The New-Jersey journal — Chatham, N.J., 1783-01-01 00:00:00, page 1

For the New Jersey Journal.
On the Subject of the New-Year.
A DIALOGU E,
By PHILAGATHUS.
4 PHILONOV s.
"[T ° " fleeting is time !—ln quick succession
jtl year fucceedeth yesr, and most sensibly di
mir.fr/e^h the duration oflife.
Futas. Happy would it be Ihould this truth be
so regarded by men at to cause them duly to im
prove the moments which remain I— But how ma
ny, probably, will enter on tme New-Year with
dispositions of impious mirin, and refutations dill
to devote their hours to the service of fin ! Live
as though another year was aided to their lives, and
not fubflra&ed from them !
rbilonous. Will yet live, I fear, as if life's nar
row limits could not be pad; &# though the end of
life was vanity itfelf.—but what temper of mind
can be so reproachful as this ?—What resolution of
practice so injudicious and unhappy?
Pietas Sinful mirth, it mutt be confeffed by
all, is a most di/graceful offering for the preserva
tion of our being : And that most unwise is the
determination, by deeds of wickfchefs, to provoke
the omnipotent to shorten our days.
Pbilonous. Subverting the intention of life, how
can we hope for it's continence?
Pietas. pHiLETUS,.in the rogrn of life, and in
the pe, f dien of health, commenced the preceding
year fearless of death and %ardlefs of virtue.
Imsgtoauun painted to him, as ins cwh, length of
days and those of pleafare.—But how hath be ben
disappointed in the enjoyment of his hopes ?=
Pbiletus is no longer an inhabitant of time !— And
what anguish attended his death !=Wh#t expres
sions of reproach for the oelufion of himfelf ; —for
the tranfgieffions of his life !
Phiknous. Happy will it be if his folly (hall
teach others wisdom ! If his ur.bappiaefs shall be
^come their felicity !
Pietas. But this, how improbable ?—Such is
the defeat of human prudence, that the effe&s of
vice, on others, fddem alarm our fears, or expire
ns to escape the dangers Glibly before us. We
seem resolved to embrace d-fhuAion ; to be difre
gaidful efebr, and inattentive to incereft ; to be,
in truth, rational beings without rationality.
Pbitous. Happily, however, there are those
who do honor to humanity, and are ornamental to
virtne;_who fuffer reason to predominate, and
their actions to be impelled by wisdom; who,
*ith gratitude, will this day adore that divine pow
er which hath been their proteaion, and anew de
vote themfeivcs to the service of religion ; who
properly estimate the value of time, and ard#dy
wifr more perfectly to answer the design of their
creation.
Pietas. Of filch persons ofholinefs was Chre
mylus. From his youth he participated of the
pleasures of religion, and to him, death, so terri
fying t 0 the person of unrighteoufatfs, became a
ineffenger of peace —“ I have lived,"— said he, in
his last moments, with cheafful voice, and in mo
dest triumph over the foes to his salvation —" And
through heavenly favor, not lived in vain The
end of my bring hath been considered, and the du
ties of my Nation performed. The assaults of Sa
tan have been repelled and my affeainni tdetached
from earth. My treafurcisin Heaven : And with
infinitely greater joy do I now go to enter upon
it s possession, han could the worldling, conceiving
himfelf fminen by death, return todife and the en
joyment of his wealth." &
Phi?onous. , Most harpy CbremyLs!_ who would
not tread his sacred steps that such may be his
end?
Pietas. Contemplating the reward of virtue,
who, possessed of reafon,can be vicious ? OraJ
tendant on the effeds of evil, who can refrain from
goodness ?
Pbilonous. How important do appear our pre-
Vol. IV.]
N E W-J ERSE Y^J O URNA L
WEDNESDAY, Jan UARY I, 1783.
STATE of NEWJERSE Y.
An Aa to amend an Ad, intitled, An A&for prevent
ing an illicit trade and intercourse between the
fubjeas of this fate and the enemy
W HEREAS, notwithflanding the aft for pre
venting an illicit trade and intercourse be
tween the lubjcßs of tf.s state and the enemy, pas
sed the twenty fourth day of June, One Thousand
Seven Hundred and Eighty two, great quantities
of provisions and producj of thii and the neigh
bouring dates, are, throve the arts of the difafied
ed, constantly conveyed to the enemy, tothe great
injury of the common cause and diffionour of the
state ; for remedy whereof in future,
Sea. I. Be it ena&ed by the Council and Gene
ra] Ailembly of this State, and it is hereby enabled
by the Authority cf the fame, That from and after
the passing of this ad, that no neat cattle, driving
from an, of the Eastern states to any of the interi
or counties of this slate, or to the state of Pennfylva.
nia, ffiall he permitted to go through the county of
Bergen, without a passpo rt or permffion for that
purpose previously obtained from feme justice of
the peace of the fam County of Bergen, expreffin^
the number of the said cattle, and the place to
v/nich tney are to be conveyed or drove, which (hall
not be to the Southeaft^rd of the road leading
' from King^Ferry through Pumpton. Morris Town,
Batken Ridge, Millstone and Princeton, to Phila
delphia ; and all cattle as afo^efaid, which mail be
f and two miles to the Southeastward of said read,
shall be deeme 4 a,-d taken as intended to supply the
enemy, and liable to seizure and condemnation.
r 2 ' r " furt h e r enaded by the authority
aforefaid That all live flock, provisions and naval
stores, of whatsoever nature or kind, which shall
be Qveyed or drove towards the enemy's lines in
the counties of Bergen, Essex, Middlesex or Mon
mouth, by night, or after fun set and before sun
rise, within five miles of any place in the power or
po&ffion of the enemy, the fame shall be deemed
and%aken as intended for the enemy, and liable to
seizure and condemnation, together with the carri
ages, teams and water crafts conveying the fame,
sent a&ions, as on these depend our future happi
ness or misery ?
Pietas. As the man whose deeds are iniquitous
hath no affarance his life shall be protracted, how
doth it concern him to rehnquifh his fins, and
"make haste and delay not to keep the divine
commands r"
Pbilonous. How felicitous to him, indeed, may
be the prefect season ?
Pietas. How grateful fliould he be, that YET
he lives !=That, through ce'eftial aid, he may*,
liberated from the vassalage of fin, and " brought
into theglorious liberty of the children of God !+
That, though most vile, meriting eternal death, he
may be exalted to honour and enjoy immortal
\\^\—Happ, to him, truly, may be this day
indulged by time!
Philonocs. Time !—How should it's very name.
afFea mortals, and remind them of the state of their
exigence ?
Pietas. The effeas ofTiME,how great r-. What
numbers doth a single year ifher into life? And
how many convey to the abodes of death ?
Philonous. What feenes othappinefs and woe;
of poverty and grandeur doth time exhibit ?--How
doth it occasion the rife ami declension of nati
ons?-- How destroy the monuments of fame, and
di^erfify the face of nature?
Pietas At length, hew will even nature itfelf
be demolished by it's power?
Fbilorous. Blessed will b? those who shall be
hold the dissolution of creation ;—lhall fee time it-
Jes expire in death and-rec,ain unmoved ;---then
possess the joys of eternal life 1
Pietes. Be it our ambition so to live, that we
may he hiJI jßLthLty tip. ~fc^n all nature fhail
be difolved, and by angelick voice, it, through
space, shall be proclaimed,& —-—'• That time
SHALL BE XO MORE !"
January 1, 1783.
THE
any passport or permission for the fame to the con
trary notwithstanding.
3. And be it enacted by the authority aforefaid.
That every article or thing, of whatever nature dr
kind, the produce, growth or manufy&ufe of this
or the United States, which shall be found puffing
through the counties of Bergen, Effix, Middlesex:
and Monmouth, towards the lines ofthe enemy, or
through the township of Little Egg Harbour, in the
county of Burlinjuoik, o<jhe\ty}Wiifhip of Galloway,
in \^£ county' or CToucefter, towards the fhote,
,fhaH, t”wue cause of fdfyicion that the fame were
vended to bCcbnveyed to the enemy, be iibbitto
seizure, together with the water craft, teams or
carriages conveying the fame; and if the party in
whose possession the said articles may be found, or
some other p&rfon in bis or thei beha f, < a;not
prove, to the fatisfiaion of the justice or justices
before whom trial fliail be had, that the articles so
seized were not intended to be conveyed to jhe ene
my, or into any place in their power or possession,
it shall and may be lawful to condemn the fame, to
gether with the water-craft, teams and carriages
seized therewith, and disposed of in manner and
form herein after diie&ed, and the defendant shall
pay the cost; but in case the defendant shall prove,
to the fatiafadion of the said justice or justices, that
the articles so seized were not intended to he con^
veyed to the enemy, or into any place in their pow
er or possession, the said articles, and every of them,
shall be returned to the defendant, and the captors
shall pay the cost. Provided nevertheless, 1 hat e
very article of provision or merchandize, seized in
any of the creeks, rivers, bays,meadows or upland,
in the counties aforefaid, going towards the ene
™J, " nes 01 places aforefaid, and that Jhali have
palled on bvyrnd the inhabited - d<w:i!;ng vY
adjoining or nearest to the fame, it shall be deemed
and construed fufficient evidence to prove that the
fame were going to the enemy, and shall be con
demned accordingly'
4. And be it further enabled by the authority
aforefaid, That all ox-teams, horse-teams, cattle of
horses, that may be drove or conveyed into the fait
meadows or places beyond the aforefaid inhabited
dwelling, houses, in the counties aforefaid, and the
party driving, conveying or owning the fame, can
not, when thereunto required, make full and fatif
fa&ory proof that such team or teams, cattle or hor
ses, did return in twenty-four hours, such party or
owner shall be liable to pay any sum not exceeding
five times the real value of such team or teams, to
any person who will piofecute the lame to effect,
with cofls of suit, in any court werein such adion
may be cognizable, one half to the prosecutor, and
the other half to the state, which teal value shall be
estimated and declared by one or more reputable
freeholders living in the vicinity of such owner or
driver, to be chosen by the prosecutor, or by the
court before whom the trial shall be had.
5. And be it further enabled by the authority
aforefaid, That, from and after the palling of this
a&, if any person or persons shall, w : th firelocks,
or other weapons of war, be found carrying or con
veying, or be aiding and affixing in the convex anre
thereof, of any article or thing prohibited by this
of the before recited a&, such person or persons
shall be declared guilty of felony, and on convi&i
on thereof, shall fuffer death accordingly.
6. And be it further enabled by the authority
aforefaid, That it shall and may be lawful for any
judge of the court of common pleas, on app ication
to him made by any person on oath, that he fufc
pc&s that there are articles designed to be convey
ed to any place in the power or possession of the
enemy, concealed in any dweliing-houfe or other
buildings in any of the aforefaid c^uute or own
fhips, with design to be conveyed to the en^my. to
grant a warrant as dieted in the eighteenth fe&i
of the before recited a&.
, ^',, e [' further enaaed by the authority
aforefaid, i hat in all seizures made in virtue of
this or the before recited a&, the articles so seized,
together with the person or persons in whose pof- f
session the fame may be found, shall, within forty,
eight hours after such seizure be conveyed before
a y juflice of the peace of the county wherein such
seizure is made, and the articles valued by two dfo
fNtiMB. 203 J