CONGRESS.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
MONDAY, December ro.
The petition of Isaac Potts was read, dating
that his premises were occupied on account of
the public during the late war, and considerable
damage sustained, for which he has not received
any compenfatioa, and praying relief—laid on
the table.
Mr. Williamfon of the committee appointed
for the purpofreported a bill to amend the a&
entitled " an ail to promote the progress of the
ufeful arts," was read twice, and referred to a
committee of the whole house on Monday next,
—ioo copies to be printed.
Mr. W. Smith of the committee appointed for
the purpose, reported a bill to eftablilh a uni
form system of bankruptcy throughout the Uni
ted States; read a firft and fccond time, and re
ferred to a committee of the whole on the second
Monday of January next—4oo copies were or
dered to be pruned,
A letter was read from the Secretary of War,
tncloflng sundry communications relative to In
dian affairs from the Governor of Georgia. Some
of these were documents refpeifting certain vio
lences and murders committed by some of the
whse people 011 ch>:£ueiidlj Indians of the Che
rokee natien; a proclamation by the Governor
for bringing the delinquents to juflice; a friend
ly talk from the Governor to the Cheiokees;
and a copy of his orders to march a body of men
to proted those Indians which have been want
only attacked. These were read and laid on the
table.
Amotion being made, and agreed to, to take
into consideration the confidential meflage of the
President of the United States, received by the
Hnufe on Friday last—it was ordered that the
galleries (hould be cleared.
TUESDAY, December 11
After reading a report from the Secretary
ef the Treafurv, on a private petition. A
motion being made and agreed to far going
into a com 111 if tee of the whole on the
from the President of the United States—the
doors of the gallery were fiiot, and so conti
nued during Ihe day.
Philadelphia, Dec. 12.
Extratt of a letter date A Dunkirk. Oflober 2, to a
Mertartilv koufe in this tity.
u The war has approached so near us, as
to he within tie found of cannon in a still
oifrht,tlie city oi Lille,about miles from us,
being befiegefl. Lille, it is said, can sustain a
siege oflix mouths—that is the /ujl Jlrong bar
rier near us in Flanders
The ingenious Mr. Pierce, of Paterfon, (N.J.)
has invented a gimcrack., for exfroiling the Iced
of Carolina cotton from the wool, by which
much manuJ labor is saved. With this ma
chine, it ;* fa'J, one man will clean seven hun
dred weight per day.
A New Yovk paper fays, 11 A gentleman of
who is an inhabitant of, and late
ly from Kingfto:!. formerly Cateraqua, in Upper
Canada, allures us, that the people of that terri
tory arc very dt'fi-ous of having the prohibition
«>n trad- with the United States taken off; and
that their request bring made known to Gover
nor Simroe, he readrlv complied with ir. Their
trade will be by the Wcltern Lakes and the Mo
hawk.
A Humming Bird is now living in Mr.Peals's
Mufeunt.
The Eleftsrs of Present and Vice-Prefi
«knt of the United Stare , who met at Har
riiburgh, Pennsylvania : were unanimous *in
their#choice for George Washington, and
all but one for John Adams.
The Elefton of Maryland, we are told,
fcave been unanimous in choosing George
Washington and Joh;j Adams, President and
Vice-President of the United States.
The Electors of Prefldent and Vice-Piefi
dent for tie State of Conne<stieut, hare voted
unanimously for the Gentlemen who now sus
tain those offices.
The Lle<slors of New York have given an
Unanimous vote for George Washington
and George Clinton, as Prcfident and Vice-
Prefidentof the United States'.
common field nutle*, prepared
in the fame manner a& flax, wtll yield a thread
capable wrought into durable cloih.
Thionvilh* is another Gibialtar ; the Aullri
an<: four large 'floating-bait-ric s,
* hich they flet fa!) down the MofeJle; when
r ppcfite the town, they were received by a hot
*»re. so well <3;r fted, that in a few minutes thty
Were frnt a'l tothe bottom, and every man on
board pcrifhed. It has cod the Auftripns about
£00 men to qet poflefiion of a hill which com
mands the uiwn. On th»s place ihey ereftcd
c >ght b?.ttcries, which the gariifon Tallied fonh
fnd deftro> ed.
General Vend-.'merfch, who bore so confoi
fuoui a part mi the war of the Brabancon Pa
triots, in the year 1790, died at his feat near
in F!ander,b, on the 14th Sept.
lo Ins friend in A, ui jitdford, dated
Odnber the cM, let ivedp:r i/ie krig M./ry.
As to public matters, fonv things are
too horrible to relate, particularly th.-dread
ful maflccrt in 1,. -~ The abomii, ible in
fi. ument that let this on foot, is a member of
the national convention j and I am Lejjicsd
to find that almr.it the whole affembjy are dif
gu£ied at Iks being one oi their body Great
le verity has bee,, poun d out upon him there,
and many call tor a decree of accusation a
gau.lt him ; but others I Bp p refct .„ d s cari ng
it will make too treat a bnftV, h-,e it
by for the prelent. The delations oV nar
ajjproadnn ! L'flv i b;£ e g«J by 3,,-co ' u'-
trians. It it a ftron? cit'v, 48 nilieTfroTn
this : 1:1 It'll weather, the report oftheir can
non are heaid here. It isfopppftd, if no trea
chery takes place, to he able to withtfaud a
siege of many month?, oppoled to an army of
"f-- men - T ' ,e 'ft ' n ft. 6000 women and
children were fentont of the town. The ene
my have thrown into Lisle jxi,oTolb. of iron
— .ave erected 9 batteries „f 6 guns each,
cai rying babs from Ij to 33 1b. Liile has fen?
them m return 57,033 cannon balls—have loft
131 men, and too houses burnt. The mod
horrid part of this f. ege is out of r- e common
line of war The Anftriaos oblige the rei,h
bor.ng peasants to work on their trenches
and fortifications, erecting in the front and
molt exposed part of the army, where many
of the poor creatures arc killed bv t', e ; r own
friends and fellow fubjefts. Or. tT-e n,Vht of
the 2d, 6000 frefh troops were threwn into
the town ; and in two days many more will
be in its neighborhood.
All the fire engine? are Tent offfroni this
town ior thatcity, to afiift i„ extingmihing
the fire kindled by the red hot balK ' it is
da ly expeOed that Spain and all Germany
wi I tsclare war against: France. The diet
of Kauiton is funpofed to have concluded .>-i
tins merJiire. ; s marching her forces
from Poland
" Switzerland, it is feared, will be added
to the number on account of thelare inhuman
m.ii]acre of a great many of their officers ;
and France has declared against the Xing of
Sardinia, and has marched an army into his
dominions : His army has fled before them,
and many of the towns have opened
gates, and-defircd to be under the French go
vernment : But they have declared against
" for Conqtieft," they p>©pcfe only Jet
ting the people free from their king, and for
themselves to form a republic, or any other
government, except a monarchy, they may
choose. ihe anlwer of the municipality of
Lille to t ;e Du»ce Albert of Saxotn, when
f uinmoned to turreuder the town, cleferves to
he preserved—« We have sworn a few hours
ago, to remain faithful to the republic ; to de
fend with all our force and powers. Freedom
and Equality, or to die at our poll \y e
are not perjurers.; Spartans' could not
fcavc cirti' _»red batter."
Extr ac T from the Governor's Speech, delivered
to both h'oujes of the Legijlatuit on Friday lajl.
" I announce to you, Gentlery»en, with pe
culiar pleafu. e,the execution of the law which
provided for the redemption and extinguifli
ment of die debts. As soon as overtures
were made for purchaiing the requisite amount
of the 3 percent, fteck of the United Slate?,
belonging to Pennsylvania, at the rate ilipj
lated by the a<st of afTembly, I issued t: e regu
lar notification to the public creditors, r.nd
you will perceive, from a particular report of
the transaction, which is prepared for your
information, that tiie sales, fcf this object,
have amounted to 986,000 dolJars; which, at
the average price of 12 1-16 in tie pound.has
produced the specie sum of 593,201 dollars &
I cent; that the aggregate of the debts alrea
py redeemed amounts to the sum of 548,988
dollars and 13 cents ; and that there remains
(allowing for certain contingencies) in the
Treasury, the sum of 72,201 dollars and 50
cents, to answer the further operation of the
redemption law, and such new appropriations
as you {hall be pleased to direift. I have found
it impracticable, however, on the terms pre
scribed, to vest any part of this iurj iu°. in the
flock of the bank of North Arnen'cu, accord
ing to the view anddifpofition of t'le Legisla
ture.
u Thus honorably disencumbered from the
pecuniary obligations, that were incurred in
consequence of the late war ; the honest price
of our independence j I cannot conceive (as I
have before suggested) any situation of politi
cal prosperity and affluence, furpajling that
which the citizens of Pennsylvania are invited
to enjoy. From that part of the we ast hof
the community, which conftfts in the debt of
the United States, there will, notwithstanding
the recent diminutions of the capital (reduc
ing it to the eltimated amount of about
167,000 dollars in fix per cents, 187,000 dol
lars in three per cent::, and 218,000 dollarsin
deferred fiock) arise an income, which, toge
ther with the product of the ordinary and per
manent revenues, will be fufficient to defray
the expences of government, and toprofecute
any rational objects of public
Our unliquidated demand against the Union,
may, at the fame time be confdercd, as pro
mising an acce,jfion of productive property;
for, although nothing can be precifeJy ascer
tained in this refpeft, until the final settle
ment of all claims of the sister states, the a
gent, on b-half of Pennsylvania, allures me,
that our accounts boar a favorable afpeft, and
that he has reason to believe, that the princi
pal charges which they exhibit, stand, at pre
sent, in a state of approbation. In addition
to these funds, the arrearages of taxes (a
mounting, exclusively of the known exonera
tions, to the sum of about 537> QO ° dollars)
form a considerable, though, from the nature
of the fubjeft, a temporary resource; and the
operations of the land-oiiice (which, liage the
223
m , ' 4 v A v, 1791, i.ave luought, cf
Ipecie and cc'tiric&tes, a ium e:;c;:-dn;,;
-i 2,0-3 dolors Into the trcu'.u y) may be re
gained with tic mo ft f.inguiiit expectation of
benefit arid'emoiunient.''
" Soon,,very soon, the iift of patriots that
now adorn the theatre of American politics,
and have a claiui to the confidence of their
fe;low citizens, by the hazard-, they encoun
tered in atchieving their Independence, will
be buried with the daft—ami if we can readily
beheve that fucli characters are regardless of
the public interest; those, whofucceed them,
may .» loreeafily be considered as me e panctei s
f;.. the - own bale end';—a with
the pre feu!*, would not probably be followed
try a freer government, but by one that might
l.iM'ifice the liberty and property of the nii»n>
to the lew.
" 7 ' u 't the fuuding fyjlcm ar.d nationa,' bunk wilt
eventually involve the country in almcjl irretrieveabie
calamits niuft be conildered as a prophecy,
the fulfillment c( whidh no good citizen can
wifli, and ol Which no evidence is adduced, or
appears—At present, the cojiltant employ oi
every mechanic—the plenty of our market,
and the increa/ed demand for our {hipping ;
the cultivation of our lands in the country,
and tl)e improved appearance of our houses
in the city, lojudly proclaim that our fituatioa
is prosperous.— And if there be any thing that
di(covers thb to be a delulion', or the phantom
of a dream, hey ought to offer good evidence
before our aflent is demanded against the con
viction of oar terfes." [Coltimb. Lentinel.^
l< God hath done great things for us "
Peace within our walls—Health in every
breeze—l he earth yielding abundant plies
—-Paftnres clothed with flocks—Vallles co
vered over with corn—The Tea refignirg its
treasures—Commerce unfolding her (lores—
Civ'l freedom securing political happiness—
toleration pointing tounivcrfal con
c" —Manufacture?; daily increaling—Arts
Iprejrling theinfeives abroad—-Science great
lyencouraged—Unitedly aik the afcripticois
ot gratitude to GOD : And the bbfoni that
fvclls not with Praise, must be iafenfib'e to
all the feelings, which adorn human nature.
COMMUNICATIONS.
I 4" /liould Teem by the unceasing murmur-
Ings of some people, that the aflairs of the
public cannot be well managed, so lonf, aS their
individual prosperity is not particularly pro*
moted. The general prosperity of the coun
try is, with such per foil s, no indication of
wisdom in its public council?.
Four year? are nearly closed since the meet
ing of the firil Congress under the New Con
ftitutior.—from that time to the present, the
world ha*s been perpetually amufecl with dark
and di'l ial cefcriptions of " woes m emhrio
ripening into life," for tlii-5 devoted country.
7 *>•! ■ i"v s+svt? Lkuu -nearly crtinjAiat.o'4
thro' the Union—-and, alas, alss, forcl'e anti
federal spirit of prophesy, its credit mun be
in a mofr pitiable cafe. The people are so
uncoinpiaifarit, they are so honelt and plain
hear ted—and so true to their own federal
feelings, that the croakings, forebodings, in
fiuuations, lies and flinders oi'thofe, who de
clared that they would have " a change of men
at lea ft, if not d change of measures," appear
to be totally disregarded.
What can more fully evince the funeral ap
probation of the people of public measures,
than repeated re-elections of their representa
tives, the great deliberative council of the
nation ?
But perfect peace is no more to be expected
than perfect wiidom. Hence the scythe of
time, which lops off the. rank shoots of the
weed l ?, which are occafionafty seen in
luxuriant American foil—leaves many bitter
roots, which will he springing up at all times
and seasons—and biennially we may expe&
thev will a flume a front and importance c..»-
and alarming for a time—but so long
as the people arc just, wife and fteadv, Party
in the United States will ever be u porten
tous to itleif alone."
The men influenced by political and ava
ricious views difgraceful to the American
name and character, took advantage of the
ileep into which the people were luK'ed by the
quiet and orderly eib biifhme-nt of our new
government, to low t'ie tafjes of monarchical
principles and predatory Speculations in the
fields where pottlic juflice and public happi
ness were obe . eap.xl. Hence have Sprung
up the Jcif.ionablt do^rrines, that the people
are not the proper keepers of their own liber
ties, that mankind cannot govern themlelves,
that hereditary dignities,pecuniary influence,
?nd military force only, are the only means
whereby they can be kept in nereffarv disci
pline and obedience ; chat public debts are
public bleftings, &;c. with many other exotics
not left poifoneus to the spirit of our repub
lican conflitntions, and the manly independ
ent character of American citizens-. Time
his scythe is mowing down t! cfe nox
ious weeds, and the occasion calls upon all who
Jove liberty and the public good to unite in
rooting them out of our country.
As an enlightened people will seldom or ne
ver be governed or controukd in their politi
cal affairs, by mereprofeffing patriots, without
personal honor ard p-obitv—fo, on the other
hand, artful and unprincipled seekers will
praise the public virtue and intelligence in
exa& proportion to that want of difcernir.ent
and ignorance Which they realize to be the
only tenure on which they ho'd the public fa
vor. Hence you mny observe that limplc,
feafible plans of. diffufim; knowledge among
the great body of the people, are generally
loft, by being overihadowed by plans totally
impracticable from their magnitude. This
r.!;»a.-ikaVnty cn.ftittito- t'c-ii- csceße*.-
' wi '" e s-'.t !! t:ii io
IS""' ante,
tlUr ■ r""
t.. . c,,,,rk a,! ill. t, R . fi: - c _
...cat; o-, ft,-.* .4 the u,i-A p; i
ples ol treed,) u am: civil pnl c\ ->•!„. „• ,
tliL'ic ri.'lii.v uro'e'ii; ei tie
v arm in oi mperhci:il rnimj ,< , T tl.t laWi- de
ductions of unprincipled ruphifc, w ;
tfif faced r.sinc • f (,»
to t!ie purport-, of individual ..;;P /...i
iuit of |KlVfr. '
education alr.i:; cieates the grc , , df
ierence »•.«! inequality in tie relative lira ru
ftai.ces 8f Inarfkir.d, when j a r>i:-,lv e,.j
so the general diiFufion of fcnov r imott"
the people is tl.e only adequsre foundation c'.'j
which t.ie fabric of equal 1 ightscan be- reared.
The materials of Ijuppinefa are perhaps
u-thin the reach of every country—but if
l:ke the United States previous t . the opera
tion of tiie general government, thu/e mate
rials either lie dormant,or are converted into
muniments '>f diftmion, tUud and iujuftitt
reflection embitters puo'ie misery, 'while it
tantalizes the people for their want of wildom
to improve the means of liappinels, obviou'ly
within their power.
Fkihddpkia, Dec. 10, 1792.
At a meeting of the Ibsukanqs Company
of North. America, held this day at the Stat
e the following gettiemen were eledted
Dneftors, viz.
Jofeph^jl],
Thomas L. Moore,
Magnus Miller, John Roft,
Michacl Prager, William Cramond. ,
John M. Nefbit, Walter Stewart,
Sam. Blodfjct, jun. John Leamy,
Matt. M'Contiell, John Swanwick,
Movlan John Barclay,
Ciia:'!es Petit,
ESENEZER HAZARD, Sec'ry.
M. de la Fayette appears to be equally the
aveilion ot the Ariftocrnts and Leveller,both
of the old world and the new—lt is well
known that the French Aristocrats in Ann
nc.i, as well as in Kurops have always corf,
dered lnm as the enemy of every species < f
tyranny—whether of the one, the few or the
many—There have not been wantingtbo ein
thi: country who have attempted to blast his
reputation as the friend of man—and a foreiia
paper informs us that the emigrants at Lux
emburg, attempted to force his apartments
in Shut city—which were at that time not ia
a cattle, but in a private houie—they were
however prevented.
EXTRACT.
" Ignorance is equally the friend of a rfef
potic arid the enemy of * free goveri ment •
wiiCii veiled with puv, e* it i,s tUo tttdft danfe
rowt ,"><? that can attack . ;.r liberties. Vet
how oiten may it entwining tiie laurel
of fancied merit aroitnd the brow of comKifior..
Ed hot,or, and trampling under its feet the 1110 ft
facied rights of man."
The Tables referred to in the Report
of the Secretary of the Treasury lhall appear
in our next.
SHIP NEWS,
ARRIVED# the PORTa/PHILADFI PHIA.
'Sh:p Robert, Jacobs, London
Ncftor, Biikeit, Jamaica
Bug Mercury, Gardner, Si. Croix
Lydis,
Sch'r »it ndlliip,
Sloop Lark,
Chsncc,
Vanfiie,
Cai ver,
Burrows,
Babcoik,
PRICE OF STOCKS.
6 perCer.ts, a o/j
3 per Cents, ,ij
Deferred,
FulWhares Bank U. S. 40 per ccrit, prem,
'& IWer, 50
A GREAT BARGAIN.
FOR Sale, a beautiful situation on the Po
towmack, adjoining the town ot Alexandria
i'nd in a line of direttion towards the Federal
City and GeorgeTown,in full view ot each place,
commanding * profptd of the river and adjacent
country ot Maryland and Virginia, for many
miles; about .4501 50 acres of Land, lying d:-
reftly on tlie nver, will be fold, with the im
provements, which arc, a two-story framed
d welling-houfe, neatly finifhed, a kitchen, office,
buck smoke-house and dairy, two-story framed
barn, a well of excellent water, and an ict
houfe, a yard and garden, neatly railed and
highly improved, with a number of other no
ceffary improvements ; the whole of the tand
enclofcd with posts and rails, tenor fifteen acres
laid down, with different kinds of grass, Its
contiguity to those three towns must render it an
objett worthy the attention of any perPtn who
wishes to invert money in a property that must
enhance in value, in proportion to the rapid io
creafe ol the Federal City, Alexandria and
George-Town. This property lies Nearly in a
ccmrai fitoatiqn to each place. The Poiowmack
a? tlvs'fpor has a fine deep (hore and harbour,
capable of receiving vefTHs of any burden. It
may not be improper to observe, that men of
judgment think a profitable and convenient
Ferry might be erected here to the Citv of
Wafning'oji and the Maryland fhort-s leading to
Baltimore aod Philadelphia.— Also to fell, 215
acres of Wood-Land, about three miles distant,
which will fait well to supply the above in
wood and timber. 'J he iitlr may be seen to the
above property, which is indifputablc, and terms
known by application tq the fubfetiber, living
011 the preniiics.
BALDWIN DADS.
Capc-Francoi*
Boston
St. Martins
N. Carolina