Republican ledger, and Portsmouth price current — Portsmouth, N.H., 1802-01-05 00:00:00, page 2

DECEMBER. 14 ? ^Ol.
THE house having ui # t gecurOiug tQ prcer at
11 o'clock, several Blatters of ordinary detail were
Haufjcted ; after winch % .
W. Nicbulfou rose up to coll the attention of
the house to a resolution which be^had opened for
the confederation of the house ; tiuce that time he
bad determined to withdraw h:s resolution, and
offer an other in order to accommodate the fitbjeft
to the sentiments which appeared to prevail very
generally. His.prefent motion was calculated to
extend the enquiry to objects more enlarged than
Ine trnfadions of a tingle individual or a single of
fice ; it comprehended such a range as would ena
ble any committee which the house might please
to appoint, to enter into a full ^nd fair investiga
tion of such tranfaftions as were at this time, and
for some time matter of anxiety to the public, and
enable the house to uke such further proceeding,
as they might conceive proper upon due report
being made. He then presented his resolution,
which was for the appointment of a committee,
to make such enquiery into the former official dis
bursements of public mone, as they might deem
expedient.
Mr Bayard said as the gentleman's former mo
tion was too indefinite, this he conceived to be too
general ; for he could not perceive whether it
was intended to confine the investigation to the
whole of the accounts ofthe department o's Secre
tary of State, or to all the departments of the gov
ernment ; to Mr. Pickering or any or all of his
predecessors. If the intention was to enter into
an invettigation of the rranfaftions of former Sec
retaries generally, he Should not object to that
meafnre, because it would lead the house to a fair
determination. For he was well aware that it
would be found, thut there were many cases in
which it would appear-that' former feci < taries had
been under the necessity of applying the public mo
ney to services different from thole for which they
had been expropriated, and that on an examination
of the circiOnitances of such cases, it would be
found, that it was wife and neceflary so to do.
This practice was found inevitably necessary to
the public service, and was not confined to any
one depart,nent ; it extended over the whole of
the executive departments- The practice then ex
iting before the.period when the gentleman so of
ten mentioned, entered in the department of date,
would be found at lead to be a jollification of his
conduct, as he had done no morethan had been
the edablifrd practice of his predeceffers, and col
leagues. He felt it his duty to notice the manner
in which the gentleman who introduced the mo
tion, had prefaced it on a former day, and the
honorable feftimony which he gave of his opinion
of Mr. Pickering's integrity in office. For he had
been so candid, as to acknowledge his belief, that
Mr. Pickering had not appropriated one dollar of
the public money to his own use, and had confined
his judgment of erroneous procedure, to the fact
of not applying moneys entr died to him, to the
precise object of the legal appropriation. This,
in his mind, appeared to be a complete exonera
ration of Mr. Pickering, from all the danders
tbats bad been published against him, as he barely
followed the practice which he found pursued,
(and which necessity jollified)when he took upon
him the office.
This conduct of the gentleman who moved the
resolution was honorable to himfelf and to the
perfoii implicated ; and was equally honrable to
the United Spates, as it released the government
from the obloquy of one of is agents having abus
ed the powers entrusted to him ; and he made no
doubt, that upon an investigation, it would ap
pear, that the public money had been judiciously
employed, that there was a salutary and answered,
and that the only thing objectionable would be an
inattention to the exact rule of appropriation,
where the public service might have been effential
|v injured, had the secretary waited for Controls
to make a new appropriation. With" regard to
the perfent resolution, if it was proposed thereby
to extend the enquiry into the tranfaaions of all
the heads of departments, he should not oppose; it
he therefore wiflied to lenow, if itAvas limited to
tile proceeding of one secretary only, or to more,
or all generally
The Shaker obferVed, that the,refolution was
not yet properly a fubjeft of debated as the house
had not taken it up. The resolution was then
duly moved and seconded.
Mr. Nicholfon-frid, that -it was his firft iiiten
tinn to confine the enquiry 10 the individual case
<fabe late secretary, Pickering, and not to go
further back in that office, because a suit was al
ready pending in the courts of the United States,
again d a Former secretary, for sums foppofe to
be retained by him, [be alluded to Mr. Edmund
Randolph] but that upon the indroduftion of the
present resolution, he had extended his views, to
the ddburferneut of the Secretaries Os War and
the Navy.
Mr. Giles had been ever firennous for such in
veliigations as,thofJ contemplated.by the present
resolution! and be congratulated the house on the
favorable light in which they appeared to be at
leughth received; He had been one of the firfl to
commence proceedings of this nature, in the case
of a former head of one of tire departments. The
measure at that period was not treated with the
fame refpe& as he was pieafed to fee the present
refolntfon received ; it Mas indeed treated rather
with a dihefp&ct, very incontinent with the na
ture of our government, and the powers of this
house. H? could not, therefore, but be particu
larly gratified, in perceiving at this time, a difpo
fitionlb favorable to the public prosperity, and
honorable to the house itfelf. Enquiries into the
mortes of expenditure, are particularly incum
bent on this house, and cannot be too often made ;
public difumiments, is of all others, a fubj< ft
upon which the people are most fenfibte and anx
iou% anu lx was happy to fee a motion couched
with lo much efiferetion, as to preclude that irrit
ability which he had seen on several similar oc
gflohs,— They were now ailing in a manner tru
)y Wgtthy of ;<be people's representatives, and
hoped to fee that spirit continued which displayed
a delire tu legislate impartially and with no other
bias than puttie utility. He agreed with the gen
tlemau (Mr. Bayard)that therehad been a pfac
@\puriwed in all the offices' of administration, of
deviaritig from the precise rate of legal appropri
ation. The practice was very common in other
comdri^ahd milM from such pEftfce perhaps
.i)p&dr'td be iunifKibje,n this. But he cqu!^ not
• cotileti th an^ucti pfdtVcejftt y?<>u,d nb ? obtain
his approbation of even his firarfc^-Sume efl'ec-
Congees.of % United ^tat^.
,Hotfe of Reprefeutarives.
-4„ZfyQfy-> >
trial remedy dioul4 be provided, to check it in fu
ture, for it is an abuse which may oe employed to
the most ruinous purposes, and he could not at
that time conceive a case where the possible ad
vantage could compeufne the probable injury.
Now-theretore was the time to put a hop to it.
Todo this ne mull investigate the nature of tire
abuse, 'we mull trace it to its origin, and learn
when, where, how,- and by whom it was begun,
and how it has progressed. When we have made
ihis salutary enquiry, it will then be the proper
time to fuggelt remedies, which if ottered now
might at this time be deemed inefficacious. The
enquiry should be conducted, and he as a mem
ber was eager to conduct it totally free from per
sonal likings or dillikes, and it was the duty of
the buufe to search out the truth without respect
to one man more than another. He hoped the
boufe in the present occasion would efUblifh a
precedent ufeful to future times, that they would
commence the inveftigatiou of tire tranfaCtions of
the public servants w ith candor, and pursue the
fubjett with refoltition and dignity.. He wiflied
to lee a rule for such in+eftigation at every fellion,
made a part of the landing orders of the house,
and that checks might be multiplied, in such a
manner as to prevent misuse or application of the
property of thf people ; he hid already turned
ed his attention to the (object, and might at a iu
ture day lay it before the house.
Dr. Mitchell (of New-York, a new member)
was well pleased with the fubfiitution of the pre
set for a former resolution. When an individual
any wife ditiinguifhed lor long services was impli
cated in any manner touching his character as a
public man, it was natural to feel a relevance in
liltning to the charge. The reflation before of
fered appeared in some degree, by its personality,
of that nature, and on that account did not whol
ly meet his approbation. He knew hothing of
what had been done in the department of state, but
he knew that suspicions had been propogated,
which it was in the power of that house to re
move. On the other hand if any irregularity has
taken place, it is in the power of that house to lay
a fair exposition of it before the public. It has
been indeed admitted that deviations have been
made from the legal defiribution of public monies,
he hid heard the matter talked of, and treated as
an allowable departure from the flri# letter of the
law. He had heard that such deviations were fac
tioned by the executive usage, as a matter coming
within the necessary direction which they mutt
possess. This house will tlwn enquire how far that
direction of the admiuiftrative power has been du
ly exercised, and if any inifeonduct or error ap
peared, to correct that part. He ±new indeed
from good authority, that there was some diffi
culty in passing the accounts of the former secreta
ry of Hate, there wasa hesitation oh the part of
the comptroller of the treasury to pass the accounts
that was at firft fight impeding. But the difficul
ty was this, the comptroller would not pass the
accoUhts because the monies were not applied to
the uses for which they had been appropriated but
to others, which the comptroller acting to law
did not confider himfelf at liberty to admit. In
this state the accounts now stand, and muff remain
so long as the comptroller confiders himfelf bound
by a sense o£ duty not to pass them, or until that
house should make some special provisions for pair
ing them. This was the true state of the case. As
to the present motion it met his approbation, and
he hoped it would prevail.
Mr. Bacon (of Massachusetts, a new member)
approved of the present resolution, because as he
understood it, there was nothing personal in it.—
It is not to be considered as a fpecific implication
of Mr. Pickering, but a measure for enquiry into
the mode in which public money has been appro
priated and applied, and whether correctly appli
ed or not. This was a form of proceeding conge
nial with our form of government, and so far from
being a measure of censure, is calculated to obtain
applause for those wh^bave discharged th^ir duties
faithfully, and surely the applause of one's fellow
citizens is above all others the bell reward a man
can obtain.
The debate continued in the temper of the pre
ceding tor some length ; when the question on
Mr. Nicholson's motion was carried without a
division—and Mefirs. Nicholson, Grifword, Giles,
Hattings, Jones, Bayard, and Elmendorft were ap
pointed the Committee.
The Speaker laid before the House a letter from
the Secretary of the Treasury, accompanying a
rtatement of receipts and expenditures for one
year proceeding Oct. 1, 1801.
Referred tocommittee of Ways and Means.
On motion of Gen. S. Smith, the house went in
to committee of the whole on the (tate of the U
nion.
Lewis R. Morris, in the chair.
The Mejjage of the PreJident, under considera
tion,
Geit. S. Smith observed, that among other ob
jects to which the President had attracted the at
tention er the House, was our commercial situa
tion. We were informed that the United States
were at peace with all nations ; and that peace
had taken place among the powers of Europe.
It became Congress to direct its attention to con
feqpenccs that might proceed from such a date of
things ; and particularly to the injuries that might
attach to our carrying trade. It was known that
under the British Treaty, Great-Britain, going
perhaps beyond the meaning of the treaty, had im
posed heavy countervailing duties on our goods,
and that certain al'ts of France had the fame ef
fects whereby many of our mort valuable exports
would cease to be carried in our own bottoms.
Early under the present government it had been
deemed wife to lay diferimmating duties, which
had tended greatly to affirt our carrying trade.
Our capitals had greatly increased, and if foreign
nations reitrifted our trade by unfair regulations,
it became us to adopt counteracting measure's ;
and this could now be done with the more fafety
and effect from the force of our capital,—He
therefore moved :—
Mr, Giles. Among the various topics of the
Message is thar in relation to the Census. It is
important that Congress faonld be early occupied
in deciding the.ratio of Reprefeutatives, as many
ol the State Ldgiflatures are now in kllionj and
Refoved, That so much of the several a&s im
posing duties on the tonnage of ships and vessels,
and on goods, wares and merchandize, imported
into the United States, as imposes a diferiminating
duty of tonnage between foreign vessels and ves
sels of the United States, and between goods im
ported into the United States in foreign vessels
and vessels of the United States, ought to be re
pcaled ; such repeal to take effect whenever the
Prelident (hall be informed that the diferiminat
ing duties of foreign nations, so far as they oper
ate to the disadvantage of the commerce of the
United States, (hall have been abolished.
Ordered to lie on the table.
will be specially convened, if they rife before Con
gress dial) pass a law on the fubjeft. He there
fore moved :
Resolved, That the apportionment of Repre
fentaiives ewonglt the several States, according to
the fecund enumeration of the people, ought to
be in a ratio of one representative to every thirty
three thousand persons in each date.
On which the question was taken, and the mo
tion carried without a division.
Gen. S. Smith said, another important member
of the President's meflage refpt &ed our tHi
tiou with the BarDafy powers. it became
Congress immediately to come to a decifiou that
would enable the President more effectually to
protect our trade. He therefore moved :
Refolyed, That it is expedient that the Presi
dent be authorifed by law, further and more ef
fectually to protect the commerce of the United
Spates againtt the Barbary powers.
Mr. Nicbolfon laid, he did not like the resolu
tion ; as it had a reference to a point with which
we were unacquainted. The Prelident had in
formed us that he had sent a squadron into the
Mediterranean. It m„ have been a wife act ;
but he did not wish the house to commit itfelf un
til filly informed. He moved, with this view to
Strikeout the words “ further and more effectu
ally.”
Me . Giles proposed that the motion lie on the
table until the documents on this fubjeft Were
printed, w hich was agreed to.
Dr. Mitchell alluded to his having presented two
petitions from aliens in New-York, and then mov
ed :.
Resolved, That the laws resetting naturaliza
tion ought to be revised.
Mr. Giles thought the motion ought to be so
drawn as to bring the principle before the house,
lor which purpole he moved to add " or amend
ed''—Agreed to. So amended the motion was
carried.
The committee then rose, and reported the two
resolutions agreed to.-
TUESDAY, DEC. IJ.
The House took up the report of the committee
of the whole on the date, of the Union.
The two resolutions ^referred to yerterday in
committee were read.
THIS grand truth has of late been more
repeated, and thought upon, than formerly,
-—lt's found is like the knell of departing
Hierarchies—as it affeds the kingdom of
the Clergy, it is like a trumpet, at the long,
loud blast of which, the walls of Jericho
fall—Their kingdom is founded in, and flip
ported by deceit. They who would per
suade men that it is Chris's kingdom, have
to shew, either that his kingdom is worldly,
or that the Clergy's kingdom is heavenly :
both of which are equally impossible. They
keep this queflion therefore out of fight,
and apply themselves to men's prejudices
and worldly intereff, which are convenient
matter to work upon. The Clergy, fay
they, are the pillars of public virtue and
morals, and of public happiness ; and he
who oppufes them is an enemy to these.
Those who possess spirit and talents, are
loudly called upon in newspapers, to rally
round the patriotic Clergy, and shew, “ that
they have friends who will not fuffer their aj
faiiants to attack them with inpunity." Such
defence is much easier, and more consonant
to the cause, than it would be to appeal to
scripture, and challenge their adversaries to
meet them on that ground. This rousing
of their friends, and threatening of their en
emies, drew at once, the weakness of their
cause, and the great apprehensions and a
larro entertained.
After a debate, (which (hall be given in our
next) the amendment was disagreed to, and the
original resolution palled.
The committee then took into consideration the
motion made by Gen. Smith yesterday, on dis
criminating duties.
1. That which apportioned one representative
to ev< ry 33,000 persons in the United Stages.
On motion of Mr. Davis, this resolution was
postponed till to-morrow.
2. That for altering and amending the Natur
alization laws.
Agreed to without division, and a committee
of fecen appointed to bring in a bill.
The House then went into a.committee on the
date of the Union. Mr. Morris in the chair.
The following resolution under consideration,
Resolved, That it is expedient that the Presi
dent-be authorifed by law, further and more es.
feftually to protest the commerce of the United
States against the Barbary powers.
Mr. Nicholson moved to ilrike out the word:—
“ further and.”
A debate of considerable interef lenfued between
Mr. S. Smith, Mr. Grifuold and Mr. Giles, when
on motion of Mr. Randolph, the commute rose
and reported progress.
The House then took up the resolution refpett
ing the Babar, Powers agreed to in committee,
and concurred therein, and a committee of five
appointed.
When we hear the Clergy toasted in eth
nick libations, as " ministers of our holy re
ligion," the dullest must perceive that the
religion of Jesus Christ is intended, and that
the clergy are held up as his miniflers : and,
when in the fame prophane drink offerings,
they are prayed for as the dispensers of re
ligious 2nd political truth, the weakest 'may
fee thatihe kingdom wherein they are min
isters, is spoken of, by their own party, as
though it were a mongrel Bate, partly re
ligious and partly political—^ a kingdom of
this world. As this the way to oppose the
infidelity complained of, or is it the way to
promote Ft r¥'..
.The light breaking forth from the.fcrip
tures, shewing that Chris's kingdom is not
of this world, cannot be fmvthered. Many
“ My Kingdom is not of this world."
©bferbator, ^ 5.
For the REPUBLICAN LEDGER.
I shall take it for granted that Sulpicius
would fay that the clergy, whom he calls
" a pure defencelefs order," are gospel min
isters. If so, whence the panic left they
should be reduced to poverty ; which in old
time was the lot of chritfian miniflers ?
Might he hot rather smile, than be moved
with angry alarm, at a supposed, frightful,
un-popular opinion ?—a people who would
fuffer their teacher and neighbor, and his
family to want daily bread, so soon as they
were told that the flipport could not be zutung
out from every man by legal force, must
have the rudiments of humanity yet to learn ;
not to mention chriflianity. They who
have read the new teltament, have read a
divine ordinance which no legal opinion or
decree can control ; that " they who preach
the gospel, should live of the gospel." —And
if the covetousness of men, is totally un
mortified by the gospel, so that they will
not obey this law of chrift, they have no ap
pearance of being chriftians. The taking
their money by legal power, can have no
tendency to make them such—and every
chriftian minister would shake his hands
from holding fyeh extorted stipend ; look
ing to quite another quarter for daily bread,
and a heavenlv reward. But the fears of
Sulpicius, and his anxiety for salaries se
cured by secular power, bear as hard on the
miniflers his clients, as they do on the peo
ple. If they were the miniflets.of Jesus
Christ, and their advocate a difeipe of his,
neither would be alarmed at what ten thon
fand " Farmers," armed with more
than pen and ink, could do. Jesus Christ
has undertaken the care of his church and
miniflers. He appoints these, and by his
own laws has made suitable, fufficient pro—
vision for their fopport—He has never 'left
one of them to flarve —He has knowledge
and power, fefficient to make these his laws
known and obeyed, among his own people.
Those who dislike them will apply to the
powers of this world. Worldly societies
use worldly power and policy, and without
these aids, it is expired worldly miniflers
muff be poor, and perhaps starve—Christian
miniflers will have the old answer to return
so the queflion of their matter, " lacked yd
any thing ?"—They will fay, “ nothing' —
But ambitious worldly men, calling them
selves his miniflers, have many wants ; they
will not trust his word for food and raiment;
and want these to be more expenfile and gen
teel than his appointments.—They have a
great charge on hand, no less fays their ad
vocate, than being " bound in every way to
contribute to the preservation of public mor
als"—And having such a large and political
work cut out for them, quite beyond the
apostles, they expert to be paid accordingly,
and Sulpicius is alarmed lor them, at the
thought that their maintenance should not
be enforced by law.—Thus we fee the nak
edness of their cause, unwittingly expoled
by the defence of their lorernoft advocate—
They know that their kingdom is of this
world, to which it looks for support ; and
it mult wane and confiime, as that great
truth gains attention, “ my kingdom is not
of this world."
* See the account oj a late feaft to celebrate tfo&\}
landing at Plymouth —not much in "'' Jfr'i't
old y^hn Robinson the pilgrim, fatfor of the mi
grating people,ivho oppojed the clergy in England,
jpeaking of them as the lordly clergy, and exptti
inc them to "rear loudly upon him, like the tolls <f
Bafhan"— and Jays, "He willingly hate unto ycu
both your priestly order and maintenance, cmrtent
ing ourjehes with the people's voluntary contribu
tion, whether it be less or mate,as the blefl&g rs
God upon our labor, the fruit of cur minty,,, aid 1
d^claiulion oJ thrir love and dutyf And again; J.
will fee that the kingdom efthe Clergy tnife
on human power, laws, 2nd policy, is quite
another thing, and has nothing to do with
the kingdom of Heaven, except in the way
°t oppulition. But feeing no mere than this,
they will become operlp, what they were
ceiertiy before— lnfidels. While some will
lee a Jurpffing E^ r )' ^ t^e km^d r ,m of Hea
len, and pels in to it. Both these, though
not at all coak icing, vill oppose the Clergy.
And the latter may expect to fufftf mbit
from their rehntment, as they oppofc them
as deceivers, and will not throw a grain of
inceufe on theiraltais.
But not open oppofers, only, but avowed
friends of the ministers of a falfe religion,wilt
undefignedly contribute to the tall of their
tottering cause. A most holy Providence;
can make the efforts of Babel-builders, con
found the work they are attempting to real
and fuppoit.,
A champion who calls himfelf Sulpicin%
has lately sallied forth in the Cenlinel as the
Knight of the C'ergy. He is armed, at
leafl, with the praises of his Editor, and with
his own lofty pietenfions.t
I have nothing to do with the questions
between him and the " Farmer:' I med
dle not with politics, but confine myfelf to
his defence of the Clergy.
Sulpicius charges the Farmer with a bar
barous attack on the clergy in endeavoring,
as far as the weight of his legal opinion
would go, to deprive eight hundied refpt&-
able virtuous families of their daily bread,
by assuring their parishioners that they were
absolved from the obligation to fuppoit
them.