A message from the of the United
States, was delivered by Mr. Secretary Lear, to
gether with a rtateinent of certain articles of ex
pense, which have occurred in the department of
foreign affairs, and for which 110 provilion is
made by law. — [The expense alluded to, was in
curred for the relief of a number of American
sailors, imprelled in England to serve on board
the Britifti navy.]— The tnellage and accompa
nying papers were referred to a feletil commit
tee, to examine and report.
A bill for apportioning representatives among
the several states, according to the fir ft enume
ration ; and making provilion for a second enu
meration, and an apportionment of representa
tives thereon, to compote the houle of represent
atives after the 3d day of March, 1797 —was read
u second time, ordered to be printed, and refer
ed to a committee of the whole house 011 Mon
day next.
The committee, to whom was refered the re
port of the Secretary of the Treasury 011 the pe
tition of Comfort Sands and others, made a re
port, which was read and oidered to lie on the
table.
Mr. W. Smith laid on the table a resolution,
that the Secretary of State be directed to lay be
fore the honfe copies of such laws as have been
adopted and published by the governor and judg
es of the territory north weft of the Ohio.
Mr. Gerry gave notice, that, if the poft-office
bill is, by the approbation of the President, pass
ed into a law in its present form, he will move
for bringing in a bill, to amend it, by reducing
the portage of newspapers.
The committee, appointed for that purpose,
reported a bill, providing for the settlement of
the claims of persons under particular circum
stances, barred by the limitations heretofor efta
blifhed ; —which was twice read, ordered to be
printed, and reset ed t j a committee of the whole
house on Wednesday next.
The house then resolved itfelf into a commit
tee of the whole on the fiftiery bill, and having
gone through, and amended it, rose and report
ed it with the amendments, which the house im
mediately took into consideration, and adopted.
The bill was then further amended, and the
houfc adjourned.
THURSDAY, February 9
The bill for the encouragement of the bank
am! other tod-fifheries, and for the regulaiion
and government of the fifhermen employed there
in, was read a third time, and pafled—Yeas 38,
Nays 21
IWelT'rs. Ames, Barnwell, Benfon, Boudinot, S.
Bourne, B, Bourne, Clark, Dayton, Fitzfinions,
Gerry, Gilman, Goodhue,Gordon,Gregg,Griffin,
Hartley, Hillhoui'e, Huger, Kittera, Lawrance,
Learned, Lee, Livermore, Madison, Muhlenberg,
Wiles, Schoonmaker, J. Smith, f. Smith, W.
Smith, Sterret, Sturges, Sylvester, Thatcher,
Treadvvell, Vining Wadfworth, Wayne—3B.
Meflrs. Afhe, Baldwin, Brown, Giles, Grove,
Heiiter, Key, Macon, Mercer, Moore, Murray,
Page, Parker, Seney, Steele, Sumpter, Tucker,
Venable, While, Williainfon, Wyllis— 2l.
The House then resolved itfelf into a commit
tee of the whole—Mr. W. Smith in the chair—
on a bill (received from the Senate) relative to
the election of a President and Vice President of
the United States, and declaring the officer who
fliall aift as President in cafe of vacancies in the
offices both of President and Vice-Prefident.
The ninth fe<Sion was Itruck out, in wlych the
President of the Senate pro tempore was delig
nated to a<ft as President, in cafe of vacancies in
both of the above mentioned offices.
A motion was then made to add a new fetflion
to the bill, appointing the senior AfTociate Judge
as the person ro fill the vacancy. A motion was
made to amend this propoiltion, by substituting
the Secretary of State, instead of the senior Aflo
ciate Judge. A short debate ensued, after which,
the committee rose without taking the question,
reported progreft, and obtained leave to fit again.
' Mr. Lawrance presented a petition from the
tanners and curriers of the city W New-York,
praying relief from the hardships they labor un
der, in conftfquence of the exportation of tan
ner's bark. Referred to the fame committee to
whom a similar petition was referred yesterday.
Mr.'S. Bourne, from the committee of enrol
ment, presented to The Speaker the pod-office
bill duly enrolled; who signed the fame,.
FRIDAY, February io.
Sundry petitions were read and referred to
the heads ot departments.
Mr. Muhlenberg presented a petitition from
the tanners of Philadelphia, fimilarl to the pe
titions from the tanners of New-Jersey and New
\oik ; amotion to refer this petition to the
coinmitttee on the two last petitions, occasioned
lome debate —the motion was aoreed to.
On motion of Mr. Fitzlimons, the petition of
C. and C. Marital was referred to the commit
YEAS
NAYS
Adjourned
tee of the whole house on. the fubje<& of manu
factures.
Mr. Wayne moved the following resolution
in substance : 1 hat the fitting member for the
lower cjtftrict ut Georgia, and James Jack foil,
the |>etjtioner against the validity of the elec
tion of * said member— Should be furnifhed ref
pedtively on application, with copies of such de
positions and documents relative to said election,
as may be received by the Speaker; this resolu
tion was agreed ro.
The resolution, that the Secretary of State lay
before the house copies of the acts and resolves,
parted by the Governor and Judiciary of the
Weffern Territory—was agreed to.
111 committee of the whole on the bill relative
to the election of a President and Vice-President
of the United Slates, &c.
Mr. Ben lon's motion to insert the Senior djfo
ciate "judge, as the officer to fill the vacancy in
the office of President and Vice-President, was
negatived.
Mr. Giles's motion to insert ihe Secretary of
State, was then difculled, and, after some debate,
adopted—2B 10 21.
The committee rose and reported the bill,
with the amendments, to the House, which took
the fame into confederation : The firft amend
ment was to strike out the 9th fec f tion, which
provided that the President of the Senate pro
tempore, should aift as President in cafe of vacan
cy— this amendment was agreed to—ayes 32
noes 24.
The substitute which provides that the vacancy
shall be filled by the Secretary of State for the
time being, was also adopted—33 members rising
in the affirmative.
Several amendments in addition were propos
ed—some of which were disagreed to—One mo
ved by Mr. Hillhoufe, to determine the number
of elecftors, was discussed till an adjournment
was called for, and no decision took place.
A ineflage from the Senate informed the House
that they have agreed to their amendments to
the fifhery bill.
BOSTON, January 28.
On Thursday afternoon came before the House
of Representatives, the report of the committee
011 the law for preventing stage plays, and other
theatrical entertainments—" That it was not ex
pedient to repeal that law." The report was
opposed, in a sensible and judicious fpeecli, by
Mr. Tudor ; Mr. Gardiner delivered an elaborate
and learned cflay to prove it confident with the
principles of christianity and good morals, and
Dr. Jarvis displayed ihe blaze of eloquence in a
speech, pure, forcible and refinedly ingenious.
Yet all this, enforced by observations from other
gentlemen, and not opposed by any other speak
er, did not produce conviiftion in the house, who
accepted the report by 99 votes out of 143.
Philadelphia, February 11.
The Briti/h December Packet arrived at New-
York on Tuesday lait. Accounts by her, are re
ceived to the beginning of December.
Lord Cornwallis writes from India, that he had
attacked and totally defeated Tippo before Se
ringapatain—but on account of the Monsoons set
ting in earlier than usual, he found himfelf ob
liflied to retreat to Bangalore, without making
an attempt on Tippoo's capital.
The English and Parisian articles of intelli
gence, are to the 2d December—They refer prin
cipally to the movements of the counter revolu
tionists—some in a ridiculous way, others more
serious. No decisive lteps appear to have been
taken by the ex-princes.
ORIGINAL COMMUNICATIONS
The people have seldom cause to feai\that ac
cusers of their government will be wanting.
The rifle is, that a sudden and patfionate censure
will be paded upon their rulers. The pleasure
of the people is often opposed to their interest.
Public men are at least apt enough to yield to
the love of popularity. The greater danger is
that they will want firmnefs when great things
are to be obtained by disregarding little ones.
It concerns the people therefore todealont their
censure sparingly ; and never till enquiry has
firft been had. In that cafe, many men whoj>of
fefs virtue, but want firmnefs, wiil dave to serve
the public faithfully.
Every thing has its season—There is a kind of
fafhion in the turn of writing, oil political fub
jetfts especially, which every warrior of the quill
is fond of following. He likes to step to the
tune that is playing : when the government
was firft adopted, they came forward in ranks,
keeping time to the music ; What a ble[fedgovern
mtnt—what a wife government —the -wonder of th?
world ; public credit will be protest
ed, we shall be a nation, ire.—then the tune chan
ged again—This government wants amendments
without amendments 'tis a terrible government, a ty
ranny—hrdfhipi will be as thick as taverns, and we
321
Adjourned till Monday
shall get as much intoxicated with them—The amend
ments, like cold -water, -will keep us temperate and Co
ber. After the fir ft Congress met, what salaries—
what a burden on the country—the public debt will
not oe paid—the money all goes Jor Jalaries—trade is
taxed t» death—the land is ready to Jink under the
weight oj taxes, which are not laid to pay them—the
wheat will blajl—the grass will not grow—tte ships
will not fail-the tide will not rife, becaufc of high sa
laries. The second fefiion of the firft CongVefs
brought a new fy flein of grievances into fafhion
IVhy does Congress hear Quaker petitions, andnegleft
providing for the public debt P—why is it notfunded ?
—the public creditors are jlarving—Cong) ej sis trow
ing fat in Jloth aud good pasture—while the time is
loft in making and hearing Qilaker frmons, for aud
against flavsry. The debt was funded':—out
rushed an angry tribe of writers, crying, rogues
and cheats—Congress hat cut of the jyft demands of
the creditors— 4 per cent, in/lead of 6—and one third
of the debt 'deferred jor ten years, without interejt.
The state governments pursued the idea, and
made up the deficiency to their creditors.
That tapic was worn out, and then the oppofue
dodtrine was taken up : — Congress has given too
much—the public creditors are living in luxury—such
a flood oj wealth will drown us—What will btcomeof
all this sea of money P—lnduftry will turn lounger
economy will keep open doors—virtue itches to take a
bribe, and republicanism has loft her voice, and is
choaking with her own fat. IVe might have gone on
without funding the debt and mortgaging the reve
nues—w; pay too much to the creditors— we might
have paid the debt e after —we might have paid it with
out paying, and have kept our money and our tem
pers, and have had no taxes—and all this we mi«ht
have done, and have kept our credit as good as it was.
Now the Indian war seems to have beaten the
debt, and the lordfliips, aud the Quakers, and
the amendments, as soundly as it has beaten the
brave St. Clair, and his army. Nothing but the
Indian war—How cruel to kill the Indians—how
joolijh to jend regular armies, which will not kill
them. Poor humanity is ready to die of grief, be
cause you take their lands—yon seek their lives', and
advifs to fend volunteers to kill them all. It is
not flrange that a fubjetl should be left as soon
as the public is tired of it; —but the curiosity is,
that one fide of it should be taken, and then the
other, so that the accusation may never lanauifli.
1 find by reading tbe papers, that Congrefs°is al
ways in the wrong—it errs by forbearing to act,
as well as by acting :—and if the advice of the
complainers is followed, they turn about to the
other fide, and condemn them for having done
it. Is the public opinion nndeady—or are there
a few men (a few can make a great noise) who
lie in wait, and l'eize every opportunity, Speci
ally public disasters, to make the people hate the
government as bitterly as they do themselves
" Between two stools wp are likely to fall to
the ground."—rThe people found the state go
vernments incompetent to the prefervatipn.of the
Union, or the support and encouragement of
their trade, a criculture,& manufactures ;
it is a late discovery that the general govern
ment is equally incompetent to these objedis, par
ticularly in regard to the two laft.—lf we are
thus circumstanced, our boasted sovereignty and
independence are but empty founds.
How different have events turned out from the
predidions of those who opposed the funding
fyftein ! —Have any of the Ethiopeans changed
their Ikin ?—Let recent publicationsanfwer
" All human virtue to its latfft breath,
Finds envy never conquered but by death;
The great Alcides, ev'rv Lihor past,
Had yet this monflcr to subdue at last."
This day the President of the United States
enters into the 61 ft year of his age.
At a meeting of the of the Bank of the United States,
tin Monday,laft, the following Gentlemen were chosen Direfior*
for the office of Dcpofit'and Difcoumt in the town of Baltimore :
Smith Stephen Wilson
James Weft Nicholas Slubey
James Carey David Stewart ,
Adriai) Valck Geoige Gale
Archibald Campbell Jaffnes Dall
John Swain John Holmes, jun.
Christopher David Harris, Cajkicr.
SUPREME COURT OF the UNITED STATES.
Friday, Feb. 10, 1792.
The Court met pursuant to adjournmen—prefent
The Hon. William Cushing,")
Tames Wilson, v arr » >
John Blair, ( Affocute Judges.
J. 4 mes Iredell, )
No business being before the Court, it adjourned till to-morrow
11 o'clock.
The Judges appeared on the bench in their robes ps office.
•„* Sundry favors omitted, (hall appear in our next.
Erratum—ln our last, under the Philadelphia head, middle
column, for 14 a small (chooneifrom Jamaica" read, from Jeremy;
which is a port in Hifpaniola.
ADVERTISEMENT,
fcT THE Subfcribeis for 1 his Gazette, in the City and State
of New-York, or to the kaflward of said State, are requested to
pay any arrearage which niay be due from thim refpeftively, to
MclTrs. Prosper Wetmore & Brothers, No. q, Burlinz-
Slip, New-York.
Philadelphia, February n
JOHN, F£NA'C.