for the appointment of a committee to regort a
bill- to c?a%lifix an uniform fyflem of Bank
ruptcy. - | :
The fame Member also gave notice that he
wonld move for the appointment of a commit
tee to bring in a bill for the renewal of destroy
ed certificates. ' : ,
Mr. Parker gave notice that he would move
for 2 committee to bring in a bill for the relief
of sick and wounded {eamen. ;
| THANKSGIVING.
(Thursday the 12th of Dec. being appéinted
by Gov. MIFFLIN as a Day of Thankigiving,
Congress did not meet.)
FRIDAY, DEC. 13.
A motion was made and seconded that the
House resolve itfeif into a committee of the
whole House to take into consideration the pre
{ent situation of the United States. Agreed.
Mr. Trumbull in the chair.
~ The Chairman read a motion made by Mr.
Parker, agreeable to notice, which he gave on
Wednesday last, that immediate provision be
made for security of the ports and the harbours
of the United States, and that a committee be
appointed to report the most effe@ual measures
for that end.
A variety of objeftions were made to the
wording of this motion. Mr. Clark obierved
that if the mover intended that the whole coast
thould be fortified, from New-Hampthire, the
attempt was of. infinite difficulty. It was ob
fervetl)alfo, that it would have been more ac
curate, to have restricted the motion to the
princzpal ports and harbors of the United States,
Another member observed, that perhaps a
navy might be found the most effe€tual mode of
protecting the coast. As the House did not
seem to have prepared themselves fufficiently
for this motion, the member proposed to with
draw It, ull Monday next.
The chairman of the committee reported to
the House, that they had made some progress in
considering that part of the President’s Speech,
which relates to the defence of the United
States ; and he requested leave for them to fit
again.
Mr. Clark of New-Jersey, agreeable to his
two notices on Wednelday, moved that a com
mittee be appointed to prepare and bring in a
bill for efiabl)ilhing an uniform {yflem of bank
rupt laws in the United States ; and also a com
mittee to prepare a bill for the renewal of des
troyed certificates. Agreed.
Moved by Mr. Smith (S. C.) that a commit
tee be appomnted to take into consideration the
case of any of the Judges of the United States,
who might be disabled by health from the exe
cution of their office.
Mr. Goodhue moved, that when the House
break up, they shall adjourn till Monday—
Agreed,
MoxNpay, Dec. 16. |
Mr. Dexter, from Massachusetts, Meflrs.
€oit and Swift from Connefticut, and Mr.
Winn from South-Carolina appeared, were
qualified and took their feats in the House.
‘The Speaker laid before the House a letter
from the Secrctary of the Treasury, requefling,
that a new enquiry may be had on the charges
exhibited against him the last Seflion, ordered to
be laid on the table.
Mr. Giles moved for, and obtained leave to
lay certain resolutions on the table, the obje& of
which is-to bring the above business before the
House.
Mr. Gilbert moved'that 500 copies of the
mitrultions to the late commiflioners, together
with the journal of their proceedings to and
from, and stay in Canada, should be printed,
this motion was withdrawn.
Mr, Smith (S. C.) called up his motion re
fpefting the appointment of another person to
fill the office ol)any of the Judges of the United
States, who may have been rendered incapable
of executing their duty by infirmity or any other
accident, the only provision made for removing
a Judge by the constitution, being an impeach
ment ; this motion was withdrawn by Mr.
Smith, to make room: for another, more com
prehensive, one drawn up by Mr. Jeremiah
dmith, which will take in the a& for regulating
bail, process and costs in the courts of the U
nited States. Seven members were appointed
accordingly.
Two meflages were received from the Presi
dent of the United States, by Mr. Danbridge,
his Secretary, the firft consisted of a Volume
refpefling some negociations with Spain, the
{econd, an account refpe@ting a peace with the
Emperor of Morocco and the Dey of Algiers.
These meflages were not read, when the gal
lenes were shut.
The Speaker laid before the House a letter
from the Secretary for the department of war,
covering {undry communications from the Gov
ernor of Georgia, Major Gaither, Gov. Blount,
Mr. Seagrove and others, refpeting Indian af
faurs, together with a flatement of the arms, and
mulitary stores in the forts, and magazines be
longing to the United States, his latter com
munication was of nature not to be read before
the publie,
. The Cleyk continued realing the correspon
dence between thie Wap-Office and the above
persons relative to- the Indian affairs, until three
o’clock, when a motion for clearing the galle
ries was made and carried.
FURSDAY, DRg. 17
The Speaker laid before the Houle a letter
fiom the commissioners appointed to purchase
the debts of the United States, covering their
report of {undry purchases amounting to 2,01?,-
900 dollars, which sum they purchased for
1,394,064 dollars and 44 cents in specie, laid
on the table.
Mr. Wad{worth from the committec ap-
pointed for the purpose, brought in a hill en
titled an aét for augmenting and better {upport
ing the military establishment of the United
States ; by this bill the soldiers now in service,
and those hereafter to be raised, will receive a
dollar per month addition, this bill was read a
second time, and*made the order of the day to
morrow. j
PHILADELPHIA, Dkec. 6.
Algiers, April the gth, 1799, and
TR ity
ESTEEMED SIR,
YOU will excuse the liberty I have
taken in inclofing to your care, the peti
tion of the American Captives in Algiers.
We, confiding in your well-known cha
radter, that you will do us the favour to
have the inclofed petition published in the
papers throughout the United States, and
to be stuck up to public view ; {o that the
citizens of the United States will know the
melancholy situation of American Cap
tives ; and we hope we shall know what
our fate is to be, and be put out of this
intolerable state of fufpence.
We have no doubt, but that, asa fel
low citizen and fellow-creatiore, ycu will
do us this favour, and any other fegvice
that your perfenal interelt will enable you
to do.
I am, dear Sir, with refpe&,
Your most obedient servant,
RICHARD O’BRIEN,
Late master of the ship Dolphin, of Phi
ladelphia, captured the 3oth of July,
1785, 50 leagues to the wefiward of
Lisbon.
To Mr.,—————————, Philadelphia,
In the Name of Almighty God !
The humble Petition of the American Captives
in Algiers, is mofl refpeétfully submitted to
the configeration of the Citizens of the United
States of America :
Fellow-Citizens,
YOUR petitioners had the misfortune
to be captured by the Corsairs of this Re
gency, nearly eight years past, while we
were navigating veflels belonging to citi
-zens of the Uunited States.
That we were for a considerable time
flattered with the expetations held up to
us, that we would be redeemed from cap.-
tivity, as soon as it could be done consist
ent with propriety, and the interest of our
country.
That to effect this redemption, Mr.
Joun Lamz was sent to Algiers on the
part of the United States, and that he
entered into an agreement with the
Regency of Algiers tor our ransom ; in
consequence of which, the sums were re
corded on the books of the Regency as a
bargain regularly made ; but Mr. Lame
never returned to fulfil them by the pay
ment of the ransom money, though he
promised, in the name of the U. States,
to do it in four months.
‘That several persons have since been
empowered to make enquiries, whether
the ransom agreed upon by Mr. Lawms,
might not be reduced ; but all attempts
of that fort have hitherto proved ineffec
tual. The Regency declaring, that the
contra&t made by the agent, on the part
of the United States, ought to be dischar
ged.
That owing to the melancholy situa
tion to which we are reduced, one of us,
James Harnerr, has been deprived of
his senses by the Almighty, to make him
insensible of his situation as a vi&im ; and
is, these three years, confined in a cell’in
chains. The rest of us have been left
destitute three years ; and in this deplo
rable situation many of us have resisted
the temptations of the Regency to enter
into their service, which might be attend.
ed with remorse, and a great detriment to
our country—we trusting in the justice
and humanity of our country to exiricate
us from slavery.
We have repeatedly petitioned Congress
without effeét ; at firft we were informed
that Mr. Lamb would redeem us ; pext,
that the United States were poor. and
that they were forming their government ;
next, that a subscription would be set on
foot for our release ; next, that the Uni.
ted States were rich, and would make a
peace and redeem us ; next, that our re
demption concerned the peace. [n April
last, Congress commiflioned 1o try for a
peace. The Dey prescribed his terms
more favourable than the peace of the
Danes, Swedes, or Venetians.; or even,
than the Dutch had. We now hear that
Congress has rejected the peace with Al
giers, and given us up as vi&ims, deter
mined not to redeem us ; thus have we
fuffered an ignominious captivity of eight
years. .
We pray you will confider what our fuf
ferings must have been, doring this long
period of captivity : Three times surround.
-ed by the plague ; which has numbered
five of our brother fufferers in the bills of
mortality. The rest of us seem destined
to share the fame fate.
‘The plague, that tremendous and fatal
disorder at present is raging in this city,
and it seems that we are to be its viims,
We are on the verge of eternity ; there
fore we beg of the citizens of the United
States, in the name of the Almighty and
our Saviour, who died to redeem us all,
that our country will adopt some plan to
extricate us from this city of human mise
ry 5 and we shall ever pray and be thank
ful.
Fellow-Citizens,
Your most humble petitioners.
The under-written crew of the thip Dol
phin, of Philadelphia, belonging to
Meflrs. Mathew and Thomas Irvin.
Dollars.
Richard O’Brien, master, at 4000
Andrew Montgomery-, mate, at 3000
Phillip Sloan, at 1400
Peleg Loring, at 1400
James Hull, at 1400
Jacobus Tiflunier, at 4000
William Patterson, at 3000
Spanith Dollars, 18,200
Crew of the Schooner Diana, of Boston,
belonging to Mr. William Foster :
Dollars.
Isaac Stephens, at 4000
Alexander Forfyth, at 3000
James L. Cathcart, at 3000
Thomas Gregory Billingfat,at 1400
James Harnett, at 1400
Spanifth Dollars, 12,800
These are the terms of redemption of
the American Captives. To be added, a
duty of 15 per cent.
Algeersy April the gth, 1793, and }
Bth of Captivaty.
NEW.YORK, Dec.lß.
Last evening arrived here, the brig
Two-Sifters, Capt. A. Sheflield.in 57 days
from Cadiz, at which he left the Dolphin,
Hutfon, of Boston ; Rambler, Rigby, do.
Aurora, Thompson, do. Abby, Eames,
do. Commerce, Loring, do. Martha,
Waugh, Newbury ; John, Poate, Port
land ; Fair Hebz, Brown, Philadelphia ;
Nancy, Gwin, do. Cruger, Ablin, New-
York ; e=—————, Wood, do. Nancy, But
ler, do. —————_, Smith, Baltimore ;
Charleston, Bithewood, Charleston.———
The Brigs Rover and Nancy,of Baltimore,
and a schooner from Norfolk, at Gibral
tar.—The Greenway and Rookfby lay in
Cadiz bay, with their colours reversed, the
crews confined on board'a man of war,
the captains not fuffered to speak with
any person—The cargoes appearing to be
French property, were likely to be con
demned.
Capt. Sheffield fays there was no ac
counts in €adiz of any American vessels
being captured by the Algerines, but that
several had been chafed by them.—That
many of the American sailors left their
ships, and entered on board the men of
war.—That at Cadiz they had not yet re
ceived any account of the retaking of 7su
lon—Dbut that it was closely invested by a
powerful army of Republicans. The Spa.
niards were exerting themselves to afford
the garrison relief, which had lately fufFer
ed very great lofies, in attempting to dis.
lodge the French from some advantageous
situation they poflefled. — The number of
English killed was reported to be near 3000
and as many Spanish.
BOSTON, December 23.
Copy of a letter from Col. Humphreys, minister
resident at the Court of Portugal to the Se
cretary of State of the United States, dated
Gibraltar, 04. 6, 1793.
Sir,
A dispatch boat has just arrived from
Algiers, which brings authentic intelli
gence, that a truce for twelve months is
concluded between Portugal and that Re
gency. In consequence of which eight
Algerine cruisers, viz. four frigates, one
brig and three Zebeques have juit pafled
through the Streights, into the Atlantic.
Our veflels will now be exposed to the
most eminent hazard of capture, as it was
the Portuguese squadron alone which hi.
therto prevented theAlgerines from cruis
ing in the Atlantic against them. I have
thought it of such importance to put our
countrymen immediately upon their guard
as to juftify me in dispatching exprefies
with the news to our Consuls at Cadiz,
Malaga, and Lisbon. And I lose not a
single instant in communicating it to you,
in order that such use shall be made of it,
as may be deemed expedient in the U. S,
With sentiments of perfe& refpe@ and
esteem, I have the honor to be,
D. HUMPHREYS.
Extrad of aletter from Cadiz, dated 08, 16.
““ On the 6thinft. at 6 o’¢clock in the
morning, the Algerine fleet pafled G
raltar on a cruise, consisting of one of 44,
two of 36, one of 28, one of 20, and three
of 12 guns ; one thip of 2z guns and 12
row-gallies have pafled since. 8o much
for the attention of Congress to their
commerce—itis a disgrace to the coun
try. Funding f{yftems and Indian wars
have been their sole care. Here we are,
from the most pleasing profpefts, to the
most disagreeable ones. American vefels
have been in great demand—now one—
and though I had engaged a fieight for
my veflel, (which is only 185 tons) for a
voyage which she would have pertormed
in 4 months and an half, and for which I
should-have received 22001. part of the
freight being on board, was obliged to
reland it—as insurance could not be ef
feted under 30 per cent. The Jay,
Calder, and Harriot, Howes, left Malaga
on the night of the sth ; we fear much
for their fafety. 'The only American in
Malaga, is the Abigail, Gooch ; Capt’s,
Eames and Poate have got in fafe. The
trade to Spain and Portugal cannot be
pursued until America will insist upon hes
representatives furnithing powers and
means for a peace or a war with those pi
rates, or rather avenge themselves at once
on their cuifed abettors the English —
who, jealous to fee the American flag rid-.
ing the seas peacefully and fuccefstully,
have used this dirty, piratical, political
tool. A war is what I wilh’d averted, I
now pray to fee it, as the principal parz
of the American trade is destroyed—at
leait the most profitable. Britein cannot
stand the shock commercially, and France
may sooner gain the freedom she desires.
‘“ The siege of Dunkirk is raised, and
Oftend is hourly expe&ted to fall 1o the
French. The Duke of York and his as
sociates, prefied on every fide retreat—as.
have the Spaniards, within their own ter
ritories. 'The French are advancing to
retake Toulon, in greatforce. You may
ail reckon on a continvance of the war,”
The veflcl which arrived at New-York
from Cadiz, we are informed, was sent by
Mr. Humphreys, our Minister at Portugal,
She was insured at 30 per cent. veflel,
cargo and crew ; and a dollar was paid
for every letter the brought.
Mr. Humpbreys, we likewise are inform
ed, was on his way, at the date of his let
ter, to Mekines, in the empire of Moroc
co, in order to effe, if possible, a Peace
with the Algerines.
CuarrLesTtoN, Nov, 01.
Extra®? of a letter received by the Sehooner
Wilmington packet, arrived Jrom the Weff
ludies, daiea St. Euflatia, Now. 3> 17045
““ I this moment saw Captain William
Newton of your port,in a schooner, Joaded
with Negroes, bound to Havanna ; he
informs me that a Britith {loop of war, fix
days ago, was chafed into St. Vincent, by
a French fquadren confilting of two thips
of the line, one large frigate and a sloop
of war. It is generally thought here, to
be the French squadron from New-York,.
on an expedition to re-take Tobago.”
COMMUNICATIONS.
Is it possible that the merchants thro’
out the United States will quietly submit
to the horrid devastations of their proper
ty, without making some representation.
to Congress, on the interesting fubjeét of
the Algerines, together with the capture
of our veflels, contrary to the Moper
usage of nations ? It is the duty of this
metropolis to come forward, and in a {pi
rited manner, address Congress at this all
important crisis. Merchants, tradesmen
and farmers are deeply interested in the
consequences.
Had the money that has been expended
in fruitlefs expeditions against the Indi.
ans, together with immense sums squan
dered away in ‘¢ pack-saddles,”” &c. been
appropriated to the purpose of building a
navy, or effe@ling a treaty with the Alge
rines, the United States, it.is probable,
would not now be fubje@ to such gross
impositions on their commerce. But the
vitals of the revenue have been exhausted
to maintain the sovereignty of the wilderness,
while the navigation, on ‘which the re
sources of government wholly depend, has
been totally negleed ; and our seamen,
many of them, have been fuffered to lay
prisoners in Algiers, while we have been
running a wild goose chafe after a parcel
of Indians.
ity
The neceflity of continuing in alliance
with France, must now appear evident 3
for should the United States forfeit the
friendfhip of that Republic, they must
stand Arone, as France now does, against
the combined powers of Europe ; misera
ble indeed must then be our fituation,—