tr x/i^^v jt { s s a e w 11 e r n north-carolina :) piinti jk>r john c o s b o r n & co vol t.j s a t u r d a j january 26 1799 numb 43 ' con (; [< e s s dent at thr opening of the feflion as in that addrels he feerned to i!h to argue down the too fartguine hopes of a ipeedy reconciliation winch might ii je from the communication which he hiid to make on the iubject '] his was not the 01 !\ impreflion which this adclreis h<;d ni.xie upon his inird but it was as tar as he lud learned the general impreff.en indeed he found a different tone even aiuongit thofe geniltmfcn v\ho had been the loudeft in ilitir cry ior v ir from what ex iiicil vhen he lail parted with them nothing w as then heard but a declara tion oi v ar — now lie herd nothing of tit kind 1 hinking therefore as he c;id that the inhjtct is ot too novei a kind ior general legiflation without icinc realoo bemj afligited tor it •, and that the honie does nor poffefs iuificient information il the mcafure be it veiled at a particular object he was opjjofed to the motion mr brifwold bid the gei.tle.75aa from virginia had miihiken the object ot this resolution in i'uppoling it had reference to any particular pedoii its obj ct laid vr g general anj 1 thn.k ot the tirlt importance i think it neccflary to guard by law againlt the interlerence or individuals in the negociation ot our t-xecuiive with the governments of foieign countries - * he prelu.i lituation of europe in his opinion ca,ls aloud tor a regula tier oi i.io 1 lie did notkuo but an iiitctkrci.ee oi this kind uiignt have aiieau/v.lcii j.lce bin the objeelof tin motion w prolpecl.ve ami hud nothing to uo with what is pa|t if laid i\.r o ottences of this kimi ire to pali unpunilhed it m.iy be in thepow er ot an individual to fruftrate all the detigns 01 the executive i he agent of tne taction if luch a fadtion ihallexijt may be lent to a foreign isuntry to negociate in be.ialt oi lac laction in oppolitiou to uiv executive iiuiiionty • ami v ill anj one i;iy that fuch an of tence ought not te^i-el to be puniih ed it certamly ought placing the tubject in tiiis point ot view he ino'c it ttie duty ot tne legilluture to enquire into it he was not certain that ade quate provition could be made for the punilmuent ot often tes of tins kind but he wiflied the matter to go to a couiiiiiuee ior contidt ration lie hop ' cd no occafion would ever arile for bringing into operation ,. law of this kino ; but if it n.ouid it would be well to be prepared to meet it he could not lee why this hould be conudered as a lu^jcct of irritation as a i gentle man would pretend to lay that an un authonied individual ought to cxerciie a poiser which hould influence the mtatures oi a foreign government with rclpett to this country — this power laas been delegate by the conftitutiori to the prctulei.l ; and faid mr cj the people of this country might as well meet and legiflate for u or erect them iehes into a judicial tribunal in place ot the eltabhiiiej judiciary as that any individual or fet ot perfons ihould take upon him or thetftfelves this pow er veiled in the executive gentle 1'ini may lay that ail this is right but i:i his opinion fuch practices would be deltiudtive of th principles ofourgo vernnient he4iopcd therefore there ijluiion would |-> e agreed to air nicholas h..d no idea that thfclfc gentleman from cc>nneclicut ccqwk 11 an to make it rctrcljcdtive but 9 ttjoin ht the houfe ought toiioilelsinore informatiud on ih lui ject beiorcthey thurfdajt december 2 1 . bankrupt bill mr sewall moved that the houfe go into a committee of the whole on the bill for eftabliuhing an uniform fyftcra i>r"i ruptcy throughout the united states the motion was carried 38 to zc the home accordingly refolved itfclf into a corhmitteeof ihe whol on this bill mr dent in the chair when the bill which is a very g ol;e of 9 feftions having been read by the clerk the chair man was proceeding to read it bv fecti ons ; when mr ichc!avfaid that tihis bill had he.t l"o i log befor conjre s that thoagh it was included a nongft other bufinefs of thefefliori no lmiht lad any certain ex pectation of being called ro decide upon it for his part he mult own he was not prepared to enter upon the fubjeft it was neceffary to confuit a variety of authorities an.l to examine englith precedents to a t>r?at extent revious to coming to a.detenhination on a iubjeft 01 this magnitude however if the com mittee will rife and gentlemen will c»n fent to let the bufinefs lie till next week he would not himfelf wiih f:r any further dela he moved therefore for the com mittee ro rife the question for a poftponment was put fe nd negatived 37 to 33 the bill was then pioceedcd with by ftftions seventeen i'eovioiis were pafled fhrougb wirhout much objection or de birc ; duffuuie dificrencc of opinion ap peartng in the committee as to the pro pricty o '.-, mie pares 01 tneei^hcecniii lec tion of the bill mr eggielton faid as he found that even thole gentlemen who had confefftdjy paid pirticular atteiuio:i to this fubject arc difagreed with refpefl to the proprie ty of certain provilions contained in this bill herultcd it would not appear won derful that a new member hould wiih for more time to confider the fubjecl 1 therefore moved for ti.e committee to rife ties of the faid aft to all perfons ciri/.ens f*t he united stares who hall affume the executive power hy carrying <>■; any negociations with die executive povrer f i i!iy other foreig i priace or liate re'.it -.$ to aiiv controverfy exilting bctvrernfuch < date and the u states i he houfc went into a committee on rhe unwnilhed bufinefs ; the ban£rjiptbill mr dent in the chair : feveralkmend merits were propofed and agreed tc mr otis propofed two amendments to ue roth leftion which wire ordered to ia printed on which account the committcei rofe and obtained leave ro fit jigaiu mr wain prefentcd a petition from a \ number o the inhabitants of philadelphia complaining that the aft of june 13th laft which broke off the intercourse be i tween this country an france and i dependencies operated to prevent mer chants from procuring the debts due from \ rriat country : they petitioned that the ' houfc would hike fuch m:ui"urfs to re i vent that injury as their wifdom fhould think proper mr sewall moved to rer'-r the petiti on to the committee on that p;irt of the president's fpeccb which refpects invigo rating rneafures mr gallatin moved its reference to tie committee of commerce sec on the queftion for its reference to the committee or commerce riierc were ayes 3 noe 46 it was men referred to the other com mittee a meitige was received from the fe nite fionjraumcatiag'i chat at tiv high " court of impeachment for the trial of w \ blount trie counft in behalf of tlic tic • femiant had fubmitted la plea to the court i a copy of which they communicated ! which was ordered to ie printed | for the yea r.'fi red te fee our laft mr bayard moved that this commu nication be committed to ihe managersof that impeachment to proceed tberr'in is they hould thinl advifcablc he thought it was neceffary they fhould be inllructed in their proceeding refpeftjng the plea put in by the defendant's counlel : if ihov were not inftructed they may be under the neccflity of afking the will of the houfc reflecting any meafures th.-v may think proper to adopt as it i.rjd re move 1 number of difiicultiee he hoped the initruftion would be given it was carried ayes z mr pear prefi nteda p titionfrom ma ryland praying the alteration of foine poll roads referred j the committee on pofi office and poll t ads 1 he houfe refolved itfclf into a com mitiee on the bill refpecling the balances due from ccn lin ftates to the u i-uiei mr uent in the chajr ; which having a greej to the houfe took it up and on ihe queftion for engroffing it fora third reading there were ayes 56 it was or dered a third reading to-morrow ihe houfe then went into a committee on the bill for enumerating the inhabit antsof the united itates mr dent in the chair one fchcdule of the bill reported or der a defignation or the occupation 1 the inhabitants to be taken wfcica mr gtifwold moved to rtrike out mr harper hoped it would nor is it was a piece of information which might prove extremely ufeful particularly in the eftimation of any tax chat might be propofed to be laid : indeed it would in abfolutely neceffary in rhe affertion of the amount of the revenue laws it wss the ground work — the bafis of political eal culation on which laws muil be founded befides it would give the houfe i forma tionof theprogrefa of manufactures and arts and the government might by itb loitering care give the helping hand to the impotent manufactories sec t'ic trouble could not be much in making this enquiry : but its advantage may be very great mr davton the fpeakef hop-d the fchcdule would be ftrutk out ai he coyij not conceive any neceflity there could be iii it : it would caufe much unneceffary viouhlc and m lot j be verv uncertain f i new jerfey he faid there were p.-o ee who fo ne part of the year made ir a 1 rile to carry on one branch iml nt oth er rmes anothef and fomr two othets ; it rquld be difficult for them to fay what inch they followed it was not mere ly unneceffjry but wou'd prove injurious phis p nicuiarity lie fai i wts very in j irious in the law for the enu nerationof ii ives and no doubt would prove fo in his lew on tin queftion to irike out ayes 39 noes 53 ' some tr.::ing amendments wore msde and the committee rofc and reported the ■' + the houfe tl.en tofkit up and mr harper renewed his former argument urging he tieceifitjf of the claufe it was carried in the houiein favour of ltriking uit a cs 3p noes 34 the bill was ordered to be engroiled lor a third reading to-morrow ad journed t/j/o/faj dccernbet 27 mr otis faid the committee to whom was re erred the bill for amending the llamp aft wit refpeel to the duty pay able on foreign bills of exchange and bills of lading had received information trofti the comraiflioners of the revemie it.1n.1g that it would be neceffaxy to provide fonie compenfation for the fupervifnfs v[io had the matiagement of the itamp in ! k-'s 1 the pri'iciit law'providesnone i'hc co noiiitee h.id lu t g-ltcd the propru ety ot making fome other attentions in 1 ■;.!.:; he moved rl.it rhe committee of the w hole be difcharged from ihe fur ther confidi'ration of thii bill with a view 01 having it re-cooimittcd to tiie filed coniin'uree who reported it the motion was carried and the bill re-commi ted mr otis afterwards made a report o the pr ipofed amendments out ciui to fome iutorrnality the report was not rci ci ved vi r grifwold called up tor confidera t:oi the refolution which he yefterday laid upon the table tor the appointment of a committee to confider the propriety of amending he act tor the puuifhment of certain criuits againil the l',.:i.-u fo as to pr viviea penalty for any citizen whofhail uiurp tiie executive authority ot this gov r.inent by commenceir.g or cam i.ig on any correfpondence with the g vi rament ot ioicig.i prince or itat ruhtive to any c n r.neriie or difputes which do or ihall exift between luch prince or ftate n . the u stales 1 he resolution having biien read mr nicholas faid he believed this to be a new lubject i general legillation ad as fuch he did nor apprehend there was any neceflity for miking the propos ed enquiry ; a id if h l.tj any particular object m view the motion appeared to him premature it it was founded upon what had been fcen in the public papers relfltive to the conduct of a certain gen rleman wh ■ has latel been in france he t ought ti,e mover ought to have waited until tiie president ot the united states h ; . ur di : houfe in poffeffion of fafts on this lubject ; which though promifed 3 w k ijo h.tj not yet l«en received in iced he did not know but the conduct ol this houfc in giving an opinion upoa thefe difpatches before they are received liid prevented the communication : and il t ic houfe ihould proceed to legiflate upon them the prcfidcnt may fuppofe they have no defire to fee what he has promifed to lay before them and with hold them altogether if any particular object has given occafion to this new kind of legislation the houfe ought to kr.ow it he had hoped that no change had talc - en place in the affairs of this country with refpect to foreign nations u hich could have directed the fentimeutsof gentlemen to any particular terfon he had hoped things was mending and he hid gathered thele hopes frum the addrcl's of tnc pred the motion was pur and carried and the committee rote accordingly tin fpeakcr laid before the houfe a lcter from the treafurer of the united states iuclcfi.ig his fpecie account and his account with the war department the o:ie up to the eniii f june and the o ther to the end of november which was ordered to bo printed mr s srmth from the committee of commerce reported a bill to alter the • ftamp duty impofed upon foreign bills of exchange and bills of lr.diiig by an aft laying a duty un ftaznped vellum parch ment and paper and further to amend the fa;ne which was coinmittetl or to-mor ro.v adjourned wednefdaj december 26 tim fpeakcr laid before the houfe a re port from t'.-.e fecretary of the navy in conformity tola resolution propofed by mr j ir!:er on the 18th intt which was ordered to he printed mr grifwol**faid he wifticd to lay a rcfoluiion uporf the table relative to a fuhj'ct which in m opinion dcfervei confide ration jis object faid he is to punifh a crime which goes to the deft ruc tion g the executive power of the govrrn ment he meant tint defcription of crime wliitii mi ifes fr<nn an interference of indi vidual citizens in the negotiations of our executive uuh foreign governments as every gentleman mutt be fatisfied of the importance of this fubjeft and the pro p iety of making feme provifion with re ipect to it he truftcd it would meet with no oppofttion the resolution w;is in the following words : refolved thar a committee be appoint ed to enquire into the expediency of a mending an aft c fcr the punifhment of cruin crimes fo as to extend the penal