The Newhampshire gazetteer — Exeter, N.H., 1789-09-19 00:00:00, page 1

. Congrejional Matters.
IN committee of the whole.
The fubjeft of amendments re.
fumed.
Mr. Ames's propofitioww^ taken
up. Five or fix other gentlemen br,'t
in propositions on the fame point;
and the whole b, mutual confent,were
-laid on the table.
The House then proceeded to the
third amendment, and agreed to the
fame..
The fourth amedment, on motion
es Mr. Ames, was altered, so as to
lead, " Congress shall make no law
establishing religion, or to prevent the
free exercise thereof; or to infringe
the rights of conference."
This was adopted.
I The fifth amendment was Agreed to.
Mr. Scott objected to the claofe
t in the sixth amendment, "No person
teligioufly fcrtipuloos (hall be compel,
led to bear arms." He said, if this
becomes part of the Conation, „
, can neither call upon such persons for
services nor an equivalent ; it is at
tended with fill further difficulties,
for you can never depend upon your
militia. This will lead to the viola
• lion of another article in the constitu
tion, which secures to the people the
tight of keeping arms, as in this case
you must have recourse to a (landing
army. I conceive it is a matter of le
gislative right altogether. I know
there are many fe&s religioudy scru
pulous in this refped : lam not for
abridging them of any indulgence by
law ; my design is to guard against
thole who are of no religion. It is fed
religion is on the decline : If this is
the case, it is an argument in try fa
vour ; for when the time comes that
there is no religion, perlons will more
generally have recourse to these pre
texts to get excused.
A Mr. BoUDTNOT said that the pro
■ vision in the daafe or something like
iQb appeared to be necefrry. What
'dependence can be placed in men who
are confeiencious in this rcfpe& ? Or
iwJatjuftice cantbere be it compelling
' them to bear arms, when if they were
Ihoneft men they would rather die
I than nfe them. He then adverted to
1 £ fyeral inftances^of oppreflion in the
A case which occurred during the war.
■ Informing a militia we ought to cal
■ cutate for an a&nal defence, and not
I compel charaßers of this description
to bear arms. I wifti that in eftabliffi
this government we may be care
fol to let every pfrfon know that we
not interfere with any petfan's
f' articular religious profeffion. If we
rike out this clause; we thall lead
F' fich persons toconclude that we mean
to compel them to bear arms.
IMr Vining and Mr. Jackson
, fyoke upon the question. The words
11 in person were added after the word
arms" and the amendment was a-
L dopted.
The 7th, 3th, gh, roth, ntb, 12th,
jjth and 14th amendments without
anv material alterations were agreed
. Adj.
NEWHAMPSHIRE GAZETTEER.
LEGISLATURE - of the UNION.
range ^ ^hMto ^, fr./t to^Qdifcfof^
HOUSE of REPRESENTATIVES,
Saturday, September • 19, 17'9*1
THURSDAY. AUGUST 20.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE
Published by H. Ranlet, in the Main Street, Exeter ; ^ where Subferiptions, Advertisements, and allFavours, are gratefully received.
(Continued.)
Reprefenta ions from the citizens
of Trenton, in Newjerfey, Yorktown
and Lancaster in Pennsylvania were
presented to the Houfe,dating the ad
vantages they poiTefs in foil, climate,
situation, population, cultivation and
buildings ; and proffering their re
fpedive towns with the circumjacent
territory of ten miles, to Congress; for
the permanent feat of the Federal Go
vernment.
The amendments to the Conflituti
on as altered and agreed to by the
House, were read.
Mr. Sedgwick observed, that he
believed he-felt the force of the in.
ftruaidns from his constituents whicn
they oughtto have upon hi§ mind, and)
to as great a degree as other gentle
men ;but, fir, said he, a government
entrofted with the freedom, and the
very exigence of the people ought
furefy to possess, in the most ample
manner, the means of supporting its
own exiftance ; and as we do not know
what circumstances we ma, be in, nor
how necessary it may be Tor Congress
to exercise this power, 1 should think
it a violation of the oath I have taken
to Support this Confutation, were I
The report of the committee being
gone through, Mr. Burke introduc
ed the following amendment, viz.
Congress (hall not alter, modify, or
interfere in the times, places, or man
ner of electing Senators or Represen
tatives of the United States, except
when any Rate refufe, or neglect, or
be unable, from actual invasion or
rebellion to make such eledion. This
brought on a-deb,te, and the ayes and
noes being called, Hand thus: Ayes
25, Noes 28.
Majority §.
A variety of proposions were read,
and on the question being taken were
negatived.
The following in fubflance,intro
d^ed by Mr. Smith,of fS. C.) was
adopted, viz. after the firft enumera
tion, there shall be one Representative
to every 30,000 inhabitants till the
number (hall amount to 100 —after
which the proportion (hall be so regu
lated by Congress, that there shall be
one to every 4.0,000, till the number
amounts to 200 —after which the
number shall not be encreafed at a less
rate, than one for every 50,000.
Adjourned.
FRIDAY, AUGUST 21.
The order of the day, on amend,
merits to the constitution.
15th amendment under considera
tion. ' . „
Mr. Gerry moved to fftike out
these words " public danger," to in
{er^foreign inyaficn.
This was negatived;
It was then moved to strike out the
last clause, " and if it be committed,
&c." to the end. This morion ob
tained, and the amendment as it then
flood adopted.
The 16th and 17'% amendments
were accepted without alteration.
18th amendment; In this Mr.
Gerry proposed to infers the wor&
exprefl, after the word " powers" —
this being objected to, the Ayes and
Noes were called for on the question,
and were, for the question, 17, against
it, 32: so the question wa, loft.
igih amendment: Mr. Sher Man
moved that after the words —prohi
bited by it to the" government of the
United and ast p r the words 66 reserved
to the," indiy^ah fhouH be insert
ed : This motion was acceded to, and
the clause was then adopted.
SATURDAY, AUGUST 22.
THE
B/Jr. Benson introduced a refla
tion to this purport : /
Refolded by the House off Reprefen.
tatives of the United States in Con
gre,fs affemb/ed, thrt the fallowing a
mendments tc the Coiniit^tion of the
United States hauling bec£n agreed to ;
by two thirds of berth Hotifes, be tub- |
milled to the Legi ttums of the feve-?
ral Rates ; which; when ratified in:
whole or in part t, ^reir fourths ofl
said Legiilatures, 11%11 >€ valid to all
intents and purposes :> $ parts of laid
Constitution, This rtefolt cion was re
ferred to a commit sc, feonfiiting of
Messrs. Ben son, Sh nnila and Sedg
wick, who were dii Sc&Ld to arrange
the said amendments , amd report.
Mr. Goodhue p. o^eq that the re
port of the joint com nrittee on the ac
journriient be made the torder of the
day on Monday next ;jfe^^fo# 1
affirmative.
The committee on th& part of the
House appointed to confer with the
Sena e on their amendifoent to the
Treasury billbeing called on to report,
Mr.Maddison reportedl verbally,that
the committee had met find conferred
upon the fubje& ; that [jihe members
on the part of the Sen||fce Rated the
teafons on which theifyl amendment
was founded ; which r.tl being fatif.
fadory to the commutgtyon the part
of the House, they t|„n submitted
certain proportions to fche committee
of the Senate, who on |#„ir part offer,
ed none : Mr. MADDi^lfe further re
ported that it is the empnion of the
committee on the p Qißp the House,
that it would not be b4ltbr the House
to recede from their dApgreement.
A petition was Mqffoted from the
inhabitants of the 4oi„n of Alexan
dria, setting forth tMatf a certain clause
in the Collection B| RI operates une
qually upon the cifa sns of that port,
and praying for alter foioa therein.
Laid on the table, Adj.
Meffa. Ames, Ben son, Brown, C<d
wallader,Carroll, Clymer,Fitzfimons,
Foster, Gale, Gerry, Gilman, Good
hue, Hartley, Heister, Jackson, Lau
rance, Lee, Maddifon-, Matthews,
Moore, Muhlenburg, P ge. Parker,
Pattridge, ^Schureman, Scott, Sedg.
wick,Seney, Sherman, Sylveiter, Sin
nickfon, Smith (M.) Smith (3. C.)
Stone, Sturgis, Thatcher, Trumbull,
Vining, Wadiworth. 39.
Mr. Tucker then proposed some
amendments, from those proposed by
the ftate' of South Caro ina ; 'which
were severally negatived.
Mr. Gekry propofed' the mo fol
lowing, viz. Congress sh di nd ellab
lilh any company or companies of
merchants with exclusive priv^ledges.
The other to prohibit the strikers of
the general government frore accep
ing any title of nbbiliy froth an, fo
reign power. These were bp h nega
tived.
now to vote for this aqiendmeDt.
Mr, Sherman observed, that if
Congress ih<u!d exercise this power
the taxes would be laid by the imme
diate representatives of the-per pie ;
nor would there be any neteffity for
adopting one uniform method of col
-le&ing direct t xes : The feverat states
may be accommodated by a reference
to their refpetlive modes of taxation.
, The quettion upon the paragraph
being ca led fcT, from all parts of the
House, the ayes and nges Hand thus.
Mfrs. Barke;Coles,Floyd, Grout,
Hafhorn, Livermore, Van Rarifclfaer,
Sumpter, and Tucker. 9.
ayes.
NOES.
a refold-
A me norial from the Inhabitants
of George Town on Patowm:ck,
was introduced by Mr. Carroll,
which being read, was referred with
a petition from the inhabitants of A
lexan'drG, to a committe, cenfiflirg
cf MeArs. Carroll, Lee and Good- +
hue. -
• Mr. Maddison pr. fenced a petiti
on from John Hunt, a Chaplain ia
the late Southern army which was
read and laid on the table.
Mr. FirzuMONs of ihe committee
appointed to bring in a bil for eflab
lifhing the falar^s of the offices in
the executive department, brought in
a report whivh was read the firft
time.
The salaries proposed in the bill
are as follow :
Doll rs.
To the Secretary of theTreafury 5000
Secretary of foreign affairs 3500
Secretary of the depart- le-00
mentof war 3'
Comptroller 2000
Auditor 1500
Treasurer 1600
Register 1250
Superintendent of Indian 7
affairs )
Governour of the Weftern I
Territory }
Affiflant to he Secretary {
Chief Clerk to the Secre)
tary of forego rfitrs ,
Chief Clerk in the war )
department,
The commine appointed to arrange
the amendments agreed to by the
House, and to prepare a lefolution
as a preamble to the 1401^, m^d* re
oort: The resolution is the fame! ro't
in yesterday, which was accepted.
The amendments as arranged werb
then read.
The order of the day on the r port
of the joint committee on an adjourn.
;ment was moved for.
Mr. Vining was oopofed to tak
ling up this report : H observed that
; it appeared absurd to go into a dis.
cudion of the quettion at tiis moment,
it would necerfaniy involve a great
deal of- debate and loss of time, and
would counteract the object of gentle
men entirely, while so menv impor
tant fubjecis were yet undecided,
^h:ch mud ^yfiftded to and 1."''""
cd, previous,—, a re cc'^ : He moved
for a refinement, in order to take
°pjb/j',eafury Bill.
Mr. Hartley observed, that the
gentleman's remarks furnifhe+the b<ft
arguments fcr coming to a determina
tjen upon the anjeurnment at the pre
fect time, as it was the belt w^y to
confine the attention of the House to
the eflfen ids, which claimed their irn.
mediae notice and decision.
Mr. Sedgwick advocated taking
up the report immediately : He con
tended that, it would vxpeai.e the
public buriinefs, and he observed, his
obfervatien was founde 1 on experi
ence ; when the time is once fixed,and
gentlemen are fully impressed with
the im^rtance of dtfpatchipg bufitie/s
in a given time, he had known as
much tranfaaed in the Assembly o:
Massachusetts in one week, arfd as well
done as had been before in three. Ha
further observed that many gent men
were anxious to go home ; that the
sickly season was approaching, and
that jf an adjournment does ^ ake
place, the members will be thinned
off so that in all probabiity a mugif
less number than the piefeat Will be
left to do thebufiacfs.M
, n
MONDAY, AUGUST 24.
(Vol. I.— Numb. 6