The Republican ledger — Portsmouth, N.H., 1800-04-16 00:00:00, page 1

Congress of tbeMniteD States.
=«#H, ; <to»++f >—-
HOUSE —tt^^DAY-MA rc'H 25.
AN engrossed bill to amend an a& entity 1
led, an aft providing for the fedond
cenfns, or enumeration of the inhabitants of
the United States was read, and after the ti
tle was amended so as to read, "An a& to
altar the form of certain oaths and affirma
tions direaed to be taken by the ad entitled
an aa" &c, it was puffed.
The Judicial Bill was again difcuftd,
but no question was taken. । >
WEDNESDAY, Mrah ±6.
Mr. Sheafe presented a memorial from
the board of health at pQrtfmouth, New-
Hampfliire, Rating the inadequacy of any
partial health lawsto prevent the introduction
of pestilential diseases, & praying the govern
ment to ena& a general health law, Referred
to the committee of commerce.
Mr. Harper from the committee of Ways
and Means, reported a bill for the support
of Government for the year 1800, which
was twice read and committed.
The house then again resolved itfelf into
a committee on the Judiciary Bill.
The fifth feaion being under considera
tion, which made a provision for bringing
claims against the United States to be tried
before the courts of the United States. Mr.
Gallatin had yesterday moved to strike out
the fe&ion, the impropriety of which he a
gain contended ; but even if it were pro
per, he said the fe&ion by no means con
tained provisions to prevent frauds being
praaifed in the claims that might be made.
On which account, if the principle must pass,
1 it ought to be made the fubje& of a separate
bill, wherein neceftary precautions might be
taken.„
Mr. Harper answered as to the principle,
but had no objection to Striking out the lec
tion if another bill could be brought in to ef
fea the objea. He appealed to the chair
to know whether it would be in order.
The chairman (Mr. Rutledge)^ave his o
pinion that (triking out the fe&ion, would
not preclude a bill being brought in to mo
dify the fame principle, when that was the
f main obje&.
Mr speaker gave his opinion that it
would be quite in order, Since it wasentire
lydiftinQ from the general provisions of the
bill before the committee.
The fifth and sixth feaions were ordered
to be Struck out.
The seventh feaion contained provisions
for dividing the United States ipto 29 dif
trias, in each of which a circuit court Should
be eftablilhed (which are enumerated) Mr.
Nicholas moved to strike out the fe&ion, &
entered at large into his reasons and in favor
of the present judiciary system. Mr. S,
Smith (poke in favor of the motion, after
which Mr. Gallatin and Mr. 'Harper again
spoke.-—The committee rose without any
decision, • \
^ THURSDAY, MARCH 2,..
Mr. Nicholson laid on the table a resolu
tion that the President of the Senate and the
Speaker of the Heffife of Representatives
should be authorized to adjourn their refplc
tjve Houses on the lift day of April next.
A message was received from Senate, no
tifying the House of their acquiescence in
the tevolutions refpeaing Capt. Truxton &
Mr. James Jarvis.
.The House went into committee on the
judiciary bill ; the motion to strike out the
7th feaion, containing the principle of the
bill, being under consideration, Mr. Mar
shall entered into, a lengthy defence of
the new system, and spoke against 'the mo
tion ; Mr. Nicholson in answer, Mr.
Harper, in opposition to the motion, detail
ed the difference of expence between the pre-;
sent & the new system ; it having been ftated'
by the enemies to this bill that the expence
of it would be 100,000 dollars per annum
more' than the present. Mr. Harper's
statement made it only 46,500 dollars more
Than the present, which he contended was
trifling, compared with the eflential advan
tages of a more perfect administration of juf
, tice< Mr#Dennis also spoke in favor of
the bill with certain modifications in the de
tail, and Mr. Macon and Mr. Nicholas a-
The queftioh was then taken upon Strik
ing out the fe&ion, and carried, Ayes 50.
The committee then rose, and obtained
leave to fit again. d
^y,t_ . Adjour
— _=„-— ^^J- ——u ; — _— m „—_,. — — ; — — ,— ; — .____
PORTSMOUTH, (NEW-HAMPSHIRE) PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY GEORGE JERRY OSBORNE, jun. MULBERRY LANE, NEXT DOOR TO ROUSSELET's MUSEUM.
—— .... — —.—.
/DUMBER 34. VOL.<]
" WHEN YOU SHALL THESE DEEDS RELATE, SPEAK OF THEM AS THEY ARE ; NOTHING EXTENUATE NOR SET DOWN OUGHT IN MALICE."
The Republican Ledger.
— — —.— — — =-=*_
WEDNESDAY, April 16, 1800.
, -.FRIDAY, MARCH 2%.
Mr. Nicholas called up the refolutionl
which he laid on ,h« table yesterday, author
riling the President of the Senate and Speak
er of the House of Representatives, to close
the present session, by adjourning Iheir re
fpeaive houses on the lad day in April
next— -and having modified his motion, so
as to read the firft Monday in May next,
the resolution was adopted'.
Mr. Nicholas fitid, an aft was passed taft
feflion, for the more general promulgation
of the laws of the United States which gave
the Secretary of State a diferetionary power
asto the manner in which the law Should
be executed—this power he did not mean to *
question, but he thought the House Should
be made acquainted with the expence at
tending it ; and therefore moved the follow
ing resolution which was adopted, viz.
Resolved, That the Secretary of State be
requested to lay before this House, a report
of the proceedings had under an a& palled
lad session, entitled, " an Ad for the more
general promulgation of the laws of the
United States," ^and the expences incurred
therein. j :-
Mr. Harper laid, as the principal feature
of me bill tor the better establishment and
regulation of the Counts of the United
States had been destroyed, by a vote of the
house, yesterday, he. would now move that
the committee of the whole be difeharged
from the further consideration of it.
^&ffrs. Gallatin and Nicholas opposed
this motion—and Mr. Otis supported it—
when the question was taken and agreed to ;
—ayes 57.
Mr. Harper then moved that the bill be
recommitted to the Select Committee; who•
reported it,
I This motion was fu perceded by one of
'Mr. Macon, who moved that the further
Iconfideration of the bill be postponed till the
!firft Monday in December next.
Meflrs. Nicholson, Varnum, and Macon,
jfpoke in favor of the postponement ; and
Messrs. Rutledge, C. Goodrich,«^ad Bay
!ard, agarift it :—when the question was ta
ken, as follows ;
Affirmative, 46 —Negative, 52. /,
The question then recurred on Mr. Har
per's motion, for recommitting the bill,
which was carried—ayes 53.
Gen. Lee brought in a bill to extend the:
privilege of franking letters and packets, to
Martha Wafhihgton, which was read a
firft and fecund time, and ordered to be en
grossed for a third reading on Monday next.
Gen. Lee mentioned, that Mrs. W. had
paid upwards of 500 dollars postage.
The bill for dividing the Territory N.
W. of the river Ohio, into two separate
Governments, palled to be engrossed. The
new Territory is to- bear the name of
WASHINGTON.
•f Monday, march ~
A message was received from the Senate,
notifying the House that they had passed
“ an a& prescribing the mode of deciding
diluted eleaions of Prefideht and Vice
President," to which they desired the con
currence of the house.
The bill was read a firft and second time
and committed to the whole house for to
morrow.
The following bills were read and passed:
An aft fixing the rank and pay of the
commanding officers of the corps of ma
rines.
An ad to extend the privilege of franking
letters and packages to Martha Washing
ton.,
An aft to divide the territory of the Uni
ted States north weft of the Ohio, into two
separate governments.l
A message was received from the Presi
dent of the United States, informing the
House, that on the 29th inst. he approved
and signed an ad for the relief of Cammed
Smith, also a resolution in honor of Capt.
Thomas Truxton and James Jarvis. >
The House went into a committee on the
report of the feled committee refpeaing
the copper bed fa id to be on Lake Superior,
which was that an agent should be appointed
to search into the fads and price of the
land, asked by the Indians. Tffe report
was agreed to, n f?
The House then resolved itfelf into a
committee on the bill to amend the da en
titled « an aft providing for the file of the
lands of the United States in the territory
North Weft of the Ohio and above
mouth of Kentucky river."
IreW Rutledge in the chair. • =,
Mr. Cooper moved that the committee
rife, in order that the bill may be recom
mitted for the purpose of regulating the
quantities to be exposed for sale. This
was negatived.
Mr. Griswold then moved to strike out
the firft feaion, in which he was supported
by Mr, Edmond, Mr. Cooper and Mr. H.
Lee upon the ground of expence to survey
the lands, which mull be very considerable,
while the sale should be uncertain ; that it
would encourage encroachments upon the
United States land for which it would be
impoflible to dispossess performs' who would
make this encroachment. —.
Messrs. Gallatin, Harrison, Nicholas,
Harper, and Gordon, spoke in favor of this
bill, because it prevented (peculators receiv
ing the advantages renting from offering
the lands in large quantities for sale, that
the former bill provided the fales/o be eith
er in quarter townships, or in lots of 640
acres ; but the present bill offered the whole
at lots 9^'320 acres, which must encourage
actual fettiers to piarchafe, and of course in
crease the price of the purchase; that the
expence would therefore be soon refunding
to the treasury with a confulerable advan
tage to the United States, whereas by the
operation of the former bill, the dales has
been small.
The committee of the whole rose with
out a decision, and obtained leave to fit
again.'
SENATE—ri/UR3Dir, march 17.
The Senate agreed to the resolutions a- {
dopted by the House of Representatives ; —
the firft for presenting Capt. Thomas Trux
ton with a golden medal, emblematical of his
late gallant adion—the second expressive of
national regret for the untimely death of
the brave yoong midshipman, James Jarvis. I
The committee of privileges reported two;
resolutions, the firft declaring that as Wil
liam Duane, in contempt of the Senate, has
rafofed to attend at their bar, pursuant to a
notification, the Sergeant at Arms be em
powered, bv a warrant signed by the Prtfi
dent of the Senate, to take the body of the
(aid Duane into custody, and him fafe to
keep for the farther order of the Senate—
the second contained the form of the warrant
to be issued by the President. Both of
which resolutions were decided in the affir
mative and the warrant accordingly signed.
1- FRIDAY MARCH 28.
The question was taken on the bill for
deciding disputed elections for President and
Vice-President of the United States as fol
lows:.
Affirmative—Meffrs. Bingham, Chipman
Dayton, Dexter, Foster, Goodhue, Greene,
Hillhoufe, Latimer, Lloyd, Paine, Read,
Ross, Sch'ureman, Tracy, Wells; —16.
Negative-—Messrs. Anderson, Baldwin,
Bloodworth; Browne,, Cocke, Franklin,
Langdon, Livermore, Marshall, Mason,
Nicholas, Pinckney,—l2.
The bill was accordingly passed.
From a British Publication.
Chineje Letter, from Fi-tidi, in London, to hisfriend
Lh^ching-fing, at Pekin.
[Tranllated from the original.]
[(# The flyle of the following letter is much the
6 tame with that of Goldsmith's Citizen of the
world : and though extracted from an anti
governmental paper, its humour must palliate
this unfavorable feature.] Farmer'^ Mujem.
Ling -ching fng,
I AM sorry that I cannot give thee a more fa
vorable account of these inlanders than what thou
wilt find in this letter. 1 expected to meet with
a very polished people ; but I fear they are far,
very far indeed, from a fUte of civiliation. One
of their principal marks of barbarism is their fond
nets for war ; for I underhand that they are aF
ways either engaged in ),&lWities with some na
tion or other, or employed in preparations to at
tack their neighbors.
In this their passion, there is one thing very cu
rity* , which is that at the beginning, of a war,
they always think it the tineft, the mod glorious,
and the most necessary thing in the world : but,
at the end of seven or eight years, and by the time
, they have spent all their money, they begin ro
feratch their heads, and to Qifcover that they have
'been fighting about they know not what, or at bed
about some bubble that they have 101 l light of dur
lag the contest.
The fiin has now performed one great revolu
tion and a half, since the governors of this illand,
which is th^corn market of batt Europe, forbade
their fubjetts ro fell any wheat to a neighboring
nation called the French. They find they were
very kindly disposed towards the French ; they
did not mean any //arm, they only lifted to sane
them. This the French however did not under
stand § and added to some other provocations, it
, brought on a war between the two countries,
which continues to be carried on with the greater
fory# ' * ; •
[1 DOL. 50 CTS. PER ANNUM.
A lew days ago, news was brought, that their
fleet had fought with that of the enemy, and had
taken fix of their great war junks. 1 thought that
upon the obtaining of such an advantage, the,
would have gone quietly, as we should do in Chi
na, to compliment and congratulate their friends,
and that they would have afterwards retired to
rest with a mixed fentimeut of pleasure and pain;
for the fix damaged junks of the French were pur
chased with the blood ot a thousand cf their coun
tryman. But, instead of that, for three fuccellive
nights, they ran about the Greets, shouting and.
roaring like mad men ; letting efffre pans of all
lizes ; firing crackers, which they learned to make
of us Chinese; and freaking the windows, and
setting fire to the houses of the more peaceable in
habitants.! What astonished me most was, that,
during the whole three nights, their government
made no attempt to dieck this riot and devafia
tion : and yet (would you believe it, Ling-ching
fing?) tlrefe islanders fw ear they will not lay down
their arms, till the French shall accept a govern
ment -of their making !
They fay, indeed, as an excuse for the inativi
ty of their magistrates, that the windows broken
belong to those who are diffatisfied with the abus
es that exist in the country.—Now, ought they
not rather to have broken the windows of those
degenerate men who are fatisfied with abuses ?
But every thing in this country runs counter to
the current of plain sense and reason. In China,
as thou knoweft, when any discontent arises, the
Emperor enquires into its cause, and orders the
Mandarins to be punished, who have opprefled hi,
children, or infringed their rights. Here, when
a great part of the nation complains that the
Mandarins of. Rate have assumed more power
than belongs to them, and encroached upon the
rights of the people, what means dost thou think
that thdy take to cure the discontent ?—Why, the
great Mandarins assume more powers, and en
croach kill furtiier upon the rights of the people!
Now, is not this very strange, my friends?
When 1 left P&kin, thou defiredft me to make
enquiry into the nature of the religion profefled
N by these inlanders. My fmadl acquaintance with
their barbarous idiom has not yet permitted me
to investigate this matter so profoundly as I could
wife ; but I much fear that they are addicted to
the grossest Ppiytheifm. It is true, I have not
heard them positively admit the exigence ofmore
than two or three Gods ; but I have found by my
;own observation, that they have a great number
, of deities, whom they invoke upon any sudden
emergency or disaster . •such as their god—[The
writer here admits the profane epithets which are
so commonly preceded by the name of our Maker,
and from his ignorance of the language conclud
ing they were objects of homage, thinks if their
having them forever in their mouths be a Sign of
devotion, the English are the most pious people
in the univerfe.]
May the one and only God, the great Tien, pre
serve thee, and fend thee male children, Ling
ching-fing, my friend !
FI-TI-LI.
* This letter appezreda few days after Lord Howe's vidory,
on the aft of June.
t Among others, the house of Earl Stanhope was attacked ;
the windows were broken, and an attempt made to set it or
fire, by a Church and King mob.
From the Aurora of March 27.
Public anxiety has been kept alive for several
days by the extraordinary ineafures pursued by a
few mistaken and irritated individuals, against the
Editor of this paper.
The question has now arrived at that point
which is to determine whether the parchment of
the constitution, or the principles are of the molt
value.
The Editor has taken every Step which could
in any fliape tend to manifest his regard for the
authority which the constitution gives to the
Senate—and he has even proceeded So far as to
appear before that branch of the Legislature, in
consequence of a mandate, which in his opinion,
grounded on the constitution an<f the belt legal
advice, they had no proper authority to iflue in
such a case,
It is now fitting that the public Should be put
into possession of every circumflance which can
illucidate a case, which though trivial as it con
cerns the individual against whom the vengeance
was directed, is of very high importance in other
points of view.
The Senate as a body Should be exonerated
from the odium attached to ti.is case. Many of
the individuals who compose the Senate were
taken by furprize in the firft agitation of the pro
position for instituting a committee of privileges.
Some have by their silence condemned the pro
ceeding, and a few only have been found fiery,
vindi&iie, and implacable in its pregrefs.
The proceeding originated in party Spirit—
perfpdal enmity. It was commenced without
consideration, and it has been incumbered with
circumstances which bave'dillurbed the Sleep of
its authors, without having produced any other
effect, |han some temporary inconvenience, and
much expense to the editor, u hile it has excited
the apprehension of the public in all the neigh
boring Slates, and obtained for the editor such to
kens of publ^ regard and personal attachment,
as he would not forego for all the wealth of the
leaders in this business. ..&
It is to the impetuous weakness and vindictive
passions of a few gentlemen, that the editor attri
butes the present agitation of the public mini, for
the public rights; at present he will difpeufe with
developement of the minuter Cantes of personal
enmity to the editor—they are comprised gener
ally in a few words, hit zeal andjltf&qs in the
cause of repuWicantfm and truth.
But'there are other motives for the present
measure. . <
The exigence ofapkrt, m the United States