IB PARIS, October p. THERE is ageneral canvass for the offices of Mayor of Paris, Procurator Syndic, &c. but it is believed, that the Democratic party will pi e vail, and that M. Peythion will be Mayor, and M. Roberfpierre Syndic. NATIONAL LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY. Thursday, Ocft. 13. The Afleinbly called for the order of the day The commiflioners appointed to examine the archives, reported that the number of papers contained in them was so great, that to examine the whole would have taken several months. M. Camus, the archivilte, had promised to give them an abftradt of the whole within two days, and had kept bis word. This abftracft they had found so ably made out, so clear in arrangement, and so accurate in its details, as far as they had had the means of examining them, that they thought it more honorable to adopt it, and inform the afleinbly, to whom they were indebted for it, than toprefent any thing less perfetft of their own. The reading of this abftrait, which contained an admirable account of the committees appoint ed by the constituting aflembly, the powers ■which the neceflity of the times;' had obliged them to aflame, the powers which they ought to exercise in less arduous circumstances, what progiefs each of them had made in' the matters laid before them, and theready means by which any new committee might take up the fame sub jetfts, where the former committees had left them, took «p the greater part of the day. The aflenibly ordered, that honorable men tion ihould be made in the minutes of this im portant voluntary, service, performed by M. Ca mus, and agreed to take his account of the com mittees as the basis of their plan. * LONDON, November 16 Very warm debates lately took place in the Polifli Diet at Warsaw, occasioned by a propof'ed revision of the Administrative Commiflions, part of which for the Crown, and part for the duchy of Lithuania. The King and his party triumph ed, as usual, over all opposition. Several arti cles at lfcngth were unanimously agreed to, which equally favor the Crown of Poland and the Du chy of Lithuania. Theodore Ropp, an inhabitant of Lithuania, has fettled a fpm of money for portioning three poor girls annually on the 3d of May, in com memoration of the Polifli revolution. The liberty of the Press gains ground even at Vienna. A work is lately publi/hed there, with the pcrmiflion ofgovernment, entitled, " Of the duty of Monarchs, and the Provincial States, to alleviate ibe burden ot the public expences, and of that of subjects, not to pass the limits of obe dience." In this treadle the author declaims a gain ft the exemption of the Nobility and Clergy from taxes, and the iiij u slice of confining the molt diftinguilhed and lucrative employments to the former. He reprobates a!fo the game laws, as deftruc r tive of agriculture, andperfonal servitude as pregnant with every political mifchief. Sorcery, though extindl in nioft parts of tiie world, ft ill exists at Rome, where the reverend Father Altizza was lately seized for this crime, by order of the Holy and enlightened office of Inquilirion. The Chevalier Erao, has seized, two Tunisian cruizers,under the cannon of Baftia, in the island of Corsica. The Bey has reclaimed them from the French commandant, and declared, that, if tKey are not delivered up within the space of two months, he will declare war againlt the Na tional Flag. M. Collot d'Hei bois has gained the prize of IJ louis d'ors, offered by the Jacobins, for the bed patriotic Almanack. The judges were M. M. Condorcet, Clavieres, and M. Dufaux. M. Collot has presented the sum received, a mong such of his brother patriots as are in dis tress. I n many particulars we think the new confti tutiaii of France much better than our own ; and especially in those most important points, which relate to the election and duration of "the repre sentative body, and to the entire separation of religion from politics. On the fubjeJt of this lnlt article, one cannot but admire at the perti nacious ItifFnefs of our civil and eccleliaftical ru lers. Our countrymen are but too visibly cramp ed in their religion, violated in their morality, and ensnared in their consciences. If thisiUand should still persevere in imposing telts and sub scriptions, after the unnatural and unhallowed alliance of church and state is no less wifely than virtuously diflolved in a neighbouring kingdom (France)it will bedifgraceful to us,asProteltams ; if we continue to impede, and confound and eni barrafs the kingdom of Heaven by mixing it with the kingdom of this world, after they have been ferered by an Atfembly, which some among us do not scruple to ftigmafize as an assembly 0 f infi dels and Atheitts, it will be difgraceful to us not only as Protestants, but as the disciples of ChriC and as the servants of the living God. CONGRESS. PHILADELPHIA HOUSE OF R E PRESENTJTIVES, FRIDAY, December 30, 1791. A Motion Jor referring the Petition of the Inhabitants of Northumberland Cerl/ity, againfl the Excise, to the Secretary of the Treaftiry, occaftoned some con versation. * MR. GILES objected to such reference as im proper—He thought the fubjedt coguiza ble by the House only. Mr. Gerry made some remarks, which were opposed to a more particular attention to this pe tition than to others 011 the fame subject—He thought the petition improper, as it prays for a repeal of the law—he threw out some reflections on the people of the Western counties for their want of patriotifin, in not paying taxes for the fupportof t heir Hate government —and now, said he, they appear to wiih to get rid of all contribu tion for the support of the general government also. [ Mr. Findley observed that it Had been custo mary to refej- the petitions to the Secretary of the Treasury. If this regulation had not been adopted, he fljould now be opposed to ii. He replied to Mr. Gerry, and defended the charac ter of the people of the W«itern counties—said they had paid their taxes for the support of the state government with promptitude. Observa tions of a contrary kind, he knew, had got into the newspapers, which he thought were very un candid ajid improper—but he was sorry to hear such obfervationsfrom the members of thishoufe The present petition, however, is not, said he, from a Western county. The motion for the reference was agreed to. On the Report of the Select Committee refpefliag Re ceipts and Expenditurts of Pub lie Monies. Mr. Livernrore rose for enquiry as to the de nomination of legislative proceedings which this report was to receive, whether it was to be en acted into a law, or to be considered as a (landing rule of the house. Mr. Gerry replied—He said the objetft was to obtain such information, from time to time, as was necedary to forming a judgment relpedting the propriety of additional taxes. The com" mittee has taken such steps as they thought pro per—the result is before the house, and it re mains for them to dispose of it as they may think proper—he however thought that there would be a propriety in making it a standing rule of the house—he said it would be adting agreeable to the Constitution, which expressly fays that such an account (hall be exhibited. Mr. Livermore said he could net fee any pro priety in this mode of proceeding—he was in fa vor of as full an investigation into the expendi tures of public money as any man—but he tho't that no rule or standing order of the house could controul the law. A law is already enacted for the regulation of the Treasury Department ii this law is defective, it may be amended—but he had no idea of* doing buiincfs in tliis way. the gentleman has observed, wa have a right tc call for such an account whenever we please a greeable to laws already ena<fted, and therefor* the reflations appear to be fnperceded—befules he doubted whether the power of this house ex tended to the making rules which fjiall bind an' future C f -ongrefs. Mr. Giles undertook to (hew, from the Confti ution, that one Congress had a right to prescribe ules for a subsequent shewed that everal difad vantages would accrue from thecon rary position, and in fad: do already exist in con eqttence of the house having atfed on the oppo lte luppofiuon. ' Mr. Gerry contended that the regulation pro ofed was ncceffary, in order to securing this im portant objert-the house has a right to call for his information ; the Conftieution has made it our duty to do i o, and we have a right,to fay in what manner and at what periods this informa tion lhall be received. Mr. Bourne said he conceived the resolutions were entirely fuperfluous, as the law was exprels on the fubjecft. He called for the reading the law—which was done. s Mr. Barnwell spoke in favor of the resolutions— Mr. Livermore denied the right of one house to impose rules on another_He said the supposi tion, in his opinion, was contrary to several ex pvefs provisions in the Condition ; to prove * refcrred t0 Several pans of the inftru- 310 Mr. Murray Was of opinion that the practice of the house jultified the adoption of the resolutions now under consideration—he referred to the Se cretary of the Treasury's report 011 maoufa&ures which had been ordered by a former house and' received by the present. ' Mr. Gerry,'in reply to Mr. Bourne, observed, (hat the article in the law jo ft read, had refpec't only to the eflimates of receipts and expenditures. An eflimate, he supposed, was a very different thingfrom an account. Mr. Williamfon fuppofted the resolutions He said the present Congress had.a right to make such rules and regulations refpeding ihe treasu ry as they thought proper; and to fay thatthofe rules shall be perpetual—still a future Congress may repeal them, and establish others which they may fay fnall be (landing rules. Mr. Niles wished foine rules similar to those proposed fhocM be adopted—He denied the risht of one Congress, in its rliles and bind another. On this principle, the present house may chufe a speaker for a subsequent house. The question never has been for repealing the rules and regulations of a former house ; but whether they shall be adopted ?— He wished for a law on the subject, but w as oppoled tp the bn linefs in its present form. Mr. Clark was in favor of adopting some m«a fures to obtain the information in question—but he thought the present house had no more right to bind a future house by a (landing rule iij this refpedt, than they have to fay that the speaker of the next house (hall wear a tye wig He moved an amendment, by makingtherefolution toread " that the return (hould be made on the foiirth Monday of October next." This motion was se conded, but not agreed to. One of the resolutions offered by the commit tee, after some modification, was agreed to ; the other rejected. MONDAY, January 23 A letter from the Comptroller of the Treasury was read, inclosing a statement of the extra ex pences, not allowed, incurred by the Commissi oners appointed to treat with the Creek Indians. Sundry petitions for pensions, compenfatious, &c. were read and referred. The order of the day being called for, on the report of the Secretary of the Treasury on the petition of Catharine Greene, several member objected to taking op this business, being of a private nature, while matters of the greatelt public importance demand the immediate atten tion of Congress. . The question being taken, the motion for going into a committee of the whole on this bnfinefs was carried, 21 to 16 And Mr. Livermore took the chair. After a lengthy debate, the question was put for agreeing to the fir ft resolution, in the fol lowing words : *' Resolved, as the opinion of this committee, That the estate of tlVe late Major General Grcyne ought tofce indemnified for the engagements en tered into by that General, with certain persons in the State of South-Carolina, for the purpose of obtaining supplies for the army of the United States, under his command, in the year 1783. Which was negatived, 28 to 25. The committee then rose, and the chairman reported that the committee of the whole house had had under consideration a report of the.Se cretary of the Trea(ury on the petition of Catha ri.ie Greene—and had come to no resolution thereon. Mr. Macon then moved that the committee of the wnole should be discharged from any further proceedings on the fubjecft— which motion was agreed to. Mr. Bourne then laid on the table a refolutien for referring the Secretary's report,together with Mis. Greene s petition, and the vouchers accom panying it, to a feledi committee, with instruc tion to enquire into the facfts which rendered it neceflhry tor General Greene to become security to Banks arid Co. and the nature, circumstances, ami amount of the original debt, and the obliga tions entered into by General Greene for pay meat thereof; with an account of the monies or collateral security received by the obligees, or by General Greene in his life time, or his represen tatives since his death, in part thereof ; and the eventual lof's which his estate will sustain in con sequence of the said securities s—and5 —and after exa mining all the circumstances, and such further evidence as may be offered relative to the tranf acftion, to report their opinion thereon to the house. A mefTage was received from the President of the United States, by Mr. Secretary Lear, con veying certain documents received from the Le gislature of the State of Virginia, refpediing lands located by the officers and soldiers of the Virgi nia line, under the laws of that State, and lince ceded to the Chicafaw Indians.—Also informing the house, that the President had this day ap proved signed an acft for extending the time limiited for fettling the accounts of the United Siaies with the individual States.
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