The New-Jersey gazette — Burlington [N.J.], 1779-06-23 00:00:00, page 1

noHE Delegates of Virginia laid before Con
gress certain powers and infractions to
them given by the General Assembly of
their State, which were read, and are as
follows:
“ Tn General Assembly, Saturday the 19th of
December, 1778.
Refolded nemine contradicente, That our Delegates
in Congress be inftruded to propose to Congress, that
they recommend to each of the States named as par
ties in the Articles of Confederation, heretofore laid
before and ratified by this Assembly, that they autho
rife their Delegates in Congress to ratify the said Ar
ticles, together with the Delegates of so many other
of the said States as shall be willing, so that the fame
shall be for-ever binding on the States so ratifying,
notwithstanding that a part of those named fliall de
cline to ratify the fame, allowing nevertheless to the.
said States so declining either a given or indefinite
time, as to Congress shall seem best, for acceding to
the said Confederation, and making themselves there
by Members of the Union.
Refolded nemine contradicente, That Bur said Dele
gates now in office, or hereafter to be appointed, be
authorifed and required, and are hereby authorifed
and required, to ratify the said Articles of Confede
ration on the part of this Commonwealth, with so
many of the other States named in them as parties
as shall on their part ratify the fame.
Test. A. Cary, S. S. B. Harrison, S. H. D."
In pursuance of the above powers and inftru&ions
the said Delegates moved in the words following :
'' Whefeas it is of the greatest importance to the
fafety, honour and interest of the United States that
the Confederation be closed as soon as may be, and
rendered for-ever binding on the States acceding there
to: Refolded, That it be earnestly recommended to
each of the States named as parties to the Confedera
tion, that they authorife their Delegates in Congress
tjratify the fame on or before the day of next,
in conjunction with the Delegates of so many other of
the said States as shall be willing; to the end that the
fame may be thenceforward for-ever binding on the
States so ratifying, notwithstanding that a part of those
named shall decline to ratify the fame."
Ordered, That the consideration of the said motion
be postponed to Tuesday next.
The Delegates of Virginia then delivered in a paper
signed by them in the words following:
" In consequence of the foregoing inftruCtions and
powers to us given, we do hereby declare, that we
are ready and willing to ratify the Confederation with
any one or more States named therein, so that the fame
•shall be for-ever binding upon the State of Virginia.
Signed Merewether Smith, Richard-Henry Lee,
g ' fy ruj Griffin, William Fleming.”
Ma, 21. The Delegates of Maryland informed Con
gress that they have received inftru&ions refolding the
Articles of Confederation, which they are directed to
lay before Congress, and to have entered on the jour
nals; the inftruftions being read, are as follows:
" Inftrudions of the General Assembly of Maryland
to George Plater,'William Paca, William Carmichael,
John Henry, James Forbes, and Daniel of St. Thomas
Jenifer, Esquires.
Gentlemen, Having conferred upon you a trust of
the highest nature, it is evident we place great con
fidence in your integrity, abilities and zeal to promote
the general welfare of the United States, and the par
ticular interest of this State, where the latter is not
incompatible with the former; but to add greater
weight to your proceedings in Congress, and to take
away all suspicion that the opinions you there deliver
and the votes you give may be the mere opinions of
individuals, and not resulting from your knowledge
of the sense and deliberate judgment of the State you
represent, we think it our duty to inftrud you as fol
loweth on the fubjed of the Confederation, a fubjeCt
in which unfortunately a supposed difference of inter
est aas produced an almost equal division of fentirqents
among the several States composing the Union : We
fay a supposed difference of interests; for if local at
tachments and prejudices, and the avarice and ambi
tion of individuals, would give way to the dictates' of
a found policy, founded on the principles of justice,
(and no other policy but what is founded on those
immutable principles deserves to be called found)
we flatter ourselves this apparent diversity of interests
would soon vanish, and all the States would confede
rate on terms mutually advantageous to all; for they
would then perceive that no other Confederation than
one so formed can be lading. Although the pressure of
immediate calamities, the dread of their continuance
from the appearance of dis-union, and feme other pe-
NEW"JERSEY GAZET TE.
PHILADELPHI A.
Extracts from the Journals of CONGRESS,
May 20, 1779.
[Vol. IT.]
WEDNES D AY, June 23, 1779.
culiar circumstances, may have induced some States
to accede to the present Confederation, contrary to
their own interests and judgments, it requires no great
share of forefight to predict, that when those causes
cease to operate the States which have thus acceded
to the Confederation will confider it as no longer
binding, and will eagerly embrace the fell occasion
of asserting their just rights and securing their inde
pendence. Is it possible that those States, who are
ambitiously grasping at territories, to which in our
judgment they have not the lead shadow of exclusive
right, will life with greater moderation the increase
of wealth and power derived from those territories,
when acquired, than wh.it they have displayed in their
endeavours to acquire them r we think not ; we arc
convinced the fame spirit which hath prompted them
to insist on a claim so extravagant, so repugnant to
every principle of jurfice, so incompatible with the
general welfare of all the States, will urge them cn to
add oppression to injustice. If they should not be in
cident by a superiority of wealth and strength to op
press by open force their less wealthy and less powerful
^neighbours, yet the depopulation, and consequently
the impoverishment of those States, will necessarily
follow, which by an unfair conßruCtion of the Con
federation may be stripped of a common interest in,
and the common benefits derivtable from the western
country. Suppose, for instance, Virginia indisputably
possessed of the extensive and fertile country to which
she has let up a claim, what would be the probable
consequences to Maryland of such an undisturbed and
undisputed possession ? They cannot escape the least
difeerning. Virginia, by felling on the most moderate
terms a small proportion of the lands in question,
would draw into her Treasury vast sums of money,
and in proportion to the sums arising from such falcs,
would be enabled to lessen her taxes : Lands compa
ratively cheap, and taxes comparatively low with the
lands and taxes of an adjacent State, would quickly
drain the State thus disadvantageously cirdumftanced
of its most ufeful inhabitants, its wealth and its con
sequence in the scale ofo confederated States would
rink of comfe. A claim io injurious to more than one
half if not the whole of the United States, ought to
be supported by the cleared evidence of the right.
Yet what evidences of that right have been produced ?
what arguments alledged in support cither of the evi
dence or the right ? none that we have heard of de
serving a serious refutation.
It has been said that some of the Delegates of a
neighbouring State have declared their opinion of the
impracticability of governing the extensive dominion
claimed by that State; hence also the necessity was
admitted of dividing its territory and erecting a new
State, under the auspices and direction of the elder,
from whom no doubt it would receive its form of go
vernment, to whom it would be bound by some alli
ance or confederacy, and by whose Councils it would
be influenced; such a measure, if ever attempted,
would certainly be opposed by the other States, as
inconsistent with the letter and spirit of the proposed
Confederation. Should it take place, by eftablilhing
a fub-confederacy, Imperium in Imperio, the State
possessed of this extensive dominion must then either
submit to all the inconveniencies of an overgrown and
unwieldly government, or fuffer the authority of Con
gress to interpose at a future time, and to lop off a part
of its territory to be erected into a new and free State,
and admitted into the Confederation on such conditi
ons as shall be fettled by nine States. If it is necessary
for the happiness and tranquility of a State thus over
grown, that Congress should hereafter interfere and
divide its territory, why is the claim to that territory
now made and so pcrtinacioufly insisted on ? we can
suggest to ourselves but two motives ; either the de
claration of relinquishing at some future period a por
tion of the country, now contended for, was made
to Tull suspicion asleep, and to cover the designs cf a
secret ambition, or if the thought was seriously en
tertained, the lands are now claimed to reap an im
mediate profit from the sale. —We are convinced po
licy and justice require that a country unsettled at the
commencement of this war, claimed by the British
Crown, and ceded to it by the treaty of Paris, if
wrested from the common enemy by the blood and
treasure of the Thirteen States, should be considered
as a common property, fubjeCt to be parcelled out by
Congress into free, convenient and independent go
vernments, in such manner and at such times as the
wisdom of that Assembly shall hereafter direCt.—Thus
convinced, we should betray the trust reposed in us
by our constituents, were we to authorife you to ra
tify on their behalf the Confederation, unless it be
farther explained: We have coolly and dispassionately
considered the fubjeCt; we have weighed probable
inconveniencies and hardships against the facrifices cf
just and essential rights; and do inftruCt you not to
T H E
agree to the Confederation, unless an article or arti
cles be added thereto in conformity with our decla
ration: Should we succeed in obtaining such article
or articles, then you are hereby fully empowered to
accede to the Confederation.
That these our sentiments refpeding the Confede
ration may be more publicly known, and more ex
plicitly and concisely declared, we have drawn up the
annexed declaration, which we inftruCt you to lay
before Congress, to have it printed, and to deliver to
each of the Delegates of the other States in Congress
assembled copies thereof, signed by yourselves or by
such of you as may be present at the time cf the delive
ry; to the intent and purpose that the copies aforefaid
may be communicated to our brethren of the United
States, a;id the contents of the said declaration taken
into their serious and candid consideration.
Also we desire and inftruCt you to move at a proper
time, that these inftruCtions be read to Congress by their
Secretary, and entered on the journals of Congress.
We have spoken with freedom, as becomes freemen;
and we sincerely with, that these our reprefentationg
may make such an impression on that Assembly as to
induce them to make such addition to the Articles of
Confederation as may bring about a permanent Union.
A true cop, from the proceedings of Dec. 15th, 1,78,
Test. T. DUCKETT, C. H. D.
The Delegates for the State of Connecticut laid be*
fore Congress farther powers relative to the Articles cf
Confederation, which were read, and are as follows:
" State of Connecticut, ff. At a General Assembly of
the Governor and Company ofthe State of Connec
ticut, in America, holden at Hartford by special
order of the Governor of said State, on Wednesday
the 7th day of April, Anno Domini 1779.
(L. S.) It appearing to this Assembly to be essenti
ally necessary for the preservation, fafety, independ
ence and foyereignty of the United States of America,
that the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union
be acceded to, ratified and confirmed: And whereas
all of the said States, except Maryland, have agreed
to and confirmed said Articles cf Confederation, and
Maryland has not acceded to said Articles as drawn
up, for reasons heretofore published: And whereas
the Confederation of Thirteen States may not be
considered as obligatory on Twelve States only:
Refolded, That the Delegates of this State in Con
gress be directed and empowered, and full power and
authority is hereby given and granted to the said De
legates, in the name and behalf of this State, to enter
into, ratify and confirm iaid Articles of Confederation
and Perpetual Union with the States of New-Hamp
shire, Massachusetts-Bay, Rhode-Ifland and Provi
dence Plantations, New-York, New-Jersey, Pennsyl
vania, Delaware, Virginia, North-Carolina, South-
Carolina, and Georgia, in the most full and ample
manner; always provided, that the State of Maryland
be not thereby excluded from acceding to said Confe
deration at any time hereafter.
A true copy of record,
Examined by George'Wyllys, Secretary."
Refolded, That these United States be called upon,
in addition to the sum required by a resolution of
Congress of the 2d of January last, for their refoedive
quotas of forty-five millions of dollars, to be paid in
to the Continental Treasury before the firft day of
January next, in the proportion following:
New-Hampshire, - - 1,500,010
Massachusetts-Bay, - - 6,000,c00
Rhode-Ifland, - - - 750,000
Connecticut, -.. 5,100,000
New-York, - - - 2,400,000
New-Jersey, - - - 2,400,000
Pennsylvania, - - - 5,700,000
Delaware, - - - 450,000
Maryland, - - - 4,680,000
Virginia, .... 7,200,000
North-Carolina, - - 3,270,000
South-Carolina, - - 5,550,000,
45,000,00 c
Georgia being invaded is hereafter to raise her
proportion.
Refolded, That the said several sums, or any greater
f*ms, which shall be paid by any of the States into
the Continental Treasury, shall be passed to their
refpedive credits on interest, on she fame terms as
are prescribed by the resolution of Congress, passed
the 22d of November, 1777.
Ma, 22. In consequence of a recommendation from
the Board of Treasury,
Refolded, That John Reed, William Coats, John
Williams, George Bright, and Levy Budd, £e ap
pointed Signers of the Continental Bills of Credit.
The Committee on the Treasury nominate Mr.
John-Dyer Mercier, and Mr. Phillip Audibert, to be
appointed Commiflioners of Accounts.
(See the fourth page,)
[Numb. Bi.j