The New-Jersey gazette — Burlington [N.J.], 1785-12-26 00:00:00, page 3

'From the Pennsylvania Packet.
Every one ought to be employed in something ufeful.
'THE Hebrews have a faying among them, " that
I he who does not bring his son up to some busi
ness makes him a thief." —ldleness they look on as
the ground of all evil, whether publick or private,
for the mind of man will be employed, and rather
than do nothing, it will work mifchief. The Par
thians were such enemies to idleness, that they did
not fuffer their children to eat till they had fweated
at their exercises; and Scipio, surnamed Nefica,
fearing peace should introduce this bane into the
commonwealth of Rome, laid, that he looked Upon
the Romans (after the destruction of Carthage) to be
in greater danger than ever they had been, for they
had no enemies. Idleness he edeemed a more ter
rible enemy to the Rate than Cartharge had been,
though that commonwealth had reduced the Romans
to the greatest extremity.
There are some who actually profefs idleness,
who boast they do nothing, and thank their stars
they have nothing to do, and whose existence can
not be called any other than a mere nothing; who
wake each morn but to enable them to sleep at night;
whose study is only indulgence, who live in a state
of stupidity, and who, when they caafe to breathe,
cannot be said to die, as they never could have been
said to have lived.
There are numbers contaminated with this vice,
yet think themselves entirely free from it:—He who
Spends his whole time in the stable and on the course,
—he who is ever found with cards or a dice box in
his hand—he too that flies to a bottle or a strumpet,
to kill thought and prevent time's lying heavy on his
hands; and those ladies who pals their time in talking
scandal, and when that fails divert their time in im
pertinent visits to shopkeepers, asking a thousand
questions, and tumbling over their goods without even
a thought of purchasing any, these may well be rank
ed among the idle. He that neglects his duty and
real employment, naturally endeavours to fill his
mind with Something that would bar out the refle&ion
of his own folly, and does any thing but what he
ought to do, with eager deligence that he may keep
himfelf in his own favour.
Solon introduced a severe law into his common
wealth against idleness, and the Areopagites (judges
in criminal cases) were very vigilant in enquiring into
the life and manners of every particular fubjeft, and
in feeing this law put in execution, as may be seen by
the following story:
" There were at Athens two poor young men,
Mendemus and Afclefpiades, who were greatly ad
dided to the study of philosophy; they had no visi
ble means of support, yet kept up their flefh and co
lour, looked hale, well and in good case. The judges
had information given them of the retired life of these
two, and of their having neither any thing to live on,
nor apparently doing any thing to maintain them;
consequently, as they could not live without sustenance,
they must have some clandestine means of subsisting.
On this information the young men were summoned
before the judges, and ordered to answer to the
charge; one of the accused faying, little credit was
given to what a man could urge in his own defence,
it being natural to believe,every criminal will either
deny or extenuate the crime he is charged with, and as
the testimony of a disinterested person was not liable
to suspicion, he desired a Certain baker, whom he
named, might be summoned to answer for them. The
baker being come, he declared that the young men under
examination took it by turns to grind his corn every
night, and that for the night's work he every morn
ing paid the young man who ground at his mill a
drachma (or groat.) The judge surprised at their
abstinence and industry, ordered a reward of two hun
dred drachmas to be paid them out of the pub
lick treasury."
Had we these judges among us, how many cheats
and (harpers, who live by defrauding the unwary
publick, would be obliged to lay aside the name of
gentlemen and work for their livelihood in an honest
manner? And how many fine ladies and gentlemen,
whose whole time is taken up in doing nothing, would
be condemned to some severe penance, which would
perhaps awaken them to a sense of their being rea
sonable beings? How happy for us would it be if
there were laws against idleness, and which should
oblige every man to give an account of his time, and
be answerable for his way of life?
Seneca fays, we all complain of the shortness of
time, and yet we have much more than we know
what to do with. Our lives are spent either in doing
nothing at all, or in doing nothing to the purpose, or
else in doing nothing that we ought to do. We are
always complaining that our days are few, yet a&ing
as if there would be no end to them. We wish away
whole years, and travel through time as through a
country filled with many wastes and wilds, which we
fain would hurry over, that we may arrive at those
several little settlements, or imaginary points of rest
which feein dispersed up and down.
3d. That when the time shall arrive for revising
and amending the constitution, by a convention of
the fame state (in 1796) it will be full early enough,
in point of time, to have the matter fully and fairly
considered.
Dec. 17. The general assembly of Massachusetts
have resolved, That a bounty be paid out of their
publick treasury, of five pounds for every ton of white
fpermaceti oil. Three pounds per ton tor brown and
yellow ditto ; and forty shillings per ton for all whale
oil (so called) that may be taken by any vessel owned
and manned, wholly by the inhabitants ofthat common
wealth, and landed, within the fame, from and after
the firft day of January next, until further orders from
the general court.
We now severely feel the effeds of our prodigality,
in squandering away the chief of our circulating calh
for foreign luxuries—Lawns, gauzes, lilks, and other
trifles, have fairly ballooned us of our money. We
have now time tor reflection, and Ihould the inhabi
tants of these Rates wifely determine to pursue agri
culture with assiduity, and manufacture more for them
fclves, certainly we should very shortly find ourselves
more happy, and richer than ever.
The animosity of Ireland has raised such a party and
fadion against England, as seems to threaten the state
with new dangers and distresses.
Extras of a letter from an American gentleman
of high rank, on the other fide the Alahtic, to his
friend in Massachusetts, dated Sept. 1785.
" This letter will be handed you by . He
will inform you in what manner the late navigation
ad of the Massachusetts has been received here : some
fay it is a measure taken in a passion and not well
weighed in the scale of reason, and that we are ruin
ing ourselves; that an aft of parliament will be passed
to retaliate upon us, and prohibit our vessels from en
tering the ports of Great-Britain; that the other Bates
Every nlerfiber ot society is under a tacit obliga
tion to contribute to the general good; he is Unjust
if he does not, and ought to be looked upon as a bur
densome member; and as he will do nothing for the
publick, ought to receive no protection from it.
N EW-Y 0 R R, December io.
The effects of fea-uater on cast iron, from th^
French of Abbe Nollet.
" In the month of July 1756, there were fiflied in
the road of la Hogue, within mufquet ihot of Fort
Lillet, four iron guns, one of which was a sixteen
pounder, part of the wreck of M. de Tourvilles squa
dron, to which that general let fire on the 29th of
July, 1692; and which, consequently, had lain in the
water sixty-sour years. M. Morand, jum had the cu
riosity to examine them ; and lent the following ac
count to the royal academy of sciences at Paris ;
" The guns were covered both without and within,
with a cruft of mud mixed with sand, &c. This
cruft being taken off the cannon were found to be as
foft as tin; but after being exposed to the air for 24
hours, they resumed their former degree of hardness,
and bore the iargeft charges three times fucceffivcly
without being fuffered to cool, though besides the balls,
they were loaded with a number of flints on purpose
to try therm
" Becher, and some other authors, have given some
interesting hints on the properties of marine salt ;
which may serve to explain this phenomenon: but
as this is only a single fad, M. Morand doth not pre
tend to account for it, contenting himfelf with re
lating the circumstances of it."
PHILADELPHIA, December 13.
We hear that a meeting of the inhabitants of the
town of York. Massachusetts-Bay, on the 21st of
November 1785, in eonfegiiieney of a circular letter
from Peleg Wadsworth, &q desiring the appointment
of one or more delegates to meet at Falmouth, in the
county of Cumberland, in January next, to consult
on the expediency of erecting the counties of York,
Cumberland and Lincoln, into a separate state, and
of the method of carrying the fame into effect, the
said inhabitants unanimously declined appointing any
person to represent them in the said afftmbly, and al
igned for reasons, that they were parties to the con
stitution. of Massachusetts, and could not confidently
therewith appoint a delegate for the express pur
pose of its deftrudion: That they conceived the a
vowed intention of the proposed convention, was to
violate the allegiance they , owed the said common
wealth, and that it would have a tendency to Rir up
a civil difeord, in which they had no profpedt of any
advantage : That on the fuppofitioii, the inhabitants of
the three counties were unanimous in their opinion
refpetting the measure, and that the fame should be
as readily granted by the supreme legislative of the
commonwealth, and oy the United States, in Congress
assembled, as asked, a separate independent govern
ment for the said counties, would not, in their opi
nion, be beneficial in the present infantile Rate of the
said counties :
ift. Because the expence of supporting civil govern
ment, in addition to their proportion of the debt in
curred on account of the late revolution, would be
far beyond their ability to bear.
2d. That as they are bordering on the province of
New-Brunswick, a government under the acknowledg
ed dominion of the king of Great- Britain, and which
has lately had large acccffions of persons difaffeded
to the independency and prosperity of the United
States, collectively and individually, their sway and
influence in the new government (Ihould one be erect
ed) would probably be such, as to embarrass its mea
sures, and finally to annex it to the Britfh crown, ei
ther as a new government thereof, or as an appendage
of New-Brunswick.
" The sedition of Massachusetts is much the to
pick of conversation at present ; there, they fay, rail
chief always begins. Your late navigation "ad is
termed a ruining of ,ourfelves b So tender are these
good people of their dear American friends, that they
tremble at your ralh passion ; for, fay they, the other
Rates will not come into it, and Massachusetts will
be entirely shut from our ports; but those who fee
beyond the present moment, view the Massachusetts,
in consequence of it, rising into power and greatness ,
and ihould this nation be mad enough to continue in
its present fyftern, it will soon make the Americans,
what they dread, a formidable naval power: it will
force upon them frugality, Economy and industry;
it will give a spring to manufactures, which would
otherwise lag on for years, without any considerable
improvement: and it will give that excellence to
improvement which is the sure reward of labours
Those who persevere in habits of industry, however
flow their advances, will meet a sure recompence in
the end. A few temporary inconveniencies will be
felt at firft, which will create disgust in some who yet
love the onions and garlick of Egypt; but they are
the only meafurCs which can be puriued to bring this
country to reasonable terms with our's; and if these
fi oil'd failj we are Rill fafe, for we shall be advanc
ing and improving our national prosperity, whilst Bri
tain is diminifliing her's. There are not wanting ma
ny persons here, who really think, that the American
Rates would rejoice to return to the government and
fubjedion of Britain again, and that reftriding their
commerce will be a sure method to accomplish it.
It was a faying of king Richard, that God helps those
who help themselves. I should think our countrymen
had too often experienced the truth of this deChine,
not to fee their path plain before them."
TRENTON, Dec. 26.
The governor has been pleased to appoint John
Chetwood, Esquire, of Elizabeth-Town, one of
the examiners in the high court of chancery.
O The Votes and Proceedings of the Afr
fembly at the last Sitting are printed, and
ready for delivery.—The laws are now
in hand, and will be publifoed as soon as
possible.
This day is ptiblifhed, and to be fold at
the Printing-Office in Trenton,
Price Half A Dollar.
THE
Philadelphia Diredlory,
BY
FRANCIS WHIT E,
CONTAINING,
I- rr'HE names of the citizens, their occupations,
JL and places of abode, in the following order:
A G N T
B H O U
C I P V
D K Q w
E L R Y
F M S Z
2. The members in Congress, and from what Rates.
3. Grand departments of the United States, and
by whom conducted.
4. Members of council, from what counties, and
where residing in the city.
5, Members of assembly, from what counties, and
their city residence.
6. Judges and justices of the peace, with their pla
ces of abode.
7. Publick state offices, where, and by whom kept.
8. Counfellors at law, and where residing.
9. Ministers of the gospel, where residing, and of
what church.
10. Physicians, surgeons, and their places of abode.
11. President, directors, days and hours of busi
ness at the bank.
12. Profeffors at the university.
13. Rates of porterage, as established by law.
14. Arrivals and departures of all posts and flages.
15. The society of Cincinnati, the committee, their
places of meeting, and abode.
16. Omissions and errors.
To mbich are annexed,
A valuable, regular, and well calculated table of
dollars, crowns, French and English guineas, with
other coins, suitable for any state, and digested in
such order, in one line, as to render a comparifoa
between the states plain and easy.
Nov. 28, 1785.
will not follow the example, &c. &c. On the coni
trary, I believe, that no measure was ever taken with
more profound reflection; that we are laying the
foundation of wealth and power, and real indepen
dence; that no ad of parliament will be passed to re
taliate; and that some of our sister Rates will imme
diately follow the example, and all of them in time.''
Extract of a letter from an American of good infor
mation in London, to bis friend in Bojion, dated