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CONGRESS. EE ELITE OF TEE UNITED STATES. Monday, Nov. 16. Mr. Mhchill rofc to call the at ten Ton 6f the Sensite to a motion he had made at the commencement of the fes {idtJ, relative- to additional means of defence, and further -meaiures of tecu iyi'ty to the seaports and harbors of the nation. This important fubjeft had been introduced by him at an early day. It had been printed and laid upon the table for conhdefaticn, and it was his original intention to have futiered it to lie there until the official intelligence alluded to in the me (huge of the Prefidsm should arrive from Great Britain, Recent and alarming information,, “which had reached the K-t of govern mem, the riling of the Senate, on i’ ti pav lad, though lindtuicd with rumor and refting.on the credibility of pri rate communication, had, however,] altered his mind upon the business. j The invafiorj of Zealand, the capitu lation of Copenhagen, and the cap ture of the DaniOl fleet, were events of the ucnioft moment ioneutral powers; and taught them that the greateil mo deration, and prudence and forbear ance were of no avail in guarding a mild, an unoff ending and peaceful peo ple againil the violence of its rapaci ■ ous and stronger neighbor. ‘A visita tion of a Gmitar naiure might, in the course of things, be expeQed from the kme quarter, and the fairefl of our s commercial cities might be wrapt in flames or battered to ruins, Vveir after year hath rolled away in fruitleis negcciation. He doubted whether in tire present posture of affairs, there-would be any faiisfafftory adjuff memos the points in dispute. It did nor, indeed, follow, that the failure to efFecl a treaty would not neceflarily bring on a war. But the domuiioii of| the ocean was so proudly ulupped by Britain, and the usurpation maintained by such a prodigious naval force, that it would be calculating extravagantly upon our good fortune, toexpetf that our rights would not be invaded by them : and in an age of the world, v.'hen it was fafiiionable for the ruling statesmen to fweepaway like cobwebs, übllrad principles of right and written maxims of public law, it was surely a f’eafon when the weaker powers ought I to employ every precaution for their; fafety. It was not his intention to recom mend the conftruclion of a navy car rying metal enough to dispute the em pire of the high leas. Hrs only ob ject was to provide a force fuffkiem to protctl our acknowledged territory, and to preserve peace within our sea ports and harbors. During the inter vals of peace it was the duty of wife statesmen to prepare for war. Al though the United States had been in the enjoyment of that bluffing, with little interruption, for more that* twen ty years, there had been too little done to guardagainft those evils which in the common course f events it was karcely poflible to avoid. But al though threatened with hostility from various quarters, the nation on the cvhole #njoyed a good share of tran quility. There was yet time to pre pare for the political temped which yould probably succeed the calm we had long experienced. The Treasu ry was in a condition to furnifh the ne ceflary sums, without imposing a cent of tax upon ourselves. And with time and money at our disposal, he conceived it to be a duty of The moll imperative obligation that CongreU should now retrieve, by more than or dinary exertions, the carelelfnefs and neglect of preceding fcffioa*. During the last meeting of the na tional legislature, indeed, a decent ap propriation was made for the repan and erettipn of defenlive works when they fitould appear to be molt wanted But how inadequate was this provi lion ! Exigencies had arisen during th* tcccfs, which had obliged the Frehien to contraD debts on the national ac count toalmoft three fourths of a mil lion of dollars. And the bill on your table, Mr. Frelident, has been brought in to makegood ibis anticipated fund. Had Congress made more ample ar rangements for the general fafety, had they taken cffeGual measures of de ■ fence at an earlier day, or had they made the legal provision for purchas ing the stores and implements which j the general welfare requires, the Exe cutive would not have been compell ed to take the steps which he has done, ; of pledging the national faith for a large amount of unappropriated mo- Tvey. But the Secretary of the Navy j has a£led wifely as well as boldly on this emergency—ar.d the only senti ment to be uttered on theoccafion is, that in consideration of the reluclance j manifeftedin Congress to adopt an es ■ fefcluai system, and of the preilttre of ; the exiktng circumstances, it was great j iy to be lamented he had not arttfeipat ! ed three times as much. Yet evenafter all this expenditure, the Atlantic coafl was certainly not protected as became a nation profefs mg the feelings of bravery and honor and boaffing annually of Us.great and accumulating wealth. The vexations, captures, seizures, and murders com mitted by the fubjefls ot foreign so vereigns Within the United States, were encouraged by their total impu nity, Ami a iheet of paper comairv ing a proclamation was read by them with little other edneern than they pe rused any thing else in print. Mr. VI. laid he was entirely pcifuaded that lomcthing more might be done and ought to be done, to enforce respect to our laws within our undifputtd li mits, and at any rate he was convinced ■ of the propriety of making a Itrong! experiment for the purpose. M. M. then took a fnrvcy of the coalt from North toSouih, and a Iked whether it-was not expedient to do] iomething more for the lecurity of the; Capital, and other numerous ports of MalfachufetU ? Did the capacious but; defencelefs harbor of Newport deserve to be left in its present condition? As to New-York, which might be called the neart efthe union, it would be un kind and unnatural if he did not ex perience the keenell ferifibility for its iafety. Conliderable indeed had been done towards its defence out of the appropriation for the year ana out of the Executive anticipation. Os this he thought it becoming in him to make i a public acknowledgment. But much ; more remained (till to be cccomplilh- 1 ed.; and this would require the aid of additional appropriations. The har- i bor of New-York and the entrance of the Chelapcake were the favorhc place rendezvous to piratical and bolide fleets. They were peculiarly expo fed to their aggrel&ans and ii/fulls; and were worthy of more powerful protec-; tion than had hitherto been extended to them. In coupling Norfolk with; the city near the Hudson, he meant to j expiefs from the openriefs of their ports and their contiguity totheocean, the equal claim they had, efpccialiy after the recent tranfa&ious in their! refpcfctive neighborhoods, not to the’ favoritifin or but to the c- ! qual jullicc and to the protetling arm ! of the nation. Though N. Carolina! might be confideredas fafe behind her Ihoals and beaches, it was far otherwise with her fifter-fiate on the louth. For Charlelton prelented itself to his eye as requiring further luccour from go vernment. The fame remark applied to Georgia. For the works at Savan nah had not recovered from the ruin ous hate to which they were reduced oy the ilorm of 1801, and St. Mary’s, now that the African slave trade was •rohibited, would deserve further re paration as well for ti e purpose of ex luding the {hips of enemies as of those ho make merchandize of men. Tracing the Ihore along to the nouihof the Milfilippi, he beheld a ♦eak and vulnerable point at Orleans, •nd whether that region was contider d as the feat of tiomelhc feuds or the nark of foreign aggrelTion, it undoubt edly required a more ftdble and c.isr gctic support. Although his proposition had a pe culiar reference to the Atlantic boun dary, where our territory lay conti guous to the pretended domain of the i Britilh as lords of the seas, he did not jwifh to be underflood as confining his ideas of proteefiori to that quarter of the union. He felt that as a statesman and a Senator, all and every part of the nation was entitled to the protecting care of the government; and the state of the Weft and the North whereas proper objeCls of its care and defence as those of the East and the South.— Jfanv gentleman should propefe a plan ] for increasing the fecutity of the inland frontier where danger was to be appre hended from the savages & their Euro pean connexion, he would give it his hearty aidand co operation. Wheth er the post near Narches or at Nachi toches, the Chickasaw Bluff’s or Mas sac, St. Louts or Maimi, Detroit or Mfdukmakinak flood in need of re pairs or reinforcements, he was ready to vote the neceffery appropriations I he warlike & murderous Sioux were adually at war with us on the Miffou ri; and a Hate of commotion fc-irccl t less than a war had long exilted in Mi chigan. Whatever,was nece.Tary {Ol teaching Indians to dread our di I pie a furc, and for bending the stubborn will of insurgents to the yoke of the laws, should receive from him all the coun tenance he could give. To Vermont and the whole country bordering on Canada, he would vote ordnance and arms. To fome persons the posture of our affairs might appear less furious than they did to him. He was no alarroift —but the proflration of our commerce, j | the murder of our citizens, the viola-j non Os our sovereignty, were each of; them solemn matters. “ They demand- j .ed foir.ething more than that passive; land forbearing temper, of which our! I nation had given proofs almost with-] t out a parallel. There was a period of i j extreme endurance; and that period wa< now come. The people who en joyed liberty held it upon this express condition, that they should attempt to wrelt it from them or even to encroach upon it. To spend our breath in enquiries whether a-king in Europe is mad or in his senses, is as idle as the prating of The Athenians whether Philip of Ma cedon was lick or was dead. White ; were talking about if, their inde ; pendence was deflroyed. Let us be ! atlive, and neither be lurprifed in our fk-ep, rior in a reverie that is no better I than Humber. But on a theme so co pious, hr, It would be easy to expan ,tiate at great length. The only diffi culty 1 feel is in condenting my re marks. For moderate as my elocu tion is, it would not be difficult for any one, pofTeffing powers of speech ftnail er even than mine, to difeourfe to you ; for hours. Mr. Robinson advocated the mo tion in warm and decided terms; when the question was put and carried, nan con. ] That the part of the Prefident’smes ; sage which relates to the defence of our feapor: towns and harbors, and The further provilions to be made for their fecuriiy, be refered to a fele& committee, with leave to report by bill or otherwile ; and a committee was accordingly appointed, confiding of Melfrs. Mitchiil, Adams, buiupter* Miiledgeand Robinson. HOUSE OF REPEESENTAZU'ES. Mokuay, Novemoek. 16. Two other members appeared and took their feats. Mr. Holtnrs said he was re dm died by the committee of Claims to move that they be dis charged from the further conuderatioa of ieveral ■petitions 0:1 compenfatiofi for iervices during the revolutionary war, and to move that they be re ferred to the committee appointed on the i'uh'edt oi claims barred by lUtutcj of limitation. A greed. Mr. J. City observed that he understood rca. ny large purobafes had been lately made by dif ferent agents for the United States, fome of whom are paid lor their services a certain per on the amount of these yurshafes. He thought’ this the wrwft poifibk wry rj ; the public money. For the purpose of and to bring the fubjedt before the lioufe, moved the following refoluticns which w-re i dopted : j Resolved, That the Secretary of war he diref}. erl to lay before this Flivufe an account or c*b. mate of the.purcbafes of onerchandife and fuppi.l. made on behalf of the United States by th, Z perintendant- of Indian trade, by the purveyor 5: ’ public supplies, and by the milita-y agent. - n !f ” different diil-riA#, for the three years ending . 30th day of September last, fpecifyi-ng, ass a ’ , may be pra&icable, the amount purchakd, )' 0 what departments, at what place, and by vd,.. , cfScer, together with the emoluments, corrirrus. 1 fions, or salary allowed to fucli ofHcer. J Resolved, That the Secretary of the jiavy-, | directed to lay before this Hoofs an account estimate Gs the purchases of merchandise andfc. ’ pjies made on behalf of the United States by 4 navy agents in the different ports of the Unite’ States, for the three years ending on the JOi'ii day of September last, fpecifying, as far as mayf’ prafiicable, the amount purchafod in each y f -.’ at what portend by what agent, together tbs emolumenis, commissions or falariesTiov.cd to such agent. Mr. Nelson rose to move reference rfr tition of Samuel B. Beal, prefentecl in March 1793, and which nad been renewed every l>;T !n lines, so that it had gone the rounds of nil r 9!r . mittees, Secretary of state tec's’ The petitioner dates that a final fettiement for feraiceu duriu'- the revolutionary- war, he received a certificate for the balance due to him. As he was iVim. ming a creek lie was obliged to pafj with tbtie certificates in his pocket, they got vvet and b?. came useless to him. Ms N. moved that the petition should be referred to the committee r.p. pointed to cpnfder the uibjcft of claims hrjtd by ads of limitation. Agreed. To he continued. FOR. T£ INTfiLLIGEMCLU. Mr. FELe.iv, THE fubfeq.fent remarks origiaplly htued from the lips of one of lue moil eloquent statesmen, and ingenious poliricians, who (n: appeared in the Parliament of Great-Britain | They explicate the illiberal and hoftjle conduct jof England towards neutral nations, for year; ; past, in a glaring and convincing point of view, j The expanded, and benevolent mind of thehon jorabla C.iarles James I-ox, could r.ot but view ,so odious a system as that prosecuted by the [ unjust and corrupt government of Great-Britain, as deserving execration. With the patriotism of an honorable Sngliibman, he exposed the malign operations of his degraded government, ar.d anxious to retrieve the honor of his country by feeing a more honorable course cf conduft adopted, exerted the vail powers of his mind to effefl it. Lord Stanhope has - lately dilplayed a similar temper, which re fie ft s upon hib char, after an honorable luftre, In’ times of public em’mrtiflment England has been wont to look for her principal supplies to Poland and Ameri ca. “Already (hut out from Poland, where/’ aiks Lord Stanhcpe, “ will you receive {ap plies for your naval arsenals, if you go to war with America ?” But he a iked in vain—none of his brother members of Parliament coo’d an. fiver him. The infertiou of these remarks will tend to Jeftroy the efficacy of those observations, which have iflued from the hirelings of England in this country, considerably, and will oblige A WELL VZJillEa. EXTRACT Frcfn Mr. Fox’s Speech, delivered hi P.mlfr merit, in the year 1795. “ WITH rsfpeft to AMERICA, I (ball fuy nothing at-present, except that, after giving orders fer taking her ships, we reuajbd those order?, and have finCe entered into 3 ‘air ty by which we agree, properly I believe, juft'ys ar.d if juftby, wifely, to pay for #he/aftmei5 wd felly cf iffuipg them.’ Next, with regard tt> Denmark and §weden, which were in r'rjSs ede so intimately conneAed in. point ofintereft, that whatever was addressed to the one might be Ann* {ideved in fact, alt'iough not m i jrr.i, as add rie ci to the other. To the Court of Copec.lia,;®* we presented memorial after memorial, couch’d in mod peevi.'h and offenlivC terms of ren-o tlrcncc, on the neutrality of his Danilh mcjcltv. These memorials were nr, fevered by the mini has Mr. Beniftoff, with such temper, Jirtnucfe sri diplomatic knowledge, as obliged us at length, ‘todefift, and raised his character higher than | that of any Danilh miuiiteV ever was befc.'C.— We engaged in a diplomatic contcft upon the fubjeft of neutrality, in which we (hewed our complete ignorance of the rights of neutral na tions* and were foiled accordingly. What has been our cor.dtift towarcb tiw Grand Tufcauy, a Prince wlro, altH belonging to one of the mod iduftrious farn.he? of Europe, is known not to'be pollefll-d ofanf great military power ? Lord Hervey ghei t the Grand Duke of Tufeair/- —not to the Iha* peror, the king of Pruilia, or any potent Mu> j arch—and fays to him,. “ Can you pretend 1 m?inta:n neutrality with such a govenmeul, &