Gazette Of The United States

Proceedings of the General Assembly of the State of North-Carolina.

HOUSE OF COMMONS,

Wednesday, November 24, 1790.

The order of the day being called for and read, Resolved, that this house resolve itself into a committee of the whole house, to take under further consideration the propriety of giving instructions to Samuel Johnston and Benjamin Hawkins, Esquires, Senators of this State in the Congress of the United States.

The house resolved itself into a committee of the whole accordingly.

Mr. Polk in the chair.

After some time spent in committee, the speaker resumed the chair, and the chairman reported the following resolutions:

Whereas, when the General Assembly of the State of North-Carolina, in its session of 1789, did nominate and appoint Samuel Johnston and Benjamin Hawkins, Esquires, to represent the said State in the Senate of the United States, every expectation that had confidence in their integrity, opinion of their abilities, or certainty of their industry in discharging the trust reposed with them, was entertained.

With regret do we add, that our constituents and ourselves too sensibly experience the evils arising from a want of that exertion in them, which, if duly made, could not have failed of being highly beneficial to this State, and might have rendered a government, adopted under many doubts, and with some difficulty, better adapted to the dispositions of freemen.

Resolved, that the Senators representing this State in the Congress of the United States, be, and they are hereby directed to use their constant and unremitted exertions until they effect having the doors of the Senate of the United States kept open, that the public may have access to hear the debates of the said Senate, when in its legislative or judicial capacity.

Resolved, that when in Congress, they be directed to correspond regularly and constantly with the legislative; but during the recess thereof with the executive.

Resolved, that they have such of the journals as are not of a secret nature, printed, and transmit the same to the executive, at least once a month during the session of Congress.

Resolved, that the Senators of this State use their utmost endeavors to effect economy in the expenditures of the public monies, and to decrease the monstrous salaries given to the public officers and others, who, however much they be deserving of the public gratitude, or liberality for past or present services, ought only to be compensated agreeable to republican economy—not enriched with the bounty of regal splendour.

Resolved, that they strenuously oppose every excise and direct taxation-law, should any be attempted in Congress.

The committee of the whole house further report, that they have appointed a sub-committee, in order to take under their consideration any further instructions to be forwarded to the Senators of this State in the Congress of the United States, and beg leave to recommend to the house, that the said sub-committee be empowered to report to the house by their chairman, the several resolutions they shall think the most proper to recommend, and further that they be discharged.

The sub committee, Messrs. M'Dowell, Taylor, Jones, Mebane, Irvin, Cabarrus, Leigh, and Hay.

All which is submitted.

W. POLK, Chairman.

Resolved, that this house do concur with the foregoing report of the committee of the whole house.

N. B. The foregoing were negatived by the Senate.

EDENTON, December 17.

Extract of a letter from Fayetteville, dated the 6th December.

"You will observe in the proceedings of the House of Commons of the 24th of Nov. some very curious and extraordinary resolves, severely censuring our Senators in Congress. It seems they have not regularly corresponded with our Executive; and this alone, as far as I am able to learn, is the cause of the acrimony and malevolence shewn them. Our friend Dr. J. Leigh, of Tarborough, who, though a young member, seems to take the lead in business, and I think has given a striking proof of what his country may expect from him in a political capacity, opposed them with that manly and independent spirit, that I know not which most to admire, the talents of his mind or the virtues of his heart—they, however, were carried in the lower house, but rejected in the Senate. They seem in general to be violent against Congress, on account of the assumption, and refuse to give up the checks in the treasury to the Loan-Officer. They propose also to empower the Treasurer to subscribe the whole amount of the debt assumed for this State by Congress, and to employ the certificates now in the treasury, which have already been liquidated and punched, for that purpose. It is said there is nearly a sufficiency. The deficiency they expect to make up, by employing the money now on hand in purchases in the market, under the direction of the Governor and Council."