The New-Jersey gazette — Burlington [N.J.], 1786-02-27 00:00:00, page 2

Vhe late war, and their exertions in it have unavoida
bly accumulated ? —Bit as this writer must merit and
meet the contempt of the good and virtuous who may
think his labours that will feared bring forth a mouse,
worth perusing—l leave him, his arrogance, nonsense,
mifrepreferitation, corruption, and the whole train of
his artillery, so productive of lies and fame andfmoak,
to the 'mercy of his judge.
Eugenio too, with all his laboured ingenuity, is of
necessity very, often wrong; but he merits more re
ipedf than his spurious brother the Primitive Whig.
He begins his firft number thus : " The Rate of New-
Jersey has seen every paper currency which has been
emitted within these nine years past by government,
&c. fink in value." And afterwards, " Government
is so circumstanced that the like causes will inevitably
have the like effects." His firft proposition is granted,
but his last is falfe. Is this government so circtim
ftanced now, as it was nine years ago, or when those
former currencies were issued and depreciated ; and
will the loan-office money, which is under considera
tion, stand upon the fame footing with them ? If our
government were so circumstanced now as in them
times, it is filly reasoning to fay, because every kind
of paper made then depreciated, every kind made now
will depreciate, however different the causes, and the
plan on which it be issued. But as our government
is neither so circumstanced now as it was then, nor the
proposed medium to be on the plan of any issued within
nine years.paft, it is strange that Eugenio should mistake
and misrepresent so clear a point. He would eventu
ally make war, tyranny and oppression, have the fame
effect in eftablilhing the credit of paper currency, as
peace, liberty and independence, and vice versa. It
answers his and their purposes belt to blend all these
together; but one who is not an entire ideot in poli
tics must perceive an absolute diftin&ion. When eve
ry man is under fear (by the invasion of an artful
and a powerful enemy) of the very exigence of the
government itfetf, and all its measures, it necessarily
destroys the credit or the good opinion of the curren
cy which is issued on the mere faith of that govern
ment. This has been the case within nine years past;
but happily for us peace has banished, and I hope
eternally, those fears. Doubtless our present situation
in peace, liberty and independence, under virtuous
legislatures, must give more credit to publick measures
in general, and to any kind of paper issued on their
existence and stability, than war and danger and op
preflion and confufion.
Eugenio, in his second number fays, " the holder
has not any power to detain the lands till he receives
value for his bill." How in the name of reason will
be deprive the holder of this power? By a dead or
expired aft of the legislature ? This system and negati
on is peculiar to himfelf, and a former author in this
gazette, under the signature of Homo. They may have
drawn up a bill and passed it with fueb a clause, among
their domestics and friends; but I am sure the present
legislature has not passed a bill with facb a clause, in
its official departments.
I have always supposed that the prefect legislature
will make the mortgage to government transferable
to the holders of the bills, and redeemable only at the
original value of the. loan. Surely an individual can
not take from the legislature this power. This also
will give confidence to the currency. It is just and
equitable. It is equally as beneficial to the debtor
who is the mortgagor, as if it continued the property
of the state who is the original mortgagee. What the
debtor desires is a few years peaceable possession of his
farm, in which time its produce' will be fufficient to
extricate him from debt and from distress. It is in
different to him whether the state or any private per
son is possessed of the mortgage which he is bound and
intends to difeharge with all good faith and honesty.
But it is of great importance to him, who has per
haps an infant family, that his farm for which he has
paid one thousand, and owes five hundred, should not
be wrested from him in execution for four hundred
pounds. Eugenio's conclusions then, from that vague
and nugatory principle, which has no real existence,
prove nothing to the purpose.
Mr. Homo too would make loan-office bills the fame
as the paper issued during the war, which has been
quifites to the credit of any paper currency, to wit,
" The faith of government sacred and inviolate ; and
unshaken confidence and good opinion of the holders
in the money ; a secure fund; and more especially in
the government the means of instant realization at va
lue." He fays, " the firft of these has been so re
peatedly and wantonly violated, that it does not de
serve to be deemed a security for a single /hilling/'
That publick faith has been often and fhamefully
violated I confefs ; but pray how can that affeft the
holders of loan-office money, who can any time, in
the office, realize or secure it at ten times its value in
good farms?—The belt of realization or security!
Publick faith is out of the question, if any holder of
this money, by paying it into the office, will or may
be made a private and absolute mortgagee. The hold
ers of such paper, confident of its ample security
and permanency, will give it free and rapid circulati-
proved to be absurd, and the fame as promissory notes,
the credit of which depends on the caprice of the
giver, which is equally falfe. How can his reasoning
hold, if the mortgages may go out of the power and
possession of the Rate —be absolutely assigned to the
holders, and be redeemable only at value ? Where can
there be delay, evasion or injustice ? This money would
be just as good without a tender as with it, if pecuni
ary gluttons and misers would not refute it merely to
harrafs their debtors, and to get their property for a song.
These learned gentlemen do not publish their wri
tings as immutable truths; but as lies, sophisms and
scarecrows, which they hope will be detected too late
to defeat their purposes.
Eugenio enumerates what he calls four essential re-
Votes and proceedings of the tenth general
afemb/y of the state of New-Jersey.
Being the second fating.
Trenton, IVednefday, February 15, 1786.
PURSUANT to the adjournment at the last fitting
the house met.
Present, Messrs. Speaker, Blauvelt, Nicoll, A. Clark,
Marlh, Schuurman, Bonney, Bunn, Blaire, Kelly, R.
S. Smith, Biddle, J. Smith, T. Clark, Davis, Hall,
Burgin, Sheppard, Hankinfon, Beardflee.
Ordered, That mr. Blauvelt do wait on the council,
and inform them that a quorum of the members of
the assembly have met, and this day proceeded to
business.
The house adjourned till to-morrow morning ten
of the clock.
Thursday, February 16, 1786.
The above-mentioned members met, together with
mr. Terhune, mr. Garritfc, mr. Combs and mr. Hough
ton.
Elisha Walton and Joseph Stillwell, returned as mem
bers from the county of Monmouth, appeared in the
house, and produced the refpedive certificates of their
election, which were read, approved and ordered to be
filed; whereupon, being duly sworn by the speaker,
they took their feats in the house.
A message from the council by mr. Haring.
' Council-chamber, Feb. 16, 1786.
' Ordered,
' THAT mr. Haring do wait on the house of af
' fembly, and acquaint them that a quorum of the
' council have this day met, and proceeded to bufinefs.'
A petition from sundry freeholders and electors of
the county of Monmouth was read, praying that the
election law may be altered, and that the said coun
ty may be enabled to vote by ballot, which mode they
also desire the state may uniformly adopt.
Ordered, That the said petition be read a second
time.
A petition from sundry inhabitants of the county
of Monmouth was read, setting forth, that a more
particular mode of procedure than the statute of Eng
land refpeCting landlords and tenants would be benefi
cial to the inhabitants of this state, and praying the
legislature will take it under their consideration ;
Ordered, That the said petition be read a second
time.
Mr. Blauvelt reported, that he had obeyed the or
der of the house,
A petition from Mary Afhfield was read, praying
that flie may have leave to present a bill appointing
commissioners to partition and divide a certain tract
of land in the county of Essex, held by her and others
as tenants in common among the several persons en
titled thereto, in proportion to their refpeCtive rights,
and to dispose of a part thereof for defraying the ex
pence of such partition;
Ordered, That the petitioner have leave to present
a bill, agreeably to the prayer of her petition, on ad
vertising the purport of the bill she means to present,
and a copy of this order, fix weeks previous thereto,
in one of the news-papers printed in New-York, and
in the news-paper printed at Elizabeth-Town.
Mr. A. Clark, with leave, presented the draught of
a bill, intitled, 'an aft to provide for officers, soldiers
or seamen, who have been disabled in the service of
the United States,' which was read and committed to
meffrs. A. Clark and Schuurman.
A petition from Joseph Lippincott, of the county
of Burlington, was read, praying that a law may pal's
to exempt his body from confinement for debt ;
Ordered, That the petition do lie on the table.
A petition from fundiy inhabitants of the county
of Monmouth, praying that a law may pass to in
crease the sum cognizable before a justice of the peace
to £. 50;
Ordered, That the said petition be read a second
timer
on, which will make it answer internally all the pur
poses of coin. These gentlemen, who now so pru
dentially keep their hard money locked up in trunks
and strong boxes, to buy farms with it for one tenth of
their real value, will then be interested to let every
penny of it circulate. People will as chearfully pay
hard as loan-office money in taxes, and by having the
latter we shall be better enabled to diminish our fo
reign debt with the former. His three succeeding es
sentials are answered already. If he means that a good
opinion of loan-office paper " cannot become a senti
ment of the human mind in New-Jersey for years to
come," it is an absolute falfehood. It is rooted as a
sentiment in the minds of thoufand6 at this time. The
fund is inevitably (cured, warranted and supported.
The lands are fubtlantial and liable to forfeiture for
the redemption of the bills. The holder can have a
property in the lands, and a daily profit arising from
them. What more does an honest man expert to reap
from his money ? Rogues expert to reap more at ihe
riffs sales, and keep their money trunked up to get
there, the property of the honest and indullrious, who
are unavoidably in debt for a mere nothing.
From what source do we draw our present subsist
ence ? Is it from our trade ? No—that is eating us up.
Is it from our agriculture ? —Yes —this is and ought
to be our subsistence. The honest—the virtuous—the
industrious, but the indebted farmers, are our chief
support. Wisdom and prudence and policy and hu
manity dictate, that it is deftrudive and cruel not to
relieve such of our fellow men and citizens from an igno
miny cuorfe than vassalage, when the very aft will be
productive of publick good. They are disheartened
and diltreffed in their callings and families by the
want of a circulating medium and a few years quiet
poffellion of their fields. A PATRIOT.
Somerset, Feb. 9, 1786.
The house adjourned to three o'clock, P. M.
The house met.
Agreeably to leave given at the last fitting a bill wab
presented, intitled, ' a supplement to the aft, intitlcd
an aft for running and afeertaining the line of parti,
tion or division between the eastern and western divi
fi ons of the province of New-Jersey ; and for prevent
ing disputes for the future concerning the fame; and
for securing to the general proprietors of the foil 0!
each of the divisions, and perlons claiming under them,
their leveral and relpeaive pofleffions, rights and just
claims ;' which was read, and ordered a second read
ing on Thursday the 23d day of this instant.
A nleffage from his excellency the governor accom
nied with the following papers, to wit:
No. 1. 23 June, 1785. 'An aft of the legifiat^e o'
the state of New-Hamplhire for the regulation of na
vigation and commerce.
No. I. a. Letter from governor Langdon accom
panying the fame.
No. 2. November 1785. A state of the representa
tion in Congress for this month.
No, 3. 3 December, 1785. Mr. secretary Thom
son's letter accompanying the fame.
No. 4. 18 November, 1785. Letter from fecretarj
Thomson refpe&iug the representation in Congress.
No. 5. 18 November, 1785. Copy of a letter from
the secretary lor foreign-affairs to the Secretary of Con
gress refpefting the representation in Congress.
No. 6. 24 November, 1785- Request of the execu
tive council of Pennsylvania, that our legislature would
pass an aft for securing an additional beacon, intend
ed to be erected on Cape-May, as well as the buoys
and beacons in the bay of Delaware, from injury.
No. 7. 29 November, 1785. An aft of the legisla
ture of Matiachufetts, intitled, ' an aft for the regu
lation of navigation and commerce.
No. 7 a. Letter from governor Bowdoin accompa
nying the said aft.,
No. 8. Statement of the accounts of several
states with the United States, so far as they relate to
the several requisitions tor money and fpecific supplies.
No. 9. 3 December, 1785. Letter from the board
of treaiury accompanying the fame.
. No. 10 December 1785. A state of the representa
tion in Congress for the month of December 1785.
No. 11. 3 January, 1786. Letter from mr. secre
tary Thomson accompanying the state of the repre
sentation. '
. No. 12. January 1786. State of the representation
in Congress for the month of January 1786.
No. 12 a. I February, 1786. Mr. secretary Thom
fons letter incloling the fame.
No. 13. 2 January, 1786. Report of the secretary
of Congress concerning the number of states which
have complied in whole or in part with the revenue
system of April 18, 1783; the recommendation of
Congress of the fame date for an alteration of the Bth
of the articles of confederation; and the aft of the
30th of April 1784, recommending the veiling of cer
tain commercial powers in Congress.
No. 14. General account of receipts and expendi
tures of the United States from theist of November
1784, to theist of November 1785.
No. 15. 17 December, 1785. Letter from the board
of treaiury accompanying the fame.
Ihe above-mentioned papers which accompanied
his excellency the governor's message of this day,
were severally read, and ordered to be filed, except
No. 8, which was ordered a second reading.
The petition from sundry inhabitants of the county
of Middlesex, read on the 17th of November last,
praying that the remainder of the bills in circulation,
which were emitted on the faith of this state in the
year 1781, may be called into the treasury in some me
thod by which one dollar in specie may be received
for three dollars of the said paper, was read a second
time, and ordered to lie on the table.
Mr. A. Clark, from the committee appointed for
that purpose, reported the draught of a bill, intitled,
'an aft for raising a revenue from certain stages, fer
ries and taverns, within the state of New-Jersey,
which was ordered a second reading.
Matthew Whilden, esquire, returned as a member
for the county of Cape-May, appeared in the house,
and produced the certificate of his election, which
was read, approved, and ordered to be filed ; where
upon, being duly sworn by the speaker, he took his
feat.
Mr. Lambert, mr. Cooper, mr. Whilden, mr. Bak
er, mr. Sinnickfon and mr. Swain, attended, and took
their feats in the house.
The house adjourned till to-morrow morning ten
of the clock.
Friday, February 17, 1786.
The house met.
The speaker laid before the house a report made by
Moore Furman, esquire, appointed a commissioner to
join iuch commissioners as were appointed on the part
of the state of Pennsylvania to fettle, agree, and ac
curately to describe which of the islands, eylots, and
insulated dry land, mentioned in the agreement be
tween the two states, bearing date on the 26th of April
1783, belong to each of the said states according to
the purport of that agreement;
Ordered, That the said report be read a second time.
A memorial was presented to the house from a num
ber of the inhabitants of the county of Middlesex,
praying a law might not be passed to grant to John
Thorp the privilege of erecting a gristmill near the
mouth of Rahway river, &c. which was read, and
ordered a second reading when the bill is brought in.
A petition was presented to the house from "Abra
ham Scott and Jonathan Scott, of the county of Bur
lington, praying a law to remedy a deled which they
apprehend in the last will and testament of their fa
ther, which was read, and ordered to be dismissed.
(To be continued.)