The Pennsylvania packet, or, The general advertiser — Lancaster, Pa.;Philadelphia, Pa., 1783-01-23 00:00:00, page 2

Yeflerday general Arnold was at the levee, and in
troduced to the king several officers, on their return
from America.
Extras ofa letter from captain Kempthorn, command
er of his majefly's pacquet boat the Antelope, dated
port I'Orient, Ofto 2:,
"We failed from Lisbon the 24th of September, and
en the 16m curt, abou* eight o'clock in the morning,
fell in with an American privateer called the Buccaneer,
captain Fearfon, belonging to Salem. She eave c^afe,
and came up with us in the afternoon, and made us
strike our colours, the mail and government dispatches
having firfl been thrown overboard. The privateer
mounted 18 nine-pounders, and is the fwifteft sailor I
ever met with."
November 8. The public conversation haying, for
several days pall, returned upon the rtfignition of se
veral of the members of adminirtration, we are very
happy to have it in our power to give the following
statement of the foundation of it; the truth of which
may be depended upon : 1
A few days ago lord Shelburne, in order to make
way for one of his creatures, expressed his wishes in
pretty broad terms, that the right honourable Mr.
Townfhend would favour him with a resignation of
the office of one of his majelly's principal secretaries of
state, and accept of another situation; but Mr.
Townfhnd, it seems, had too much spirit to be kick
e 1 down flair, as it is called in the langugeof flatef
men, and positively refufed to yield up his office to the
conveni eoce of the minifler.
Upon the discovery of lord S elburna's intention to
remote Mr. Townfhend, Mr Pitt took fire, attach
ed to his interest by the intended union between his
brother, lord Chatham, and the daughter of Mr. Town
fhend and informed the minifler of his resolution to
r sign with Mr. Townfhend *ln consequence of this,
the minifler defined from attempting to remove him
from office. Lord K ppel, however, is to leave the
admiralty as soon as lord Howe returns ; and the duke
of Richmond general Conway, Mr. Townfhend and
Mr. Pitt, will quit the ajmimftration upon the meeting
of parliament.
These vacancies, it is said, are to be filled up in the
following manner:
Lord North, chancellor of the exchequer.
Lord Howe firfl lord of the admiralty.
Mr. Robinson, secretary of state.
Mr. Rigby, to preside at the board of ordnance.
In order to obtain a majority at the meeting of par
liament the minifler gives out, that he means to pur-
Foreign Intelligence.
PARIS, October 25.
MR. FITZH RPERT has received an aefwer th
the laftproposals he made twelve days ago.
The English mniftry, i' seems, want sen to apprize,
or found thecourfs of Vienna and Pe^rfburgh on that
article; perhaps their answer is expelled, in order to
give an ultimatum. Be that as it may it is assured,
thht Mr. Grenville has never varied refpe&ing the of
fer of toe American independence, without con'itio s ;
and that there has been no difficulty but about the
Eafl Indies ; our pretentious in that part of the world
are as greu as the unwillingness of tl,e Englifa to
grant them to us.
October 29. It is said that England has sent her
ultimatum for a peace to the courts of Vienna and
Fete[burgh.
An American vessel loaded with wheat and flour, and
another loaded with lumber, both bound to Cadiz, were
chafed into Toulon by an English man of war, where
they put the cargoes on board two Swedish thips, the
commanders of which undertook to carry them fafe to
Cadiz, under Sw^difh colours.
Letters from Peterfburgh fay, that overtures for a
compromise of differences had b en made by the Porte,
and that being of a nature do advantageous to be re
jeded by the empress, it was daily expelled that orders
would be iffucd for suspending all hoflile preparations.
H AGU F, October 27.
The Zieri^z^e, captain Harriugfman, which failed
from Flulhing a few days ago, has joined five other
ships of the liue that have put to fa from the TexT,
under the command of commodore chevalier de Kins
hergen. #
sue the measures of the Rockingham party, and if this
should not procure him the support he Rands in need
of, his intention is to dissolve the parliament, and try
his strength by a general re-election.
In the prosecution of the a:ove plan, circular letters
were yeflerday dispatched to every doubtful member,
requeuing the favour of his attendance upon the meet
ing of parliament, when it is expelled very near five
hundred members will be arrived in town
The minifler forms his great hope of continuing in
office, in the support he experts to derive from lord
North; but even such a coalition would by no mearts
secure his fnuatmn. Lord North and lord Shelburne,
and lord Shelburne and lord North are alike by
an injured, if not an undone people.
Yeflerday morning some dispatches were received
from Jersey, which contain an account of a large
Dutch (hip being taken and carried in there by one
of their privateers. She was under Femifh colours,
and her cargo consists of 6) hogsheads of tobacco, 40
hogsheads of sugar, 20 barrels of indigo, and 20 bar
rels of rice. She was from Philadelphia, bound to
Amsterdam and is a very valuable prize.
We have now in New-York, and the different lines
about it, an army of at lead 17,000 men, who Rand
this country in two millions a year ; and the mofl
ingenious fellow, in or out of Europe, could not, for
the foul of him, conceive for what purpose such a
force is maintained there. The forces in Canada
may be deemed neceflary for the defence of that great
government ; and tie little army at Halifax may not
be thought over fufficient to preserve the province of
Nova-Scotia, which, it does not appear, the minifies
have any intention to give up; but that so very great
LONDO N, November 2.
November 6.
a force as ^7,000 men, should be kept up at New -
York, or rather cooped up, for no purpose under
Heaven, as that city is to be delivered up to con
gress, is wu a t cannot be underflood !
The iotroduHion into the cabinet, of such a try'd
king's friend, as Mr. Jenkinfon, at the present crfi%
augur* notiling less than a renovation of the Ameri
can war!
A (peedy termination is now moil confidently exp'&-
ed to the short lived authority of the present minifler.
The duke of Richmond,as honest, but, in this instance,
less penetrating th n Mr Fox, begins at last to en
tertain a clear conception of the true character of his
infidi us colleague in office,' and we are wel assured
is fully determined to withdraw his powerful support
fr r m the tottering mimflerial fabric, without which it
requires no power of prophecy to determine the whole
mull very s oon fall'to the ground, and crumble into
its natural infignificance. It is the charafltriftic of
a truly great man that he penetrates into charaaers,
without much experience of the individual, and fore
ftes events from a knowledge only of their causes. This
has be n literally thecafe with Mr. Fox, wno, during
the whole course of this unhappy war, has presaged
aimed every occurrence, and described, by a fort of
magic anticipation, almo^ every character. These
were, the diflmguifh ng properties of lord Chatham,
to whom as Mr. Pox bears every refembance in ta
lents, so it is to be hoped he will in' uccefs alto,
whenever his country shall be again blessed with his
tervices.
November 9. They write from Paris, that three
Irish regiments, on the eflablifhment there, had received
orders to march to Rreft, and embark for the Weft in
dies with several other regiments.
Whatever lord Shelburne's party may be in the ca
binet and in parliament, it is certainly very weak in
the nation and in the closet : the building ships by
county so ofcriptions was forwarded by him with the
utmost ardour, but he could not bring it to bear even
in hisown county of Wilts, which was no fmail morti
fication to him : at the fame time in all the other coun
ties there has been ei.her forme king's man, or some
Fox's man, that has crushed the fchrme.
By a letter received in town from Paris on W^dnef
day morning, the French are reported to be in the
highest Spirits, onaccount of some late dispatches ar
rived at Versailles from Madrid, fuppofedto cont in
the final resolution of the Spanifli cabinet to raise the
siege of Gibraltar, and employ the force there fruitlessly
employed for, years, in 2 quarter of te globe more au
spicious to the combined arms of France and Spain.
By the above account, doctor Franklin i. reported to
be caressed by the French king, nobility and people, to
a degree of adulation, by far exceeding the national
over-ailed poiiteneG of our Galic neighbours.
A great man is said to have given the most flattering
^fforances to some mercantile persons, that they may
ihortly expeß remittances from Charleftown, as govern
ment had dispatched orders to America to flop the eva
cuation of that place.
An express wa, received fefterd y at noon by a ves
sel arrived at Portsmouth from L'lbon. She ailed from
the Hague the 24th ult. at which time they had in
telligence that several men of war had arrived at Ca
diz te 18th, among which were two three-deckers,
which had been totally difmafted in the dorm at Gib
raltar, and came in under jury-mails, but whether
French or Spanish, was not mentioned.
W dnefday advice was received from the Orkneys,
of the arrival of the Prince Ruper, captain Chriflo
pner, and the Severn sloop, captain Turner, at that
place, from Hudson's bay. T-ey bring advice, that
the Seahorse had likewise escaped the enemy She was
chafed a considerable time, but evaded them by know-,
ing the navigation. The French did not go into the
bay ; they only deflroyed the forts and faaories in the
Streights; ind ed they were so much distressed to pre
vent their flips being 1011, that monfieu,r Firaufe
gave the company's servants the above sloop for pi
lotmg him through the Streights on his return. He
afterward® pro eeded with the Sceptre and a frigate
for Lofton, to join monsieur Vaudreuille.
November 11. In the Weft India fleet that failed
from Portsmouth on Thursday lass, there were up
warts of 20 fail of transports, loaded with all kind of
warlike implements, for carrying on offenfive operati
ons in the Leeward islands, when admiral Pigot arrives
from New York.
November 14. An American vessel, loaded with
wheat, flour and some lumbr, bound from Boston to
Corunna, is taken by the Phcenix privateer, captain
Taorp, and carried into St. Unes.
If the refignat/ons so much talked of should take
place in the cabinet, Mr. Foks prophecy will be
then fulfilled. When that gentleman hated to the
house of /Commons his reasons for resigning his office
of fecreta yof state, he made use of the words, ' I
have now treat'd a fiandard, to which I am convinced
thole friends whom I have left behind me in the cabi
net will footer or fa,er repair; for though they do
not now fee the tendency of lord Shelburne's princi
pits, in the fame point of view that I do, I have not a
doutyt but they soon will; and then we flail meet a
gain, to fight under the auspices ofa cause, which,
as it triumphed over one administration, will, 1 trust,
overturn another, and thus five the country from
ruin."
Mr. Rurke is returned to town from his late visit
to lord Fitzwil jam's, and was yeflerday in the court
of King's bench. He appeared to be in the highest
spirits-- a circumflance which we hope may# be consi
dered as a preface, that the hour is not far distant,
when re will be once more summoned into the service
of his country.
Circular letters have already been dispatched from
the treasury, to summon the miniflerial forces on the
26th of the prefnt month, and, contrary to the usual
form at the opening of a session, requires the attend
ance of the members on business of the frigheft impor
tance. From this it seems as if the feftfon would o
peo with bufiaefs relating to American matters, as
nothing else of consequence can be on the tapis at pre
sent.
" The whimsical and immortal author of Trifiram
Shandy, was married to Mrs. Sterne on a Saturday
morning : his parifioners had timely inf rmation of
tnis circumflance, and knowing that he would preach
the next morning at his parish church, and desirous at
the fame time of feeing the bride, they assembled in
such crouds, that the church was full before the bell
had done tolling. The bride, as was expected, made
her appearance, and the country folks indulged them
selves with the usual observations, till Sterile mounted
toe pulpit inhere every rye was directed to him, and
~ every ear re^dy to catch the words of his text, which
turned out, to their aftonnameEt, to be the following,
" We have toiled all night and have caught no
iifa.'' The congregation looked at each other, some
finiled, others flopped their months with their hand
kerchiefs to prevent them from laughing, while the
old folks wore very ferrous faces, and rhoughtthe hu
mourift a very odd fort of man for a pulpit lecturer:
however, they attended to his difeourfe, which turn
ed out as usual, very .inftruHive, and all went home
v ry highly delighted with the text ; but poor Mrs.
Sterna, who blushed down to her fingers ends every flep
ofthe way to her hopfe."
" The late earl of Chatham, who bore no good
will to a certain physician, was rallying him one d<y
about the inefficacy of his prescriptions. To which
the doßor replied, “ He defied any of his patients
to find fault with him." " I believe you (replied the
witty earl) for they are all dead."
D U B L I N, October 26.
A gentleman arrived from London in the last packet,
informs us, that advices were received there front
Portsmouth, that fix large mast flips, supposed to be
English, bound for some port in the Britifli channel, as
they had failed wjth the rest of the Baltic fleet, and
* hollies English colours, had, to the great furpriz of
ail the ihips flruck off their course from the lfle of
Wight towards the French coast. Two frigates have
brer, sent after them.
To so low an ebb has the'fpirit of privateering fal
len in England, that a house in Liverpool has been up
wards of fix months in endeavouring to fill up a fub
fcrip ion for fitting out a private fllip of war of twen
ty guns, in that city and ' riftol ; though the propos
ers have set themselves down for the half concern, and
offered to advance the remainder, and take the notes of
toe proprietors, at fix months, for their reimburf
meat.
November 15. Yeflerday #n express arrived at
the admiralty, from lord Howe, with the agreeable
news of his lordship, with his whole fleet, being fafe
arrived in the channel.
Count d'Eftaing's health, according to the French
accounts, continues so precarious, that it is thought
he will not take the command in the Windward islands.
The offer was made a short time since to M. La Motte
Picquet, but, for reasons unknown, it was declined.
Wednesday general Fawcett took his final leave of
the king, on his going to Germany. That officer
was to have set off on Saturday last, but by an or
dr from the secretary's office, was detained for more
extensive iuhruaion, relative to his railing a body of
troops in Germany, for the ensuing campaign.
The Hannibal privateer, belonging to Guernsey,
has taken a French packet boat bound from Borton to
Brest with dispatches, which were thrown overboard
before the flruck, and carried her into Lilbon, where
the funk soon after file was brought in, a plank having
star ed while the Hannibal was in chafe of her. The
crew were taken out but a few|minutes before the funk.
There cannot be a Wronger proof of the number of
men which rhe American war has drained from this
country, than the considerable majority of women
seen inevery public assembly ; and as these cannot
pofftbly be matched for some time, it is a consumma
tion devoutly to be wished, that the legislature would,
by an experimental aft, try doctor Madan's scheme;
the ladies will allow that half a loaf is better than no
bread.
" The fleet of florlhips which failed from this port
the 6th infant, under convoy of Le Six Corps, of
64 guns, Fier Rodrigue, 50, and* Le Chauponne, 32,
were seen well the i,th instant. This squadron are
thought to be bound to the east."
Accounts, though not officially, are received, that lord
Howe's feet is arrived off Plymouth.
Extract of a letter from Rochfort, OHober 28.
The Dutch will have seven fail of the line in the
Eart-Indies, when the (hips that left the Tex#l in Au
gust last, arrive there, which may be expected is
January next ; these are certainly to join the French.
It has certainly been propof-d in council, on the'
part of the premier, to call in Mr. Charles Jeokinfon;
but the opposition from a noble duke was so warm,
that the meifure was dropped.
Letters from almoN e^-ry part of Ireland mention,
that a dreadful fcarchy of grain is apprehended, of
course a scarcity of malt: the latter must materially
affect the revenue of that country, as malt, used in
the breweries and diflillerie*, produces very large du^
ties and the scarcity A said to be so general and so
alarming, that the barley must be made into bread.
Every necessary precaution is token to lessen this ca
lamity as mucn as possible ; large orders have been
sent abroad, and great quantities of bread are now
made, composed of half wheat and half potatoes, which
is described as both palatable and wholfome.
Archbifliop Tillotfoo has wifely observed, that
“ ignorance and inconfiderwtion are the two great
“ CTufes of the ruin of mankind :" the fate o' this un
happy country has fully illustrated the truth of this
sentence ; our ministers, ignorant of the principles,
natural ftrer.gtn and resources of America, precipi
tately plunged the nation in a civil war, which his
divided the empire, exhausted our commerce, and
brought on innumerable evils, r
A late Publication has the following Anecdotes.
The winter has set in with uncommon severity at so
early a period. We have had for some days pell Hrong
frofis, accompanied with had and (now#
EDINBURG H, November 5.