The Georgia state gazette, or, Independent register. (Augusta, Ga.) 1786-1789, October 28, 1786, Image 2

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qiMJt, Ti r v. cvrt dignified or dehafed, to that censure of the h'i . v,h::h their enr-tempt of »r hat- lu jttfl >y incurred. 1 4. Ats of.the laii Aionbly having veiled the Superior Court* with the folc power of direction of the io.olh and this Court will Le touch obliged to tlie Centlauen of t!u- Crr.i (I j ;ry for all the information in their power relative to ti c extent r.m! fiinatlon of the several roads through this countrv, together w:th the numher ol hands lobjecl to woi k o;i the* fame, and the moll proper perldns to be appointed ovfj frn fc them. termit me r.ow, Gentlemen of the Grand Jury, to address yiai for a moment on a fubjetl of as high importance as ever arrcl'ed ihc attention of aft ee people. The difficulties and ffiliicffes iu with both government and people were involved, from an unavoidable concurrence of unfavourable incidents, induced the Honourable the General Affemlly, at their last fitting, to pals ait ait for the immediate cmiflion of fifty thou sand pour.du, in paper hi.ls, on a footing of liability never heretofore chwblifhed on limilar occalions ; but Inch ale the unhappy prejudices contrailed again!! a paper medium, on ft: cunof former loss and difappointrueut, that it is to be feared tfcjit, through lie misapprehension of some well disposed citl/cii*, and the artifice and influence of the difaffeded, this wife, politic, and bcnevolenp provision of the Legillature, will fall fliort of its provident deilination, without the hearty concurrence of every independent friend to our happy ellab liflur.ent. Let me therefore, Gentlemen of the Grand Jury, recommend to you, in the mofl ferions terms, to threw your weight at Icall into the stale our ccnntiVs catife, and, by endc. foil ring to remove the apprehensions of some very ref| triable charters among our friends, by difeotmtenaheing «nd defeating the deligns of our enemies, and giving the paper iruVoev a cheerful reception and ready passage through every channel of your commercial intcrcourle, you may manifclt to the world your independent, your patriotic refutation, as far as m you lies, to picferve your fellow’ citizens from ruin, to fuppoit and maintain the honour and dignity of our countrv, ami to cflablilh its importance upon an honourable and per manent balls among the other independent nations of the World. Von will be leafed now*, Gentlemen of the Grand Jury, to utirc to your deliberations, in the courfeof which, thould you think, my adiftance in any degree neceilary, you may dc|t*..d on everything in my power toward faivitating the important w'ork before you ; for I beg you to be allured, Gentlemen of the Grand Jnry, that no circumftauce in life tan give me pie-fore equal tg that of contributing to the hunoui of my country and the happinefa of my fellow citizens, objeifs which lhall ever diieCt ray pursuits in whatever chancier I may have tire honour of lcrving the public. W.ST] T*H, Savannah, Oflybcr 3, j;B6. PHILADELPHIA, September 7, Having been favoured with the following extrad of a letter from In* Excellency Thomas jefferfon, Esq ; Miniftcr Plenipotentiary at the Court of Vetfailles, from the United itutes, to his /Excellency John jay, Jfcfq • Miniftcr of Foteiy.n Affairs at New.Yurk, dated May 2 7, 1786. We take tie carheft opportunity of laying them before tl:e Public, with an afturauce thltt they are genuine and authentic. “As to the article of Tobacco, which had become an im portant branch of remittance to almuft all the States, I had the honour of communicating to you my propolition to the Courts to eliabhib the monopoly of it in their farm ; that the Count de Vergenne* was, I thought, thorough fcnlibleof the expediency as this proJolilion, and disposed to befriend it • that the lencwai i . thelcalc of the farms had been conferment iv iulj ciu.cd fix months, and was Hill in linpeuce ; but that li> p owerful were tlie farmers-General, &c. that I delpaired of preventing the renewal of the farm at that time. Thines wcie in tins date when M. rlc la Layette returned from Berlin. On communicating to him what was on the carrct, be proposed to me a conference with fome’pe.-foiis weh acquainted with the commercial system ofthis country— Wc met they proposed the endeavouring to have a Com mitice appointed to enquire into the folded. The propolition was to the f ount t,e \ crgeimcs, who be friended it, and had M. dc La Payette named a member of the Committee ; he bee.. .e, o. cmnle t.ie athve and truly zealous member lor uie liberty oi commerce ; others, though w-‘I not c holing t> oppofc the farm openly. This commh cc Irs r.:ct from tunc to time, it ibewed an early and deciiivccou v.uien, t:.at tht wealuics taken by the firm, to put the pur - • t chafe of their Tobacco into the monopoly ca that fide the water, ?sthefa!c of them waso;i this* tended to the annihi lation of commerce between the two countries. Various palliatives were proposed from time to time, I confefs that I met them all with difference, my object being a radical cure of the .evil, by difcontinning the farm, and not a mer/V affuagement of it for the prefeur moment, which rendering it more bearable, might lessen the removal. In the mean time, the other branches of the farm rendered the renewal of the 1 leale necessary, and it being said to be too far advanced to have the article of Tobacco separated from it and suspended, ‘ it was tigned in the month of March, while I was in England, with a clause, which is usual, that the King may difeontinue when he pleases, on certain conditions. When I returned, I found here a memorial from the merchants of L’Orienr, complaining of. their having 600 hog (heads-of Tobacco on hand, and of the distresses they were under from the loss of this medium of remittance. I saw him the 24th instant, and spoke to him on the fubjeCK He told me there was to be a Committee held the next day at Berni, the ofthe- Comptroller-General, and that he would attend it himfelfto have something done. I allied him if I was to confider the expunging that article from the. farm, as defparate. He said that the difficulty of changing so ancieut an rnititution, was imraenle ; that the King draws from it a revenue of 29 millions of livrcs, that an interruption of this revenue at least, if not a diminution, would attend a change ; that their finan ces were not in a condition to bear even an interruption, &c. Incidents enough, will arise to keep this object in our view, and to direct the attention, to it, as the only point on which the interests and harmony of the two countries (so far as this article of their commerce may influence) wiil ultimately find repol'e. The Conyuittee met the next day. The only question agitated was, how heft to relieve the trade under its double monopoly. The Committee found themselves Tupported by the presence and sentiments of the Count de Vergennes. Thcv therefore resolved, that the contract with Mr. Morris, if executed on his part, ought not to be annulled here ; but that no similar one (honld ever be made hereafter, that so long as it continued, the farmers fliould be obliged toptirchafe from 12 to 15,000 hogiheads of Tobacco a year,- over and above what they fliould receive from Mr. Morris, from -such merchants as fliould bring it in French or American veilels, on the fame 'conditions contracted with Mr. Morris ; providing however, that where the cargo iliall not be assorted, the prices Iliall be 38, 3 6, and 34 livres, for the iff, 2d, and 3d qualities of which soever the cargo may consist. In calc of dispute about the quality specimens arc to examine and decide on it. This is indeed the leaf! bad of all the palli- 1 ations which have been proposed; but it contains the feeds of perpetual trouble. “It is eafyto forefee that the farmers will multiply difficul ties and vexations on thofc who thallpropofe to fell to them by force, and that these will be making perpetual complaints, so that both patties will be kept on the fret, * If without fatiguing the friendly difpdfitioiis of the Ministry, thev fliould give them jufffo much trouble as may induce them to look to the demolition ofthe monopoly, 4s well as a temporary good. This determination of the Committee, needs the King’s order to be carried into effett. I have been in hourly ex petlatioit of receiving it ultimately confirmed by him, but as yet it is not come, and the poll will let out to-dav.—Should it arrive in time, I will enctofe it. Should it not arrive, as I do not apprehend danger of its being rejetfed, or even altered materially (feeing that M. de Vergennes approved of it, and M. de Cotonne acquiesced) I have supposed you would wifli to be apprized of its fubftancc, for a communi cation of which, I am indebted to the M. de La Fayette. '1 hough you cannot pubiith it formally, till you know it is confirmed by the King, yet an unatuhoratative kind of notice may be given to the merchants to put them on their guard, otherwd'e the merchants here, having the firft knowledge of it, may by their agents purchase up all the Tobacco they have on hand, at a low price, and thus engross to themfeives all the benefit. * “ * !ie Ume letter I mentioned, that tbe Rice of Carolina, compared vvsth that of the Mediterranean, was better and dearer. This was on my own observation, having examined both in the (hops here, where they are retailed. Further enquiries gave me reafou to believe, that the Rice ofCarolina, on ns arrival, is fouler and cheaper, ami that it is obliged to •he cleaned here before it i.s lulcable; that this advances the price, but at the fatnq time the quality alio, beyond that of the Mediterranean. Whether the trouble of this operation dis- the merchant, or the price the cunfumcr, or wbetiiev