The Pennsylvania packet, or, The general advertiser — Lancaster, Pa.;Philadelphia, Pa., 1782-08-31 00:00:00, page 2

of Huntingdon) for both of whom he entertained the
higher personal refpe&, could suppose that he was ac
tuated by unbecoming motives, or fought for the en
quiry on any ground which might become injurious
to the military character of the noble lord (Rawdoo)
for whose tehnnony he was desirous of calling, on the
great principle of juflic^, an?lto preserve inviolate the
once unrivalled repu atioc of the British empire for atts
of clemency ana honour.
The duke of Richmond said, that the explicit and (he
begged leave to add) the honed information given to
the house by the noble earl (of Hillsborough) deferred
dhis warmed thanks. He had disdained the fubterfuge
and the evasions of his nobb colleague, who consider
ed it (as the noble marquis (of Rockingham) had jud -
cioufly observed) the height of wisdom and diferetion
to maintain a fallen silence on a fubjed, which (as their
lordfllips mud at length perceive) did not require either
secrecy or circumfpeftion. His grace said, that he was
far from entertaining any doubt of the propriety and
juflice of the eulogies which the noble earl (of Hunting
don) beflowed upon his relation (lord Rawdon) but he
made it an invariable rule never to become the panegy
rift of those whom he had not the happiness of know
ing. If the noble earl (of Huntingdon) had extended
his encomiums to the noble earl (of Hillsborough) who
spoke last, he would have added with the highest plea
sure the unequal tribute of hi* approbation, because
he was convinced, from his acquaintance with the cha
racter of the noble earl, that no praises could exceed his
merits. His ,race however tiufted thatthe house would
please to underhand, that he had not harboured the
mod dirtant thought of derogating from the character
of lord Rawdon, whose name he would never have
mentioned, if a noble earl (of Hillsborough) high in of
fice had not set him the example. Whether lord Raw
don deserved the censure or the approbation of his
country his conduct, in a general point of view, was not
immediately before the house. Tne propor object of in
vestigation, and what, with all its relative occurrences,
called out for an enquiry, was his particular behaviour
with refpea to the execution of col. Haynes, at Charlef
town. The duke lignified his intentions of following the
advice of the noble earl (of Hillfborough)and of waiting
with patience until the arrival of a convenient time for
inftitut'ng an enquiry into the several circumflances of
this extraordinary tranfaaion. In the interim, he
should make f & me requisite and preparatory motion,
and he tru fled that their lordihips would give him cre
dit for his assurances that he did not mean precipitate
ly tointroduce difeuffions of the chief objea of this
important business; nor could he bear, without an in
flant answer, the flighted insinuation, that when a peer
of parliament, Handing in his place, demanded an en
quiry, warranted by the general appearance of fads, as
far as it was possible to afeertain them, he, by persist
ing in this demand, threw doubts against the rectitude
of any military character, and exposed to the rifque
of injury from the suspicions which the public might
entertain of it, in consequence of an attempt to exa
mine into circumflances by the difc!ofure of which it
must either fink into disgrace or break forth with a re
doubled luftre. Their lordships well knew, that the
practice of calling for enquiries, however they in their
tonfepuences might involve particular individuals, was
perfectly comformable to the rules and modes of parlia
ment. All officers must know, that the houses of peers
and of commons enjoyed a constitutional right of in
irrigating their military conduct ; they were not in
sensible that parliament could summon them to their
bar, either to explain or answer for the nature of
their proceedings. Therefore, neither lord Rawdon nor
his friends bad any right to complain, that motions
for enquiries could, in this early stage, have any ten
dency whatever to lessen and afperfe his reputation.
Enquiries relative to the military conduct of an officer,
who h^d gallantly and judiciously persisted in the exe
cution of his duty, would add brilliancy to his charac
ter, and render it Bill more than ever the object of a
general applause. If he had behaved in such a man
ner as to deserve censure, and if the reputation of a
whole people was in a great degree affixed by his guilt,
Th o tit of Huntin don obferve', that whiUl his
noble rehtioD (lord Rawdon) was in England, lie en
tirely forgot to elk him any quefiions relative to t e
+xccnticm of colonel II ynes, at Charleftown. But,
when the noble duke of Richmond had signified ids
intention to chile it tne^ubjea of a Parliamentary en
quiry, he wrote to the under secretary of state for the
American department, and requeued him to let him
know whether he was ih poffrflion of any offic 9 1 in
telligri.ee relative o this particular tranfiftion He
received for answer, that no document of the kind had
yet been forwarded to tEb department. He was not ig
norant, and hr believed their lordships all knew that
when the'Engdfh packet (afterwards captured)coming
from America was chafed by the enemy, the om
mander ordered the mail lo be thrown overboard. This
probably, containd official difyatches relative to the
execution of colonel Haynes; and, therefore, the loss
of them might naturally account for the observation
of the mhvhry, that no intelligence, touching this par
ticufar pufnt, was properly before them. On tin's
occ^hon it might be proper to observe, that wh<ncolo
hei Haynes fuffered at Charleftown, lord Rawdon was
pot die commanding officer ; but, colonel Balfour, bis
fenio'r, 28 well as colonel Gould who then commanded,
in this place, three regiments. The earl of Hunting
dm said that, doubtrfs on his return to England, his
noble relation (lord Rawhou) would with chearfulnefs,
attend tie houf, and give them, if it was their pleasure
to re:\dve it, the folleft information in his power, As
to G/TCf, he had Bated the(e few particulars merely
R r the fake of giving up the flight intelligence which
b. tad hitherto collected. He did not mean, by any
bp whatever, to check the mOitution of enquiries;
end though he firmly thought it was not in the nature
of the noble lord eluded to, to Bain Ids mlitary repu
ration, and to contaminate the lufire of his private
character by an oppro ious condyß, he did not mean
to celter him from any Rri& invefiigabons, or to ad
vance in argument a fugle plea that was designed to
give bom a fuppor', which in more powerful degrees^
he doubtless would obtain from confeious innocence.
that people enjoyed a right to search, with the assist
ance of the parliament, into the bottom of the fa& ;
and finally to fix the blame and punishment on those
offenders who deferred to feel them. If lord Rawdon
was not lets competent than a noble earl (of Hills
borough) had described him, to give a clear decisive tes
timony on the fubjeß, why did not administration pro
cure for him, whilst he remained in London, an ac
count so fatisfaaory and explicit, that even during his
absence they might have communicated to the house at
leall a part of that intelligence which had so earnestly
been fought for? But (if reports could merit reliance)
it was the practice of the present ministry to endeavour,
during the firft visit of every officer arriving from Ame
rica, to difeover his sentiments relative to the feafibility
of the farther continuance of the war; and from the
moment of ids betraying the flighted proof that lie did
not heartily assent to their absurd and baneful fyfbm,
for the prosecution of debilities against the colonists,
'ey ceased to aik one single quefiion more, touching
erther the profpe£t or the state of our affairs on the o
ther tide of the Atlantic. The duke again earnedly
intreated to be informed by miniflers whether they had
officially received from the British commander in Ame
rica, aopy of the menacing, proclamation published
by general Greene? He concluded wi h expressing his
determination to proceed on the enquiry, With the per
million of the house; and he therefore moved, that all
toe lords be summoned on Monday next.
The vrl of Huntingdon, considered it as a point un
geperoufl/ drained to throw out the most dirtant insinu
ation, that his noble kinsman (lord Rawdon) was fuf
petteJ of not having executed his duty. Candor and
liberality f^emed to require, that previous to an exa
mination, hot an inference, that he was guilty, should
be even whispered within the walls of that house.
Tne duke of Chandos now rose, and solicited the at
tention of their lordflbps for a few minutes to a matter
particularly important even amongrt the general and
alarming circumflances, which at this Critical and awe
ful period, engaged the notice, and called for every
strenuous exertion and the united fortitude and wisdom
of the British parliament. Their lordships were but
just returned to public business, subsequent to a recess,
the great length of which, added to the idleness of the
house (if he might take the liberty of applying theex
preffion to the little inclination which had been shewn,
previous to the holy days, for entering into a difeuffi
cn of material fubjed.)muft have given to an indiffer
ent (peßator the idea of a state of perfect peace rather
thah of war; a war more difficult, disgraceful and cal
amitous than any whicn had preceded it, from the
infancy of the British empire to the present momenta
His grace, therefore, trusted that the noble lords, to
whom he had the honour of addreffiog himfelf, were re
turned to their important duties, with a full convicti
on of the necessity of a&ing with the most deliberate
wisdom, with indefatigable zeal and unremitted assidui
ty, in order to aivance the general benefit. Their
lordships well knew (and, therefore it were presumptu
ous to labour to enforce the point) that it was required
of them to ground their parliamentary proceedings on
the invincible determination to prove (as far as pos
sibly they could exert the power) of Signal Service to
the ioterefts of the people at large; interests which they
should regard as not less the objects of their care and
attention than any private purposes affecting only them
selves.
The earl of Abingdon remarked, that it was contra
ry to the orders of the house to proceed to the investi
gation of a second fubjed previous to the cone ufion
of the debate relative to the firft. His lordfllip wilhed
to know, whether the miniflers had heard officially of
the proclamation ifbed by the American general Greene?
He hoped that th: - lid not intend to avail themselves
of the absence of lord Rawdon as an impediment to the
enquiry They might fend for this nobleman immedi
ately ; and he could return from Ireland in time to at
tend the house, and to give their lordships the necessary
information. For trifling purposes, the miniflry had
often lent to greater distances ; and it was their duty
to approve themselves not less attentive in matters of
such high importance. If they had the bast idea that
lord Rawdon could, by his evidence, throw light upon
the case to which the noble duke (of Richmond) advert
ed, they were highly censurable for not detaining him
in town; nor should an hour be loft without lending
for him-
The duke of Chandos remarked, that he was ex
ceedingly concerned at having broken in for a moment
upon a business, which he indeed, considered a,, for
the present, ata Hand. In proportion to the alarming
afped of affairs, was the great use and (he could wilh)
to add the singular advantage of enquiries. When
violent calamity alighted on the British arms, the pro
ple were undoubtedly intitled to demand and know
the caute. During the recess, administration enjoyed
fufficient leisure to carry to its full accomplishment the
business on which they had before employed themselves,
and to acquire a knowledge of fads, receding which
they were, in the firft instance, refponfi de to the pub
lic. Other peers and other members of parliament had
likewise obtained, in consequence of a long adjourn
ment, full time to fettle their concerns in private life ;
and therefore it was natural to imagine, that they re
turned to public business with minds not merely flock
ed with requisite intelligence, but virtuously impressed
with a determination to persist in their assiduous en
deavours to difeharge a trust of infinite importance, and
in the plenitude of public spirit and deliberate wisdom,
to execute their duty to the country. His grace express
ed his earnest wishes, that by such principles as these
the servants of the crown would regulate their line of
coßdud; and as a test of their at achment to them,
he must intreat their answer to a quefiion of the firft
importance ; a quefiion of which, possibly, as an in
dividual peer of parliament, he might not be able to
procure an explanation ; but, as the people were in
titled to it, he should, in their name, demand it from
the miniflers. If however, it should appear that they
intended to embrace a future opportunity of replying
to this material interogation (his grace said that) he
should willingly withdraw it for the present. In this
he should be guided by the conduct of administration,
To the refpedable Freemen, Electors in
the City and County of Philadelphia.
GENTLEMEN,
AFTER having terved you faithful,, near fix
years in the field, as a soldier, in the defence of
your just rights, against the arbitrary claims of Great-
Brirain, and having again retired to the walk of a pri
vate citizen, I now take this opportunity to inform you,
that I in end offering mylelf as a Candidate for the
Sheriff's Office, at the ensuing Election ; to be then plac
ed on the return w th Wi Ihm Will, efquirty the present
flieriff: and should you think me worthy of your fuf
frages and inieieft, which I now earnestly folieit, the
favour will ever be remembered with gratitude by,
Gentlemen,
Your devoted humble Servant,
THOMAS PROCTOR.
Viscount Stormont observed, that the deep impreflb
on which every matter, falling from the noble duke,
must make upon the house, added to his own personal
character add confederation, inclined him to pay the
utmost deference even to the slightest declaration ofhis
wishes to obtain replies, in any case, from miniflers ;
but the present quefiion came to him with additional'
weight, not solely in consequence of the distinguished
quarter from which it issued, but because it was with
in itfelf of great, if not unparalied importance. Yet
much time, and infinitely more intelligence than, for
the present, he was able to obtain, were wanting, as
a juftification of his attempt to answer it in those ex
plicit terms with which he was desirous to addres the
noble duke. He therefore must decline it until some
future opportunity should present itfelf-for speaking
fully on the fubjeH. He did not hesitate to confefs,
that when the violence of calamity fell with oppressive
weight upon the nation (and this calamity might be
traced in the surrender of earl Cornwallis, together
with his troops at York-Town) the public had a claim
(which it was criminal to contest) on miniflers for
ample information concerning all particulars of such
difafterous events. Wheresoever, upon such occasions,
criminality might be difeovered to exist, some signal
punishment should inflantly overtake it; and were it
once proved that person had given rife to public evils
of such alarming magnitude, he would fay of that per
son, even though he had been twinned with him at a
birth, that he deferred to feel the Arid and unrelent
ing justice of his country.
The motion of tie duke of Richmond for summon
ing the lords on Monday next was naw put, and
Ordered.
The house adjourned.
whom he now asked, whether they had received intelli
gence of the causes of that alarming calamity ; thefur
render of earl Cornwallisand his army at York Town ;
and whether, having obtained such information, they
were prepared and willing to state the circumflances
preceding, occasioning and accompanying this ignomi
nious difafler, to the house?
And fee Hyde-Park, and Tiptree too, e
Display their hostile banners;
Who dare invade ? od's blood, par bleu !
We'll teach them better manners:
He comes, he comes, the man of might I
His gallant troops reviewing;
“ Oh! Amherst, what a heavenly fight.
Who fears the storm that's brewing?
Yankee doodle, &c.
I Sing of George's golden days,
Not George the firft or second ;
Tho' they deserve the nation's praise,
With this they can't be reckon'd:
For he beyond compare is known,
God bbfs him, he so wife is,
That every day he fills the throne,
His wisdom higher rises.
The# here's a health to George the third.
Who heightens England's glory f
(If you will rake a Poet's word,
Or trust a loyal tor, :)
Then baboo, boys, at George's name,
And drink his health 'till mellow;
Old time may travel 'till he's lame,
Before he finds his fellow.
Yankee doodle, &c.
The rebels over yonder main,
Who play the very devil;
Who fire and prime, and load again
With rifles most uncivil:
Who dare refufe a paltry tax,
And swear he shall not cheat them,
Will all be glad to turn their backs,
When mighty George has beat them.
Yankee doodle, &c.
What tho' Britannia fees her sons
Confounded and divided,
And by monfieurs and Spanish dons
Insulted and derided;
Tho' taxes rife and trade decays,
And millions are expended,
On George with gratitude we gaze,
By his right arm defended.
Yankee doodle, &c.
From the London General Advertiser.
WHO's the NOODL E.
Yankee doodle, who's the noodle I
Bonny Scotchmen boaflhim ;
Every tory sings his glory,
And in bumpers toast him.
A NEW SO N G.