Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1816-06-10
ALEXANDRIA,:
MONDAY, JUNE 10.

~ , 4
It appears from the Report of the com
ittee Of the Legislature of Massachusetts
,,pointed to examine and count the vote
turned for Governor and Lieut.. Gov
fnor, that Mai. Gen. JoHs BRooKEs
ecteted by a majority Of 2O7s votes
ser all others including the scatterin.
ates; and that Lieut.. Governor Phil
IS is re elected by majority Of $50;
otes.
Bos. D. I'D.
The Christian alliance between the So
sereigns OF Austria and Prussia, appear:
lot vet to have had the effect of quicken
ny their minds to sense of the SUI
periority ofreligious virtue, over deistica
talent. Carnot is in Russia: soalt, or
bis way thither. is said to have been can
led by a merchant of Hamburg, who had
heena sufferer by French robbery. David
equally distinguished as jacobin and a
has been invited to Berlin by the
King of Prussia but it is said he prefers
staying at Brussels, which IS becoming
a fayorite residence of the English and
is itmore saty-ical than true, to say that
the libera! & polite English have general.
ly acquired a most unqualified regard
for the fine arts and artists. /?
London Paper.
Lately arrived at New York, in the u.
States, John Murray, architect and engi.
neer, formerly resident in Edinburgh and
Glasgow, in Scotland. This gentleman
re built the bridge OF Kelso on stable,
durable plan, which had been twice erect
ed before by other hands, and had as Of
ten fallen. He constructed the locks at
Grcenock. was concerned in the grand
canal which connects the Forth and the
Clyde, and in other useful works 1t is
presumed that Mr.. Murray will be anac-
QUESTION to this country, and it is hoped
will meet with suitable encouragement.
Dem. Press.
ltnot unfreqaently happens, that le-
gisiatars and civil rulers work great
deal of mischief by working too much,
Old Frederic of Prussia, ami Joseph the
ate Emperor of Germany, plagued and
Isrmented their subjects by saper
abundaace of legislation. The former
early annihilated the trade of Prussia
BY his vexatious supervision and direction
Of its details: and the latter. willing to
cave almost nothing to individual judy
4icnt and enterprise, threw every thing
lato confusion aud was himself the vic.
tin Of his own meddlesome folly.
This is an evil which popular govern
mems are sorely apt to run into, and
which peculiarly besets the government
D! these United States. Our congress is
already composed Of more than two hun
,lred members drawn together from all
parts of a country oftwo thousand miles
extent; uncongenial in their manners.
habits, and modes of thioking; some few
Of them men both of talents and expert
ence: others altogether without expert
ence ii they have talents and many, a
great many. possessing neither the one
nor the other nor considerable intorma-
ton OF any kind beyond the narrow limits
Of their own private affairs, but elated.
nevertheless, with the pride of station,
and full OF self confidence. Whenever
this motley assembly meet together they.
must be doing something, they must
keep moving, else they would be thought
not worthy OF their hire. Moreover, the
celebrity Of session seems to depend
almost altogether upon the quantity Of
business dUpe in it; so that congress
that none did very little would return
nome ashamed, even though there were
but very little that ought to have been
done. Their employers would thinh&f
them as some patients think of tfeir
skilful physicians when they deal out
their drugs but sparlngly, instead of
oountifu!iy covering the whole table with
them. Now the great business of con-
sress is making. unmaking, amending.
abridging, ainplifying, and multiplying
laws. The bushes Of legislatiug with
paramount authority for a great nation,
is proud task /: and in their zeal to-
leave nothing undone, they are natural
" led to overdo. And besides. every
new reign must distinguish itself. Some
fresh laws, or measures, or projects, must
De adopted for the purpose OF giving re-
nown 10 the administration of the recent
And this stimulation has
already gone, and probably hereafter
will go very far toward swelling the A.
merican code.
Hence we may account, at least in
part, for the multitudinous national laws,