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acts, or parts of acts, of the legislature of this State as are "repugnant to the treaty of peace between the United-States "and his Britannic Majefty, or any article thereof, shall be, ❝ and hereby are repealed; and further, that the courts of law " and equity within this State, be, and theyhereby are directed ❝ and required in all causes and questions cognizable by them "respectively, and arising from or touching the said treaty, “to decide and adjudge according to the tenor, true intent " and meaning of the fame, any thing in the said acts, or parts "of acts, to the contrary thereof, in any wife notwithstanding."

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Such a general law, would, we think, be preferable to one that should minutely enumerate the acts and claufes intended to be repealed, because omiffions might accidentally be made in the enumeration, or questions might arise, and, perhaps, not be fatisfactorily determined, respecting particular acts and claufes, about which contrary opinions may be entertained.— By repealing in general terms all acts and clauses repugnant to the treaty, the business will be turned over to its proper departments, viz: The judicial. And the courts of law will find no difficulty in deciding whether any particular act or claufe is, or is not contrary to the treaty *. Besides, when it is confidcred that the judges in general are men of character and learning, and feel as well as know the obligations of office and the value of reputation, there is no reason to doubt that their conduct and judgment relative to thefe, as well as to other judicial matters, will be wife and upright.

Be pleased, Sir, to lay this letter before the legislature of your State without delay. We flatter ourselves that they will concur with us in opinion, that candour and juftice are as ne◄ ceffary to true policy as they are to found morality; and that the most honourable way of delivering ourselves from the embarrassment of mistakes is fairly to correct and amend them. It certainly is time that all doubts refpe cting the public faith be removed, and that all questions and difference between us and Great-Britain be amicably and finally fettled.

This feems to leave too much to the power of the judge,

The

The States are informed of the reasons why his Britannia Majefty continues to occupy the frontier ports which by the treaty he agreed to evacuate, and we have the strongest affurances that an exact compliance with the treaty on our part will bo followed by a punctual performance of it on the part of GreatBritain.

It is important that the several legislatures should, as foon as poffible, take thefe matters into confideration; and we request the favour of you to transmit to us an authentic copy of fuch acts and proceedings of the legislature of your State as may take place on the subject and in pursuance of this letter,

By order of CONGRESS,

(Signed)

ARTHUR ST. CLAIR,

PRESIDENT,

СНАР.

Books referred

to.

Different regulations in different States.

Revenue laws

very ftrict.

CHA P. IV.

OF THE REVENUE LAWS.

FOR

See Chap. II. & III.

OR competent information on this fubject it will be neceffary to report to the law codes of the feveral States Lord Sheffield's and Champion's Treatifes on American Commerce; a volume compiled by Mers. Simm's and Truen, under direction of the commiffioners of the customs, in 1782; and the various other publications upon the subject.

Different regulations neceffarily prevail in the acts of their different legiflatures, from the influence of contrary and oppofite interefts. In fome of the States no British fhip can import the produce of the WeftIndies, in others the importation is subject to a duty of fo much per ton, on every British veffel entering their harbours, and in others are totally prohibited.

These laws are in general very strict and fevere, particularly fo in Virginia, where the smallest quantity of goods found in a

thip, not specified in the invoice or manis feft, will condemn both fhip and cargo, And the officers of the cuftoms have power to open all packages whatsoever.

Veffels have lately been condemned in the court of admiralty for the concealment of goods to the value of five pounds currency, and even where the fuppofition was reasonable that fuch concealment had been accidental and unintentional.

It is neceffary for every master of a Obfervation vessel on his arrival at any of the ports in the United-States, to make immediate enquiry into the rules obferved at the customhouse. The following are those observed at New-York.

in the custom

All goods entered, the duty on which Rules obferved amounts to twenty pounds, may be bonded houfe at New

for, payable in fix months, if faid goods are imported from any other place than the Weft-Indies; if from the Weft-Indies the duty is payable in four months. And if any part of faid goods are exported to any port within the United-States, of so much as is exported the duty is drawn back provided faid goods are exported within ninety days from the time of the entry of

the

York.

the veffel in which the goods were im ported.

If the duty on goods entered does not amount to twenty pounds the duty must be paid down, and no drawback allowed on fuch goods if exported.

CHAP.

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