The Augusta chronicle and gazette of the state. (Augusta [Ga.]) 1789-1806, June 06, 1789, Image 2

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/so cents, as a temporary duty, and proposed, that after two years, the impost Ihould be one dollar, or 100 cento per hundred weight. Upon taking the vote, it pilletl in favor of so cents per hundred. The article malt wd« detied at 10 cents per Bushel. Mr. Ames proposed the articles of’ barley and lime Ihould be added to the general enu meration, which being voted in the affirma tive, barley per bulhel was dutied 6 cents; liine per hhd. 100 cents. Nails, spikes, tacks, and brads, were the next articles. These, Mr. Lee proposed, Ihould be struck out, and was seconded by Mr. Maddifon and Mr. Bland : The latter gentleman observed, tflat it would operate as an iiuojlerab'e bur then upon the Southern States, especially as the quantities which are mauufa flu red in fume of the Hates, are not adequate to the de mand of those Hates. Mr. Good but ftippofetk; that the quantity which now was, or easily might be made in the commonwealth of Mafiachufetts was e qual to the demands of the Union. Mr. Atnes. Sir, lam in favor of the ar ticles being retained in the Relolve ; to Hrike them out would be to Itrike at one of the bed and aioft accommodating manufaftures that could possibly be eflablilhed. It is now usual in Mafiachufetts, fur house-keepers in the country towns, to cred a linall forge in their chimney corners, and in winter, on even ings, when no other work could be done, it is almort incredible what quantities of nails are made even by children. These nails are produced in such quantities, that the exporta tion of them is become a very confiddrable branch of commerce. And fliall we dis courage so tfeful, so extenlive a ma nufacture? Every principle of policy for bids it. Manufactures in Europe and ’Ame rica are upon quite different fmndations : In Europe, necejjity is a competent ftimulous; but with us, every encouragement is neces sary, to prop and cherirti our infant attempts; lie was theiefore againH the motion. Mr. Lberman observed, That as our coun try abounded in iron, the manufacture under debate, was prosecuted with perhaps greater advantage, thon almoft’ any other; that it promoted an intercourse'with the neighbour ing Hates : Connecticut for inHance, which manufactured this article to a large amount, bartered the nails for naif rods, with their neighbours in the Hate of New-York, he was therefore oppofed'to the motion. Tucker, Mr. Tartiidge, Mr. Fitzfi mons, and Mr. Carrol, severally spoke upon the motion, which was filially withdrawn. Tacks and brads were then struck out, and one cent per pound duty, was imposed upon nails and spikes. Salt was the next article read, to which Mr. Burke and Mr. Huger were severally opposed to aliening any duty, as it w >uld ope rate very unequally upon the southern govern ments, wheie the price was greatly enhanced by very extenlive land carriage.’ Mr Lawrence observed, that a tax upon fait would be equal throughout the Hates, and as it was an article on which a certaiu revenue could be realized, he was of opinion, that a duty of fix cents per bulhel would not be burtheufome ; he therefore.propofed that sum. Mr. Tucker expatiated upon the unequal operation of this duty, and the extieme in jury it would produce to the poorer part of the people in the southern states, whose fate would be extremely level e, deprived of this necefTary article, already so high with them, that it was scarcely attainable. He was de cidedly opposed to any duty whatever. Mr. i>co:t. The article of fait, Sir, is transported to a diltance of 500 miles front the Atlantic Ocean, and cannot be procuied nearer, chief of the way on horseback, two haikets to a load. Four dollars a buthel is the price of this article where I live. Sir, to add to this exorbitant price by a tax, would in my opinion be impolitic at this early period of the national government, it may be our wisdom to make the most favorable irn preffions upon the minds of the back country people. Ido got pietend to the gift of pro phecy, but the effects of a measure of this kind would certamijpbe unfavorable upon the minds of thole people ; nature, it Ihould lccrn fad fuffteiently taxed this article by the dis. ficnlties ihcthtew in the way of obtaining it t-w a gicat proportion of mankind. Mr. Mooic laid loniethiug upon the lubjeft. hut we could nut Udliaftly heat bin, Mr. Smith (South-Carolina) was opposed tD*:hc duty, and combated it by a variety of obfervatious which had reference principally to the- local circumstances of South-Carolina, its attachment to the Constitution, the expen fivc land' carriage, *&c. &c. but time had elapfedf and no profpeft of bringing the fubjeft to an immediate decision, Mr. Lawrence moved that the committee lhould rife. The farther consideration was therefore portponed; the committee arose, and the House adjourned. [To be continued.] — a O ,a © #c <3* —■ ■ In the SENATE of the UNITED STATES, Tue/day , April zi, 1789* A COMMITTEE of the Senate, confin ing of Mr. Strong and Mr. Izard, conuufted the Vice-President to the Senate Chamber, and Mr. Langdon, the President P'o tempore, left the Chair, and, addrefling the Vice-President, laid, ‘ that he had it in charge from the Senate to introduce him to , the Chair of the House, and to congratulate him on his appointment to the office of Vice- Pielideut of the United States of America.* He then condufted the Vice-President to the Chair, who addrefled the Senate to the fol lowing purport: Gentlemen of the Senate, Invited to this refpeftablc Situation by the fuffrages of'our fellow-citizens, according to the Constitution, I have thought it my duty chearfully and readily to accept it. Unac customed so refufe any public service, how ever dangerous to my reputation, or dispro portioned to my talents, it would have been inconsistent to have adopted another maxim of conduct at this time, when the prosperity of the country, and the liberties of the peo ple, require perhaps, as much as ever, the attention of those who pofteis any Share of the public confidence. 1 should be destitute of sensibility, if, upon my arrival in this city, and prefemation to this Legislature, and especially to this Senate, I could fee, without emotion, so many of thoSe charafters of whofe' virtuous exertions I have lo often been a wituefs, from whose countenances and examples I have ever de rived encouragement and animation, whose disinterested friendfhip has supported me in many intricate conjunctures of public affairs at home and abroad ; those celebrated de fenders of the liberties of this country, whom menaces could not intimidate, corruption se duce, or flattery allure ; those intrepid afier ters of the rights of mankind, whose philo lophy and policy have enlightened the world in zo years, more than it ever was before enlightened in many centuries by ancient schools and modern universities. I must have been inattentive to the course of events, if I were either ignorant of the fame, or insensible to the merit, of those other cha rafters in the Senate to whom it has been my misfortune to have been hitherto personally unknown.' It is with fatisfaftion that I congratulate the people of America on the formation of a National Coriftitutiou, and the fair profpeft of a confident administration of a good go vernment ot laws; on the acquisition of a Houle of Representatives chosen by them selves; of a Senate thus corapnfed by their own State Legislatures ; and on the profpeft of an executive authority in the hands of one whose portrait I (hall not presume to draw. Were I blessed with powers to do julLce to his charafter, it would be impoflible to in crease the confidence oraffeftion of his coun try, or make the fnulleft addition to his glo ry. This can only be effected by a difeharge of the prefeut exalted truss, on the fame principles, with the fame abilities and vir tues, which have uniformly appeared in all his f liner conduct, public or private. May I, neverrhelefa, be indulged to inquire, if we look over the catalogue of the firlt magiflrates of nations, whether they have been denomi nated Prefidentsor Consuls, Kiugs or Princes, where lhall we find one, whose commanding talents and virtues, whose overruling good fortune, have so completely united all hearts and voices iu his favor ? Who enjoyed the efleem and adininillratiou of foreign nations and fcllow-citi/ens with equal unanimity Qualities so uncommon are no common blcfling to the country that poffeiies them. Hy those great qualities and their Leuign effcfti, has Providence marked out the head of this na tion with a hand so dilliuftly visible as to have been seen by all men, and mistaken by none. It is not for me to interrupt your delibera tions by any general observations on the state of the nation, or by recommending any par ticular measures. It would be fuperfluous, to gentlemen of your great experience, to urge the neceflity of order. It is only necef lary to make an apology for myfeif. Not - wholly without experience in public aflembly, I have been more accustomed to take a lhate in their debates than to preside in their deli berations. It lliall be my conllant endeavour to behave towards every Member of this molt Honorable body, with all the confideraticn, , delicacy and decorum, which becomes the dignify of his station and charafter : But if, from inexperience or inadvertency, any thing lhould ever elcape me, iuconfiftent with pro priety, I must entreat you, by imputing it to its true cause, and not to any wane of re fpeft, to pardon aud excuse it, A trust of the greatest magnitude is com mitted to this Legislature, and the eyes of - the world are upon you. Your country ex perts, from your deliberations, in concur rence with the other branchesof government, conlideration abroad and contentment at home ; Order, Justice, Peace, and Liberty : And may God Almighty’s provi* dente aflift you to aniwer their just expefta ttons. GEORGE-TOWN, April 17. Extrait of a letter from an American gentleman in New-Or leans, 10 bis friend in this county , tiuted b ebt uary 16 “ An unfortunate event has lately taken place in this part of the world, which may probably break the late efiabljfhed harmony between the Spaniards and our states. You have no doubt been informed oi the port of New-Orleans being opened to our country men fettled on the Wetfern Waters; in con sequence of which the Miffifippi has been co vered with fleets of boats from Cumberland, Kentucke, icc. floating'down great quantities of provision, flour, plank, &c. which, on ac count oL the diftreflid situation the inhabitants wete reduced to, by the late fire, has been dilpofed of to great advantage. “ T-he last tranfpoTt (as we are informed here) arrived from the Cumberland fettle— lileiSts, at the Natches*, about one week ago, owned by a Col. Armstrong, confiding of fix large boats manned by 30 hands. The gar rilon Handing in need of provilion, though not willing to pay the price which was de manded the Commandant refufed to grant them the uecelTary passports to proceed to New-Orteans : Our people, however, dif pefed of their cargo to some Ameiicans fet tled at the Natches, and weie on their way home, when the Commandant of the f >rt feut an officer with 50 Span;lh soldiers after them, to arrefi Col. Armstrong, and bring him to the tort; the Colonel refufed to obey the or , ders of the Spanish Commandant; told the officer that, as an American, and within the lines of, the territory of the United States, he was luhjeft to no controul of any power on the face of the earth, except to the lawi» of his own'country ; he begged ihe officer to desist from any aft of violence, as such would be accompanied with the 1110 ft serious and fa tal consequences. The officer still perflfting to execute his or ders, and one of the Spanidi fold ers impru dently preienting a gun at the Colonel’s breast, * the Americans took to their rifles, the Spa niards firing firft. An engagement followed,-* and the 24 Cumberlanders made 53 Dons take to their heels, leaving 5 killed and 12 wounded, on the field of battle, the of ficer being amongst the dead. “ Ihe affair has made much noise in this place, and exposes those f;w of our country men now residing here to the malice of the Spaniards ; they have given our countrymen the name of Blanco Savagot, owing to some of Col. Armstrong’s men handling the tomaw„ hawk pretty freely in the late engagement.” # il fort fill in pojfejjion of the Spaniards antht MiJJijippi , mil bin the limit* of Georgia. t No American boat it permitted to go to Aw Or leant me it bout entering at the tori, n't* predating apaffpoet, 4 moMttf j***%•.>