- ■ CONGRESS. PHILADELPHIA THE following communications, from the Pre sident of the United States, were read in the House of ReprefentatiTes on Friday the 13th inib. Gentlemen of the Senate, and House oj Representatives, I HAVE thought it proper to lay before you, a communication of the 1 ith inll. from the mi nister plenipotentiary of Great-Britain, to the secretary of state, relative to the commerce of the two countries ; together with their explana tory correspondence, and the secretary of state's letter to me on the fub}e<S. April 13, T792. SIR, I HAVE the honor to lay before you a com munication from Mr. Hammond, minister pleni potentiary of his Britannic majesty, covering a clause of a statute of that country relative to its commerce with this ; and notifying a detertni nation to carry it into execution henceforward.— Conceiving that the determination announced could not be really meant as extensively as the words import, I asked and received an explana tion from the minister, as exprafled in the letter and answer herein enclosed ; and, on considera tion of all circumstances, 1 cannot but confide in the opinion exprefled by him, that its sole ohje(ft is to exclude foreign veflels froin the iflatids of Jersey and Guernsey. The want of proportion between the motives exprefled and the measure, its magnitude and consequences, total tilence as to the proclamati on on which the intercourse between the two countries has hitherto hung, and of which, in this broad sense, it would be a revocation, and the recent manifeftations of the disposition of that government, to concur with this in mutual offices of friendfhip and good will, support his conftrmfiion. The minister moreover aflured me verbally, that he would immediately write to his court for an explanation, and in the mean time is of opi nion, that the usual intercourse of commerce be tween the two countries (Jersey and Guernsey excepted) need not be suspended. I have the honor to be, with sentiments of the nioft profound relpedt and attachment, Sir, Your nioft obedient and most humble servant, TH. JEFFERSON. The President of the United States. Sir, I HAVE received by a circular dispatch from my court, directions to inform this government, that, conlklerablc inconveniencies having arisen from the importation of tobacco in foreign ves sels into the ports of his majesty's dominions, contrary to the a<a of the 12th Charles 2. chap. tB. l'ecfl. 3. (commonly called the navigation adt) it has been determined in future (Vrictly to en force this clause, of which 1 take the liberty of enclosing to you a copy ; and 1 have the honor to be, with perfect esteem and respect, Sir, Your molt obedient humble servant, (Signed) GEO. HAMMOND. 12 Char. 2. Chap. 18. Sect. 3. AND it is further enacted by the authority a foicfaid, That no goods or commodities whatfo- C p ei L^e growth, production, or manufacture ps Africa, Alia, or America, or of any pari there of, which are described or laid down in the nfu al maps or charts of tbofe places, be imported into England, Ireland, or Wales, islands of Guernsey and Jersey, or town of Berwick upon Tweed, in any other ship or ships, vellel or ves sels, vvhatfoever, but in such as do truly and with out fraud, belong only to the people of England or Ireland, Dominion of Wales, or town of Ber wick upon Tweed, or of the lands, islands, plan tations or territories in Asia, Africa or America to his majesty belonging, as the proprietors and right owners thereof, and whereof the matter and three-fourths at least of the mariners are hngl.fl!, under the penalty of the forfeiture of all inch goods and commodities, and of the fhi» or vellel in which they were imported, with all ler guns, tackle, furniture, ammunition and ap parel one moiety to his majefly, his heirs and fucceilbrs, and the other moiety to him or then, who (hall seize, inform, or sue for the fame in any court of record, by bill, information, plaint 01 othei action, wherein no eflbine, protection or wager of law shall be allowed. ' GEO. WASHINGTON Philadelphia, j4pril 13, 1792 Phihddphia, April ir, 1792 Sir, I AM this moment favored with theletteryou did me the honor of writing yesterday, covering the extract of a 3riiifh llatute forbidding the ad niifiiun of foreign vefl'els into any ports ot che Bri tifli dominions,with goods or commodities of the growth, production, or manufacture of America. The effect of this appears to me so extensive, as to induce a don be whether I un<lerftand right ly the determination to enforce it, which yon no tify, and to oblige me to alfc of you, whether we are to consider it a 9 so far a revocation of the proclamation of yonr government, regulating the commerce between the two countries, and that henceforth no articles of the growth, pro du<siion, or manufacture of the United States, are to be received in the ports of Great-Britain, or Ireland, in veflels belonging to the citizens of the United States ? I have the honor to be, with fentiinents of the most perfe<fl esteem and refpeft, Sir, Your mod obedient fcid inoft humble servant, TH. JEFFERSON. The minister plenipotentiary of Great-Britain. Sir, IN answer to your letter of this day, I have the honor of observing, that I have no other instruc tions upon the (übjetfl of my communication, than such as are contained in the circular dispatch, of which I Hated the purport in my letter dated yesterday. I have, however, 110 difficulty in as suring you, that the result of my personal con vitftion is, that the determination of his majesty's government to enforce the clause of the at'i of navigation (a copy of which I transmitted to you) with refpetft to the importation of commodities in foreign veflels, has originated in consequence of the many frauds that have taken place in the importation of tobacco into his majesty's domi nions, in foreign veflels, and is not intended to militate against the proclamation, or order of the king in council, regulating the commercial intercourse between Great-Britain and the Unit ed States, which I have every reason to believe (till exists in full force, as I have not had the most distant intimation of its being revoked. I have the honor to be, with the moll perfedi efteein and consideration, Sir, Your molt obedient humble servant, (Signed) GEO. HAMMOND. Mr. Jefferfon. Read in the Hvufs of Representatives the i yth inft. Report of the committee to whom were referee! the memorials of Joseph Ceracchi, a Roman sculptor. THAT on examining the journals of the late Congress they find the following resolutions unanimously agreed to on the 7th Anguft, 1783, to wit " llelolved, That an Equestrian Statue of Ge neral Walhington be ere<fted at the place where the residence of Congress shall be eftablilhed." " Resolved, That the Statue be of bronze— The General to be represented in a Roman dress holding a truncheon in his right hand, and his head encircled with a laurel wreath ; tbe Statue to be supported by a marble pedestal, 011 which are to be represented, in baflb relievo the follow ing principal events oYthe war, in which Gene ral Wafliington commanded in p«rfon, viz. The evacuation of Bolton—The capture of the Hefli-- ans at Trenton—The Battle of PrincetOH—The adlion of Monmouth ; and the surrender of York. On the upper part of the front of the pedettal, to be engraved as follows, " The Unit ed States in Congress aflembled ordered this sta tue to be ereded in the year of our Lord 1781 in honor of George Wafliington, the illustrious commander in chief of the armies of the United States of America, during the war which vindi cated and secured their liberty, fovereiguty and independence. The committee are of opinion, that the honor and dignity of government require a speedy and liberal execution of the said resolutions"; and that the plan therein proposed forexpreflino- the gratitude of our conntry for the Cervices of her most beloved and illufhious citizen, be extended to exhibit to pofieriry, the triumph of liberty and virtue : The committee therefore submit the following resolutions ; " Kelolved, That the Secretary of State the Secretary of the Treasury, and the Secretary at War, for the time being, or any two of i hem, be appointed Commiflioners, to canfe the said Mo nument to be completed, agreeably to the said resolutions, with fucli additional ornaments em blematical of the virtue and heroism of the citi zens of the United States, in effecting t l, e l at e revolution, as may inspire reverence for repub lican government, and cherish that union and ove ot country, by which this great event has been atchieved. llcfolved, i hat Congress will provide at their next leffion for the payment of dollars per annum, for a term not exceeding IO years to complete the (aid monument." 414 Philadelphia, April 12, 1792. Philadelphia April 12, 1 792. HOUSE OF R E PREVENTATIVE*; SATURDAY, April si. .The Speaker laid before the House a letter and report from the Secretary of the Treasury, on twenty-four petitions re specting loft or destroyed certificates, and praying a 'renewal of them—referred to a feleft committee. The memorial of sundry merchant! of the city of New York, refpefting bankrupt laws, was referred to a'feleftcom inittee. A msffags was received from the President of the United States, by Mr. Lear, his Secretary, notifying, that the Prefi dent did this day approve and sign "An ast authorifin? the grant and conveyance of a certain trad of land to Hie nh;» Company of Associates." Utu# The following written melpase was also delivered bv the Secretary : United States, April 21ft, nqj Gentlemen-os the Senate, and House of Representatives, I lay before you the copy of a letter, which X h? ve received from the Judges of the Circuit Court of the United States for the Pennfvlvania diftrift, relative to the " Ast to provide' for the settlement of the claim* of widows and orphans barred bv the limitations heretofore eftablidied, and to regulate the claims to invalid pensions. GEO. WASHINGTON Tne letter referred to, was rend and laid on the table Mr. Williamfon presented a bill providing for thefa'eof land; in the territory of the United States, north-weft of the river Ohio, which was read the firft time. An engrofled bill for railing a further sum of money for the protection of the frontiers, was read the third time, and the blanks therein filled up—and upon the question that the said bill do pass, it was lefolved in the affirmative, as follow ■ AYES. MeflTrs. Ames, Barnwell, Benfon, Boudinot, S. Bourne B. Bourne, Brown, Clark, Findley, Fitzfunons, Gerry, Gilinan Goodhue, Gordon, Hartley, Hillhoufe, Huger, Key, Kitchet Kittera, Lawrance, Learned, Livermore, Moore! Muhlen berg, Murray, Niles, W. Smith, Staele, Sterrett, Stages. Sylvester, Thatcher, Vining, W'adfworthi Ward, White-?? NOES. " MelTrs. Alhe, Baldwin, Giles, Grove, Macon, Madiibn. Mercer, Page, Parker, Sciioonmaker, Senev, Sheredine l Smith, I. Smith, Smnpter, Treadwe'.l, Tucker, Venable.wC liamfon, "Willis—2o. ; On the pasTing this bill, Mr. Page made the following re marks—lf the bill were what its title fays it is, I Ihou'ld be the lad man in this House to vote against it—But it is so dif ferent from what its title represents it to be, that this, added to the o'-rjefhons which I have already made and heard a-ainft it, I Ihall vote againfl: its paflage.—Sir, it is not a bill so? the protection of the frontiers, but for the encouragement of cer tain manufactures, and of the fifiieries, and for the encreafe of the finking fund—it is a bill very different from what it ought to be, and is about to pass, f.om what has fallen from some gentlemen, as a compromise for the afTumption of the Irate debts, and an encouragement to the manufactures and nlheries Such compromise I cannot approve of m r and fucha bill I cannot vote for—lf it he thrown 'out, I think we mav brinir in one to answer its purpose much better—; It is improper to entangle this hill with matter foreign to it—there is no oc casion to repeal the a<si for eftablifiiing a permanent revenue, to blend it with this bill. Air. Vinin,£ laid on the table a resolution that Congref<; mould adjourn on the sth of Mav, to meet again on the firft Mondav of A motion made on Wednesday last, by Mr. Gerry, being wil ed up, and in part agreed to, a committee was, pursuant thereto, appointed, to enquire into the itate of the recruiting service and to report. Mr. Boud.not moved, That a joint committee of both Houses be directed to wait on the President of the United States, to request he will recommend to the people of these states a day of public humiliation and prayer, to be obfetfvdd by fupplit ating the Almighty for the fafety, peace and welfare of the Union. Adjourned. MONDAY, April 23. On motion of Mr. Dayton a committee was«p pointed to bring in a bill to authorize the grant and conveyance of a certain tradtof land to John Cleves Symnies. A bill providing for the sale of lands in the territory of the United Stales, north weft of the River Ohio, was read the second time, and com mitted for to-morrow. In committee of the whole on the bill provicl ing for calling forth the militia to execute the laws of the union, suppress infurrecftions, and repel invasions Mr. W. Smith in the chair. Various amendments were proposed foineofthem agreed to, others rejected. A motion was made by Mr. Page, to ftri!(eot)t the second fediion—Another motion was offered by IVir. Benfon to amend it, by Ajbdituting the words of the Constitution relative to insurrec tions, Sec.—both these motions were negatived after some debate. Mr. Steele moved to ft i ike out the latter part of the fetftion, which empowers the Prefidenc °- the United States to march the militia of one Itate into another, to quell infurretlions, &c ---in cafe lhe militia of such ftatefhall refufe,oi be inlufficient for the purpose.—This motion occa sioned a lengthy debate, and was finally negs* tived. Mr. Steele then moved to add a clause, which provided for the intervening of a fefiion of Con gress previous to the exercising this power— This was also negatived. , A motion, made by Mr. Madison, was »g ree to, by which the section was modified so as to re- Itrict the exercise of this power, to the recels 0 Congress, and till days after the next fefiion shall commence. Mr. Baldwin moved another amendment this feclion, which was agreed to, providing t' l3t information of any infurreciion or oppofijio"^ 0 the laws of the Union, which may require the interposition of the military powe", (h.di oe com municated to the I'refidentof the United States by one of the Ai'fociare {apices, or the ditinU Judge.
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