Fowle's New Hampshire Gazette And General Advertiser

On Wednesday last, the General Court met in this town, when his Excellency the President opened the session with the following message to both houses, viz.

Gentlemen of the Senate, and Gentlemen of the House of Representatives,

I HAD the honor to lay before you at the last session, several acts of Congress, and other public papers of great importance; some of which have not yet been acted upon; those, together with the public papers which have been received during the recess, will come under your consideration. I would most earnestly call your attention more particularly, to the requisition of Congress of the 27th of September, and the resolve of the 18th of October last. It is unnecessary to repeat the importance of supporting the public credit, as every gentleman must be fully sensible that our civil government cannot be supported without it. You will observe by the requisition of Congress, above mentioned, that one third only of the sum called for, is demanded in specie; the other two thirds, may be paid in certificates, which are to be issued by the Loan-Office, as soon as the State has, by their act, complied with the requisition; which makes it necessary that a determination should be had on this business, as soon as may be.

The resolve of Congress of the 18th of October last, with the several letters from the Continental Board of Treasury, plainly point out the immediate necessity of this State's complying with it.

As I suppose a supply bill will be passed at this session, for the current year, would earnestly recommend, that all taxes should be paid, one third, or such part as the wisdom of both Houses should direct, in specie: this would serve not only to encrease the circulation, but also answer the more urgent demands of government.

Agreeably to the vote of both Houses, at their last session, I have wrote to the Executives of the several States, relative to commerce; answers from some of them are received, which will be laid before you; by which there appears a good prospect, that Congress will be impowered to regulate commerce. There has not been time for the more southern States to give their answers which may be soon expected.

Congress, by their act of the 27th of July last, have called for thirteen copies of the Legislative acts of the respective States, passed since the 1st of September, 1784. There are not a sufficient number of the acts of this State already printed for this purpose: I would therefore ask the attention of the Court to this matter, and that necessary measures may be taken on the subject. It would be of great public utility, for each State to be acquainted with the public acts of the other States in the Union, as a reciprocity of benefits would result therefrom.

I would mention one thing, Gentlemen, for consideration, in our public proceedings, which, I think, would be of advantage, that respects the days of public hearing, which are appointed on petitions; the amazing encrease of which impedes the more important business of the State: --Whether it would not be for the benefit of the public, that all days of hearing on petitions, before both Houses, should be for the future, put off to the third or fourth week in the session. This would give time to the Court, when the members of both Houses are more generally present, to attend to the public concerns of the State, in the first instance; which we are now necessitated to postpone, till the last of the session, when it is hurried over without that mature deliberation which it demands.

JOHN LANGDON.

COUNCIL-CHAMBER, Portsmouth, Feb. 1. 1786.