The Dover herald — Dover, Del., 1800-01-16 00:00:00, page 4

felt' warranted in obfcrving that the prin
cipal operation this claufe now has is to
avoid the judice of the country, and aid
and facilitate oppreflion. Under this jm
prelfion 1 take the liberty to fugged the
propriety of repealing the claufe above
recited, apprehending the common law
makes ample provifion in l'uclt cafes.
Gentlemen,
From the many recent indances of duels
fought and projiofed to be fought within
this (late, 1 have been led to conlider it
my bounden duty to draw your attention
to that tbbjeft : However it tnay etfeCt
thole who under a miftaken and falfe no
tion of honor, conlider thentfelvcs war.
ranted not only to fport with their own
lives, but with the lives of others, wan
tonly and inconliderately, and frequently
on the ground of the mod trivial circuni
llances. This praitile cannot be jollified
among a people profefling ( lirillianity.
'Phe law of the date is by no means cal
culated to prevent the niilchief. 1 there
fore beg leave to obferve, that in my o
pinion it would be advifeable to repeal
the prefcnl law, and form one more like
ly to prevent the growing evil—And
humbly apprehend a law formed upon this
Idea j that tliofe perfons hereafter con
cerned in fielt unchriftian like conduft,
being convicted thereof, (liould not only
forfeit property within the Hate, he (ob
ject to a length of intprifonment, but
fliould forever after be incapable cf hold
ing any office of trod or profit in the
flare, giving teiVmtnny in any of the courts
of jttdice, or ferving on any jury. Such
a law, I am perfuaded would bring tliofe
gentlemen who pofiéls miltaken notions of
honor to a ferions conlideration, and
■would induce them to take a more rational
way of doing themfelves Judite for either
real or fuppofed injnries.
Gentlemen,
In my addrefs to the General Aflctnbly
at the lad feffion, 1 took the liberty of
drawing their attention to various (iihjcds
fume of which for want of time, 1 prelume,
were not taken up, or afted upon, 1 beg
leave now to remind you of the matters ol
bufinefs therein hinted at ; particularly
to that relating to Judgment Bonds, being
fully convinced in niy mind, that all fitch
fecurities are productive of evil, and in
evitable ruin to many of the citizens of the
date, and it is now high time they iliottld
be done away.
It is alfo much to he wilhed, that a re
vifion of our criminal law could take place,
itnd fpeedily—that puaillujisiits better
proportioned to crimes might be inflicted
than arc at prefent. In niy humble con
ception the bed mode of puniflting mod
crimes is folitary confinement, and hard
labour ; if this idea is well founded, it
follows of confequence, that a houle in
fome part of the (late ought to be provid
ed for that pttrpole, and wltcre this buli
nefs would moll likely be attended to,
with the lead expellee, and moll advan
tage to the (late and criminal. For uty
fclf I have ever conceived that the i o
rottglt of Wilmington, or near it, was by
far the bed fittiatiun for fuch a houfe.
Gentlemen,
Since the fifing of the T egiflature I
have liiade every effort to procure the
arms and accoutrements, the governor is
authorifed by law to ptireliafc for the ufe
of the militia of this (lute, but without
fuccels : i (hall embrace the firlt polfible
opportunity to effect it ; but 1 have no
doubt from information received, could
the legiffature think it proper Co audio
rife me to make the purchuie of the arms
without redricting to the particular ca
liber, in the prefent law mentioned, 1
could obtain the number very (hortly, at
near one third lefs colt than they could
be had of the caliber contemplated in the
Law.
Gentlemen of the Senate and II. of Ref.
1 (hall from time to ti ne during the
prefent feflion lay before you fuch other
fubjeCls as may occur, and appear nectf
fary for your attention to he drawn unto.
And (licit aCts and rcfolves as yoa may
think proper to pals, will meet niy par
ticular attention—And I trull it will he
my confiant endeavour to promet", us far
as in me lies, the union, harmony, peace
and profperity of the people, und with
confidence I am perfuaded that the eilen
liai interefls ol' the citizens of the (late
will be attended to by you, and nothing
'
palled unnoticed which may be ul'eful and
beneficial.
RICHARD BASSETT.
Further Proceedings in our nett.
DoVRR, JAN. lÛ
For the lad five days we have had, for
the feafon, an unexampled (cries of fine
weather, indeed it more refembles the
month of April than the middle of Janu
ary.
CANAL BUSINESS.
The Houle of Rcprcfcntatives of this
| State, in a Committee of the whole, reject
ed the expediency of the meafure, but on
the Iloufe being formed, the meafure was
determined expedient by a majority of i
—Ill confequence of which a committee
was formed and ordered to bring in a bill.
" We tnufl follow foots, will glad obey,
When a fev> funs have roll'd their cares away,
T r'd with vain life, will clofe the willing eye ;
''J is the great bit thrig/t of mankind to die.
Hieß be the bark that wafts ns to the Jhorc
H here death-divided friends Jhall fart nl
more !
To join thee there, here with my daß ref of:,
Is all the hope thy haplefs hulband knows."
DIkD.
In this town, on Monday lad, Mrs. F.c
beccalt Battcll, wife of Mr. French Bat
ted.—When a valued friend or lovely re
lative dies in the ordinary tuurje of nature,
the lofs is feverely felt and deeply deplor
ed : but when the wife of oar bofom, (lie
who fooths the bed of ficknefs, and heigh
tens every joy of life, bows beneath the
rod of death and goes down to the filent
tomb " under the mod intrreding cir
cuit.(lances," the droke mull he peculiar
ly grevions. 1 he lady, whofe death we
now bewail, was young and amiable ; an
afte<ffionate wife, a fond parent, a kind
and engaging friend and neighbour—and
while her immortal fpirit receives the
rewards of virtue from ail all-gracious
God, her death will be lamented, not only
by her fad partner and afflicted friends,
but by every perfon who poflêffés a heart
not callous to the finer feelings of fj in -
pathetic forrow.
Sittuneary of late tXews from Fnrcfe.
I ares, 0(1. ;o —Portugal rrfufes to ac
knowledge Paul 1. grand mailer of Malta.
— I he king of Prnffia has recalled his re
fident at Hamburgh.—It is («kl that Prince
' C hurles has been defeated on the whole of
his line by Mafféna ; that Prince Conffan
tire, the emperor of Rullia's (on was kill'd
and 10,000 of the enemy killed or wound
ed ! and that Suwarrovr was hemmed in bv
four divifious—Gen. Pnine's army was
ordered to march to the Rhine to rein
force that army—That the Duke of Yol k's
capitulation contained private articles—
Madame La Payette, on behalf of herfelf
and the Marquis, waited on their generös
deliverer from the dungeons of Glmutz,
and Emperor of Germany — Buonaparte to
thank him, and was received in the moll
benevolent and didingni/hed mauner.—it
is faid the Rred licet has failed, and that
the army of Italy has again been victories,