prevent it?  Should they punish the deceiver?  It seems more incumbent on the European government, where the act is done, and where a public injury is sustained from it.  However, it is only in Europe that this deception is heard of.  The individuals are generally satisfied in America, with their adventure, and very few of them wish not to have made it.  I must add, that the Congress have nothing to do with this matter.  It belongs to the legislatures of the several States.

Page 26. ‘Une puissance, en effet,’ &c.  The account of the settlement of the colonies, which precedes this paragraph, shows that that settlement was not made by public authority, or at the public expense of England; but by the exertions, and at the expense, of individuals.  Hence it happened, that their constitutions were not formed systematically, but according to the circumstances which happened to exist in each.  Hence, too, the principles of the political connection between the old and new countries were never settled.  That it would have been advantageous to have settled them, is certain; and, particularly, to have provided a body which should decide, in the last resort, all cases wherein both parties were interested.  But it is not certain that that right would have been given, or ought to have been given, to the Parliament; much less, that it resulted to the Parliament, without having been given to it expressly.  Why was it necessary, that there should have been a body to decide in the last resort?  Because, it would have been for the good of both parties.  But this reason shows, it ought not to have been the Parliament, since that would have exercised it for the good of one party only.

Page 105.  As to the change of the 8th article of Confederation, for quotaing requisitions of money on the States.

By a report of the secretary of Congress, dated January the 4th, 1786, eight States had then acceded to the proposition; to wit, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina.

Congress, on the 18th of April, 1783, recommended to the States to invest them with a power, for twenty-five years, to levy an impost of five per cent, on all articles imported from abroad.  New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina, had complied with this, before the 4th of January, 1786.  Maryland had passed an act for the same purpose; but, by a mistake in referring to the date of the recommendation of Congress, the act failed of its effect.  This was therefore to be rectified.  Since the 4th of January, the public papers tell us, that Rhode Island has complied fully with this recommendation.  It remains still for New York and Georgia to do it.  The exportations of America, which are tolerably well known, are the best measure for estimating the importations.  These are probably worth about twenty millions of dollars annually.  Of course, this impost will pay the interest of a debt to that amount.  If confined to the foreign debt, it will pay the whole interest of that, and sink half a million of the capital annually.  The expenses of collecting this impost, will probably be six per cent, on its amount, this being the usual expense of collection in the United States.  This will be sixty thousand dollars.