CONGRESS.
V ftOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
Monday Evening.
The committee appointed to report
on the message of tire Prelident, re
fpefting Consuls 011 the eoait of Barba
ry, reported, that the cireumftance was
provided for by the sixth feftion of the
aft refpeftiirg Consuls and Vice-Cou
luls.
It was tken moved that the I louse
should go into a committee, on the bill
to authorize the Prelident to obtain the
cession of certain territories, in Geor
gia, which wis agreed to, Mr. Cobb
in riie chair.
Mr. Sedgwick moved that the House
fliould rife and report the bill. (
Mr. Fitzfimons wanted to know the
meaning of the words in the bill by
purchase, ! If the Prelident
is to buy the right from the Hate of
Georgia to the lands which they claim,
wc ought to make provision for it.
What is the meaning of the words ?
Mr. Swift said, that this bill for the
Georgia lands was an unlimited thing.
No man had a higher opinion than him
, fclf of the President, but it was impro
per to grant fnch extensive powers.
The House think the ilate of Geoigia
wrong in having claimed this land. It
will Itill be more extraordinary in us t«
propose to buy what they have not a
right to fell. We ought to declare, at
once, that ths lands belong to the Uni
ted States, and not give any such in
definite power which might offend our
constituents. He was ready to allow
the Georgians payment of any expence
which they might have been at in de
fending it from the Indians, and no
thing else.
1 Mr. Ames imagined that it would
require a wheel-barrow load of docu
ments and papers, to determine whe
ther these lands were the property of
the Hate of Georgia, or not. In the
last night but one of a lVflion, there
.was not time for entering into the dif
ctifiion of the right. He thought it
would be good policy to agree to the
resolution, There was, however, an
interim danger of persons who claim
the lands going and taking them by !
force, and thus bringing the United I
■States into another war ten times more ;
bloody than the present. He Ihould
deplore the difappointmuit, if the bill
did not pass.
Mr. Sedgwick had an amendment
which was empowering the Prelident
to give dollars for the cession.
Mr. Harper imagined, that to fill up a
the blank would fee attended with liiTu- v
perable difficulties. It would be much t
better to let it (land as it was. To fix
The price before you attempt to make t
the bargain, is quite wrong. We t
have not information fufficient to know
what sum it will be prudent Po give, e
We cannot, at this time, appoint a r
Committee to enquire. He advised tq
refei it to the Secretary erf the Trca- r
fury to repoit to next Congress. The I
fixing a price would be dell roving the
responsibility of the Executive. He c
might shelter himfelf -under a vote of r
the House, as having fixed the sum. t
He was fatisfied that the Executive has
abundance of reasons for trying to make g
the bargain as cheaply as he can, but v
this resolution would deflroy the princi 1
pie of responsibility. We had been
told that the Georgians have not a righ. t
to these lands, and therefore that it was
improper to attempt a purchase from a
them. In the second place, that, if p
we had acquired such a right, it would \
be useless, because we have too much t
land already. With regard to the for- j
trier, Mr. Harper went into a long
hiltorical detail to prove, that Georgia f
actually had a right to the lands in
qtieltion. He wiflied that the land did
belong to the United States, and wish
ed that it might be bought. We are
not to suppose this a mere visionary
claim. It is a legal claim, a; d extends
•over thirty millions of acres of the fin
eft lands in the world, and molt admi
rably situated both for commerce and
emigration. It might, every foot of
h, be made worth half a dollar, or a
dollar, per acre. Its settlement would
tend to open the navigation of the
Miflifiippi. These thirty millions of t
acres have been fold to certain adven
turing companies, at five hundred thou
sand dollars. If the jiurchafers them
selves had completed their rights, he
would advise the re purchase from
them.
Mr. Dayton liked the amendment
better than the original resolution. He
proposed an amendment, which was not
diflinftly 'heard. He was fenlible 'of
the value of time. The Senate are
wsiiting for the refolbtion cf this
House. He faTd fliat in this bill there
had been omitted a tiaft of land fbity 1
I miles (quarf, formerly purchased from
the Natches. He feared that this af
fair involve the states in a war
with the Creeks, the mult formidable
tribe of the Indians.
Mr. Sedgwick said, that his amend
ment had been amended. We under
-1 Rood that it now included the tract of
forty miles square purchased .'.rom the
Natches.
s Mr. M'Dovvell hoped tli Jt the bill
e would not pain at all. It wi s a
of so much intricacy that it coukl not
be difculfed at preleiit. He did not
e think that it would be very honorable
in the government, if the file was <tftu
e ally completed, to embariaf» the pur
chasers of the lands, till they should
3 be farced to give up ilieir right-
Mi. Findley liked the resolution bet
e ter without the amendment.
A member recommended not fixing
e any sum, but linking it out of the a-
mendment. If the fmn is too low,
' we shall not get the land. If too high,
we may be furc that the Hate of Geor- 1
' gia will not part with it for one far
" thing less than the whole sum mention
ed in the bill. No gentleman can, at
c present, guess what the land is worth.
Mr. Boudinot was for limiting the
sum.
Mr. Kittera re;ue(led that the quef
' tion might betaken.
Mr. M'Dowell moved that the com
-1 mittee might rife, as they had not fuffi
* cicn't information for proceeding.
1 This motion was negatived.
1 The amendment of dollars was
finally rejected. The bill was reported
to the House wi h amendments, agreed
1 to, and ordered to be engrossed for a
third reading.
An additional appropriation aft was :
taken with amendments, from the 11
Senate-, which were agreed to. j;
A meffags was received from the Se ! I
nate, notifying that they had receded j
from their amendment to the bill for ' ;
the exportation of arms. They agreed j 1
to the bill for the promulgation of the j
laws, with amendments j ;
The bill relative to the Georgia lands "
was then read a third time, arid pair
ed. The yeas and nays were taken.
Yeas, - 41.
•Nays, - - 24.
The House then went into a com
'■ mittee on the petition of Edmund Ho
-1 gan ; the report of the felcft commit
; tee was read, and after some rematks, t
agreed to.
Ihe house then, at half past ten in
the evening, adjourned till Tucfday.
Tuesday, March 3.
The bill fupplcmentary to the mint
aft_ was returrfed from sixs Scmip, .
with an amendment, which was agreed j <
to.
There was little or no business done,
but an adjournment from two o'clock
till five.
Mr. New, from tVe committee of I ,
enrollments, reported the following en
rolled bills :
All aft for the more effectual recove
ry of debts due from individuals to the
United States.
An aft nuking further appropriati
ons for the military and naval ell .Mifh
ments, and for th« fuppcrt of govern
ment.
An aft for the moi'e general promul
gation of the laws of the United States,
with several others of which \ve did not I
learn the names. j
.Mr. Dexter laid a resolution on the ;
table nearly in the following words : 1
" Resolved, That a committee be 1
appointed to conlider and report on the
propriety of levifing the laws of the 1
United States, inflicting .capital and o- I
ther infamous punifhmcnts, and of re- 1
pealing the fame in certain cases." 1
Mr. Dexter said, that he laid the re- 1
solution on the table, hoping that gen- 1
tlcmen (would consider the fubjeft as 1
important enough to command some 1
Iharc of their attention during the re- I
cess: That the exilling laws were so j i
severe as to give impunity to loine crimes
in the eallem states ; that grand jurors 1
would reluctantly present offenders. 110 1
juries for trials often acquit them j
impropeily ; that he had known a fin- t
gular initance, in which an offender de- I
fpifed a trial, from a confidence that no <
evidence could induce the jury to con- 1
vist him. Mr. Dexter further observed, >
that he had long been convinced, that 1
the present fafhionable punishments were <
introduced when the rights of men were i
little undtrj ood and less regarded ; ' t
that they were unjnll and barbarous in t
priiKM pie, and mischievous in practice, j t
»s it is not difficult to {hew that they t
have a dircft ttidency to produce jhe t
very crimes they aie intended to pre- <
vent ; and that justice, humanity, and \
even policy, call loudly lor reform.— \
Jf re-bforcing fliould be dilhufted, at t
least facts and .iftual experiment ought 1
ta convince : That such facts hrd long I
i txifttd both in Europe arid Amcrica, j
m as to place it beyond doubt, that savage
f- laws will always make a farage people :
ir That the change of things in Portugal,
le and particularly ill Lisbon, which had
lately taken place, was another proof in
1- addition to many others : That the
r- danger of aflaffination and robbery there
)f had been well known, that the abolition
ic of fanruinary punishments there lately,
had aboliihed the crimes ; and that he
!! had been intorrntd by a 1110 ft refpedta
ct ble gentleman, juit arrived from thence,
>t that the midnight traveller is now as
it lafe in Lisbon as in Philadelphia,
le Mr. Dexter was not unacquainted
1- with the fears of some very good men ;
r- that mitigating minifliment# would pro
d duee an inundation cf 'crimes, efpecial
fjr in large cities ; but he slid cxperi
t- ence had Hiewn, that such dai'iger
exifled : ti c bed citizens of Portugal
g had objedted fiotn limilar fears, but
1- they had happily dilcovered that such
-, fears were groundless. A legislature |
1, ought to dare to do light, and trust
•- events to heaven. Moral good pannot j
■- produce natural evil as its ordinary
1- fruit. *
t Mr. Dexter concluded by »bferving i
that if he {hould not be a member of
e the next Congress, he hoped some gen-
Ueman would think the iubjeCt impor
"- tant enough to be attended to ; at leatt
he rtiou'd have done his duty, and the
1- resolution would /hew the opinion of one
i- of the (overcign peopiu, that the crimi
nal code.ought to lis "mended, and he
doubted not that the future servants of
s the public would pay due refpeift to it.
:i A committee of both houk's waiu'd
d 011 the Piefide it to fearn if he had any
a thing farther to communicate to the
Huufe. The committee returned with"
s an answer that he had not, and that
e i his kindest and molt affectionate vvilhes
| attended them in returning to theircon
! llituents.
' | Tlie Iloufe then adjourned f.ne lie.—
r Mr. Lyinan said that he had a motion in
1 his hand which he intended to have made
; 1 Ihe House immediately tame to order
| arid the motion of Mr. I.yman was read
s ! in the following words
" RefoJved unauimouflv.
"That die thanksuf the House of Re
" prefentatiVes he presented to Frederick
" Augulius in testimony of
" their approbation of his conduift in dif
. " charging the arduous and important
" duties afiigned him while in the
" chair."
he motion was unanimously agreed
' to and the Speaker replied as follows:
"1 feel myfelf highly honoured by this
1 " diltinguilhed mark of your approbation
" of my condudt in tht station you were
• pleased to aflign unto me, and although
■' lam conscious that my public efforts
t " d» not merit so precious a reward,
" yet T>ermit rrr fn . —■!■«. U -
J", " has made a lafling impression on my
' " mind, and I lhall ever elleeni it with un
" feigned fatisfadlioa."
, " Gentlemen, I most fineerely thank
; " you. May every poffihle happiness at
" tend you, May you long continue to en
p " joy the confidence of your fellow citi
" zens, and may you meet, with their just
" applause of having deserved well of
" your country."
Foreign Intelligence.
LCNDON, Dec. 23.
Particul.rs of the storming of Praga,
ar.d of the Surrender of Warsaw.
, THE circumflances attending the
storming of Praga, aud those which
preceded the surrender of )Varfaw, have
: as yet been imperfectly r«ht»d; we 4
have now received the particulars, which
' make humanity shudder.
: The suburb of Praga, separated f> •om ;
• Warsaw by the Vistula, was defended ;
by more than a huiided cannon, diipo
fed upon 33 batteiies It was under ;
the fire of this terrible artillery' that ,
Gen. Suvanow made his troops mount 1
to the afl'ault, in the fame manner as he 1
1 had done at the taking of Ifmael. It «
will be recollected that it was General '
Suwarrow, who commanded at the tak- i
1 ln g tins 1 urkifh fortiefs, where the (
1 Ruffians e»tei ed only by climbing over <
■ the dead bodies of their comrades as <
■ well as thlir enemies. The Geneial |
1 gave the fame orders in the affiiult of '
■ the fubmbs «f Piaga ; he enjoined his |
soldiers to give quarter to nw one. The t
1 engagement lalled two hours, and this
■ memorable day, the 4UI of November, j
, will be numbered among those in which '
human blood shed in moll abmu J
dance, even in these unhappy times-in \
which we live. The number of unfor
tunate Poles, who pei ifhed by the fworel, ,
the fire, and the water, (the bridge over {
the Viflula having been broken during
the adtion,) are eflimatcd at 20,c00. In
the suburb of Praga, 12,cC0 inhabitants ,
oFjbolli and itII were the
vidhms of the firft fnry of the Ruffian,
who maffarred all whom they met, with
out diiiin£lion of age, fc-x or quality
After this dreadful execution, no more !
hopes remained of fa v ing Waifaw. The
principal chief of the insurreCtion, Count j
( ' . . " x
ge Potucki hirofelf, ac'.vifed to treat with
:: the Ruffian General, a:id for that pm
*1, pose, repaired to the head- qttarters o
ad the Ruffians, with propositions of peace,
in in the name of the Republic. But Couu
le Suwarrow rcfufed to hear him, obferv
re ing haughtily that the Emprcfs, !iir.
»n Sovereign, was by no means at war
y, with the Repuhlic ; that the only ob
le I jefi of his coming befoie Warsaw, was
a- j to reduce to obedience those Polish »tib
e, | jedts, who, by taking up arms, had dil
ls : turbetl the repose of the Stale. He at
j the feme time itifinuated, that he (hopld
d j titat with none of the chiefs of the in
; j furredtion, but only with persons who, '
)- ; inverted withlegitimate aiuliomy,fhotil<t
I- 1 come to fpen kin the mme, and oil the ■
i- part of his Polish Majelly.
•i Count Potocki being sent back with
il ; tti:3 aimvcr, it was resolved to fend de
it J puties from the Magiftraey of Waifaw
li Ito the Ruffian Commander. During
e | all this time the fire of the city did not f
1 cease playing upon the Ruffians in the j
t | suburb of Praga, who answered it but :
v feebly.—The Deputies, Buzak jwflci, i
j Strazakowfki, and Makarowioz, Imvirg 1
r i repaired to the head quartets, and flu <v
f flight of the 4th being spent under the £
- acuteft anxiety, they returned about .
- noon on the sth. They had been con
t (trained to surrender the city at difcre F
: tion into the hands of Count Sriwarrow, I
: under the lingular condition, that the E
■ inhabitant? should be secure in their ''
' lives and property. Vhe General hav- !?
f ing confentcd to this, added, " That, j.
belides fafety to their persons, and the
pi efcrvat iuij o£ iheir --Awf -w
was athird article, which without doubt, L
the Magiflrates had forgotten to ask, '°
1' and which he grained, Pardon for the
P ast ;" . I
i The Deputies being returned into p]
■ the city, a Proclamation was published St
to this effect : lis
" The Magistracy of the free city of le;
1 Warsaw. G
" The Deputies of the city of War- j?
saw, sent to Gen. Suwarrow, cofttmand- j q
1 ing the Ruffian troop# under the city, I j;j
having reported to the Magistracy that T
. they were received amicably by his Ex
cellency, the said Geneia!, tt ho had de-'
elated his disposition for a capitulation ;
and also that they had obtained some Ai
preliminary articles, signed by him, by fr<
which he had promiled the citizens, 011
fafety to their persons and property,
and oblivion of all palt wrong.—The ,? r
Magistracy notifies the fame to the ci- , " r
1 tizens, vriflvlng them to keep themfclves 1
quiet till the entire conclulion of the j
capitulation, and that they will cease
their fire, his Excellency having order.
! t»fl LLi-ua— t«~m-r orr'flftir part.'*
In confequencf of this submission of
the city, the Magittracy also informed -
the inhabitants of the desire of Gene- i
ral Suwarrow, that all persons, inhabi- ! rrr.
tants, (hould lurrender all their arms, of
every kind, before the signing of the rc
capitulation, under promise of all arms
of value, and fowling pieces, tating re- - re i
turned to the proprietors, after the re- no
eflablifhment of tranquility. All the coi
inhabitants obeyed this order ; but the ' nt
soldiery then in the cjty refufed. Their frc
Chief, Wawrzewfki, and many mem- ! 110
beis of the Supreme Council, refufed t] .
to take part in the capitulation. This ! t ;'
difficulty gavr occasion for more par- ' coi
leys, which lailed all the 6th. The King ! be
demanded a week to labour at a pneifi- i
cation ; but Count Suwarrow would €0 *
grant no more than two or three days,
•luring which rime they laboured to re- t! ' 3
pair the bridge over the Vistula. In j, a ,
fine, it was agreed, that those of the pr<
militai y who rcfufed to lay down their cec
arms, (hould have liberty to go out of re P
Waifewp Bnt'Jhe Rufiian TJeneial f u !
added this -declaration, that •« all who fu):
chose this alternative might be Aire of
not escaping any where else ; and that wh
when overtaken, bo quarter would be ]
granted." ; t :
Afier the agreement was signed, the as :
Members of the Supreme Council, and eti<
Generalissimo Wawrzewfki, waited up
on the King, in the morning of the 7th c *,^
of November, and remitted into his it .
hands the authority they exercised at tha
Warsaw-—The fame day the Magi- ral,
Urates informed the inhabitants, that " \
the capitulation having been finned, the opl .
Ruffian tr< >ps were about to enter the r'
city ; that the Ruffian General having
ptomifed observance <if the mod exafl tot
t.ifcipline, the Burgefics were enjoined eha
to preitive order and tranquillity, on ana
theii patt : and the more fccuiely to na '
prcferve tranquillity, they ordered all bov
houses to be shut, &c. c "'
The entry of the Ruffians followed
on the 9th of November, in the manner 11; q
we have before.related. van
il/i<
parliament. pie:
The following is a lift of the new hv
jvlemberi, who took their feats in the fire
Houle of Commons, on Tiufday, viz. oft
I ord Dorchefler, for Crkkladt j WiHiam r U I
I undas, Liq. for the burghs of Anltru- the
"tli tber, &c. Uou. *i !,«i fn-f , .- c)
Us lock; Henry ftr.-.chev, Uiq.lu.r } •
o- ' t'hsrlc* Cbei'itr, Li'd. f. ~
.MflBfTS Miehi.ct IlidU Lru'ih,
Circncefter 5 Cjhsiit-s IVndas, J <
ieiks j Sir John ' rc-derick, Bait
rv ' ' ;ir Henry Voce Tempch, 1.
In., Uiiiuam city; Gabriel Tuik f rSi -
,-ar iiq. lor Weymouth; a j,d R.'id
vVilliafc Wyndham, for Norwitfu
■as -—
,1,. Minor': 'y hi the Iloufj of f. gr( f s> ~j
j{. Guilford's Amentin.tnl to the .
at
M *>«n<:r.
11. Duke of Bedford. Marcv : s of
o, '' ow f f ' Kails of Dei by. .!
Jd IViaferyc. Thariet. Batk'in/tai.-.0. .
I mont. Albwniarle. , Guiidhcrc.
Lord Chedw orih.
'j 1 Lift of the Minority on Mr. Will r
yl mtndmtrl lq the /Jai.rtjs to .v
w a Fcuce il4(l> France
Anion Thomas, Anderfon, J. V
tcr.ie Lee, Aul.t; Sir John,
Ltiiry, Baring £, r IwiEcis, 15a-,
'I He n. l.uward, l!c
>1 Won William, IHi'llo.k John,
0 Rowland, E.urrli, !. 11. i'vn:* ■
• Church J. r. c. ke T. W. Coke -.. !
le CcJqtiriejia Wiiliait), Courtenay
it 9.° Xl WipjJtfley, Cvrwen C ' 1 ,
sir Charle?, Buncombe I nrv, 1 -
1 Hon. J hoh:as, Fealherflbn, Si.
! Fitzpatrick, Ivt. Hon. R, Flet
', lirtiry, Sir M. B. FoL'
v E«lv ard, Fox kt. lft.n. C. j.
r Phillip, Gadiea Lord, Grey 1
Hare James, Harcowt John, !!■,<
Kiel)ard, Howard Henry, Hufi'ey Y\ , ,
' /ekyl Joseph, jit- John, St.
e Keinpe i hoifitfsV TSinflloii Join, i
e- -trm "William, Ile'nry, tTmZ'raff'i
, Lcchmere Edmund, Long Sanr !.,
, ' ovv Earl, Mc. Leod, Colonel, > . lti. •
e waring, William, Martin Jafiiu, f
Sir William, Miinanke Ralph, ' .
Sir R. North Dudley, Kirfe ;
} Plumer William, KufcLl Lord 1 1
Sheridan R. B. Shaw Cunlifie, Su
Lord Robert, Star!
f les, Faylor A. M. Taylor Clerk, 1
General, Thompson Thomas, i ;
Robert, Thornton Henry, T' nil •
Lord, John, VValwyn James,
C. C Wilbraham Roger, Wilberf . - V,
> liam, Wynne R. Wat kin Maith.
• Thomas, Whitebread Samuel, j
Plymouth, Doci. Dee. 3
> The; La Nvmphe and Stag ",
i Admiral Park ris just arrived in 1■ r
- from Torbay, with the remaind • ,
j outward bound Weft India fleet . r
was so large a fleet known to he 1
' The number is computed at ft n i
drcdfail.
;| ——
; From the American Daily Ad ," 1
a F v - T ■* ™T r ~ r * ~
f ' LETTER XII.
[ To the Citizens of the Uniteo 5
IT having been (hewn, that tV.
, ments in the Frefident's Speech l c.-i U
p created societies were genuine ir.t *■ tu<
, from fa<Ss ; and that his recomn
' to every defcripticn of citizcns
' from his fanilioHS, and their afi !
' ! reliance on his wisdom and virtue
■ now to be exanYined, whether
• comment*, or in that recommend* •
; intimated any expedlation cf a 1 . 1
. from Congress, which the com'titt .ci
not permit, and the crisis demand.
How grateful focver it might h; e'
' that the House 01 Reprtfentatives (h ■ '
' ; ciprocate the fentiinents, contains
| communication ; they were at p> r
bcrty to modify, or indetd abfoi
. : omit them. No other reply t •
could have been looked for or delir
one, ccrrefponiling with the coi.v
that body.
And where would legislative p
have been wounded, it the House
prefentatives hid explicitly d'lcou'it.
ced the societies ? If their debates •><
' reiM-efentcd in the-iLazcttes, an4-ti. ..
pugnance to condemn Toundi
supposed defect of power, they havei *
ened thcmfelves by lubtleties, hi
neither endure a severe tell, nor !i
with their own precedents.
I fay, a fuppqftd rlcfcP. offotUfT ;
it ;s underflood to have been inci
as a political truth ; that, even ifth
eties had demeaned themlelves in a
ncr, oiTcnlivc to public tranquility; •
House of Representatives had no r
censure. Ihe dodlrine m ent so fai, .
it would exclude trom the reprobat
that Houfeev»rypubbcevil,howevei r
ral, although it maybe better to lt>
it by the temperate application of in
opinion, than by the rigours of law.
ft is the part of patriotiim to avoi
afiimilation of our conftituticn toth'
tilh or any other ; unless a ftriii adh< ";'
to the language and spirit of the f
charter may be combined with repu
analogies to other governments. In(
nal of the Bilti£h Hottfc ofCcmmo
bounds with examples of the moll pr
censure , built too, not upon the fa
dea of the omnipotence of Farliamen
upon the houf of commons being thep
inquell of the land. But I wave t'u
vantages, which mightJjSL drawn
tjlis source ; preftrrirg to refoit fopi
pies wholly American.
The argument might be ftrengtt
by reciting the many inftancescf cei
firewed through the legislative procee
of the states, all of which breathe pui'
publiramfm, and in different degree--- e
the legislative. from the j.:F;ca! P c