The Republican ledger — Portsmouth, N.H., 1800-02-12 00:00:00, page 1

The . Republican Ledger.
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PORTSMOUTH, (NEW-HAMPSHIRE) PRINTED A^P PUBLISHED BY GEORGE JERRY OSBORNE, juu. MULBERRY LANE, NEXT DOOR TO ROUSSELET's MUSEUM.
NUMBER 2§.-=VOL. I.]
"WHEN YOU SHALL THEsk DE EDS .RELATE, SPEAK OF THEM AS THEY ARE; NOTHING EXTENUATE NOR SET DOWN OUGHT IN MALICE.
Congees of t^ United States.
HOUSE— Thursday, Jan. i,6.,
/A Message was received from the Senate,
fl by Mr. Otis, their Secretary, inform
ing the house that the Senate had concurred
in the bill for the preferyßtion of peace with
the Indian tribes ; and .that the President of*
the U. States had approved arid signed a bill,!
which originated in the Senate, for the re-,
lief of persons imprisoned tor debt.
Mr. Otis, from the committee of defence,l
Reported a bill, for fifending in part the ;
adt entitled “An aft to augment the army
of the U. States and for other purposes,"
which was read a firft and second time, and
made the Order of the day for to-morrow.
Mr. Macon gave notice that he would on;
Monday next, call up for consideration, the
jefolution which he had laid on the table,
f^r the repeal of the fecund feaion of the.
a& commonly called the Sedition 'Law. ,
Mr. Harper also gave notice, that he
/would to-morrow move for the order of the
day on the bill to establish an uniform fyf
*tem of Bankruptcy throughout the United
States. /Adjourned.
FRIDAY, JAN. 17.
Mr. Ois^called for the order of the day
on the bill to fnfpend in part an ad intitled}
" An aft to augment the army of the United;
States, and for other purposes," and thej
House having u/folved itfelf into a commit-;
tee on tharfubfea —Mr. Morris in the chair.
Mr. Randolph said, he wished the bill|
might, b^'referred back tp the committee
who reported it, for the purpose of inttoduc-,
jng an_amendment to consolidate the men ;
already enlisted into as many regiments as|
they would make, and thereby difeharge the:
Supernumerary officers and men contemplate ;
'ed to be kept in feryice. # ;
After some bbfervations as to the point of|
order, Mr. Nicholas moved that the com-:
mittee rife, report pfogrefs, and alk leavetp;
lit again. '!
. The ^ueftion was put and carried ; the;
committee rose and leave was given. $
Mr. Otis, from the ^e^ committee tol
whom were refered tlie petition of Robert
Surgeon, reported a resolution iri favor of•
the petitioned, which was agtee'd to by thei
Houfe', : a«d the fame ,committee , ordered,9
prepare and bring in a bill conformably :
thereto.,
Mr. : Rier preferred a petition of Jacob
Herman, of the' Rate of Maryland, Hating/
that he had been taken prisoner by the Brit-;
idi during the revolutionary war, and carfy|
ed to Halifax, (Nova-Scotia) from whence !
he was prevented returning to this country ]
for three years, ahd praying compensation
, —Referred to the committee of claims.
And then the House adjourned till Mon
day morning 11 o'clock.
!'MONDAY, JAN. 20.
. A message was received from the senate,
by Mr- Otis, their feeretary, informing the
House that the Senatehad passed the bill info
-titled “An a& to repteal part of an a& inti
ruled an ad for mitigating and remitting the
forfeitures, penalties and disabilities accru
ing in certain cases t Wrein mentioned," with
sundry amendments, which were read and
referred to the Select Committee, who re
rported the bill.,
On motion of Mr. Bayard, the house went
into committed of the whole on the bill to
establish an uniform system of bankruptcy
throughout the United States, Mr. Morris in
the chair, wheq the bill having been read by
Tedions, Tmd Several amendments made
thereto.
Me. Bird mbved to strike out all that part
of the 36th feaion, which requires two
0 thirds of the creditors, in number and value
-to sign a certificate of difeharge for the delit
or.^
Mr. B. said he was a friend to the gene
ral principles of this bill ; but if it was im
poflible to have a bankrupt law, without
placing a debtor at the disposal of his credi
tors, alter having complied with every tittle
of the law, and been dripped of every Fil
ling of his property ; he would rather be
without one'; he conceived the benefits of
the bill ought fa be reciprocally extended to
both parties. ~ „ , .
The amendment was objeaed to by Messrs.
Smith. Harper, Wain, and Bayard, on the
ground that# min mud be.ve^y criminal in
deed, whp woul4 by refund his certificates
after having fairly given up all his property ;•
and fer+ithout ibis provision, it would be
a law in favour of the debtor only ; it was
quoted in favour of this opinion, the expe
rience had under the bankrupt law, which
formerly existed in Pennsylvania, when it
was scarcely ever known that the debtor
was made bankrupt by the creditor ; and so
bad had the law been tound, that at the ex
piration of the period for which it was ,en
a&ed, it was fuffered to expire by general
consent.
.-The question on drilling out was put and
negatived.
After making several amendments, and;
adding a new feftion/ the committee rose
and reported the bill with the amendments,;
and aiked leave to fit again—which was(
granted.
A written meflagc, from the 'Piefi&t Os
the United States, by his secretary, Mr.
Shaw, was received and read in the follow
tag vr<rdfe, to wit: .'. • • I
Gertlemen of tie Senate, and
Gentlemen of the House of ReprefentatiTH,
.Agreeable to law, I tr,aufmit to Congress, an amoral irfunt
of the contingent funds.
United States, fan. ao, 1800.;
The -President also informed the Houfe,l
that he had approved and signed "An a&[
for the prefervarion of peace wi,h »e In-i
dian tribes," which originated in this house.;
REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE.
Nr. L. Goodrich from the Committee to whom was referred„
the Message of the President of the U. States, of the 14th inst.,
and a letter of Jolin Randolph, jun.Efq. accorapanyingrhe Qme,'
made a report—in which the committee fay, that in executing'
the tafk.afligned to them, it is with great pleasure they notice [
the refpc<tthewn by the President to the 'rights 'and privileges of
tlris house, fn tffe message which he had transmitted them.—
On the style of Mr. Randolph's letter to thePrefident. they forbear
to make any ofher remark, than to express a regret, that he had
conceived himtelf jellified in deviating from the forms of decor
um customary in Official .communications to the President, which
they conceive fo'juttly due 10 his office and charader, and so ef
fentralto-fellat harmony, which should be circumfpeaiy cherilh
ed, between the different branches of eur government by its re
fpedive members.—That Mr. Randolph fates, that he had been
grofsiv and publicly insulted for words of a general nature, utter
ed in debate, by feverai officers of the army or nayy, for which
he demanded redress of the Executive authority, concaving it to
be an attack on his independence and rights as a Legiflatdr—and
that they confider the appeal in tlih instance to the Executive
authority, however other-wife intended, as derogating from the
rights of the House, it being exclusive!, cognizable by them, as
it refpeas their privileges, which are iriheuent in its own hofom,
and as derogatory Jp both'j, honor and independence, and the
inviolability of Its megib^s. That on enquiry they found the
persons implicated ffi Mr. Randolph's letter, to 'be Capt. James
M*Knight and Lieut. Michael-Reynold, of the marines Who, upon|
receiving notices, appeared befare'rhem and Denied rhe truth of
the allegations alledged to their charge, that they have collectedl
all the material evidences they could find, relative to, thecafc ;
had heard the parties accused, and witnesses on their behalf
and ' gave it as the* opinion, that altho' some circumstances took
,ptace at thetheatre on Friday evening the leth ilift. which ap
peared, to Mr. Randolph, andothers present, to manffeft boftility
towards him, yet as some of the circumstances have been fuffi
cicntly explained, and others were of a nature too equivocal tn
jurtify reprelienfidp and punishment, there does not appear fuffi
cient reason for the interference of the House, on the ground qf a
;breath df frivihge. °.
The committee further stated, that they
j had taken the whold of the evidence in writ
ling; which with the tivo following refolu
;tions, were fubmiued to the House.
Refolded, That this House entertains a
irefpefttul sense of the regard which the Pre-
Ifident of the United States has (hewn to its
rights and privileges' in his message of the
14th' instant, accompanied by a letter ad
drefled to him by John Randolph, juh. a
member of this house.
Refolded, That in refpea to the charge
alledged by John Randopb, jun. a member
of this house, in his letter addressed to the
President of the United States, on the nth
inff. and by him Submitted to the considera
tion of the house, that fufficient cause-does
not appear for the interposition of this house
on the grounds of a breach of ite privileges.
On motion, it was ordered, that, the mes
sage of the President and Mr. Randolph's
letter to hii,v—the report of the Committee
and the testimony accompanyingit, be print
ed for the use of the members.
. The reading of the testimony beingcalled
Mr. Hartley said, that as the whole was
ordered to be printed, he thought it at pre
sent unnecessary, and therefore moved fan
adjournment.. 'I-‘
Upon the question will the house adjourn,
—^ es 35- n ° es 56. r
The testimony was then read. After
which the House adjourned. {'.
,=_fo_ta^fom!tet_
FROM THE INDEPENDENT CHRONICLE.'
'\MR.RHOADES,.
A decent, and honourable refpea is due
to the memory bf General Washington, but
- there is a propriety intonduaihg this bufi
fnefs, which as a chriltian pebple, ought care*
fu|ly >to he . observed, ^Funeral folqmnities
are of too serious a nature, to be the fubjeft
;of.oftentatious pageantry ; a bier is not to
be exhibited merely for parade, nioTe efpe
^cia'lly, after the l foimy4ral funerals, which
:have taken, place in various parts' of the U
nited States within 4'ftfw years past. ; How
'l(for of, our friemtehhve been carried unat-
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY^, iSoo.
; tended to thegrave, immediately after their
dissolution, and while Froyidehce has thus
affiiaed us,it is not a pleasing fight to ob
serve the funeral ceremonies, moving in a
solemn procession, proceedeckby the mocke
, ry of a pall over an empty coffin., Waffi
ing<on we esteem, but the propriety of such
exhibitions cannot be admitted by those, who
confider the feene of death as too affcaing,
to be presen ted in parade-arid pageantry.
While we are paying a proper refpea to,
Washington as.a man, I &ould appeal to the
:confeiences of every one who profeffes a
veneration for the chriftian religion, whether
;the expressions often used on this occasion
' are not bordering upon blasphemy and idola-:
; ary. In some papers he has had the appel-,
lation of the "fainted Wash rtrgton." In
other papers, he has been exalted nearly e-|
qua! with jefus Chr&the- faviour of the
iworkfc The prophage idea is thus express-,
ed, ".That Washington had returned to the
-bosom of his God, and in this state of blifs,"l
was implored “ io make inUrceflionfor bis dif-|
I treked people."
IThe1 The foregoing prophanities may be OVer-i
| looked as the enufibns of a few ignorant,
$ inconfideiate panegyrics, but when we find
the indecency of such sentiments counte
i nanced from the pulpit, or within the house:
:of God, we cannot but ffiudder at the confe-,
I quences..§
Within the House of God, it has been de-1
: clared, That when Washington died, “ All;
nature forieked aloud." Alluding no doubt tot
rtbagonies of nature, when our Saviour cri-[
ed, "It is finifoed, and gave *p tbe gbofl^'—\
No other idea can be annexed to ihe fenti-;
ihent, as "nature" has continued perfectlyi
tranquil ever since his exit, and therefore, it|
could not apply to any matter tffaa which;
in reality has taken place.--Ffom the source,;
which this sentiment proceeded, we had rea-1
son to hope " be/fer bhn!,."
But among the various specimens of in
decent license taken by the eulogizers of
Gen. Washington, we cannot but single out
the -irreligious rhapfotfies of therein Mr.l
iMeflinger, of Old-York. Tho' we would,
Iwiffi not to be too censorious, yet the extra-}
!vagance of the expressions must apologize}
:for noticing the Reverend gentleman thus
'particularly. This Ji <blrme Orator proceeds ,
in his oration oh the death of Gen. Wash-t
ington, in the following manner: " The;
;fun is nos darken'fc-The foundations of the
earth do not tremble—Rocks have not crum
i bled into dust—The mountains have not;
; melted away—But, the veil of the temple oj\
I Liberty is-rent it, twain—The sons & daugh-,
, ters of Liberty leaned on his bosom, and call-.
ied him Abba Father !"Paufe) cArfo'^/
'reader, and reflea qn the horrid prophanity,
-of these expressions : —All this extravagance
} evidently alludes to the obnvulfions of nature
on the death of out Saviour. Tho' they did :
not feaHyialte place, yet the revefendatator .
fe.ems to wonder, that such evidences did not ;
accompany the termination of Washington's•
exiftenpe. However, in allusion to thejew-!
ifh Templerhe declares, " that the Temple
of Liberty tyas rent in twain ;" and to cap
1 the climax, he adds, " fr the sons and daugh-:
ters of freedom loan'd on bis bofem, and call-'
! ed him ABBA FATHER." The fenti
ment' is so prophane, that every serious man,
fhudclers Wiile reading it.,
A further specimen of prophanity is ex-।
^ emplified -h the fallowing sentences from
this ^evertffd author : 0 If pur tongue were
an Angel'; it would faulter=-If our eyes'
.wete flinty, they would (wellwith tears—ls
' i our, heart were marble; it would bleed—]f
our foul were Zembla, tit• Would melt and
s , mouFtrffir Washington is net more." CT
" I py fpl tfe.."human race,, his trqnflation was
? I not ip a chdript of, fire; nor by any visible
convey PI Angels^—but by the feerct power
' of gli^flution, which Hjlently fy'¥9fc"
fatal dull on the body of man-other^fe,
' he might have been revered as a Goa—The
globe might, have bow'd in the attitude of wor-
Jhip at thbfeettf bis likeness." In such bom
bastic ftfains does this revefotf orator pro
&df- —-Cbtytiaß reader.! paiue again, and
contemplate the tendency of such pulpit pro
phanity: Toin * Paine never tafa the taufe
of religion more effeauallvg
r - Ihe citizens of York, have always been
' pre-emiuehtfor tfeir evangelical purity, and
we cannot foppofe that the serious part of
' that ancient town, can bepteafed with'fuch
prophane r^apfodfes/eVeh in their funeral
honours to the jlffi^
mlnifter of the Gospel, who brings a mortal
; to beaf the le&ftanalogy wtb th€ Saviour of
the world, is unworthy of Bis Ration, and
;[I DOL. 50 CT'S. PER ANNUM.
ought to be reprimanded by the worfhippers
of That Beino, who charges his Angels
with folly, and never admits the most en
lightened Seraph to Hand unveiled in his,re
ferice. Ihe arch-angelGahfiel never arrived
at ,Bis pre-eminent,diftin&ion as to be hon
_ored with the,ppropriate language of "Abba
Father." John in the Revelations (called the
beloved disciple) when he would have wor
shipped the Angel was prevented by his lay
ing to him, " fee thou do it not, I am thy
fellow-fervant.—Worship God."
The above observations are not made with
a defigri to injure the reverend gentleman
from any persona) resentment, or to prevent
proper refpea to the memory of General
Wafhmgton, but.the honor of the cause of
Religion lye conceive, ought not to be thus
wounded in the house of its friends.
DECENCY.
'late foreign ||^
r ====^^
PARIS, .NOy, 16.
COMMITTEE OF ANCIENTS, °
Sitting of Nov. 14.
The following question was fubmitteti to
the committee ; "Shall the fittings of the
two committees be public r"
It was decided in the negative, but there
was a very long and warm debate upon the
fubjea. Those who were for the debates
being public, Tairlthat if the Nation receiv
ed laws without having any knowledge of
the difeuffions which preceded and prepared
them, it would c^afe to believe itfelf free ,;
that if it saw no longer any vestige of the
National Representation, it would believe
the national representation not to be adjourn
ed, but annihilated ; that if the difcuflions
were not public, it was at least necessary
that there should be fittings open to all citi
zens, in order to proclaim publicly the laws
palled m private fittings ; that, in ffiort, it
wasmeceffary to preserve as much of the an
cieirt form as it was possible, to reconcile
with the events of the 9th and 10th of Nov.
Those who were against the publicity of
the debate, said, that the two commiflions
ip order to obtain the end for which they
were instituted, ought to labour with a ra
:polity which the publicity of their fittings
would check every moment ; that in public
fittings men fpo£e from vanity more fre
quency than from a love of truth ; that the
publicity was never any thing else than ap
parent ; for it c.nld o.hy be taken advan
tage of by one Commune, and only by a
small number of persons in that commune,
who.were almost all incapable of compre
hending and applicatirig the motives Os the
different opinions ; that feeing a Council of
Five Hundred, and a Cotmcil of TwoHun
dred and 'Fifty^reduced to Commiflions of
25 Members, the Public would think they
beheld not an image of the National R^prc
feutation, but its inftrudion ; that in fhort,-
the only thing really important to the nation
was to do quietly and to do well ; and on
that account, that quiet and feertt fittings
were much better than noisy and public ones.
1 Thefollowing Official paper is given in the Re
dafleur of the 14th inJi. and Was every where
feofled on the Walls of Paris.
To the Council of Andtgts audio Buonaparte,
The legiflauve body has Changed its place,
'with a view to its better proceeding. Is the
Republic also to changedts position for the
better ? Shall we persevere in our old errors,
or (hall wexontinue to refpea those preju
dices which have milled our Legislation, and
our Government r Shall we find the wjfdoin
to conceive, and the force to a&, upon
grand and liberal ideas, on solid principles,
and on durable bases of social organization ?
We &if bfdr the Republic-we wi(h for
lify^Q&wg flo^ rgprefciffijve gov
ernment. Since the year 1789, we have
been lighting at homd arid abroad, we have
, been Idvifhing our fortunes,nd cur lives, in
order to obtain I,}^^^^ / We .have not,
s^y%,tad leg&to^ ,wfoo, could fill our
hopes. We are this day t&feek a Conditio
^tofr, arid we can ohly find it dode, ffiapelefs,
obscure, and without a guarantee., ^
fyW^have had for Riders men witbout tal
ents, or without principles ; cruel without
energy, ambitious, without greatness, and
prodigal, only through avarices,, fairounded
by paffiens and crimes, which they had not
the courage to repiefsur puhifA ; they could
F only' arm one party against the other ; and
the people ,thus continually agitated by tbeirwfy
vering politics, dould ouirttenge their 6ppr&ufV
and their mifeiks.