fupplied by afleflments on the citizens, in proportion to their property.
To hire undertakers for keeping the public roads in repair, and indemnify in- dividuals through whofe lands new roads ftiall be opened.
To define with precifion the rules whereby aliens fhould become citizens, and citizens make themfelves aliens* To eftablifh religious freedom on the broadeft bottom.
To emancipate all flaves born after paffing the a6l. The bill reported by the revifors does not itfelf contain this pro- pofition; but an amendment containing it was prepared, to be offered to the legifla- ture whenever the bill fhould be taken up, and further direding, that they fhould continue with their parents to a certain age, then be brought up, at the public expence, to tillage, arts or fciences, ac- cording to their geniufles, till the females fhould be eighteen, and the males twenty- one years of age, when they fhould be colonized to fuch place as the circumflan- ces of the time fliould render mofl pro- per, fending them out with arms, imple- ments of houfhold and of the handicraft arts, feeds, pairs of the ufeful domeftic animals, &c. to declare them a free and independent people, and extend to them our alliance and proteftion, till they have acquired flrength; and to fend veffels at the fame time to other parts of the world for an equal number of white inhabitants;
to induce whom to migrate hither, pro- per encouragements were to be propofed.
It will probably be afked. Why not retain and incorporate the blacks into the ftate, and thus fave the expence of fupplying by importation of white fettlers, the vacan- [ ^h ] cies they will leave ? Deep rooted pre- judices entertained by the whites; ten thoufand recolledions, by the blacks, of