Dunlap's Pennsylvania packet , The general advertiser — Philadelphia, Pa., 1775-02-27 00:00:00, page 1

To the KING'S vioft Excellent MAJESTY
in COUNCIL.
The Humble PETITION and MEMORIAL
n f the ASSEMBLY of JAMAICA;
(Voted in ASSEMBLY on the 28th of
December, 1774.)
Mop Gracious Sovereign,
^AAAA) E your Majesty's most dutiful and
4 ' ''w) loyal fubjefts, the Aflembly of
C w% J amaica,havibgtaken into ourcon
- 6C J^k federation the p resent critical state
) k.^ kof the Colonies, humbly approach
%Wv^ J the throne, to assure your Majes
ty of our most dutiful regard to your royal perlon
and family, and our attachment to, and reliance
on, our fellow fobjeds in Great-Britain, founded
on the most solid and durable basis the continued
enjoyment of our personal rights, and the security
of our properties.
That weak and feeble as this colony is from its
veryfmall number of white inhabitants, and its
peculiar situation from the incumbrance of more
than two hundred thousand flives, it cannot be
supposed that we now intend, or ever could have
' intended refinance to Great-Britain.
That this colony has never, by riots, or other
violent measures opposed, or permitted an aft of
refinance against any law impbfed on us by Great-
Britain, though always truly sensible of our just
rights, and of the pernicious consequences, both
to the parent and infant state, with which some
of them must be attended; always relying with
the most implicit confidence, on the justice and
paternal tenderness of your Majesty, even to the
most feeble and distant of your fubje<fts, and de
pending that when your Majesty, and your Par
liament should have maturely considered and de
liberated on the claims of Great-Britain and her
Colonies, every carafe of diffatisfadtion would be
removed.
That justly alarmed with the approaching hor
rors of an unnanural contest between Great-Bri
tain and her colonies, in which the most dreadful
calamities to this island, and the inevitable de
ftru&ion of the small sugar colonies are involved;
and excited by their apprehension, as well as by
our affe&ion to our fellow fubjedß,both in Great-
Britain and the Colonies, we implore your Ma
jesty's favourable reception of this our humble pe
tition and memorial, as well on behalf of ourselves
and our constituents, the good people of this isl
and, as on behalf of all other your Majesty's fub
j?&s, the colonies of America ; but especially
those who labour at prefect under the heavy
weight of your Majesty, displeasure, for 'whom
we entreat to be admitted as humble suitors; that
we may not, at so important a crisis, be wanting
to contribute our sincere and well meant, how
ever small endeavours, to heal those disorders,
which may otherwise terminate in the deftrudion
of the empire.
That as we conceive it necessary for this pur
pose to enter into the different claims of Great-
Britain and her Colonies, we beg leave to place
it in the royal mind as the firft established princi
ple of the conflitution, that the people of Eng
land have aright to partake, and do partake of
the legislation of their country, and that no laws
can affect them, but such as receive their assent,
given by themselves, or their representatives; and
it follows therefore that no one part of your Ma
jesty's English fubje^s, either can, or ever could
legislate for any other part.
That the, settlers of the firft colonies, but espe
cially those ofthe elder colonies of North-Ame
rica, as well as the conquerors of this island, were
a part ofthe English people in every refped equal
to them, and possessed of every right and privilege
at the time of their emigration, which the people
of England, were pofleffed of, and irrefragibly,
to that great right of confentingto the laws which
should bind them in all cases whatsoever; and
who emigrating at firft in small numbers, when
they might have been opprefled; such rights and
privileges were constantly guarantied bythe Crown,
to the emigrants and conquerors, to be held and
enjoyed by them in the places to which they emi
grated; and were confirmed by many repeated
Solemn engagements, made public by proclamati
on, under the faith of which, they did aßqally
emigrate and conquer: That therefore, the peo
ple of England, had no rights, power, or privi
lege, to give to the emigrants ; as these were, at
the time, oftheir emigration, pofElEd of all such
rights, equally with themselves.
That the Peers of England were pofefed of
very eminent, and distinguished privileges in their
own right, as a branch of Inflation, a Court of
lattice in the dernier rebut, for all appeals from
the people, and in the frd mftaace, for all causes
instituted by the Representatives of the people ;
but that it does not appear that they ever consi
dered themselves as aiding in such capacities for
the colonies, the Brers having never to this day,
heard o r determined the causes of the colomfts in
repeal, in which it ever was, and is their duty to
lerve th; fubje^s within the realm.
O R,
GENERAL
VOL. IV.
MONDA Y,
That from what has been said, it appears that
the emigrants could receive nothing from either
the Peers or the people ; the former being unable
to communicate their priviledges, and the latter
on no more than an equal footing with themselves ;
but that with the King it was far otherwise ; the
royal prerogative as now annexed to, and belong
ing to the Crown, being totally independent of
the people, who cannot invade, aid to, or dimi
nish it nor restrain or invalidate those legal grants
which the prerogative hath a just right to give,
and hath very liberally given for the encourage
ment of colonization ; to some Colonies, it grant
ed almost all the royal powers of government,
which they hold and enjoy at this day; but to
none of them did it grant less, than to the firft
conquerors of this island, in whose favour it is de
clared by a royal proclamation, “ That they dial!
have the fame priviledges to all intents and purpo
ses, as the free born fubjeßs of England."
That to use the name, or authority of the peo
ple of the parent date, to take away, or render
ineffectual the legal grants of the Crown to the
Colonies, is delusive, and destroys that confidence,
which the people have ever had and ought to have,
of the most solemn royal grants in their favour,
and renders unstable and insecure, those very rights
and privileges which prompted their emigration.
That our Colonies and your Petitioners having
the most implicit confidence in the royal fai^h
pledged to them in the most fofemn manner by
your predecefTors, rested fatisfied with their dif
ferent portions of the royal grants, and having
been bred from their infancy, to venerate the name
of Parliament, a word fhlt dear to the heart of
every Briton, and considered as the paladium of
liberty, and the great source from whence their
own is derived, received the several affs of Parli
ament of England, and Great-Britain, for the.
regulation of the trade of the Colonies, as the fa-
Htary precautions of a prudent father, for the
prosperity of a wide extended family; and that in
this light we received them, without a thought of
questioning the right, the whole terror of our con
duff will demonstrate, for above one hundred years.
That though we received these regulations of
trade from our fellow fubjeds of England and
Great-Britain, so advantageous to us as Colonists,
as Englishmen and Britons, we did not thereby
confer on them a power of legislating for us, far
less that of destroying us and our children, by di
vefling us of all rights and property.
That with reluctance we have been drawn from
the prosecution of our internal affairs, to behold
with amazement, a plan almost carried into exe
cution, for enslaving the Colonies, founded as
we conceive, on a claim of Parliament to bind
the Colonics in all cases whatsoever.
Your humble Petitioners have for feviral years
with deep and silent sorrow, lamented this unre
strained exercise of legislative power ; still hoping
from the interposition of their Sovereign, to avert
that laftand greatest of calamities, that of being
reduced to an abje& Rate of slavery, by having an
arbitrary government eftablhhed in the Colonies,
for the very attempting of which,a Minister of your
Predeceifor was impeached by a House of Com
mons,
With like sorrow do we find the Popifh religion
established by law, which by treaty was only to
be tolerated.
That the most essential rights of the Colonies
have been invaded, and their property given and
granted to your Majesty, by men not entitled to
such a power.
That the murder ofthe Colonists hath been en
couraged by another ad, disallowing and annul
ling their trials by juries ofthe vicinage ; and that
fleets and armies have been sent to enforce those
dreadful laws.
We therefore in this desperate extremity, most
humbly beg leave, to approach the Throne, to
declare to your Majesty, that our fellow fubjeTs
in Great-Britain, and consequently their Repre
sentatives, the House of Commons, have not a
right as we trust we have shewn, to legiflare for
the Colonies; and that vour petitioners and the
Colonies are not, nor ought to be bound by any
Other laws, than such as they have themselves as
sented to, and are not disallowed by your Maj ?fty.
Your Petitioners do therefore make this claim
and demand from their Sovereign, as guarantee
oftheir just rights, on the faith and confidence of
which, they have fettled, and continue to reside
in these distant parts of the empire, that no laws
(hall be madeandattempted to be forced upon r hen,
injurious to their rights as Colonies, Englishmen,
or Britons.
That your Petitioners fully fenfiide ofth^great
advantages that have arisen from the regulations
of trade in general, prior to the year 1760, as wel
to Great-Britain and her colonies, as to your Pe
titioners in particular, and being anxiously desi
rous of encreafing the good effects of these laws,
as well as to remove an obstacle which, is new in
our government, and could not have exiled on
the principles of cur constitution, as it hath arisen
from colonization, we do declare for ourselves
D U N LA P's
l^fr^
and the good people of this island, that we freely
consent to the operation of such ads of the Bri
tish Parliament, as arelimited to the regulation of
otr external commerce only, and the foie obje&
of which, is the mutual advantage of Great Britain
and her Colonies.
We, your Petitioners, do therefore beseech
yohr Myefty, that you will be pleated, as the
common parent of your fubje^ls,to become a me
diator between your European and American fub
je&s and to confider the latte-, however far re
moved from your royal presence, as equally enti
tled to your prote&ion, and the benefits of the
Engb'h constitution, the deprivation of which,
muff dissolve that dependance on the parent flare,
which it is our glory to acknowledge, whilst en-
j >y' n g those rights under her proteaion; but
should this bond of union be ever destroyed, and
the Colonists reduced to confider themselves as
tributaries to Britain, they must cease to venerate
her as an affectionate parent.
We beseech your Majesty to believe, that this
is our earnest prayer to Almighty providence, to
preserve your Majesty in al] happiness, prosperity
and honour, and that there never may be wanting
one of your illustrious line, to transmit the bles
sings of our excellent constitution,, to the latest
poflerity, and to reign in the hearts of a loyal,
grateful and affectionate people.
1 he following calculation taken from a lift of
the Poll Tax, for the year 1767, may give the
reader an idea of the importance of the island of
Jamaica, to the kingdom of Great-Britain.
68,160 Hogsheads ?
7,029 Peirces and barrels ” °8 ar °
12,149 Puncheons of Rum.
10 §45 Pimento, ? „ ,
r/Packages.
1,947 Cotton,J
5.031 Bags and Cades of Ginger.
15,328 Planks of Mahoganv.
3,212 Tons of Fuftic and Logwood.
190,914 Negroes.
137,773 Cattle.
369 Cattle )
235 Waters Mills.
44 Wind )
647 Sugar Plantations.
* * -~ -4, ^ 454,-f-g #-P4-h-Q„--n#*
S A V ANNA H, (in Georgia) Jar.. 18.
This day the General Aflembly of this province
met here, when his Excellency Sir James Wright,
Baronet, Governor in chief, &c. was pleased to
deliver the following Speech to both Houses, viz.
" Honourable Gentlemen,
" Mr. Speaker, and Gentlemen of the Commons
House of Afembly,
" HIS being the firft opportunity that has
offered in General Aflembly, 1 must not
omit acquainting you, that in consequence of the
petition of both Houses, his Majesty was graci
ously pleased to dire& that if this province fliou'd
be engaged in an actual Indian war, we should
have every proper fuccour and protection ; and I
was ordered to apply to the Commander in chief
of his Majefty' sforces in America for that pur
pose, who had received directions thereupon.
" The alarming situation of American affairs at
this jun&ure, makes it highly necessary for me to
fiy something to you on the fubjeCt, and it is with
the utmost concern that I fee by every account
all the colonies to the northward of us as far as
Nova-Scotia in a general ferment, and some of
them in such a Rate as makes me shudder when I
think of the consequence which it is most probable
will soon befal them. The unhappy disputes with
the mother country are now become of the most
furious nature, and I am much afraid the very
extraordinary and violent measures adopted and
pursued, will not only prevent a reconciliation,
but may involve all America in the most dreadful
calamities.
" Gentlemen, I think myfelf very happy in
having it in my power to fay that this province is
hitherto clear, and I much hope by your prudent
conduct will remain so. Be not led away by the
voices and opinions of men of overheated ideas ;
confider coolly and sensibly of the terrible conse
quences which may attend adopting resolutions
and meafurrs expressly contrary to law and hostile
to the mother country, especially at so late a lea
ion, when we may almost daily expe& to hear
the determination of Great Britain on the mat
ters io dispute, and therefore 1 conceive can an
swer no purpose but that of throwing the province
into con'ufion. and I tremble at the apprehension
of what may be the refutation anl declarators of
the new Parliament relative to the conduct of the
people in some parts of America.
V You may be advocates for liberty, so am I,
but in a conbitmional and legal way ; you. Gen
tlemen, are legislators, and let me intreat you to
take carehow you give a fandion to trample on
law and government, and be assured it is an indis
putable tru'h, that where there is no law, there
can be no liberty : It is the due course of law and
support ofgovernment which only can insure to you
the enjoyment of your lives, yourliherty and your
tftdtes, and do not catch at the shadow and lose
T HE
ADVERTISER.
FEBRUARY 27th, !775°
the substance : I exhort you not to fuffer yourselves
to be drawn in to involve this province in the dri
treffes of those who may have offended; we are
in a very different situation, and on a very differ
ent footing from the other colonies ; do no&confi
der me as speaking to you merely as the King's
Governor of this province ; as such, Gentlemen,
it is certainly my duty to support his Majesty's
just right and authority, and to preserve peace and
good order within my government, and to con
tribute as much as possible towards the prosperity
and happiness of the province and people; believe
me when I tell you, I am at this time actuated by
further motives than show only of discharging my
duty as the King's Governor; I have lived amongst
and presided over you upwards of fourteen years,
and have other feelings, I have a real and affecti
onate regard for the people, and it grieves me to
think that a province which I have been so long
in, and which I have seen nurtured by the Crown
ata vast expence to the mother country, and grow
up from mere infancy, from next to nothing, to
a considerable degree of maturity and opulence,
fliould by the imprudence and rashness offome in
c moderate people, be plunged into a state of dis
tress and ruin : We have been most happy in, I
hope, avoiding Scylla, and let me in the strong
est terms conjure you to steer clear of Charybdis.
" It is a most melancholy and disagreeable fub
jed, and therefore I shall avoid making any ob-•
fervations on the resolutions adopted by the other
colonies, but hope that through your prudence
and regard for the welfare and happiness of this
province, ofyourfelves, and your poflerity, none
will be entered into here ; the strongest reasons
operate agaipft it, and as they must occur to every
confederate person, I shall not mention any.
" Gentlemen of the Affmbh,
" The very dangerous and critical situation of
our affairs with the Creek Indians last spring, pre
vented your going on the necessary business of the
province at that time; I therefore hope and de
pend^that, agreeable to your address to me ofthe
12th of March, 1774' y° u "'"I now take the f
veral matters formerly recommended to you into
consideration, and proceed thereupon with that se
rious attention they require, and to which I shall
only add, that in order to preserve ard continue
to us peace and quietness with the Indians, it
seems absolutely necessary that a law should be
framed to regulate some matters relative to the
Indian trade and tranfa&ions in the Indian coun
try, to prevent encroachments and trefpafTes on
the lands and hunting grounds of the Indians,
and other irregularities and abuses being commit
ted by hunters and other disorderly people both
within and without the settlements; and there
fore most earnestly recommend a revifal of a bid
relative to Indian affairs, winch was before the
House Assembly in the year 1769, in which I am
p-rfuaded you will find some clauCs that may be
most ufeful and salutary to the province.
“I have ordered the Treasurer to lay all the
public accounts before you, and will very soon
fend you an estimate of the usual and neceffaiy
supplies since the last tax.
JAMES WRIGHT."
In the U/fer House of Afembly, January 1?,, 1775/
A MESSAGE to the Commons House
of Assembly.
“ M*. Speaker and Gentlemen,
" "'S House having taker into serious
A confidetation those matters mentioned
by his Excellency in his Speech to both Houses,
refpe&ing the present alarming state of the un
happy disputes between Great-Britain and the
colonies, and conceiving the fubjedt to be of tie
highest importance to the welfare and fafety cf
both, is therefore desirous of having a free con
ference with your House thereon, in hopes ofbe
ing able to fix on such a plan of condor as may
reasonably be expended will prove conducive to
the obtaining the great point which every tru?
friend to America hath or ought to have only in
view, to wit, that of fectiring to its inhabitants,
on a clear, solid and permanent footing, all the
rights and privileges to which, as British fubjeris,
they are entitled, on the principles of the consti
tution.
“ For, however warmly this House may and
doth condemn the violent and ill judged meifu-es
pursued by feme of the other provinces, which
they conceive have an evident tendency to widen
the breach between Great-Britain ard the colo
nies, and may involve all America in a feene of
the utmost distress and mifefv; yet it is the sin
cere wish of this House, as far as in t^rir power,
to fee every obstacle removed which may interrupt
a cordial and lading union with t'e mother coun
try. or obftru^t or prevent his Majesty's ^mcriem
fubje&s from enjoying all the co n !li.utiora, rights
of British fubje^s, and will therefore cheertuly
join in pursuing such measures as will at Once rec
tify lovalty to our most gracious Sovereign, a fom
attachment to the British constitution, and a warm
and proper regard to the rights and liberties of
America."
( For a continuation fee the Fourth Page. )
N U M,B. 175.