The Pennsylvania packet, or, The general advertiser — Lancaster, Pa.;Philadelphia, Pa., 1778-03-18 00:00:00, page 1

L O N D O N, November 27.
Proceedings in the British Parliament.
[Continued from cur ^f
WEDNES D A Y, November 26,
run H ERE was a very full Houle, when as-
I ter some little time foent in receiving pe
titions and on other private business, a m >tion
was made for leave to bring in a bill to fulptnd
the Habeas Corpus Act, the Act which palled
Lift session for that purpose being near expiring.
The motion was agreed to, and the Attoiney
General was ordered to prepare a bill accord
ingly.
The House then went into a Committee of
supply, when a Ihortßate of the navy, both as
to the number of ships and of men employed,
and where Stationed, being given by Mr. Buhei,
he moved, 1 hat 11 is the kefolution of this
Committee that 60,000 seamen be employed for
the lervice of th< year 1.778.
This motion was Seconded by r^ord Mur
grave; and an mnTefting debate followed. It
was opened by M .Temple Lutterril, who de
clared rhe actual Rate of the navy £0 be by no
means adequate to the great hums voted by Par-
Lament hit year. He was therefore farprifed,
that alter having gone, on with the ruinous A
merican war unluccHsfully another year, and
leaving our trade by ^a, and our valuable pof
fAimnsin the Gelt Indies too weakly protest
ed, the Ministers in the Admiralty department
fnould demand an addition of 15.000 seamen.
Mr. Lutterell made several complaints con
cerning the building, victualling, and equip
ping our fleets, which none but protelhonal
men could well underhand or answer.
Lord Mulgrave replied in the double capacity
of an experienced seaman and a Lord of the Ad
miralty. He gave a Rate of the navy, and
mentioned that we had 26.3 ships in commilEon,
and had employed 50,000 seamen in the course
rfthe year; in (hmt, his Lordship reprefemed
the navy of Great-Biitain to be in a molt glo
rious Rate, and with the present supply, that it
would be more powerful than the fleets of
France and Spain.
Some oblique hints having been thrown cut
refpeXing Lord Mulgrave's appearing in his u
tdform, Lord Mulgrave replied, that he was
just come home, and did not know that it was
peceffarv to put on a brown coat, or any other,
to come th the Houf.
Mr. Bailey complained that there was not a
fufljcient naval force under Admiral Gayton to
protest our trade in the Weft-Indies, and our
fettlcments there. He offered to lay a wager
with Mr. Bul'er, that be was nnftaken in the
number of (hips Rationed there. Mr. Buller
anfweied him from office papers, and confirmed
a former account of the force under Admiral
Gayton.
Mr. Burke next took tip the debate, and
with great humour observed upon the little
pleasantries that had puffed between the other
Gentlemen. He said he was notdilpofed him
feff nor would he advise the honourable Mem
ber, or any of his friends, to make a bubble
bett. To be lure the Gentlemen in office knew
best ; nor was he inclined to confider the dif
ference between debating in a blue coat or a
brown coat ; but he should readily admit all
the facts as Rated by the Gentlemen of the Ad
miralti, and then ask to wh-at do they amount ?
not to prove that the navy is in a glorious Rate ;
not that Great-Britain had any cause to boast
vs her naval power; it only proved that we
O R
G ENERAL
WE D N ESD AY, MARCH 18, 1778.
were obliged to keep 263 ships in commission,
to vote 60,000 fcamen, .nd by and by an aug
mentation of land forces; for what! Not to
light or to carry on a war against all Europe,
but against a rabble, or a mob of cowards in
America. He then took a retrofpea of our
principal wars from the time of King William
down to the last, and demonflrated that 30 or
40,000 seamen, and the expence of about two
millions for the navy, were the medium for car
ruing on luccefiful wars against the House of
Bouihon: I hat in the year #75% when this
country was engaged inthe molt extensive war
m almost every part of the world, and at the
very height ot it, only the fame number of fee
men were employed as are now demanded.
We are, fa.s this Gentlemen, I think in the
fourth year of the American war, in the third
of our vigorous preparations and measures, and
in the second of our hopes of important success ;
and we are now to vote 60,000 seamen, and
five millions of money to carry it on. What
does this prove but that we are at war with a
brave, powerful people, as powerful as the u
nited families of Bourbon and the King of
Prussia, since we require the fame force by sea
and land to carry it on against them ?
Is this a glorious ficuauon for Great-Britain ?
besides, we are not sure that we have not loft
Portugal and Holland, in case of a rupture
with Fiance or Spain. Nor, in that case, can
we fay that we have a single port from Dunkirk
to Gibraltar to receive cur men of war. It is
plain then, that though we are not at war with
the powers of Europe, we are at as much ex
pence, because we cannot rely upon their af
luiances of n pacific disposition. And are we
to hazard all thele c mfequences rather than of
fer any terms to bring about a reconciliation
with America? Here Mr. Burke likewise con
demned the subsidy treaties for foreign troops,
and seemed as if the minister had formerly de
clared hirnfelf against all subsidies. However,
though he adviled offering terms to the Ameri
cans, he did not fay he should vote against the
motion.
Lorth North in reply acquainted the House,
that he knew of no reason, nor had the least to
fafped, that we should lose the alliance of Por
tugal or Holland. As to the firft, we had now
a man of war in the harbour of Lisbon ; and
though the court of Lisbon had fettled their
differences with that of Madrid, on the fubjedt
of the rights of each crown in the Brazils, he
knew of no further agreement or compact be
tween them. As to Holland, the commercial
spirit of the Dutch is such, that they will assist
even their own enemies, if they can gain by it;
several individuals of them have been heard to
boast, that in the interval of a two days naval
engagement with the kLnglifh, they had fold
powder and ammunition to the latter ; but,
said he, the interests of England and Holland
are so connected, that they cannot be our ene
mies.
. His Lordship then explained himfelf upon
subsidies ; he denied that he had ever declared
against all subsidies; he had ever looked upon
the subsidies granted to foreign I'rinces in time
of peace, as a retaining fee to keep their alli
ance in time of war, as highly disadvantageous,
because those Princes, after receiving the mo
ney, regulated their conduct by the political
situation of affairs; but the present subsidies
were highly advantageous, as they supplied us
with troops upon an emergency on cheaper
terms than we could laife them any other way.
THE
>^3^^^^
THE
ADVERTISER.
His l ordfnip then exculpated hirnfelf front
having ill-uled General Carleton ; he bestowed
the highest encomiums on his abilities, and said
there were particular reasons why be recom
mended it to the King Mot to take the supreme
command from Sir William Howe, though Ge^
neral Carleton was the senior officer ; he was
lure the General would not complain of it
when he came home, and he should assign his
reason to him, though he couid not to the
House.
A remark having been made of reflexions
thrown out in the news-pap< rs againitpublic
characters. Lord North laid he knew noting
of them, only that they weie no friends of his ;
for in the whole circle of the papers he was
daily abused; but he despised it, for there was
no impudence or calumny of which a news-pa^
per was not capable,
Mr. Fox replied.
Thequeftion being put at ten o'clock, 60,000
seamen, including marines, were voted with
out a division.
The House rose a few minutes after ten, and
adjourned to this day.
Account of what passed on Wednesday in
the Committee of Supply.
^ R. Buller^ after a deal of altercation a-
ToL bout order, &c. said there were one 4th
rate, two sth rates, four 6th rates, fix sloops,
and two Schooners at Jamaica ; and one 4th
rate, and four sloops on their way thither, in
all 23 vessels, manned by 3340 seamen and
marines. That at the Leeward Blands there
were eight vessels and I2CO men; that on diG
coveries, and in other parts ot the world, there
were eight vessels and about 300 men; that in
America, under Lord Howe, there were 93
fllips, fix of the line of battle, and 87 frigates,
Ac. and 17,000 men; that there were at home
42 ships of the line, 35 of which were com
pleatly manned, and 32,000 fcamen, and that
our whole naval force conlifted of 54 (hips of
the line, all manned but seven, anu 205 fri
gates, &c. and 54,000 seamen.
Lord Mulgrave contended, that the tbirtv
five ships of the line were much superior to the
whole naval force the House of Bourbon were
able to fend forth, at any short notice; that:
though they had many able lea-officers, who
in the beginning exerted themselves; at length,
it always was, and always would be the case,
that they must fink and give way to our supe
rior (kill and naval power. They had frequent
ly the advantage in the beginning, but in the
future progress of their naval operations, proved
always unequal.
Mr. T. Lutterell answered the last noble Lord
with great asperity ; ipoke much of bifotence and
iudeceuc; ; and said he could always find his way
to and Jrom the House direct ; and it any thing
improper, or whico required explanation, had
fallen from him, or should hereafter escape him,
he was always to b^found, and ready to be res
ponsible for it. He laid, he was liable to error
as well as other men ; but never asserted any
thing which he did not believe to be true. He
observed that the noble Lord was as fat and wit
ty as he was zealous. He could cafily be ac
countable for his zeal, from his connections
with the firft Lord of the Admiralty; but after
every thing he had averted to the contrary, he.
delicti any official man piefent to rile and fa^
(See the Fourth I%Q