thereof duly convidedi (hall forfeitand pay, for every such offence, the funi of one hundred dol lars. And be it further enacted, That every printer of newspapers may fend one-paper to each and every other primer of nevvfpapers ;within the United States, free os-pottage, under such regu lations as tl>e Poflmalier-General (liall provide. And be it further exacted, That all newspa pers conveyed in the mail, /hall be under a cover open at one end, carried in separate bags from letters, and charged with the payment' of one cent for any dittance not niorethan one hun dred miles, and one cent and a half for any greater dittance : And it (hall be the duty of the pott matter-general and his deputy, to keep a separate account for the newspapers, and the deputy poll-matters /hall receive fifty per cent, on the pod age of all newspapers : And if any other matter or thing lie enclofedin such papers, the whole packet lhall be charged, agreeably to the rates ettablifhed by this act, for letters or packets. Atid if any of the persons employed in any department of the pott-office, fliall unlaw fully detain, delay, embezzle or destroy any ne.wfpaper, with which he (hall be entrusted, such offenders, for every such offence, (hall for feit a lum not exceeding fifty dollars : Provided, that the poft-mafler-general, in any contraift, he may enter into, for the conveyance of the mail, may authorize the person, with whom such con tratfi is made, to carry newspapers, other than those conveyed in the-niail. Ami be it further enacted, That the pofl-maf icr-general be, and he is hereby authorized to allow to the deputy poft-matteis, refpedlively, inch commission on the monies arising from the postage of letters and packets, as he shall think adequate to their rcfpective Cervices : Provided, That the said commission (hall not exceed forty per cent to any deputy, whose conipenfation thereby (ball not exceed fifty dollars, nor thirty per cent to any deputy, whose compensation thereby shall not exceed one hundred dollars, nor twenty per cent to any other deputy, except the poll-matter at the port where the European packets do, or shall lleadily arrive ; to whom luch farther allowance, ii; addition to the emo luments of his office, shall be made, as the pod matter-general shall deem a reasonable conipen fation for his extra-services, in the receipt and dispatch of letters, originally received into his office, si 001 on board such packets, and by him forwarded to other offices : And provided alio, That the compcnfations aforefaid fhali not ex ceed eighteen hundred dollars per annum to any one poii mailer for all lervicesby him rendered. And be it further enatfted, That if any depu. ty post mailer, or other person authorised to re ceive the postage of letters and packets, shall ne glect or refufe to under his accounts, and pay ovei to the pofl-malter-general, the balance by him due, at the end of every three months, it shall be the duty of the polt-mafter-genei a], to caule a suit to be commenced against the person or persons so neglecting or refuting : Alid if the poft-maller-general shall not cause such suit to be commenced within three months, from the end of every such three months, the balances due from every such delinquent shall be charged to, and recoverable from the polt-malle-'- e;ene ral. s And be it further ena<fted, Tliat all pecuniary penalties and forfeitures, incurred under this acfi, shall be, one half for the life of the person 01 persons informing and prosecuting for the fame, ti'.e other half to the use of the United States. And be it further enacted, That it shall be lawful for the poft-malter-general, to make pro \jbon where it may be necelTary, for the receipt of all ,etrers and packets intended to be con veyed by any ship or vefTel, beyond sea, or from any port of the United States to another porl therein j and the letters so received shall be formed into a mail, sealed up, and directed to T, , r of lhe part lo which f,lch fll 'P or veliel shall be bound And for every lettei- or packet so .eceived, there shall be paid, at the a"!? > "n rec *P l,on » a poltage of one cent. £nd the post-master-general may make arrange ments with the poft-uiafters in any foreign coun try for the reciprocal receipt and delivery 0 f letters and packets, through the poft-olfices ft " fUn ? le ,'' ena<r,ed , That the deputy poft-mafteis, and the persons employed in the tranfponation of the mail, shall be exempt from Thereof S '° r si " C ° r I,e ' ,alt y fo '' lle S leA And be it further enacted, That all the fur plus revenue °f the general poft-ofiice, which ilia.ll have accrued previous to the firft day of June next, not heretofore appropriated, be and the fame is hereby appropriated towards defray ing o7th/5 C^ n 7 Whkh " ,ay arise in t!lc reve enfuing department for the year next And be it further enarted Thnr th» a rr , at the last session of a« to continue in force, for a limited time an ast nit,tiled, "An art for the temporary Ua bliihment of the port-office," be, and the fame is l.eieby continued in "full force, until the firlt dny of June ne\t, and no longer. And be ir further enadied, That this art riiall be in force for the ierni of two years, from the said full day of June next, and no longer. JONATHAN TRUMBULL, Speaker of the Ho'jfe of Reprfentat'ves. JOHN ADAMS, Vice-Prudent ojthe United States, and Prejidcht oj the Senate. APPROVED, '792. GEORGE WASHINGTON', President of tht United Slates. CONGRESS. PHILADELPHIA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, MONDAY, February 6. In commit tee of the whole, on the Fijhery, Bill. [CONTI N U ED.] TV/TR. GOODHUE The gentleman last up -L*-*- (Mr. Williamfon) fays, that an appropria tion of money being made by the bill now before its, and the treasury ft an ding pledged for the pay ment, therefore a diretft bounty is granted. At ptefenr, we pay in drawbacks about 4JOOO dol lars ; but we cannot fay, that this sum will be adequate to the payment of the drawbacks next year : for if a greater quantity of fifh be taken, a greater sum of course inuft be allowed : and as the Aim depends entirely 011 the quantity of fifh, it is iinpoffible to ascertain beforehand the pre cise amount ; thereis not however, in the whole bill any thing of a bounty, except the bare name. The gentleman allows that weniaj commute the prefeut drawbacks, and give them to the fiflier man inltead of the merchant: but it is impoliible to do this with fafety in any other mode than that pointed out in the bill—Shallwe leave ir to the fifherman, to be determined by his oath .' This would not be advifeable.' The plan proposed is a much less exceptionable one ; it is founded on a calculation, that ji certain quantity of tonnage is employed in taking a cer tain quantity of fifli :—on this calculation the al lowance is apportioned to the tonnage: if gen tlemen think the allowance too high, let the Ann be reduced ; but let it not be stigmatised as n bounty :itis no such thing.—The word ' Botany ' is an unfortunate expreHion ; and I wish it were entirely out of the bill. Mr. Livermore. The bill now under conside ration lias two important objects in view. The one is, to give encouragement to our fifhermen, and by that encouragement, to encrenfe their numbers : the other is ro govern those fifhermen by certain laws, by which they will be kept un der due restraint. Both these objeCls are of great importance to such persons as choose to employ their capitals in the fifhery business : and I believe ir will UO t be disputed that the business itfelt is of considerable importance to the United States, insomuch as it affords a certain propor tion of remittance or exportation to foreign conn tries j and docs not impoverish the country, but enriches it by the addition of so much wealth drawn from the sea. It is the objeCt of those gentlemen, who favor the bill, that the fifhermen Ihould have some en couragement, not given to them at the expense o. the United' States, but directed to them out of what was, in the former law, called a drawback of the duty on fait. 1 lie calculation, as I understand, has been made as nearly as pofTible, to give that draw back not to the merchants who export the fifli but to the fifliermen who take it, in order to en' creale that description of men, without whofc a hifancj it is in vain'to expect any benefit from the fifiieries : forif the merchants,at prefenten in that branch, poilefled the whole capita} ot the United States, yet if they cannot get fifli ernien, they canm t carry on the fhhery . this is done by a particular class of men, who mufl be not only expert f'eamen, but also accnitomec! to taking the fifli and curing it. If these men can not be had, the capital cannot be employed ; and those who undertake the business, cannot carry it on, or reap any profit from it. Whilst the drawback is payable only to the merchant who exports the fifli, it is impossible to convince the fifhermen, that they reap from it any advantage whatever: or if some of the more < ifcerning among them do perceive any advan tage in it, the others who are not so cleai-fitrht ed cannot difcem it, and are therefore not dis posed to undertake the business. It is how e v er of considerable importance to the merchants, t lat the fifherinan fnould receive a proper en couragement, even if they were obliged to allow u a bounty out of their own pocket. 354 The government of tl, e fiftermen, afier . . engagement n, this bufmefc is also neArr be provided for : otherwise f'eauent inft' 7 may occur among that class of men e . an . ces r ..n-e, ; r F d m :,ztr:rji (hipping rhemfelves for a foreign voyage! before the expiration of the fifhing season. I?, the la' er cafe, the vefTel lies u.elefs on the owner, hands ; and he, together with the whole expense of theout-fit, loses all hi, profpeds of E* gain. The two objects here mentioned, are fully provided tor in the bill. Still however it bob' jevfiedl to ••—but what is the objection >— it is . that the word 'bounty ' is twice.,fed this clause' — Let us now fee what advantage will r e s„| t f lou linking out this obnoxious ' bounty.' None ac all : the bill fays it (hall cease ; and have gen tleinen any objection to the bounty's ceafine >— Since the bouncy is to cease by this bill that advantage ~, striking it ous ?_The sense would Ihll remain the fame : aud I don'r know why we fliould make a law exprefly i 0 itrike out the word ' bounty,' but to strike out the bounty it- It is ft range to me, chat any gentleman, v. be. ' ther he is for giving a great bounty, or no' boqn ty at all, should quarrel with this un-fortunau W u- ur T -M , e ,s , i . ndeed > °" c I"" of the fetftion, which I will readily consent to strike out, an<fl believe every other gentleman who is in favor of the bill, will consent to it likewise ; and that is, the clatife which provides, thar the bounty, to be allowed and paid on every ve(lel,for one season, shall not exceed one hundred and seventy dol lars. If, when the vote is taken on the fedUon, ' there does not appear a majority of the house in lavor of (Iriking übt the whole, we may then move for ftrikingTjiic the prov'ift,, if it be offeir five to any gentleman : if it be not ofFenfive, it may remain. If gentlemen are disputing, only because the \yot d '■bounty in the bill, they may be per- j clieved from their unea'juefs on that score : for the bill cxprefsly f.tys " that the bounty now allowed upon the exportation of dri ed fifh, of the fifheries of the Unired States, (hall ceal'c ; and in lieu thereof" a different kind of enrouragement is to be given. Here is no reason to dispute about a word : if gentlemen are dis posed to content to the principle of the bill, that ' ibe drawback of the duties on fait ihall be com muted for a certain sum to encourage the fifher men, they will vote in favorof the hill :—if not, they will vote against if. But it is impoilible for ine to conceive, why any gentleman under hea ven ftiould beagainlt it : it is only fixing, for the merchants engaged in this branch, a clear and equitable ratio, for difti ibuting among the filherinen that encouragement, which they think weceflavy in order to attach rhofe people to the bufihefs, and to prevent them from going to other occupations, on land. The bill is an im portant one, and will encreafe that branch of business, which is very ufeful to the community : , — if does not lay a fqrthing of bounty, or duty on any other persons, .than those who are imme diately concerned in it:—it will serve them ; and will not injure any body. Mr. Lawrance said, from examining the fee tion, he conceived ir contemplated no/note than what the merchant is entitled to by exiltinglaws. The merchant is now incitled to the drawback ; but ir is found by experience that the effect ha! not been to produce that encouragement to the fifliermen which was expected ; and he prefunied the way was perfectly clear to give a new direc tion to the drawback—and this is all that is aim ed at in tile bill. He supposed that the clsnfe had no neceflary connection with the qtieflion which had been flatted, respeCting the right of the government to grant bounties—but, fincethe question ha 9 been brought forward, it may he proper to consider it : In difcufiing the quefhon, lie enquired, what has Cougrefs already done. Have we not laid extra duties on various articles, expressly for the purpose of enconrageing vaU ' ous branches of our own manufactures —thel* dutiesare bounties to all intents and purposes, and are founded on the idea only of their con u cing to t-he general interefl- —Similar objections to those now advanced, were not made to " ties—they were advocated (some of tliem) '7 gentlemen from the Southward ; he traced t e effects of these duties, and (hewed that they or- ated fully, as indirect bounties Mr. Lawrance then adverted particularly t the constitution—and observed that it c ° nt^ f general principles and powers only—the ep° ers depend 011 particular laws for their operatio » and on this idea he contended that the P°/i aJI . of the government must, in various cl ' cll . ces extend to the granting bounties ; - 1,1 ced in cafe of a war with a foreign P ower ' elit any gentleman fay that the geneim goven has not a power to grant a bounty 011 a'--' > ammunition, &c. fhoold the genera quire it ? The general welfare .* '"leg connected with any object or puifii' itt- effect sadds to the 1 iches of the <o" n .
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