The Gazette of the state of South-Carolina — Charles-town [S.C.], 1784-10-21 00:00:00, page 2

CHARLESTON,
OC TO BER 21, 178.1.
The following was received about a week ago, but has
been 'unavoidably pofpored for want of room.
STATE of PENNSYLVANIA,
J N 'GENERAL ASSEMBLY,
Saturday, September 2,5, 1784. A. M.
TPE report of the Committee of the whole read
I yesterday, on the petitions praying for a rc
viHl of the Left Laws, was read the second time,
and in debating the following paragraph, viz.
" Provided aifo, Ihat no perlon or persons who
" voluntarily joined the British army during the
" 4ete war, or have been tried and convicted of
" having aided or abetted the King of Great-Bri
'* tain, his Generals, fleets, or armies, having be
“ fore been inhabitants of this State, shall be cap
" able to ele& or be elected into any office of prc
" fit or trust:"
° n "'^ quefrion, Will the house adopt the fame?
The Yeas were 46, Nays 4.
So it was carried in the affirmative.
And having fully debated the resolutions offered
by their Committee, on the question, Will the Iloife
adopt the fame? as follows, viz.
" Rfolved, Thzt a Bill be brought into this
" Houle to alter the left Laws in such mariner as
" to entitle al! the male white inhabitants of this
" State, (who have not heretofore taken the oath
" or affirmation of allegiance to this Common
•' wealth) to take the oath directed to be taken by
" the Act of Assembly, of the thirteenth day of
" June, one thousand seven hundred and seventy
" seven, and be thereby entitled to be free citizens:
“ Provided neverthdfs, That no person shall be
“ capable of holding any office of profit or trust,
" until he shall take and fubferibe the oath direct
" ed to be taken by the A& of Assembly, of the
" fifth day of December, one thousand seven huh
“ dred and seventy-eight:"
" Provided also, That no person or persons who
" voluntarily joined the British army during the
" late war, or have been tried or convicted of hav
“ ing aided or abetted the King of Great-Britain,
" his Generals, fleets or armies, having before been
" inhabitants of this State, shall be capable to ele&
•' cr be elected into any office of profit or trust:"
The Yeas and Nays being called, the Yeas flood
in number twenty-nine, the Nays flood in number
twenty two.
So it was carried in the affirmative.
Whereupon, Ordered, That Mr. Hill, Mr. Han
num, and Mr. Parr, be a Committee to bring in a
Bill conformably to the foregoing resolutions.
Extras from the Minutes,
PETER Z. LLOY D, Clerk
of the General Assembly.
Or the 28th of September, the Supplement to the faL.
.LgtQL^as called up for a third reading, when the
following paper, being previously drawn up and
fared, was laid on the table, and the signers with
drew from the House in a body.
Dissentient:
First, For that we conceive it to be a diHate of
reason and natural equity, that those who declined
to participate in the toils, the facrifices, and the
hazard of the late revolution, should not enjoy all
the benefit and advantage arising from that inestim
able blessing.
Secondly, Such are the numbers of those, who
from motives of timidity, avarice, or attachment
to the cause of British tyranny, refufed to enroll
their names in the honorable lift of patriots, at the
season of war and danger, that in several of the
principal counties of the State, should the measure
in contemplation take effe&, elections might rea
sonably be expelled to be carried in favor of men,
who execrate the alliance of the United States with
his Most Christian Majesty, and Rill cherish the
hope of a subordinate re-union with Great-Britain.
And we are convinced no men should rule a socie
ty, which they with to destroy.
Thirdly, The confutation has expressly provided,
that “ all bills of a public nature, shall be printed
for the consideration of the people, and except on
occasions of a sudden neceflity, shall not be puffed
into law, until the next Session of Assembly." No
sudden necehity exists on the present occasion ; on
the contrary, in a few days a new Assembly will be
convened, fuinifhcd with the inftru&ion of the
people at large. Nor can we conceive other mo
tives for the precipitancy with which it is attempt
ed to finifh the bill referred to, and to pass it into
a law at the end of a Session, in a thin House, con
fitting of but a few more than a quorum, than such
as originate in fablion, party views, and fclfifh con
siderations.
Imprefled with a deep Tense of the important con
sequences of the present measures to ourfclves, our
ronftituents and po'fterity; our apprehensions Bill
further confirmed by the proceedings on the peti
tion of Dr. Wm. Smith, and the late Trustees of
the college, academy, and charitable school in the
city of Philadelphia, &c. and that an insidious pe
tition from the late proprietaries, wrote with an
apparent design to reconcile the minds of the peo
ple to the refloration of their property, if not to
place the government again in their hands, has
been refpe&fully noticed in this House and com
mitted; observing a mysterious perseverance in the
majority, relying on the fuperioiity of numbers,
difdainihg to meet in the fair field of reason and ar
gument. and treating all observation upon the above
mentioned points as fupcrfluous; and insinuating,
that every member had fully made up his mind
upon the fubjbX, aAd was no longer opon to con
viblion ; recollecting at the fame time, that the
constitution has wifely provided as a check, in a
case of a desperate nature, that the minority may
prevent the mifehief to the Commonwealth, that
may at any time be feared from a majority, by a se
cession; and firmly believing that out constitu
ents, at the time of our assembling, held in abhor
rence, and would have considered as the word of
injuries, and the extreme of degradation, the alte
ration in our political system about to be adopted,
by the repeal of the test laws; in a matter thus
particularly interesting to all the true friends of the
late glorious revolution, we should be undeserving
the confidence and refpebl of the good people of
the State, if we did not adopt every cohltitutiorial
measure in our power, to prevent those evils, and
that confufion, which we believe would be the
inevitable result of a further continuance in this
House. Io yout a: ul and mysterious measures, to
that secret influenc of which we fee the effe&s,
but are unable to comprehend the cause, we leave
you. To our constituents, and to the community
at large, we make the folemii appeal: they will
determine to whose impropriety of conduct is im
putable this premature dissolution of the Legilla
ture." [Signed by nineteen members.]
On the 19th ult. the Majority of the House met, and
drew up the following ADDRESS; after which,
being unable to do any further bufnefs, for want of
a quorum, they broke up.
To the CITIZENSof PENNSYLVANIA.
driends and Fellow Citizens,
Majority of the House of Representatives
of the Freemen-of the Commonwealth of
Pennsylvania beg leave to address you, upon a fub
je& of the utmost importance to the liberties of the
Stated
On the 28th day of this month, a Supplement*
to the left Laws was called up for a third reading.
Io our great astonishment, nineteen Members rose
from their feats, and broke up the House, bv ruffl
ing out of the Assembly Room, in the most dis
orderly manner; namely, Frederick Watts, fames
Fiercer,fohn Craig, Frederick Antis, William Brown,
(Cumberland) Adam Orth, Abraham Smith, fohn,
Clark, Moses M'Clean, Thomas Long, Christian Low
er, Richard Wallis, fames fohnfon, fofph Tho
mas, B illiam Todd, William Brown, Robert Brown,
facob Strowd, fofeph Savitz. The Speaker of the
House in vain called them to order. The disgrace
which this tumultuous all has brought upon the
* The following is the Bill referred to, as taken
up for the last reading.
STATE of PENNSYLVANIA.
In GENERAL ASSEMBLY,
Monday, Sept. 27. 1724.
The BILL, entitled “ A further SUPPLEMENT
to the Test Laws," was read the second time, and
debated by paragraphs.
Ordered, That it be tranferibed, and in the mean
time printed for public consideration.
Extrafl from the Minutes,
PETER Z. LLOYD, Clk. of the Gen. Affem.
A farther SUPPLEMENT to the Ts Laws.
lA JUEREAS a great number of the male white
V V inhabitants of this Rate have arrived to the
age of twenty-one years since the passing of the
Test Law, in one thousand seven hundred and
seventy-nine, and as feme doubts have arisen con
cerning their right of citizenship; for remedy
whereof,
Be it enabled, and it is hereby enabled by the Repre
sentatives of the Freemen of the Commonwealth of Penn
sylvania, in General Assembly met, and by the autho
of the fame, That it shall and may be lawful for
any Judice of the Peace within this Commonwealth
to administer the oath or affirmation of allegiance
to this Commonwealth., as expressed in the a&, en
titled " An AH obliging the male white inhabitants
of this date to give assurances of allegiance to the
fame, and for other purposes therein mentioned,"
enabled on the thirteenth day of June, one thou
sand seven hundred and seventy-seven, to all the
male white inhabitants of this date, who have not
taken the teds or qualifications, prcfcribed either
by the said Atl of June the thirteenth, one thou
sand seven hundred and seventy-seven, or the ad,
entitled, " An A& for the future security of the
government," passed the fird day of April, one
thousand seven hundred and seventy-eight ; and all
male white inhabitants, who shall at any time here
after as aforefaid duly take the oath or affirmation
of allegiance, as by the said Ad of June the thir
teenth, one thousand seven hundred and feventy
feven, is required, fliall be entitled to all the pri
vileges of free citizens, according to the bill of
rights and constitution of this Commonwealth:
Provided nevertheless, That no person shall be cap
able of holding any office of profit and trust, until
he shall firft take and fubferibe the oath directed to
be taken by the A6l of Assembly, of the fifth day
of December, one thousand seven hundred and se
venty-eight. And provided also, That no person or
persons, who have voluntarily joined the British
army during the late war, or have been tried and
convicted for having aided and abetted the King of
Great-Britain, his Generals, fleets or armies, hav
ing been an inhabitant of this State, shall be capa
ble to eled or be eleded into any office of profit
or trust in this State,"
J^gi^ure rcay cafily be conceived. The dignity
of your government has been insulted, public bu
finels has been gricvoufly obftruded, and the ho^
noi of the State has been exposed to contempt.
The fubjed of the Bill, which gave occasion to
this indecent proceeding, we conceive to be of
the utmost importance to the union and prosperity
of Pennsylvania. By the operation of the Test
Law of 1779, nearly one half of the inhabitants
of Pennsylvania are deprived of the privileges of
citizens. The peculiar nature of this test, and the
limited time which was given to take it, we con
ceive were peculiar hardships, and seemed intend
ed to prevent its being generally taken. We ac
quiefeed in it, however, during the war. But the
time is come for opening the door of Eledions,
and imparting equal liberty to every inhabitant of
the State, who is willing to teftify his allegiance to
it by an oath or affirmation. The constitution of
the State, humanity, policy, and the principle's of
free government, all concur to favour the revision
or the left Laws, Ihe good people injured by
these laws are not only numerous, but wealthy.
Ihey have paid their full proportion of the ex
pences of the war; either diredly or indiredly,
and a great majority of them have been uniformly
peaceable and inoffenfive during every flage of the
revolutions Why then should we oppress them
any longer? Restore them to their rights of citi
zenship, and they will embrace and lupport your
government. Continue the ad, on the otl er hand,
which disfranchifes them, and you perpetuate a
mong them hatred to your government, and dis
cord between them and>the citizens of the State.
Ihe principle of liberty, when properly felt,
infpites univeifal benevolence# It is in unison
with the spirit of chriftianity, which breathes
peace on earth, and good will to man." While
We open tile doors of freedom to the oppressed and
distressed of all nations, even to thole British fub
jedts who have dyed their Weapons with American
blood, shall we shut them against men, who are
bohe of our bone, and flefh of our flefh? We
know of no crime that should configri half a com
munity to perpetual slavery: much less do we con
ceive that an adherence to what they judged to be
the dictates of ccnfcience flibuld expose them to
that degraded situation.
All we shall fay upon the fubje& of the bill for
restoring the College, Academy, and Charitable
School of the city of Philadelphia to its original
and just owners, is, that it was agreed to after the
rnoft mature deliberation, and after hearing Coun
cil on both sides. We conceive the fafety of all
incorporated, and even personal property in Penn
sylvania to depend upon the fuccefsful i'ffue of that
bill. Lire law of taking away the old charter of
the College we discovered to be equally repugnant
to common justice, and to the forty-fifth feflion of
tire constitution of the Commonwealth.
Ihe insinuation of our designing to restore the
late Proprietaries estate, contained in the publica
cation of the Minority, we beg leave to pronounce
a most injurious falfhood.
The late Proprietaries have both formally re
nounced all claim to the territory of the State. They
alk, indeed, a larger compensation for it than has
been granted. By the constitution of the State, we
had no right to refufe to hear their petition, and
we conceived the commitment of it a necessary step,
whether we granted or refufed them the prayer it
contained.
Friends and Fellow-Citizens, be not deceived.
You have been too long the dupes of a few design
ing men. Think for yourselves. We submit our
conduct in the revolution as soldiers and citizens,
and our principles and votes as legislators, to your
severest examination. When fortitude was neces
sary, in opposing difaffe&ior, we discovered it
and at a time when many of the leaders of the pre
sent Minority were unknown, or known only from
their suspicious connexions.
None of our laws have been calculated to enrich
ourselves. We have fneltered no defaulters plun
dered no treasury. We have no other aim, we
can have no other aim, than your happiness and
the prosperity of the State.
RefpeXing the important public business which
was as above unfortunately obftruXed, we present
you with the titles of the ten bills annexed, which
had passed through the forms, except being com
pared at the table, in order to be enabled.
Signed, in behalf and by order of the Majority.
GEORGE GRAY, Speaker.
Assembly Chamber, Sept. 29, 1784.
Here follow the Acts which were ready to be
passed into laws, but wanted to be compared at the
table.
In the course of the Quater Seflions, which
ended yesterday, only three persons were convict
ed—one for felling liquors without license, and
two for assaults.
The Sessions are adjourned to the second Tues
day in February.
Agreeable to the constitution, letters have been
forwarded by the managers in the different parishes
and diftriXs, directing that a General Election
shall be holden on Monday and Tuesday, the 29.11
and 30th of next month, for the purpose of elect
ing Members of the Senate and House of Repre
sentatives of this State.
DIED. Mr. John Sanfum—Maftcr Robert Phil
lips, eldest son of Capt. William Phillips, both of
this city—At Edifto. Dr. John Powel, of that place
. —Dr. Cowand, of St. Paul's parish ; he was
very eminent in his profeHion^ and fiuccrcly
eftvemed by his friends,