the original rates reported in the bill—he conceived tlr.it the reduced rates would be so low, as materially to injure the income of the department. He said, that he did not conceive why the rate of portage for 100 miles, in one part of the United States, fhotild be greater than for 100 miles in auothe part—he referred to the diminished rates for great distances. Mr. Williamfon was in favor of reducing the rates—He observed, that though our experience in this business was not great, yet it wasfufficient to /hew that a reduction of the rates of postage tended to increase the income of the department. And the experience of European countries was incontroverti'bly in favor of the idea of a reduc tion. Mr. Baldwijt replied to Mr. Livermore, and observed that the amendment recognized the fame principle in refpecfl to great diftances,which is contained in the bill as reported. On motion of Mr. Williamfon, the amendment was altered, so that the rate of portage for a An gle letter to the greatest distance, lhoulcl not ex ceed 25 cents. Mt. Fitzfinions' amendment was then adopted The fevftion which makes it death for persons employed in the pod-office department to rob the mail, occaltoned considerable debate—the words, " shall fuffer death," were struck out, and it was then moved to insert imprisonment for life, or for a term which the court may think proper— This motion occasioned further debate, on its be ing moved to amend it, by linking out imprison ment for life— Mr. Murray entered into a general considera tion of the fubjetfl—He was clearly of opinion that if the punifliment was not lofsoflife, it ought to be the next in point of severity—He en larged on the enormity of the crime, and infered that a person who was so depraved as to be guil ty of it, ought to be forever deprived of the pow er of injuring society again—He adverted to the principles advanced by Montesquieu, Beccaria, and others, who had wrote so ably on crimes and punifliments ; but with all their refinements, he said, they were obliged to acknowledge that as there were grades in guilt, so there should be de grees of punifliment. He adverted to the regu lations of Pennsylvania, he said their gaol was more properly a school of morality, than a place of punifhmetit—lt may reform, but it will never deter the abandoned from the perpetration of crimes—lt might answer, he observed, the pre sent (late of society in the commonwealth, but he doubted whether it would not invite to the com million of crimes, and accelerate the period when they niuft have recourse to a more severe system of jurisprudence. He concluded by faying, that as imprisonment for life was the next severest punifliment to loss of life, he should v o re against the last amendment. Mr. Hartley defended the system of punish ment and reformation adopted by Pennsylvania —He said, experience was in its favor—The gen tlenian has carried our ideas to European coun tries, but lie thought that examples from our own country were more in point—He objected gene rally to sanguinary punilhments; and the puni(h ment now proposed he thought would be too se vere, if generally incurred for the crime under consideration. MONDAY, December 26. jDebate on the PoJhOffice Bill continued. _ On the fobjetfl of newspapers, Mr. Williamfon l'uggefted the propriety of their being so packed that they may be easily infpeifted by the Poll matters—that there lhould be fepfir&te accounts, and a separate mail or portmanteau for them— and that the rate of postage {hould be in propor tion to the distance they are carried— those sent 100 and not exceeding 200 miles, i cent—thole 200 and not exceeding 300 miles, 1 cent — those above 350 miles, cent. He moved to (hike out the 23d feiStion, and to infertthe above as a fublliiute. Mr. Clark proposed to amend the clanfe by a proviso—that the papers {hall be dried. Mr. Fitzfimotis doubted whether it would be proper to agree to the amendment—he was of opinion that the consequence would be, very few papers would be sent by the mail. He efnqnired who-is to pay the poftage?—The Printers will not pay it—they are fufficiently out of pocket by distant fubferibers. Is it to be defrayed by the lubfcribers weekly ?—there is no coin of. the de scription mentioned. "He observed that difficul ties would result from the mode which is neces sarily adopted for great part of the year of (end ing the mail on horseback. Should the papers encreafe, as is supposed, it would be impotiible to fend them. There were difficulties in thebuiintfs; the Printers had been called on to declare what would be convenient and agreeable to them— but there was so little concert among them that they bad not given any intimation to the depart ment of what would please them. Mr. Williamfoii replied to Mr. Fitzfimons, and obviated fotne of the difficulties he luggefted.— He observed that a certain weight ought to be fpecified, which the Postmaster ought not to ex ceed when the mail is sent on horseback. Mr. Clark said he thought the molt eligible method would be to make the Printers account able for the postage—this, he said, had been pro posed by a Printer, who, he said, printed a lar ger number of papers than any other Printer in ihe United States. This, he thought, would Am plify the bulinefj, and prevent trouble in the different polt-offices. Mr. Bourne objected to different rates ps port age for newspapers. He believed it was not cuf toinary with the post-riders. He observed that newspapers contained general information, and ought to come to the subscribers in all parts of the Union on the fame terms—the £ cent would indemnify for .the charge. He moved that such parts of the motion as proposes a different rate, should be (truck out. Mr. Boudinot said that he believed the gentle man was mistaken in refpecft to expence of car riage to a great distance.—He further observed, that the rates being the fame to all parts of the Union, would operate asabounty to the Printers at the feat of government; for it was well known that the Printers at the southward could not af ford to fell their papers at the fame rate with chose at the northward. Mr. Williamfon enlarged on these ideas. Mr. Steele laid that the amendment of his col league, instead of giving facility to the circula tion of newfpapeirs, tended only to give a dou ceur to the Primers of particular (tares. He could have wished that the privilege of franking had been (truck out, and the supposed amount thereof applied to defray the expellee of trans porting the newlpapers—it would conduce to opening a larger channel of information, and would in an eaty way bring intelligence to the door of every citizen in the United States. He preferred the bill without the amendment, as more competent to the great object. Mr. Parker observed that every law ought to be founded on a principle of equality—and on this idea, fuppol'ed the portage ought to be aug mented in fume proportion according to the dif- tance. Mr. Hillhoufe advocated an increase of the portage. He (aid the rates proposed were not competent to discharging the expence. Mr. Williamfon (aid that the half cent for a great distance would not defray the expence— he had authority for the assertion — and if the late is reduced, it will operate to discourage the private rtages, and all communication 011 those roads Supported by private subscriptions, will be cut off. Mr. Hartley was in favor of one rate—He ob served that the rates demanded by private polls was so hign, as to amount to an interdiction of the papers almort entirely. Mr. Barnwell was in favorof Mr.Williamfon's motion ; an half cent, he said, would notbefuf. ficient to defray the expences.—He enlarged on the bad policy of giving a monopoly to the prin ters at the feat of government—country papers are impoitant on many accounts, and ought to be encouraged. He said it was the opinion of the port-mailer general, that, a half cent was not afufficient portage. Mr. Bourne's motion for ltrifciiig out was ne gatived. On motion of Mr. Hillhoufe, the portage for 100 miles was raised from an half to a whole cent, and one cent and an half for any greater distance. Mr. Clark moved to add this clause, " to be paid by the printers fending the fame, at the ex- 302 piration of every three momhs"~ttu& was carried The fetflion was further amended b\ faying that the newspapers fbal! be under cover opened at one end—the port-matters to receive 50 per Cent of the postage. The residue of Mr. Williamfon's amendment was agreed to. ' Mr. Liverniore moved that the proviso, which empowers the contraiftiMS to carry newspapers, should beftruck out. ' Mr. Page obfer veil, that in difpofmg of this business, rlie uimoft c;.ution ought ro be ufeii left some infringement of the liberty oftlieprefs should be the consequence.—We have f;jbjecled the printers of papers to a certain tax for fend ing their papers by the mail ; and now it is pro posed to cut them off from all opportunity of making their own contracts—He thought the bu siness ought to be Amplified as much pofiible —and the printers left to themselves to difyofe of their publications as they think proper, inde pendent of the mail. Mr. Barnwell supported the motion, he fai.l that bv retaining the clause, t he pott-office would be fubjerted to innumerable impolitions. The proviso was Itruck out—and another nro pofed by Mr. Boudinot, to the fame pnrpofe,with an addition, fubjetfying papers sent by contract, to the infpe&ion of the poflr-mafters. This motion was objected to, as it would ope rate against the revenue of the pod-office. Mr. Boudinot observed, that in forming the contracts, the contractors always agreed for a less consideration, on account of the advantage derived from carrying newspapers. This motion was alio disagreed to. The committee then rose and reported the bill with amendments to rhe House. MONDAY, January 16, The meflage from the President of the United States, relative to the fituarion of the Western Frontirs, being the Order of the Day, after read ing petitions, the House went into a committee of the whole, and the galleries were cleared. TUESDAY, January 17. A bill to reimburse ceitain extra cxpences in curred by the late commissioners for treating of peace with the Creek Indians, was read the firft tune A representation and memorial of Christopher Junior, and Charles Marshal, Hating that they have established a chemical laboratory ir. the ci ty of Philadelphia, for the manufacture of Jinl- Armoniac, Glauber Salts, &c. and praying the p tronage of Congress, by laying extra duties on those articles imported from abroad—was read and 13icl on the table. Several petitions for pensions and com petifati ons were read,and refered to the Secretary of war. A petition of Henry Lee was read, prayingthe renewal of a certificate of public debt, which bad been deftroyed—referred to tlie Secretary of the Treafiiry. Mr. Murray moved that the petition of John F. Amelnng should betaken up in order to its being referred to the Secretary of the Treofury. Mr. White objected to going into the discussi on of any business of a private nature, while pub lic concerns of the fir ft importance demand the immediate attention of the House. i he queflion being put for taking up the pe tition, it was negatived. Mr. Dayton laid the following refolntion, in Aibftance, on the table, that the President of the United States be requested to cauf'e to be laid be fore ihe House copies of the official communica tions which have taken place between the Su preme Executive of the State of Pennsylvania, and the Secretary of War, relative to a plan of military operations—also such documents as may have been received refpecfting an invasion of the frontiers of this State. The order of the day on the President's mes sage refpeifting the wellern frontiers, being cal led for, the galleries were (hut. BOSTON, January 2. Capt. Clap, in the brig Lion, arrived at Port land 011 Saturday, the 24th ult. from Por!-au- Prince, and intorms, that on the 22d of Novem ber, that place was fee on fire by the Mulattoes, and almofl entirely dellroyed. Immediately aher the town was deftroyed,the Whites (on the idea that the Blacks were accef lory to its deftruiftion) formed the horrid dejign of putting to death all the Negro and Mulatto women and children, who remained in the town. And this design, to the eternal infamy of the per petrators, was put immediately into execution. An indiscriminate llaughter took place ; and not one who couid be found during that, cay whe ther innocent or guilty, but was inft n:3i'.epufly butchered, either by a bullet through the head, or a bayonet into their bowels. Capt. Clap lefc Port-au Prince the 2Jth of No vember ; at which time the tow; was fliil- sur rounded by the Mulattoes and Negroes. The Whites were greatly dilciuraged, and were dif po fed to njake peace on any terms.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers