Star. — London, England, 1802-01-14 00:00:00

' l f Il t 1 i , I l ::ji i . 1 1, I I 4 a ) i. • :i i 1 j . 1 ' 4, 1. ' 1 I 11 • , ~ 1 1. . i 1 , \ •-•:j AMERICA. -.P CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES. PRISIDENT'S The following meffige was delivered by Mr. Lawn, the Prefidenes Secretary, to the Speaker of the Houk, and read by the Clerk December 8. r Bot. Sir—The circumnances under which we find ourfelves at this place, rendering inconvenient the mode heretofore praaifeth of making by perfonal iddrefs the &ft communications between the Le giflative and Executive branches, I have adopted that by Melfage, as tiled on all fuhfequent occa lions through the Seffion. In doing this, I have had principal regard to the convenience of the Legillature, to t. cm -mostly of their time, to their' relief from the embarrafrmetit of immediate an fwers, on fubjeas not yet fully before them, and to the benefits thence refulting to the public affairs. Truing that a procedure, founded in thole mo tives, will meet their, approbation, I•beg leave, through you, Sir, to communicate the inclofed MetTage; with the documents accompanying it, to the honourable the Houfe of Reprefentatives, and pray you to accept, fo r you r f e lf an d th em , th e ho mage of my high refpeet and confideration. • (Signed) Tit. JIMERSON. The Hon. the Speaker of the Houle of Reprcfcntattves, Fdlvtc Citicnu of de &awe, and if Me ?We of Rayrefesdaiives, It is a circumilance fincere gratification to me, that on meeting the Great Council of the Na tion, I am able to announce to them on grounds of reafonablc certainty, that the wars and troubles which have for fo many years afflideti our filler nations, have at length come to an end, and that the communications of peace and commerce are once more opening among them. Whilft we de voutly return thanks to the BINIFICINT ZEING who has been pleated to breathe into them the fpirit of conciliation and forgivenefc, we are bound, with peculiar gratitude, to be thankful to Hs sc that our own peace has been preferred through fo pe rilous; a feafon, and ourfelves permitted quietly to cultivate the earth, and to praßife and improve thole arts which tend to encreafe our comforts.— The alTuranecs, indeed, of friendly difpofition se• ceived from all the powers with whom we have principal relations, had infpired a confidence that our peace with them would not have been difturb ed. But a reflation of the irregularities which has &Med the commerce of neutral nations, and, of the irritations and injuries produced by them, can not but add to this confidence; and ftrengthens nt the fame time, the hope that wrongs committed on unoffcnding friends, under a prelTure of cireum fiances, will now be reviewed with candour, and will be conlidercd-as founding juft claims of retri , bution for the pall, and new affurancc for the future. Among our Indiao nei:Abours alto a fpirit of peace and friendfhip generally prevails, and I on happy to inform pm, that •the continued ef forts to introduce among them the implements, • and the inaaice of hulthindry, and of the bottle hold arts, have not been without fucccfs : that they art b:come m"re and more tenable of the fu. periority of this dependance, for clothing and fubfiftence, over the precarious refources of and fialing : and already we are enabled to announce that, inflead of that condom diminu tion of the-ir numbers produced by their wars and their want, Come of them begin to experience an increafe of population. To this date of general peace, with which we have been blefred, only one exception exifts. Tri poli, the lead confiderable of the Barbary States, i had come forward with demands unfounded either in right or in conwalt, and had permitted itfelf to denounce war, on our failure to comply before a given day. The Ityle of the demand admitted but one anfwer. I fent a (mall fquadron of fri gates into the Mediterranean, with affurances to that power of our fincere defire to remain in peace ; but with orders to pitted our commerce againft the threatened attack. The meafure was featonable and (alutary. The Bey bad already de clared-war in form. His crofters were out. Two had arrived at Gibraltar. Our commerce in the Mediterranean was blo'ckaded ; and that of the Atlantic in peril. The arrival of our fquadron difpelled the danger. One of the Tripolitan cruifers having fallen in with and engaged the (mall fchooner Euterprize, commanded by Lieu tenant Steeret, which had gone out as a tender to our larger velrelr, was captured, after a heavy flaughter o; her men, without the lots of a fingle • one on our part. T he bravery exhibited by our Citizens on that element will, I troll, be a tedi mony to the world, that it is not a want of that virtue which maker us feel their peace; but a con feientious defire to dire& the energies of our nation to the multiplication of the human race, and not to its deftruaion. Unauthorifed by the Conditn don, without the fanaion of Congreft, to go be yond the line of defence, the wird - being difabled , from committing further hoftilities, was liberated ' with its crew. Tke Legiflature will, doubtlefs, confider whether, by outhorifing 'matures of of fence alto, they will place our force on an equal footing with that of its advcrfaries. I communi• cate all material information on this fubjea, that - in the exercife of the important funaion, confided by the Conflitution to the Legillatore exclufively, their judgment may form itfelf on a knowledge and confederation of every circumftance of weight.' I with I could fly that our fituation with all the other Barbary flues was entirely fatisfaaory. Difcovering that fume delays bad-taken place in the performance of certain articles eipulated by us, I thought It my duty, by immediate meafures • for fulfilling them, to vindicate to ourfelves the right of confidering the effea of departure' from ftipulation on their fide, From the papers which will be laid before you, you will be enabled to judge whether our treaties are regarded by them as fixing at all the meafure of their demands, or as guarding, againft the exercife of force, our y;,,G fels within their power ; and to confider how far "• • ' will be Cafe and expedient to leave our aff.iirs - - with them .n their prefent pollute. I lay before you the ref Ult of the cenfus lately I Rthil QC p iithaebitauts, to a copifornucy with which we are to ranee the enfuinytatts of reietia fentation and taxation. You will perceive du& the increafe of numbers during the laft ten yeatV, proceeding in geometrical ratio, promifes a plication in little More than as years. We con template this rapid growth, and the profpea it holds up to us, not with a view to the injuries it may enable us to do to othels in tome future day, but to the fettlement of the extenfive country Rill remaining vacant within our limits, to the multi plication of men, fufceptible of happinefs educated in the love of order, habituated to felf-govern ment, and valuing its bleflings above all price. Other circumflances combined with the increafe of numbers have produced an augmentation •of revenue arifing from confumption, in a ratio far beyond that of population alone ; and though the changes in foreign relations, now taking place fo defirably for the whole world, may for a feafon affe& tins branch of revenue, yet weighing all probabilities of expence, as well as of income, there is reafonable ground of confidence that we may now fafcly difpenfe with all the internal taxes, comprehending excites, Ramps, aucLions , licences, carriages, and refined fugars : to which the pott age on newfpapers may be added to facilitate the progrefs of information; and that the remaining fources of revenue will be fnfficient to provide for the fupport of Government, to pay the interefts of public debts, and to difcharge the principals in thorter periods than the laws, or the general ex pedation had contemplated. War, indeed, and untoward events may change this profpeiff of things, and call for the expences which the im pofts-could not meet. But found principles will not jultify your taxing the indullry of our fellow citizens to accumulate treafure for wars to happen we know not when, and which might not perhaps happen, but from the temptation offered by that treafure. Thefe views, however, of reducing our burthens are formed on the expectation, that a fenfible, and at the fame time a falutary, redußion may take place in our habitual expenditures. For this pur pole, thofe of the civil government, the army and navy, will need recital. When we confider that .this Government is charged with the external and mutual relations only of tittle Rates; that the Rates themfelves have principal care of our per fons, our property, and our reputation ; conflitu ring the great field of human concerns, we may well doubt whether our organization is not too complicated, too expenfive ; whether offices and officers have not been multiplied tinnecelarily,and fometimcs injurioufly to the (cry ice they were meant to promote. i will caufe to be laid before you an effay towards a flatement of thofe who, under public employment of various kinds, draw money from the treafury, or from our citizens. Time has not permitted a perfel enumeration, the rami fications of office being too multiplied and remote to be completely traced in a firft trial Among thole who are dependent •on executive difcretion, I have begun the reduCtion of what was deemed unneceffary. The expences of diplomatic agency lure been confiderably diminifhed. The infpec tor s of internal revenue, who wew found to ob. fir at the accountability of the inflitution, -have been difeontinued. Several agencies, created by executive authority,. on falaries fixed by that al%, have been fupprefled, and fhould fuggea the ex.. pediency of regulating that power by law, fo as 1 , to fubjeCt its exercifes to legiflative infpeetion and fanCtion. Other reformations of the fame kind will be purfued with that caution which is requi fite, in removing acids things, not to injure what is retained. But the great mars of public officers is ettablifbed by law, and theiefore)bliiaw alotte can be aboliffied. Should the Legiflature think it expedient to pals this roll in review, and to try all its parts by public utility, they may be allured of every aid and light which executive informa tion can yield. Confidtring the general tendency to multiply offices and dependencies, and to encreare expence to the ultimate term of burthen.which the citizen can bear, it behoves its to avail ourfelves of every occafion which prefents itfelf for taking off the furcharge ; that it never may be Peen here that, after leaving to labour the fmallefi portion of its earnings on which it can fubfift, government (hall itfelf confume the refidue of what icwas inflittited to guard. In our care too of the public ronttibutions milted to our direkion, it would be prudent tia multiply barriers againa their diffipation, by ap propriating fpecific rums to every fpecific purpofe, fufceptible of definition by difallowing all appli cations of money varying from the appropriation in objed or traufcending it in amount ; by redu cing the undefined field of contingencies, and thereby circumfcribinf difcretionary powers over money ; and by bringing back' to a Tingle depart ment all accountabilities for money, where the examination may be prompt, efficacious, and uni form. An account of the receipts and expenditutes of the lag year, as prepared by the Secretary of the Treafury, will as ufual, be laid before you. The fuccefs which has attended the late fates of the pub lic lands fhews that, with attention, they may be made an important fource of receipt. Among tale payments, thole made in difcbarge of the principal and intereß of the national debt, ,will th ew that the public faith has been exaelly ma intained. To thefe ' will be added an eftimate of appropriations necef fary for the enfuing year. This , laft will of courfe be affeaed by fuch modifications of the fyftent of espence as you (hall think ptop d r to adopt. ti gatemen has been formed by the Secretary at War, on mature confideration, of all the pofts and Rations where garrifons will be expedient, and of the number of men requifite for each garrifon. The whole amount is confiderably of the pre 'tent military eftablifiiment. tor the furplus no particular ufe can be pointed out. For defence ag . ainft invafion, their number is as nothing ; nor is it confidered nsedfitl or fate that a (landing army fbould be kept up, in than of peace. Uncertain as we mull ever be o 4 the particular point in our circumference where an enemy may chafe to in. rade us, the only force which can be ready at every point, and competent to oppofe them, is the bode of 4eifillb. 9o oPB citi*Ps3 as ( WOO 4 11 . q 3144 - 7" On diskpolleited from the parienittli collier:tient, 1 rut nougats proportiq -W to the invading force, it u belt to rely, not to meet the firft attack, but if it threatens to be permanent, so maintain the de fence until the regulars mar be engaged to relieve them. Thofe confiderations render it important that we !hotly!, at every fetron, continue to amend the defelts, which from time to time thew them felves, in the laws for regulating the militia, until they are fufficiently perfet: nor should we now, or at any time, feparate, until we can fay we have done every thing for the militia, which we could do, were an enemy at our door. The provifion of military limes on hand will be laid before you, that you may judge of the addi tions Rill requifite. With refped to the extent to which our prepa tions fhould be carried, Come difference of opinion may be expeded to appear; but jolt attention to the circomnances of every part of the union will doubtlefs reconcile all. A (mall force will proba bly contimie to be wanted for adual fervice in the Mediterranean. Whatever annual fum beyond that you may think proper to appropriate to naval preparations, would perhaps be better employed in providing chore articles which may be kept with out wafte or confumption, aod be in readinefs when any exigence calls them into nfe. Progrefs has been made, as will appear by papers now com municated, in providing materials for feventy-four gun (hips as direded by law. How far the authority given by the Leg:nature for procuring and eflablithing foes for naval pur poles, has been perfetily underlood and purfued in the execution, admits of fome doubt. A (late ment of the expences already incurred on that tub jed !hall be laid before you. I have in certain cafes, fufpended or flackened thefe expenditures, that the Legiflature might determine whether fo many yards are necefary as have been contem plated. The works at this place ale among thofe permitted to go on ; and five of the (even frigates direEted to be laid up, hive been brought and laid up here, where, befides the fafety of their pofitien, they are under the eye of the Executive Admini ambit', as well ; as its agetttsi'and where your (elves alto will be guided by your own view, in the Legiflative provilions refpeding them, which may from time to time be neceffary. They are pre ferved in fuch condition, as well the vac's, as whatever belongs to them, as to be at all times ready for lea on a (port warning. Two others are yet to belaci up, fo foon as they (hall have reecho ed the repairs requitite to put them atfo in a found condition. 4s a fuperintending officer will be ne cefary at each yard, his duties and emoluments, hitherto fixed by the Executive, will be a more proper fubjed for Legiflation. A communication will be made of our prorrefs in the execution of the law refpeding the veifels direded to he fold. The fortificatt9os of our hat hours, more or lets advanced, prefent confiderations of great difficulty. While fome of them are on a fcale fufficiently pro portioned to the advantages of their pofition, to the efficacy of their protedion,and the importance of the points within it, others are fo extenfire, - will coil fo much in the fira eredion, fo much in their maintenance, and require fuch a force to garrifon them, as to make it queftionable what is bell now to be done. A fiatentent of thole commenced or projeded, of the expences already incurred, and climates of their future con, as far as can be fore teen, null be laid before you, that you may be enabled to judge whether any alteration is neccf fAry in the laws refpeeting this fubje.ft. Agriculture, manufactures, commerce, and na vigation, the four pillars of our profperity, arc -theztazoft thriting, when left moll free to indivi dual enterprife. Proteilion from cafual embarraff-ments, however, may fometimes be fcalonably in terpofed. If in the courfe of your obfervations or enquiries, they lhould appear •to need any aid, within the limits of our conflitutional powers, your fenfe of their importance is a fufficicnt affurance they. will.occupy your attention. We cannot, in •deedi but all feel an anxious folicitude for the dif ficulties tinder Which our carrying trade will foon be placed. How far it can be relieved, otherwife than by time, is a fubjed of important confidera don. . The judiciary fyftem of the United States, and cfpecially that portion of it recently erected, will of courfe prefent itfelf to the contemplation °Mon &fat and that they may be able to judge of the proportion which the inftitution bears to the bufi nefs it has to perform, I have canted to be pro cured from the feveral Rates, and now lay before Congrefs, an exact Ratement of all the carafes de cided fence the firft ellabliftiment of the courts, and of thofe which were depending when additional courts and judges were brought in to their aid. And iris* on the judiciary organization, it will 'be worthy ydur confederation whether the protec tion of the ineftimable institution of juries has been extended to all the cafes involving the fecurity of our perfons and property. Their impartial felec tion alfo being etrential to their value, we ought further to confider whether that is fnikeiently fe cured in thofe hates, where they are named by a marital depending on executive will, or defignsited by the . court, or by officers derndant on them. I cannot omit recommending a revifal of the laws on the fubjed of naturalixation. ConGdering the ordinary chances of human life, sti denial of ci tizenthip under a relidence of re years, is a denial to •n great proportion of thofe who elk it; and sontrouls a policy Rurfued, from their firft fettle mem, by many of clack Rates, and Rill believed of confequence to their poßerity. And Wall we re fute to the unhappy fugitives from diftrefs, that hofpitality which the ravages of the wildernefs ex tended tia our fathers arriving in this land ? Shall opprefred humanity find no afylum on this globe ? The oonftitution, indeed, las wifely provided that, for adrniffion to certain offices of important truft, a relidence !hall be required fufficient to dcvelope charader and defirn. But might not the general charader and capabilities of a citizen be fakir communicated to every one manifefting a awl& purpofe of embarking his life and fortunes perma nently with us? with reftriaions, perhaps, to guard againft the fraudulent teurpation of our flag ; an abufe which brints fo much 'embarraffment an 4. lots og the genu ine citiscp j sad ,Co Nuch 44iler tq • the nation - of being involved in War, that nn e, i . deavour should be Tpared to dew& and fupprefs it. Thefejellow-citizens, are the matters relpthing the Rate of the nation, which I have thought ni importance to be fubmitted to your contider.itii,n at this time. Some others of lefs moment, or n o t yet ready for communication, will be the fulijel of feparate meffages. lam happy in this oppor. tunity of committing the arduous affairs of our Government to the colleted wifdom of the union. Nothing fhall be wanting on my part to inform, as far as in my power, the legilla tire judgment, nor to carry that judgment into faithful execution. The prudence and tempe rance of your difcuflions will promote, within you& own walls, that conciliation which fo much be friends rational conclufion, and by its example will encourage among our Conftituents that progrc hive opinion which is tending to unite them in object. and in will. That all thould be fatisfied with any one order of things.is not to be expelled,- but I indulge the pleading perfualion that the great body • of our citiiens will cordially concur in hiinell ani difinterelted efforts, which have for their object to preferve the General and State Governments in their Conaitutional form and equilibrium—to maintain peace abroad, and order and obedience to the laws at home—to eftablillt, principles and praelices of adminiQration favourable to the fecti rity of liberty and property—and to reduce ex penccs to what is neceffary for the ufeful purpoles of Government. TH. JEFFERSON. FRANCE. PARIS, 17 NIVOSE, (JAN. 7.) That portion of the left-hank of the Rhine v;bich comprehends the Pruflian States of Weft. phalia being at prefent wholly dellitute of places of ftrength adequate to their defence, the French Government•has refolved to fortify the littlerwns of Buderich, Rheinfixerg, and Creveld. The phut of thefe fortifications is already completed, and the building will commence as foon as the hate of the weather will allow. It is in contemplation alfo to eresfl a number of forts betwixt Cologne and Mentz, and of thefe one is to be of the firft order of fortification. The works of the city and citadel of Juliet% fitnated on the Rhine, on which a vaft degree of labour was employed during the Taft year, was expeCted to be completed in the caning fpring. It appears by letters from Beurdeaux and anum ber of other places in the South of France, that the very heavy and dehruClive rains which have lately fallen in that quarter hill continue to inun date the cotintry. In a variety of cafes thefe falls of rain were accompanied with very high gales of wind, from which the !hipping fultained confider. able damage. Some of the German Journals contain copies of a treaty of commerce concluded betwixt the King of Pruffia and the United States of America. By this treaty, the treaty of .1785, concluded at the Hague, is renewed, and the prefent treaty is founded on pi ineiples of reciprocal advantage and • friendfhip. They arc mutually to carry on trade in the ports and along the Chores of the refpeCtive countries on the terms granted by each to the molt favoured powers. JANUARY 9.—At the ordinary audience of the Ambaffaijors, which took place on the 13th of this month, Mr. Jackson, and the Chevalier Serreflori prefinted to di.: Chief Conful their credentials, the one in quality of Minifler Plenipotentiary of the king of Great Britain, and the other of the King of Tufcany. Mr. Jackfon was accompanied by Melfrs. Dawfon, Warren,. and Hill, who are at tached to the Englilh Legation. A variety of prefentations at the fame time took place, among whom were alfo feveral German, Spani(h, and Danith Gentlemen, introduced by their refpedive Ambairadors. On the fame day the Members of the Legiflative Body dined with the CHIEF Consul., and the Se cond and Third Confuls. A great number of the principal Officers of State were prefent, together with a variety of Foreign Minifters and Gentlemen from the different Courts of Europe. • It it hated in the foreign Journals that the Arch duke ANTHONY, in a letter addreffed to the Chap ' ter of Muntler, takes the title of Elator of Co- . logne, and Prinen_Bithop of Munfler, Jaw. to.—The Chief Conful let out on the 18th Nivofe, ( Jan. 8.) at midnight, for Lyons. He will only be to or 12 days abfent from the capital. Citizen SEBASTIAN ' Chef de Brigade of the 9th dragoons, whn was fent to Conflantinople with difpatches from Government, arrived there on the sth Frimaire, (Nov. 26.) lie was received in the molt diflinguilhed manner. The nomination of Citizen d'Ao u assets, Preft, dent of the Tribunal of Appeal of Paris, to Ike Mininer Plenipotentiary at the Court of Denmark 4 was dated the loth Nivofe, (Dec. 31.) On the fame day Citizen TREILHARD, Vice-Pre, ficlent of the fame Tribunal, was named the Pre. ' fident to fucceed Citizen d'Aousssea. On the 14th Nivofe ( Jan. 4), the martiase of .t Citizen Louis BONAPARTE with Mademoifelle de i Btaunaancus was celebrated in the palace of the Thuilleries at one o'clock in the morning. The Second and Third Confuls ad - ailed as witnefles, and the Cardinal CAPRARA gave the nuptial benedic tion. FROM THE PARIS PAPERS. GENOA, DEC. I9.—Our Milliner of 'War ard! Marine has received from the Engliih Comman. clsot at Porto-Ferrajo the following letter: On Board his Britannic Majesty's Ship the 11.,ruiv. December 7th, I so:. Sia•-1 have received your letter relative to the infarious a.n • dna of the crews of fame veil& bearing the Englifh EA ROMs the mfelves privateers of that nation. I have now i, ho nour atinformlng you that lam truly concerned at what linp peoed; and I affure you, that the culprits have nothing what,.... r to alledge in extenuation of their crime, as they bad intarrnatlan of the conclullon of peace. They, of eanfequana , can elahn no national privileges, but ought to be confidered ae =t7and tented in that cbmatler. If they belong to Porto ' o,they muft have known that holUlitics ceded imme diately after my arrival, and that I MA no time in intimating this event. lam anziosathat they &old fuffer the pundhpent arbiCll %bet tifteaC by dbelr infamous conduct. him ow honour to be, lee. L. We UAL4TFPI