The Republican ledger — Portsmouth, N.H., 1800-03-12 00:00:00, page 1

HOUSE— THURSDAY, feb. 13.
MR. Leib called up a resolution he laid
on the table some days since, that a
'committee should be appointed to bring in
•a bill providing for the removal of the
troops of the United States at least two days
previous to an election, and to a distance
not less than two miles from the place of
holding fitch eleaion.
Mr. Dana asked for the grounds on which
this resolution was brought forward. Mr.
Leib answered.
The resolution was opposed by Messrs.
Otis and Dana and supported by Messrs.
Randolph, Smith and H. Lee. Mr. Otis
then moved an amendment in this way : Re
solved, that a committee be appointed to
46 enquire into the expediency of making
provision, ^c." inffead of being intruded to
bring in a bill.
This amendment was opposed by Messrs.
Marfbai; Nicholas, Randolph, Claiborne,,
Smith, Rutledge and Craik, and supported
by Mr. Otis and Mr. Thatcher. Mr. Kit
chel also opposed it, as well as the original
motion, which he considered entered into
particulars, which it would be Difficult to
procure the execution of. He fignified his
desire that it might pass something in this
way :
That a committee be appointed, &c. to
prevent any troops of the United States ap
pearing in arms on any day of eleaion
Where fitch eleaion ihall be held, or in any
manner to impede or awe such eleaion.
The principle was supported by several
gentlemen, and the original propositions op
posed. At length, Mr. Leib withdrew the
original motion for the purpose of offering
the following.
" Refulved, that a committee be appoint
ed to prepare and report a bill containing
such legislative propositions as may be judg
ed expedient either for removing any mili
tary force of the United States from the
place of holding an eleaion, or for prevent
ing the interference of any such force in such
eleaion.
This motion was agreed to unanimously
and three members appointed conformably.
Gen. Lee reported a bill more effeaually
to provide for the national defence, byes
tablilhing an uniform militia throughout the
United States : which was thrice read and
referred to a committee of the whole house
on Monday le'nnight.
Mr. Smith reported a bill to extend the
time for the payment of bonds given for du
ties of impost, in certain cases. Referred
to a committee of the whole for to-morrow.
Mr. Livingfion laid the following resolu
tion on the table :
Resolved by the Senate and House of Re
preferttatives of lhe United States of America,
in Congress assembled, two thirds of both Houses
concurring. That the following articles be
proposed to the Legislatures of the several
Rates, as an amendment to the constitution
of the United States ; which when ratified
by three fourths of the said Legislatures, 4
Ihall be valid as a part of the said Constitu
tion, viz.
No judge of any court of the United States
shall, during his continuance in office, nor
within fix months afterhe may have resigned
the fame, be appointed to any other, than a
judiciary office in the United States.
Mr. Otis presented the petition of Moses
Gill which was referred to the committee
of claims.
Mr. Dana laid a petition on th^ table re
fyeding the exclusion of strangers from the'
lobby of the house.
Mr. Otis moved the printing of a report
from the Secretary of War to the Commit
tee of Defence, in addition to a former re
port refpe&ing a Military Academy. Or
dered. Adjourned.
-
FRIDAY, FEB. 14.
Mr. A, Softer called up for consideration
the resolution which he laid on the table, for
appointing a committee to enquire whether
any alterations ought to be made in the com
pensation allowed the officers of the two
Houses of Congress—which was agreed to
and three,members appointed.
Mr. Smith from the committee of com
merce and manufaaures, who were dired
ed to enquire into the operation of the exit
ing law, suspending the intercourse with
France, made a report which was commit
ted to the committee of the whole on the bill
farther to suspend the commercial intercourse
with France.
number 39.— v01. i.]
Ongrefs of the United States.
PORTSMOUTH, (NEW-HAMPSHIRE) PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY GEORGE JERRY OSBORNE, fan. MULBERRY LANE, NEXT DOOR TO ROUSSELETs MUSEUM.
" WHEN YOU SHALL THESE DEEDS RELATE, SPEAK OF THEM AS fW-rfARE ; NOTHING EXTENUATE NOR SET DOWN OUGHT IN MALICE."
The Republican Ledger.
Mr. Nicholas moyed to amend the fol
lowing part of the firft feaion, viz. " and
if any ship or vessel ownd, hired, or
employed by any person or persons resident
within the United States" Ihall dire&ly or
indireaiy proceed to a French port, &c. by
striking out the words in italic, and inserting
" citizen or citizens of," thereby giving neu
trals resident within the U. S. or elsewhere,
the liberty of trading from the ports of the
U. S. to those of France in neutral bottoms.
Mr. Sewall conceived this amendment
would render the bill intolerable to,he citi
zens of the U. S. who would view with a
jealous eye, foreigners among them, enjoy
ing the benefits of a trade they, were pre
cluded from, and employing our own vessels
and sailors for that purpose.
A long debate ensued upon Mr. Nicho
las's amendment, and the committee rose,
and obtained leave to fit again, without tak
ing the question upon it.
Mr. Kitt^ra said, he perceived a disposi
tion to travel over the whole of the argu
ments which had been formerly used rela
tive to the expediency of suspending the in
intercourfe with France ; and at some de
lay must ensue thereby, and it was important
for the citizens of the U. S. to know whe
ther the prohibition would be continued, he
would move the following resolution, viz.
Resolved, That a committee be appointed
to report a bill to continue in force for one
month, the a& entitled, "An a& to suspend
the commercial inteicourfe between the U.
States and France, and the dependencies
thereof."
MONDAY,-IFEB< 17.
The house went into a committee of the
whole on the bill to extend the time of pay
ment of bonds given for duties of impost, in
certain cases, and reported their agreement
to the fame. It was ordered to be read a
third time to-morrow.
Mr. Thatcher presented a petition of Tho's
Cutts and others of the town of Pepperel
borough, praying for an extention of draw
backs—Referred to the Com. of Commerce
and Manufa&ures.
Mr. Rutledge said, he had expeded that
some order would have been taken on the
meflage of the President, before this time,
by the gentleman who called for it ; but as
he had been disappointed he would now give
notice to the hon. member from New-York,
that he should call for some order upon the
meltage to-morrow.
Mr. Livingston said, the gentlentan had
momently anticipated him ; he meant to
have moved for a reference to a committee
of the whole house this morning, with an
intention to introduce certain resolutions,
and he would now make that motion.
The question on commitment was put
and carried—ayes 50, noes 23 and was
made the order of the day for Friday.
Mr. Bayard then laid the following reso
lution on the table, which was read and re
ferred to the above committee, viz.
Resolved, That the condu& of the Exe
cutive Government of the United States, in
relation to the requisitions made by his Bri
tannic Majesty's Minister, of the delivery
up to justice of Thomas Nash, otherwise
called Jonathan Robbins ; upon the charge
of murder, committed on board of the Her
moine British frigate, which said Nash had
fought an asylum within the United States,
was conformable to the duty of the govern
ment, and to the obligations of good faith
ftipul'ated in the 27th art. of the treaty of
amity, commerce and navigation,made with
Great-Britain.'
The House again went into committee of
the whole on the bill further to suspend the
commercial intercourse between the ,United
States and France—Mr. Morris in the chair,
and
Mr. Nicholas's amendment being under
The committee fta|e it to be their opinion
that the law had been faithfully executed by
the officers of government, but that the prin
ciples of it had been evaded by individuals
acting from interested motives, and contains
a variety of information in a letter from the
Secretary of the Treasury to the Chairman
of the Committee propounding several ques
tions relative to the existing law, and sug
gesting measures to prevent trauds in future.
The house went into com. of the whole
on the bill further to suspend the commer
cial intercourse between the U. S. and France
and the dependencies thereof, Mr. Morris
in the chair. •
Ordered to lie on the table.
Adjourned till Monday.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 12, 1800.
Mr. Champlin opposed this motion : he
said difficulties had arisen for want of this
provision in the old law—lt was nou intro
duced to prevent any encouragement offering
itfelf to the merchant who would with to
evade the law under the pretence of distress
of weather, for if he could not take a cargo
in return, it could not turn to his advantage
to enter a French port under this pretence.
—The motion was negatived.
Mr. Randolph moved to strike out the
whole of, the sixth fe&ion—but afterwards
so modified the feaion as that the President
should not have power to take off the re
ftriaions of the a& partially, or with such
ports as he might deem it expedient to open
the communication ; he had no objedion for
the power to exist in the President to renew
the intercourse when events should warrant
it, but he wilhed it to be wholly done, or
not at all. —This was also negatived.
Mr. Gallatin wished to know the mean
ing of the beginning of the 7th fe&ion, in
those words,
"That the whole island of Hispaniola
Ihall, for the purposes of this a&, be consi
dered as a dependency of the French Re
public."—He underflood a part of it, which
by the treaty with Spain was ceded to France,
had not yet been evacuated by Spain : the
government and laws, as well as the people
of that nation were still there, arid he sup
posed it was not the design of the House to
cut off the communication With Spain.
After some explanation by Mr. Smith,
The third reading of the Bankrupt bill
was further postponed, in order to take up
the French non-intercourse bill. The house
went into committee thereupon.
Mr. Wain moved an amendment to the
bill, so that perlons resident in Europe only,
who owned, hired or employed foreign ves
sels, should obtain a clearance to any port
of the French Republic or its dependencies.
His wijh was to prevent it being done by
persons resident in the Weft-Indies or else
where except in Europe,
This motion caused some debate. Mr.
Harper at length fuperceded that motion,
by one to strike out part of the fe&ion, so as
to prevent the intercourse being carried on
by neutrals in any manner whatever. This
he said was truly confident with the spirit
of the ad, which was to suspend the in
tercourse altogether. Some debate ensued
on this motion, which was at length neg
atived 48 to 41.
Mr. Randolph moved to strike out of the
3d fedion the words 6 in bills of exchange,
or in money or bullion,' so that vessels which
should be tyven into a French port by dis
tress of weather, or other casualty, might
receive compensation for his cargo in pro
duce or merchandize.
Randolph moved to strike out of the 3d
feaion the words 'in bills of exchange, or
in money or bullion,' so that vessels which
should be driven into a French port by dis
tress of weather, or other casualty, might
receive compensation for his cargo in pro
duce or merchandize.
TUESDAY, FEB. 18.
An engrossed bill, entitled " An a& to ex
tend the time of payment of bonds given for
duties of impost in certain cases," was read
and palled.
Mr. Marshall, chairman of the commit
tee appointed for that purpose, reported " a
bill for removing any military force of the
U. S. from the places of holding eleaion
which was twice read and committed to the
whole jfoufe.
consideration, Messrs. Otis, Rutledge, and
H. Lee spoke against it ; and Meflis. Ni
cholas, Macon, and Randolph, in favour of
it.
Mr. Kittera then moved that the com
mittee rife, for the purpose of taking into
consideration the resolution which he laid
on the table on Friday, proposing to conti
nue in force the exiting law, which will ex
pire on the 2d:day of March next, till the
2d day of April next.
This motion was negatived, ayes 37, noes
44, on the ground that the bill under con
fideratiori would be likely to pass as soon as
the one which the gentleman contemplated.
Messrs. Marshall and Wain then spoke a
gainst it; and Messrs. Smith, Randolph, Ni
cholas, Jones and Clay, in favor of it, when
the qudtion on the amendment was taken
and negatived, ayes 42, noes 51.
The committee then rose, reported pro
gress, arid obtained leave to fit again.
Adjourned.
_ —
[t DOL. 50 CTS. PER ANNUM.
This motion canted some debate, and at
length was carried:
Yeas 43 — Noris 40.
Mr. Kittera moved to strike out the limi
tation feaion, but was seconded. b
The committee then rose and reported the
amendments, but it being a late hour, the
House adjourned without taking them up.
WEDNESDAY, FEB. ty.
The bankrupt bill was further poftponrid
till to-morrow, in order to take up the re- 3
port of the committee of the whole on the '
Bill “ further to suspend the commercial in
tercourse between the United States and
France, and the dependencies thereof."
The part of the report agreeing to strike
out the seventh feaion which considered the
whole of the colony of Hispaniola, a depen
dency of the French Republic was disagreed
to 48 to 42, fy that the feaion remains.
Tire tenth feaion provided that if the
President should deem it proper to open the
intercourse with any part of France or its
dependencies, so that the residence of a Con
sul at such place may be necessary, then such
Consul or other Agents fhall.be allowed an
annual salary not exceeding dollars,
and ihall be prohibited from engaging in a
ny kind of traffic. "
Mr. Smith answered that the present was
very different from other Consulships, there
it required only a common merchant to
manage the business relating'to (hipping,
sailors, &c. but in this, ministerial powers
lbr negociation was contemplated. A per
lon qualified for that purpose must be em
ployed; it could not be expe&ed that any
man would go to reside in a climate which
endangered his life, without a compensation
somewhat adequate to the profits he could
make by engaging in commerce, which 0-
ther Consuls were permitted to do. In the
present case, as had been experienced, this
privilege would much injure the general
commercial interest of the U. S. because
such resident would have the earliest oppor
tunity to take advantage of the intercourse
being opened.
Mr. Rutledge also made some explanato
ry observations, and the report for filling
the blank with 3000 was agreed to.
Mr. Harper renewed a motion which he
made yesterday, but which was negatived,
to prevent any neutrals carrying on trade
from the U. S. to France, &c. at all. He
contended this was the spirit of the former
bill, and the idea of the friends of it at its
pacing, although it might have proved inef
ficient to its obje&.
He called for the yeas and nays on it ;
which after along debate were as follows :
Yeas 39 —-Nays 56.
Several other amendments, but of less
importance, were likewise adopted. The
bill is reftriaed in its continuance to the 3d
of March, 1801.
THURSDAY, FEB. 20.
Mr. Thatcher presented the petition of
Samuel Haley, a fifherman, resident on an
island within the State of Massachusetts, who
had, at the expence of 5000 dollars made a
complete harbour, being the only one in the
said island, which works were now going to
ruin, the petitioner had received but little %
compensation for his etyeuce, and states
himfelf unable to keep tib said harbour in
repair, for which he prays the assistance of
Congress—The result of an application to
the Legislature of Massachusetts was also
read, in which it appeared they considered it
proper for the general government to grant
relief to the petitioner.
Referred to the Secretary of the Treafury,'
to report thereon.
Mr. Spaight proposed the following refo
lutiog:
Resolved that the committee of commerce
and manufactures be directed to enquire
whether any, and what farther credit may
be given for duties on the articles of produce
imported from the Weft- Indies into the ports
of the United States, and that they report by
bill or otherwise & Agreed to.'
JONATHAN ROBBINS.
Mr. Livingston, in consequence of a re
ference of the meffige of the Prefider.t on
1
In committee the blank was filled with
3000. Mr. Gallatin wished to know why
a salary should be granted in the present in
stance when none was allowed to other Re
sidents in a like situation.
Mr. Nicholas moved to strike out the lec
tion.
It was ordered to be engrofled for a-third
reading to-morrow. Adjourned.
41