c A NATIONAL PAPER, PUBLISHKD WEDNESDAYS AND SATURDAYS BY JC/iN FtNHO, No. 34, NOPTH FIfTH-STkEt/, PH 1 l.n DtL f-H) a [No. 75 of Vol. IV.] ' Tot the C4ZETTF. nf the ''SITED STATES, ON BANKRUPT LAWS. txlraßof a lettttfrom Virginia, « errors and inconveniencies arising 1 from the bankrupt laws in England, are many, and obvious; nay, they have arilen to such a lieighth, that Lord Chancellor Thur lou', at the fittings at Lincoln's Inn, two years ago, observed, " that fnch were the frauds aiid perjuries that were daily pra&iled, by men who availed theradves of these laws, for the mod nefarious purposes, that, unless they could be amended, (the bankrupt laws) it were better that none were in force."—The following ir. mostly extracted from Mr. Bur gess, 11 on the. law of insolvency," a book, which fliall be forwarded for the perusal of the Virginia delegation—Mr. Izar,D and Mr. Smith,, of South-Carolina, and Mr. Mercer, of Maryland, (hould these gentlemen not pos sess it—before I read this author, I was an advocate {or a bankrupt system ; becscfe I was 1 si i.Md to the furtherance of jufHce^t^ commerce ; but, the author, who is a mem ber of Parliament, a barrister, was undeivfe cretary of Hate, and also a commiflioner of bankruptcy, soon taught me, that in this sys tem none of these advantages were to be found : he took from me my delufidn, and Ihewed me clearly from his reasoning, that a ly art of this fort in America, unless framed upon wiser principles than any in Englifnd, would induce more injurious than beneficial conferences. " It is a common error (lays the author) of legislators to frame laws upon the impulse of the moment. When this hap pens, original principles are disregarded, and confluences are not confidered —ought we then to be surprized that inconveniencies en fne u They have an appearance of re formation, and a reality of corruption.'' u They are inadequate for the purpose in tended— ee the four capital statutes — T KHz, c. 7. — ifl: of {a. I. c. 15- —^2l it ot Ja. I. c. 19. —sth Qeo. 11. c. 30. I. A fuijiijarv and unconftltutional mode of p r oceed : 1: * mbft be introduced —Oommiiii- onerj nuft he appointed, v/mo act arbitrarily, amU«*cittfn Their power?, to be lar;-,e ev >ugh to answer the end of their creation, innjr be enormous : they, were not so under the firft aft—t! c next was niade to fuppiv its deficiency—They were to examine bankrupts ort their oaths, and make them thus, in many mltance , criminate themfelvc-%con trary to the law of the land, lor tiiey were bound to answer interrogatories on oath— here the pH'dofpW mult b? reprobated by all men, who frn\,*c proper ideas of constitutional and civil rights—hut here power was not bounded, they had a r the law to exa mine the wives'bankrupts, to break open their houses, and other at c ts of arbitrary pow er, yet all did not avail; they were unabte to bring the bankrupt to"a:i account, aid fatHy the demands of his creators —So iiijich for thele atXs on general grounds. Much is to be reprehendedi.i other parts. u The coauniiHoners proceed nrft exparte and fbcretly, upon the oath of any creditor who is refolvcd to take out a cor/unison of bankruptcy ; there is in t us .not onlyiecrecy, but tfto much hajie. The bankrupt is not cca- Frohted wit!i his acculer, and is'thercifo're de; prived, wherf hi s credit is about to be ft? ofalledging' any thing in vindication ot ir, and of dtiprovin* the farl's, which may oe falfe, that his enemy has produced again# him—Thus the character of the juofc eHa bliflif'd merchant may befjHfred by, and is in the power of the mo<i abandoned v/retch T whb incurs neither t >c ; hazard of c;Cte»stion, no the risque of juuitliment.-— u Creditors chuf ing their own afTignees"'—This i? a Jource Ijrand ; the main oi viilainy— fne thing in this bufihefs to be done, 'is to f'abr?- eate a fra\idulen: bankruptcy, which is easily effjrtfed—(j >ods to a large amount are pio cured upon crrtlir, fuppole the lum of 52 do!. Books are all the appearance of larity-r-largc baliaces to be due to the amount, together with bills of cxcliange ac cepted, and pvomiflorv notes of hand, Xcc. See. of more than 15,60^!. —one ot the apparent largelt creditors, who is, upon the eftabiifii ment of the bankruptcy, to be one of the al fignees, call« at the houie of the merchant or trader, who takes care to be tit hove and deny d -d thus commits an art oi bankrupt cy, which warrants this pcrfou w'lo called as a c» editor, to rake out a com million —Others who are to ! »e benefitted, are in confederacy with th s artive person, and are. as <vi'd apf ear by very regular books indeed, in the number of the large't creditors of the bankrupt ; which gives them also, as well as the person who took, out the commiflion, a right to be silH^reCj—then enfue> the division of the et fjfts among the creditor^—five (hilling* i»* the pound U paid : the jtift creditor in this divfton got o«N 12yDl. while the larger one% not in reqjitv but in appearwc, got 37.5 01 the s^ocl.—.Thus the bankrupt and his nflo cutes in vi'lai&y, by his bteakivgy make the Saturday, February 9. 1795. fuin of 750T. —rtls is a common prrfticc ; and all the multiplied laws of England, and the invention of their mod ingenious jurif prndifts, have never been able to supply ade quate remedies, in prevention of tbefe notori ous frauds.—No sooner is one lopt off, than another and another grows -• the hydra-head of villainy is too pullulating to be crushed by the vigilance, the dexterity, or the arm of legislative power or wisdom. 44 *The advocates for the system here* may observe, 14 these are evils of the English sys tem, and we know them—we consider them as beacon* to warn us against running on the like rocks of error : hence we will take care to guard our Jaws again ft such enormous defers —we will free it from the arbitrary princi ples that deform their code—we will make it suitable to those of our own constitution, and never compel a man to answer interrogato ries on oath, by which he may criminate him felf—the exorbitant power of the commifl:on ers Ihall be curtailed, and yet they fliall be all-efficient to answer the end of their crea tion : the fraudulent confederacy of aflignees lhall "be prevented, and all the evils of the iiijjppMr ■ to ate \ and at the lame time will give our laws all the force neceflary for tfieir complete exe cution J for the counfera&on of fraud, the promotion ofjufrice, and the preservation of the rights of the citizen. Hae fnihi erant ar te s.*' u If this can be efFjrted by the wisdom of the legislature, there can b® no objertion to. such a law. It fttikes me, as a matter of great difficulty, " to reconcile with the effi ciency and the energy of the law, the right of the citizen/' Better in my opinion that none exilted, unless you can etempt it from the egregious vices of the Englifli code.—Yru will find it, as Mr. Burgess observes, 11 An institution, though framed for the prqtertion of virtue, the mini fie r of iniquity, and the de ftruclion of credit and commerce." FROM THA GENERAL ADVERTISER. SONNET. o'er she lirn'i.ms birds of feeble Thr low'ring"Eagle bearsTns fligrit-firilrme, On forceful pinions near the radiant spring Of ehdltfs dav, within the solar clime ; As o'er the humble hills that smile below, From their broad base the Alps majtlUc rife, Lilting iheir viewless heads into the ikies, R< irardlbfs of the fto» ms that round them blow, Thou, Wash! ngton ! appear'tl above that tribe, Who point their t'cvom'd arrows **- « hy heart; Thv heart, funcrior to the potent hribe, Of (latctv's filvrr tongue, or eloquence's art, Secure in virtue's armour (hall remain, Uuwouhdcct by me a.?totes of the lurking train. Feb. jj b, 1793. For the GAZETTE of the UN IT F,D STATES. At a Meeting of the Faih ©kef* lately, Mrs. AMIABLE in the Chair. «REsOLVEn, »<rw. co*. THAT the opinion's ffflm Bofloo, re lative to.our Titlts, are dangerous in th£ extreme. " That the fpsrif of freemen : s bni poor I v employed whrn it dirr&s its »efearr.hes to' fuGh frivolity as the nfe of irtft 1 rutin £ trims of addreis, incnfilb nt wiih iflfluetity and pnwr,r of vvotnen —as ('tefs, for Mifi or Ma (fii'in, or Irooif \6otndn.— That we declare ottffejves ju-Jtlv ?i armed at the orn<»refs of the ! hvfilm<r pnrtcrpie—Tha: thij. difpofitioh, when ltdirecfs itlelf toward? u.% is de< oratory to a lie honours which the refix ments and morjlsof an rned have juttiy given us—iThtt we find in "the hilfory of women, in proportion as foc:cty refined, the fuperioriiy of our sex, to be urmer faliy acknowbd^ed —in all mat crs tonchino our proper female dominion. That terms of the molt refined rcfpe£\, when applied to the Fa-r, being entirely voluntary, are amor>£ our dcareft privileges, astbey are amongtbe best piptediofts that a moral politencf*fris to fiUai d thole who are To fee bit as the fexfrom occasional rude ness • and so far are tlvcfe from weakening the fpitil of a manly freedom, that we inrai'iably find those men mod disposed to ufc ihem who a»e 'be motl valiant. Rtjglvtd thereat*t, Tbai we will not yield our privilege of being; called and artdiefTeH by those terms of wbicl a refined and unfoiced fc'ici of opinions and fmtinieots have bestoWed upon »<. *' , Acfofveff* That tt-'ia not unmanly in « bfraVe man io adejrefs a.b» uaiihil and amiable woman hy the wqrd Mijlfrfi. Refvfacd, Thai ncverthdefs it (hall be tolerat ed, 1 hac timid men, and irnrfer, wrakly and pnny gentlemen, uwvexereilc the privilege of calling us Citejjts* or Citcff. Rtjuhtiy as such gentlemen and beaux appinximat'e our sex in man} ihiogs. they may have ihe privilege of infu'.ting us with impu nity. S'gntd 00 behalf of the Meet ing, JULIET EASY. 289- LA"& : OF THE UNION. CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES, AT THE SECOND SESSION, Begun and held at the City of Philadelphia, in the State of Pennfylvatva, on Monday the fifth of November, onethoufand (even hundred and ninetv-two. BE it enaOtd by the Senate and Iloufe ol Re prcftnlativcs of the United States of Ame rica in Gongrefs alfcmbled, That lawful intc reft, fvom the fixieenih dav ot Mav. in the vcar one thoufj.nd (even hundred and f«:v» oiy-ftx, shall be aMowcd on the sum of two hundrra dollars, ordered to be paid to Return Jonathan Mcii;s, and the reprefentaiive of Chrilto pher Grren?, deceaf d ,l>va n loK'eof the United States in Congress alfembied, of the twrnty eighih dav of September, in the year one thou fjnd seven hundred and eiohtv-five. JON A fH AX TRUMBULL, Speaker oj the Houfeof Retrefrvtu fives. JOHN ADAMS, 'Vice-Pre si dentof the United States, and Prtfi&tnl of the Senate. APPROVED. JANUARY 14, 170,^. C-AO, VVJVSHIX'CTOV. , ■ *nt of the t'iiffrd Stales. FtfM THE GENERAL ADVERTISER. BACHS, Iff EL the lively fafisfartion in behold- cause of liberty in France so popular lit the Limited States, wpt with (land ing the mali cious inclullrv employed by those from whom we a»«■ obliged to receive our hiOorv of the re vohitiop, to delame its leading events and prin cipal authors. But vhilc I rcjoice so much to fee the cause in gen<ral so well received. I cannot but be dis gusted at the disposition which some of us dis cover |o ape every particular ci-rcumftance that attendk.it. Thi» remark was excited by the use which I fee made oj the teirn Citizen, in imitation of a custom introduced into France fmce the last re- volutin. Th : s appellation was oroper to be introduced & cbunjenam ed inthat country,in o-der to make the people feel more flrorigly the difference be tween their present elevated rank of citizens, i>nd their former dteiaded fitU3tion of fubjf&s. It P »••;.»! for the oeople of France, after haV ing so much from the mifencs of ine quality and artificial diftin£tioq ot rank, to seize with ardor cverv thing held out to them which pointed out to them the happv change of fuuation, and the present superiority of their characters. In this country, how-wer, we have not felt or known the inconvenience of a diftinftion of rar.k or superiority of rights in artv privileged part of the community : we have no change of fnuation to mark by a change of political terms ; we have do antient oppreflion* to render Odi ous, and 110 deliverance from them to celebrate ; it is therefore unseasonable and ridiculous to transfer thi« term from a country where its use Was fa well judifVed, to one where rio cirenm ffance<; reqnre it or render it applicable, and to relinquish trrms which ule has fanftioned and renHerni J'atTi liar. RYN'O. O S T E N D, Nov. 6. FLANDERS is attacked In several differ ent: pi'ice*. By accounts received laffc m<*bt from Dunkirk, they call Dumourier's aVmy 13,3, ©03 fining against Tournay and Mobs. Last Saturday 40D rational guards fVoni Diinki. k the village of lloof bnis, tour leagues i'vorn Ipfes. It was brave ly defended by, they fay, on'V thirty troops of Louden vert, deeply entrenched. The Freach were re gulfed, but next day they were joined bv2Dpruore, with seven pieces of cannon. The Anftrians received a reinforcement of oniv 21 men. T)C French again attacked, and w?re a Tecdnd tihie reputed wit'nthe loss of 153 killed and wounded. On the fame ni< r bt, 25") cavalry went from Dunkirk to support the attack, and the Aufrrians were also reinforced froiti Poppring and Tpres V/e b&ve heard the cannon every day at this place—"t continued the greateH: part of yef terdav, atid at this moment a brisk cannonade is (till kept up. L O N D O N, TJrfvimber fB. It" the French offer to attack Hol land, after ovemmrting the Anftrinn Nether lands, it is probable, that a considerable num ber of Britilh troops will be lent to the al fiitance of the United States, t> opjwfe the pro 'refs of the F encb arms; which may e ventiia'.lv engage this country in a war with slut poiver. have been jnft (Bttt to \VnolwlA to complete the two battalions of artillery tow in England with the utmost pofiibie expedi tion ; and recruiting parties are to be im mediately dispatched to every part of Great- Britain for that purpose. It was rcpoi ted in Paris on Saturday that the Emperor and the Duke were dead. Since then "VI. Briflbt has repeated the (lory in his paper, . The Duke of Bronfwick U is said is thank ed l»r hi-, services by the King ol PruiTta, but infonned at the fame time tliat they a:e no Jonger w anted- SICONO [Whole No. 59/;.] S A A. H N A H, 'v ■" vrv JO. "WE are nfffhblKzed to ii.Tnnn Hie pirbfre, that fames Scagrove, Esq. Agent of Indian. Artairs for the Southern Depar tment of* Hie United StAtes, held a conference,.in Novem ber toft, at Colerain, on the River St. Mary, with a large body of Creek Indians, at which were present Kings and Chiefs from tucKty-one of the principal towns in the Upper a:id Low er Creeks. The Indians remained with the Agent three? weeks, during which time every thing was conducted with great decorum Many mat ters of importance to this country were then arranged, and all business between the Uni ted States and the Creeks put in an agreeable train. It was agreed, at this meeting, that all pri soners in the Creek land, belonging to the United States, shall be immediately brought to the Agent, Indians Commiflioners being appointed for that purpose. The boundary line from St. Mary'* to the Alatamaha is now running by Mr. Ellicott, the Surveyor of the United States, agreeable to treaty. The fine on the north-weft frontier of this State will be completed next spring. A finp to be 'pTrt sifrtr pxnpf!'. t«. by the Indians, from the frontiers. The Chiefs who were present did, in behalf of themselves and the whole of the Creek Nation, give the most unequivocal airuraucc that tr.ev would continue in peace and friendfhip with the United States ; that they would not join any Nation or Tribe of Indians who are or may be at war with the United States; thar, /hould any of their young diforderiy men be so imprudent as to join any Tribes at war, the Nation would disown them, ar.d they nnul share the fate of the hofcle Tribe. Upon the whole of the bufineflu the Indians exprelfed a" ardent desire of living in close friendftiip with this country. After fettling all matters the Agent c.ave them a plentiful supply of provisions and clo thing, also diftribtited among them a quantity of farming utensils and mechanic tools, which, together with 5000 bufnels of corn, had been fentby the Prefideut of the United States from Philadelphia, for relieving the wants of those people. The crops of cbrn in tie Na tion have fallen very :fhort the last fealon, a great many of them will draw supplies from the public fioi*c» at iiti Mary's this winter and the eniuing spring. The inhabitants of" Georgia may refi alTur ed that the Creek Indians are 'well dfpofeU towards them, and v. ill not diftuib or injure them or their propejTy. It is therefore to be hoped that, when r.ny Indians appear on cur frontier hunting, of on their bufn.eft, that oiir fjttlers will treat r Fjem with civility. The reports whi'chf have been pnblifhcd of a large body ot'Crc£: ks'having joined tie Che. rokees and o.tj.c l\olti!e Tribe?, are nor juts Not more than J J ) of the Creeks have fhe\y>i any difpolition tj join thein, and those wen a diforderjy set 0 f young people on the irori tier of the Up per Town-, who have heei wrought upon t>y some designing had whit people; but ill that bus.ness will be end to verv f.) » the « 1 having: oMi" ' - - Som wt 'H a ' here tc . ,~ara from the Teat of go vernment, refpecHfls; cot tain partsof tie poft -office Jajv—antfrwjl no other quarter,except in ail instance or two, an echo from some one of the fouthem fta'tes. In this part of tlie Uni on, its good effects are very confpicnous—for waving the cortfideration of hewfyapers com ijig to hand with much more regularity tl an formerly, already arc the efablilhnients of the poft-ofEce extended as far as Whit-ftown, to the weft ; and from thence letters, row'pa pers, S;c. are conveyed, by regular stated pri vate poits, through all Geneiee iett!e ments, to Ni gara, the capital of Upper Ca nada—To the nort'n'ward, the poft-nff.ee is established at Burlington,oil Lake-Champlain, in the state of Vermont, where it communi cates with the fftabliftied p< ft-olfircs at Mon treal, Quebec, aud other parts of the province of Lower-Canada. Thus, through the medi um of the poft-office, on its preient eftablifli ment, not or.ly letters and pa<ka|'e«, hilt newspapers, are tranfinitted with fafety arid expedition to almost every quarter of this ex tci'ifive continent- —Will then the post office law be complained of, because a few printers at the feat of government cannot fend tle.r papers through the continent free •/ rxptvje t I, this a reafo-.iable request, when the citi zens of e\ ery other part of America, pay to private polls a greater sum for postage than is demanded by the poft-oifice law ? DUMFRIES, (Vir.) Jan. 31. Therein report (which we sincerely hope may piove true) that ihc CongieU of the L'liittd 'State» have voted the sum of 40,000 dollars tw the Marquis La Fayetti, for h'l prtlcnl pur polcs, and that iliey ha«r empownrd' a person to wait on the Kint; of Piuflia, and deiri; od of him ilwl b.ivr am) injured man, a»aa American Olficcr. Nat true \ct'■ O to 4^
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