The Connecticut courant and Hartford weekly intelligencer — Hartford, Conn., 1777-03-31 00:00:00, page 2

Should comfini to govern this State, (then a colony)
according to its charter. New therefore, agreeable
so this principle, the confirtniool authority at pre
sent exiling in this state, has its balls *s.d foundation
on this advice from Cangrefs ; which advice had a
serial reference to a reconciliation to the crown cf
Grtat.Britain ; ccarfcqutttly when that has happen
ed, er afud bar hrid in the way, to prevent fitch an
.even ,' :^?.f placw, thea this advice ceases to be
bitdieg cn trit fr.au ; bu^ more Specially, when the
Cung'gG themuri^, have to all intents and pferpofea,
fapeceeded that advice by their fub^quent declare
tion of independence, by which mears, all idea of
hit maj^fty's governors, referred to in said advice, is
dif^rded by Cecgrffwmd approved by all the
States. Wfeire tr.cn now is this fine conftitirion ex
iftingin the charter, by advice of the Continental
Congrefi, and axc;cifed in a conflict ioml manner in
this Stoc ? The prefect general affimbly of this State
cannot therefore be ^ridiy and properly called the le-'
gil raprefentatives of the people, fiace the revolution
or declaration of independence, for they were not
rhofen to reprefimt this independent State, rut a very
differentiae, viz, a colony or province fubje& to the
crown of G^at-Br^aio, as we fie by their proclama,
non, of tho 23d of January, 1776; in which they
fupqbfe, and impbeitaly acknowledge themselves
hhl&j &/a lirge f^bj &,& u-adertek^ to exercifethe
p?w?r^ of governmental f*ch, is this Stale, agreeable
to fjJ adyica of thz honorable Continental Congress.
Rr: then is fr f^ra and fubflance of corflitutional
tutharfty, now exiting and exCrcifed in this State, re
cording to Mr. HampihireT notions. --Th^t we have
authbriiy ^cw ex'lliag in this State, we readily a
pre, not legal erd conftitutionel, but such as thro'
high political necessity, the people of this State, have
generally, and ou^hr undar their prefect circumftrin
c3s, to comply with, especially thoD a&s, for railing
end fupporrinq the army & navy, th& defence of the
State, in corjun&iom with the others, &c. •until a per
manent conhifutin* Ih&ll be formed and modeled, by
a proper rep+efsntstive body from the people, for that
purpose. We wilh for nothing mhe than to fee this
nccsmplifhed, the footer the better, for on fop
petition, that all #ht courts were now open, on Mr.
Humpfhire'i plan, nothing would be likely heard but
ih^ clamour of attorni^s, refp.fling th^t mode of do
ing business which wa> search to the old conflitution,
Landed in chaser. Tne fufyenfion of the powers of
government, in the raett virtuous States, arc intolera-
G^.ef/eciaJy in time ot war ; so that the immediate
forming the meddle of a new conftitniicn, in this
State, is cfirfiaite importance. Ths tewn of Pitts
field from th«fc corfiJera ions,pledged their faith tend,
honor, that they will support, with their lives and
fortunes, such a corifti urion and government, as shall
be properly formed, and adopted by the majority of
the good people of this State. The many falfe and
malignant afp^rfions, which have been c^A out and
pmiilhcd agni^ft the committee ^d town of Pitts
field, by Mr, Goodrich, &c. may be an excuse, for
khrir troubling the public again, who, although 2
prufiffed m^gifba.e, vo ties of conference, nor the ex
ertion, of that canftitu ional authority, for which he
prefeff^to be amartyr, i fuffi:ient to control ; he
having very lately beta deeded of a high Canard
branch of a Ute. &ff of affeinbly QroSbidng tha
tranfp Station ofc< taia articles out of the State) by
clandeftine'- c^ rr^R orovifiors from thii to the
0 --fN-^ Y^k.^d there falling them at near
Pubriih^d b. rrder glffie town, in public town
far@ri/ 4 ,lrid at Pitufield,or mozday thr pthof March,
1777, nomine cjntradicente.
Josiah Wright, Moderator.
P H I L. A D D / PH 'A March 19.
Late Ift evening ^ tri ^ 3 ^me papers, from which
r/c have ~: f r a r,e ard ro;m so the fallowing.
H A GU E, November 13.
THE merchants of He principal towns of this republic,
intereftd in. the fate, of fime cutfh, take* d.fart
time fines b, the Englijh u^F, prince of infringing the
orders of the States. buri ,ref?iDd a petition tithe Staes
General, in wbjh tie, claim tbs support of their High
Mi^tiwfo egaitf the Court of London. The, pretend
that the v fils fszed, wbethtr om their poffage from Rot
terdam to St. Eufatsa, or s* cohing from St. Croid to Am
flerdam, could not on arenuvof the nature and coxKtr, of
the prfrittors, ivbich bar be % /ffai^tl, proved, belong
to the commerce of an, ether nation.
L O N D O N Nduember 30.
We are itferaid. that the refiutiez of the traufyorte
with troops, which has been tabu h, ax American priva
t^r, and carried into Spaiu, bat b«en formally demanded b,
our Minifler at that Cmrt. and abfoftfj refujed.
A letter from Hamburgh, dated Hop. Ifr Jays, " The
veuts of war arrives herefrom ever, quarter. rFi learn,
among other intelligence, • that the troops of a formidable
,0 wer hn{b receiv A orders to bold tbemfelve, it readiness to
Parch on the firfifenal? with ever, thing rieceffar, for ta
ding thefield ”
Dec. 2. Last night an expref stoat fat to Portfmratb,
kud Deal, to fop all the. Ships bound to New-Yorkfrom fail
ing till further orders.
she account of the dispatches said to be thrown overboard,
and recovered, from the French Court to the Congress of
America, affiring them of affiance in thefiring, is a fad,
and this ma, account for thefuddeti „ and uxe%Maed press.
&e have very good authorst, to affirm it to be trice.
We are afared from good authority, that 20,000 French
troops are under orders to march into Spain ;fo that onrg # a
clous fovsreigxs good off.su between two neighbouring
powers fem to have twttd out abortive
On Saturday difatebes were font to the Cmmiffionw; of
the differentyards for expediting and fating out for fa, the
men of war wantedfor immediate fovice.
I sferda, advice was received that the Sturdy Bargar
privateer had taken a Portuguese Jhip upon their coaf, found
to London, richly laden, and after taking out part of her
cargo, set the fbi, or,fire and jbe was eutirel, cotfumed.
A Dutch Jhip from Rilboa parted from her anchor she fame
evening, and went on fore b, Wbitfable, which grimes an
account of a transport being carried into Bilboa, with 120
Soldiers cm board by an Americanprivatur,
The las letter from LiJbon mention, that a Provincial
privateer of 1^ g&„§ befidefwivels, and 160 me? is token
and carried into that port, hbe bad taken two. Weft Indi
mist, laden with sugar, but theft letters do not centum their
namm
Yhefset of obfervatien, it is Laid, will crf.fi ofo%efcip
of 100 guns, two of go, ten 0/74, and twoof 60,
We bear tb^t Lord Chatham is so ver, ill, that be is
given over by bis physicians. '.
PHILADELPHIA.
Extras of 4 letter from Hoddoficld, (New J^fj,)
Ma>ch 17.
" I have just fetn a letter from Gen. Maxwell, da
ted at Wtftfield, cm the 14th irritant,in which he men
tion# a skirmish of fame importance with the eeemy,
on Saturday the Bth inlta*i: A# it is new to me I
tra^fait it to }tu, though you may probably have bad
a better account of it. He mentions that ihe ene^y
had brought out all thtir tfoops fern Arabey, &c.
fuppofvd to be about 3000, and posted therchlves on
Punk Hill : Tney brought artillery and $ number of
y^ggons, as if to forage, though there was none left
in that neighbourhood worth notice; Gea. Maxwell,
with the troops undir his command, was 0^ a riling
greundto the northward; in plain vi^w, though a;a
good difta^ce. The enetry ware too well situated to
be attacked. Hit Lata party to the left to amuse
th^rn, but.his real defiga was to ths right cn the
heights towards Boßatamwa. He Arit a ftrcitg party
th^ way to examine their line's, if they had any, and
to fall in near the ead of them, thst he might fall cn
their flaah ; this was performed by part of Col. Pot
"''' ;,"""'" of PEnrri/lvania militia, and part of
Cel. Thatches's battalion from N. E. Col. Cook
of the rcr.nfyiv^nian, had bees' ordered to come
down cn Carrar.'s-Hiil and keep along the heights
till he met the eatm *.About half a mile lower dawn,
batweea Carman'#Hill and Woodbridge, the two
parties being joi^d, met § ftroag advanced party of
tire enemy. On the firft tiling Cel. Martin & Li„t.
Col. Lindley were f^nt to support them; they all be
haved well, mid fopt th^ir ground till they weta sup
ported from ;he m^a body,which immediately match
ed that way. Thaesray also feet out a reiufoice
fcant ; but on &,%h% -jogiment of ours being sent OR
the hit to cut t§ra elf from their main bedy ; the
P a "y „g* v * ^'^y i^ gre,t corfefiom ; the flame catch
cd-their main body, a^d all west together. Ourpeo
p:e furfind them and twk a prifo^r and a btgg%e
wa g&° n close in rirar rear, a good way down the plaia
g onnd. Bon&mtown lay too near on the right, and
^ plain open ground towards Amboy, to purine far.
Th?y Isft fowr dead on the field, and we took three
prisoners. By the quantity she enemy carried off in
flfriend waggons, it is supposed they had near 20
killed and twice that number wounded. Gen. Max
wclaifo mentions, that by a soldie r taken aboat the
141 k instant, he learns, that Gm Howe was at Ba
namtown during he engagement,till he Aw his troops
make the belt of their way home, and then he tho't
it was tins for him to go. That the enemy's real
dsfign in coming oatthat da, was to facure the Gen.
a fife passage to Amboy, and that he is since gone to
New-York. The soldier further fays, they talk no
more of goi^g to Morris. Town. Gee. Maxwell adds,
that by eve-y account from prifgners, deserters, and
inhabitants, the killed, wounded and miffing of the
enemy, in the adion of the zjd of February, was up
wards ofgoj."
Uy a gentleman from Bedford, we learn, that a
Mr. Blackburn had arrived there, who informed, that
alarge party of Indians had attacked a party of 300
Virginians, at or near Kentucky, when a long and
obstinate engagement enfaed, in which, it is said, 100
Indians and 70 Virginians were left dead in the field.
March 18. On Wednfda, iztb infant, the Jhip
Sally, Capt. Rollins, from Naxtz, was chafed in the mouth
of our ba, b, a max of war and tender ; the Capt. run her
afeore on Caps May, where be with all the people escaped,
but at tQO tide came in the fhpfloated and was drawn c ffb,
the tender. Unfortunately there was not afisgle gun mount
ed on this vcffel b, which the Capt. might have afjeudsd
her again# boats or fraall tenders • ,elf in all probability her
cargo at leaf might have been faven, which would have
been ver, acceptable to the public, though we are bapp, to
fndthzt ft w;s not of half the valise that is generally ima
gined, as fh;bad little in her but lead, of which article we
have lately received great fapplies, so that we can provide
every red or blue coated plunderer with a full pound of it, if
an ounce foould not prove fujfcieut to make him bonefl.
The following intelligence is received b, a gentleman who
came paflxger in the above Jhip, viz, The declaration of
Independence has dot is the Las altered the fentimints of our
friends in England, tor diminifbed their number. Tbofe
who are realfriends of liberty, new openly avow that the
Americans are juflifable in their revolt from Groat-Britain.
That they have not the leaf expectation of their trier return
ing to their former fate of dependence, nor do they wife ever
to fee America .in, thing else than a filler fate, being firmly
perfuadedthat Jhould the Americans be reduced to a fate of
favsr,, their own liberty, or even the semblance of it,
could not long survive.
We dlfe ltar% that thug, Great-Britain has certainh
apptscd to Ruffin.for troops, ml though th? Empress fib',
willing to lend them, we ma, be offered that no Ruffian
soldiers will ever befont to this country, as France bus ah
folutel, determined that the, foall neverftfoot on this quar
ter of th globe.
France is row arming at all points for a war with Great-
Britain, The prct?aionfoe offers to American flips sf war.
and every other public fa,Jbe takes is rs such a nature, as t,
make st abfolutel, certain that a war between France anes
England is either adHally begun, or rauf ver,fox take place.
f'here has la^l, been a change or Ministry in
Spain ; the late Prime Minister was av^rfe to a war
with Great Britain, and the present Mip-ifter is zeal
ous for it, so that w* know what to ex,e& from that
quarter. Immediately on thid change of xdmiaiftra
tioM, a large fleet failed from Spain, as wa, fappofed
againff the Portugnefe feti/ements in America.
Wears told that our friends in England are in
hourly expeaations of hearing that we have declared
war Ighiaft the infolerit, impudent kingdom of Portu
gal. The French merchants in general, in all their
La port town:, ffiew the utmost d<fl r e cf opening a
trade with the independent States of America; which
they will carry on at their own rifque. Inference ia
now dene from France to America, at 20 per cent, so
that we may soon expeft to have very plentiful sup
plies.
TO THE PUBLI C.
In CONGRESS, January 15, 1777.
I> ^SOLVED, that th# Conuh<Rtal Treasurer be
11 impowered and diraded to borrow mercy era
L ISA Office certificates; that the fame be ct tweiiigß
ed by the Auditor- General for ihe line brimg.
RESOLVED, February 22, 1777.
Thst all certificates issuing after the bril cm fli.n,
ba signed by Michael Hillegas. Esq; T^furer, or
Samuel Hillegas/ and counmfigned agr^bl^ to the
resolutions of Congr^f, of the 3d cf October, 1776,
and 15-h J,ruvy, 1777.
RESOLVED, February 26 1777.
Th tan interest of SIX PER CENT., per annum,
be allowed on all sums of moic, already borrowed,
and dirffted to b± borrowed, on Loan Office certifica
tes, although such certificates mention cniy an istareft
of four p^r centum, per anr urn.
Extras from tbe minuses.
(Signed) CHARLES THOMSON, Sec'%
Baltimore, March 3. 1777.
The Continental Tmfurer, in obedience to the a^
bove refyuriortf, bigs tare to acquaint the Public,
that he is ready to receive h loan, in behalf of the
United Spates, any f^ms of money, not hfs thsn two
hundred dollars that may be brought him, at his office
in Market street.
M. HILLEGAS, Continental Lrcafurcr,
NEWLONDO N, March 28.
Since our left a Flag with ten Prifaners went frem
this Port to the Harbour cf Newport, and exchanged
them for a like Number of our People, which they
took out of the Unicorn Man of War, am r.g whoa,
are Cap,, fonm Tinker and his People, taken a ft„
D„ brfare on their Passage fi cm the Weft Indies to
thin P >rt. The Unicorn is her last Cruize, we htar,
took four Prizes, cneef them a Brig belonging to the
Eastward, who afterwards run &shore at Nan tytafet,
and fell into our Hands.
Capt. Seth Griffi^g, in the Sloop Pol'y, belonging
to Killingwofth, outward bound, was taken near SL
Eu/tatia.
C&pt. Themis Chester cf Greton, arrived here
since our left, in a Sicop from South Carding, with a
Cargo of Rice, Indigo, &c. Wa learn that Silver and
Goldie exchanged in South Carolinawith 'he g&te^
Fredom for Continental Bills end Bills iffaed by that
State; and in many Instances the said Bills are prefer
red to Gold and Silver.
A Gentlemen, late from Head Q^r^a in the
Jerfies',acquaints us, that when he came away, both
Armies seemed disposed to remain quiet... That t^/e
EA^sp were lurking within the fealty Confines of
Brunswick and Amboy ; surrounded by dotsch^d
Corps of our Troops, whefe advantageous Si ua i a
enabled them to cifeover and repel any pluaderir g
Party that Hunger could force to filly cut. Scarce a
Day paffid without #n Attempt to farrago and plun
der, but the Vigilance and Bravery of cur Troops .0-
bliges the Enemy t& return commonly without ? un
der and often with a very great Lof's of their fan and
" 2 ^^' # The Enemy too well know the Fag that
must attend their pacing the Woods a: d Meuntaim#
which leads to Morris County, to hazard fuch,an </-
pedirion. And in any oth^r Part cf the J^fm there
is nb OIj*& worthy their Altenriet, even if >h? Dur,-
ger and Difficulties were incpnfiderebfe. EL further
acquaints us, that 265 Hessian, were lately difarfracd
upon a repeated Refufal to obey Orders When com
manded to annoy and attack feme of cur advanced
Parties.
The Gentleman remarks, that hecould not have bt
lieved [it was in the power of any events to have trade
so grsa+ „ alteration in the femfonts and fpiriis cf
a people ia so short a time, as the enemy's rent and re
vages made among the Jerfeyrnen. The fpeefore
of Britith Government exhibited on their me^untary
triumph, has fully gratified any hankering thl inhabi
tants might have to fee it efabliffied. 'The repeated
failure of their military operations he# cafti^h t^proah
on their arms, that those who were frighted wi h Ge*
Howe's success and bagged hi/ pardop and prcteaic-rp
have almost to a man returned to th? cause, aid are
now fighting for the defence of their cou»'ry; Wing
r^olved at all htoidb to prevent any feUia ravage#.