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r 1 1 1, it? t Our M tkc ria fair dengktfml Fckc, EGISf ADVERT! SER ' $ ? ? "i " . . ' ? CWuc tk riami of fair detUktfml . ' .4 - f ' - - ' - - -i ! B VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE. Tht Allowing Ioftruikions from the General - tmbly of Virtiftia ( Aort extraft from Whicri taferted in our paper 01 34vteen with tnemolt paintul cmotiont. jrir, ) Hare been ; gi p a t . r . iM SOW MASON. ana " 3 Cut Nicholav senator! irww ' r Slate in the Coajreft of the United Statej nPHE General Aflembly of tj I ArttnAn wealth of Vircinf AiiffK thev entertain no doubpf your pufaaual performance ofiyur duty,! or your faithful adherendtp thegrbt principle! of Conftitutlna! hw, and national: policy, def it incumbent, on thera, to ann$nce to you, and to Congrefi, theopi- jiions rormea aiicr inc raoiii deliberation on certain fuyfti ef fentianyconnefted,asthey uemnly believe, with the dearel;rita, and moft I important intereft of the people ' Frojn the performance f this fa cred duty, they will notty deterred by "an apprehenfion, thajlhe charge may be repeated of their ating under the influence of ambition; of inte Teft, of party fpirit, o ofa difpo 7fition hoftile tolthe nion of the States. i- 7 Defpifing reproacls and difdain- jng vind'Cation agaifu intra, con fcious of the reQtitule of their mo tives, and knowinf that they have no other objeft i iew, than the happinefs of the' people, they he fitate not to: declare, that they will never Jeeafe, wkile the fovereignty of the State (haFl be permitted to re main, to exprefs their decided dif approbation of principles, which they believe to be faHe, and of mea-r fures, which they believe and feclj to be pernicious. J In the execution of this duty, they experience unfeigned concern. It is to the 'Crenerai Aflembly of this Commonwealth, a fubjeft of pro found regret, that meafures have been adoptedand principles avowed by the government of the United States, which demand from them the inflru&ions: which ihey are about to pronounce. That thefe inflruftionsare in exaft coincidence with the great principles of confti tutienal law and national policy, is p pofition, the belief of which they aver before, God and their country. Thev fubrait them, howeyer, to the judgment qf all good cititens, who feel anv folicitude for the welfare of theje United States. They fubmit them to calm difcuffion, to dif pamonate enquiry, and cannot doubt as to the refult. f The General Aflembly of Virgi nia look forward with no lets exul tation than confidence to the time, when, in the progrefs of political truth, their principles and opinions hall generally be .admitted : to the time when it hall generally be ac knowledged, that accumulating debts, increaflng taxes; landing armies and ex pen Ave navies, are evils which do not neceflarily refult from political mftiiutions : to that time, when'peace, Iibeirty ari4 ceco nomy, hair be the only bbjefts, and the Conftitution the only guide, which thev fervants of a virtuous na nappy people mail dare to purfue. ' The General Aflembly of Virgi ntf will not now enter anto a mi nute detail of all the Fafts and rea- (oaintia. which iuftifv and renuir the inftruftions hereto fubioined ' They cannot forbear to remind you, oftJame fafts anflobfervations, which they deem too expreflive and impor tant to be pa fled over in fllence. i is IvitK- the moft ferious concern, the; the General Aflembly of Vir gins obfervethe extraordinary fo licitude difplayed by the Adminif tradon of the Government of the Unred States, for raiftng! and ex- tendingnilitary eftablifiiments : and wniie it has been Meady and uniform 10 he purfuit qfthatbjea, urSleJ terrei by the confequences of ex pencejnd taxes, the motives avow d for the condufthave been varied nd accommodated to every change of our rtnliriril A.i.;M I indulged a hopewhen there . Profpeaof an accommodation difterenees with the French RJ TC?or ,f -evcn thc lifting eVfi 5Aou,d not tcrraintc in that hrable event, when all the 'belli. Vnt nations of Europe, arl too Ch upied with Europeancon-. 's t0 rotdjute aniinvaiion of ..1 United States, that the Deobleit jould htye.been; relieved from the I viUitid P esxpienlct't tiiiieideii t to a 11 ifiilitary cflablifhmcnt But it has tht they have leeh in the Prefident'a ' - .I..!.. 1 .u.Ll'- lent feflSon of Congrcfs, a total dif appointment in this juft andpleafing expectation. The following intimation con- tained in that fpeech, not only II orovea that their hope was del u five. II but, as the General Aflembly of Virginia conceive, indicates a ra dical change in the great, con ditu tional principle of national defepce. The Prefident, in his fpeech,. ob ferves, ' The refult of the miffion to France it yet uncertain; . but, however it may terminate,'7 a Ready perfeverance in a fyftem of national defence, commenfurate - with our refources and the Situation of the United States, is an obvious dictate ofwitdom." ' - 5 V' "f!C-' 4 This recommendation, if carried into practice, would materiallylef fen the advantages which would na turally refult from an accommoda- tiOn with the Frjsneh Republic, tfie molt important ot. which would bell a relief from the evils incident to a preparation for a rupture; and ef lentiaUy.eftablifhes a pofition never before ofBcially advanced in the Xfc States hat war in Europe is of it felfa fumcient caufe for raiting a Handing army here, equal at lea ft to the prefent ' military eftablifh men t . The experience of all ages has hewn, that the refpite from wars amongft the European nations, is 100 fhort to juttify diibanding an exiilmg ar my, ana railing another during the II intervals of peace, as a preparation for the next rupture ; and of courfe it iSuropean wars oe a lumoent caufe for railing military eftablifh- ments, a perpetual ftanding army would be the certain confequence of the recommendation. It cannot have efcaped your notice, that the prefent war in Europe has not hull therto been deemed a luthcient caufe I for encreafing the; military eftablifti- racni 01 mc unuea diici, oorar from it, that during the ex i Hence of the war, the farmer eftablifh ment was actually reduced. It is equally notorious, ihat the only motive . a. a. 1 t m e m. a. at r avowed for augmenting the military force, aroie from the apprehenfion of an actual invafion from France; and the lame law which gave rife to the army , contains a provifion for diibanding it, upon an accommo dation with that Republic. ' 4 The love of power is fo Iron g a paflion of the human mind, that it cannot be watched with too much vigilance, nor counteracted with too much circtrnfpeclion, by thole whofe rights are fbject to its undue operation. The people of the United States ought not to expect an exemption from the effects of this delufive paf fion, when every age has exhibited continual cenes of calamities refult ing from it, in eyery country ; and they would perhaps deferve the mi serable; fate which others have expe rienced,! if, when they fee the lame caufea in operation again ft them, they mould invite rather than tepel their effects. A ftanding army ad drefles itfelf to this paflion with the moft perluahve eloquence. It ex tends the power of thole who com mand it, both by the terror its pow er may excite, and the emoluments its offices may beftow. . It . is not therefore lurpnhng, that ilandihg armies, in the eyes of thofe whot controul them, fhould be viewed as the only fafe and adequate defence of the nation. But it would be ftrange indeed, if the fame delufion fhould extend to tjiofc who are the defrayers of their ex pence, and may be the victims of their power. Al though the Conftitution fubmits the tight of raifing armies to the difcre tion of Confgrels, yet it evidently contemplated the militia as the great bulwark of national defence, as well, to ute the language of the Conftition, to fepd invahonsy z to execute the laws of the Union, and fupprefi, injurrecltons, and contem plated the rieht of raifinp armies for prcfling and extraordinary emer gencies. That the militia is the only fafe and adequate defence of a na tion, isj iQliticalvxibin hitherto held acred in , the Un ited States. is not only the obvi6uiineip-. ins of the Cmftitution: but istltll more ftrohgly evidenced kir the praftical conftruftioh thereof under the fornier adminiftration; as will appear by reviewing its proceedings for feveralifcceflive years after the Government was put into opera ton. fchortly after tJat even tne Prefident infj nis fpeech on the 8th of January, vjgdt called the atten tion or tcongrets, to inegreai ou- finefs of providing for. the national defence in the followine wofds: " A free pebple ought not only to be armed, ' but a disciplined, !to which end," an uniform and well digefted plan is requifite.'J Afting under the fame impreflion, in hit fpeech the 45th of October, 1791, he again reminded Congrefs of the militia5, as the great depofitory of national j force ; Ipeaking of the feveral objects referred to the con fideration of Congrefs, in referring to the militia he obferves: M The firft is certainly an object of primary importance, whether viewed in re ference to the national (ecurity, lor to the fatiffa&ion of the community, or to the4 prefervation of. order ; in cfnnectipn with this, the eftablifh-1 ment of competent magazines and 11 arfenals, and the fortifications, nat u rally prefent themlelve to con fi de ration. Thje fafety of the United States, under Divine protection, ought to reft on the bafis of fyfte- matic arrangements, expofed as little as poiiible to the hazard of fortu itous circumftances Thefe recommendationsbeinE con fide red as relating exclufively to the militia, gave rife to a Jaw (more ef fectually to provide tor the national detence Dyitaonining an unirorm militia throughout the United atates.j ine rrcuaenr. again re r . ' . . mk i- T J ... curring to the militia as the fafe and adequate defence of the: nation, .in his fpeech on .the 3d of December, i793 after peaking of the necefllty of procuring arms and othermilitary apparatus, emphatically obferves : Nor can tuch. arrangements with fuch objects, be expoled to the cen- Jure or icalouiy of the warmeft -0 - friends ot Republican Government. They are incapable of abufe in the hands of a, militia, who ought to poflefs a ptide in being the depo fitory of the force of the Republic, and may be trained to a degree of energy equal to every military exi gency of the United States. But it is an enquiry which cannot be too Solemnly purfued, whether the aft has organized them fo as to produce iheir full effect." ' And again, after the militia had demonftrated their efficacy 1 in ; promptly marching : to fupprefs an oppofition to the laws in Pennsylvania, on the 19th of No vember, 1794, in hia lpe-ch th Prefident obferves : The deviling and eftabliftiing a. well-regulated mi litia, wouldb a genuine Source of Lcgiflative honour, and a perfect title to public gratitude. I there fore entertain a hope, that the pre fent feuion will not pafs, without carrying to its -full energy, the power of organizing, arming, and disciplining the militia, and thus providing, in. the language of the Conftitution, for calling them forth, to execute tne laws or tne union, fupprefs infurrectiona and repet in- vafions," as auxiliary to the ft ate of our defence to which Congrefs can never too ifrequently recur ; they will not omit to enquire ' whether the fortifications which have been already licrnfed by law, be commen- furate with our exigencies. Xhefe quotations require no illuf- tration. They fpeak the language of the Conftitution. They pronounce the: national will. They demon- ftrate, that the militia alone are the fafe and adequate depofitory of the national force? ihat they alone are competent to every militaryKexi- gency ; that they alonefean correct domeftic intrigues,' as well as repet foreign inv-fions. Until the eth mongrels, mis principle was hem facred and unaueftionable in the United States. . It was then com pletely fubverted, by the fubftitti tion of a military eftablihmef)t, by embodying i and arming volunteer corpij Selected for their devotion tcVinedoaf iiiea of the Adminiftra- utionj and withholding arms tsom 'the hands or the militia, at a time Whti danger frominvafion tvaspre- terided or believed ; and at the pre Scat Scflion thia revolutionary doc - ! trine is further recommended and enforced. -' : i' v.-... " The folicitude of the Virginia Aflembly for di banding the army and rein latin g the great conftijtu- tional principle of national def ence, is greatly increafed by preferring to the: enormous (urns appropriated for fupporting the army anil navy, Jf During the la ft year,5 whil ft mo ney was procured at eight per cen fupporting the army alofce amounted II tum, trie aDoronriations ror ine t 4,aoo,ooo dollars ; fpr fortmca- 4,350,000 amounting in' the whole to 9,250,000; exclu lively of a great and unafcertained fum of voluntary fub fcri p t ionsforbuildingandrquip pirigeileis of war for;, which the fubUribers receive tn intereft at fix per centum-Thus fimpofing: ah an nual debt, or inflicting an annual tmg an tax, uponLhe people, of nearly two II dollars for every individual through-1 out the United States 5 whilft the I only efFeaa, which this ruinous I lyftcnthas yet difclofedl are 1. cor- ruptioh of public and private mo- rail ;r the Oillemination ot monar-11 chical doftrinesj the diflipation of ic ireaiure 01 me laoorious ana in? 11 duftrinus, for the rrioft part amongft tne iaie, amoiuteana vicious or the citizens, violation of perfohal lecu- nty,j and contempt of the civil au thority. And "it is With extreme concern that the General Aflembly are conltrained to anticipate a con tinuation and increafe of thefe evils in proportion to the Continuation and extenfion of the caufe Which produces and nurtures them. With feipect tothe navy, it may be proper to remind you that what e ver may be ine oltenlible objett of its eftablifh ment, or whatever may be the prolpect ot temporary advan tages refulting therefrom, it is de mon ft rated from the experience of all nations, who have adventured far into naval policy, that fuch profpect is ultimately del u five ; and that a navy has ever in practice been employed, as an inftrument of pow er, expence and aegreflion : not of national defence, economy, or pro tection to commerce. The General Aflembly of Virgi nia, would confider themfelves trai tors tp the trufts repofed in them, were they to remain merit, whilft a doctrine hasbeen publicly advanced, novel in its principle, land tremen dous in its confequences. That the common law of England lam force under the Government of the Uni ted States. It is not at this time propofe'd to expofeat large the moft monftrous pretentions refolding from the adoption of this principle. It ought never, however, to be for gotten, and can never be too often repeated, That it opens a new tri bunal for the trial of crimes never contemplated by the Federal Com pact. It opens a new eodc of fan guinary criminal law, both obfolete and unknown, and either wholly rejected or eflentially modified in al moft all its parts by State Constitu tions. It arrefts or fupercedes State jurisdiction, and innovates upon State laws. It fubjects the citizen to puniftiment according to the ju diciary will ; when he is left in ig norance of what the law enjoins as a duty, or prohibits as a crime. It aflumeST a range of jurifdiction for 11 the Federal Courts, which defies li- mitation or definition. In fhort, it is believed, tfiat -the advocates for the principle, would themfelves be loft ijs an attempt to apply it to the exifting ihftitutions ot Federal and State Courts, by Separating with precifion their judiciary rights, and thus preventing the interference of udrciaryjclaimsr or, if concurrent turifdiUon, in all cafes recognized by tjie ebmmon law of England, be admiftedto both thei Federal and State Courts, it eftab;lihes two co- ordinate tribunals for the trial and punifhment of crimes, and leaves ji inc attuicu, tmxpn n ivituin 10 uc Scrambled for by thefe rival jurif rictions, and leaves hini; alfbuncei tain , whether an acquittal by one tribunal hall be an acquittal! for the other. In civil fuits this Scramble for jurifdiction, would neceflarily lead to ftill greater complexity, ami biguity, and confufion. ,1 .?. With refpeft to the Alien and Se- A'iv - I utt , it - 1 at rlirt hnlv deemed neceffary to refer you to the r j! 'J I variou dicuflidnfpon thole ,fub- IIs " jets, which in the opinion of the General Aflembly of VifginiaL clear ly demon ftrate the uncoriftitution aljty of jtheir principles, and expe rience has already fufficiently hewn the mifchiefs of Iheir operations. The general Affemblyjpfi Virgi nia, ! confiding in your intelligence and zeal, truft that thefe principle Will be, on all proper occaiions, il luftrMed and fuBported by you, with that candor; moderation and firmnefs, without which thefrienda of liberty and truth, however fio cerej cannot render eflential fervice to the caufe in which they are en gaged - Deeply imprefled with thefe ppi nionS the General Aflembly of Virginia inftruQr the Senators and Reprefentatives from this State iri Congrefs, to ufe their beft etTorts t. To procure a reduction of the armv. within the narroweft . limits 1 compatible with the protection of the torts, and the prefervation of the arfenals maintained by the Uni- ted Statei. ' ; a'. To prevent any augmentation of tV nawt mH tr nromote anv ptopofition for reducing it within the. narroweft hmita compatible with the proteftion of the fea-coafts, ports and harbours ot the Unitea States, and of conlequence a pro portionate reduction cf the taxes., .3. To oppofe the pa flin g of any law founded on, or recognizing the principle lately advanced, " that he common law of England is in force under the Government of the United States. 4. To procure a repeal of the acts of Congrefs commonly called -the, Alien and Sedition Laws. AN ESTIMATE For an Appropriation of Monies . the Jef vice of the year 1800. The Secretary of the Trcaftirf rcfpcdftiUy reports to the Houfc of Kepr(fHtatirea of the United Sutet, ; That for the Services of the' year one thoufand eight hundred, the following appropriations, as de tailed in the estimates herewith transmitted, appear to be neceffary. QU. Cts. Ft the, civil lift, or the fupport f the Government, including V the contingent expenses of the ' ' feveral department sand officer the fum of - - 6aia7 55 For thc pajmeat of annuities and grants, - - , - for the up port of the Mint Ef- tabliftiraent, - . For the exDcncea of intereourf SSI Jt rith foreign nations, including ' a fum required for reimburfing to Confuitof the United Sutee, the expence of lupprting claims to captured "property j - for aid to diftreffed Seamen ia foreign, countries, and occa sional afliftance after their ar rival 4u the United Statci, ex clufive of the annual apprepri ation authorifed by the ad of March 19th, 1798, -For thc payment ot exoence in. 91,000 .0 cident to tht treaties with Great-Britain, Spain, and the Mediterranean Powers, For defraying the cxpeocea inci dent to the valuation of dwel. ling-houl'es and lands, and the enumeration of flaves, purfuant tothe aft of July 9th, 1798, For the military department in 344,000 aij.ooo 0 ciudiag the pay of the army, rations, jcloathing, hotpitai, R ordnance, quarter-maHer nnd Indian eipcnces; the defewfive proteftion of the frontiers anJ contingencies, agreeably tothe cftimateiof the Secretary of ; Wr, - .4,067,160 For the' payment of military penfions, - 93,000 o For the Navy Department, in- ; eluding the pay and fukrtttente of officers and men, hcfpital . and contingent expence, and the fupport of the corps of ma rines, exciefive of the expence of building fix fe venty-four gua (hips, authonfed by law, agree ably to the eftimate of the Se cretary of the Navy, .1,481,951 99 For the fabrication of cannon and ; j; arms and the pui chafe of an-. " munition, for the: army-and navy, and for the militia of the United Stales, 160,000 For the fnpport of fight houfei, ; beacons, buoys, public piers, and" other ellablifliments .for C , the fecotity . of navigation, " including the expence , of re . ;. -' : 'ftin, and the fum .unexpended ' , -( f - of n ' appropriation h eteooV 4 j. - ' made for ercclifig jightoutei ;r A vi CapeHaeias,;nd,ae-:- m 1 con 6u SheU t-aftle-r IftiidrV 'which 'will expire at'ihe elofe T ; ,f.Lk,r.U..tt.,r . - Ti ' For Uu,fyinJ' wf&Unt fa UIV. ' i claimsf incl II foldaccou inctuding tne account, wludi.maj'be. w I! 1 Si ft" 1?T i v .i . .. . .1 1 t?" ,1 j' ' i Twr- ' -- ' " ' mm mil
The Weekly Raleigh Register (Raleigh, N.C.)
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Feb. 4, 1800, edition 1
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