A NATIONAL PAPER, PUBLISHED WEDNESDAYS AND SATURDAYS BY JOHN FENNO, No. 69, HIGH-STREET, PHILADELPHIA [No. 97, of Vol. lII.] SECOXD CONGRESS or the UNITED STATES. AT THE FIRST SESSION, Begun and held at the city ol Philadelphia, in the State of Penn sylvania, Monday the twenty-fourth of October, ane thousand seven hundred and ninety-one. AN ACT to provide for the fertlement of the Claims of Widows and Orphans barred by the limitations heretofore eftablilhed, and to regulate the Claims to Invalid Pensions. Section I.TJE it enacted by the Senate and House of Repre tl fentativrs of the United States of America in CoiK'refs assembled, That the operatioh of the resolutions of th- JateCongrefs of the United States, passed on the second d >y <v November. one thousand feden hundred and eighty-five, and th twenty-third day of July, one thouland seven hundred and eighty feven so iar as tliey have barred, or may be construed to bar tht claim's of the widow or orphans of any officer of tbe late army, to the seven years half pav of such officer, (hall, from and after the Billing this act. befufpended for and during the term ot two years S«c-a. And be it further enacted, That anv commissioned of fittr not having received the commutation of half pay, and any ■00-'-ommiffiohed officer, soldier or seaman, disabled in the ac tual service of the United States, during the late war, bv wounds or other known cause, who did not dclert from the said , f rv,ce > /hall be entitled lo be placed on the penlion lift of the Unite States, during life or the continuance of such difabilitv, and mail also be allowed such farther Turn for the arrears of pension, from ■he time of such difabilitv, not exceeding the rate of the annual allowance, in consequence of hb disability, as the circuit court ot ihediftrift, in which they refpeGively reside, may think jult. ■Provided, That in every such cafe, the rules and r-gulations fol lowing (ball be Complied with ; that is to fay s—Fit ft. Every applicant (ball attend the court in person, except where it iha be certified by two magistrates that he is unable to do so, and lhall produce to the circuit court, the following proofs, town A certificate from the commanding officer of the (hip, ' r S' m I cn '' corns orcompany, in which he lerved, setting forth his disability, :.nd'that he was thus disabled while in the service of the Uniteo States; or the affidavits of two credible witness sto the fame elicit; The affidavits of three reputable freeholders ot the city, town, or ■county, in which he refutes, ascertaining of their own know ledge, the mode of life, employment, labor, or means of support of such applicant, for the lad twelve months. Secondly. The circuit court, upon receipt of the proofs aforefaid, (ball forth with proceed to examine into the nature of the wound or ° lh " cause of disability of such applicant, and having afeertained the degree thereof, (hall ceitify the fame, and transmit the result ot their enquiry, in cafe, in their opinion, the applicant (hall be put on the pension lift, to the Secretary at War, together with their opinion in writing, what proportion of the monthly pay of luch applicant will be equivalent to the degree of disability afceriainc in manneT aforefaid. . Stq. And be it further enacted, That the Clerk of the dil trlft court, in each rtiftrift, (hall publish this ast in such manner as the judge of the diftrift court (hall think effe&.ial to give general in f ortn»tiaiithereof to the people of the diftrift. and (hall give like information of the times and places orf holding the circuit courts in such diftrift. And in diflrifts wherein a circuit court is not dire&ed by law to be holden, the judge of the di Uriel court lhall be, and he hereby is authorized to exercise all the P 0 *" 5 given by this ast to the rrfpeftive circuit courts. And it lhall be iheduty of the judges of the circuit courts refpeftivelv, during the term of two years from the palling of this ast, to remain at 'he places where the said courts (hall be holden five days at the least, from the lime of opening :he feflions thereof, that perlons, disabled as aforefaid, may have full opportunity to make their ap plication for the relief proposed by this act. Sec. 4. And be it further enacted, That the Secretary at War, upon teceipt of the proofs, certificate and opinion aforefaid, (hall cause the fame to be duly filed in his office, and place the name of such applicant on the penlion-lift of the United States, io con»orm ity thereto: Provided always, That in any cafe, where the said Secretary (hall have cause to fufpeft imposition or mift-ke, he lhall have power to withhold the name of such applicant from the pen iion-lift,and make report of the fametoCongrels at their nextfeffion. Sec. 5. And be it further enacted, That all non-commifliooed officers, foldiera and seamen, disabled in the actual service of thr United States, during the late war, whose disability and rate of al Jowance have been afeertained, purluant to the regulations pre- Icribed by the late Congress, and have not applied to be placcd on tbe pension lift, until after the lime, limited by the ast of Con gress for that purpose, was expired, (hall now be placed on the veauon lift, and be entitled to demand and receive their rt fpec tive pensions, according to the allowances afeertained as aforefaid, any thing tn this ast, or any ast of the late Congress, to the con. trarv, notwithstanding. Sec. 6. And be it further enacted, That from and after th paflineofthisaft, no faie, trans'er or mortgage of the any part of the pension or arrearages of pension, payable io anv non-com mifiioned onicer, soldier or seaman, before thefame (hill become due, (hall be valid. And every person, claiming luc!- penlion or ari ear* of pin lion, or anv part thereof, under powei of attornev or substitution, lhall. before the fame is paid, make oath or affirmation before fomc iullice of the peace of tlie place where itir l.ime is pavable, '.hat "such power or fuhfliiutinn is no; given by 1 cafon ol any transfer of such petition, or arrears of p n lion, and any peifon, who (hall swear or affirm falfelv in rhe pre mises, and be thereof convifteci, (ha'.l fuffer, as lor wilful and cor supt perjury JONATHAN TRUMBULL, Speaker of the Moult of fleprefentaiii'ci. JOHN ADAMS, Vice-Prejidcnt oj the United StJtes, and Prejiderit oj the Senate. Ar?KOVtD, MARCH T»I TWE N T V-T HI« n. fjqf. GEORGE WASHINGTON, President cf the United States. Saturday, March 51, 1792. (ci RCU L AR.) Boston (Mejjuchufetts) Fcbiuury 28, 1792, SIR, WE have had the honor to be appointed a Committee, by the Officers the Malfachufetts line of the late Army, to at end to and pro (ecu te their memorial 10 the Congress of the United States, on the of compensation tor the lofles fuftamed by ihem and the soldiers who served daring the war, in consequence of the lingular manner tn which their services have been acknow ledged and requited by the United States. By a letter b-aring date June 1, 179s yoti were informed of the measures adopted in pursuing that object, and that a memorial was prefentrd to Congress on the fuhjeft ot our complaint. Finding that no reltef has been afforded, or as far as our infor mation extends, contemplated, and convinccd that there is a just debt as vet undischarged on the part of Govei nment, our determi nation is to icpeat our application, and reallert our claim, until we obtain consideration and relief; or until it shall be declared by 'he voice of the United States in Congress, that our claims are vi sionary and without foundation; and that a hard-earned bona fide drbt can be honorably and iuftly cancelled by certificates receiv ed in the firft instance bv a kind of compulsion, alienated in most cases from neceflity, unsupported by funds,and palling in exchange lor only a (ixth or an eighth ot their nominal value. To the pursuit of this measure we are urged by a convi&ion •hat our request is founded on the immutable principles of realon, equity and justice, by a sense of duty to ourfclves, and more espe cially to those faithful companions of the war, who served under our command ; whole difperled and embarrassed circumstances preclude them fiom application, and in whose behalf we arc bound to appear by every princi pie of dffeft on and gratitude. Should it be obieded that the claim has lain dormant and may have fuffered diminution, we would observe, that if America had been conquered by Britain, neither lite, liberty, or retribution, would probably have been ihe lot of many of the present appli cants. To have preferred the application in any ot the years of public embarralTment which succeeded the peace, when the go vernment and finances of the coun'ry wanted energy and even ex istence, would have comported neither with the iuterefts nor cha racter of the army. The records of the old government contain ample and frequent acknowledgment* that the services have been faithfully performed on one part, together with an nnivtrfai dis position to remunera'e them. And the public inability is the true and only source to which the failure on the part of government can be attributed. urn. r The prefrnt government was iuftitnted for the ettablithment of iuftice among other great objcss. To this end they potfefs the power and ability. And as we have every confidence in the libe rality and justice of the existing admimftration, we solicit their final decision on the merits of our cause. To facilitate the object of our w'.fhes, we have judged it expe dient to depute an Agent to Congress, to attend to and exolain the nature of our application. On the twentieth day of March next, he will be in Philadelphia for that purpose ; and this com munication. which we beg you to take theearlteft opportunity to make known to the Officers belonging to ) our S'.ate, is m *?e to acquaint you with our determination, that, it you should think 11 expedient to adopt correspondent measures, our attempt may re ceive the aid of vour advice and afliftance. To form a Convention of Officers from all the States, in order to consult and agree on a joint application, has been a favorite ob with many ; but taking every confidcration into view, we have preferred the mode now adopted, and we hope it will meet with your approbation. General Wi l li am Hull, the person whom we have choten for our Agent, will give his constant attendance in Philadelphia during .he present feflion of Congress ; and we beg to rccommend him to your attention and afliftance. With fcntimcnts ot rcfpefl, we ire, Sir, Your most obedient Servants, (copy.) FROM THE WASHINGTON SPY, Publithed at Elieabrth-Town, Maryland. A WRITER in the Winchester paper, speak ing of Col. Darke, thus concludes—" From authority, we learn, that through his means the remains of our little army were saved from fall ing a prey to the ravages ofthe wildeinefs—and, through his means, were those on the brink ot famine in Fort-Jefterfon, made to taste the bread of comfort.—Americans, conscious of the servic es he had rendered their country, in every town —in every village—joy beamed on the counte nances of boih old and young, when they beheld him fafe : how different was their conduci, not many weeks ago, when one in a moie exalted station travelled the fame road, and from the fame place—nought but hidings and murmurings were then heard does not this plainly evince, that even back woods-men arc yet capable of dif tinguilhing, and discovering, that "there is some- | thing rotten in the Hate ot Denmark." A correspondent thinks the very reverse—that those sagacious gentlemen, who behaved in that lidiculous manner, to the commander in chief, are not capable of distinguishing between mo dell and silent, though unfortunate merit, and that ofthe bombaltic egotill.' By a number of publications froin that quarter, one would be in duced 10 believe, that, though Gen. St. Clair 101 l the day, in the late engagement, Col. Darke won it; or that he secured the retreat— when the 385 W. HEATH, J. BROOKS, H- JACKSON, W. EUSTIS, J. CROCKER, T. EDWARDS. tit&o [Whole No. 505.] brave Major Cla. i- <lid perform tar." n 1 ir'.!o'.,r Colonel purchaiei : -i- to relieve the t ■ ,-juu i ;jl as he only con; nandeti - eicr . . nvifioiis which were ordered -.q thy place ; iisici nodoubc but he was willing io obey tne order, and net the less so on account of his valiant foil being in ilie garrison. Notwithllar.rfiiig the feeble efforts of paragi aphifts to dcp.cciaie tiic tame of Gen. St. Clair, his long attelled integrity of heart, and great military abilities will secure to him an il lultrious and immortal name. PORTLAND, (l)iltri<st of Maine) Match 8. Ext raft oj a Utter. " I fully agree with you, that ninety-five it the proper lime for a reparation to take place; and consequently, now is the time to begin the proceft—-There is no time to spare, nor ought a single feifion of the General Court to be lolt, be fore regular Iteps are taken by the legislature to effect the object Maine will iiot be a contemptible state, either in numbers or extent of territory—As to inhabi tants, they will exceed Vermont', Rhode-island, Delaware, Kentuckey, and Georgia—ln extent of territory, as many more : and in progrel's of increase, second to very few. If at present they fall behind the other dates i a companion of literature, andlcience, I mult observe, thai the feeds of thelc are thick Town in Maine, which already begin to put forth some promising buds—Three Academies which are ef tablifbed in Maine, with due attention to schools, will abundantly furnifb that degree of general knowledge among the great body of the people, which mult always be the support of a free go vernment. —While there does not exilt any lea fon to apprehend a want of higher attainments in the profefliotial branches of learning." NEWPORT, March 10. Extract of a Utter front a gent It matt in ProvidtnCt t : /- . t • .f • * ' "" J J - 0 — - - tt hit frimd in thy town, dated March 4. " The amiable and charitable Mr. Nicholas 3rown, Who it seems inherits his father's virtues as well as his fortune, has, in addition to many other liberal donations to charitable and public uses, presented to the college of this State, the sum of five hundred dollars to be laid out in law books. His own account of which is contained in the following letter." " Sir, " Under a deep impreflion of the generous in - tentions of my honored father, decealed, toward* the college of this town, as well as from my own personal feelings towards the institution in which 1 received my education, and from a delii e to promote literature in general, and in particular the knowledge of the laws of our country, un der the influence whereof not only our property but our dearell privileges and lives are protect ed— I have thought proper to give the Truflees and fellows of Rhode-Island College the funi ot five hundred dollars, to be laid out in law books for the ufeofthe collegc. It is my wish that you communicate this information to the corporation ot the college at their next meeting. I have de sired Mr. Howell to furnilh the catalogue, and as a mark of the eUeem of our family for that gentleman, as well as in regard to the office he holds in the college, the books on their arrival are to be placed in his office, and there to remain for his particular use, as well as that of the col lege in general, so long as he may hold the oi fice of Profelfor of Law in the College, and then they are to be placed in the College Library. I am your affectionate Cousin, NICHOLAS BROWN. John Brown, Esq. Treasurer of? the College of Providence." ALBANY, March 19. From the great demand for sugar kettles of late, we have real'on to hope that our premiums will have a decisive good effect : Jhould the state en large these bounties tor a few years, there can be no question but this valuable branch will be firmly established ; and it is well ascertained, that our large foreits of maple trees, northward and welt ward of this city, are abundantly fiifficient to supply the whole demand of the United States with this important article, as oideted io, iliac the :l troops - where (Copy) I'rtvidenct, Feb. 3, 1792. dually
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