Portland gazette., 1805-05-27

Mr. ELLIOT 10 Bis CoaJtitsent,.

the majority of the republican Yartyin Congrels
but in all of them number of the mott rcfpccf-
able republicans and in two or three of them all
the members from the Eve .NewenglaRd fates,
with ore or two exceptions, united with me in
opinlon,e III this review fha only notice, and
that briefly, the motion, to inquire into the of-
ilcial condutf OF Judge Chafe, the refoution for
aboIithing tie loan Offices, the n1oticn 20 cxtn-
guith th= ftatcs balances, and Mr. RandolPh's
relolptions rcipccing the Georgia claims.
was oppoted to an lnquiGtorfal invefieaton of
the conducf Of pubic officer, upon the mere
demand Of a mem5er in his place, without any.
ipecihc accuis,ion.; but fubmiefed without
murmur to the decilion Of the majority, and vo-
ted for The impeachment,in the hrlt initance, #
ter the evidence was reported. | voted, in the
Grlt ihaance, in favor Of difcontinuing the Of
fee Of commilioners Of loans = but upon far
ther examination, began to fear that the meaf-
ure might with propriety be eonarue5 into vi
olation Of public faith, and a!teredmy vote
Mott Of the republican metnbers from MaGa-
chufetts, ike myfelf, altered their votes upon
deliberate inyehig alton, and the relolution was
rejected by a frnall majority. Upon the ii otion
10 extinguilh the fate balances the members from
the NewengIand aates were united with the fn-
gle exception cf my colleague, MIR. Olin, to
whole integrity and ability fhall always bear
aly feeble tefimony and the fame was the
cafe on the fubiect, OF the Georgia Claims, ex-
cept tnat one member from Msaachufetts did
not vote upon the queftion. 'lhefe quefhons
were conGdered as involving the interelts Of the
eaferh ftates to the amoent of fcycral millions
Of dollars; thofe fa:es being creditors to large
amount as it rcfpeGed the fate balances and
numbering among their citizens moa Of the hon.
cit claimants whom the United Safes had flip
uIated with Georgia MfiGpi Territory, to CON-
penfate in certain ratio for their cl1idis upon
that fate. Thefe fubjc6s like all Others of To-
cal and complicated Datuic, have never been
thoroughly nvrGigated by the pee, BE at large;
but as they have now become of national impor-
tance, GaI render my conltituents an accept
able fervice by detailing 70 them the informa-
ton poflefs upon the fabjea 7 his letter will
be devoted 70 geperal view Of the fubje6f of the
fate balances and the irccceding one to that Of
the &c. rgia Gains.
The State Balances, as they are called, refult
from circumitanccsimme connected with
oar national independence. Innumcrable were
the difficulties which prelented themfelves in our
councils during the revolutionary war and the
fmies Of Providence alone could have enabled
our fathers to furmount them. From peculiar
circumlt2nceS, certain ftates contributed more,
and others lets, than their equitable proportion,
towards the fupport Of the common caufe and
certain principles were prefcribcd by Congrefs
for an ultimate equalization and fcttement be-
tween the tates. The rcfoluten under conGd-
rratiop propofed the cxtinguilhme1; of the bal
anccs, due from fcveral Of the Individual fatcs
to the United States, .ss appear by report of
commilioners appointed to adult and finally Ito
fsttle the demands Of the feveral ftates for fer
vices renderei and lupples furnifhed .he United
States in the lite revolutionary war with Great
Britain. This report was made on the 5th Dec.
1902. The whole amount Of the balances due
from the debsor States, and now propoled to be
cxtngviihed is as 1882 dollsrs.-Ncwhamp-
lhire, Alaidchuiettss Rhodeihand, ConneGicu1,
Newi5Siey, Southcarolina and Georgia are credi-
tor tates Newyork, Delaware and Northcar-
clina debtor nates to large eamount the 9TH
er tates are but little nterefcd in the queftion'
J he Comtniflioners were men Of integrity and
talents, and then repor, met with gereral ac-
ouieicencc at the time when itswas madc.-Thc
tate Of Newyork has actually paid large fun
towards her balance; and iome of the other debt
or aates have expressly recognized the fettle-
ment. Hi row propofes to extinguifhthe bal
ances By a Uere a6f Of power, and Consrefsare
ahnoG equally disided on the ouef;pn. Were
it not that 20 Iarge,a number of representatives
conGdered the fates they reprefent as intcrrfed,
and were it not that fome men pofeis won
derfui faculty of making any quftion whatever
party one. this equal diviion Of the national
egifature on afubjea f9Gmpe, would. appear
TO candid o57erver unacconntable.. | cannot
better illpfrasc the nature and merits Of the fet-
,lsment, and the .irreGRiblcs hrength Of the