The North-Carolina Chronicle 5 or, Fayetteville Qazette,
IfeL. 10
MONDAY, June 7, 1790.
I'lUMB.
proceedings of Congrefs,
VOQSE OP EEPRUSENTATIPES,
Friday, March li,
T he bill for granting compenfation
to Col. Ely was read a I'econd i ime
and refc-yred to the committee of the
t^ole Houfe, to be taken into confidera-
tion tins day fortnight.
Several petitions were read and refer-
aed.
Mr.tdand obferved that private me-
toorials and petitions have increal'ed ft*
vuch, that very Ihortly, the attention
•f every individual member of the
Houfe, will be taken up in the invediga-
lation of the fails fet forth in thnfe po
tions, to the great interruption of the
kufinefs of tlie nation.
He therefore moved the following
refolulions infubdance:
id. That all memorials and petitioni
for claims prefented to the Houle, be re
ferred the heads of departments to re-
port thereon.
id. That the comniitte to whom me
morials and petitions have been relerred
ke difehargedfrom any further attention
to the fame ; and that they be referred
9s above.-—Laid on the table.
In committee on the whole, on the re-
.port of the Secretary of the Treal'iiry,
for making provilion for the fupport of
public credit.
The third propodticn or alternative
was read, viz^
3dly “ To have fixty-fix and two
“ thirds dollars funded, at a yearly inte-
reft of fix per cent, in edeemable :jlfo
by any payrhent exceeding four and
- M tvrv> tkirda dollars per annumj on both
• •* of principal and tiuerefl} and to have
•* at the end of ten years, eighty dollars
** and eighty eight cents, funded .at the
** like intereft.aad rate of redemption."
Mr. Lee moved, that the whole prd-
pofiiion be rejedled—which occafioncd
a debate,and thequeftion being taken oii
the motion, it paffed in the negative.
Mr. Jackfon’s motion for ftriking oiit
tficfe words,” irredeemable alfo by any
.payment exceeding four and two thirds
dollars per annum, on account of both
principal and interefl, was then read,
and after fume debate, was alfo negati-
vcJ.
Mr. Fitzlimons, after premifmg fome
♦bferv.ations refpefting a more rapid cx-
tiniSlion of the juincipal, than is contem
plated, by the Secretary propofed that
four and two-thirds doll.ws Ihonld be
ft tuck out, in order td introduce a high
er rate of payment per annum—He
mentioned fix per cent, on account
•f principal and in'lereft.
Mr. Madifdn mentioned a Hill higher
fum. .
Four and two-thirds dollars after
Ibme debate were ftnick out, and the
propofition with the blank: palled over.
The following propofitions wererc-
jefted, viz. . ^
“ 4thly. To have an annuity for the
•* remainder of life, upon the contingen-
cy of living to r. given age, not lefs
given than ten years, computing
intereft at 4 per cent.”
“ ythly. To have an annuity for the
** remainder, of life, on the roiuingency.
“ of the fiivivorlhip of the yoiingeft of
“ two pyrfons, computing intereft in this
• cale at four per cent.”
The committee then rofe, and the
Koufe adjourned till to-morrow.
Saturday, March 13.
The Honfe rcfolved itfulf into a com
mittee oh the rejtort of the S-.cretary of
the Treafnry,
The remainder of Mr. Fitzllmons’s
propofitions were debated—:md agreed
to.
Tfie committee then rofe, and iiie ac
centing of their report was poftponed
Mil Monday.'
Monday, March 15,
The Houfe relblved itldl into a com-
knitte oil the whole, on tlie appropriation
bill ; after liime time fpeni liiereon, rofe
and reported progrefs.
! 11 was ordered that the bill ftiould
be eiigrolfed for a third reading.
The Houfe then refolved iu'elf into a
committee of the whole, on the bill ref-
pefting the Wellern Frontiers. After
which the galleries were cleared.
• • 7uejday, March 16.
, Mr. Boudinot moved to take up the
report of tl^e committee on the memo
rial of the people called Quakers ; after
fome oppoiitlon the report ■was agreed
to. The report was then read.
Mr. Tucker moved to .modify the
firll paragraph, by lli'iking out ail the
.words after the word opinion, and
to.infprt the following:
** That the fcveral memorials propofe
to the confide rati on of this houfe, a tub-
jeift, on which its interference would be
unconftltutional, and even its delibertili-
ons highly injurious to fome of the dales
in the union.”
Mr. Jackfon rofe and obferved, that
he had been fdent on the fubjiift of the
report’s coming before the committee,
becaufe he willicd the priiicinl"= of die
refolutions to be examined I airly and to
be decided on ‘heir true grounds. He
was .againll the piaipofitinns generally’,
and would examine the policy, the jiif-
tice, and the ufe of them ; and he Imped
if he could make them appear in the
fame light to others as they did to him,
by fair argument, that the gentlemen
in oppofition were not lb determined in
their opinions, as not to give up their
prelent fehtiments.
. With refpedl to the policy «if ihemea-
fure, the fttuaftbh of the Oaves here,
their fipiaiioiuin their native'dales, and
the dlfpofal of them in cafe of emanci
pation, ihould be conftdercd. -
That fl.ivery was an evil h.abit, he
did not mean to controvert ; but riiat
h.'iblt was already eftaijifiied, and there
Were peculiar fituations- in coui'it-vies
W’hich rendered, that hahit ncceliar-y.—
^uch fituations the ftates of .South-Caro-
linn and Georgia were in ; large traifts
of th(;moft fertile lands on the continent
lemained uncultivated for the want of
population. It wasfrequently.advanced
on the floor of Congrefs, how unhealthy
thofe climates weroy and how Impoftible
it was for the northern conftim'.ions
even to cxift theic. • What, he afited,
is to be done with this uncnllivaied ter
ritory ? Is it to remain wallc ? Is the
rice trade tobc hanilhed from onreoafts!
Are Congrefs willing'o deprive vlivil.
felves cf the revenn.'.eriftng from that
trade, and which ir. daily enr.rc.iftr.g,
and to throw this great aJv.int into
the hands of other countries ? He be?-r
f ;ed the houfe to consider that .“s ■ tin had
inds fit for thofe pnrpofcs in ftic Flo-
ridas and the coaft of Mexico ; With
the rellraints Congrefs ivere about im-
pofing ori their own citizens, Spain
would not only rival u.s, but in '.i ftiorf
period engrofs the trade altogether :
and what were thofe reftfaints to be im-
pofedfor? Not for any, real neceftlty
which exifted—not on account of the
true ftate of flavery which exifted—hut
to gratify the fuppofed feelings—the
theorctic.al fpeculalions on hua'nanity, 'f
a focicty of Quakers, not at all intereft-
ed in the event.
Let us examine their fitn.att.on iiuhcir
own country (I me.in the nations of
Africa) and draw a p.arallel between
that a'-J their fituation here. ^ Ruled by
defpoLs-, and hahitn.itcd to that rule,'
imliilied even with their mother’s iriilk,
in vain we contend for tlieir ficedom
here, if we cannot cure that evil at home.
In vain tve hold forth the Heaven-horn
principle, if w’e cannot erttdic.ile this
inherent iuipreflion. I am not ■vs illing,'
fir, th;it die coininittcc Ihould rtreive
all I far, as fafts without fume-lent
proof, Fa.'ls, fir, I villi to bring for-
ward, and from '.ift . I wifli the rommit-
gie to deiidij Thp aiyi able wriujr
on the ranks of fociety (Mr. Millar) I
offer as my authority—die bell autho
rity on that topic I believe in being.—
On this fubjefl he makes the following
obfervations in his 23d page : ” Aiiiemg
the negroes upon the flave-coait, • the
wife is never allowed tr» appear before
the hulband, nor to receive any thing
/lom his hands, withtut putting lierfclf
j« a kneeling pollure.” Is it polllble',
ft\lhis is ihe ufage of the wife of the
defpot’s bofom—the ufage of the wife
'of evciy p«tty defpot, that their man
ners aic not more arbitrary to oihersj
anid that it is not Inherent in their na
tures to tend to delpotil'm ? . 1 tliink, fir.
It cannot be denied. Again, fays this
author, “ In the kingdom cf Co:igo, -
aqd among the greater part of the nati
ons which inhabit the lout hern coaft
.of Afiica, the women of a family are
felJom allowed to eat with the men.—
The huft).ind fils alone at (able, and the
wife commonly Hands at his back to
gnatd him from the Hies, to ferve hini
with his yiifluals, or furnilh him with
his pipe and tobacco. After he has fi.-
niftied lus meal, file is allo'wed to eat
wh.it remains, but without fitting down,
which it feems Would be inconlillent
.with the inferioiity and fubmiflion that
'is thouglit fuifable to her fex. When 4
Hottentot and his wife have come into
the fervicc of an European, and are en
tertained under the fame roof, theinaf-
ter is under the ncccllity of afiigniiig to
each ol iliem a dilHaul portion of vic
tuals, which, out of regard to the gene
ral ufage of the country, they always
devour -T diftance fn. m one anctlier ”
It may be here advanced, that tliofc
iaftanccs allude only to the wr-mcn. I
beg the patience of the committee, and
that they will atumd to another palfitge
of this author. “The kinjpJoni ol'Con
go, upon the fouthern eoalt of Aftica,
is divided into many .large diftriils or
proviccs, tlie'inhabitants of which feem
to h.4> e made fome progrefs in agricul
ture. .Each of thefc dillrifls compre
hends ii multitude of fihall .lord(hi|)s,
which are faid to have been formerly In
dependent, blit which are now united
together, and rediiied under a fingle
chief or governor, who exercifes ahi’o-
lute aiilliority over them. . The great
lords or governors'of provinces are'irl
like manner dependent on the king, and
owe him the iiityment of certain annual
duties. , '^riiis monarch is underftood to
have an unlimiitd power over the'gond?
cf all I'.is fiihji.Fts, and he is the pro
prietor of all tlie laiiils in the kingdom!
which return to the crown on the vic.iili
of the poiTclfors, and according to the
arhit' aiy will (li the prince, are either
coriliniied In the I’.iiiie, or bellowed u|)on
a dilferetii family. , All the iith.diiiatu.s
are bound to afipc.ir in the (ield when
ever dicy .lie laqiiiied by the foveieign,
who is able in a ilmrt i.'iitfe to rail'e a
pfodlgioiis arr.iy upon any fiidJen emcr-
gcucy.; Every governor has a judicial
power in his own diftriif, and from his
feiiieuces there lies an appeal to the
king, who is the ftiprcme judge of tlie
nation. Similar .accounts-arc given ol
the oonftitution in the pyighbouiing
kingdoms of Angola,' I.oango, and
Benin.” Thofe kingdoni.s,, Mi.Cliair-
man, are of that number from avhence
Haves arc imported into the United
States. . I will i-all oitj every gentleman
bn tlie floor—I will appeal to tin: Qiia-
ker'- theinfetvcs, if thofe nations are not
in ll'.e moll horrid Hate of flavery.—
Their, defpots are llteir fupreme judges,
not (.Illy of perl'otis but of ' Toperly.—
L-t the imp.irti.il eye v iew, and ilic iin-
j .iriial mind conieniplaic thofe dill'cr-
tiit 111 nation', and tlicn decide it the
filiiaiion I'l fl.n esherc is not iirimcnfely
pr. fer.thle. Sm', in ihol'c couriti ics, hy
V'h.it we have li en quoted, we hnd that
the tender aifedlon.s are not cultivated,
and as in oilier uncivilized coiiiuries,
when age come.' on and fervice can be
no longer exj'erii'd, tlie aged receive no
proteihi III. I lere, (ir, in addition to the
tics of liuinaiiiiy, the law ia'.crpoi.s in
favoui of the aged and decriped, and
there arc puiiilhinents where ftit n.aller
exceeds the ordinary bounds. In the
Hate 1 come Irom, the mailer is as lia-
able to be puniiiicd for the death ot hi^
Have, as for that of any other peilon ;
there is no doubt but that other Katci
have liniilar guards againlt opprclhon.
1 call on geiillenien to Ihcw me uiin-
gleinfti ii a nation in Fuif pc in
i ... ... .; o* t'/it. ave trade, whticii has-
been abolilhed.. In England, 111, not.-
witliftanding repeated aitenipts. it is a
quelUon of fucli magnitude—nay, I
,niay be allowed the expreflion, t.n ac-
dountof their merchants and colonus—.
it is a quell ion fo ingratted with their
* coniiituiion, that they cannot, dare not,
touch it. . Shull we then,, fir, under?
take this bullnefs when whcle Hates are
concerned, and fertile giatiftcaiicn of a
volunteering loc'ety oi Quakers ? for
the gratification of a 'Warner Mifflin,
who, trembling under the lalh of an
,evil conlciencc, and fearing tJie jull pU-
nillinient of an avenging rod in a ihun?
dcr Uorm, to atone lor hi.s nnmerou*.
hoaid of I'ormer lins, pianumiited his '
negroes ? Sir, 1 call the deed not all
adtof humanity—1 cal! it not the Iwpo-'
rior effuficn ol tl'ie noble qualities o£
the heart—It was a, deatli-bcd lepcntr'
ance—the fear of toilnents in'a lutuiT
world, and the terrors of eternal dan.iiat-'
lion. Is Anietig..—is every individual
to adl on thcl.mic plan to atone lor his
fins? 'Will Congr'Fs volunteer it alfo^
and fay it Hi all be the cafe ? 1
The people, fir, advance that they
adlfiom a C'hriilian difpofition. Chrif-
li.inity is not repugnant to flavery ; anil
to conlirm tliis politioii, I will read a
few words more from the fame •.•.uihor,
and ibrw! ole IntroJudFMi I lhall aj'Or
logize. “ Other caiifts (fays he, ipcaki'
ipg of ih h rmcr iituation ot i' uropcj
have been . ll gned for this icnuirkahle
chat.gc of liirt'pcan manners. The
etialjlilhmei. d Chriftj.tnity has hcea
ruppofeti by n any* to be ihe principal
cii'Ci •.'.ftance which rooic.i out the piac-'
tice of Ikivery, k. univ .■rf.lly pcrn.i'reil
and tncouiagcd amoiig all the hfaihcu
nations. There is no eioubt|,that the
fpiritof this religion, which confidei s all
niaiil.ind a'^ children of tlie fame father,
and as all c(]U'tl!y the thihireii of hiS
parental care and afl'ediion,'fliould in“
fpive them wiih conipallipn for the nii-
feilcs of e.ich iither, and Ihould teach
tlic ojnilent and proyd to ctinfuler thole
yvliii .ire depryileel w.ih- labour and pe
nury, .IS creatures of, the fame fpecies,
to ticai ;Jieni with nnkliK'f. and Inuna-
hity, .md to lolien ijiciigoms to which
their fc''.,cie ai'd unequal fortune has ttn-
avoidably fiibjeihed ilunt But it doc*
nut feem to have been the i.? n i n of
Chriftianity to abolilh the dilliiuftions of
rank, or to alter the civil lights of man-,
kind, which w'cre alrc;H'‘ eltabliflied.—■
’J'liere is no j.'reccpt ot the go.Ijsel hy
wliieh the au ho; ify of the mailer is ia ^
ttiiy refpcifl reftraiiied orliniilfd, but oil
tlie contrary, there are feveral palfagea
f/om wliich it may be inferred, that the
flivcs,' even nfier they embraced the
Cliiillian rcligiori, were not -abfolvtil
from any part of the duties foiJUerly in-'
cumbeiU on them.” ■ 1
, • 'riins, then, Mr. Ghnlrman, will iliofe
^tnakers piiceive, that they are not aid
ing tip to the I'piric'of Chrifti;;;i‘y in
llloir prefeiit nnilertaking ; but diamci
trically opiiofue tp the comm;iads, qf
their divine mafler, jefus Chrift, ■who
allowed it ill lii.s day, :i;,d his pc lilts
after him. Onefyimns, nr.twiclift.imling
Ills cunvcrfion to C hi iiiianiiy, is nnder-
Itoudiby the Aptiftle I’aul to cniitiiiiie
ftiil the fl:ive of I’ldleinon, and it is 1 ot
fuiipufeil that tbemalier, who was all©
a C'hiiftian, was iiinli-r an uhliggtic.n to
rtiiiiqn'ilK qny p.n t of his .mthoi ity ; far.
lefs VO gi'. e libel ty to liis f r.vant. Fcf
this 1 refer l! 'ni lo.St. P.iu’.’s fpillle to
Pliilemon. l)o tlufe pnod Oiiakcrs
more text' as proofs ? Let thena
lin k into lilt; i^ih ch.ip. Komans, verfr
ill. Ephcftias, c-up. b-.i, ....e