The New-Jersey gazette — Burlington [N.J.], 1786-03-06 00:00:00, page 2

rioußy impressed with the indispensable obligation that
Congress are under of representing to the immediate and
impartialtontideration of the fevcral Rates, the utter im
possibility of maintaining and preserving the faith of the
federal government, by temporary requisitions on the
states, and the consequent necessity of an early and
complete accession of all the Rates to the revenue sys
tem of the 18th of April 1783.
Although in a business of this magnitude and im
portance to the refpedive Rates, it was natural to ex
pect a due degree of caution, and a thorough investi
gation of the system recommended, yet the committee
cannot forbear to remark, that this plan has been un
der reference for nearly three years ; that during that
period numerous changes have taken place in the
delegations of every Rate, but that this system has
received the repeated approbation of each successive
Congress, and that the urgency of the publick en
gagements at this time, renders it the unquestionable
duty of the several Rates to adopt, without further
delay, those measures which alone in the judgment
of the committee can preserve the sacred faith of this
confederacy.
The following Rate of fads must convince the Rates
of the propriety of urging this system with unusual
anxiety at this period:
Doll, goths
That the sum necessary to discharge the
interest on loans of the king of France, to
theist of January 1787, is - 240,740. 60
For interest on certificates to foreign offi
cers made payable in France to theist of
January 1787, is - - - 22,370.
For interest on the Spanish loan, to the
21st of March 1787, is / - 48,596. 55
For interest on the Dutch loans, to the
ift June 1787, is - - 295,600.
Total, 577,307. 25
That although some of the objects of disbursement
are in the year 1787, the periods at which they be
come due, will shew the absolute necessity of an im
mediate provision for them.
That notwithstanding some of the above sums do
not fall due until 1787, yet, exclusive of the fame,
there will be due on the French and Dutch loans, in
that year, 1,252,938 dollars and 57 goths, and during
the nine succeeding years, that is until the year 1797,
including the payment of the interest and the partial
reimbursements of the capitals of the French and
Dutch loans, the average sum of near one million of
dollars annually ; for the certain obtaining of which,
at fixed periods, effectual measures can no longer be
delayed. More fully to illußrate this fubjeft, the com
mittee annex a schedule of the French and Dutch
loans, Viewing the periods of their redemption, with
the annual interest payable thereon, until their final
extinction : in addition to the above foreign demands,
the interest on the Spanish loan, and on the debts due
to foreign officers, must be provided for and annually
paid. The amount of these annual demands will be
greatly increased by adding the annual interest on the
domestic debt, the whole of which is not yet liquida
ted, and the aggregate whereof, will consequently be
enlarged beyond its last estimate.
The committee contemplate, with great fatisfadion,
the profped: of extinguishing a part of the domestic
debt, by the sales of the western territory of the Uni
ted States; but a considerable time must elapse before
that country can be surveyed and disposed of; and the
domestic creditors, until that event, must depend for
support on the justice of their country. The revenue
system, if adopted, would afford this support, and
enable Congress to fulfil the publick engagements with
their foreign creditors. The whole product of this
system is appropriated for the payment of the princi
pal and interest of the national debt, and no part
thereof can be diverted to other purposes.
That it has been the earnest wish of Congress to
prevent the vast accumulation of foreign interest that
now exists, appears from their estimates and requisiti
ons of the 27th of April 1784, and the 27th of Sep
tember 1785; and the following abftrad, taken from
the books of the treasury, of the amount of monies
brought into the federal treasury in the course of the
four last years, viz. between theist of November,
1781, and theist of January 1786, will fliew the little
success of requisitions, and demonstrate the inadequa
cy of their products to maintain the federal govern
ment, and at the fame time to discharge the annual
publick engagements:
Doll, goths
The receipts of taxes from theist of
November 1781, to theist of November
1784, amount to - -2,025,08 g. 34
From theist of November 1784, to
theist of January 1786, - 432,897. 81
Total, 2,457,987. 25
Thus it is evident that the sum of 2,457,987 dollars
and 25 goths only, was received in a space of more
than four years, when the requisitions, in the most
forcible manner, pressed on the Rates the payment
of much larger sums, and for purposes of the highest
national importance. It should be here observed, that
the receipts of the last fourteen months of the above
period, amount only to 432,897 dollars and 81 goths,
which is at the rate of 371,052 dollars per annum, a sum
ihort of what is essentially necessary for the bare main
tenance of the federal government on the most econo
mical establishment, and in time of profound peace.
The committee observe, with great concern, that
the security of the navigation and commerce of the
citizens of these Rates from the Barbary Powers, the
protection of the frontier inhabitants from the savages,
the immediate establishment of military magazines in
different parts of the union, rendered indispensable by
the principles of publick fafety, the maintenance of
the federal government at home, and the support of
the publick servants abroad, each and all depend upon
the contributions of the states under the annual re
quisitions of Congress. The monies essentially necessa
ry for these important objects, will so far exceed the
sums formerly collected from the states by taxes, that
no hope can be indulged of being able, from that
source, to make any remittances for the discharge of
foreign engagements.
Thus circumstanced, after the most solemn delibe
ration, and under the fulleft conviction that the pub
lick embaraffments are such as above represented, and
that they are daily encreafing, the committee are of
opinion, that it has become the duty of Congress to
declare most explicitly, that the crisis has arrived when
the people of these United States, by whose will, and
for whose benefit, the federal government was institu
ted, must decide whether they will support their rank
as a nation, by maintaining the publick faith at home
and abroad ; or whether, for want of a timely exertion
in establishing a general revenue, and thereby giving
strength to the confederacy, they will hazard not only
the existence of the Union, but of those great and in
valuable privileges, for which they have so arduously
and so honourably contended.
Refolded, That Congress agree to the said report.
And to the end that Congress may remain wholly
acquitted from every imputation of a want of attenti
on to the interest and welfare of those whom they re
present,
Refolded, That the requisitions of Congress of the
27th of April 1784, and the 27th of September 1785,
cannot be considered as the establishment of a system
of general revenue, in opposition to that recommended
to the several states by the resolves of Congress of the
18th of April 1783.
Refolded, That the resolves of Congress of the 18th
of April 1783, recommending a system of general re
venue, be again presented to the consideration of the
legifiatures of the several states, which have not fully
complied with the fame: that it be earnestly recom
mended to the legifiatures of New-Hampshire, Massa
chusetts, Connecticut, New-Jersey, Pennsylvania, Vir
ginia and South-Carolina, which have complied only
in part with the said system, completely to adopt the
fame; and to the legifiatures of the states of Rhode-
Island, New-York, Maryland and Georgia, which have
not adopted the said system, either in whole or in part,
to pass laws without further delay, in full conformity
with the fame. But as it is highly necessary that every
possible aid should, in the most expeditious manner, be
obtained to the revenues of the United States, it is
therefore recommended to the several states, that, in
adopting the said system, they enable the United States
in Congress assembled, tocarry into effect that part which
relates to the impost as soon as it shall be acceded to.
Refolded, That whilst Congress are denied the means
of fatisfying those engagements which they have con
stitutionally entered into for the common benefit of
the union ; they hold it their duty to warn their con
stituents that the most fatal evils will inevitably flow
from a breach of publick faith, pledged by solemn
contract, and a violation of those principles of justice,
which are the only solid basis of the honour and prospe
rity of nations..
Votes and proceedings of the tenth general
assembly of the fate of New-Jersey.
Being the second fitting.
( Continued from our last.)
MR. A. Clark, from the committee appointed for
that purpose at the last fitting, brought in a bill,
intitled, ‘ an aft to prevent the importation of Raves
into the Rate of New-Jersey, and to authorize the
manumission of them under certain reftridions, and
to prevent the abuse of Raves,' which was read, and
ordered a second reading.
A petition was presented to the house from the
members of the Baptist church, in the county of Cape-
May, praying a law to incorporate the said church,
which was read, and ordered a second reading.
Eight petitions from sundry inhabitants of the coun
ty of Monmouth, and four from the county of Mid
dlesex, were read, praying that paper-money may be
emitted and loaned on landed security ; and that the
said paper be declared a legal tender for the discharge
of all contracts whatsoever;
Ordered, That the said petitions be read a second
time.
A petition from sundry inhabitants of the Rate was
read, praying that paper money may be made, and
declared by law a legal tender, and issued in such way
as the legislature shall think proper;'
Ordered, That the fame be read a second time.
Two petitions from sundry inhabitants of the coun
ty of Monmouth, were read, praying that one hun
dred thousand pounds may be emitted in paper-money
to be funk in twenty-one years, and to be let out on
landed security, and declared by law a legal tender-
Ordered, That the fame be read a second time. ’
Four petitions from sundry inhabitants of the coun
ty of Essex, were read, praying that paper-money
may by law be emitted on loan, and made a legal
tender in all cases whatsoever ;
Ordered, That the fame be read a second time.
Four petitions from sundry inhabitants of the coun
ty of Glouceßer, setting forth the scarcity of gold and
silver, and praying that paper-money, to the amount
ot one hundred thousand pounds, may be issued on
loan, and made payable equal to gold and silver in all
cases whatever;
Ordered, That the said petitions be read a second
time.
A petition from sundry inhabitants of the county
of Cape-May, praying that paper-money may be
made and put in circulation, and made a legal tender ;
Ordered, That the said petition be read a second
time.
A petition from fund'ry inhabitants of the county of
Bergen was read, praying that paper-money may be
made and issued on loan upon the fame principles as
the paper-money issued previous to the late war;
Ordered, That the said petition be read a second
time.
Six petitions from sundry inhabitants of the county
of Sussex were read, praying that paper-money may
be made and let out on the fame principles as the
laon-office money previous to the late war ; ,
Ordered, That the said petitions be read a second
time.
Four petitions from sundry inhabitants of the courf
ty of Salem, praying that paper-money may be made
and let out on loan on the fame principles as the loan
office money let out before the war;
Ordered, That the said petitions be read a second
time.
One petition from sundry inhabitants of the Rate;
three petitions from sundry inhabitants of the county
of Salem ; three petitions from sundry inhabitants of
the county of Hunterdon ; three petitions from sun
dry inhabitants of the county of Gloucester ; one pe
tition from sundry inhabitants of the county of Mon
mouth; three petitions from sundry inhabitants of
the county of Cape-May ; four petitions from sundry
inhabitants of the county of Essex; and three petiti
ons from sundry inhabitants of the county of Burling
ton; all remonstrating against the emission of paper
money, and praying, for reasons therein severally ex
pressed, that paper-money may not be made;
Ordered, That the said petitions be severally read a
second time.
A petition was presented from sundry inhabitants of
the county of Gloucester, praying that a law may
pass to permit the petitioners to build a bridge over
Mantua Creek, by fubfeription, at Smith’s landing ;
Ordered, That the petitioners have leave to present
a Bill agreeably to the prayer of their petition, on ad
vertising the purport of the bill they mean to present,
and a copy of this order, at least three weeks previous
thereto, in three of the most publick places in each
of the townfllips of Deptford and Greenwich, and al
so the fame length of time in the New-Jersey Gazette.
The house adjourned to three o’clock, P. M.
The house met.
Peter Schenck, esquire, appeared in the house, and
produced the ' certificate of his election, which was
read, approved, and ordered to be filed; whereupon,
being duly sworn, he took his feat in the house.
Mr. Bowen attended, and took his feat.
A message from his excellency the governor, accom
panied with a letter from Mr. Otto Charge de Affairs
ot France, dated New-York, 28th December 1785, re
questing liberty for a botanist of his most Christian
majesty to purchase a piece of thirty acres of land for
the purpose of facilitating the mutual exchange of
trees and plants, &c. of both countries, which was
read, and committed to mr. Schenck and mr. Hall td
bring in a bill for that purpose.
A petition from a number of the inhabitants of the
county of Middlesex, praying that there may be a se
vere penalty inflicted on persons attempting to flop or
prevent the natural course of the fifh in South river
and in Raritan river, &c. and another petition from a
number of the inhabitants of the fame county, pray
ing the firft-mentioned petition may not be granted;
both which petitions were read, and ordered a second
reading.
A petition was presented to the house from a num
ber of the inhabitants of the county of Burlington,
praying the jurifdidion of the courts for the trial of
small causes may be extended to the amount of fifty
pounds, which was read, and ordered a second reading.
A petition was presented to the house from the wi
dow and legatees of James Sexton, setting forth, that
by the unadvised negleCt of one evidence, the last will
of the said James Sexton is rendered not valid in the
law as to the real eßate, and praying the said will
may be confirmed, which was read, and ordered a
second reading.
A petition was presented to the house by Richard
Rogers, setting forth, that he had purchased a planta
tion at the sale of the commissioners of forfeited estates,
and is in danger of losing one-third part of the use of
the said plantation during the life of the widow, whose
husband formerly owned the fame, and praying the
legislature will protest him in the said purchase, which
was read, and ordered to be dismissed.
Mr. Biddle, from the committee appointed for that
purpose, brought in a bill, intitled, 6 a supplemental
aft to an aft, intitled, an aft to call in all contractors
and surplus certificates; to issue ftate-ndtes to the
holders; and to procure a more accurate estimate of
the Rate-debt ;’ which was read, and ordered a second
reading.
A petition from sundry inhabitants of the county of
Hunterdon, and one petition from Cumberland, pray
ing that paper-money may be emitted, and put out on
loan, was read, and ordered a second reading.
Four petitions from 435 inhabitants of the county
of Cumberland, and nine petitions from the county of
Middlesex, were severally read, remonstrating against
the emission of paper-currency, and praying that no pa
per-money may be emitted to be put out on loan agree
ably to many petitions circulating for that purpose ;
Ordered, That the said petitions be read a second
time.
Mr. Combs, from the committee appointed on the
28th of November last, to enquire into the validity of
a certificate given by Thompson Stelle, as commissi
oner to fettle militia accounts, to John Hampton for
upwards of £. 560, as lieutenant in the militia in the
county of Middlesex, and paid into the treasury, re
ported as follows:
THAT we have made enquiry into the matter, and
find, by sundry certificates from the officers of the
battalion in which said Hampton must have serv
ed, that the said Hampton never did hold a lieute-