The Mirror — Concord, N.H., 1798-04-24 00:00:00, page 2

It was owing to the apparent contra
diaiens arising from a theoretical view
of constitutions like ours that they were
pronounced to be impracticable by some
ofthe best writers of antiquity. And
these abftrad questions and extreme cases
were not calculated to reconcile the minds
of our citizens to bur excellent form of
government. Itis a plain and conclu
sive reply, by which all such objedions
are obviated, that the Constitution is
not predicated upon a presumed abuse of
power by any department ; but on the
more reasonable confidence that each
will perform its duty within its own
sphere with sincerity, that division of
sentiment will yeild to reason and ex
planation, and that extreme cases are
not likely to happen.
One word in relation to the motives of
gentlemen, and he would finifh his obfer
wations, which, he was admonished, by
his voice and feelings had been too much
extended. Why, said gentlemen, do
you charge us with designs to subvert
the constitution ? Have we not our (hare
of we?k% and of power ? He was not
,ne of those who had imputed such de
figes to gentlemen ; ncr would he pre
tend to fay whether the part of the U
nicn represented by those gentlemen was
rich, or generally involved in debt. But
be would fay, that wealth was not a se
curity for public or private virtue. Was
not the Duke of Orleans rich ? Was not
his income equal to a revenue of a
kingdom ? But he was not fatisfied with
his elevated rank or princely fortune—
he conspired with others, men high in
station, who peffeffed both riches and
their Share of power, and promoted a
revolution which, like a whirlwind,fwept
them off into fwift deftrudion. —lt is not
foeafy to difeern, and therefore not al
ways neceflar, to impeach, the motives
of men. When, therefore, a gentle
man exclaims, we want no revolution,
we with for no change, we with to keep
things quiet, he was not autborifed to
difpote the assurance, and fay it was not
true.
But when, in the fame breath, he
heard insinuations comparing the Pref
ideot of the United States to Charles
I. and the mild exercise of a constitution
al power to the odious claim of Ship mo
ney, in that reign ; and when he heard
further, the opposition to the present bill
compared to an opposition to that odious
measure, he would not fay that he dis
credited the profeffions of gentlemen—
God only &new their hearts, but their
language was full of danger-
The gentleman from Pennsylvania
had concluded wit], an invitation to his
friends to unite with him in two objects ;
in preventing the increase of foreign in
fluence, and in diminishing the expendi
ture of public money, He would meet
that gentleman ; and, if he and his
friends would difeover a real difpofi
tien to join in measures to prevent the
increase of foreign influence ; he Should
almoftbe inclined to secure that advan
tage, by cofenting for himfelf, that they
Should dispose of the money upon their
own plans.
Laws of the United States.
An Ad to provide for the widows and
orphans of certain deceased officers.
BE it enabled b, the Senate and
House of Representatives of
the United States of America, in
Congress assembled, I hat the pro
visions for widows and orphans of
commissioned officer# of troops of
the United States, contained in the
fiift fedion of the law passed on
the seventh day of June, one thou
sand Seven hundred and ninety
four, intitled “ Aoad in addition
to the ad making further and
more effectual provision for the
protection of the frontiers of the
# , • ' #< &'^ ''> 'ri
&f^? '-'‘^^
It was further urged by the fame gen
tleman, that in all cases the Houle might
refute to appropriate ; otherwise the
Executive might absorb ail the powers of
the Legislature, might form treaties of
alliance, maintain an army and navy, &
expend all the public treasure.
Let us confider, on the other hand,
the consequence of that gentleman's doc
trine. Every appointment made by the
Executive becomes a nullity, unless rati
fied by that House ; in the face of the
Constitution which excludes them, and
confines this doty to the President,
with the adviceof tne Senate.
power of negotiation would thus be *-
traded as incident to the other.
An Aa providing .he means es inter
tercourfe between the United States
and ForeigntNations.
c RE it enabled b, the
CT ° '• D Senate and House of
Representatives of tbe United States
of America, in Congress assembled,
That the President of the United
States shall be, mid he hereby is
authorized to draw from the Trea
sury of the United States, a sum
not exceeding forty thousand dol
lars, annually, to be paid out of
the monies arifiog from the du
ties on imports and tonnage, for
the lupport of such persons as he
shall commission to serve the U.
States in foreign parts, and for
the expence incident co the bufi
nef# in which they may be em
ployed : Provided, that, exchi'
five of an outfit, which shall, in
no case, exceed the amount of one
years full salary to the Minister
Plenipotentiary, or Charge des
Affairs, to whom the fame may be
allowed, the President (hall not
allow to any minister Plenipoten
tiary, a greater sum than at the
rate of nine thousand dollars per
annum, as a compensation for all
hit personal services and expends ;
nor a greater sum for the fame,
than four thousand five hundred
dollars per annum, to a Charge
des Affairs ; nor a greater sum
for the fame, than one thousand
three hundred tad fifty dollars
per annum, to the Secretary of
any Minister Plenipotentiary,
Sec. 2. And be it farther enabled,
That in all cases, where any sum
or sums of money have issued or
shall hereafter issue from the Tree
fury, for the purposes of inter,
couife or treaty, with foreign Na
tions, in pursuance of any law,
the President shall be, and he here
by it autborifed to cause the fame
to be duly fettled annually with
the accounting officers of the Trea
sury, in manner following, that is
to fay ; —by causing the fame to
be accounted for, Specifically in
all inftaoces, wherein the expendi
ture thereof, may, in his judgment
be made public ; and by making
a certificate or certificates, or
causing the Secretary of State to
make a certificate or certificates,
ofthe amount of such expendi
tures as he may think it advisa
ble not to Specify; and every
such certificate shall be deemed a
(efficient voucher for the sum or
sums therein expressed to have
been expended.
Sec. 3. And be it farther enabled,
That for defraying the cxpencea
of iotercourfe between the United
States and Foreign Nations, dur
ing the year one thousand seven
hundred and ninety eight, there be
further appropriated, in additon to
the aforefaid sum of forty thou
fend dollars, and out of the mo
nies in the Treasury of the United
States, not otherwise appropriated,
the sum of twenty eight thousand
fix hundred and fifty dollar#.
United States," be and the feme
are hereby extended to the widows
and orphan children of commission
ed officers of the troops of the U.
States, and ofthe militia, who have
died of wounds received fiace the
fourth day of March, one thousand
seven hundred and eight,-nine, in
the adual tervice of the U. States ;
provided,application shall be made
within two years after the end of
the present session of Congress.
Approved, March 14, 1798.
John Adams.
Sec. 4. And be it further enabled.
That the aft passed on the firft
day of July, in the year one thou
sand seven hundred and ninety,
intitleci “ An ad providing the
means of intercourse between the
United States and Foreign Na
tions," and the ad passed on the
ninth day of February in the year
one thousand seven hundred and
ninety three, intitled, ," Ao ad
to continue in force for a limned
time, and amend the ad, intitled
66 Ao id providing the means of
iotercourfe between the United
States and Foreign Nations," shall
be, and they hereby are repealed.
Sec. 5. And be it farther enabled,
That this aft shall be and remain
io force until the end of the firft
feffioo of the sixth Congress, and
no longer.
HOLLAND.
HAGUE, JAN. 23.
THE Batavian National Con
vention is henceforth to take
the title of tbe " Legislative As.
fembly of the Batavian people, one
and indivisible."
The names of the fix members
of the Diplomatic Committee, ar
rested yesterday, are, Bicker,Ueho,
Queyfeo, de Bovereo, Bordens,
and Geveti. It is said, they are
to be ttaofported to Surrinam.—
Twenty two members of the Coun
cil are a^fo arrested.
The fifteen thoufsnd French
troops, which marched towards,
Switzerland, have passed Geneva
with drums beating, colours fly
ing, and arms shouldered. They
are waiting the arrival of a well
known General, which the Direc
tory named the day before yester
day, and who left this city yester
day.
Dujardin, member of the
Council of Five Hundred, has in
formed his constituents at Chalons,
of the existence of a powerful par
ty in the Republic, whose objeft
was to reduce the national repre
sentation to an hundred members ;
to be called the French Senate,
at the head of which there was to
be a single chief.
io Plaviofe. If credit: can be
given to letters from Raftadt, the
Emperor is seriously occupied at
this moment in a plan of pacifi
cation between the French Re
public and Great Britain, and that
there was a profpea of fucceding
therein.
ts ENGLAND.
ILONDON, FIB. ft
In the council of 500 on the
ift of February it was decreed.
I ft, That henceforth all objects
relative to the Marine and the
Army ofEngland (hall be the great
order of the day, and havs priori
ty over all others.
2d, That the committee of
Marine shall employ itfelf io re^
porting an aft of Navigation
which (hall fecuie the liberty of
Commerce and the rights of Mara
time Nationi at the period of a
general peace. '..
Various rumori are in circula
tion throughout France, relative
to difpmei amorg the directory.
Lateff foreign Intelligence.
Approved, March 19, 1798.
John Adams.
PARIS, II Ptooi/e (Jan. 30.)
FRANCE.
Lord Bridport— His Lordlhip
a few days since, talking on the
fubj^a of the threatened invasion
by the French, simply observed,
that they might come as they
could ; for hit own part, he only
undertook to fay, that b, God the,
fauld not come b, water.
" JOHN ADAMS.
" United States, Aprils, 1798."
The above Message having
been read, the Galleries and House
were cleared of strangers, and the
House was occupied in reading
the papers accompanying it, from
this time (about half past twelve)
until past three, when they ad
journed without taking any or
der refpeding them.
APRIL 6,
Mr. Sitgreaves, cn behalf of
the Managers of William Blount,
moved two refo!utions on the fob
jeftißhich were agreed to.- —~
One requested a conference with
the Senate—the other for early
return of the femmoni of the Sen
ate.
and new prefers of change in
their confli©.iuo.
FEB 12.
It appears that the Cifalpine
troops, who were marching to
Rome to avenge <he iofult effe/ed
to the French Republic by the
death of Duphoc, have met with
a (mail check from fame armed
peasants, who attacked them, &
that between two and three tune
red of them have been killed and
wounded.
"IN compliance with the re
quest of the House of Represen
tatives, expressed in their resolu
tion of the 2d of this month, I
transmit to both Houses the in
ftruflione to and dispatches from
the Envoys Extraordinary of the
United States to the French Re
public, which were mentioned io
my message of the 19th March
last, omitting only some names,
and a few expressions descriptive
of the persons.
Letters from Copenhagen, of
the 15'h ult. mention the warlike
preparations which were carrying
on by the court of Denmark.'—
The object of them is stated to be
the formation of a cordon on the ,
Elbe, in order to preserve the /
Neutrality of th# Danish posses/
fions in Germany.
The floating batteries for cse
harbor of Waterford, Kindle,
Limerick, Galway, Wexford,/and
other ports in Ireland, have ail ar
rived fafe at their Rations. Some
of these are of 50 guns each,
which with the numerous gun
boats and the disposition of the
military forces on or near the sea
coast, leave no room co fear any
attempt of an enemy's invasion.
A MESSAGE was announced
from the President of the
United States. It was in the
following words :
“ I request that they may
be considered in confidence until
the members of Congress are fully
possessed of their contents, and
shall have had opportunity to de
liberate on the cofequences of
their publication ; after which
time I submit them to your wis
dom.
" Gentlemen of tbe Senate, and
" Gentlemen of tbe Houfo of Reprefentatiwes,
HOUSE of REPRESENTATIVES.
APRIL 3.
CO NGRESS.