The Massachusetts spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1821-1823, 1821-12-26

from any want of curiosity ON the part of the !
publick, nor from any disposition on the part
of the members of Congress to suppress lnlor-
nation but from tI.~ accidental circumstance
of a want of competition ON the part of those
who have undertaken to lay these proceedings
before the publck.
1t would seem almost superfuous to say any
thing upon the Importance of furnishing the
publick with minute account of every thing
which is done in Congress. On the proceed
ings of this body, more than of any other
branch of the government, depends the wei
fare of the nation and i. is to their proceed
ings more than TO any other official measures,
that the publick curiosity is deservedly di-
rected. From the manner in which these pro-
ceedings have been published heretofore, we
have been enabled to judge Of the measures
of Congress as the acts of that body, collec-
lively, but not of the degree of industry, ca
pacity and fidelity of the members individu-
ally. OF the manner in which the members
acquit themselves on the floor Of Congress,
and of the degree of weight to which they
become entitled by their experience, judgment
and talents, the publick have had but slight
opportunity of judging. The speeches pub
lished long after the debates take place, re-
| Yised by the members themselves, furnish but
slight criterion of their respective talents
! The want Of some means Of laying the exact
course of proceedings more directly before the
! publick, it can hardly be doubted, has had
some effect upon the character of those pro-
ceedings. However this may be, in a gov
eminent like ours, it is certain that the mem
bers of the National Legislature ought always
to act under the impression of the most per-
| feet publicity of their proceedings; and the
publick ought to feel that they are fully ac-
quainted with the motives of those whom
they delegate to this important trust.
Whether we shall persevere in this under
taking beyond the present session, will de-
pend upon the degree OF encouragement
! which we shall receive from the pIplick.-
OF its utility we have no doubt. That it will
meet the appreciation of large proportion OF
our readers we have no doubt. But whether
it will be so far acceptable as to justify us in
mourning the additional expense, we cannot
: determine until we shall have made athorough
trial. If on experiment we should find that
two reporters are not competent to perform
the iabour, which we know must be extreme
iy arduous, we shall employ an additional
number, provided we should find that we are
likely to be compensated for the expense by
an increased patronage to our paper. If, how
ever, the greater portion of those who read the
daily newspapers should be of opinion that
, the accounts heretofore published of the pro-
ceedings of Congress are full enough for all
useful purposes, we shall be contented, after
the experiment of the present session, to leave
the field exclusively to the Editors of the Ma
' tonal Intellgencer and such other COMPETE
I tors as may see Gt to enter it.
Breach Of Promise Of JNarridge.-The
first. action for breach of promise Of
: marriage ever tried in Essex County,
J was decided last week, in Salem. The
i lady was the plaintiff, and both par
! ties belong to Salem. Messrs. Eames
$ and Saltonstall were of counsel for the
I plaintiff, and Messrs. Nichols and Pick.
! ering for the defendant The jury re-
turned verdict for the plaintiff o
: 1000 dollars.
= .NuptiaI Felicity" Whereas" says al
: advertiser in the Harrisburg lnteligen
L Ger, 6 Whereas certain circumstance
e having rendered it impossible that ny
a wife Elizabeth, (zUhom married yester
dly,) and should live any longer to
n gether, have therefore, &C."
= ,[Pha. Union.
J L0U Life a5oDe Stairs.-lt appears
h that Joseph M'Minn, Governour of Ten
d, nessee, has got into a predicament, sim
70 liar to that in which George ". has late
$. II been involved and it appears the on
" ly hope LEFT him is to get out OF it in tn
10 same way. He has petitioned to tn
4 Legislature Of Tennessee for divorc
as from his wife Nancy, which was reject
a ed. Fayetteville Gazette,
y The smallpox is said to prevail in
s great degree in Baltimore and TO pre-
ii vent the spreading of this loathsome d
OF ease in Norfolk, a general vaccinatio
10 has been recommended. The bIessin
:, Of a general vaccination in the almo
t total extirpation of the smallpox, h;
a been experienced in Boston. Four PHI
: sicians in Baltimore have advertised I
IN vaccinate gratis.
~ In one of the border counties Of th
II, State of Newly ork, the bounties pal
al the last year, for killing wolves, bear
'Ft panthers and foxes, amounted
;s s 34,9l2.
h GUorccster 25ank.
a. n;.o4. e. a. a,,o,,s,,nr ,uoaL