The Pennsylvania packet, or, The general advertiser — Lancaster, Pa.;Philadelphia, Pa., 1780-04-22 00:00:00, page 2

LO NDO N, December 11.
HOUSE of COMMONS, December 10.
Mr. Wood, the new member for Middlesex, presented
a petition from the freeholders of that county, ft uing a
complaint against L n r I Norh, for his improper and un-
Conftitutjonal interference in some of the late Stages lead
ing to the election of a Ktight of the Shire for Middle
s x He Rd it was a departure from the conftiturion in
hfelf but more particularly fn as the power now exercised
bythe minbier, intended originally for the preservation of
idle conftitutloo, was perverted, and operated to the lodg
ing of a powers/ bin that might be used, and he was free
to fay, had been often used, to the prejudice of that con
stitution it was meant to protest and defend After some
further Short explanations, he moved for leave to bring
in a bill, to enable members to vacate their feats, and of
course to have an option what county, city, town, or bo
rough, they might wish to represent, contingent on their
success,
Mr Wilkes Seconded the motion ; and after some lit
tle debate, the petition was ordered to lie on the table,
and leave was given to bring in t ebhl, and Mr. Wood,
Mr. Bing, Mr T Townfliend, Mr. Wilkes, and some
ot iers, ordered to prepare and bring in the fame.
Mr T Tuttrell moved a refoliation, ft Iting the con-
Ritutional rights of thy freeholders and electors of Eng
land in gen ral, declaring, that no Lord of Parliament had
a right to interfere in the election of members to Serve in
Pari ament.
Mr. Wilkes (Chamberlain of London) t,en rose, and
said, he had in his hand a letter Signed " Chandois,"
recommending Sir Richard Worley as a fit and proper
person to reprint the county of Southa npton in Parlia
ment, and desiring thefe,srt of the freeholder to whom
it was addressed to toe candidate so recommended.
Mfr Wilkes would hive iiad the Dune's letter referred
to toe committee of privileges, but t ,ere being no person
then ready to prove the band writing, it could not be re
ceived by the House. To obviate rhe difficulty, hawey^r,
the Speaker advised Mr. Wilkes to alike his complaint,
and sign it ; then move, that it be referred tothe commit
tee of privileges, where the letter might be proved; and
given in evidence. Mr. Wiikes accordingly moved as
follows ;
" Complaint being made, that the Duke of Cinndois,
a Peer of Parliament, and Lord Lieutenant of the county
of Southampton, had finned a letter with hisown hand,
refpe&ing the enfai^g elc^ion for the said county, thereby
con erning himfelfin the said eledion, is a b each of toe
privileges of thisnoufe, and an infringement oi-the liber
ties and privileges of the commons of Great. Britain."
The motion was carried without a diffentient voice.
Mr. Wilkes then moved toat a call of the Houle be
made on the firft of February; and intimated that he
mould then move for an enquiry into the cause of our pre
fect humiliation and difirds.
The Commons have voted the navy and army estimates
for thecurrent year. Eighty -five tho^od men, includ
ing 18,7 9 marines, are grAmed for the tea f-rvice, and a
sum not exceeding 41. per man per month, for tn t ir main,
renance. On this great quefbon we are forty to fiy, that
one of the Lords of the Admiralty gave no more encou
ragement to the notion, than,by faying, tat he had nt>
rerfon to think the navy would be inferior rtexr year to
what it was the taft ; a hope so forlorn and melancholy,
that it cannot chear the aloft dejected heart. No less
than 1,8 950 men ate voted for the army at the enor
mous fam of 4,lwfo^and odd pounds ; of which no
less than 70,000 men have been maintained in perfect io
adivity for two campaigns, although ministers date the
rebel army to canffl of&nly Bodo men ; and when Par
liament demands to know if the war is to be prefecuted
ctherwife thanby defence, the only answer they receive is,
that it is not to be abandoned, but they know not to
what extentit is to be pursued.
Thursday iaft the Right Horn. Walter Huffey Burgh,
his Majesty's Prime Serjeant at Law in Ireland, resigned
his gown to the Chief Governor of that kingdom.
Wednesday the Jamaica merchants waited onLord Sand
wich with their memorial, praying a naval force for the
protection of that island, and Setting forth the dangerous
and alarming situation it wag now in for want of that
force ; when he was pleased to inform them, that every
flep to Secure their property in that part Should immedi
ately be taKen-Theyremon ftrated on bim with the necefTty
of Rrong convoys coming with Che trade through the
Galph, and likewise flawed him a lift of nine fhipswhieh
were taken off the banks of Newfoundland, merely for
want of a proper convoy; all of which he assured them
tbpu'd be finely attended to.
HAGU E, November ax.
STR JOSEPH YORKE, Ambassador Extraordi
nary and Plenipotentiary of his Britannic Majesty,
presented, the day before yeflerday, another memorial
co their High Mightmeffes, Signifying the surprise of the
King his master at their silence in regard to a former me
morial, which he had had the honour to present to their
High Mightinesses upwards o' four months ago, claiming
the Succours Stipulated bytreaties, &c. and requiring a pre
cise and immediate answer, which his Majesty hopri
from the equity of their High - Mightinesses, would be
conformable to treaties, a^d to the Sentiments of friend
fllip which he had always entertained towards the republic.
Pari; Det^. We are very impatient here to fee the
Count d'Ellaing woo is expeßed this evening,atVerfailles.
it is given out, that his Majesty expreffts so great a desire
to fee that General, that he has sent a carriage to meet him
on the road, for dispatch, and for the greater convenient
cy, as the wounds he received in America are worse than
wasatfirft reported, since he has been obliged to make
ule of crutches.
The count d'Eflaing, it is said wrote from Brest to M.
deSartine to desire he would ,fk pf the King his leave to
fail at his feet, to thank his Majesty for the confidence he
had vouchsafed to honour him with. At my feet, replied
the Monarch! Oh no. It is in my arms that I will re
ceive him.
2erl;r, Jan 4. The King at prefect enjays perfed:
health, being recovered from a Severe fit of the gout. On
New Year's day his Majefiy passed a definitive Sentence up
on Seven counGtllers of justice detained iu the affair of the
M Her Arnold. One of ibefe fodip is dismissed, but
the fix orhers are broke apl condemned to a year'sim
prifanment in the fortrtfs of Spandau,
GEORGE R.
TXT E, taking into our most serious confideratiou the
" just and necessary hostilities in which we are enga
ged, and the unnatural rebellion carrying on in some of
our provinces and colonies in North America, and put
ting our trust in Almighty God, that he will vouchfafe a
special blessing on our arras both by sea and land, have re
folded, and do, by and with the advice of our privy coun
cil, hereby command. That a public faft and humiliation
be observed throughout that part of our Kingdom of
Great Britain called England, our dominion of Wales,
and town of Berwick upon Tweed, upon Friday the 4th
day of February next; that so both we and our people
may humble ourselves before Almighty God, in order to
obtain pardon of our fins; and may, in the mo,ft devout
and solemn manner, find upour prayers and (applications
to the Divine Majesty, for adverting thpfe heavy judg
ments which our manifold fins and provocations have aloft
justly deferued, and imploring his blessing and assistance
on our arms, and for reftorihg and perpetuating peace,
fafety, and prosperity to us and our Kingdoms':And we
do flrialy charge and command, That the said public
faft be reverently ^nd devoutly observed by all our loving
fubjefts in England, our dominion of Wales, and town of
Berwick upon Tweed as they tender the favour of Al
mighty God, and would avoid bis warthand indignation;
and up°n pain o' such punifhrtient as we may justly inflict
on all such as contemn and aegtea the performance of so
religious and neeeff ry a duty.
And for the better and more orderly solemnizing the
fame, we have given directions to ihe mo<ft Rev. the Arch
bifh >ps, and >he Right Rev. the Bishops of England, to
compose a form of prayer suitable to this occasion, to be
used in ail Churches, Chapels, and places of public wor
ship, and to take care the fame be timely dispersed through
out toeir refpedive.Jiocefes.
Given at our Court at St. James's, the 13th of Dec.
1779, in the twentieth year of our reign
GOD five the KIN G.
January 22. It is now a common bett that the Britiflr
fig was flying on theforufications at Charleftown on the
loth day ot this month.
Extract of a letter from Plymouth, dated January 16.
'' This morning a cutter arrived here trom the West
ward; as soon as ihe arrived in the found, the boat was
hoisted out, and the Lieutenant of her went immediately
for Hartmaze, and waited on the Admiral, and iu less
than an hour set off for London. There are various conjec
tures here concerning the news he ha. brought. He was
Rationed off Brest. A friend, who is ver, intima e with
the Cimmiffibner, f<ys, that he hinted to him that the
Lieutenant had seen a large fleet of men of war and tranf
pjrts come out of Brest water, and when they were clear
of land Rear due Weft."
Extia of a letter from Harwich, dated January rg.
" This ash rm-on a messenger from Sir Joseph Yorke
at the Hague, landed here from'a Dutch filling boat, and
as soon as porfes could be got ready, set off for London.
It is not usual but on very extraordinary matters for tha
ns ffengers to come any farther than Helvotfluy's, where
the Caprain of the Packet takes charge of the dispatches,
end wen they arrive here they are sent express to the
Secretary, of Slate "
His Majesty who had always the highest opinion for
Capt Cook, shed tears when Lord Sandwich informed him
of his de tn, and direßiy ordered a peufion of 300!. a year
for his widow
YNbrday the King's proclamition, setting forth, that
for the future all loreigh fllips taken carrying to and af
fixing the enemies of Great-Brirain with warlike floras
or goods of any kind, Ihould be deemed legal prizes, and
the thip or thips and cargoes, should be fold for the bene
fit of thole who took them, was read arthe Royal Ex
change Gate, by Mr. Bishop. the common cryer, assisted by
the proper officers. They were afterwards fluck up about
the Royal Exchange
The l fs of the English forts on the Miffiffipi river, will,
in all probability be followed by that of the neighbour
iagfettlements at Mobile and Penftcola, the efiabliihmebt
of which has c ft so much money and trouble to Great-
Brtain, and gratify the jealous with the Court of Spain
has entertained, ever since the lafi war, of driving the
English out of every settlement in thegulph of Mexico.
The revolted Americans will, however, receive more ad
vantage from this circumstance, as things now stand, than
any other people. Strong detachments of troops have
been, ever finie the breaking out of the American war,
sent up the Miffiffipi by England, who landing on the Ea
ftexn more of the river, have made inroads aud predato
ry incursions on the back settlements of Geer; ia, and the
Carolinas, and fomented a difaffeHion to Cengrefs among
the Indians and Scotch planters in those parts, in such a
manner as to oblige Congrtfs to Ration large bodies of
troops on these frontiers, by which means their army on
the coast has been considerably weakened. It is strange,
that our Minifiry did not prevent the Spaniards from ma
king this attempt, as we find that so early as July lafl, the
fhooner Roebuck was difpached from Fenfacola to Eng
land, where ffie arrived after a fhert passage, with an ex
press to Lord George Germaine, advifiog the intention of
Spain against the Miffiffipi. A gentleman, whocame pas
senger in this (chooner, is now here, from whom we had
the above particulars.
January 24. Lord Hdl&rough has written over ex
pressly to Lord Buckingham, that it is the determination
Petitions are preparing in Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, and
Sussex, to be signed by the freeholders, praying the atten
tion or Parliament to the alarming situation of the whole
landed interest, from the ruin of an amazng number of
farmers, owiig tothe prices of all the earth's produ&s be
ing lower than theyhavebeen before for thirty years, while
poor rates are higher than ever, and the prices of labour
riling,from the great demand of the government for men.
The London papers fay, that " Yesterday the Right
Honourable the Marquis of Rockingham was clofetted
with the King at St James's, for above an hour, it being
his only appearance at Court for several months."
Dec 14. The King feeing Mr. Rigby at the levee a
few days ago, said to him in one of those moments of roy
al mirth, which never fail to enliven thecirde, " Well,
Mr. Rigby, as you are a monied man, you may have
estates now for nothing." His Majesty laughed exceed
ioglyb
A PROCLAMATION for a GENERALFAST'
DUBLI N, February to.
Tomorrow the House of Commons of Ireland returns
their deliberations. The eyes of this kingdom and of
Great- Britain, nay of all Europe are now upon them,
highly Rarefied on the sequel 01 proceedings began with
such decided spirit of liberty and patriotism, as to become
the theme of modern polities, and must in future times
form one of the most conspicuous pages in ftorv, if the pa
triotic flame in our senate be not like that of the meteor,
whose instant brigttnrfs dazzles, yet whole beam for want
of duration has neither warmth nor vigour. The moufler
of usurped dominion has been stunned by th' firft blow
succeeding strokes must put an eternal period to its exis
tence.
The attempt made yeflerday by Administration in the
House of Commons, was of such a nature, that while it
r fle&ed in the grossest manner, on the underftaediag of
thatauguft assembly, exhibited a Lepe of the th dloweft
politics', that ever disgraced the Councils of this or any 0.
ther country. Our Iriffi financier with all th t specious
shew or collected gravity, which charaderifes him, rose,
to acquaint the House, of the neceffit, there was to open
the Committee of Supply, to give operation to the TADpb
laWs, by originating and reviving Money-bills. Was
there a Member in the House who heard him, is there a
man in the kingdom, who shall hear it, so stupid, as not
to fee through the flinfy scheme, under pretence of com
mercial regulations, the great objed of government, the
Money-bills were to be puffed, and then adieu to the
fcbeine of National retrenchment, the Irish Declaratory
Aft, the Bill of Rights, the repeal of Poyning's Law,
&c. &c. A prorogation cuts off the session. "So much
for Buckingham."
Thomas Winder, Esq; Collector of Cork Excife^ is
appointed Secretary tofthe Commissioners of his Majefiy's
Revenue, in the room of Sackville Hamilton, Esq
Arid the Hon. James Lyfaght, Esq; is appointed to
succeed Tuomas Winder, Esq ; in the collection of Cork
Excise.
The merchants and traders in Belfaft have, in their very
excellent letter to our different M< mbers, most seasonably
taken the lead in this important bafinef, of furnishing
the Legislature with such hints and abfervations, as may
tend to promote the national welfare, particularly re
fpeding sugars, and equalizing the duties, &c The seve
ral arti les in the letter, will meet peculiar attention of
our fenitors, for, unless the refining of our own sugars be
properly Secured, raw sugars cannot be imported to ad
vantage, confequeutly a Free Trade, in this refped, wilt
be hut a name. The truly ufeful observations, in the let
ter alluded to, are not local and confined, but nobly ex
tensive, and designed for promoting the whole mercantile
interest. It is hoped cur merchants and traders in either
parts, will, with' the fame accuracy and precision, lay
their femimeut before our Representatives. Those in the
metropolis, ought to be among the foremoft in this most
necessary work. The field is large, and almost every ar
ticle of commerce, with the appertaining duties, bounties,
and drawbacks, &c. will require a suitable investigation.
To give us equal advantages with British trad rs, our si
tuation, circumstances, and feverai disadvantages, (which
will appear on a comparison) must be duly confide/ed.—
On this, the most important consequences may depend.
Should the public executioner proceed on Saturday next
to burn the Aft passed in the 6th of George I. declaring
a right in the British Parliament to bind Ireland in all ca
ses whatsoever, as voted by the Pimlico Parliament in their
late meeting on the sth current, which it is most sincere
ly hoped he will, do it as thought, that a greater concourse
of people never assembled at one time in College Green,
than would be on that eccafion,to convince the Represen
tatives of people in Parliament, and the British Ministry,
of the abhorrence and deteflation in which such an assu
med power in the Parliament of England is held, and that
a continuation of such claim may bring on a facial- —
C O R K, Jan. 35 ^O.
•, The Mayo? requests that theFreemen at large, will
meet him at the Guild hall, on Tuesday, the firft day of
Februrry n^xt, at twelve o'clock, on particular business.
Last Friday night, about ten o'clock, a party of each
of the two regiments in garrison here, searched from thi<
city to Kilrufli near 18 miles from this city, to take pos
session of an estate, the property of Mr. ——- Fitz
gerald, which was by force ofarms kept from him by one
Bible, The party of the arm, confining of about 60 men
attacked the Mansion house with a fix-plunder, and af
ter a few shots they made a large breach in the house and
killed one of the people therein. The party in the house
fired a number of shots by which they wounded five of
thearmy, two ofthem dangeronfly. When they entered the
house they found provisions fuffici^nt to last then fix
months. The party in the house confined of Robeußi
bl, Charles Carthy, Dennis Carthy, Thomas B? w ßr#
William Walsh, Patrick Long, Richard Power, Lau
rence Harney and John Brien. The army returns on
Sunday ifternoop and brought with them the above pn
foners whom they lodged in the counfy goaf.
Parliamentary Transactions.
HOUSE or COMMONS.
V/ednefday, February 9.
The House met, pursuant to adjournment. Mr. Chap
man presented according to erder, heads of a bill for the
relief of insolvent debtors.
The Recorder moved for leave to bring in heads of 2
of his Majeßy'sMinifters, that embargoes fhal luo morb
be laid on the Irish provision trade.
Directions are sent over to Lord Buckingham, to take
every means possible for carrying a bill ror permitting the
Papists the afe of arms, thro' the Irish Parliament.
Patents are preparing to create the Earls of Shannon,
Tyrone and Ely, Dukes, and for advancing fiother Earl@
of Ireland to be Marquiffes, fix Vifeounts to be EArJs,
twelve Barons to be Viscounts, and eight Commoners to
be Barons.
A report has been circulated with great confidence,
though we hope without foundation, ticat the Spanish fhipli
lately taken by Sir George Rodney, have been retaken iu
the channel, by the French fleet, and carried into Brest.
There has not been so many messengers between the
Hague and London for many years part, as for the lass
three weeks, from whence it is concluded that fcunething
very particular is in agitation.