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70 The report and bill from the Senate were laid on the table. ‘l'he house took up the resolution laid upon the table fome days ago by Mr. Sedgwick, for establishing a mode of ta king evidence in contefted elections, and referred it to the committee of elections to make a report thereon. Thehoufc went into a committee of the whole on the bill for further provid ing for the public eredit and tor the re duction of the public debt ; and after having gone through it, the house took it up, and ordered-it tube eng rolled for a third reading to-morrow. The house then went into a commit-, tee of the whole, on the bill for regulat ing trade and intercourse with the In dian tribes, and after fume debate on the clflufe which directs the forfeiture of lands in certain cases, the committee rose, and alked leave to fit again. Tucfday, April 12. Mr. Sherborne, of the committee to whom was referred the bufinef* of the revenue cutters, brought in a bill on the fobjert, which Was twice read, and or dered to be committed to a committer of the whole to-morrow. Mr. Harrison, of the committee, to whom was referred the business of regu lating the weights rnd measures of the i United States, made a report, which was twice read, and referred to a com mittee of the whole on Monday. Mr. Tracy, of the committee of claims, made a report on the petition of John Gibbons, treasurer of the state of Georgia, refperting the renewal of fome • certificates, which was against the peti tioner ; the report was read twice and ordered to be committed to a committee? of the whole on Monday next. , Mr. Dearborn, of the committee to whom wa? referred the President's mef lage relative to the territory south of the river Ohio, reported- that that ter ritory, now bearing the name of the State of Tencfcc, was entitled to all the f privileges enjoyed by the other States of the U nion, and that it should be one of the sixteen States of America. The report was twice read and committed to a committee of the whole on Tuelday next. The order of the day being called for, ■ the house formed itfelf into a committee of the whole, on the bill for making . provision in part for the payment of the debt due to the Bank of the United States; when the motion made by Mr. Gallatin yelterday, to strike out five millions and insert 1,200,000 dollars, being under conlideration, Mr. Sedg wick, Mr. Dayton (the Speaker) and. Mr. Hillhoufe opposed the motion, and Mr. Gallatin supported it. The com mittee rose and had leave to lit again. Tuelday, April 14. Mr. Israel Smith called up a resolu tion laid upon the table fame time ago refperting an alteration in holding the Diitrirt Courts of Vermont. Mr. Bourne wilhed the Diflrirt Courts of Rhode- 1 Hand also to be added. They were added accordingly, the house agreed to the resolution, and it was referred to a committee of three members. Mr. Gallatin laid he wished to lay a resolution and two petitions on the ta ble. The resolution related to the debt due to the bank of the United States.— There was one point which he wilhed to be clearly understood upon the fub jert. ‘He wifned to know whether the bank had demanded the money for which government flood indebted to them. If they had, he would agree they mult be paid. But, as he had Icen nothing officially on the fubjert, he wilhed the matter to be enquired into. For that purpose he proposed a resolu tion to the following effect. Resolved, That a committee be ap pointed to enquire whether the Bank of the United States are willing to con tinue the loans heretofore made by them to government, in anticipation of the public revenue, and amounting to 3,800,000 dollars, by new loans, simi lar to thofc which they were used to obtain. Mr. Swan wick wished an amend ment, or any part thereof, to be added, which was agreed to, and laid upon the table. Mr. Gallatin then presented two pe titions from the western country, signed by 03 perfor.s, similar to thole before presented, praying the house to carry the treaties into effert. Ihe house then formed itfelf into a committee of the whole, Mr. Muhlen berg in the chair, on the state of the union, when the resolution as proposed by Mr. Sedgwick and as proposed to be amended by Mr. Blount by striking out the word Dey and Regency of Al giers and King of Grcat-Britain, being Columbian jtlttfeum, cw under confi-lcwtion*, after a con fide r able debate upon the propriety of adopting the resolution, and on the propriety of entering upon the consideration of the Spanish treaty, *in preference to the Britilh, the question was at length taken upon the amendment, but adivifion be ing called for, it was fa put and carried. Mr. Gallatin then moved to strike out the words u Indian Tribes,’’ which was also carried. He moved in order to make this resolution conforma ble to these resolutions fome days ago palled and entered upon their Journals, explanatory of the powers of that house withrefpect to treaties, that the words “ proviiion ught to be made by law,” be (truck out, and the following inserted in their place, u that it is expedient to pass the laws neceifary,” which was also carried 48 to 40. He then moved, as he did not know that a treaty could be carried into effert with bad faith, to have the words <f with good faith,” Itruck out as unneceilary, which was also agreed to. The resolution then flood, * f Resolved that it is expedient to pass the laws ne cdfary for carrying into effort, the trea ty lately concluded between the United States and the king of Spain,” which, after a speech from Mr. Swanwick highly in favor ot the Spanish Treaty, and a few other observations, the resolu tion paifed unaniinoufly. Mr. Hillhoufe then wilhed to bring forward three out of four resolutions which he had proposed fome time before, but which were not then attended to; the three were (for the fourth being for carrying into effort the Spanish Treaty, was already fuperceded.) “ Refol-ved, That it is expedient to pass the laws necessary for carrying into effort the ‘Treaty lately concluded with certain Indians north-weft of the Ohio. The other two were in the lame words only for carrying into effort the treaty with the Dey and Regency of Algiers, and the King of Great-Britain. The resolutions for carrying into effort the Treaty with Great-Britain, Mr. Macklay spoke at considerable length againlt carrying the treaty into effedf, and concluded by proposing the follow ing proportion and resolution to the committee : “ The house have taken into consid eration the treaty of Amity, Commerce and Navigation between the United States and Great-Britain, communicat ed by the Prelident in his melfage of the lirlt day of March last, are of opinion, that it is in many refperts highly inju ous to the interests of the United States; vet, were they pofleffed orany informa tion which could juftify the great facri tices contained in the treaty, their sin cere desire to cherish harmony and ami cable intercouYfe with all nations, and their earned wish to co-operate in hall ening a final adjustment of the differen ces fubfilting between the United States and Gr cat-Britain, might have induced them to wave their objection to the treaty ; but when they contemplate the condurt of Great-Britain, in perlever ing, iince the treaty was signed, in the impreilinent of American seamen and the seizure of American vetfels (laden with provisions) contrary to the cleared rights of neutral nations ; whether this be viewed as the conltrurtion meant to be given to any articles in the treaty, or as contrary to and an infrartion of the true meaning and spirit thereof, the house cannot but regard it as incumbent on them, to forbear, under such circumftan ecs, taking at present any artive mea sures on the fubjert, therefore resolved, “ That, under the cireumflances afore faid, and with such information as the house possess, it fa not expedient at this time to concur in palfing the laws neces sary ‘for carrying the laid treaty into effort.” Some observations, were made upon the propriety of admitting this pfopofi tion to be laid on the table and it was allowed not to be in order to introduce it, until the question before the commit tee was disposed of. A desultory debate then took place. Those gentlemen who were opposed to the Britilh treaty wilhed the committee to rife, as they were not prepared, and as there would not be time to go into a difculfion of the fubjert. Other gentle men, who were in favor of the treaty, wilhed the committee not td rife but that the difculfion might be entered up on or the question then taken. This was objerted to, as it was said to be ne cessary the fubjert should undergo full difculfion. The committee at length rose and had leave to fit again. The chairman having made his re port, Mr. Macklay moved to lay his proposition before the house, which be ing read was referred to the committee ofthe whole on the state of the Union, Mr. Gallatin moved to take up the resolutions which had been agreed to in the committee ofthe whole. Mr. Sedgwick said that he had exa mined the journals of the house, and found the fame form of resolution which he had used, had been adopted iu all cas es, and that the form now given to the resolution was anew doctrine, he there fore moved that the form which he ori ginally adopted might be restored to the resolution. Mr. Hartley called for the yeas and nays, on the question, were—feus 37. Nays 55. JFor ttje Columbian MefTrs.'Powers & Seymour, Gentlemen , SG longas the different writers in-fa vour of the late enormoqk Y azoo Speculation, confined theotfehres torea fon and argument, however fallacious, futile, groundless, inapplicable-and im potent, there was patience left, to hear what the party had to fay, in a bad cause ; and one might take it, as an at tempt, at an excuse, why they had a hand in the nefarious tranfartion ; but when they seem to have exhausted that fund, and begin to ransack old hiltories, for the characters of the Gracchi, and oth ers, in order to make scurrilous com parisons, (not at all in point) and thus provoking the opposite party, into the like condurt, then your otherwise ufe ful and inftrurtive vehicle, becomes dis gusting. For after all, what have these writers advanced in favour ofthe speculation, but a few precedents of vvfong arts, at the time acquiesced in ; but will any man of common ienfc, allow precedents to have any force, ‘lhe dortrines of pre cedents are now a days obsolete. Is it a rale, because I futfered myfelf to be over-reached lad year, that I must lufFer it now, and my* defeendanfs hereafter ; and dare we not endeavour to rectify the mistake ? Or bccaufe, we had toilrug gle with powerful opponents, therefore fullered ieverai of our attornies, to com mit breaches of trust, which we did not think prudent to relent, but acquiesced in. Will any men from'this, predirt, because we differed the breaches of trust repeatedly, that we had thereby estab lished precedents, that all our future attbrnies might do so to. It is said, the annulling of the Yazoo Jaw, was impolitic, and injurious to the state of Georgia, because she had received 500,000 dollars into the treasury, for property not her own, but belonging to her neighbours. That the legillature of 1794, very cunningly and craftily, did npt guarantee the title, tho’ they gave solemn grants with the great feat of the state affixed to them, for the fame ; yet the purchasers or grantees, were to take all risks upon themselves. Here the curious dodrir.e of modern speculation, may be learned—and was there no oth er reason extant, for annulling the Yazoo acl, this alone would have been para mount, for so doing. For where would the crimes end, it a whole nation was to fanrtion and countenance a fraud so gross, already but too much pratified by our modern {peculators, to the dilcredit ot Georgia. The ati in question, no one can allow, was .perfertly constitutional ; for the constitution had provided, vacant lands should be laid off into a county or coun ties, and the representatives thereof ap portioned, according to the numbers that would obtain giants, and fettle in the fame. Surely these writers, laying aside their favourite, but inadmissible topics of precedents, cannot deny, but that the sale was dilhoneft and unfair. Why nOt lay off the land into 5,000, or less, or /more acre trafts ? Why not give at lcaft, twelve months notice throughout the United States, and then fell publicly, and to the highest bidder ? But no ; the speculators would then not have got the land for one cent, or less, the acre, had they arted thus honestly. And in order to defraud the public, they as pub lic agents and trustees, make under the cloak of law, a sale from and to them felves—andean they deny that such Tales are not illegal ? Neither can they pretend, that the Yazoo art, was not highly injurious and impolitic, to the rising population, and consequent riches of this frontier state ; as it prevented fettling these lands by emigration, because the emigrant wilh ing to fettle this land, had to pay the speculator an advanced price, of perhaps one or more thousand per cent; wlifere as, ifa county was laid off, and a land office eftabllfhed therein, the emigrant would have his head rights gratis, and the money that in the former case he would have been obliged to pay to the speculator, would thus enable him to fettle and cultivate his land effcrtually. As to the outcry, against cutting out and burning the records appertaining to Yazoo tranfartion, together with rhe law itfelf, it was perfectly right and ne ceilary, and it is a pity that the legifla. ture could not go further, by effacing the foul tranfartion, even from the me mory of men, and bring lliw authors to condign punilhment. For generations hereafter, wjjft many years hence, read with astonishment and horror, that in the year 1794, it v.as poffibte for senators, representatives judges, officers of the courts of jullice* and men in other , public trulls, to jolt a herd of sordid speculators, and thus by threats bribery, corruption and fraud, prevail on a felfifh legillature, con lilting (even wonderful to relate) of three chocks or balances, to defraud tire state of Georgia, of upwards of 30 millions acres of land, for the milling sum of not quite one cent the acre, and thus in a moment, ftepout of wheelbarrows into coaches.—But with what exquisite plea sure will they not alio rea<l, that the people immediately opened their eyes, laid hold ofthe monftcr and destroyed b, !o that no vestige thereof was ldt, the memory of the foul deed. The preferments of almofl: all the grand juries, throughout the state, in two fuccefftve circuits, the numerous pe titions to the convention (altho’ many were fupprefied) the recommendation from the convention to the fait legisla ture, the pointed inftrurtions from the people at large to that body, nay, the late presentment of a grand jury, col lerted from different counties, made in the open face of the federal circuit court, before the Chief justice of the United States himfelf, are undeniable and con •vipcing proofa, that the legillature of 1794, acted uneonftituiionaiiy, unfair, feitifh and fraudulent'. > If by annulling and destroying frau dulent laws, whereby 2 or 300 specula tors are injured, in their iil gotten wealth ; and ninety-nine hundreds of the people, are restored ttf their rights, un juftiy robbed from them, is called disor ganization, seditious and rebellious, I lhall forever glory in the appellation. One of your Subfcnbcrs . BASSE-TERRE, March u. A late London paper we are informed is in town, but we are net fortunate enough to procure it—we give the fol lowing extracts from information ; - That admiral Gardiner had written a. letter to the lords ofthe Admiralty, mentioning that his squadron had cap tured a great many fail of Frenen pro vision licet. That Admiral Christian in his way to the Weft-Indies, had written home, that in consequence of finding many of the transports leaky, he had ‘taken out the troops, provifions,,&c. and font them back under the convoy of his majefty’* ship Alfred. An English schooner of 1 o guns, with difpatch.es, had been attacked by a French privateer in those seas, which lhe beat off, but unfortunately fell in with a trench {hip of 22 guns, and was cap tured and carried into St. Martin’s. We have poiitive accounts of ioo fail of the Weil-India fleet being at anchor at Earbadoes with 10,000 men, and it is said since that account, that Admiral Christian had arrived with the remain der. Such is the uiffatisfartion. ofthe French government at ‘Statia, that it is confi dentially said, that a very small force would iubjugate that ifiaud. Extract °f a letter from Mai tr'njue, dated the l jth injiant. “ I'he fleet is not yetarrived, nor no late account, of them ; affairs bad at Grenada, the enemy in fight ; the town and poll at la Bay evacuated.’’ Another extract dated the 1 “ The la Picque, has taken a French privateer brig ofl4 guns, bound to Cay enne with dispatches.” Extraei of a letter from St. Bartholomews “ About 50 fail of the Anguillians, landed the 2zd ole* in St. Martin's, and beat the French out of one of their Bat teries, spiked the guns, and brought away a great number of Colonel Gum be’s Negroes.” Accounts from St. Bartholomews fay, the French have sent all the English prisoners from St. Martin’s for St. Do mingo. No. 18.