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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*