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Saturday, June 20,1789.}
THE AUGUSTA CHRONICLE
AND
GAZETTE of the STATE.
FREEDOM of the PRESS, and TRIAL b j JURY, to remain inviolate forever. Confiitution of Georgia.
’AUGUSTA: Printed by JOHN E. SMITH, Printer to the State; EJfays , Articlesof
Intelligence, Advertifments, &u will be gratefully received, and every kind of Priming performed.
PROCEEDINGS of CONGRESSV
In the HOUSE of REPRESENTATIVES of
the UNITED STATES.
(Continued from our laJU)
Saturday , April 18.
A REPORT was made by a committee
promoting a plant for deciding on the
controversy between Dr. Ramsay and the
lion. William Smith, the conlideration of
which was postponed.
The House, agreeably to the order of the
day, went into a committee on the Hate of
the Union.
Mr. Page in the Chair.
The following duties were agreed to.
On anchors y i-a per cent; advalorem.
On wool cards 50 cents, per doz.
On wrought tin ware 7 i-t per cent, ad va
lorem. „ '
On coal 3 cents, per bulhel.
Every barrel fait fifh 75 centsa
Jfcvery quintal do. 50 cents.
On tearimported direttfrom India or Chi
na in American (hips—
Bohea tea per lb. 6 cents.'
Souchong and Mach do. 16 cents.
Superior green do. 20 cents.
On all other green do. 12 cents.
On teas imported from any other country,-
or in foreign (hips from India or China.
Bohea tea per lb. 8 cents.
Souchong and black do. 15 cents.
Superior green do. 30 cents.
All other green do. 18 cents.
The committee rose, and the House ad
journed.
Monday , April 20, 1789*
Mr. Baldwin and Mr Jackfon> from Geor
gia, appeared, and took their feats.
Mr. Tucker , frortv the committee to whom
was referred the petition of Dr. Ramsay,
and the petition of John Churchman, report
ed in favor of the petitioners. And a com
mittee of three was appointed to bring in a
bill on general principles, for the purpose of
feciiring literary property.
The House spent some time in a commit
tee of the whole on the ftateof the Union.
The following articles were exempted
from any duty whatever: Tin in pigs, tin
plates, lead, pewter, brafe, copper in plates,
wool, dying dying drugs, (other
than indigo) and beaver.
On all other articles not enumerated in the
Bill, a duty of 5 per cent, advalorem was
agreed to. t
The further prosecution of this business
being postponed, the committee rose.
The House then, according to the resolu
tion of Friday, went into a committee on the
Bill for preferring the form and manner of
taking the oath required by the 6th article of
the Constitution ; and having made some pro
gress therein, rose, when the House adjourned.
Tutfday f April 1 1,
The proposed duty of fix cents, per ton,
«n veftels built in the United States, and be
longing to the citizens thereof, was objefled
to by several Members.: It wsi urged, that
ir would tend to the difcoureging rtiip build*
Tng, that it was like taxing the implement#
of ImOwndry, and wi»»n improper uncle of
GEORGIA.
taxation. To thefc objections it was replied,
that the design of this tax was not for the
purpose of revenue, but to defray the ex
penses of light* houses, and incidental charges
of commerce; erefting hospitals for disabled
fe'ameh, &c. for which purposes, a tax of the
kind now proposed was the molt convenient
and, natural revenue.
Upon the paragraph which related to Vefiels
owned by the fubje&s of foreign powers in
alliance with the United States—many ob
servations occurred on Mr. Goodhue’s pro
posing a duty of sixty cents per ton. This
tonnage, the gentleman observed, according
to a calculation he had made, would amount
to about 5 per cent, on the freight of vefiels
of 200 tons.
Mr. Boudinot proposed 30 cents, per torii
Mr. Goodhue observed, that the duty on
foreign Ships was rendered necefiary, in con
sequence of the heavy burthens American
bottoms were liable to in foreign ports ; that
therefore, the duty to be laid, ought to bear
some proportion to those imposition*. Thir
ty cents, he conceived, would not eltablifh
the preference, in favor of our own Shipping.
Mr. Lawrence was opposed to sixty rents,
as much too high, confideriiig the present
date of our (hipping, which, the gentleman
said, was inefficient for the exportation of
our produce; this would be found so heavy a
duty a* to difeourage the fhipmenta of our
produce, which it was well known, would
not bear a duty in foreign markets ; it would
operate as a tax on ourselves, for freight in
foreign vefiels would be enhanced to an in
tolerable degree, which would embarrass, or
prevent exportations, to the difeouragement
of agriculture and industry of every kind.
Mr. Lawrence concluded, by fcconding the
motion for thirty cents.
Mr. Hartley proposed 33 1-3 cents.
Mr. Goodhue said, that he was againrt a
duty that would be so high, as to operate to
the difeouragement of exporting our own
produce ; but he thought that 5 per cent, was
as little sis could be mentioned, to give Ame
rican vefiels proper encouragement.
Mr. Fitzjimcns observed, that it had been
the policy of maritime, and commercial na
tions, to encourage their own (hipping; and
to give it, if pofiible, a decided superiority
over that of their neighbours and rivals —
Hence the propriety of our giving our own
navigation peculiar advantage ; and there was
no doubt but in time, our own Ihips might
and woold carry our own produce to market,
at a lower freight than any foreigneis could,
for many obvious reasons : But in the prclent
scarcity of vefiels, he did not conceive it good
policy to difeourage foreigners from comiug
to our ports. The (hipping at present em
ployed in trinfporting the produce of the
United States to market, was two-thirds fo
reign property : It would require time to
bring our (hipping upon a par with foreign
(hipping ; but a decided preference to Ame
rican bottoms, would induce the merchants
to increase the amount of their capitals, in
navigation, till in time, a superiority would
be obvious and felt. The gentleman observ
ed, that the objection to a tonnage duty, as
having a natural tendency to difeourage the
exportation of our produce, did not apply—
por the inoft valuable of our exports, could
not be obtained from any ocher quarter; to
bacco, rice and lumber, could not be pro-
EVol. 111. No. CZUI.I
duced in futficient quantities any where else ;
the Weft-Indies could rfot be supplied from
any other part of the world.
Mr. Tucker Was opposed to the duty of fix*
ty cents: It would bear extremely hard up
on some parts of the Union, and operate at
a bouuty to others, without any advantage to
the public. This duty would be eventually
paid by a few particular states; some of the
dates had more (hipping than Was necefiary
for their own particular employ; others, who
(hipped the greatest quantity of bulky articles,
were deficient in' (hips; the burthen would
therefore fall on those dates; for the tax on
foreign vefiels, would prove a bounty on
American, and cause them to enhance their
freight. He moved for twenty cents, per
ton, which, he supposed, would be a diffid
ent encouragement to the building of (hips iq
the United States.
Mr. Ben/on queried as to the policy of a
diferimination between those powers in alli
ance with the United States and those who
were not.
Mr. Burke was opposed to a duty of sixty
cents.
Mr. Sherman observed, that the objeft of
these duties Was, to place the American vefiels
upon a superior footing to foreign vefiels; he
feared that objeft Would not he effetted, as
foreign nations had it at their option dill to
increase the duties or our (hipd, ih proportion
to the taxes we might impose
Mr. Maddijon was confident there exiftedi
good reasons fora diferimination ; but doubt
ed the eligibility of suddenly eftabliihing a
very great difference ; as our (hipping, from;
every document, appeared at present to bo
inefficient: He was in faVor of a diferimi
nation, becaufc it coincided with the public
sentiment upon the fubjeft; policy and jiif
tice dilated it: France had recently relaxed
her commercial system in our favor r Ameri
can built vefiels could now be fold in France,
fubjeft to a duty of only five per cent. In
Great-Britain, no American built vessel can
be fold, nor repaired, nor were Britilh vefiels
allowed to be repaired in the Uuited States*
Fioin accounts it appeared, that the (hipping
of our allies, employed in the American
trade, bore no proportion to that of the Bri
tilh ; he was theiefote in favor of giving some
advantages to those nations in alliance with
us, that they might enjoy their due propor
tion of our trade, and to transfer it
Great-Britain, who now enjoyed more than
her pioportion. Besides, Great-Britain had
(hut her mod valuable ports in the Weft-In
dies against ns, while British (hips brought the
produce of the whole World to the Amercari
market. For these, and many other reasons,
the gentleman thoughr, that a diferimination
(hould take place; he therefore proposed an
amend tnent, fpecifying a particular period
for the commencing of the tonnage duty, to
prevent some of the confluences apprehend
ed from monopoly hy fume gentlemen, Sc c.
Mr. pucker again rofs in oppolitiou to Mr.
Goodhue’s proposition : He obicrved that, if
60 cents, were laid on ihips <»f poweis in
treaty with us, and a high*. duty on the (hip-*
ping of those who wcic not, the tax would
operate intolletably upon the foutbern go
vernments. \ *
Mr. Goodhue coincided in opinion with Mr.
Maddifou, in ht» proposition for an’ amotii*
utcut to the ftloluuwn*