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Believing of the public functionaries who ‘ hav\ solemnly pafTed upon the sys tem, were the honest dilates of their bed judgment, exercised free from felfifh concern, or interested motives, and the result of a consci entious regard to their imperious ; ~ ’ties—and believing also that they , have a dirett tendency to ref-! ‘ he almost ruined credit of the and the languishing confi of the citizens ; qualities in .rnment without which it ceaf • be defir able. therefore cannot withhold ’ j persons concerned in the n :rn of their extended politi *d anfages. the expreflion of •v approbation. vi. J so-st we approve and sp ;> --d rfiofi trneflly the conduct . , . .. ‘-'qy Early. What iiberal _ ; reflecting mind, can censure an - * v ich manifeftly has for its . r j ;cc lb . public good, and of the’ m rzraf of this object; there is such -• vmthnt proof? Could interest or *mHtion have produced such an uS ? It proceeded from a perfcn. -■'/ho has poffeßed largely the public s ‘ rice and from an hone ft and . iff discharge of public duties • : yed at the time no inconfider . i firar of popular afferftion.— „ I as an aft which from the mul flv. ted and varied interest it had ’ *ombat was well calculated to rum the political hopes of an high ly favorite officer—thefe reflections would not have escaped that intelli gent statesman. In making up an opinion and palling judgment upon the ads of public officers, is there nothing due to duty and conscience? Is there nothing due to chara&er and can did opinion ? Is there nothing due to long and faithful services, ren dered in various and laborious situ ations of public trust? Must all the generous, manly and charitable feelings of the heart be offered up at the (brine of popular delusion P We hope and trust not. We as cordially approbate the firmnefs & independence of the Judges, for the part they have taken, in relieving the country from that pressure of present & growing mifchief, which all acknowledge the system itfclf entailed, and which perhaps might have ended in the moft distressing 2nd disastrous agitations. They have manfully supported an important co-ordinate depait juent of our government, the func tions of which, would by an acqui escence in the alleviating iyftem have become indeed a mere .phan tom of what the conftitntion inten ded it fliould be. We hope and trust the day is not far distant when all the good people of this state will join us in the opinion that they are the fafe repositories of our conftituticnal rights. We a majority of the Grand Ju ry of Wilkes county, January term, SBl5, do recommend that the fore going be published with our pre sentments. 3- Anthony i F. M. Hay , Wm. G.. Gilbert, §Tbos. Gres hath, David Simpson, bA. Gresham, William Jones, §J. B. Leonard, Osborne Stone, §A. Simons , Joel Ch'mers, § Daniel Owen. The Court then ordered that the foregoing be published pursuant to the request of the majority of the Grand Jury. Copy jrom the minutes. DAVID TER HELL, CK GEOR&IA. Y Wilkes county. We whose names are hereunto fubferibed, being members of the Grand Jury at January term, 1815, hereby enter our protest against a paper signed by twelve of the Grand Jury at the term aforefaid, appro bating the late decision of the Judg es, relative to the constitutionality of the Alleviating Law. We re quest that the Editor of “ The Friend Cf Monitorp* will publish this our moft Solemn pretest, with the presentments made at the term aforefaid. (Signed) William Triplett,§ Francis Cart red, R. Tarver , §T horn as -Talbot, John Wingfield, §Wifliam Gill , Johnson Wellborn, § Abrgr Wellborn, James Sprat ling, § William Killgcre, Elisha Slaton. fi ‘.vcK*wc; 1 ,-,.w.T"errnmmn ThR FRIEND AK!) Monitor. ***if* *• ** * :*** *m - ****• ; V Firm ay, January 27th. THE National Bank Bill is once more under difeuffion, with several amendments, the moft. important of which are the redu&i&n of tlte Capital from 50 to S3 millions, and the exclufipri of the government from any extraordinary commands ever the funds.—There L now no doubt it will pass in this form. We understand an arrangement for the exchange of 4000 prisoners has been made, and the arrival of this amount is daily looked for. A bill to prevent smuggling, &c. has pafled the Lower Houle, and strongly expected a concurrence to by the senate. ‘ Milledgevillb, January 20. By an Express which reached town this evening, we are enabled to lay before our readers, th<? fcl- j lowing highly important NEWS- ; Extract of’ a letter from Captain A. A. Masias to Gen. Floyd , dated, SWEET WATER BRANCH, j 1 5th ‘ Janaary 1815. ; sir, ; 4< The enemy moved against Point Petre this morning, at half oaft 7 o’clock with his whole force, (about 1500); his operations were : llmultaneous. 1 received inform a- : tion of his approach on my picket, near Major Johnson’s with from 800 to 1000 men and two pieces of artillery. Aware of his intention to place himfeff in my rear, while he at the fame time was advancing in considerable force in front, to at tack the battery on the St. Mary’s, • with a view to cut oft my retreat. I made the following disposition of my small, but brave Ifttle force. I ordered Capt. Stallings to remain at the Point with about 30 effec- i tives, with orders to defend it as j long as possible, and if he fliould be over-poweied, spike the guns, fire the train at the magazine and retreat to me with the remainder, about Go riflemen and infantry. “ I moved against the enemy in the rear, determined to oppose his passage at a narrow defile near ma jor Sing’s, and make good my re treat at all hazards p at nine o’clock we came up with the defile near major Johnson’s—-it is flanked by a niarfhon each fide and has a com plete cover for riflemen on the right and left lide, across which, the day pre*iooSj l had cattfet form large tree*) to be fallen *: u3 wk eVcred ft on one end the enemy did so on the other—lt was my intention to gain the Cross Roads near major King’s, but finding tnyfelf Hoped, Lieut. Holt of the 43rd Infantry was ordered with a detachment of riflemen to advance on the enemy’s left and Lt. Harllee with another detachment to pass the thicket, and endeavor to gain his rear; this or der was promptly obeyed. Opt. Tatnall of the 43rd Infantry was ordered at the fame time to ad vance in clofo column and pass the defile,; at this moment their Bugle founded, and a brills fire commenc ed oti both lides; wc had already pafled fpnie distance, and the ene my had given wav twice, wberi Capt. ‘l'atnall, who flood near me received a severe wound, which obi liged him to fall back ; this produ c ;d a momentary pause, when the enemy prefled forward, but was re ceived with an unequal force; ii was at this moment 1 received un exampled lupport from Serg’t Ben ion of the 43rd Infantry and private Greene of the rifle, but our efforts was unavailing ; their number was tooimpoffng ; a thousand to sixty was too much odd , and believing the Batterv in ts e hands of the ene my, as but three guns had been fir ed. It was w ith relu&aacel order ed a retreat, which I am- happy to flute, was eiVedfod in good order. I took the path to Mrs. Gordon’s, on the North River, at which place I had previously engaged a large boat, in the event of not being a ble to pass by the bridge, near ma jor King’s, but someone had pro traced that plan ; the boat was ta ken away. 1 had Iftt one refourre left, and this was to pass at Miller’s Bluff with a paddleing Canoe. ** I then font an order so Capt. Stallings to retreat by that way, which he promptly chewed, the en emy following him dole in the rear. I lament the neceffify of informing you of the loss of the Fort at Point Petre. The enemy’s loss must have been confulerabla* the defile was covered wfith blood. An officer of diftin&ion, u'earing a pair of Epau lets was among the flam. Our loss is very inconsiderable, as will appear by the report annexed ; and have reason to hope that fome of those miffing will yes join*. “ I should not do juftied to’ the gentlemen I had the honor to com mand, did I not fay,, they perform ed prodegies beyond all’ reasonable expedarion; all’ were equally brave; but if I may be allowed to diferim inafe and recommend any to ycur particular attention, it will be capt. E. F. Tatnall of the 43d infantry ; he wsft conspicuous in every act, and gave me the utmost support. “ I cannot but confider iny little band high; complemented by the number the enemy thought fit so bring against them.” Very refpedfulty, your obedient, ferv't. (Signed) A. A. M ASIAS, Capt. 10th R. R. Com. Detach. U. S. T. Return of killed and wounded, prifoners'add miffing in she a&ion bn the 13th January, J‘B!s, near Point Petre. 43d Infantry; wounded, 3 cap fain, severely—l private—miffing 4 privates—total 6 Rifle Corps killed 1 private; wounded, 1 ser geant (prisoner;) 1 private severe ly; miffing 5 privates, total 8 - Grand tcyaf, 14. die Journal—Ejcfifo. Milledgeville, January 20. CT His Excellency the Governor this day received, by express, the following information : Point Petre and the Tow A of St. Mary's are taken — Capt: Ma ssias skirmished with the enemy in the rear of Point Pe tre, and -made good his retreat- Capt. Tatnall is severely Woun* deil aml oneprivat'e JaUech Ap resistance whs made at Ft. Md ry's. nnwm The Gonstitmioit Frigate. Nr.w r -YoRK, January (j/ ; A naval officer, who left New- London on Tuesday evening, andt arrived here this morning in th'e mail stage, states, shat o?i Th-fday morning, a Mr. Peck came up from the British squadron and reported that, while on board the Superb that morning he was informed by • the firft lieutenant, that the United Grates’ frigate Constitution had funk the British frigate Maidstone, after a long and defperat'e engagement. To Mr. Peck’s enquiry how had derived their information, the lieutenant replied, that a (loop of weir (which lay at anchor near thtv Superb) arrived from Halifax ojh the preceding evening, which receL veijl the intelligence frerm a vessel file had boarded on her paflage. Two’ of the other stage state, that they left Fiftier’s Island on Tuesday ; and that just before their departure, a party of Britifh'; featnen came on fhoe, and men tioned in their hearing, that the Confiitution had given ths Mai#r stone a terrible flogging. The probability of this report r?- ftrengrhencd by an article in thf Boston Palladium, of Monday, which states, that on “the 6th cA - December, the William and Indus try were E llen ir. with by the Maid ftone, the coinmander of took a copy of their inftrudiems, to convey them to Caftine, but from them a few hours after in a gale.” Another article in the fame paper mentions, that the “ gaie” here noticed continued ** ten days'’ or in other words to the 3 6th of December. Tlie Confiitution, it will be remembered, failed from Boston on the 17th of December,’ and’ fteefed an eastern cc-urfe. From these faffs and dates, wy are inclined to confider the rumor,, as probably correct. Com. Campbell has taken un his head-quarters at STfahnah. Fifty vessels, under convoy of the gun boats, arrived at that port from St, Mary's and Amelia aland about £ weeks ago. We have a report that the (loop of w r ar Wasp has again returned to France, after a brilliant cruise. tVASHiNGToN-CifY, Jan. 4* The Bank Bill has been re- const* dered in the House of Reprefenta-/ ti ves, and is re-committed to a fpeciaJj Committee. . January 1 4. V The committee confifls of Mefirs. { M‘Xee, Findley’, Stockton, Pitkin, Taylor, Cuthbert, and Yancey. If t is dnderftood they will report t Qt day. The bill for laying a direst taS 6f fix millions has pafled the fenate,y and only wants the fignafure of tJfe to become a “ s