Elizabeth-Town gazette. [volume] (Elizabeth-Town, N.J.) 1818-1821, 1819-03-02

-DCtTt L UCttiSs
Proceedings Of the Legislatme.-From
a communication in the last True Ameri-
can on this subject we extract the follow
ing:
The two sittings of the present LegisIa-
ture being over, 1t may be proper to state,
that when the acts are published, it will
be found that many important and useful
laws, both public and private, have been
passed.
The act prohibiting the expectation of
slaves, and free persons of colour; for an
alteration Of the constitution in respect of
the annual meeting of the Legislature !;
for regulating fees 10 the Surrogate's office;
Tor preventing unnecessary costs for en-
abling executors and administrators to set
tie rateably the estates of persons who die
insoivent; Tor complete index to deeds
recorded for selling the government
house; for the erection Of bridge al
Camden; for regulating fisheries in the
Delaware for clearing out Instructions
therein above Bordenton and Trenton
all these and many more will be product.
i've Of much public benefit.
The second sitting, however, has pro-
duced an alteration in the militia system,
which if nothing else had been accom-
plished, must ensure TO it no small por-
ton Of public appreciation.
The substance of this act is
fst. That the fines upon all persons be-
tween 35 and rs have been reduced from
six to two dollars; thereby producing a
permanent exemption, of every enrolled
person in each company as he arrives to
35 years, for the ten years following, pay
lug two dollars only, and although persons
conscientiously scrupulous of bearing
arms above that age are not exempt, yet
no execution can issue against them for
more than two dollars, if their age is made
known to the company or battalion court ;
where before it was six dollars.
I'd. Beside this great change, the er-
empt tax is reduced from six TO five dol
lars :. and is now payable to the collector
for the school fund, instead Of the military
fund, SO that every person between eigh-
teen and thirty five may now be excused
in paying five dollars to increase that ex-
cellent fund, which now exceeds one hun.
dred thousand dollars, and to which fund
the amount Of the government house, &c.
is TO be applied.
Sd. The fines between eighteen aud
thirty five remain as before; but the mo-
ney, as well as that arising on persons
above thirty-five, is expended IN the county
These alterations are considered as
equal to reduction Of the fines general
| " to one dollar per day, but whether OF
not, no more could be obtained, and no
pains or. exertions have been spared TO
produce this desirable result. The west.
ern Representatives have persevered 10 this
object with most honorable nnanimity ;
| and indeed many gentlemen, military and
civil, concurred, and the vote will be
found almost unanimous.
Slavery.--In the House Of Representa-
tives, the bill for erecting the Arkansas
country into territorial government was
under debate; whea provision Tor the
restriction of slavery, which had been
introduced into the bill, was STRICKEN
OUT by majority Of two, so that slave
ry will be permitted 10 the new territory
". Y. Col.
-~e%es-
Court Martiat.--It is stated 10 the