United States oracle and Portsmouth advertiser — Portsmouth, N.H., 1802-07-03 00:00:00, page 2

those who had voted for or against any
particular meafure*—lt was said in re
ply, that the journals are entirely in the
power of the house, and I think it was
Elmendorf, butit was certainly some
one of the fed, who declared that the
majority might if they pleafed,expunge
the yeas and nays—After many other
remarks, which it would not be conve
nient for you, nor very honorable for
our national legislature, to lay before
the public, the motion was •withdrawn.
Mr. Randolph moved to amend that
part of the journal which Hands in these
words :
" Another motion was then made and second
ed, farther to amend the bill by striking out in
the said firft Tedion thereof, the words "fata
at außion," for the purpcfe of inserting in the
lieu thereof the word cofoS
The proposition was to strike out of
the journal the words “for the pur,ofe
of, and the words " in lieu ,hereof, in
order to insert the word “ arid, and so
to make the journal read, " by striking
out in the said firft fedlion thereof the
words/afr, at auQion, and inserting the
word coffee. Upon this motion Mr. Ba
con madea long fpeech,and apparently
proved to his own fatisfadion that a
very nice diftindion ought to be taken
between the import of the words, "and
inserting, and the words "for the pur
pose of inserting." He said that as the
- motion flood recorded upon the journ.
al, there could be no doubt that it was
a simple proposition ; that it could not
be divided ; and that he, on the appeal
from the decision of the chair had vot
ed wrong in declaring that decision to
be not in order. But the case, he insist.
ed, would be very different upon a
question put in the other form.—if you
had ever heard this old gentleman speak
you would feel no inclination to fee his
arguments recapitulated in this place.
Suffice it to fay that he made a long
speech, and so convincing was it, that as
loon as he fat down, Mr. Randolph
withdrew his motion. The motion
made the evening before to reconsider
uc-cun: or the manner in which tome
at those sessions commenced. The in
telligencer-continues :
'' hi this unusual demotion to pbulic buji
nejs the citizen; will decern a laudible so
licitude to terminate thefeffion at the ear liefl
period, —lt is a very hard thing to de
cide upon men's intentions, and I will
not undertake to fay that the miniftri
al gentlemen are not felicitous to expe
dite public business: but if I were dis
posed to write their eulogium,knowing
the ptogrefs which they have made
during the prefect session, and particu
larly knowing the hiftory of the bill
now unoer consideration, I should nev
er mention that solicitude, left I should
be thought either to satirize them or
to impeach their talents.—Will the In
telligence: place to the account of this
solicitude the tuo hours and a half (pent
by these gentlemen on Thursday, in
making, debating and withdrawing
motions to amend the minutes of the
day before? The parts which they wish
ed to have ftrickenout were those which
recorded the decision of the chair on
the indivisibility of Mr. Dennis's mo
tion, and that which fays that a debate
arose upon a question of order. It was
said by the minifterialifts, who were in
favour of striking out, that the journals
ought not to contradict the positive
rules of the house, and those rules di
rect that no debate shall be had upon a
question of order. On this occasion
Mr. Davis, who is rather ftubborn,and
notfo well broken in as the generality
of the fed, rebelled, and declared that
if the journal was not confident with
truth, and with the proceedings which
it recorded, and that he should vote a
gainst striking out. Several of the con
ftitutionalifts opposed the motion. They
said that the constitution compelled the
house to keep a journal, and the sole
objed was to enable the public to judge
whether their proceedings were correct
and proper or not. The precedent of
striking out, what all acknowledged to
be a true statement of has, was dan
gerous in the extreme. If the majori
ty were at liberty to record only such
parts of their proceedings as they might
chufe/the intention of the constitution
would be frustrated, and the house
might as well keep no journals. Mr.
Bayard said, that if gentlemen would
run themfclves into ezeeffes and contra
vene the rules of order for the purpose
of coming at an object which they had
in view, and, after keeping upon it,
could come into the house and new
model their journals in conformity with
their cooler judgment, it would be bet
ter to keep no journals, for they could
answer no purpose but to deceive the
public &posterity. He infixed,that tho'
the majority have rhe physical power of
controlling their own journals and ren
dering them what they please, yet, in
justice and propriety, they can exercise
that power only in rendering the re
cord conformable with the fa^s which
it records. This was acknowledged on
allhands tobe the case in the prefentin
inftance. He said if the principle now
contended for by the other fide of the
house should prevail, he should not be
furprized at feeing a motion brought
forward to erase from the journals the
yeas and nays, whenever the majority
might wish to conceal the names of
e ?;t • .urdnUuig fdr. Dviri.il :n&-
tioiL was then called up and difyofed of,
and the house proceeded to balincfi be
tween two and three o'clock, about the
usual time of adjourning.
" On Friday morning a similar feene
was acted over, with' some alterations
and embellishments. It commenced
upon the reading of the following part
of the minutes of Thursday.
" A call was then made for the question to
engross ,he bill, in order to its being read a third
time.
" The bill to repeal the internal tax
es was then resumed, and the motion
on which the previous question had
been taken, on Thursday, was called
up. As no projed for saving time and
making a prompt decision was now of
fered the amendment was soon disposed
of. After this a new fedion was ad
ded.—A call was then made for en
grossing the bill. Mr. Griswold hoped
that bill would be printed. He said it
had undergone so many and such vari
ous amendments that scarcely anything
of the original bill remained ;and de
clared for one that he did not under-
Hand it. Mr. Randolph hoped it would
not be printed. He hoped it would
have a third reading, and pass that day.
It was said in reply, that the bill could
not possibly be passed on that day, as
time must be taken for engroffmg it,
and it was already a late hour. Seve
ral of the miniftarialifts concurred in
the with that the bill might be printed.
They acknowledged, that so far were
they from comprehendding the bill
with all its amendments, that they
could not even tell the number of a
mendments which had been made to it.
Mr. Randolph began to fear that his
troops were not fufficiently disciplined.
Several of them indicated symptoms of
desertion. He resolved, if possible, to
rally them, and bring them back to a
Hate of due subordination. He assured
them, in a tone of authority, that there
was no obstacle in the way of the final
paffagc of the bill ; that it was already
engrossed, and might immediately be
read a third time and passed. He re
minded them of the opposition and per
plexity which they had met with in the
progress of the bill ; complained of the
delay occafionedbyfroften taking votes
by yeas and nays ; and, to put their al
legiance to the severest toft, concluded
Mr. Speaker declared, that, in his opinion, it
was not in order to engross the bill, until the
main question on the motion on which the previ
ous question had been called for and taken,
fhotild be put and decided by the house : and
it was further the opinion of the chair, it was
not in order to call for,or put the main question
on any motion the fame day on which the pre
vious question on such motion was called for,
and decided in the negative, by the house.—
Whereupon, an appeal was demanded from the
decision of the chair. 1 '
" A motion was made by Mr. Nichol
son to ftrik out the whole of this part of
the journal. It was debated for a con
siderable time, and many arguments
were urged to prove that the proceed
ings of the speaker are not proceedings
of the house. It was faggefted in reply
that there was an appeal pending
from these very decisions; that the vote
on that appeal must be recognized by
the clerk ; and that the journal would
be absurd, should it state the proceed
ings on an appeal from a decision which
should not appear to have ever been
made. Some one rose and said, if Mr.
Elmendorf would withdraw his appeal
this objection would be obviated. Mr.
Elmendorf then rose and said that he
would withdraw theappeal. The speak
er informed him that it was not in or
der to withdraw any motion while ano
ther motion was pending before the
house. Mr. Nicholson withdrew his
motion to expunge.—Mr. Randolph
immediatly renewed it. Another de
bate enfaed.—Mr. Gregg ofPennfylva
nia was ashamed of his party, and de
clared that a new mode of proceeding
had found its way into that house. He
said, he had never witnessed any thing
of this kind in former sessions, and did
not think that any honour was reflected
upon the legislature or the nation by
such proceedings. One of the confti
tutianalifts moved for the yeas & nays
on the question for expunging. A fuf
ficient number of members rose in fa
vour of taknig them.—ls the question
had been so taken and carried, it would
have been the duty of the clerk to enter
the question at large, together with the
yeas and nays, in the minutes for Fri
day ; so that the obnoxious passage
would (till have appeared in the journal.
This being fuggelted, Mr. Randolph
withdrew his motion and the minifteri
alifts abadoned the expunging plan.
"The journal being thus left to speak
the truth, Mr Elmendorf rose and
withdrew the appeal which he had made
from the decilion of the speaker just
before the last adjournment. Upon this
Mr. Dawson rose and renewed the ap
peal. The decilion being again read
by the clerk, a div,non of the question
on the appeal was called for, and the
vote was taken accordingly upon the
separate parts of the decision. Some of
the minifterialifts on this occasion de
serted their standard and voted will
the conftitutipnalifts.-The consequence
was, that both parts of the decision
were declared to be in order ; and so
the house was once more ready to pro
ceed to business.
An which call,
" Commerce," fay the authors of the Me
morial, " cannot be adivc, if it be checked in
its career; it cannot prosper, if it be vexed with
useless expence. Checks produce difeourage
ment, difeouragement destroys industry. To
Amplify the necessary forms, to do away all un
just diftineftions,to.leave to all the citizensan equal
liberty -to explore the domain of national in
dustry; this is all that commerce desires, and
what it experts with confidence from the en
lightened justice of the government."
The Municipality of Arnfterdam have de
creed that the tree of liberty placed before the
Town-House, Shall be taken away as soon as
they have received officially the news of the
exchange of the ratification of the Definitive
Treaty. 0
On Saturday last the Conservative Senate
received by a Meffengcr of State from the Tri
bunate the vote which that body passed on the
preceding day, expressing their with to bellow
a mark of the national gratitude upon Bona
parte. The Senate immediately passed a Sena
atue Confultum re-elcaing Bonaparte First Con
sul of the Republic for ten years which shall
immediately follow the ten years for which be
by ,Jerh>THg that he liquid be brsnr
pointed arid mortified if the bill
fhoul'd not finally pass before the ad
journment of the house. Mr. Davis
again became restive. He said, he could
fee no reason why the time might not
as well be spent in taking yeas and narf,
as in making and withdrawing motions
to expunge the journals, and in trying
appeals from decisions of the speaker.
"I am astonished," said he," at the as
sertion ofthe gentleman, that the bill is
already engrossed; I cannot underhand
him—it is not true—we are now con
lidering the question of engrossing—it
has not been taken ; and yet the gen
tleman tells us the bill is engrcited:
I do not underhand such proceedings.
Several gentlemen hopped that the bill
would be engrossed, and order for a
third reading on Monday, and that in
the meantime it would be printed for
the use of the members. This order
was accordingly taken, and Mr. Ran
dolph was left to fulfil, at his/ leifure,his
promise of disappointment & mortification
at the Stubborn disobedience of his men
not twenty of whom voted with him.
The bill passed finally on the follow
ing Monday, and went up to the feaate
where it is undergoing a thorough re
vision and repair on account of its im
pefedion.
The moment irarrived, which a member of the
Legislative body of France, Darracq, hinted to
be at some distance, for bellowing a mark of
the national gratitude upon the Chief Consul.
It was not, whoever thought it could be, the
acquisition of any part of the national domains
that Bonaparte would consider as a fufficient
recompence.—lt is not a small part of France
that he is ambitious of—With our fifth Harry
he may exclaim—“ 1 love France so well, that
I will not part with a village of it—l will have
it all mine."
" Such have been the real proceed
ings in this case, which is seized upon
by the ministerial print as affording the
best opportunity which has occurred,
of bellowing an eulogium upon the
skill and legislative talents of the fed,
and of calling upon the citizens to ad
mire and applaud the new order of
things. — Ab uno difee omnes. From this
specimen, and from the commendation
bellowed upon it you may form some
ideadf theordinary mode ofproceecing."
T LONDON, MAY 12.
HE Faris Papers of Sunday, which we re
ceived this morning, do not contain any news
of much importance. The French Government
is said co be very much occupied is making com
mercial arrangements, and in examining the
different memorials that have been laid before
them upon the fubjed of commerce.
Addrcffes from all parts to government k
gainft exclusive privileges demonftratc that the
freedom of trade is now the universal wish; a
wish that is not founded upon.the mercantile
{peculations of some individuals, but upon the
interests of the majority, which must give to it
the charader of a general will, the basis of all
the laws of a free Rate. The government has
folqmnly recognifed these principles, io except
ing the coral fiffiery on the coasts of Africa
from the exclusive privileges which localities in
dispensably required should be granted to a com
pany for the commerce of grain in Barbary.
A new memorial from the council and com
merce of Bourdeaux inveighs against the extcn
five rights enjoyed formerly at the ports of
L'Orient and Toulon, of receiving vessels, ar
riving from India, which might unload their
cargoes there deposit them in magazines, and
fell them there, whilst that privilege was for
bidden to all the other ports. It is demonstrat
ed in this memoffil in an evident manner, that
the suppression of this abusive privilege injures
neither the interests of commerce in general, nor
those of the proprietors of the rich produce of
India, not even those of the two hitherto privi
leged ports, to which the fame facilities remain
as are pofTeffed by all commercial places, of car
rying on the India trade, or any other, if they
think it more lucrative.
The correspondence between France,Auftria,
Russia and Prussia, is at present extremely ac
tive Faris, may 8.
Gen. Mencu is arrived at Paris, and has been
presented to the Firfl Comul, who gave him
the molt diftinguithed reception.
General Mcnou said to him—" Consul, in
presenting myfelf before you, the grief of hav
ing seen your faireft<onqueft loft, is renewed.' 1
“ The fate of battle), 1 ' replied the First Con
sul, “ is uncertain. You have done all that could,
after the unfortunate day on the 30th, be ex
pedled from a man of experience and talent.
Your long refinance of Alexandria contributed
to the good issue of the Preliminaries of London.
Your good ^ad wife ndr^&^rfy h^s merited
the esteem of all men who appreciate its influ
ence upon the public prosperity.
“ I know very well what has passed in your
army. Your misfortunes have been great with
out doubt, but they have not loft you any of
my efleem; and I ffiall be eager to teftify it
openly, in order that no clamour may be railed
against your conduct.''
Foreign News.
London Dates to May 18.
By an arrival at Bollon.
LONDON, MAT IJ.
has been already appointed. The Scrota so.
jua us was transmitted to th# two Legislative
Bodies arid to the First Conful,.who returned an
answer which concludes with the following
words—" In your judgment, 1 ought to make
a frefh fecrafice for the good of the people ; I
shall do, if the wish of the people commands,
what your fuffrage authorities me to do."
The colleages of Bonaparte, however, in the
Consulate, teem to have considered this decree
of the Conservative Senate as not fufficiently ex
tensive. On Monday last they iffaed a decree
directing an appealto be made to the people up
on this question—SHALL NAPOLEON
BONAPARTE BE CONSUL FOR LIFE?
Registers are opened to receive the answers
of the people in each Commune, and are to
continue open for three weeks.
It is cafy to predict the answer that will be
returned. There is a rumour in circulation
that the title will be changed'from that of Chief
Consul of the French Republic to that of Con
sul of tie Gauls.
cfST. Domingo.
" General Touiffaint, not being con
tented with enjoying the amnesty which
had been granted, him,attempted again
to kindle the flames of civil war. I
have thought proper to cause him to'
be arrested. The proofs of his bad con
duct, since the amnesty, (hall be exten
sively published. This measure, which
insures tranquillity to the colony,fhould
by no means alarm those who have laid
Brenton, JUNE ai.
Melancholy Accident.
On the IBth inst. a melancholly accident took
place in this vicinity. Mr. Jeremiah Mahong,
being exceedingly fond of his gun, taking it in
to his hand said in a joke to his wife, come out
and I will learn you to exercise ; upon which,
Ihe took another gun into her hand that had
been, without their knowledge, loaded by her
brother in order to flioot some crows, which
{he carelessly held in her hands, and when she
attempted to snap it, unfortunately went off, the
whole load entered his head just under his left
eye, and went out just behind his right ear, and
he fell lifelefs at her feet. He was about
23 years of age, and ihe about 17; they had
been married a fortnight the evening before.
The distressing fccne is not easily described, as
an uncommon fondnefs had subsisted between
them. An inquest was held over the body, and
the jury returned their verdid, that his death
was occasioned by the accidental discharge of a
gun in the hands of his wife.
0
r ""CT o*^ 0 *^ '""^ v, 1803.
The following letter and Proclama
tion were received on Monday evening
at Baltimore; from a French gen
tleman lying off the Fort,at quarantine.
" At the Fort of Baltimore, June 21.
"There is an avenging God who
puniffies perfidy. The traitor, the cun
ning villain, is at length in irons.
Touiffaint has been arrested at Georges
plantation, of Goniaves diftria, the 7th
of this month, as well as his Captain,
guides, and seven companions of his
crimes, by an officer named Ferrary,
and five of his brave soldiers—all re
sistance became vain, they were seized,
bound hand and foot, mounted upon
horses & conducted to Gonaives, where
they were instantly embared on board
the Creole frigate. The correspondence
of this villain has been difeovered ; he
meditated new crimes. They were prin
cipally directed against the General in
Chief Le Clerc, his family and body
guard. Fontaine, his firft Aid-de-Camp,
arrested fame day at the Cape, and im
prisoned, was charged with furnishing
him Retails, and preparing a new con
fpir?cy. Supplies of all species of mili
tary stores, particularly gun powder
packed in flour barrels, were promised
by some persons in the United States,
and which he was assured of receiving
by some trusty associates—What a
bloody enterprize ! We may indeed
exclaim with the poet :
" ^id noh mortalia feflora cogis auri faera fames."
" I annex the proclamation, tigned
by the General in Chief, of an event so
interesting to the human race, and the
future prosperity of St. Domingo. It
is impossible to describe the joy which
this publication has produced amongst
all the inhabitants of the Cape.
" In the evening all the city was vol
untarily illuminated without' public or
ders,and effiges representing this hypo
critical brigand, were burnt by the ne
groes in different places.
"lam with refpea,&c. Fs LESTART,
" Merchant and Planter of St, Domingo."
The Legislative Body, though they had on
ly three daysbefore fanaioned the declaration of
Darracq s, that the moment "was not arrived, de
clared through the organ of their President as
soon as they received the Senatus Confultum,that
they perfectly approved the moderate reward pro
posed to be conferred upon Bonaparte.
MAY 17.
It was yesterday reported, that some French
ffiips, in our ports, have been denied permission
to difeharge their cargoes of French wines and
brandies. This prohibition is made in retalia
tion on the French for refuting to allow some
English ffiips lately at Bourdeaux to land Eng
hfh goods. Several representations have passed
between M. Otto and our government on this
fubjedt. may z 8
I his morning we received Paris journals to
the 15th inst. The Legislative Body is doing
every thing to hasten the election of the firft
consul for life. As they cannot vote as a body,
a plan has been devised to enable them to vote
individually, without taking the trouble of a
journey to their own departments.
Yesterday the Admiralty was crowded with
several hundred navy officers widows, who at
tended to be sworn as to their being widows
previous to their receiving their pennons the
ensuing pay day ; and what has been so long
talked of is at length to take place, namely, an
augmention of their pittance of zol, a year to
fool. 0
ARMY OF ST. DOMINGO.
Tbs GENERAL iN CHIEF to the Citizens
LIBERTY.
United States.
EQUAEITY.
''° wi ^ particulars refpe&ing
^gro mfurredion may be relied < n
as coming from an authentic source,
£xtrafl of a letter from a gentian in Ncts
- to his friend in this city, dated
Murfriefeorough, June 9, 1802.
" yery alarming symptoms of revolt
and infurreßion has within a few days
past been difeovered amongst the Ne
groes in the lower parts of this county
and Bertie. Ten of these deluded be
ings are now in Winton gao^aad will
be tried to-morrow for their lives. Th^
evidence of their guilt is so apparent
that I think there can be no hesitation
refpeding the fate of the moil crimi
nal. It was their intention to life^
down tii7u atms, and Jhaii have fabmit
ted with good faith to the Republic.
(Signed) “I.E CLERC."
By another letter from the Cape,
dated June 10th it appeals, that Gen.
Le Clerc commanded General Barnet
te to arrest Touiffaint either dead or a
live. By his prudence and zeal, this
General secured the monster with Def
falines, Christophe, Jingambre, and
Tropfaft,late commander ofthe Borgne,
with 50 other satellites.”
June 26, 1802.
Captain Rogers, of the schooner Sin
cerity who arrived here yesterday in'
13 days from St. Croix, informs, that
on his failing, it was reported, that the
French troops had completely conquer
ed the negroes at Guadeloupe—and
that 2oooblacks, who had bravely held
out to the last hour, rather than sur
render, joined hand in hand in one of
the fortifications round the magazine
and blew themselves up.
0
[We yesterday inserted without remark, the
advices from Sc. Domingo, via Baltimore, They \
doubtless merit observation. In every point of
view Touiffaint is an interfiling charter. To
those who consider him as an advocate of an
oppressed people,his difeomfiture will bea source
of regret, arid the fubje^fl of commiffemion.—|
Even as the leader of a revolt, his condird, as
far as it has been correctly developed, evinces
powers of mind, which in higher Rations,would
extort admiration. Let us then, abOraded
from the question as to the equity of his cause,
neither derogate from his confeffed merits, nor
unjustly exaggerate his imperfections.•
That Touiffaint is entitled to the considera
tion of the French Government, will not be de
nied by any one acquainted with the circutn
ftances of the colony, for some years past. It is
inconteftiblc,that but for his timely interference,
and prudent administration, this rich possession, I
would have been the universal theatre of deso
lation and anarchy. An immense and valuable
territory has been secured to France—by
whom ? By the very man who is now loaded
by Frenchmen with curses and chains! It
would indeed have been miraculous, if Touif
faint, during the convulsions of a revolution,
had escaped the imputations of certain excesses.
In such times censure always falls the heavies:
on those who are most conspicuous: and often
on those who are the mod meritorious. Hence
we find, that instead of giving credit to Touif
faint for the preservation of the Island, the re
presentations which were conveyed to France,
were in open hoflility to his polical views. He
is charged with the intention of fevering the
colony from the mother country, and exercising
a species of tyranny more hateful than that from ►
which the miserable natives had just immerged-
At the very moment that he is giving the
strongest pledge of his fubferviency to France,
France is engaged in an immense armament to
subdue him!'
ft was immediately forefeen, that opposition (
on the part of Touiffaint would be the conse
quence. Os the result of this interesting ftrug
gie, various opinions were formed. It was not
however to be predicted that the issue would
be such as is now disclosed. The conflict, both
in duration and mifehief, has not equalled the
general expectation. To what, it may be a&.
ed, is its Hidden termination to be afcrihed?
Two answers present themselves ; one of which
must be correct : Either to the weakness of
Touiffaint,OT to the treachery of bis enemy. With
refpeCt to the former, our judgment can only be
derived from vague information and conjecture.
We are ignorant of the amount of Touiffaint's
forces; but this we know, that however di
minutive they may have been, their auxiliaries,
climate and disease, were fufficiently formida
ble to give additional duration to the contest.
It might be rash positively to ascribe the termi
nation of the war to treachery on the part of
the French. Circumstances might support the
suspicion, without authorifing a direct charge
of this nature. We are therefore willing to
wait for further information, before we hazard
an opinion which were it true, would deserved
ly blast the military fame of any general, how
ever celebrated for honor and magnanimity, or
however humble may have been the vi&im of
his treachery !
But it is important to notice in the in telligenee
which we yesterday publilhed, the malignity
with which it is thrown out, that Touiffaint
had friends in the U. States, who had promised
to " supply him with gun powder, packed and
shipped in flour barrels !" The imputation is
full of ignorance and falfehood. Stupidity it
felf could not have invented a more clumsy ac
cusation. The French, with a large fleet, and
possessing the whole sea-board pretend to be a
larmed lead Towiffaint, hemmed up in the in
terior, and without even a canoe, should receive
fuccour from the U. States! Infufferable non
sense ! What serves to heighten the ridiculous
ness of this charge is, that gun-powder was to
be conveyed to the negroes in the refemblanca
of flour barrels ! Pray, Mons. Teftart, was not
the communication effour to Touiffaint as much
interdicted as that of gun powder ? Would Gen.
Le Clerc have differed one American to deliver
him a corgo of flour, but hang another as a ph
rate for attempting to furnifh a barrel of p ow .
der ? The idea is contemptibly absurd!
But we cannot be ata loss for the m<
which originated this accusation. It is t a
ifeft, that a Spirit unfriendly to the r ° °
country, is rankling in the brefy' ,
men, who will leave untried r
meanness to provoke a rup fr „ r r '"" °5
France. Would to God between us and
were duly impressed wit^ d ^™"?^
truth! It would bertes'be^^'^
l _ pernaps be the means < f
averting much d fflia ion ] : ^. %
SUNE 26.
LIBERAL COMMENT.