its foil, and the variety of products it is capable of affording, is of all others the molt to be dread ed, for the conltant thunder, rain and ftifling heat which prevails at least four months in the year, produces such a corrupted air, that, in a few hours all animal food is reduced to a state of putrefatflion, and such of the wretched inha bitants who survive owe their preservation to confining themselves within doors, to avoid the dreadful pestilential infection ofthe atmosphere. The tornadoes in that part of Guinea are fright ful and astonishing, for the most horrible dark ness comes on at noon-day, and nature, in a mo ment, puts on a dreadful, awful appearance, which fills the minds with horror, and makes e ven the brute creation to tremble. About the year 1787, an attempt was made to form a settlement at this very place, by fending a number of Negroes from and about London. The success of that enterprize and the melan choly fate of the unfortunate advenurers, can not be more correiftly stated than from the fol lowing extra# from the proceedings of the ve nerable society for propagating theGofpel in fo reign parts, and with which 1 shall for the pre sent conclude. PHILANTHROI'OS. \The Extra fit iv'ill appear in our next. J RESOLUTIONS passed in the late GENERAL ASSEM- BLY of the COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA IN THE HOUSE OF DELEGATES, Wednesday, Oft. 26, 1791. THE General AflemblyofVirginia, confidcring it as one among the important privileges of the pecple, that the doors of the Senate of the United States should be open when they are exercis ing their jndicial or legifiative funftioos. Resolved therefore, That the Senators of this Commonwealth in the Senate of the United States, use their utmost endeavors to procure the ad million of the citizens of the United States to hear the debates of their house, whenever they are fitting in their legis lative capacity. Resolved also, That the Senators of this commonwealth in the Senate of the United States, use their utmost endeavors to procure the admiflion ot the citizens of the United States, whenever the Senate ftiall be fitting in its judicial capacity. November 1,1 79** Agreed to by the Senate. Tuesday, November 8. Resolved, That the violation of the seventh article of the treaty of peace on the part of his Britannic Majesty, has been highly in jurious to the citizens of this commonwealth, and that measures ought to be taken by the federal government to enforce the due execution of the said article of the treaty. Resolved, That the memorial from the counties of Princess Anne, Norfolk, Nanfemono, and Isle of Wight, with the above Tefolution, be transmitted by the executive of this commonwealth to the Prelident of the United States. November 14, 1791. Agreed to by the Senate. Thu RsDay, December 15. "Whereas considerable expences have been incurred by this commonwealth, since the adoption of the federal constitution, in the necessary defence of the frontier* from the invasions and de predations of the ravages: and whereas one ot the essential objefls of the said constitution is to provide tor the common defence, in order to promote which, this commonwealth has relinquiftied many valuable sources of revenue : Resolved, That the applicatiorvof the executive to the general government for a reimbursement of the (aid expences, is not only jult and proper, but discovers a laudable zeal for the interest of the commonwealth, well deserving the approbation of the General Aiiembly, and they are requested therefore to persevere in their den>ands ; and to insist on a compliance with them. December :6, 179 1 * Agreed to by the Senate. CONGRESS. PHILADELPHIA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, THURSDAY, February 2, 1792. Tht amendments of the Senate to the P oft-Office Bill •were taken into consideration by the House. of the amendments was to strike out Ex- rter• from the general route of tlie port. Mi. Gilman rose in opposition to this amend ment-. I hope, said he, the alteration will not be a greed to—when this bill went up to the Senate, a "r/l'- 1 ' ormeC ' Was comm i t ted to a committee conlilting of a member from each state—that the alterations were made in that committee, and af terwards agreed to in Senate without much de bate. In that committee this fubjert was very \J 1 al '' gentlemen who were then in favor of the amendment, are now on fur ther enquiry, decidedly againfl it. This I think a good reason why the House ought not to con cur. But, fir, I beg leave to offer some reasons why an office should be established in Exeter- It is a compact town of considerable trade and ome navigation—it has a direst trade with Bos ton, and vends considerable quantities of dry goods—this trade would be greatiy facilitated by haying the stage pass through the town But what is of more importance and more extensive in its operation, arises from the neceflary com munication which is kept up between that town and other parts of the (late—this will be perfert- Iv understood, when gentlemen are informed that the records of the state, the secretaries and treasury offices are kept there—that the records and treasury of a large county, comprehending both Portsmouth and Exeter, and extending fifty or sixty miles into the country are also kept there —and that the judicial courts of the county, the state and the United States, set there at appoint ed periods—lf is there the governor convenes his council to consult on public affairs—and it is from that place a communication should be kept up between the state and the general govern ment—from these circumstances it appears that it would be very convenient not only for Exeter, but for a considerable part of the state to have an office established there ; and as the neceflary communication between that and other towns would afford frequent opportunities to fend and receive letters by private conveyance, a doubt can hardly exist that such an arrangement would be productive to the revenue—this 1 believe to be the opinion of the post-master general. Sir, the distance from Bolton to Portsmouth does not exceed seventy miles, and that perhaps the best . road within the United States of equal extent— the objection therefore that the stage cannot pass through in a day, can have no weight, it is too absurd to deserve a serious refutation—the differ ence in the diltance between the present route of the mail, and the one proposed through Exe ter is, pasting through Kensington, about three miles, or by Hampton-Falls, about five miles the road through Kensington is a good carriage road, the stage ran that way about five years ago, before the proprietors contracted for the trans portation of the mail—it was then a pretty good road, since which it is much improved—it was therefore a falfe aflertion to fay that the road through Kensington or Hampton-Falls is bad— and 1 am persuaded that the mail passing that way could not be injurious to Portsmouth. But, fir, the opposition to this measure arises from a rivalfhip between the twotowns—Before the war, the courts and offices jufl now mentioned, were held exclusively at Portsmouth—on the com mencement of hostilities it was found conveni ent to temove them to Exeter, where it has been thought expedient to continue them—but this has excited a degree of jealousy in the minds of some persons, in the interest of Portsmouth, who are perpetually on the watch to oppose any pub lic measure calculated to promote the interest or convenience of Exeter—lf this alteration takes place, letters going to Exeter will be liable to a portage of 20 or 25 per cent more than by the present arrangement, and as the cross-post will set off but once a week, letters may lie fix or se ven days in the office at Portsmouth—this will preclude the people of Exeter from the benefit of a port, and they will be obliged to fend their letters by private conveyance as they now do. By the original conftrucftiou of the bill, the ex pence of transporting the mail would belefs than by the proposed alteration, as by extending the route of the principal mail about three miles fur ther, the travel of the cross-post is shortened 14. I therefore hope the people in that part of the state will not be deprived of rights naturally aris ing from their situation, by the prejudice and misrepresentation of those who wish to injure them, and that the amendment will not be-aereed to. Mr. Livermore—l {hall agree to the amend ment made by the Senate in this bill, to strike out Exeter, and to carry the mail by the accus tomed route, through Hampton, which is the nearelt way, ;is gentlemen have heretofore dat ed, by about five miles ; and it is also the bed road, more especially in winter, when the snow is deep, being a road more used, and consequent ly the paths better kept open. And as the bill provides that a mail (hall be carried from Ports mouth by Exeter, to the interior parts of the state, 1 think the town of Exeter will be well ac commodated, without the deviation of five miles betoie mentioned. As the flage carriages that carry the mail three times a week, between Ports mouth and Bolton, in the summer season, carry many pafl'engers from Portfmonth and from Bos ton, and other places, a deviation of five miles, and in a worse road, would be a very great in convenience to such paflengers. The distance from Boston to Portsmouth, by the usual route, is about 6; miles. This is a pretty long journey to be performed with a stage waggon in one day, which is the cafe in the summer season ; but five miles added, may induce the neceflity of travel ing sometimes after night, which would be at tended with inconveniency to the paflengers, beiid.es hindering the mail from arriving at the appointed hour. The inconvenience would also perhaps be greater in winter, in proportion to the number of paflengers, and in refpett to re tarding the mail, as some part of the new pro- Pi, route is confiderablv more liable to be blocked up with snow, for'want of travelling to keep it open, than the old route. Portsmouth being a place of considerable com merce and navigation, it is important that the mail mould arrive at its proper times, and as ear ly as potfible. The letters for Exeter are few, compared with the number for Portfniourh. The post-master bas ftafed the amount of the poftao-e of letters for Exeter, pafling through his office at 334 l ortfinoutli, to be about fifteen dollars and half, in eleven months from the firft of Tanuarv 179' ; a *U'» v ery inconsiderable indee<fcompar ed to the amount of portage received for let-en delivered in Portsmouth during the f ame period. Mr. Thatcher : I feel myfelf, f lr , as !itde ; t ere (ted in the present queition as it is possible far the gentleman just now up, from New-Hamn fhne (Mr. Livermore) Indeed I have no other inrereft in this matter than what arises from a desire to accommodate the greatelt number of people—and so far I confefs I feel interested • for any general measure that does not efFedi this gives a certain degree of pain. If the fails that have been stated be true, and the ar 2u ments drawn from them in support of the a. mendment, be conclusive, I certainly should be interested in favor of it ; because it must imme diately affect my constituents.— But, fir, the facfts are not true, nor the reasoning just.' Sir the real matter in. dispute between Portsmouth and Exeter, has not yet been understood— and I ctkiceive it to be simply this : shall the mail from Boston arrive at Exeter about two hours earlier on the fame day, than at Portsmouth ; or shall it arrive at Portsmouth firft, and to Exeter the next day, or within fix or seven days after' This, fir, is the real queftion—for whetherit partes through Exeter, or through Hampton as it now does, it will reach Portsmouth on the fame day it leaves Boston, and about the fame hour, if the hour of arrival at Portsmouth be fixed at eight o'clock in the summer time, the post may accomplish the route through Exeter with ease—and lie will do no more if he pafles through Hampton : this brings us t6 an exami nation of the reasons offered in favor of the amendment, which go altogether to shew that if the route be established through Exeter,the mail will not arrive at Portsmouth on the fame day it leaves Boston—and consequently the mer chants at that place will be injured—and not on ly so, but 'tis said, the Portland mail will be de layed another day. Did I believe, iir, tberewaj the least shadow of reason for this apprehension, I should be the firft for agreeing to the amend, ment ; but, fir, 'tis all a pretence, a whim in vented for no other reason, than to prevent the mail's arriving at Exeter before it does at Ports mouth. The gentleman (Mr. Livermore) has said the route from Boston to Portsmouth through Exeter, is about five miles farther, than through Hamp ton — he does not pretend to fay it is more ; I verily believe the difference is rot more than three miles—if it is so much as that ; but for the fake of the argument I will admit there it the difference contended for by the gentleman ; we will examine the question on that fuppoli tion, and fee if there arises a probability that the increased distance will prevent the arrival ofthemailat Portsmouth on the day it leaves Boston. It seems to be agreed that the old route from Boston to Portsmouth is about sixty four or five miles ; now 'tis a facft, fir, that prior to the building the bridges across Mystic and Beverly rivers the stage palled this route in a day—al though at Beverly Ferry it was detained from thirty to forty minutes where it now partes in two, and,it was obliged to go round by tbe town of Mystic—which is two miles farther than where it now crofles on the bridge ; by these bridges then we may consider five miles taken off the whole distance—so that admitting the ob jection of the addition of five miles, as the gen tleman wifhestohave it, the mail may now pass, in a day, from Boston to Portsmouth through Exeter, with the fame ease and certainty that ic did before the erection of these bridges, through Hampton Falls—the route contemplated by the amendment ; and I must ,beg leave further to observe, that a bridge is about to be thrown across Merrimack River, which will considerably add to the facility of parting ; and may well be counted upon as a further deduction of the dif- ance It has been said by the gentleman from New- Hampshire (Mr. Livermore) that the road from Portsmouth to Newbury-Port is a good road ; I agree with him in this point ; I am as perfectly acquainted with the road from Portfmouih to Newbury-Port as he can be—l know every patch of sand, or rock in the way, that can carriage ; but as good as it is, I presume he will acknowledge there is more sandy heavy rpad for wheel carriages, in this part of the line than all the reft of the way to Boston ; so that fon-ething oughtto be carried to the credit of the Exeter route becatife it avoids this sand. 'Tis said the road through Kensington to Exeter, is blocked up with snow in the winter time—granted as to some particular seasons ; but the fame is also the cal'e as to Hampton road ; 1 have often knov*w the Hampton road so blocked up that the ft32e could not run for several weeks , this was rhe cafe last March, and I was then informed that the road through Kensington and Exeter wa» paflable for the ltage earlier than the Hamp'c n > and here to be noted thete is a cm' 1 ' 3 ? near-half a mile in length in Hampton, o*er which the passing is not only difficult in the * in "
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