Portland gazette and Maine advertiser. (Portland, Me.) 1805-1818, 1808-11-21

vi ttiC ifIllGS VII WHICH, VIZ fiNCs our .AlIcN-
ton ihpuld unremittingly he fixed on the
fafety Of our country. For people who
/ ale free, and who mean to remain g., a
/ well organized and armed militia is their
beft fecurity. It is therefore incumbent
on us, at every meeting, TO revife the con.
/ dition of the militia, aud to ak ourfrlyes
( fit is prepared TO re- ola powerful enemy
| at every point Of our territories expofed
to invafon Some Of the States have
| paid laudable attention to- this ob;rt1 !:
but every degree a. neglett is TO be found
among others. Congreis alone having the
! power to produce an uniform ltate of prep
aratlon il this great organ Of defence the
intereits which they 70 deeply feel in their
own and their country's fecurity viii pre-
fent this as among the mott important OBJ
| jecfs Of their elaboration.
Under the acts of March II, and April
I g, reipeding arms, the difficulty of pro-
curing them fom abroad during the pre-
fent iituation and difpohtions of Europe,
| induced us 10 direct our whole efforts to
the means Of internal fupPly. The pub
I Tic factories have therefore been 6nlargtd,
| additional machineries erected, and in pro-
! portion as artihcers can be found or form
cd, their cffed, already more than doub-
! led, may be lncreafcd, f. as to keep pace
with the yearly increaie Of the militia
The annual fums appropriated by the lat
( ter ACT have been dire aed 10 the encour-
| agement OF private factories of arms, and
CONTRACTS have been entered into with IN
divldual undertakes to nearly the amount
ofthe hrlt years appropriation.
! The fufpenlon Of our foreign COM
merce produced by the injuttce Of the
belllgerent powers, and the cOnicquent
| loiies and tacriices of our citizens, are iub-
jects of juf concern. The htuation into
which We have thus been forced has inipel-
led us TO apply portion of our indulry
and capital TO internal mauuf- Cures and
improvements. The extent Of this con-
veriion is daily incresGng, aud little doubt
remains that the Embellishments formed *
! forming, will, nudeI the auipices of cheap
! er materials and flbfttelce, the freedom
OF labor from taxation with US, and of pro-
teetng duties and prohibitions, become
! permanent. The commerce with the In
dams too, within our own boundaries, is
\ likely to receive abundant ahment from
| the fame internal iource, and will ieCure
| 10 them peace and the progref of civiliza-
ton undiiiurbedby PRACTICES hoitileto both.
The accounts OF the receipts and tNPen-
ditures during the year ending on the
| thirticth day Of September laa, being not
| yet made up, a correct itatement will
| hereafter be tranfmitted from the trCaiu-
/ ~. In the mean time II is aiceTtained
\ that the receipts have amounted 10 near
! eighteen millions of dollars, which with the
| eight millions and an halt IN the trtaiuTy
at the beginning Of the year, have enabled
us after meeting tie current demands, and
intereft incurred, 10 pay two millions
three hundred thoufAhd dollars of the
principal OF our funded debt, and left Us in
the trealnry on thar day near fourteen
millions OF dollars. Of thefe, FIVE mil
lions three hundred and fifty thouiand
| dollars will be neceflary TO pay what will be
due on the frft day of Jan. next, which will
complete the Reimbursement OF the eight
per cent. flock. Thele payments, with
thoie made in the fix years and an halt
preceding, will have extlngHlihed thirty
three millions FIVE hundred and eighty
thOuiand dollars of the principal ot the
funded debt, being the whole which could
be paid or purchaied within the limits OF
the law and Of our contracts, and the a
! mount or principal iRus discharged will
have liberated the revenue from about two
millions of dollars of interea, and added
that fun annually to the ditpoiabie fur
plus. The probable accumulation OF the
| iurpluhts Of revenue beyond what can be
applied TO the payment ofthe public debt,
whenever the freedom and fatety OF our
commerce ihali be reftored, merits the
! confederation Of Congrcis. Shall 1t lie
unprodu6tiye in the public vaults Shall
the revenue be reduced or ihall il not
rather be appropriated to the improve
ments of roads, canals, rivers, education,
and other great foundations OF PROPERTY
and union, under the powers which Con-
grefs may already poiielS, or iuch amend
ment of the contribution as may be approx
| ed By the ftates? While uncertain Of the
courie of things the time may be advanta-
geoully employed ia obtaining the powers
neceildry for iyitem OF improvement,
lhould that be thought belt.
Awaiting mylSH .! thls, Inc TAFT OcCaHOn
which will occur of addTeiling the two
Houfes Of Legislature at their meeting,
| cannot omit the expreiiion of my iincere
gratitude, for the repeated proofs of con-
| tidence manifeled 10 me, by themfrlves
and their predictions iince my call 10 the
| administration, and The many M 1lgcncies
experienced al their hands. 4 1t fame
grateful acknowledgements are dae TO my
ftllow-citizens generally, whole iupport
has been my great encouragement under
all embarrallmentS. In the traHiattlon Of
! their hufintfs cannot have eicaped error.
Ii is incident 10 our imperfect nature
But | may fly with trutA my errors have
been of the understanding, not oil inten
uOn, and thar the advancement Vi their
rights and lnterctts has been the confant