"That it be, and it is hereby recommended to the legislatures of the feveral ftates, to veft the United States in Congrefs affembled, for the term of fifteen years, with power to prohibit any goods, wares and merchandize, from being imported into, or exported from any of the ftates in veffels belonging to, or navigated by, the fubjects of any power with whom thefe ftates fhall not have formed treaties of commerce. That it be,and hereby is, recommended to the legifJatures of the feveral ftates, to veft the United States in Congress affembled, for the term of fifteen years, with the power of prohibiting the fubje&s of any foreign ftate, kingdom, or empire, unless authorifed by treaty, importing into thefe United States, any goods, wares or merchandize, which are not the produce or manufacture of the dominions of the Sovereign whofe fubjects they are. Provided, That all acts of the United States in Congress affembled, in purfuance of the above powers, the affent of nine States fhall be neceffary." Proceedings of the THE evils of a war are not closed with it's military operations; they defcend to the pofterity of the foldier, and he who knows of battles and devaftations only by tradition, realizes many very ferious effects from these events. To leffen fuch effects by an early provifion for defreying the expences neceffarily incidental to the beft conducted contefts of this nature, must be the object of every wife legiflature. This however, is always attended with difficulties; and perhaps, no where with greater, than in the United States. For, funds are not only to be provided, but the proportion of Thirteen different powers are to be afcertained. To do this, by any fyftem that thall be confiftent in principle, and reducible to practice, is an object as defirable as it is difficult to be attained. the quantity of land granted to, or furveyed for any perfon, and the buildings and improvements thereon. In April 1783, Congrefs recom mended it to the feveral flates to change this rule of apportionment, for another, which was founded on the number of inhabitants in each flate allowing five flaves to be equal to three freemen: the expediency of adopting this recommendation was a subject of early debate in the feffion, and on which we shall flate the arguments. Those who were in favour of the alteration, urged the impracticability of the other mode. Valuations, they said, taken in that way were sufficiently known to be unfatisfa&tory and unjuft by thofe which were made to determine the relative worth of the towns in our own ftate. Who was there that did not complain? And when inequalities were thought to be difcovered, where was the burthen to be laid for the relief of the fufferers? Never was there one that did not receive the real or pretended reprobation of a great part of the towns concerned. If thefe evils arofe to such an General height, on a fmall fcale, would they not increase with the magnitude of the objects to be compared together. In this refpect the propofed method had a decided advantage over the other, for, nothing was more eafily obtained than the number of polls in each flate. If gentlemen objected to the value of flaves compared with freemen they ought to confider, that the benefit of a white man (and freemen were generally of this clafs) in point of ability to pay taxes and to defend the ftate, was vaftly fuperior to that of a black one. The prime coft of flaves in the fouthern flates was high; their lives of but fhort duration; and the proportion of able bodied men exceedingly fmall. Their comparative value with whites could not indeed be demonstrated, but, from fuch confiderations, it might reasonably be fuppofed, that it was not higher than the proportion of five to three. The houfe were affured that the requifitions in which this commonwealth had been moft favoured,had been apportioned on the rule propofed. A very important confideration was to be The charges of the war, by the 8th article of the confederation, were to be defreyed out of the public cheft, to be fupplied by each flate according to taken taken into view, which was the rapid progrefs of liberty in America. Peñafylvania had already adopted a fyftem for freeing her flaves. Virginia was in the fame laudable tract; and, no doubt could be entertained, that the humane and glorious mealure would fend felf to the utmost bounds of the union. If this fhould be effected, the value of the polls would be univerfally equal, and the advantages refutting to the eaftern ftates too ebious to be mentioned. As to the operation of either plan in refpect to the new flates to be erected, if this was not too remote an object to have influence in the debate, gentlemen candidly confeffed they had not formed a judgment. The expediency of the measure was urged. It was af ferted, that the proportion of three whites to five blacks was the best terms that could be obtained in a matter which was the effect of a compromile. The flates fuppofed to be favoured by this rule, were brought into the recommendation with equal reluctance as others; and, feeing it was the wish of Maffachusetts to have a fettlement of the expences of the war, as one means of availing herself of the fums Tupposed to have been advanced to Congrefs beyond her proportion it mont be confentaneous to her wishes as it moft certainly was to her intereft, to adopt the alteration. To thefe arguments-it was replied, that the fol of the fouthern Rates fo much exceeded our own in richness, as to make a compliance with the recommendation Wholly unwarrantable. That this was fairly deduced from the arguments on the other fide, if they were juft in point of fad for, if the prime coût and other difadvantages of laves were fo exceedingly great as was reprefented, then the fol must be proportion. anly fertile to defrey fuch charges and yeld a profit to the planter. But this important fact was not left to be estab hed by others which were not abfolutely conceded. The proportionate exports of the ftates long fince eftablished against us, proved it beyond a queftion. Our inhabitants might be hardier than thofe at the fouthward, but if this proved any thing in favour of the relative value of the pulls, it certainly proved more against the whole fyflem proposed; for, one cause of any advantage we might have in that respect was, the obftimacy of our foil, which yielded only to laborious exertions, and the compara tively fpontaneous productions of theirs, which allowed them to indulge in many luxuries that our yeomanry were frangers to from neceffity. But the depreciation of the fouthern flaves, was by no means acceded to. However unequal they might be to our foil, they were well calculated for that in which they served; and if the whole number of them were not labourers, the reft confifted of children and breeding women which were reckoned valuable eftate. It was afferted that the buildings and improvements in the fouthern ftates, were lefs confpicuous to the traveller than thofe at the eastward: it being the general practice here to erect our buildings on the public road, whereas, there the feats of wealthy men were commonly retired, and not feen in a general paffage through the country. This might tend to deceive fuch gentlemen as had travelled but tranfiently. The old fyftem could not by any means be given up by its advocates as impracticable, and arguments of inconveniency, they thought, ought not to be conclufively urged against it, in a cafe where every poffble plan must be fubject to the same objection. As to the expediency of the propofed mode it was obferved, that a final fettlement of the public charges was truly defirable; but, to hazard any thing for the lake of difpitch in matters of fuch moment was wholly unpardonable. If the Rates in an oppofite intereft were to find a fealy adherence on our part to the article in the confederation as it ftood, they muft, from a confcioufnels of the operation it would have againft them, be forced into better terms on the new plan. Such is the fubftance of the argumen s ufed on this important queftion, which had been previously determined in favour of the propofed alteration by the fenate; but when the fenfe of the Houfe was taken, there was found a large majo. rity againft it and a bill was agreed upon by both branches for afcertaining the lands, buildings and number of of inhabitants in the state in order to enable Congrefs to eftimate the quotas of the refpective flates in the union. The plan of the late Court for obviating the British commercial fyftem, has been continued and ripened, and a bill for vefting certain powers in Congress for this purpofe compleated. The money matters of the Commonwealth which met with fo many unfortunate checks in the laft feffion, have been taken up with better fuccefs in the prefent, of these we shall rather give the refult, than the detail. It appearing that there were large arrearages of taxes due to government on old affeffments, and Congrefs having relinquished one half of their requifition for eight millions of dollars on the flates, at least for the prefent, a lucky occasion seemed to prefent itfelf for reducing fome part of the pub. lic debt. The army notes amounted to about 200,000 1. and were payable in thirds every year from 1784 fuccef fively. On this fate of facts a tax has been formed for railing 140,000l. for the purpose of paying fuch of them as are due in the years 1784 and 5 to that amount and in difcharge of which thofe notes are to be receivable; the remaining 60,000 l. are to be redeemed with the public lands in the eafiern Counties. Thus in fo early a ftage of the peace, Maffachufetts will be able to frike off by a fingle tax that will fcarcely be felt by the people, about an eighth part of all her private debt. The fund for difcharging the interest on the confolidated fecurities was not unattended too, and an Impoft and Excife bill fimilar to that ill-fated one of which we gave an account in our laft obfervations, has been nearly prepared for the approbation of the chair. The railing of taxes, fo neceffarily connected with the valuation of the towns, gave rife to a bill for taking a new account of the rateable polls, and eftates within the Commonwealth, which without doubt will pafs to be enacted. Many other matters of confequence are now pending before the legislature, which being uncertain as to their iffue, we conceive it not expedient to give an account of them at present. Late accounts from Europe fay, that the Dean of Glocefter gave it as his opinion, That by the great innovations now attempting to be introduced into the conftitution, the Bri tifh empire will be as furely overturned, and as truly fet up to the higheft bidder, within the walls of the House of Commons, as the Roman empire was by the Prætorian guards, during the decienfion of that unwieldly, falling empire. A man belonging to Hopkington, by the name of David Cutler, who had been to Cambridge, to tranfa& fome bufiness, flopped at the house of Mr. Richardfon, inkeeper, about three miles from the college; and having previously, by his own confeffion, taken the refolution to put an end to his life, went into a pasture near the house for that purpose; pulled off his coat, and then with a pen-knife cut his own throat in a moft shocking manner. It was in the evening, and he was obferved going into the pasture: His behaviour occafioned fome fufpicion, and induced Mr. Richardfon to go after him; on his feeing Mr. Richardfon, he drew the knife from his throat, and ftabed himself in the fide, and allo, cut his arm; he then defifted, and was carried into the houfe; he is yet alive, but lies dangerously ill. An Obituary for June, 1784 D I E D, |