a.ln From the New-Tort Minerva. g,- 0 ESSAY on the CITY of WASH- "J ING I'ON. Ncr , c on ' TO round a City m the center ot mJ] the Urtited States, for the piirpo'.'e of making it the depository of the acts of the Uni n, and the sanCtuary of the w jj laws which mult one day rule all North- America, Is a grand and comprehensive | aw idea, which has already become, with {o propriety, the objett of public refpeCt. w# In reflecting on the importance of t ; T the Union, and on the advantage wmch w j it ft cures to all the inl>abitants of the United States, coileCtively or individu- Qn ally ; where is there an American who, be does not fee, in the ellablifhment of a federal tn<wn, a natural mean of con- j ()| firming forever the valuable connection, to which the nation is indebted for its ai] • liberation from the British yoke —that union which allures to every individual mutual aid againfl the efforts of any m who may <!»re"to disturb public order and tranquility—that union, the shield -p of the wife laws under the protection m of which we (hall all enjoy a life of fi| peace, a freedom of opinion and moral c; equality in a degree hitherto unknown p to any people on earth—that conneCti- on, in thort, to which the United States 0 owe the extent and the flourifhing con dition of thcii commeice, the relpeCtable a flatiun-tlicy occupy among the nations a of the earth, and which, under such a w vsrie'y cf afpe,Ct3, oight to be the ob- t ] je&of the veneration (if every reflecting man. v Tht Federal City, situated in the f, center ot the United States, is a tern- n g i — eamce will tne wilhes and expectations y, of all trt:e friends of their country be a inceflintly directed. v The City of Washington, considered e nnder such important points of view, n could .not b< calculated on a small scale. Its extent, the difpolition of its avenues t and public squares, should all cones- t pond with the magnitude bf the objedt v for which it was intended, and we need v only cad our eyes upon the situation t and the plan <ff the city, to recognize in them the comprehensive genius of „ the President, to whom the direction ] ( of the business has been entrulted by j Congress. p Washington is situated in 38 degrees 50 minutes north latitude ; at the con- e fluence of the Potomakand the Eastern j: Branch. Its limits extend over a part f of Maryland and a part of Virginia, t which are separated by the river Poto- f mak. • <i The ground on is disposed that more than half its circum- c feier.ee has the benefit of navigable wa- ( ter, and although its dillance from the v Capes of the Chesapeake Bay i 3 almost , three hundred mi'es, yet the tide rises there four feet, and the water readily , ■admits veflels of four and five hundred , tons burthen. The river above the < city is on the point of being tendered , navigable for of 150 and 200 bar- rels.to the extent of five or fix hundred j miles. c The city will cover a Turface of near- , ly 4000 acres. The ground is not per- , feCtly level, but declivities may be so managed as not only to be rendered al- ( moll infenhhle, but very ufeful in car- ] rying off the water and preserving the cleanliness of the city. This description would perhaps be , 'fufScient to give the reader a high idea : of the city is general; but the details are of a nature to interest and command the attention of men of all ages and in al) situation*. Washington, as the metropolis of ' the Union, as a commercial town, and a pleasurable situation, may, in every noint of view, present resources that are j rarely united ; it is fufficient to attend to this eftabliihaifnt under all its afpefls to infpiie ardent wishes for iy success, and to induce oneto'affign it a diltin guifhed rank among the most celebrated Capitals of the world^ When Major L'Enfant conceiyed the vast and magnificent plan, the executi on of which mult unite true elegance to utility and agteeableuefs; his attention ' was fu-lt directed to the situation jiow occupied by the Capitol. Here he fix ed the center of the city, as the city is the center of the American Enppiie ; and he tendered the edifice accessible by more than twenty streets, which ter minate at this point. Each street is an emblem of the rays of, light, which, ifitting from the Capitol, are directed towards every part of America, » en lighten its inhabitants respeCting their true int'erefts. Each street is also an emblem of the facility, with whi«h the Capitol nviy be approached, in every respeCt, and at all times, by every in dividual, who (ball five under the pro- teClioo of the Union. This ingenious sice, a.lufion has been happily favored, by the An ground. The Capitol has an elevation pam of. 72 feet above the level of high water, lien • and overlooks the city in such a man- the ner, that its horizon will be bounded haz; only by the small mountains at le/eral 1 ; miles dttance. , , 1 !"r" Thi« situation is well calculated to leli 1 elevate the mind of the let;iflator ; it tei) : will continually remind him, that, if foo " from this C..pitol are to proceed the An e laws, which iliall give life and energy on 1 to all parti of the dominion ; it is to- lira ' wards this central point also that the ac- ufei tire vigilance of a nation of freemen . ing '' will be direCled. exe e The Capitol, which is conflruCted to I on the plan drawn by Mr. Hallet, will j ] 0 be one of the moll fpaciows modem e. cor a tiifices. It will con prehend the halls del l " intended for the two branches of the 1 teri Legiflatute ; the halls of conference ; ten ts and the different offices attached to j ide 31 them, colleCtively or separately. Ihe J ear a ' proportions of this magnificent monu- j tio J ment correspond with its deflination. j rejj cr The architecture is masculine and bcld. j ld The details are elegant, and the onia- no >n ments are well adjiilted. 1 compo- I rnt fition resembles the physical and politi- I tio cal situation of the United States; each I in! ' n part has its lecal advantages; but its jno true beauty results from the connCtion j M cs of all its parts. Jan n " The court of this building it spacious j tic and regular ; it enlightens the interior, | evi 1)8 and facilitates the communications —It Ica n will be embellished with a colonade cf Jpc ,l> " the Doric order ;in the center will be I el< "8 placed the altar of Liberty, arounc Iwl which the United States will be repre- I or he fented under the figure of young wo- Ifu m .' men, which jvill be -dofcly joiued to- Jdf -getoerT Thii croupe will be the em- I |ns blem of the Union ; pedeftral statues of Ipi ' 3e all the illustrious men, who by their, jOl valor or their writings have contribut- I tt ed to establish and confirm the Union, I tl w ' mny be placed between each portico, I p c " in the circumference of the tourt, and j7l lcs the niches arranged in the interior of lin f the galleries, will be furceffively filled Itl with the busts of diltinguifhed men, jtl whose life (hall have been consecrated jtl on to the happim/fs of their country. re The Capitol will be the point from I which the Americans will reckon their I on longitude ; the tables are calculated by I ky Mr. Ellicott, Engineer and Geogra- j pher to the United States. ■ es The entry of the Capitol, on the I in " east, will face a rectangular square, fuf- I :in ficiently spacious to contain fifty thou- 1 11 rt sand fouls on days of public solemnity ; I ® ,a > the approach to this is, as has been be- Iz; fore remarked, by more than twenty I F different streets and Jome gf t thers from 80 to ioc. This magnifi- 31 m " ccnt propoition adds to the grandeur I P i-ii " of the Capitol ; and the rows of trees, J e ' 1C which will line the great streets, or a venues, will render the view I (l In the ccnter of the square, there j 'ly will, probably, be ercCted a groupc, I 1 representing, on one fide, the United I [ ' 1C States afTigning to the President the di- j a ret ' reCtion of the Federal City; and on I f ,ar " the other, the President, inviting art- I r£ d ills from every part of rtie world, to I come and enrich, with their talents, the I h ar_ eltablifhment confided 10 his fuperin- I v IC *' " tendance. " I c The principal avenue, on the weft I c a '" fide, will be divided, through its whole 1 a ■ ar ' length, by a canal, from which will 1 t ' le proceed an immense number of branches, I c intended to water and cleanse the (lieets I c of the city. The declivity occasioned I by the difference of level, between the I a 'l s Capitol and garden, will form a carpet 1 1 3n °f g reer * which will extend to the bor- I '' B ders of the canal, and be interrupted I' by cafcadcs of running water, issuing ' from allegorical statues, emblematical ' and of the great rivers of America, such f ■«y as the Delaware, the Hudson, &c. I are ' which may be placed on the terrace of c end t j )e Capitol. c eCts The second principal building is the t c^s ' house intended for the President of the c " n " United States : It is construCted on the I ltcd plan designed by Mr. Hoban, and next to the capitol, will be the mod spacious t the and splendid monument hitherto ereCt- • :uti- ed in America. By its position, it is 1 eto the point of union for more than sis- t tion teen Uresis. The capitol and the Pre- t now fident's house are so situated, that the t fix- President may' have continually in his I y is view, the temple where are deposited c iie; the laws, the execution of which is fible committed to him; and it seems, that 1 ter- by the multiplicity of the streets and 1 san their diverging direCtion, it was intend- | ich, ed to remind him conflantly of the im- t fted portance of directing liis official views t en- to the most diflant parts of the Empire ; I heir and this ingenious allegory, in an in- t ;< an verted sense, will call to his mind, at the the fame time, that his actions, are < very continnally and unavoidably open to I in- general infpeCtion. 1 pro- Upon the square in front of this edi- lice, may be rrprefented the founder of reh American liberty, encircled by hiscom- to panions in arms, Governors and Mini fied, renewing, in the face of heaven, zen the oath to maintain the union at the the hazard of their lives. These allegorical groupes which cor.- anc tinually retrace some duties, are doubt- llc , kit preferable to statues erected by flat- ma! tcy to men, whom impartial Ijiftory anj F so often ft. Ips of their fictitious virtues, it e • America in discharging a duty imposed aai ' on her by gratitude to her firft magi- ma - ft tale, will at the fame time, fuinifh a an s - ufeful lefTon for his successors, by (how- din i ing them what (he expe&s from then vvh exertions, and what they have a right uni 1 to hope from her gratitude. an< 1 Every thing around these edifices otl . corresponds perfectly with their gran- me s deur : the ftreetsand the avenues which pri e terminate here, are of a breadth and ex ; tent of which one cannot yet form any P™ o idea by eomparifon ; indeed no city on e earth offers so many points of connec- t j )( i- tion, so spacious and laid out with fucli lib i. regularity. . ws 1. If the city of Washington contained to i- nothing interesting, except these two >- monuments so important by their fitua- te^ i- tion and their political relations ; what h inhabitant of the United States would {jt Is not wait with impatience for the firft « hi Monday of December in the year 1800, « and desire to be a witness of the dedica- " is tion of the two edifices, which will for- r, ever be a memorable epoch for Amen lt ca ? But in describing a fubjeft so im- of portant, it is obvious the resources of be eloquence become useless; for that t h id which is really elegant has no need of at e- ornaments, and the imagination readily as o- fupplitrs every thing that could be ad- if o- ded on the fubjeft. a) n- "The garden which connefls the ca- of pito. and the President's house, is laid ir, out in proportions that correspond with (] it- the magnificence of those ftruftures; ai n, the space which it is designed to occu o, py is 1700 feet broad, and more than id 7000 in length, independent of the two of imiricnfe declivities which extend fiom ed the capitol, and the President's house to ! n, the canal which separates them fiom ed the garden. j, (To be Continued.) e im 1 by UNITED STATES. 1 •a- > _____ | ELIZABETH-TOWN Feb. 4. r lie . ,f_ At a stated meeting of the " Conftitu lU. tional Association of Inhabitants of the t y . Borough of Elizabeth, " held at Eli- ■ t )e _ zabeth Town, on the firft Monday in r t y Febrftary, 1795 —present one hurdred J .s£. reli'i'iaii'moully | c ;h_ adopted excepting one dissentient to ; . ur part of the third—the fourth—and ; eS) eighth refolutious : , • a . Resolved I. That the present confti- 1 ue> tution of the United States, the fount ■ eie dation of our federal union, is entitled ' p C) to the patronage of every real friend to [ J [e( j the peace and prosperity of our country j ( dj. as well as to the good wilhes of every j on friend to the liberties and rights of man- i lr t_ kind. to IE That the rank which the United 1 the States held among the nations, their 1 ; n . well established credit, their growing commerce, the full demand for all agri- I eft cultural property, their present state of , o]e amity and peace with all European na „iU tions, and in a word, the general afpedl IC s, of the riches and rising glory of our ;e ts country, form a fufficient testimony in nfd favor of the present administration of the public affairs, and afford a full answer pet to all the calumnies of its enemies. ior- 111. That George Washington, our ted illustrious President, hath continued to ing deserve well of his country, and efpecial ical 'y by his late exertions in ifTuing, and jch fupportinga proclamation of neutrality s:c. by developing and f< uftrating the designs of of a foreign incendiary ; by his exerti ons to prevent a war with Great Bri the tain, and by»r*fhing the late infurgen the cy without the fliedding of human the blood. ext IV. That the late attempts to lessen ous the esteem of the President in the opi. nion of the good people of these Uni tis ted States, have been marked with de fif- sign, and betray both, a disregard to 're- truth and to the public weal, and ought the to be guarded againfl, as attempts in the his person of the President, to sap the foun ded dation of our present political fabric. is V. That if the citizens of New-Jer hat fey have ever acquired any fame, by a and ieady exprefiion of their zeal for the :nd- public good, so far as the influence of im- this association extends, care should be ews taken that opinion be not for ire ; feited by any forgetfulnefs of duty in i»- time to coi^e. ,at VI. That the peaceful enjoyment of are our religious rights will, under God, to be heft maintained by a steady adherence to the principles of the confederation edi- in which the rights of conscience and religious opinion are equally lccured to all. . . r , VII. That the right hand of cit:- ot > zenfhip be extended to all citizens of } these United States, disposed to meet thu us on the principles of our association ow and of these .tlolutions— afluring all letl . such that we will ever be happy to ter . maintain a friendly con efpondence with wo any bodies of citizens, who may judge ag; it expedient to form thcmfelves into aflo- he | dations upon similar principles, or to del . maintain epistolary correspondence with 1 any reputabl; individuals, as correfpon- am . ding membAn of this association, with T r , whom it may not be convenient to be on. t united in any associated body at home: rca and it is humbly rccoinmeHded to any the s other associations formed or to be for - med in connexion, to adopt the fame 1 principles of correspondence. VII. That this association highly ap- ce , prove of tire patriotic testimony of the t j l< Tammany Society of New-\ ork, in their " declaration of the 19th nit. and hope as their conilitntion bespeaks them friends to liberty and their coi irry, they will never want courage publicly to and boldly no d to defend their constitutional charatfter. mi 0 IX. That the idea this association en- co tertains refpe<sling tTie existence oi their own or other similar affoc;Stions, is perti- q nentlv expressed in the declara tion of Germanicus, No. 3. " ihe pio ft n priety or impropriety of felf-creatcd 3, " societies depend upon the propriety or rei a. " impropriet/ of their principle, and e- ft] r _ " specially as that principle is developed rfr : «by their anions.'! fir X. That the committee of correfpon- rp dence take such me-fures for the promul- L> ' gation of the principles and proceedings of this association as they may think proper, K in( s that the public be informed that this te ly association contemplates an associate ex- th J. iftence no longer than while alTociations of a contrary spirit and prailice Ihall appear; w and, finally, our doors are to be confider a' ed as ever open, not only to the attendance but to the arguments of any citizens of th the United States, demeaning liiemfelves tli s; according to the rules of the institution. e< U- MAT. WILLIAMSON Pref. >< an Aaron Ogden, Secretary. no — tm (p" The dissentient member, alluded t l t to above, embraces the present oj portuni- C( :ty to declare, that no man entertains ,m more exalted ideas of Waihington than himfelf; that in the third reioi'ition the f 1 expreflion " developing and fruftratiug '< the designs of a foreign incendiary,"— b (<m whieh was founded his objection) is ti in itfelf true: but as it was intended to p pierce the Democratic Societies —as the c framer of the iefolution ehofe in this man ner to flab in secret—to endeavor by am biguity of expression to accquire an unani- n lU " mous vote, rattier than honorably, can- a didly, and clearly bring forward the mat- e -li- j ter, that it might be fairly met —for these a in reasons he voted against it. red j For the fourth resolution he saw no ne- flv t0 fay that the President was fall ' 1 able—that he might be deceived—tkat, in r their opinion, he was unconfpioufly laying 1 md a foundation for future despotism ? — f Wjs it abusive in them to point to the t fti- ruins of cities once fiee and flourifhing, j □n- ! and warn Americans to beware of the ] e j i causes of this calamity ? Did these things ) display malice ? Malice works in secret— { j these things were Jon£ openly ; malice re- 1 'T | tides only in unworthy bosoms—to these j t er y institutions many of the most refpe<stab!e j f an- inhabitants of the country belong. Would |t you wish to know their names ? Aflc the : ted encrimfoned heights of Bunker's Hill, and > , leir t ' ,c K e re-ftained plains of Monmouth, and i • let these answer. It is not reasonable to { ' P suppose that such men a? these would fawn r upon the hand, which forges shackles for 1 : °f them. -n na- >eCt CONGRESS. in J of HOUSE or REPRESENTATIVES. wer 1 Wednesday, February 4. ' j t The bill autborifing an allowance of { ,j a j_ drawback on part of the cargo of the ( sn( j (hip Enterpiife, was read a third time ] lity and P asTed - 1 g nß Mr. Sherbourse, from the committee ] rti- to whom was referred a b\ll from, the , Senate to amend the poft-office law, , . cn _ made a report, which was read a firft |, r.an ani ' second time, and referred to a com- ', mittee of the whole to-morrow. I, ffen It was moved, that two members ' ■ ipi. fhauld be added to the felefl committee I Ini- to whom were referred the memorials of , ; de- the manufacturers of cordage, ofchoco -Ito late and of paper. This was agreed to. glit The house, on the motion of Mr. the Heath, went into a committee of the lun- whole on the report of the feledl com ric. mittee as to the progrels made in set- Jer- liing the accounti of bakmces due to the jy a old government. This was accordingly the done, Mr. Cobb in the chair. The re ! of port was read. Ibe The firft refohition in the report was for- that further and more adequate provifi fin on ought to be made for recovering of debts due to {he United States. Mr. tof Heath was in favor of the resolution. 'od, Mr. Sedgwick thought any new •nee regulations fuperfluous, as every pre tion caution had been. taken that sonld be and taken. t There was a message from the Piefi. * dent, with a lettci from tike Setictaiy of State. Mr. Wadfwotth, in the difcuflion of this repott, said, that he had got his own accounts with the United States fettled, and to be sure it was much bet ter that the thing was done, but he would not go through such a business again for twenty times the balance that he recovered. Many people had in dcfpair.given up the attempt. The resolution* were agreed to with amendments, and reported to the house. The galleries were then, at half p a st one o'clock, ordered to be cleared for reading of the communications ftj, m the Prcfident. , TLnrfday, February 5. A bill relative to compensation to ' certain officers cm ploy id in colledting the duties of import and tonnage, was read a third time, the blanks r.lltd up, [ a*d the bill pafled. It was movcd«a:id freendtd that tht house should lefylve it felt into a com mittee of the whole on the report o; the ' committee on reducing the national debt, which was done accordingly, Mr. Cobb in the chair. The ret«,lutio» was then read. { Mr. S. Smith laid, that he had not' r recollected before the house resolved it - felf, that he had in his pocket an ad ' dress and rt monlVranee of tue f'.igar re finers of Baltimore to fuW>it to them. The committee, 011 this account loie. f The address was then prtfenled and ■ read by the clerk. It (fated, in point»d s terms, the oppreflive efte£ts attending - the excjfe on refined sugar. When the 'f address had been read the committee ' was resumed, Mr. Cobb in the chair. Our readers will recollect, that when this fecund resolution was lalt btfore s the committee, Mr. S. Smith had mov ed to strike the refolutioo out of the leport. Mr. Filzfimo«s said——He believ. Ed that there hfd only been two of d the taxes contained u« the refolutinn complained of, vie. those on fnnff and 15 refined sugar. The auctioneers com- K . plained not of the tax, but wanted lg lome pairiculnri alttred. This might — be done, and it would be more candid is to confine the motib* metely to those 10 part's of the refutation which hadepuftd le complaint. Mr. Heifter said, that in Pennsylva nia, the tax on audlioieeis had never, as he underrtood, been carried into es t- ecution. He was for dividing : fe atelv on the motion as it ftoo3. Mr. Hillhoufe was altu for 8 divition liLLan jhn - * H_ Mr. h. bmith was anxious that the j n nature and extent of his motion might Njj be understood. He had moved tor — ftrikirijj out these taxes for thepiefent, he not to prevent the execurion, but to S> iufpend for the preftnt tile prolongation of an adl which would expire in the end of the feflion of 1797. The taxes re- were confefiedly experimental, and ano ;fe thcr year would enable the next Con j'e grefs to decide much better whether ''d they ought to be continued, than could k'j be dope at present. He hoped, tht re- j fore, that geutlemen would not miilaks t0 his motion, as if it went to an absolute ivu negative of these taxes, when it was on tor ly temporary and conditional. Mr. Page was likewise for (biking out the elaufc. If good, at the end of the former term, it coultl be renewed. But let the experiment b<- made. Mr. Sedgwick,—Mr. Chairman, the principal quefuon involved in that be fore the 4 ommittee is, shall pwmantiit 4fyovifion.be made, for the reduftigo-o£— °- the public debt ? As subordinate to ' u * this, is it necessary that the taxes laid rnc ln!l feflion, on loaf fugai, fnuff, car riages, licences for retailing spirituous tcc liquors, and sales at audtion fhowld be continued? The great fubjeft, then, of w i providing the means of reducing the j debt, is neceflarilv involved in the d'f m" cufiion. If it (hall appear to be the (duty of the legiflaturc to eilablifh a" ers ' efficient fyflem for this purpose, and if tee i it shall be demonstrated that thele taxes 1 of • are indispensable for that end, it will :o- I follow, that the resolution soT their oon to. tinuance, should not be struck out, wi dr, til an adequate substitute is proposed. :he Wh.n we take a rctrofplftive vie«V m- of the various llages, thro* which the ~et- mass of debt has pafled, prervious to the the funding fyflem,—The extteme difficul tly ty there was in executing that bufi* re- ness—the agitations which, attended ' c —the jealousies, fufpii ions, and aniroo vas fitics which hV.'C rcfultcd from it, ifi- when wc call to mind the ijifunion an'j of party which havpflowedfronj dr. when we reflect on the of ow debt ; and when we know bow anxious ew our co 11 flit lie Jits are, it fhrulld be p'» 1 re- a train of reduflion, we mitfl be that we ought afiiduoufiy to seek '■■■- means of effecting it.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers