The New-Jersey gazette — Burlington [N.J.], 1784-11-01 00:00:00, page 2

while try experiments of legislating for individuals,
and passing laws after the fad; they may call persons
charged with offences before their Legislatures, and
sometimes crush the innocent by hasty and party co
loured determinations, whilst others, deeply plunged
in guilt, may be acquitted through favour; but these
irregularities will produce their own remedies. After
wandering through the mazes and perplexities of this
ifalfe jurisprudence, the difhonour presently resulting
therefrom, to the Assemblies, who thus step without
their sphere, will oblige them to renounce it. Thus
shall we be forced back to the constitutional mode
of governing by laws made beforehand, expounded by
able judges, and trials by impartial juries ; the only
measures of justice which will be endured in these free
.states.
Representatives in Assembly would do well to con
'fider, that their leases of authority are very short.—
Made for one year only, the renewals cannot, in
Pennsylvania, go beyond the fourth year ; after which
'there must be an intermillion of three. When these
publick trustees are inclined to indulge their inclinati
ons to promote justice, and to secure those who look
up to them for favour, if these must be accomplished
by the exercise of any improper and dangerous modes
or measures of power, they would do well to refled,
that thoy thereby furnifh precedents to their succes
sors ; persons they cannot forefee, who may exert like
Rretches and commit equal breaches of the constituti
on, to distress or destroy the very men who firft set the
baleful example. This corifideration alone, were it laid
to heart, would be enough to keep all who may be
called to fit in the legislative body within proper
bounds ; and especially to restrain them from infring
ing private rights, one instance of which strikes more
alarm, and fixes more odium on the authors of it, than
a score of bad regulations of a general nature.
LYCURGU S.
Foreign Intelligence.
LONDO N, July 21.
Extrafl of a letter from Coventry, dated July 16.
"AS soon as the news arrived here of the pro
posed tax on ribands, the journeymen wea
vers assembled in the market-place, and having firft
made a tall aukward figure, which they called Mr.
Pitt, they hung it on a gallows ere&ed for that pur
pose with a silken halter, and afterwards consumed the
whole in a large fire, amidst the applause of some
thousands of people assembled on the occasion. But I
would not wiih you to suppose that the dislike to this
tax is confined to the lower class of people, which I
assure you is by no means the case, as it is held in
universal detestation, on account of the very great in
jury it will do to trade by encouraging the smuggling
of this article from France, which pradice, even at
present, too much prevails, to the prodigious detri
ment of the honest manufacturer. Indeed the whole
budget of taxes is such a monßrous collection of ab
surdities and oppressions, as has never before been at
tempted in the annals of this country ; but let the mi
nidor beware, his popularity may as suddenly be loft
as it was suddenly acquired."
August 2. There is a report current, that the king
of Prussia is not fatisfied with the claims made by the
Emperor on Holland. Letters from Maeftricht fay,
that Prince Henry of Prussia is gone to Paris, on an
important bulinefs, supposed to be to prevent the dis
memberment of the Dutch provinces, which is threat
ened by the Emperor.
Augufi 3. Last Saturday's Gazette contains his
Majesty's order in Council, declaring a further con
tinuation of the trade with America, accompanied
with the certificates or other documents heretofore re
quired by law.
The Czarina bas solicited of our court, that the
British criminals fehtenced to transportation, may, as
long as may be thought expedient, be conveyed at her
expence, to the most defart parts of the Ruffian ter
ritories ; a circumstance, we understand, which hav
ing met with the approbation of his Majesty's Mini
fters,occafioned the Attorney General's moving a new
aft, to enable the King to transport such convicts to
any parts, either in or out of his dominions. The most
desperate and incorrigible offenders, it is said, are to
be landed in some defart islands in the South seas,
having been firft supplied with proper instruments for
Shooting, filhing, &c.
Aug. 8. Frederick, the royal scourge of the North,
is more affeded by the publication of Voltaire's pott
humous memoirs in Paris, than all the other united
misfortunes that ever befel him ; he denies, as may be
supposed, the most capital charges exhibited against
him, and is said to be writing a full refutation there
of, now at Berlin ; the falhionable circles at Paris are
divided in their opinion on the fubjed, tho' the majo
rity is by no means with the King.
August 10. Lord George Gordon, it is said, does
not approve of the new system of reßoring the rebel
August 12. His Majesty has granted a charter,
confirmed by aft of Parliament, constituting a Royal
College of Surgeons in Ireland.
'lug"^ % According to letters just received from
Bourdeaux, they are under great apprehensions, there
and at Nantes, on account of some capital failures in
one of the principal cities of North-America, which
cannot fail also to involve the people of Paris. The
French have been for a long time accustomed to hear
ill news from America, but the present is said to be
the heaviest burthen upon the mercantile world, which
has happened since France and America became al
lies ; and it is the more alarming,'as a neceliity of
speedy bankruptcy seems to pervade the principal ci
ties in the United States, from the poverty of the peo
ple, which is indefciibable.
August 16.
Extras of a letter from a young gentleman in In
dia, dated February 12, 1784.
" Every man here is for himfelf, and a cursed civil
government it is. A young man can get nothing: I
have not a friend in India to put any thing into my
pocket, except Captain S. Smith, whom I live with,
and am to go to his house in Bombay. When the
Company pay me, I shall have about 360 or 4001.
clear. As lam very ill of the liver (a complaint ge
neral to Europeans in India) I shall be obliged to keep
this by me, for fear my disorder should increase ; if it
should., I shall be obliged to leave India. You men
tion Captain Curtis; there are no laurels like his to
be gained in India; the wars here are only to fatisfy
a few mercenary wretches; the service is shocking—
wifh I was out of it, and in England again. '1 cannot
nor will I murder the innocent for their riches, if [
-continue poor as long, as I live. In this campaign
thei e cannot be less than 80 or 90,000 fouls mur
dered, of both sexes, old and young, and their habi
tations reduced to ashes."
American Intelligence.
ALBAN Y, Oaober 21.
BY a gentleman lately from (Quebec we learn, that
Lieutenant-General Haldimand was to fail for
England on the twelfth inlt and that the command
of the British forces in that province had devolved on
Brigadier-General St. Ledger.
Un the 27th of September last, about 3 o'clock in
the afternoon, as Mr. jacobus Taller, Isaac Arnold,
James Stewart, Daniel Barclay, and Isaac Van Al
- were on their way to Detroit, at a place called
the River Burdell, on Lake-Erie, they were suddenly
attacked by four Mahagon or Delaware Indians,
(armed with muskets and tomahawks) who fired on
them, and killed Mr. Taller and Mn Barclay dead
on the spot, and wounded Mr. Arnold in both hands,
and then rushed on them with their tomahawks. One
of them attacked Mr. Arnold, who after a smart strug
gle, wherein he received several wounds in his head,
disengaging himfelf, and having a musket handed him
by Mr. Stewart, snapped it (for it was not loaded) at
the Indian, who with the three others ran into the
woods. As soon as they were gone off, Mr. Arnold
and Mr. Stewart made all the hafle in their power to
get their batteau into the lake, and when they were
about sixty yards from the shore, Mr. Alftyne, who
had hid himfelf in the woods during the contest, came
to the water fide, and called to them to come and
take him in; they desired him to run down the lake,
and they would take him in at a point of land which
was not. far distant; but Mr. Van Alftyne mifunder-
Randing them (as is supposed) ran up the lake to the
place where the Indians were, who immediately fell
on him with their tomahawks, and massacred him on
the spot. After which the Indians followed Mr. Ar
nold and Mr. Stewart about a mile and an half down
the lake, but not being able to come at them (they
having no canoe) went off, and were seen no more;
and Mr. Arnold and Mr. Stewart made the best of
their way for Fort-Erie, and from thence, by way of
Niagara, to this city, where they arrived on Monday
evening.
Mr. Arnold, who favoured us with the above ac
count, fays, that these fame Indians were in company
with, and helped them to get their boats ashore in the
forenoon, and appeared in the most friendly manner,
and could have no other reason for their unprovoked
attack, than to murder them for their property. —
Their conduct, he adds, was very much condemned
and resented by the Indian inhabitants of the country
(for these murderers were strangers, and on their way
to Detroit) and that Mr. Brandt had f@t ten of his
best warriors in pursuit of them ; and promises, if they
are taken, he will fend them to this city, that they
may fuffer whatever punishment the laws of the Rate
may inflict on them.
clans in Scotland their forfeited estates. His Lord
ship thinks it will hurt the Protestant interest in the
North.
N E W-YO R K, Oaober 21.
A fufficieat number of the Senate and AUembly be
ing convened on Monday last, at tire City-Hall, pre
vious to their entering upon bulinefs, bis Excellency
the Governor was pleased to make the following
speech :
Gentlemen of the Senate and Afcinbly,
SINCE the close of the last session, the Legisla
ture of the Rate of Massachusetts have thought fit to
set up a claim to land, which it is to be inferred, from
their petition to the Honourable the United States in
Congress, lie somewhere within the ancient jurifdiCtion
of this state, but in what part, or to what extent, is
left in obfeurity. They have, notwithstanding, re
queued that a boedera! Court may be appointed for
enquiring into, and determining such claim; and Con
gress have accordingly assigned the fed Monday in
December next, for the appearance of both Rates,
and such other proceedings as are directed by the Ar
ticles of Confederation and Perpetual Union. From
the ad of Congress of the 3d day of June last, on this
fubjed, and the papers accompanying it, you will per
ceive the neceftty of appointing agents to manage the
controversy on the part of this state; and of calling
for an explicit defcnpiion of the land claimed by the
Maflachuletls, without which we must be exposed, in
our defence, to unneceflary difficulties and expence.
I he importance of thefe,meafures, and the election of
Delegates arid Members to compose a Council of Ap
pointment, for the eufuing year, were the principal
inducements to your being assembled at a season which
i am fenlibU mod be inconvenient.
The act of Cornels of the 2 7th, 28th, and 29th
of april, isfpe&mg the arrears of interest of the na
tional debt, and e^ expeoce for the year 1784, and
a requifitjan of money to discharge the fame, and
another act of the 2d of June, recommending it to
this and some other of the Rates to raise a proportion
of their militia for taking possession of their western
polls, guarding the pubiick fores# and protecting the
treaties with the Indians (all which are now laid be
fore you) came to my hands some time after the last
adjournment. It appeared to me impracticable, after
near fix months had been (pent by the Legislature in
the publick bujinefs without any intermission, to have
convened you at an earlier period; and it was th^
less necessary, as before the recommendation for rais
ing these troops was communicated to me, it had been
discovered that there was not the least probability
they could this season be employed in the principal
service for which they were intended. These dif
ferent fubjefts are now submitted to your deliberate
consideration, and I am peifuaded the result will be
dictated with a regard to the facied rules of justice,
to the honour of the state, and to the principles of
the federal contrast.
Gentlemen,
The injury which the state fuffains in its growth
and settlement by the claims of absentees and aliens,'
to large trails of uncultivated lands, call for your at
tention. These claimants contribute nothing to the
exigencies cf government; they retard the progress of
improvement, while their estates continue to iucreafe
in value by the labour and industry of the citizens who
fettle and cultivate the adjacent lands. Your wifdora
will undoubtedly suggest some remedy confident with
the treaty, and the principles of equity, for the mif
chief which becomes daily more obviously detrimental.
I need not mention that the Legislature have long
since seen the necessity of an estimate of the value of
taxable property throughout the state: But the mea
sures which they adop cd for that purpose, have hi
therto proved ineffectual ; without it, government can
not be administered on wife and fixed principles ; for
it neither can be known to what amount the whole
state may be taxed without oppreflion, nor what is the
comparative value of the wealth of tte refpedive coun
ties and diftriCts, however essential to equal taxation,
and for preventing those discords and animofifies which
too frequently take place in fixing the quotas. ' -"
The management of the publick revenue allo wants
system: There is no mode established for drawing the
income, expenditures, or debts, to a point ; nor is it
in the power of the best informed, at present, to prer
duce a tolerable estimate of them, though it must be
admitted that this is a branch of information so ufe
ful, that it cannot, without manifest inconveniency,
be dispensed with.
A revdion of our laws is also necessary to digest
them in one code, which shall include such of the adts
of the late Colony, and of the British statutes, as are
adopted by the constitution ; and to form a general
regulation for highways, and internal ceconomy of dif
trifts and precincts, now continually calling for par
tial provision, is a work I would recommend as highly
worthy the consideration of the Legislature.
It is found by experience, that feme of the laws of
the last session; particularly the ad establishing an uni
versity in this state, and the impost a&, require amend
ment, as well to render them more easy in their exe
cution, as more effectual in their operation. The of
ficers ailing immediately under them are directed to
state for your information the defeats which have been
discovered.
Several other matters, which I had the honour to
lay before the Legislature at the opening of the last ses
sion, were not (for want of time) brought to matu
rity, and particularly a law for regulating the militia,
and providing for magazines and arsenals, agreeably to
the constitution of the confederation. These are of
such importance to the honour and fafety of the state,
that I cannot omit repeating them.