The Pennsylvania packet, or, The general advertiser — Lancaster, Pa.;Philadelphia, Pa., 1780-12-16 00:00:00, page 4

^o'ney for that purpose, from time to time:
, iways the orders of tue senior doctors obeyed,
, cdnfi lend them as my only vouchers: that in
common I w is well supplied withfugar, molasses, wine,
fp riti, : ce, nd other hofpitat bores; and that doc
tor Shipps federal times vifiped rhe hospitals, enquired
into rt^ix emotion, and gave me repeated directions
ic fnpu'v them with every receffary and to fe they
wer^ t clean • and I seldom miffed going once or
twfea day to fee that it was so. The barracks were
Emptied mid well cleaned for the re cept;on or the wound
from Er fieri under do&or Tilton. Dodor Shippen
always appeared tome attentive and humane to the fic<
wderhi^re. CONRAD KOTTS.
The fabEfiber Conrad Kotts,
to the truth of the above
^incite affirmed before
me. the id of June, 1780.
TENSE; L. WILLIAMS.
BoS or Morgan's further remarks
cm dodor Shippen's attempt;
to vindicate himfelf.
[Continued from our lift.]
To WILLIAM SHIPPEN, junior, enquire, &e.
FROM your own lame vindication and comeflions,
it is'plain that you employed Cutting the apothe
cary, James the commissary general of the hospital,
besides public waggons and your own time, to carry
on a lucrative (peculation for your emolument altho'
the United States paid all of you to mindthe affairs of
the hofpitU department. Thus a band of peofioners
•were kept in pay to mil< the public for your benefit ;
and public money and hos Jtal (lores are called your
money and your Hores.
Of what avail is the cfrt ficate of colonel Moylan,
or 1 the affidavit of Mr. Thomas Smith? They on
ly' prove that those gentlemen, the one to save tne ba
coin of his " dear Billey," and the other of his own
de@r cousin, have given it as their opinion, that a per
for. who has the handling of public money, may war
rantably (peculate in the flores of his department
This option, maintained by one, whohas afled in the
I tion of commissary general of mufiers^rid quarter
n Her general of the army, and by another who is
ico nmiff oner of the loans, and to whole fidelity is com
mitted the treasure of the public, is a curious doflrine
To fuppprt , at a time, when the citizens of these dates
art 3 oppressed and born down with taxes, accumulated
upon them by the malpractices of defaulters and
[peculators in public offices. I have a higher opi-
D^n of the integrity and honor of those worthy
gentlemen, than to imagine they were ever capa
ble, themselves, of reducing their speculative opini
ons to practice, fir their own benefit. Not a word
does colonel Moylan fry of his recommending the
porch fe of these wines to fell again. When Mr.
§vth took so much care to guird his proportion with,
" were I in y ur pl ce, I would rather purchase any
" other articles than tl ofe I purchased for the use of
6 the hospital " did'nor cot feience and honour repro
bate it as ung~Mlemanly and improper: or why this
fIvo? It seems Mr. Smith only “ believes" you bought
five or fix, pipes with yourown money, and for your
own use: and he fold two, or three, as your wine.
But why five or fix why two or three? W erefore is
the precise number always forgot ? M ; ght not a man
be supposed to have forgot whether he had married
two or three wives, a, the number of pipes of wine he
had bought, for fpcu^tion, if he had regular books to
have recourse to, that he was not afraid to produce to
refrefh his memory ' What fort of evidence is this; and
for what purpose do you bring in colonel Moylan's
certificate, which the court could never admit, given,
as it was at Cholchefier, to invalidate pohtive evidence
given in oath before the court? Had these wines been
taken by the enemy or leaked cut, theta is little doubt
whose loss it would be ; yours, or that cf tie United
States: all the pipe l you fold were full pipes. It is cer
tain Mr. Henry Derringer had liberty to fill up the
two or three pipes of your wine, whicn he bought of
Mr. Smith, out of any in the hospital stores; and Mr.
Jewell deposes there were eight there at that time.
You have the modefly to assert, that you are only
accused of felling four pipes and an half of wine, and
three tierces of fogar. Tocoverthe ass irof wine, you
make ail your witnesses ring over the fame tune, about
five or fix pipes which you so repeatedly told them,
(not to forget) that you bought them of Mr. Nefbit.
But I have prov d bes re the court the files of four
teen pipes and sixteen tierces of wine which you al
lowed of, exJufive of fix pipes of Madeira, mention
ed in the deposition of colonel B. Flower, in April or
May, 177^ long after the other fries ; being perhaps
a part of what was left of the fie pipes you bought
of 'm< T:urs Conyngham and Nefbitr. I have also
proved tl e files of twenty hotheads of brown sugar at
Boston, which you wilfully forget, or flip over under
the FT term of " the Lofton adventure " and I have
(rewife demooftrate>, on better testimony than the
negative belief evidence of your cousin Thomas Smith,
namely ti e positive testimony of the honourable George
Bryan, referred to in the deposition of dodor Rush,
that you applied to a certain relation of yours, whom
you will 0 adilyexcufe my not naming, to fell loa'fu-
a r for you. Messieurs Barrett's accounts prove, that
>ur nogtheads of the brown sugar you purchafrd at
ofton, were exchanged for three hoglheads of loaf fu
r, and sent on to the hospital magazines at Bethle
vh Lancaber, ^c. whilst but very little was ever
'X for the lick in the hospital.
„ Doctor Craick's evidence I admit. Here you cannot
deny, the manner of your examining your witnesses was
„ ?ut to them a firing of artful complex questions, to
„!, h thofe,-at you had properly trained, generally
ty^^t ertteg ; clly, as you wither them • or if left
a^drmfelves an- 'he answer did not pleafc, out went
W ftiem asd urfwer. I will illuErate this latter
'tfpn rth an example to the point, in your exami-
PHILADELPHIA: Printed and Sold by JOHN DUNLAP and DAVID C. CLAYPOOLE.
,ntion of that honefl witness doßor Cr^„ whose re
gird to truth revolted against (ome of your questions ;
and I will fubjoimthe evidence of dodor Thomas Bond,
junior, on the fame question ; and what you have
omitted of his teflimony about your book%
Doctor Shippen's queßion to doctor Craik.
“ Did I not allways appear to you, anxious, for
the wellfare of the sick. and wounded ; very attentive to
the duties of my flation ; and frugal in the expend
ture of public money ?"
Answer by doffer Craik.
" No! I beg pardon, fir, I cannot answer thatquef
tion."
DcßorSippeo in reply ;
" I believe it is very true, now I think of it, yon
had not so good an opportunity of knowing it as fom)
others I dull hsveoccafion to examine, so, judge,
we may pass over that quebion for the pr~f"ut."
The answer of doflor Thomas Bond, junior, to the
fame queflion, was thus given,
" I allways thought you very anxious,, and humane,
attentive enough in business, but rather too frugal.
Quellion by doctor Shippen.
" Did not the two books 1 gave you to look over,
contain all my accompts against the public ?"
Answer.
“-[ dont know.",
Queffion;
" Did you not fee credits given for transportation in
waggons ?"
Answer.
" I did fee one or more; but for what purpose I
dont know.".
-Upon this (lender foundation, without producing your
books, as, I suppose, they were not then tranferioed,
and fitted to invalidate the teftmony which appeared
against you, the whole flimfey fuperftruaure of your
defence upon book keeping is bust,
But here I obje& againf lDr. Bond's evidence, inade
quate as it is, for f.veral reasons Firfl, a kmd efopa
Iroufe was kept where tie lodged, with a waggon load of
stores proper for nofpkals, to ref^th the memory of your
witneffea.' Secondly, he and they made rep^td attacks
on the virtue of fame of the wimefes in behalf ofue
United States, p rt cu'arly on Dr Brown, whfh he w s
under examination by the coirt, whichmad? him quit
the boufe and look out for new quarters : and thirty
Dr. Bond appears to have been concerned in carrying
on a private trade with public waggons, as well as your
felf; and fold fume of the hospital stores, to pay the debts
of the I ofpit.4, of which I fhali lay before the public the
dep fitions of the witnesses, for proof, whenever I am
property called upon for the purpose.
Much have I to fay on the artifices an 1 rhicancery
of which .you made use, to elude the cross examination
of Mr Tomas Smith and other witnesses ; of your ex
amining your witnesses out of court, and producing their
test mony thus taken in evidence before the court, when
none of the members had tire least opportunity of croff
examining them contrary to a fixed rule of that very
court, and to the relolves cf Congress.; of the enter
tainments during your trial, at which, contrary to all
decency, you were present, as a guest, with members
of the court martial ; and where frolick and gaiety pre
pared the heart for (eduction : of your mock representa
tion of your prevention to infpre mirth ; of officers in
vited an I urged to be present at what you call your de
fence, who were present at no other part of your trial,
to hear you harrangue the court with inventive# upon
your prefecutor and intemperate abuse ol the witnesses,
in behalf of the United States. At present I defer them.
As to that part of the evidence you have produced, of
Mr. Huch James, formerly an humble waiter attheco -
fee house, but Luce railed by your munificence to be your
iriacipal vintner, agent, &c. in (peculation, and com
miflary general of the hospitals; I have the teflimony
cf a rcfpeaable witness, (at whose name you have force
times changed colour,) that Mr. .James declared 10 him
he had your orders for all he had done in the affair 0. the
fictitious Thomas Brown ; but I mean not, without ne
cessity, to rake into the ashes of the dead for evidence
ageinft you. Your very commendation of bin prudence,
(you ought rather to have termed it, gratitude and obe
dience to your odrs,)is a fufficient evidence of itfeli to
condemn you. Bm,how, I ask, have you the confiden e
to declare you knew nothing of the matter, wieu Mr.
Bennet has sworn, that you inclofed the very account
of William Bennet to Thomas Brown Dr. &c. in a let
ter of your own to him, and ordered him to pay the
bearer, for it was no time to trufl. Your leaving B tn
lehem at the time, to lay the fuipicimn of impertinent in
quirers to deep, is of a piece with all ^ rest of this
fheme.ul tranfaftion. JOHN MORGAN.
POSTSCRIPT.
The outrageous manner in which doflor B ^nd has vo
lunteered in your defence, is a proof now coußmuS he is
that both his coudua and yours (land in great need of
a vindication. In a matter of so much consequence to the
public, as det ? aing fraud and exposing the mabprac
tices of an officer placed in a station of that trust and
honour you occupy, it is my bufmefs to fifi your wit
nesses tLr nighly ; nor (hall a cause of such great impor
tance buffer I'o my hands from too great Frupniofity,
or mis placed deference to any man or men, who ffiall
interpole to kreen yen from juflice. I mean to avail
myftlf of the liberty of a free press will out abusing it :
whiitt I enioy that preritedge, I (hal make ro other apo
logy for the freedom I take in canvasing the condurt,
the character or teflimeny of your witnlfes, than to de
clare taat truth, ju ftiue and love of my r-rom'ry, arc -my
sole objects, and not a difpofidon, with which yen fade
ly ch rge me, to gratify any meaner passion of malice or
resentment. I confider you as the prircip-I prop of a
corrupt and ruinom Junto, which will bang together or
fall with you on your removal. I will not fuffi-rmyf?h,
to be withdrawn from this object by the pathors ofany
man, ti'l I have fimflrd what I have under'ak n re
fpeßing you. When that is complicated, I fhT n y the
neceffcry atent on to your fubfi ties and aux hi tries, to
whatever class or denomination they m^y S-Gng.
JOHN MORGAN.
To the PRINTERS
IN justice to the people es Tulpehocksn and Bcthle
townfllips, who are mentioned in your psper cf the
iitb tilt, to have been tn A ia:ed at the kteccur of Oyer
and Terminer for the county of Berks, nd whoft names
arc published in your paper of Saturday Lft, you are
requ-fted to inform the pubic, that their affociatica
was not against Taxes, but against certain Fin§s, which
they cen'eivrd they were not liable to pay; By the
a& for raifirg the additional sum of five miHi< n seven
hundred themand dollars, a sum of money equal to the
pirty'sTax was forfeited for not making a return of
property on oath or affirmation: whether this forfei
ture extended to the monthly taxes, and fubje&ed the
pjrty to a F ne cr Penalty equal to his whole monthly
taxes, was very much doubted. I (ball not enter into
the quettion, whether the law i, capable of such a con
ftruftion or not. The matter is now, I believe, under
codfideration of the ?ffembly. In Berks the commissi
oners admitted of such a couftruaion, and ordered the
fines 'o be cerrinued and levied with the monthly taxes if
In lancafter, and I believe many other counties, a difo
f rent conftru&icr prevailed.
The'e people of Telpehocken and Bethel, living ore
the borders of Lanrafter county, were aft n died to find
thrmteßes loaded with fines, from which their neigh
b urs in the county of L?hcafler, who had negle&d
qualifying to their returns, were entirely free. This
led them to fufpe& their own commissioners were usurp
ing an authority not warranted by law; and this opi
nim was ftrengtbened by a petition drawn by a gentle
mar 0! unquestionable chari&er for integrity^ a friend of
government, and of true whig principles, and laid before
them sta public meeting for their approbation, which
declared, that the law could not be binding on them,vmi
ought to b^ obje&ed against : whether the gentlemen
was ri,ht or not in his reasoning is not here material.
His opinior, with the practice of Lancaster county, ful
ly convinced them that they were njured. They would
not petition the aff.mbly then in being, believing their
former applications had not been duly attended to, bet
writing for a change of members, which was eff.&ed at
the n.xt ele&ion, thought proper to take some menfures
to prevent their bfog dittreffid for the fines in the mean
time, and h-ftily drew up and signed an ,ffl delation for
that purpete. Afforiations to recTefs grievance!) by
force, whether of a public or private nature, are dan
gerous to (ociety : they are more or less so, according to
the nature and object of them. This refpeaed them
selves alone, and was to defend their own property. I
mean not to jutlify it; nor would trouble the public
with this apology for th'm, if they had not been charg
ed with opposing the Taxes, and an insinuation thrown
out as injurious to them as groundless in its If, that the,
were the dupes of ill-designing men, influnted by trai
torous motives, They are men known to br Attached to
the liberty and independence of this country ; many of
them have risked their lives to eftablilh and lupport it,
and none have ever refund to bear their flmre in the
public burthens. It is not unusual in free governments,
for a people, jealous of their liberties, to be guilty of
greater extravagancies upon (lighter grounds. These
pople have erred, it is true; they took a wrong step 5
but their motivts were honest.
X.
FAR I S, August 11.
ty E hear that four corsairs of Dunkirk have attack
'' cd, in the North fra, a filet of 52 fail of English
merchantmen, efeorted by a frigate, and that they hoc
taken several of them, which they carried into the ports
of Denmark.
It is reported that the court of L ; ft>on seems little dis
posed to accede to the treaty of armed plurality, which
was propokd to her by 'he count de N flvlrode, minister
plenipotentiary from Russia. It is further said, tb?w
the king of Spain has caused it to be declared to the
queen of Portugal, 6< That if her meft Faithful M j^y
continued to treat with such marts of diftin&pn, the
English mips ;to receive into h^r ports tleir prizes, and
permit them even to be fold there, his Catholic Majori
ty would lock upon that, proceeding as tending to de
froy entirely the union that fubfiks between the two
courts, &c."
C,d% Aug. 5, The combined fleet, which failed
the rath of July, returned here again on the 28th, hav
ing found nothing to do in their cruize; and they put
to fra ag in on the 30th.
Coptnhigen, Aug. 12. On the Sth of this month:
our fqurdron of eight foips cf the line and three frig.
Rtes, under the command of vice admiral Scbindel,
fjU:d for the North tea, and prff d the Sound without
coming to anchor.
Cadiz, July 31. The choice the Court ha^ made cf
Count d'Estaing to command the combined array gives
great fatisfaaicn, and the attack of Gibralter seems de
terminsd upon. The campat St. Roch is full of troope
and ammunition. Some gun bolts are building for
Dun Barcelo, which upon trial item to faceted ; the,
c^rry one twenty-four or thirty fix pounder each, and
riie so little above the water, that nothing c-n hurt
them but bcm>s . two of these loats were sent to car
no ad the Mole, and not nthflanding the them, filed
upwards of goo (hot at them, they were rot at least da
maged, and mae - confrlerable breach — According
to th* ph n laid tc be agreed on, Don Barcelo is to at
tack the Mole with his gun-boats, whilst the camp of
St. Roch is so fire from their batteries, and Count d"
Earing better those of Europa-Point ; a compkat suc
cess is expected from this topple attack.
Lribon, Aug. 1. The Enghfh men cf war 2nd pri
vateers continue to take and bring into our port such
Dutch merchantmen as they meet with, ladened for
the enemy's account; a^d, in (pile of repeated rcpire
fermions, fill their cargoes. They publicly fold yef
tcr'av, to the highest bidder, the cargoes of the (hips
Ie Buitenwerf and la Neutralise.