Portland gazette and Maine advertiser., 1814-06-13


A cumm,t,e &c wss appointed TO report en- the ex
pediency of adopting Tome mode Of ateertan,ng the
opinion of he people refpe ng the lep aration Of
the Diitrid Of Maine
7uEsDAy JUNE
A bill to change the name of the Town Of Stroud .
water, paded ma ursd ftsges.
His Excellency the Governor acquainted the
two Houses of the reGsna.ion Of Major Genera
Merrill of the 18th d.v'6on.
- 49,
Anfwer of the Hcufe to the Gov
enor's Speech.
May it please your E1eeleney,
IN congratulating you upon your
reelection by the free and intelligent Cit
izens OF Ma1achuiet,s to the firit office in
their power to beltow, the Houfe Of
Representatives. regard with the livelieit
emotions Of gratitude the continued fac
rihce OF perionaI inclination, which your
Excellency has again coniented to make to
considerations Of public good. In this
event alto We perceive with peculiar fat
isfaclion the renewed pledge given by our
fellow citizens of their peTieverins de
ter mination to fpport and maintain thoie
great principles OF public policy, which
have hitherto characterized your Excel
lency's adminiitralion.
The fubje6 embraced by the memoir
ais of various towns preien.ed to the Lee
giHa,ure at its lat FELTON, and the report
of both houies thereon, to which your
Excellency has alluded, although II may
have loft tomethlng of lite interetts and
importance by the repeal Of the rolt OBJ
Hoxious meature Of which they complain
is till in many points of view deferying
OF the ferrous attention OF the Govern
ment and People of this Commonwealth
and OF all the commercial ieates. With
OUT commenting on that couric OF meas
ures, denom,nated the reltrietive iyfteG,
the principles OF which have been often
diicuar!. and are now well undehtood,
we ditmiis it with the Jingle remark, that
we believe !. to have been mite origin
in falfe pretences, & in its ope
rations attended by consequences, PERM
cious TO the morals, fuinous to the pros.
perity & hottie to the betf in.ereits Of
our county. Yet after this fyitem had
been tried and abandoned, and after its
inc fficacy had been perfectly manifeit,
after it had impoverished the coun
Try, after war was declared avowedly as
a fubititute, the aa of December lait was
palsed, infinitely furpaihng,in the odlous
nets OF ITS features, all which had prece-
ded it. This act not only overleaped At
once the limits of constitutional authori-
ty, but unaffected an open and undliguis-
ed attempt to etabiiih an arbitrary des-
Potlim. enforced by military power, not
ianctioneo even by the TOMS OF legal
p'occis, and utterly iubyerfive of the hrit
principles of civil liberty. What are the
nigh and Invaluable privileges which die
'insu'ih free people from the lAves OF a
capricious and arbitrary deipotiim Are
they not thefe to be a, all times feeure in
Their perions, their property, their DWELL
'ngs, their purtuits and occupations, to be
governed by known and equal laws. to be
queitioned and judged only by legal and
contt'lutional tribunals Yet how deeply
does the aet in queltion entrsnch upon all
Ihoie rights and privileges. After gen.
cral prohibition Of the coating trade, per-
millions were to be given by the Pref
dent to individuals At his plealurc which
necehari'y introduce an odious iyitem Of
Every fpecies Of moving property was
liable to feizure at the caprice of every
inferior officer. The fecret infruetions
of the PreGdent to his officers were de-
clared to have the force ard effect of law
and nigh, be pleaded as publication of
iuch officer, for any ACT however outra-
geous. Such being the features Of the AT
againtt which theic m, MORALS RATED their
loudeit complaints it can never cease to be
regarded by the people of the u States,
with adherence and deteftation. Are
eurrence to this fubjed therefore may itill
be uieful and falutayy to mark the char
aeter Of an administration Till in power
and till projecting its attachment to the
cauie OF liberty; TO put the people more