The Pennsylvania packet, or, The general advertiser — Lancaster, Pa.;Philadelphia, Pa., 1783-07-05 00:00:00, page 3

On Monday morning died, at hishoufe in Cockfpur
flreet, Charing-Cross, Mr. Christopher Finchbeck. He
had been for some months declining gradually, under the
weight of 75 years, a disease which maktsgreater ravage
in the country than in the metropolis. He had in his
younger days travelled thro' great part of France, exhi
biting a piece of clock-work, and other mechanical
curiosities, invented by his father and himklf ; and for
several years previous to his death had applied his at
tention to mechanifin, and the perfecting inventions,
many of which general use has damped a merit upon.>
He had in his character a flrange mixture of whim and
goodness; but the latter part of the completion is
much the bed known to the public. That he invent
ed the metal which goes by his name, was honored
with a degree of intimacy by the king, in times when
peace andkifiire left no room for amusement, is known
to every one; but that he had a heart open to the en
treaties of misery and wretchedness, and a spirit to
disdain meanness in all it shapes, is equally true; al
though not so favoured a topic for modern contempla
tion. His bed eulogium will be the charaHer given of
him by his enemies; for he who hears if, will not fail
to carry some considerable degree of merit to the ac
count of him, whole greated faults confided of inno
cent singularities!
March 27. The time draws near when thole who
are now employed in our fleets and armies mud mix
again with the m fs of community from whence they
were draw 1 for those services ; if the sources of indus
try already opeq are not fufficient to receive their la
bour, or any of these sources fail, it will require all
the wisdom of government and parliament to point
out others for that purpose, that none of those brave
fellows, difmified from our fleets and armies, may from
want of employment be thrown as a burden upon the
public, or be reduced to live by rapine on their neigh
bours.
There are in this country very considerable tracts of
waste land, from which little, if any advantage accrues
to the public; large heaths over which we may ride
many a tedious lingering mile without feeing an acre
£f corn, or any hock of cattle, unless it is here and
there a few straggling sheep or deer; surely these lands
might be improved to the great advantage of the com
munity, by proper encouragement given to those who
would undertake the cultivation of them.
These extensive wades, that in the present neglected
slate are trod only by the feet of the solitary passenger,
or afford an asylum for bandittis of men who prey
upon the properties of their neighbours, or set the
laws of their country at defiance, would, by proper
cultivation, afford employment for considerable num
bers of people; and in the course of a few years we
Should fee these now barren wades filled with towns and
villages, surrounded with fertile fields and good pas
tures, and teeming with people ufefully employed,
and comfortably maintained.
Some people may be prevented from emigrating, be
cause it has been cuflomary to provide, at lead, some
eatables, and a case or two of liquors.' But this is an old
unnecessary prejudice, and is very seriously to be ob
jefted o—not only as it locks like a didruft in Provi
dence—but, what is more, is an aspersion on the Ame
rican carriers !—whofe veffels(it is peculiar to this fta
<ion)in every latitude make a daily allowance to each
passenger, of frefh butchers meet, newly gathered ve
getables, old wine, and London porter!. l
fofkad therefore of every other fibre, content yotir
ftlf with the following fhert inventory, viz.
id, A quantity of opium, to enable you to deep,
when cooped up in a hammock between decks!
2dly, Norton's drops, to cure your scurvy, inevita
ble from the foul air of the ships, and other causes!
3 dly, Some indruments for the teeth! in case they
Should be broken with biscuit ! u '
4thly, And above all, a barrel of oil, to be°ufed ac
cording to Dr. Franklin's method, to calm the waves
about the (hip, in case you should get into rough wea
ther!
On Friday lad a sailor, who was pacing along Hol
born, meeting another seaman with the loss of a leg,
begging aims, who telling the former " he had loft his
leg," &c. — " Well, d n your 6—s," replied Jack,
" I fee you have loft it ; " and at the fame time throwing
a guinea into his hat, raid, “ there's something to buy
you another." — A girl, who was with him, reprimand
ing him for his benevolence, he flopped suddenly short,
and demanding the reditution of a cloak and bonnet
he had just purchased for her, d n'd her for an un
natural w -e, and dismissed her- He afterwards gave
the cloak and bonnet to a poor aged woman.
April 2. A correspondent fays, the accounts bf the
earthquake reminded him of the descriptions end ideas
we affix to the day of judgment, or rather the end of
the world—“ When the cloud cape towers, the gorge
oils palaces, yea, the great globe itfeb, shall disap
pear, and, like the baseless fabric of a vision, leave nos
a wreck behind.
ANECDOT E.
Mr. Hughes, of the Royal Circus, having received
a draft drawn on meffrs. Drummond and Co. for pay
ment of a certain sum, Mr. Larchin, one of his per
formers, was ordered to ride to the banking house at
Charing-Cross to get the cash. The draft was accord
ingly presented; but as it sometimes happens, the
bearer was questioned as to the means by which he
came by it, &c. He replied that he had it of Mr.
Hughes, who had sent him to receive the amount;
but if they doubted his word, begged any gentleman
in the office to take the money and throw it on the
pavement before his horse, and they Ihould be convinc
ed that what he had told them wast rue. As the request
was rather singular, it was complied with; —the animal
obeyed his inßruHions, took np the bag, and de iver
ed it to his mafler; who rode off io triumph, leaving
the clerks and fpe&ators in astonishment, declaring it
was the firft time they had ever feea money paid to,
Or received by a horse.,
L O N D O N, March 2d.'
POLITICAL CAN'T^.
The king can't get a miniflry.
The outs can't get in.
The prince of Wales can't get a houfhold.
The maids of honor can't get husbands.
The poor can't get bread.
The rich can't get honefly.
The nobles can't get credit.
The curates can't get livings.
Parlon Horne can't get a hearing.
The Bishops can't get a good name.
The Scotch can't get a militia.
The militia can't get difoharged.
Charles Turner can't get gravity.
An EPITAPH on a LADY.
AL L cold, beneath this narrow heap,
An angel's charms in silence sleep ;
And here the ties of virtue end,
The tender mother, wife, and friend.
For her each gentle bosom grieves,
'Tis not the turf alone that heaves;
Pity and love her loss deplore,
Their favourite now can feel no more.
And fee the woodbine loves to flray,
Around the sod that elafps the clay;
The primrose with the vi'let vies,
To deck the grave where beauty lies.
Here melancholy, lonely maid,
Shall oft the live-long night be laid,
And when the morning beam appears,
Revive the verdure with her tears.
«wa-j^^> lM ^i»jmga-a-«u»» mini geaMmaaae^— #
NEWPOR T, June 21.
On Monday next the honorable general assembly
of this Rate is to meet in this town.
We hear the new ere&ed town of refugees, at Port-
Rofeway, in Nova-Scotia, was some time lafl month
almost wholly deflroyed by fire.
a RICHMOND, (Virginia) June 21.
ARRIVALS in James river. Sloop Charming Betsey,
John Gonnick ; schooner Providence, Nathaniel Bent
ley; and schooner Fame, captain Wonycott, from Phi
ladelphia. Brig Sally, James Edwards, from Dublin.
Brig Lark, Peter Heron, from Morlaix. Sloop Ex
change, John Vefey, from Turks-lfland. Brig Nan
cy, Captain Douglass, from Glasgow.
Outward bound. Brig Neptune, George Lacey,
for London. Ship Alexander, John F, Williams, for
Bourdeaux. Brig Ross, captain Chambers, for Dub
lin. _
Baltimo r e, July 1.
Several ships from London, it is said, are arrived in
James river, Virginia.
On Sunday last the ship Renown, captain Clarke,
arrived here, in 6 weeks from Brittol.
NAVAL-OFFIC E.
Entries at the port of Baltimore. Ship Urania, J.
Pomellec, from Cadiz.
Clearances at the port of Baltimore. Sloop Adven
ture. T' Cobb, for Bermuda; Brig Nelly, P. M'Gre
gor, New-York; Brig Two Friends, S. Axfon, Cur
racoa,
Philadelphia, July §.
IT is, fays one of our correspondents, exceedingly
easy to fay, after an affair is over, how it might have
been prevented or ordered otherwise. The adjournment
of Congress to Princeton may now be called precipitate,
because no mlfchief has happened from the disorders
that were then beginning to prevail—But. information
since, and subsequent circumstances have proved that
mifehief was intended,, or why did the two officers ab^
fcond as soon as they found that their secret designs
were difeovered.
Suppose on the contrary, that mifehief had happen
ed, and that a feene of tumult had ensued, which it
was in the power of the city to have prevented, had
measures been concerted in time. In this case, the
communication of Congress to the executive council
for the purpose of concerting those measures, and pre
venting mifehief, would have been highly applauded,
and their adjournment, under the circumstances in
which they did adjourn, would have been considered
by every body as an ad of wisdom. Is it, the less so
now?
The reason given for not calling the militia, namely,
that it requires three days notice, may be a jufiifiable
reason to the executive council for not calling them,
but it is equally as good a reason for the adjournment
of Congress, because it was a plain declaration that the
laws of the date do not provide against sudden riots•
and certainly it would have been highly injudicious in'
Congress to have exposed all the business and records
of the continent, state-papers, tranfadions with foreign
nations, &c. to the hazard of three days in the unset
tled manner things then appeared.
It is now very well known, that neither Congress nor
the executive council were the objeHs, which those
who set the men on had in view. But who can tell when
a riot begins, where it is to end. The foldlers, it is
true, thought of nothing but obtaining their pay, but
this was not the object with their prompters, or why,
as is before said, did they so hastily abfeond on being
difeovered-
It has been said, in order to prove the adjournment
precipitate, that at the time Congress appointed a com
mittee to confer with the council, there was only an
“ appearance" of disorder, and that “ no one violent
ad had been committed." On which it may be remark,
ed.—
That the most dangerous and fatal riots are those
which have, in the beginning, a peaceable appearance,
and can be (upported, as such, by a fair pretence.
Was not the city of London, about three years ago,
thrown into the utmost consternation and confafion,
hundreds of lives loft, all the shops and courts of jus
tice Glut up for seven or eight day#, both houses of
parliament obliged to adjourn, and their king to with
draw himfelf to Windsor Castle, and all this occafiooed
by a meeting io St. George's Fields, under the peacea
b.e name of religion.
The states individually appoint their delegates and
fend them to seek a refidencs per leave, and to depend
for the fa fety of their persons, and what is more, the
fafety of their national concerns on the will and plea
lure of some individual Rate. A situation which wilt
ever be attended with inconveniencies.
Is this confident with the honor or character of the
dates, either indi idually or collectively. Congre $ to
whom so much ia entrufled, ought not to depend o'o so
precarious a tenure. Aj we have made our way
to empire fclely by our union, and that union is the
foundation of all we possess, and on which our inde
pendence Rands, ought not, then, the representatives
of that union to be securely and commodiously placed,
that the business of the continent may nor, by any'
local or accidental circumflance be interrupted.
Yeflerday, being the ANNIVERSARY OF OUR
INDEPENDANCE, his excellency the president and
the honorable the supreme executive council received,
at his excellency's house, the compliments of the ma
fißracy the officersof the army, a very large number
of the officers of the militia, and other citizens.
The concourse of gentlemen o the several orders be
fore mentioned, on this occasion, was exceedingly
great; and, what must give true fatirfaClion to all lov
ers of their country : all parties concurred without dif
tinaion, in the most friendly manner, to teflify their
common joy on the auspicious day.
In the afternoon the President gave an elegant enter
tainment to the honorable the council, all the f ^'of
ficers in the city and neighbour! ood, and several offi^
cers of the army.—ln the evening the city was enter
tained with Mr. Mason's Triumphal Car, in which
was a portrait of general Washington, with thoft of
count Rochambeau and general Gates.—The car wag
preceded by music, and a number of b o ,s and girls
dressed in white, carrying torches. In short, it was
day of joy and pleasure to every lover of American In
dependence.
On the 2d of June died, in Rerkely county, Virginia
Mrs. Elizabeth Gates, the amiable lady of the ho
norable major general Gates.
There is no provision made in the confederation for
the residence and convenience of Congress To whom,
as a body are delegated, and to whom are entrufled,
the greatest and mod important concerns, which,
America, now sovereign and independent, has on her
hands.
There always are in all populous cities and countries
numbers of loose, disorderly charaders, ready to joid
any tumult, or to make one, where they may have an
opportunity of laying their hands on what is not their
own: and had any thing of an a^ual riot began here,
numbers of such charaHers would have joined it, under
the pretence of being fclliers, who never were in the
least conceded with any part of the army: and thus,
not only the city might have been exposed to plunder,
but the real angdeferving soldier to unmerited censure :
and therefore the communication of Congress to the ex
ecutive council, so far as it went to prevent both those
effeds was a judicious proceeding; and if on the con
ference, it appeared, that council were not legally em
powered to use the means necessary to prevent any;
mifehief or insult that might happen within the spa ce of
three days, the very reason, then, mull didate to Con
gress, who, as a body, were charged with the affairs
of the continent, the propriety of adjourning.
If any part of the business was unnecessary it was
the proclamation; and it is rather to be wished that
Congress had adjourned without any other proclama
tion than a general one to convene the next meeting
at Princeton. Reasons, if necessary, might have been
given hereafter; and as the whole matter was then in
volved in obfeurit/ and attended with difficulties, f om ^
time was necessary to unravel them.
But there is one refiedion arising from this affair
which is very forcible, and merits the attention of the
slates.
REAL BEAUTY, said to have been Written by thg
Reverend Doßor Foredyce.
THE diamond's and the ruby's b'aze
Deputes the palm with beatuy's queen ;
That beauty's queen commands such praise.
Devoid of virtue if file's seen.
But the foft tear in pity's eye,
Outshines the diamond's brightest beams •
And the f^eet blush of modefly,
More beauteous than the ruby seems.
On reading the above, by J. C.
'Tis real beauty, but how rarely found?
Envy replies, with fly farcaflic snee r —
Envy, that loves to giveth' affaffin' swound,
And honor's palm from worth de ighis to tear.'
Truth, beauteous Heav'n-born maid, pale envy's voice;
Indignant bear'd, yet mildly thus rejoin'd; " ''
“ Unjust your charge—injustice seems your choice.
" Yours is the fault, if it you rarely find!
" To your confufion. envy, turn—fee where
“It charming fhines—a)| lovely in my eyes "
She turns and fees divine Cofmelia there
So lovely sweet, envy defpsirs and dies.
TH E Citizens who received Public
ARMS and ACCOUTREMENTS on Tues
day night, che 24th June, are requdteu to return th^nt
to Captain JOSEPH STILES, Commissary Military
Stores. Jul, 5 .
VTA' taken up by the fubferiber, living at rhe Scr
rel riorie on the Lancaster road; a large Iron
Grey HORSE, shod before, with a bald note, and
great part of his head white. Toe owner is defireu tef
come, prove property, pay cha gk, and take him away,
J^e -9. JOHN WITMER, jun%