NOlffiSAR;0fltNA tA Z E TTE,
v. K
:- I " -
Saturday, Jiine.y ;;94
OV" 439v)
(Vol. p.)
1-
Proceedinzs of Congrefs.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
; , OF THE
U M I T E D S T A T E S.
Thuhsdat,8.
MR. W. Smith (aid that it would be im
proper to talc off the embargo, as to
VeiTclsTor the Weft-Indies. -But, in regard
to others, he thought that they, might be
Mr. Giles faid, that from : whnt he had
heard (referring perhaps to what had fallen
from Mr. S. Smith), he. was more than e
ver convinced of the impropriety of loting
the embargo.' We had lent an agent to the
Weft-Indits. It would be wrong tp rake
off the embargo, till we had at lcaft fome .
intelligence from him. ; ; ; . :
Mr. Fitzfimons recommended a delay ot
a few "days, till we (hould hear from iome
quirter, farther on the matter. ; ; - . 1
Mr Lman was forry that the refolution
had been laid on the table, it would lead
to an idea that the embargo was 10 be taken
off, an ! of this he had no conception. .
Mr. Heifter was of opinion that the em-,
barco fliouM be taken up at a Very early day.
He faw no reafon why it (hould be delayed
at a 1. The queftion hould be 'decided in
fumcient time to let intelligence be convey-
cd to the extremities of- the union, by the
common way, without theexpenfeof fend
ing exprettcs. It requirtd thirteen days,
to fend notice to Georgia ; and if people
'did not receive pofitive notice that it was to
continue, they would conGder it as laid afide.
Mr. Hillhoure, Mr. Bourne, and Mr. Kit
tera, fpoke each a few words ; Mr. 'raccy
ended the convcrfationby obferving that the
who'e dav would be fpenr in talking whe
ther or not this bufinefs hould be taken up
" . v '. .... . 4. ... m . m . TT .1 r-i. 1 :
a mcafnVc. though that attemnf were to iarl, , iuch turn?. c naa a
;n;nri. for,.; U.rfif 'of America ' " citizens of Virginia r and
Vr UUIV4 11IUIV w v v , : i W - " i.
a :.,.- .V.a. with whirn that if
better opinion of the
he was fatished
anv bodv elle nau auvancca mcu
J . J . .
es were eranted. Mr. Fitzfimons fard that thing the member himfelf would not hate!
it was not the mere faffing of an aa to for- luffered it to pafs without animadvcrhon.-
tit y ports and harbours', ot to build fleets, 1 he fecond furprifing information which
that would dolervice. iAclsmua likewift be had heard this day, came from the
'be pail for the railing of 'money., hdirtil fame gentleman, (Mr. Nicholas.) He had
taxes had been highly I cenfured. But in fpoke of the national debt, that price qt
f the preferit pofture of affair they were ab- ; our liberty, in aj very exceptionab ejtyle
folutcly n'eceffary. -The impoft, asW had (This was in the firft of the two fpeeches'of
before obferved, was bnt a precarious re- which there has already been given a utetcn.
in tnis part or ir, we were prevM9u- d)
fourcp. As to the land; tax, which had oeen
fpoke of, it was ouftd in the committee by
the whole members at once, with an excep
' tion of eight or ten gentleman. If thefe
taxes were llruck out, t would ftill be ne".
celTary to recur to a land tax.
! Mr. S. SmitrT faid that the member from
Virginia was mifinforrhed, as to the numbef
of the American a'rmyi Theywere confi
derably higHer than tvo thoufand. He ap
proved of mod of the, "taxes' already voted.
If the fiim prbduted by them fticuld.happen
to exceed the expenfes of the current year,
he law nothing wrongan that. A fiirplus
in the treafury was a good thing," if it moul d
chance to exift.lt would he hoped, be appli
ed to diminilli that bugbear, the national ,
debt. As to what had been remarked by the
member from ennfylvania (Mr. Fiizfi
mons), with refpe'a io -the . dimunition of
imports this year, they were not fo great
as in i7oQ.- but greater than they
were in 1792. At New-York, there) had )
this year been 2 prodigious imporfation.
; He would not controvert the aflertion with k
regard to the port of Thiladeiphia, iur
preven
an accidental noife, irom hearing exacll
what Mr. Nicholas fajda circumftance
that mult ferve as air anolocy ior numerou9
. ... v . . .
pmilhons in therdetail pt tneie debates,)
Mr. Sedgwick concluded with declaring!
tbat'he could fee. no harm Tin having a iur
"pluffage in the trdafury, to dilcharge a part f
or the public debt y if there (hould happen 7 ,
to be lochia thing. 1 ' '- :r-. ''--'. ' J v
The queftion as to ftriking ott this refo
lution: for the taxation of carriages, was '
laid afide for this day, jwithout any ;. divifionl.
There was then read a refolution tfiat ,
after thef f day of l there (hall be:
paid a itamp duty, Tor ' licenfes certificates ;
oi admiffiionoffolicitor, attorneys, clerks,
advocate?, prodors, and other officers o
courts, five dollars.' ! -: '
'1 Mr. Ames recommended this. tax ; the
moft of us," faid he are lawyers ahd thiiS
tax on ourfelves willcrve as fome'lort 6f an
atonement to the public, for. the reft ofthei
. bitter pills that are going through the Houfe
In fati. ther burden will not fall upon us
but noon our clients, as every duty is ulti-
mateiy paid by the: comumer : ror tnis is a
,.U:rrlit anil" the" pehilernan himfelf had,
This was mere trifling. Tut it to vote, at .two days agoj uaiea m ii i9 uuu,
i.ins . 0 i. , r r..- .rrte v n dollars ner
nmnth afro a inCHd OI D15 Iiau uuuuihj . zj r ' .. f . ! n. 4.
muntn ago a , . J,,. .Vax :orf the con umpuon of luftice'
this town, an nunureo ana miy "V-; W srhnnrne did not think that the1
r r- ff. live npr nunnrcu 't.'j,.i'i. "'
Ot lUgar, ai- i uw .j- . j :
nThe queflioh was put, and the refolution
was deferred. 1 .
The Houfc then went into a committee,
on the report of the ways and means. Mr.
Lhcrbourne in the chair, .
The difcuOion of the tax on carriages was
refumed. It had y eiterday been moved to
flrike out the refb'ution. ; , ,
Mr. Nicholas was of opinion that an ad
di.ion of two and an half to the impoft of
; i-.nL:-., ,. rrrilw?ntr all the .fcpre was artfend to that proipect
ne more uian luiuv-ifciifc -j ---o - . , u, . . . -nr v
. j TTn4o .v.L the mem- ! ivir. W. Smith. We ought not
" - Ml V V IT -i V1 r 1 I I t I I k v - I. AW 1
ber went into avaiiety of eftimates, to
prove his affjftions. He likewife faid that
if thf Houfc were to pafs this aft, the courts
' of iufttce in Virginia would not fupport or
enforce ir ; and what could the Honfe do
in that cafe ? As one reafon why much mor
price of- fucar was only ten dollars per
i . ..rtr it fun-
hundred weigni. yiA.uiiC4uti, .v.--r
plies muft have been confiderable, fince the ;
commodity had funk fo cpnuderably in its.
value . To Baltimore vaft quantities f po
ducehad betfri imported from the Weft-Indies.
Of Eritiftigoodsgreater Supplies
were coming over from England, than had
been ever kniwn. 1 He had ftated the aug- .
mentation of impoft, under the impreffion
of there beinz no war. He was quite a-
ware, tnat i uVl? " 1 " '
iVnd to that nroibect.
to de-
.i . thT pxiftinV. revenues of impoft.
iWhatever Ihe impbrtation of this Spring
may be, thofe of the fall muft come iar,
ftiortof them ;: He recommended a ftatq
(of readinels f or contmjncies r, and he erp
. details, to al
tered lnio A yiiv,v V' x
" 7 ..... ; . . .r ttnrr ffhptlial
nev audit not to be wanted, he laid, mat certain tne yj y """"i. fe.
ney " . ' A.,;Mn . en !e monev for the public ler-
inftpad of five thoufand men
j:j rAnno rtf more than two
army uu nui ww.
thoufand- ' : i . ...
Mr. Fitzfimons faid that if the Houfc did
net want the money, he hoped that they
hould not attempt to raifc hV. But he did
not agree with the gentleman who fpoke
laft. as to the non exiftence of a neceflitybF
r - it
Mrl Nicholas apprehend no danger of a :
war. Theconduct of the American govern
ment had been fo moderate and pacific, ti at
it held out thegreiteft; encouragement to
foreign merchants for lending their pro.
. M..ntrV The. executive had
perty to -
lait as to the non cxmence oi . iicww - ,i ----- - A i,a MVt or
,air5- . , . r(v..a n,-,r. fW no outrages, on. the part ox
that fort, lie uatea a vanety oi icdiww . ;TTni. c.,... :nto
JSffi rina in opinion from the memb Britain, would dme the Unitedtates imo
r ... . i :
e forme . .and they wrcdeJ ZdHot 'V-di.HtiSS
on this point. Mr. S. Smith had laid, ti at
the imports of 1794 would equal thofe of,
no2. This would not be the cafe in the,
r y .... . f .l
port of rhilad lphia ; rney were jcis iua
imonj? thefe articles, the 1m-
of wine, both from Europe and
Madeira was. much IciTened. Upon the
whole of this,profpea, he could not infer
that the p'ropofed two and an half percent,
of additional impoft, would be produaive.
A war, if it toot place, would put an-end to
the mod of it. . I
Gentlemenhad. no longer ago than yel
terday, fpoke of renewing the fequeftration
i...i.lr Trie wcTtf attpinnt ta carry fuch
r. miwht lead to a war
Mr. Sedgwick obferved,f that there had
j.. Wn fome reoetition of arguments
formerly ufed. He was not fure if he was
pafilng cf this tax, as it flood, would be
any kind of mark of difintereftednefs in that
Houle ; becaufe it was only a tax on the ad
miffion of practitioners, a?id the gentlemert
on this floor afford an evideacc of oflr fcl
filhnefs, in wilhing.tb keep others out of the'
bufinefs, than of any think elfe." Mr.
Sherbourne ftrongly recommended an an
nual tax, -on all practitioners of lawj both
thofe who had been heretofore admitted, and
thofe, who ihould be admitted, in future,
j For his own part he fhotild very cheerfully
pay his lhare of ;he burden. - y j
Mr. Scott would vote- for totally (hiking
out this reiolultion. . He never ihould con
fent to the taxation ofany lawful cmploy-
'ment. -'.. -V ;',V; :"; 1 p - :
Mr. Kitteta faw nothing in the objection
of his colleague, (Mr. Scott) as to thei tax
ing of a lawful employment. Innkeepers
, are taxed ; an government has a right to
taxtliem. It would be ianinftance of inde
licacy in the Houfe, to tax others, and! re
fute to tax themfelvesv Law, was genetally
rnnfiarred as a lucrative prof efliohj and, as
luchy knight afford a tax. In reality, it .was
not fo much a tax on the exercif of a pro
feffion, as certificates of a right to exercifc,
it. ? In the fame wayi a farmer buft; pro
cure a title to his land: before he begins to
work them j and for this he muft pay. The
had fome relemblance. j 4
Mr Bourne infofmcd the gentleman from
New-H amplhire Mr. Sherbourne), that it
was intended by the felea committee to be
a tax on prefent praaitioners, as well as on;
others, who were to be admitted in future.
Mr.-Boudinot coniidered tne rax as
rt-
r time nf the committee, nc
rL..i .rtr inInarv aflertions. Cue
was, that if ths Congrefs were to nafe this
tax on carriages, the people , of V.rgma
would not fubn.it to.iu- It there he fuch x
diilria in the United States, .t was t-.me
to be aererrcu, -- ' . . -j,. .rae na fcruolesoi taxing
W his dutyi RepubhcaBs, ana no. -- --- - . "
thn were now entered in the cours ot
juftice: It was a tax upon fomething al- L
ready in one poffeffion. . v : J !,
Mr. S. Smith only rbfe to notice the
difference between the ftyle of the gentle- ,
man's arguments of this day, and of yeftcr--a:
. ' Trwrlav. he wbiifd not tax any thine J
earn- ,
SaShS iW habcen long
enough
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