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AUGUSTA CHRONICLE.
Vol. FREEDOM oi> the PRESS and TRIAL by JURY shall remain inviolate, [No. 1051
AUGUSTA: (Georgia) Printed by D. DRISCOL. near the market. SATURDAY, July 5. 1806. [3 Ann.']
THE DECLARATION
CF
INDEPENDENCE.
IN CONGRESS, JULY 4, 1776.
WHEN in the course cf human events
it becomes neccflary for one people
to diffflve the political bands which have
connected them with another, and to assume
among the powers of the earth the (operate
and equal flation to which *he laws of na
ture and of nature’s Goo entitle them, a de
cent respect to the opinions of mankind re.,
quires that they Ihould declare the caafes
which impel them to the reparation.
V7c hol'd thefc truths to he felfcviient—
that all men are crested equal; that they
are endowed hv their Creator with certain
unalienable rights; that among these are
life, liberty, and the purfait of hapjiintfs;
that to secure thefc rights governments are
indituted among men, deriving their just
powers from the content of the governed j
that whenever any form of government be
comes dednifUve of these ends, it is the
right of the people to alter or to abolish k,
and to infinite new government, laying its
foundation on such principles, and organi
zing its powers in such form, as to them
fhdifeem most likely to effect their fifety
and happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dic
tate, that governments long eltablifhed
(honld not be changed fW light and transient
causes; and accordingly all experience hath
(hewn that mankind are more difpqfed to
fiffjr, while evils are fafferablc, than to
right then (elves by aboiifhing the forms to
which they are accuftomcd ; Bat when a
long train of abuses and usurpations, pursu
ing invariably the fame ohj»6i, evinces a
dedgn to reduce them under absolute des
potism, it 58 their right—dt is their duty—
to throw off such government, and to pro
vide new guards for their future security.
Such has been the patient fufferance of these
colonics, and such is now the neceflky
which copft rains them to alter their former
systems of government. The hiftory of the
preterit king of Great. Britain is a hiftory of
repeated injuries and usurpations, all having
in dire id objeft the cftablilhment of an ab
folutc tyrannv over these (fates* To prove
this, let fafts be submitted to a candid world. 4
He has refuted his altent to laws the most
wholesome and neceflary fer the public good ;
He his forbidden his governors to pass
laws ofimmediate and pressing importance,
unlcfs fufpcndsd in their operation till his
afifent (hould be obtained ; and when so fuf.
pended, he has utterly negleifed to attend
to them ;
He has refilled to pass other laws for the
-accommodation of large diflriils of people,
unless those people would relinquilh the right
of representation in the legislature ; a right
inellimable to them, and formidable to ty
rants only :
He has called together Icgiflative bodies
a places unafual, uncomfortable, & distant
from the depository of link public records,
for the foie purpose of fatiguing them int«
compliance with his meafurcs ;
H; has didblvcd repretentative houses re
peatedly for opposing, with manly firmnafs,
his invasions on the rights of the people.
He has refafed, for a long time after such
dissolutions, to cause others to be clewed,
whereby the Icgiflative powers, incapable of
annihilation, have returned to the people at
large for their exeicife ; the (late remaining
in the mean time exposed to all the dangers cf
invasion from without & convulftons within :
He has endeavoured to prevent thepopu
lation of these (fates ; for that purpefe ob
(fruling the laws for naturalization of fo
reigners ; refilling to pass others to encou
rage their migration hither, and railing the
conditions of new appropriations of lands ;
He has obflruftr.d the adminiflration of
joflice, bv refilling his alien t to laws for
establishing judiciary powers :
He has made judges dependent on his
will alone for the tenure of their offices, and
the amount and payment of their fabrics :
(He has erctfed a multitude cf new offices,
and tent hither swarms of offiaers to harrafs
our people and eat out their (übftancc ;
He has kept among us in times of peace
(funding armies, without the consent of our
Icgiflatures ;
He has affefled to render the military
independent of Sc superior to the civil power:
He has combined with others to fubjeft
us to a jurifdiclian foreign to our constitu
tion and unacknowledged by cur laws;
giving his aflent to their aids of pretended
kg-fbtion:
Fot quartering large bodies ofarmed troops
among us;
For protecting them, by a mock-trial,
from punifltment for any murders which
they (hould commit on the inhabitants of
thefc states : .
For catting off our trade with all patts of
the world :
For imposing taxes on us without our consent.
For depriving us in many cases of the
benefits ©f trial by jury :
For transporting us beyond the seas to be
I tried for pretended offences ;
l<or abolilhing the tree fyflem of Etiglifh
laws in a neighboring province, eftabiiffiing
therein an arbitrary government, and en
larging its boundaries so as to render it at
once an example and fit instrument for in
troducing the fame absolute rule into these
Colonies:
I 1 or taking away our charters, abolishing
our noft valuable laws, and altering funda
mentally the forms of our governments :
bor suspending our own legislatures, and
declaring themselves in veiled with powers t*
Icgiflate for us in all cases whatsoever:
He has abdicated government here, by
declaring ns out of his protection and waging
war against us;
He has plundered our fcas, ravaged our
coasts, burnt our towns, and dellroyed the
lives of our people :
He is at this time transporting large ar
mies of foreign mercenaries complete the
works of death, desolation and tyranny,
already begun with circumstances of cruelty
and perfidy scarcely paralleled in the mod
barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the
head of a civilized nation : *
He has (jonftrained our fellow-citizens ta
ken captives on the high fens to bear arms
against their country, to become the execu
tioners ot their friends and brethren, or to
fall themselves by their hands :
He has excited domedic infurreftioos a- I
mongft us, and has endeavored to bridg on
the inhabitants of our frontiers the mcrcilefs
Indian savages, whose known ml? of war
fare is an undiftinguilhed deftruftion of all
ages, sexes and conditions.
t> 7
In every stage of these oppressions we have
petitioned for redress in the mod humble'
terms : Our repeated petitions have been an.
five red only by repeated injury. A prince
whose character is thus marked by every aft
which may define a tyrant, is unfit to be the
ruler of a free people.
Nor have we been wanting in attentions
to our Britifn brethren. We have warned
- them from time to time of attempts made hy
their legislature to extend an unwarrantable
jurifdiftion over us. We have reminded
them of the circumUknccs of our emigration
and fetlament here. We have appealed to
their native jufticc and magnanimity ; and
we have conjured them hy the ties of our
common kindred todifavow these u fur oat lon 5,
which would inevitably interrupt cur con
neftions and correspondence. They too
have been deaf to the voice of joffice and of
consanguinity. We muff, therefore, acqui
efee in the neccfllty which denounces our re
paration, and hold them as we hold the rest
of maukind--enemies in war, in peace friends.
WE, therefore, the representatives of the
United States of America in general congress
aflemblcd, appealing to the Supreme Judge
of the world for the reftitude of our inten
tions, do, in the name and by authority of
the good people of these colonics, solemnly
pubiilh and declare: That these United
Colonias are, and of right ought to be.
Free and Independent States ; they
have full power to levy war, conclude peace,
enntraft alliances, establish commerce, and
to do till other afts and things which inde
pendent flares may of right do. And for
the (Import of this declaration, with a firm
reliance on the protection of Divine Provi
dence, we mutually pledge to each our lives,
our fortunes and our ficred honor.
(By Authority.)
. AN ACT
It) repeal so much of any ad or ads as au
thor fe the recti ft of evidences of the pub
lic debt , in payment for the lands oj the
United States, and for other purposes, re
lative to the public debt.
BE it evaded by the Senate and Honfe of ■
Representatives of the United Stales of
America, in Congress AJfembledy That so
much of any aft or afts as authorlfe the re
ceipt of evidences of the public debt, in pay
ment for the lands of the United States,
f rom and after the thirtieth day of April, one
thousand eight hundred and fix, be repealc..:
Provided, That the right of all persons who
may have purchased public lands previous to
thepeffageof this aft, to pay for the fame
in (lock, (hall in no wife be afTcfted or im
paired ; And provided further, that there
hull be allowed on every payment maoe in
money, a: or before the fame (iall fall due,
for lands pnrebafed before the thirtieth day
of April, one thousand eight hundred and
fix, in addition to thedifeount now a..owed
by law, a deduftion equal to the <ll.Terence
at the time of such payment, between the
market price of fix per cent, flock and tuc
nominal value of its unredeemed amount,
which market price [hall, from time to time,
be dated by the Secretary of the Trcafury j
to the officers of the several land offices.
Sec. 2 . And he it further evaded. That
the commiflioners of the finking fund (hall
not be authorifed to purchafc any of the fe- :
veral fpecics of the public debt, at a higher
price than at the rates following, that is to
fay : they (hall not pay more for three per
, cent. ft odes than sixty percent, of it* nom
inal value ; nor for any other fpccicsof the
public debt more than the nominal value of
its unredeemed amount, the eight per cent,
stock only excepted ; for which they (hall
be authorised, in addition thereto, to give
at the rate cfone hair of one per cent, on
the said nominal value, for each quarter
ly dividend which may he payable «n such
purchaled stock, from the time of such pur
chase t* the firft day of January, or.ethou
fand eight hundred and nine.
Sec, 3.' And be it further enabled. That
so much of any art as clirarts that purebafes
of the public debt, by the commifljoners of
the finking fund, (hall be made within
the thirty days next enfuingjdter each day
on which 5 quarterly paymaaftof interest on
the debt of the United lhatrtrfhali become
due ; and alfofo much of any art as directs
that the said purchases shall be made by o
pen purchafc, or by sealed proposals, be,
and the fame is hereby repealed. And said
commiflioners arc hereby aiuhorifcd to make
such purchases, under the reftrirtions laid by
the preceding fertion, in such manner and
at yoch times and places as they shall deem
mrtft eligible, and for that purpose to ap
po' t an agent or agents to whom they may
allow a commi(£«n not exceeding one fourth
of one percent, on the refpertive purchafcs
> of such agents. NATHI. MACON.
Speaker of the Iloufe of Reprefentatises.
S. SMITH,
Trefident of the Senate, pro tern.
Approved, April 18- iB®s.
TH: JEFFERSON.
■C-L-.i—2H
AN ACT
Supplementary to the all intituled “ Ait a£l
to extendjurifdiftion in certain cases to
the territorial courts.
BE it enatted by the Senate and Iloufe of
Reprefentatises of the United States of
America in Congress offembled, That the
provifior.s of the aft inti ruled ft An a6f for
providing compensation for the marftials,
clerks, artornie'!, jurors and wifneffes, in
the courts of the United Slates, and to re
peal certain parts of the ads therein iren
tisned, and for other purpoft-s," palled Fe
bruary the twenty-eight, one thousand se
ven hundred and ninety -mu, bt, -5k »t.« f-~
hereby arc extended to the territory of the U.
S. fofar as the said art may relate to the pro.
visions of the r.rt entituled ** An art to ex
tend jurifdirtion in certain cases to the terri
torial courts,” palled March (he third, one
thousand eight hundred and five, excepting
that the clerks of the said territorial courts
shall not receive the additional five dollars
per day, allowed to the clerksof the circuit
and diftrirt courts, by the third fertion of
the art fir ft afcovementioned.
NATHi. MACON,
Speaker of the Iloufe of Reprefentati'ves.
S. SMITH,
Prefd'nt of the Senate pro tempore.
Approved, April 18, 1806.
TH : JEFFERSON.
AN ACT
In addition to an alt, intitled e * An aft
regulating the grants of land and pre
siding for the disposal of the lands of the
United Stales , fouth of she fate of I tn
ntffee.”
BE it enacted by the Senate and Iloufe of
Rcprefentatises of the Untied States of
America, in congress assembled, 1 hat whene
ver any person who (101 l have received a
pre-emption certificate, from cither of the
boards of commissioners, appointed for the
purpofc of afeertaining the rights of persons
to lands in the Mifiiflippi territory, (hall, by
a final judgment or decree of the higbeft
court of laws, or equity, in which a deci
fton could be had, within the (aid territory,
rendered in favor of another person claiming
by virtue of a British patent, lose the whole
or part of the tract jf land to which he was
entitled by virtue of such certificate, it (hall
be lawful for the receiver of public monies
for the diftrirt where the land lies, to repay
to such person or his aftigns, so much of the
purchase money as had been paid by him
for the land thus recovered, by the holder
of the liritifh patent. *
In all cases where only a part of a trart
' of land, to which any person may he entitled
by virtue of a certificate granted by the
comtniflioners aforefaid, is also claimed by
the holder of a British patent, a patent may
ifluc in favor.cf the owners of such certifi
cate, for so much of such trart of land as is
not claimed by virtue cf such British patent.
Presided:' That he (hall in every other rc
fpert have complied with the provilions of
the arts of Congress, regulating the grants
of land in the Mifliftippi territory. And
the lands contained in British granis, which
have been duly recorded in conformity with
the provisions cf former laws, and for which
certificates have not been granttd by the
commifiioncrs aforefaid, shall not be difpo.
fed of until otherwise direrted by Congress.
Sec. z. And be it further enafted, That
persons entitled to a right of pre-emption to
lands in the Mifliftippi territory, by virtue
of certificates granted by either cf the boards
of comroifltoners aforefai4, shall be allowed
till die lull day of January, one thoufaid
eight hundred and seven, to make the firft
payment of the parchafe money offuch lands ;
And if any one person (lull neglect to make
such firll payment, on or before the firft
day of January, one thaufand eight hundred
and seven, his right of pre-emption shall
cease and become void.
See. 3. And he it further enabled ', That
each of the commiflioners appointed to afeer
tain the claims to lands in the above men
* tioned territory, weft of Pearl river, shall
be a lowed at the rate ol fix dollars for every
day he shall attend, subsequent to the firft
day of April, one thousand eight huftdted
and fix : Provided, That such additional
allowance shall not exceed five hundred dol
lars, ana the agent
appointed in htiaJf of the United States for
the said board shall be allowed an additional
cornpenfation of three hundred and fifty dol
lars far the whole of his f'ervices. And the
rcgiiler and receiver of public monies, in
each of the diftrirts of the above mentioned
territory, shall, and they are hereby au.
thorifed, in their diftrirts, refprrtively,
and after thedlffolution of the board of com
mifiioners for their diftrirt, to regulate the
location of any trart ofland lying within
such diftrirt, for which a certificate shall
have been granted by the commiflioners,
whenever it shall appear that the location
fpccified in such certificates, interfere with
each other, or do not include the improve
ments, by virtue of which such certificates
wore granted: Provided, That the said
, register and receiver, shall not b« authorifed
to allow any location on land not improved
and fettled, in the manner provided by the
former arts of congress, regulating the
grants of land in the above mentioned terri
tory ; nor to allow, in any case, 2 greater
quantity of land than had been allowed by
thf commiflioners,
S«jc. 4. And be it further enatled, That
whenever it shall appear to the fatisfartion
of the register and receiver cf the diftrirt,
tail of Pearl river, that the fcttlemcnt and
occupancy, by virtue of which a pre-emption
certificate had been granted by the com
midioners, had been made and taken place,
prior to the jothday of March, one thou
sand seven nunarea<:ru mm,.,
Hull be authorized to grant to the party a
donation certificate, in lieu of such pre
emption ; and the patent shall iflue as in
other cafea of donations : Provided, That
application shall be made fer such ah ex
change, and evidence produced of the 1 date
of such let element and occupancy, on of be
fore the 31st day of December next.
Sec. 5. And be it further entitled. That
the right of the United States, to all the
land lying between the front ftrect of the
city of Natchez and the Miflsfiippi river,
and bounded on the north by north Fourth
street, and the land granted to Stephen Mi
nor, and on the fimtli, by the lands annex
ed to the old fort, and those granted to .
William Barland, be, and the fame hereby
is, forever vested in the corporators of said
city, fn as not to assert the legal or equita
ble claims of any individuals, or of any
body politic, or corporate, if any such there
be; Provided, That the said land, as
above deferibed, be neither cultivated nor
occupied by buildings, but that it be plan
ted with trees end preserved as a common,
for the ufc, comfort, and health of the
inhabitants cf the city aforefaid, and all
ether petfons who may •ceafionally refqrt
thither.
Sec. 6, And he it further enaP.ed, That
whenever the fertion No. 16, fnall fail
upon laud already granted, by virtue of any
art of congress, or claimed by virtue of a
British grant, the secretary of the treasury
(ball locate another fertion, in lieu thereof,
for the ufc of schools, which location ihall
be made in the fame townlhip, if there be
any other vacant fertion therein,“and other
wise, in an adjoining township.
Sec. 7. And he it further mailed, That
Richard Spark* be permitted to enter
with the register of the land office, for the
diftrirt v/eft of Pearl river, his claim to
three hundred and twenty acres cf land,
lying within said diftrirt; and that Richard
S. Bryan, and George Brewer, senior, he
permitted to enter with the register of the
land office, for the diftrirt east ol Pearl river,
their certificate of a right of pre-emption
for three hundred and twenty acres of land,
lying within the diftrirt last mentioned ;
And such entry of the claim of the said
Richard sparks, fh»U have the fame effert,
a.i if it had beta made prior to lbs firft day
of December, one thousand eight hundred
an# four, and such entry of, the certificate
of the said Richard S. Bryan and George
Brewer, senior, (hall have the fc.mc efFcrt ?s if
it had been made within three months from
the time it was issued.
NATHI. MACON,
Speaker of the ticufe of Reprejentativet ,
S. SMITH.
Prejident of. the Senate , pftem.
Approved, Aptil 21, 1806.
TH; JEFFERSON.