Dunlap's Pennsylvania packet , The general advertiser — Philadelphia, Pa., 1776-06-24 00:00:00, page 2

To TAB P E 0 P L E.
IN times likethe prefect,it is nectarythat the chain
of political occurrences should beobferved and com
municated to the people without any material interrup
tion ; as no people can be expe&ed to be unanimous in
the pursuit of mealur.es, of which they are not alil<e
informed. For this rea;. # n, therefore, the following
conQfoclue or chain of circumftdnces whicu have hap
pened in the politicks of this city, since the meeting at
the State Houle, on the 20. h of May, is given to the
public.
The purpose of that meeting was to agree upon a
protrit to be presented to the Houle of Assembly against
their having any thingTo do with the resolve of Con
grels, of the 15th of May, for eftabliling a new
government: And the teafoas Were the embarrassments
the Houle were under, by oaths of allegiance to our
enemy—their aßing in conjunction with the King's Re
prefentauve— their insufficiency for bufinels in general,
and the influence which many of the members appear
ed to be underby crown and proprietary connections
and dependencies: To which we may now add, that
the conduct of ihofe men since, has (hewn that the sus
picions of the public were well grounded.
The Protect was delivered into the Assembly feon
after the difiolution of the meeting; on the part of
which, it should be observed, that its objections against
the authority of the Houle were limited to the bugle
instance of their framing a new government ; and left
it at large in all other cales. “ We mean not" fay
the protestors, " to objeft against the Houle exercising
the proper powers it has hitherto been acctufomed to
ule for the briery and convenience of the province, un
til Inch time as a new conftoution, originating from,
and founded on the authority ofthe people, can be fi
nally fettled by a provincial Convention to be called
for that purpose." This being the case, it follows, that
neither the House nor anvleparate members thereof,
can lay held on any thing laid or insinuated in the Pro
test, as an excuse or Subterfuge for their own neglect
of the public lafety.
Let us now take a review ofthe conduct ofthe House
on this occation. The Protest being read was ordered
to lie on the table : Some proposed to have it laid un
der the table, ft lignified but little which was done,
as the proteftors had taken a decided part and intended
to go through with the matter.
In this fitting the Assembly got into a double way
ofdoing business ; part of their resolves were only
pafled and circuited among the people, but are not
to be found upoa th i printed votes, and in one case
their printed votes c mtradid their verbal resolves :
For it was given out that the House had resolved to do
bufine s without the Governor: Co fequently they no
longer acknowledged him in that character, yet their
Votes are titled as before, John Penn, Eld; Gover
nor. ft was given out thatthey had absolved, or dis
solved, or some how or other got over and thrown
aside the oaths of allegiance, but nothing of this ap
pears upon their printed votes ; neither have we any
authority for believing it, un!efs Mr. James Rankin's
letter to the inhabitants of York county be admitted
as evidence. Inthis he fays, " the Committee of
Yotk might have known that the House has dispensed
with the oaths."
No, rfer, or Nays are to be found this fitting; for
when any objtdi<g members found that they could not
carry their point, they withdrew their objection to avoid
being known to the public
It is imprihble th it confidence can be placed in any
House, let its name be what it may, that a&s one
thing within doors, and in its printed votes holds forth
a different one to the world.
The case refpe&ing the oaths is as follows. The
new members were admitted to take their feats with
out them. A member then moved that the German
inhabitants of this province be hereafter considered as
legal voters without taking the oaths of allegiance.
This was certainly ajuit and reasonable motion; for
if allegiance was no longer a necessary qualification for
a representative, it was no longer a necessary qualifi
cation in an elector. On this, one of the proprietary
gentlemen, who had taken bis feat without oaths, mo
ved to have the matter refpe&ing the admifficn of the
Germans put off. He was Seconded by another of the
fame cast ; but finding that such a glaring partiality
would net be Supported by the Houle, they withdrew
their motion, to avoid appearing among the nays. A
Committee was afterwards nominated to draw up
“ resolutions for rendering naturalization, and the
oaths or affirmations of allegiance unnecessary in all
cases;" But the matter dropped here and never passed
the House.
It is peculiarly remarkable, that the persons who
obje&ed against admitting the Germans, were put on
the Committee for taking offtheir disqualifications; by
which artful scheme the objection to their enfranchise
ment were represented in the poles as their friends. Nor
was there a Committee of any consequence through
out the last fitting, in which the names ofthe proprie
tary party are not to be found. This could not but
be considered as a constant insult upon the proteftots,
as one of their principal cauls of objection against
the House was the weight of that influence in it.
If the votes of the House be examined, it will ap
pear that they have gone through nothing—spent their
time to no purpose; and the cause of this negle& is
clearly evident. They were got into parties, and
though they Sometimes joined in general matters, yet
the greater part of their time was taken up in watch
ing each other's motions. The proprietary party still
pinning its dependence upon the crown, had the ru
inous delusions of reconciliation in view. The popular
party, believing that nothing but a final Separation
from Britain, and a well confederated union of all the
Colonies, could secure our happiness, were very fuf
p'cious of thedefigns of the proprietary party; and be
tween these two, a certain gentleman, the framer of
the firft inftru&ons to the Delegates, fieered an indefi
nite course, sometimes agreeing with one fide, feme
times with the other, lometimes with neither ; Seem
ing upon the whole to have no other fixed object in
view than himself.
Ihe tirft bufinels which appears upon the printed
votes, is the appointment of a Committee for drawing
up a memorial to be presented to Congrels, praying to
be informed “ whether the AfTemblies and Coventi
" ons, now fubfittrig in the several Colonies, are, or
" are not, the bodies, to whom the consideration of
" continuing the old or adopting new governments is
" referred ?" This memorial contains an insult both
upon the people and the Congress; because it lolicits a
qualification from the Congress, which, the Congrels
in the preamble to their reiolveslay, ought to come
from the people: ) Neither does the resolve ofCongrefs
fay ay thing about continuing the old government,
but of totally suppressing it. Wherefore the memorial
;fts request an explanation on a case which is not with
in the meaning of the resolve. But this, like whate
ver else the Assembly took in hand in their late and left
fitting, came to nothing, being never preferred.
The affair of the Row Gallies came next on hand.
Men in office are naturally jealous oftheir honour, es
pecially when they conceive that they have done their
duty. Ihe engagement between the Grips and the
Row-Gallies being the firft of the kind happening here
was managed on the part of the latter beyond any
thing that could be expected. Nevertheless the Cap
tains conceived themselves aggrieved by feme reports
circulated loon after the engagement, to remove which,
they published a hand bill; and the Committee of Safe
ty, in order to juftify, or perhaps, rather to revenge
themselves went much farther with it, and although
the Committee of the House of Assembly had an op
portunity to have foftened and healed up the difference,
they, by their report have only irritated a?d made it
worse, and after complying with the request of the
Captains for an hearing, broke up without fulfilling it
—This matter would not have risen to tie prelent
height, had there been no secret enemy at the bottom.
While the Houle was fitting, it received a letter
from the Convention of Virginia, setting forth the rea
sons which induced that body to support the do&rine
of independence, which letter was read in the House,
laid aside, and no answer returned. The incivility of
such a proceeding tends to weaken the friendflrip and
consequently the union ofthe Colonies.
In consequence of a memorial from the freemen of
Cumberland county, a motion was made in Assembly
for withdrawing the inftru&ions to the Delegates, and
after a debate of three days new ones were agreed upon ;
the preamble to the new inftruaions runs thus, “ when
'' by our inftruttions of last November, we ftri&ly en
" joined you, in behalf of this colony, to dissent from
" and utterly to reject any proposition, Ihould such be
" made, that might cause or lead to a Separation from
“ G reat-Britain,, or a change ofthe form of this go
" vernment, our reftriaions did not arise from any
" diffidence of your abilities, prudence or integrity,
“ but from an earned deJtie toferve the good people of
" Pennsylvania with fidelity.
The reason here given is vague, general and unfa
tisfadory, neither did the circumftarces of things then,
confirm or corroborate with the reason given now, be
cause thd necessity of a Continental Union existed as
much at that time as this. But since the House hath
pleaded a kind of “ not guilty" excuse for their in
ftruaions, it is but right that they should know part of
the opinion which some of the public entertained re
fpeding thole inftruftions, which was, that they consi
dered them as an artful and felfilh compromise for the
fafety of the persons who were the promotersof them,
and there is very little doubt to be made, but that the
honour of firft drawing them up, palling them or a&ing
under them, would have been strongly contended for, and
pleaded as an evidence of the loyalty both of the House
of Assembly and their D legates, in case, the enemy
had been able to have penetrated this province. The
new infirudions left the Delegates at large, yet we
have no reason to believe that their conduct in Congrels
is altered thereby. The opponent of independency
may as well invite the enemy at once, as continue to
do it by holding out the dodrine of reconciliarion, for
we observe that Britain of fate has direded all h@r force
towards thole provinces only where independence pre
vails least, because from such provinces die naturally
expeds the least refinance.
The rescinding the old inftru&ions was violently
opposed by the proprietary party, every thing refpe&-
ing the King of Great Britain was represented by them
in the fofteft colour. One of those gentlemen declared
in the House, that he thought the King's answer to
the petition of the city of London “ a very proper one."
After passing those inftru^ions, a new scheme began
to appear in the House, which if earried into execution
would have probably thrown the province into irreco-
verable disorder. It was wiled by some friends, that in
order to conciliate matters, the House would pals a
resolve recommending the ele&ing of a Convention on
the equitable plan propoled on the 20th of May ; but
those members who conceived themselves disappointed,
because the Resolve of Congrels was not wholly test to
the House, formed a scheme for carrying the matter
receding the Convention much farther than bare ap
probation ; and were for entering upon the business it
lelf, by fixing the numbers the Convention should con
fid of, the proportion to each county, and other mat
ters. As the House had never been requested, but<-a
the contrary forbidden, to interfere in any part of the
buhnefs of a new government, and as nearly all the
counties had at that time nominated their Deputies to
the Conference, some of which were upon the r^ad,
for the express purpole oiLfetthog and adjusting the
number, proportion, timervd place of the Convert: m,
nothing but confufion could have been produced byrie
Alterably meddling therewith; because, the Conference
would have met notwithffandisg, and being qualified
by their corfti uents for that especial purpose, their
authority f r that bulinefs would have been far lupe
rior to that ofthe Assembly, and in this case, two plans
for a Convention would have appeared at the lame
time, by which means, the day of election would pro
bably have been a day of Confufion, some infilling on
one mode and some on the other. It is time now that
our objed should be single, for while two are in view
the spirit of disunion vid be kept alive. The difeovery
of this scheme created new suspicions between the mem
bers of the House; those who considered it as a dan
gerous experime.^ were warmly against it, while others
who had not fully reflected on the consequences were
easily drawn in to approve it; and under the influence
of these apprehensions the different parties alternately
withdrew from the House to fruftrate the defigos of
each other, till the members, heartily tired and wea
ried with mutual disappointment, agreed to break up
the House and go home. In their votes they have
called it, an adjournment to the 26th of August, but
there were prelent at that time only 36 members, which
not making an House, they could only adjourn from
day to day for the want of a quorum, and not until
another fitting ; for if any number left than an House,
which is two thirds of the whole, could make a regu
lar adjournment, the consequences would be equal!
prejudicial as if the power of adjourning had retire '
in a Governor. And if the gentlemen which were 1 r
the House at that time will contend for the excellent:
and exiftecce of their charter, they ought, should the
House ever meet again, to be impeached of high trea
son for breaking it in almost the only ioftance in which
it was valuable. On whatever principle the ftparate
members may juftify their conduct, is not here intend
ed to be enquired isto, but as an House they have no
excuse. They have deserted the public trust in a time
of the greatest danger and difficulty. Like James the
Second they have abdicated the government, and by
their own a& of desertion and cowardice have laid the
Provincial Conference under the necessity of taking in
stant charge of affairs. \ And I fee not how the mem
bers of Conference can excuse themselves without at
tending to this point. The revolution is now began,
and must be supported, and the members of Assembly
have their apology by faying that the Conference was
to meet in a few days.
Betides, the c^nfufion now subsisting between the
Committee of Safety and the Officers of the Row Gal
lies, by which the welfare of this city and province is
in immediate danger, makes a superintending power
indrfpenfibly necessary ; it matters not where the fault
lies, or whether in both, 'tis the consequences which the
public locks at. One thing in this dispute ought not
be forgotten, which is, that several of the Committee
of Safety are fufpe&ed Tories, have signed the Remoo
ftrance, and ate highly improper to be at the head of
military secrets and affairs on the present system ; and
I cannot fee how any man, especially a military man,
holding independent principles, can think himfelf fate
under the direction or authority of those who oppose
them; and when this matter is relied on, there will
appear strong reason to believe that their present dis
putes arise from a heterogeneous competition in the
present Committee of Safety; besides which, the au
thority of that body being derived from the House of
Assembly, is at present in suspense, vhich, added to
other circumstances that are daily occurring, make it
an absolute duty on the Conference to rake the Bate of
affairs into confederation and provide accordingly.
Ihe House of/: iTembly has, as appears by their votes,
confeffed their inability to go through the necessary
measures for defence. The circum'danee is this—
-1 he resolve of Congrels re ! pe&ing the embodying fix
thotifand men laid a fortnight on the AfTembly's table
without being attended to, and at the time of their
diffolurion they pafled a resolve excusing themselves,
by faying, “ That they are earnestly defircus of car
“ rying into execution the refoliation of Congrels of
" the firft instant, but that, as they despair, after re
“ peated disappointments of procuring a quorum of
" the Houle, they find themselves unable, at this
“ time, to proceed on the said resolution." Yet the
House took an effectual method to prevent ever bein,,
able, by breaking up directly after palling The said resolve.
This is the Rate we at present lay in, and unless
something is instantly done to reguLtecur affairs the
consequences may be dreadful. We have now a large