of the year 1808, yet the intervening period is not too long to prevent, by timely notice, expeditions which cannot be completed before that day.

"The receipts of the treasury, during the year ending on the 30th of September last, have amounted to near 15 millions of dollars, which have enabled us, after meeting the current demands, to pay two millions seven hundred thousand dollars of the American claims, in part of the price of Louisiana; to pay, of the funded debt, upwards of three millions of principal, and nearly four of interest; and, in addition, to reimburse, in the course of the present month, near two millions of five and a half percent.stock. These payments and reimbursements of the funded debt, with those which had been made in the four years and a half preceding, will, at the close of the present year, have extinguished upwards of twentythree millions of principal.

"The duties composing the Mediterranean fund will cease, by law, at the end of the present session. Considering, however, that they are levied chiefly on luxuries, and that we have an impost on salt, a necessary of life, the free use of which otherwise is so important, I recommend to your consideration the suppression of the duties on salt, and the continuation of the Mediterranean fund, instead thereof, for a short time, after which they will become unnecessary for any purpose now within contemplation.

"When both of these branches of revenue shall, in this way, be relinquished, there will still, ere long, be an accumulation of monies in the treasury, beyond the instalment of public debt which we are permitted by contract to pay. They cannot then, without a modification assented

to by the public creditors, be applied to the extinguishment of this debt, and the complete liberation of our revenues, the most desirable of all objects; nor, if our peace continues," will they be wanting for any other existing purpose. The question, therefore, now comes forward, to what other object shall these surplusses be appropriated, and the whole surplus of impost, after the entire discharge of the public debt, and during those intervals when the purposes of war shall not call for them? Shall we suppress the impost, and give advantage to foreign over domestic manufacturers? On a few articles of a more general and necessary use, the suppression, in due season, will doubtless be right; but the great mass of these articles on which impost is paid are foreign luxuries, purchased by those only who are rich enough to afford themselves the use of them. Their patriotism would certainly prefer its continuance, and application to the great purposes of public education, roads, rivers, and canals, and such other objects of public improvement as it may be thought proper to add to the constitutional enumeration of federal powers.-By those operations, new channels of communication will be opened between the states; the lines of separation will disappear, their interests will be identified, and their union much cemented by new and indissoluble ties.-Education is here placed among the articles of public care; not that it would be proposed to take its ordinary branches out of the hand of private enterprize, which manages so much better all the concerns to which it is equal; but a public institution can alone supply those sciences which, though rarely called for, are yet uecessary to complete the X x 3

circle,

circle, all the parts of which contribute to the improvement of the country, and some of them to its preservation. "The subject is now proposed to the consideration of congress, because, if approved by the time the state legislators shall have deliberated on this extension of the federal trusts, and the laws shall be passed, and the other arrangements made for their execution, the necessary funds will be on hand, without employment. I suppose an amendment of the constitution, by consent of the states, necessary; because the objects now recommended are not among those enumerated in the constitution, and to which it permits the public money to be applied.

J

"The present consideration of a national establishment, for education particularly, is rendered proper by this circumstance also, that if congress, approving the proposition, shall yet think it more eligible to found it on a donation of lands, they have it now in their power to endow it with those which shall be among the earliest to produce the necessary income. This formation would have the advantage of being independent on war, which may suspend other improve ments, by requiring for its own purposes the resources destined for them.

This, fellow-citizens, is the state of the public interests at the present moment, and according to the infor mation now possessed. But such is the situation of the nations of Europe, and such too the predicament in which we stand with some of them, that we cannot rely with certainty on the present aspect of our affairs, that inay change from moment to moment, during the course of your session, or after you shall have separated. Our duty is therefore to act upon the

things as they are, aud to make a reasonable provision for whatever they may be. Were armies to be raised whenever a speck of war is visible in our horizon, we never should have been without them. Our resources would have been exhausted on dangers whieh have never happened, instead of being reserved for what is really to take place. A steady, perhaps a quickened pace, in preparations for the defence of our seaport towns and waters-an early setilement of the most exposed and vulnerable parts of our country-a militia so organized, that its effective portions can be called to any point in the union, or volunteers instead of them, to serve a sufficient time, are means which may always be ready, yet never preying upon our resources until actually called into use. They will maintain the public interests, while a more permanent force shall be in a course of preparation. much will depend on the promptitude with which these means can be brought into activity, If war be forced upon us, in spite of our long and vain appeals to the justice of nations, rapid and vigorous movements, in its outset, will go far towards securing us in its course and issue, and towards throwing its burthens on those who render necessary the resort from reason to force.

But

The result of our negociations, or such incidents in their course as may enable us to infer their probable issue; such further movements also on our western frontier as may shew whether war is to be pressed there, while negociation is to be protracted elsewhere, shall be communicated to you from time to time, as they become known to me; with whatever other informa tion I possess, or may receive, which

may

may aid your deliberations on the great national interests committed to your charge.

“Dec. 2, 1806.

indeed have taken place, occasioned by the long illness and subsequent death of the British minister charged with that duty. But the commissioners appointed by that govern ment to resume the negociation have shewn every disposition to hasten its progress: it is, however, a work of time, as many arrangements are necessary to place our future harmony on stable grounds.

"In the mean time, we find, by the communications of our plenipotentiaries, that a temporary suspension of the act of last session, prohibiting certain importations, would, as a mark of candid disposition on our part, and of confidence in the temper and views with which they have been met, have a happy effect on its course,

give them willingly that form which may best meet corresponding dispositions.

"Add to this that the same motives which produced the postponement of the act till the 15th of November last, are in favour of its further suspension; and as we have reason to hope that it may soon yield to arrangements of mutual consent and convenience, justice seems to require that the same measure may be dealt out to the few cases which may fall within its short course, as to all others preceding and following it. I cannot, therefore, but recommend the suspension of this act for a reasonable time, on considerations of justice, amity, and the public interests.

"THOS. JEFFERSON."

Volunteers.

The following is an abstract of the effective strength of the volunteers in Great Britain; distinguishing infantry, cavalry, and artillery, according to the latest returns, dated the 1st of December, 1806:—

Cavalry.-Field-officers, 160; captains, 493; subalterns, 1,032; staffofficers, 745; serjeants, 1,556; trumpeters and druminers, 520; rank and file, 25,180.

Infantry.-Field-officers, 1,238; captains, 3,854; subalterns, 7,456; staff-officers, 1,786; serjeants, 13,826; trumpeters and drummers, 6,762; rank and file, 259,501.

Artillery.-Field-officers, 29; captains, 151; subalterns, 309; staff-officers, 55; serjeants, 554; trumpeters Xx 4 and

and drummers, 228; rank and file, 10,482.

Total.-Field-officers, 1,487; captains 4,458; subalterns, 8,797; staffofficers, 2,586; serjeants, 15,936; trumpeters and drummers, 7,505; rank and file, 295,160. White all, Jan. 27, 1807. J. BECKETT.

List of Papers presented relative to communications with Foreign Powers, on the Subject of the Slave Trade.

No. I.

Extract from a Dispatch from the Earl of Yarmouth to Mr. Secretary Fox: dated Paris, July 1, 1806-Received July 4.

I gave M. Talleyrand a copy of the addresses presented to his majesty, for the abolition of the slave trade. Having read it, he said, that he could not receive the communication regularly from a person having no official character; but that I might inform you that, on a general view of the subjects, the sentiments and wishes of France were similar to those of Great Britain, but that no decisive answer could be given till they had considered the interests of their colonies, which would take

that this opportunity may not be lost of giving effect, by the co-operation of Great Britain and France, to an object the accomplishment of which would be so honourable to them, and so interesting to humanity.

No. III.

Extract from a Dispatch from the Earl of Yarmouth to Mr. Secretary Fox; dated Paris, July 9, 1806-Received July 12.

I asked M. Talleyrand whether I should write for instructions to enable me to treat with France for the abolition of the slave trade; he said, that the emperor would discuss that point when the others, of greater importance, were arranged.

No IV.

Extract from a Dispatch from the

Earl of Yarmouth to Mr. Seeretary Fox; dated Paris, July 24, 1806-Received July 28.

I next mentioned the slave trade. General Clarke assured me, that the emperor would enter into immediate negotiation upon that point, whenever the peace was made; but that it could make no article in the treaty, as the question had not yet received the necessary consideration.

No. II. Extract from a Dispatch from Secretary Fox to the Earl of Yarmouth, dated Downing-street, July 5, 1806.

If the discussion should proceed, your lordship will avail yourself of any favourable opportunity of revert ing to the subject of the addresses of the two houses of parliament respecting the slave trade; and of urging

nance.

The new plan of finance has for its object, to provide the means of maintaining the honour and independance of the British empire, during the necessary continuance of the war, without perceptibly increasing the burthens of the country, and with manifest benefit to the interests of the public creditor.

The proposed measure is grounded

по

on the flourishing state of the permanent revenue; on the great produce of the war taxes; on the high and accumulating amount of the sinking fund; and on some inferior aids to be derived from revenues set free by annuities originally granted for a term of years, and now expiring. These circumstances, so favourable to the introduction and maintenance of a new system, are justly to be attributed to the wise, provident, and spirited exertions, which have had the concurrent support of parliament and of the people, during the whole eventful period of the last twenty years.

The plan is adapted to meet a scale of expenditure nearly equal to that of the year 1806, and it assumes, that during the war, the annual produce of the permanent and temporary revenues will continue equal to the produce of the same year 1806. It is understood, that any further or unforeseen change, or any deficiency of revenue, shall be separately and specifically provided for.

Keeping these premises in view, it is proposed that the war loans for the years 1807, 1808, and 1809, shall be twelve millions annually; for the year 1810, fourteen millions; and for each of the ten following years, sixteen millions.

Those several loans, amounting for the fourteen years to 210 millions, are to be made a charge on the war taxes, which are estimated to produce 21 millions annually.

The charge thus thrown on the war taxes is meant to be at the rate of 10 per cent. on each loan. Every such loan will therefore pledge so much of the war taxes as will be sufficient to meet this charge: that is, a loan of 12 millions will pledge

And

1,200,000l. of the war taxes. in each year, if the war should be continued, a further portion of the war taxes will, in the same manner, be pledged. And consequently, at the end of 14 years, if the war should last so long, 21 millions, the whole produce of the war taxes, would be pledged for the total of the loans, which would at that time have amounted to 210 millions.

The 10 per cent. charge thus accompanying each loan will be applied to pay the interest of the loan, and to form a sinking fund, which sinking fund will-evidently be more than 5 per cent. on such of the several loans as shall be obtained at a less rate of interest than 5 per cent.

It is well known, that a 5 per cent. sinking fund, accumulating at compound interest, will redeem any sum of capital debt in 14 years.— Consequently, the several portions. of the war taxes, proposed to be pledged for the several loans abovementioned, will have redeemed their respective loans, and be successively liberated in periods of 14 years from the date of each such loan. The portions of war taxes thus liberated, may, if the war should still be prolonged, become applicable in a revolving series, and may be again pledged for new loans.

It is, however, shewn by the printed calculations and tables, that, whatever may be the continuance of the operation, the property-tax will not be payable beyond the period for which it is now granted by the 46 Geo. III. ch. 65, but will in every case be in force only during the war, and unul the 6th day of April next after the ratification of a definitive treaty of peace, and no longer.

It is next to be observed, that the charge