The Pennsylvania packet, or, The general advertiser — Lancaster, Pa.;Philadelphia, Pa., 1783-04-12 00:00:00, page 2

Foreign Intelligence.
L O N D 0 N, January 31.
The condu& of the count de Vergennes,, throughout
the whole of the n-gociations winch have ended ina peace,
has be 0 candid, liberal) noble, and bon< ft in the high
er degree. On every occasion he has (hewn a mind di
re&ed by the c f n<ral iMereft of all the powers, w 0
were fogged i^ the war. The intimate friendship
which has long ft, filled between our fitfi minifUr and
the premier of I ^ame has aifo greatly contributed to
reftcre the wore to quiet.
Yesterday the anniversary of the martyrdom of
Charles the 6rfl, of bitffed memory, was cels Grated with
the u<ual flemniti s.
The fameday, the council of war met to finifh the
unhappy affair of general Murray, agreeable to his
majesty's orders who had reserved tg himfelf the re
viewing of tin proceedings The generals Murray and
Dra per v re present. it was decided, that of 29 charge s
bro't by the latter, 27 were'frivolous an 'whithout foun
dadn. But as to thr two others, the court reprimanded
the firft mentioned officer; firft,becaufe he forbid on the
tf h Cibber, that any great gun of whatever kind
should be fired, without expref6 orders from him, and
from him on y: 2 ly, for having fold at public au^i
on part of the military flares of the place, and applied
the money thence arising,(as it is said,) to his own fife.
Afte^ reading the (entente, tl e judge advocate fignifiied
to fir Wiliam Draper, that it was the pleasure of the
court that he should b g the pardon of general Mur
ray for having cal>d for this council of war against
b ; m; which fr William instantly complied with. Then
the jvdg A advocate called upon general Murray to
fuew equ i complaisance to fir William, for having of
fended his delicacy, to wh ch governor Murray re
plied, " I am the protestor of my own personal honour,
" apd I leave to every other man the cate of vindi
'ceating his." Our readers wi I remember that gene
ral Murray commanded at Minorca when the Spani
ards attack'd and took Fort St. Philip last year, fir
William Draper was the next in authority under him.
The preliminaries with the Hates general of the uni
ted provinces, are not yet signed; but a cessation of
bohi^ties between Great Britain and that republic is
agreed upon.
The following articles from Leyden, will account for
the preliminaries with Holland not being signed:
Leyden, January 16, 1783.
" As great an appearance as there ,was about the
latter end of last N ovember, of the negotiations ter
minating in a happy peace (an expectation in which
we were confirmed by the prorogation of the British
parliament) yet, owing to uriforefeen incidents, and
particularly b, the haughty tone assumed by the Bri
tish cabinet since that time, the hope of a peace proves
every day more and more remote, and by the opposite
pretensions on either fide, the negotiations are now quite
at a flop: the negociators, however, seem to nave
no difpefition to fepar'ate. This haughtiness in the
court of London, which forms a flrange contrast to
the language which the duke of Richmond and the rest
of the miniflers held in parliament, at,the time of the
rupture breaking out with the republic, is more par
ticularly displayed towards it.
Our plenipotentiaries having, on the 6th of fan De
cember, delivered a memorial to Mr. Fitzherbert,
containing the proportions of the slates general, the
British plenipotentiary, on the 31st of December,
transmitted to them the following answer;
'• The under signed plenipotentiary of his Britannic
majesty, has received orders from his court, to pro
pose to the plenipotentiaries of the Hates general ih,e
following articles, in answer to their memorial:
"Ift. As the different connections which have for
such a number of years (unfilled between Great Britain
and the republic of the united provinces, have ceased
as much in consequence of the present war, as from the
conduit of the republic previous to that period; and
as their high mightinesses seem at prefeot to be very
little difpoftd to renew those ties, Iris majefly proposes
they should conduct themselves in all commercial af
fairs, which ma, take place between them purely and
Simply by the general principles of the rights of man
kind ; to which the under signed has orders to add,
that as soon as the nations engaged in the present war
Shall begin to form those commercial arrangements,
„which tie new engagements that will subsist between
them, will personally render necessary, his majefly, in
consequence of his good will towards the republic, will
be ready to contrast with them such commercial en
gagements as may frit with the huation of the Rates,
and with their respective interefis.
“ Tois proposition, which places their high mighti
nesses with refpe& to England, i n the fame situation as
that w; ich they hold with several other of the mari
time and commercial powers of Europe, contains all
that the king can grant them with regard to the rela
tive pacification of the two nations, or in conformity
with reason and juflice ; for as to what is alledged in
the memorial of the. Dutch plenipotentiaries refpe&ng
the proportion made by Mr. Fox. to M. de Simolin,
it is indisputable that this proportion was united with
Holland ; and that this second offer having been re
je3ed bytheir high mightinesses, the firft is become
void, find of no effect but finaby, under whatever
point of view it is considered, as not having come to
pass.
" 2d. The king, from his moderation, consents to
reHare to their high mightinesses, all the possessions
which have been taken from them by his arms during
the present war, and of which he shall be seized at the
(onclufion of the peace, excepting Triocamale, in the
island of Ceylon, with its dependencies.
" 3d. The king cannot, in any degree, admit the
demands of an indemnification of the losses which the
united provinces have experienced during the war,
that preterfion being equally repugnant to the cleared
principles of reason, and the rights of mankind: but
iris majefly will consent, without any reluctance, that
the division of prizes taken by his fubje&s, previous to
the rupture, should be submitted to the courts of jus
tice cf the British admiralty, agreeably to the eftablilh
ed rules of ail nations.
" The little disposition shewn by the English, to treat
sincerely about g reconciliation, presents itfelf to our
eyes at the firft reading of these articles; and the small
est refleaion will enable us to perceive in them, a stu
died ambiguity, which, if they do not wish to expose
ns again to injuries and exceptions of every kind, will
require at least an explanation, before they can be ad
mitted. M. Leftevenon, ambassador, and Mr Brant
fen, mini Her plenipotentiary from the republic, having
communicated this answer to the count de Vergennes,
conformably to the very perfe& concert and harmony
fubfifling between them, delivered on the sth of Janu
ary, a reply to Mr. Fitzherbert, conceived in tiiefol
lowing terms:
“ The under signed ambassador and minifler pleni
potentiary of the Rates general of the united provin
ces, having examined the answer, which Mr. Fi^zher
b-rt, minister plenipotentiary from his Britannic ma
jesty, delivered to them on the gift of December last,
on the part of his court, they have beheld therein,
with much sorrow, the little disposition Riown by the
court o' London, for accelerating a reconciliation with
the republic on equitable conditions.
“ With refpe& to the firfl article, the under-signed
firftl themselves under a necessity of demanding some
explanations in regard to what the court of London
means by the general principles cf the law of nations.
If, by this general denomination, they mean that
which is taken for the primitive law of nations, which
renders navigation, and the traniport of all forts of
merchandize, without diHinaion, entirely free, with
out any reftriaion whatsoever, except that which is
commonly acknowledged for contraband by the great
est part of all the powers, such as military stores,
which are exprefl]y mentioned in the treaty in 1674,
between England and the republic, and the treaty of
navigation, in the year 1713, between France and
Great Britain; the under-signed dare persuade them
selves, that ther high mightinesses will make no diffi
culty in admitting it as a balls for negociation, and
that they will even join with pleasure in founding, on
this irrevocable basis, a definitive treaty of peace, or
possibly after, a treaty of particular commerce, as
soon as the nations engaged in the present war, shall
set about forming such new arrangements of trade, as
the new relations which shall subsist between them, may
render necessary.
“ As to the second article, the under signed cannot by
any means reconcile the exception of Trincamale, with
the acknowledged moderation of his Britannic majesty ;
and though the orders of the Rates general will not
permit them to enter into any discussion on that head,
till the firft point is adjufled and fettled, they presume
not to think that their high mightinesses will ever au
th~orife them to fubferibe to that condition.
“ Lastly, for what regards the third article, viz.
the indemnification, that point may be reserved for
future confederation, when they shall have agreed upon
two others.
" As to the rest, the under-signed plenipotentiaries,
guided alone by the motive of avoiding every thing
that may irritate, at the moment when they are em
* ployed in the re-eftablifliment of peace, will abßain
from making obfervatibns upon fbme passages which
have crept into the answer of the minister of his Bri
tannic majefly ; and they flatter themselves, that the
court of London will not hesitate to give the most fa
tisfaftory explanations; and that Mr- Fitzherbert wil
employ his good offices, that his majefly's miniflry
may come nearer to the moderate demands, proposed
in the memorial of the 6th of December, and concur
in the eflablifhment of a durable and solid peace.
" Given at Paris sth January, 1783"
“ At the delivery of this note to the Engliß i plenipo
tentiary, meff^s. Leftevenon and Brantfen gave him to
underhand, in a conversation by word of mouth, the
impossibility there was of their ever coming to a paci
fication in cbnfeq uence of the sentiments manifefted by
this court ; and they declared to him, —'That if his
court was animated by a trueand sincere desire of feeing
peace eflablifhed between the two nations, they would
wait an answer that was more fatisfadory and more
proper to form the balls of further conferences.' The
court of France has proved again on this occasion, that
. fne has the interests of the republic really at heart. For
M. de Vergennes has not only made the most ^effing
instances, that the court of Great Britain should grant
just and equitable terms to a nation, which its own
mini Hers acknowledged to have been unjustly attacked ;
but has likewise more than once declared to the court
of London, that France will never accede to a pacifica
tion till the other powers at war wih England shall
have received equitable fatisfaaion.”
" For the rest, the undersigned refrains from add
ing to ^s article, that with refoeft to what is im
ported in the 3d article of the above-mentioned me
morial, relative to the pretended origin of the rupture
between the two nations, England could prove, by ir
refragable arguments, that (he has omitted no means
for avoiding this war, and that it was not without tie
mod extreme regret ,hat fne saw herfelf necessarily
drawn into it. But these points are not infixed upon,
because it is difficult not to feel how much such a d f
cuffion, the sole effect cf which would be to ffiarpen
the animalities on each fide, would be misplaced at tie
time of a negotiation for there-establishment of
peace.
" The court of London has reason to Hatter itfelf,
that these articles will be regarded as a frefh inHance
of the king's moderation, and of his constant desire to
promote afpeedy and permanent recon, iliation with all
the parries engaged in the present war.
Given at Paris, December 31, 1782.
(Signed) ALLEYNE FITZHERBERT."
February ir. The preliminary articles of peace with
France were ratified and exchanged on the 3d instant,
and no alteration whatever has taken place in those
particulars which have excited the clamours of the
public. The boundaries of Canada and Nov 1, Scotia
are still as prescribed in the preliminaries, and the per-'
sons concerned in the plaes surrendered to the enemy,
muR negociate their interefis at the court of Versailles
inßead of the court of London.
Orders have been dispatched Come time to the com
manders in chief at sea upon the American, Leeward
iflands and Jamaica Rations, to Blew all vessels carry
ing colours with thirteen Hripes, and belonging to the
united nates, every possible mak of attention, and to
fuffr them to proceed without moleflation, although
nicy fell in with them before the time limited for seiz
ing prizes were expired.
The American flips which are arrived in the river
were liable to be Fixed as prizes ; but the zeal their
commodore (hewed in making for the port of London,
on their hearing peace was near at hand, was a fuffi
cient motive to induce government to give them pro
tection : accordingly on the event being laid before the
council, an ord^r was immediately passed, to admit of
their entry on the books of the customs, with every
kind of indulgence allowed to nations in alliance with
England.
Feb. 18. Yesterday 60 fail of corn vessels arrived in
the river, among which were nine from Germany.
February 20. Yesterday the Dutch agent, who has
been for some time in this metropolis, had a private
conference with the secretaries of Rate, in reference to
some dispatches he had received from the Hague.
The affairs of India, in refpeft to a peace, have been
much misrepresented. The flipulation is, that we shall
have power to assist the nabob of Arcot against Hyder
Ally, but that the French are not to lend any troops
to that Asiatic prince against us or our allies ; the con
trary to this was what was generally represented.
Monsieur de Buffey, that old enemy to Great-Bri
tain, had been in India to offer terms to the people
there, to free them from the English yoke, and adual
ly made his bargain with several of the Asiatic princes.
This matter came out on Monday's debate in the up
per house, and was used as an argument in favour of
the preliminaries of peace.
Yesterday Mr. Bishop, common cryer of this city,
attended by proper officers, read at the Royal-exchange
gate and Cheapfide Conduit, the king's proclamation,
declaring a cessation of arms by sea and land, as agreed
between his Britannic majesty, his most Christian ma
jesty, the king of Spain, the Rates general of the unit
ed provinces and the united Rates of America, and en
joining the fame to be duly observed.
The following is the amendment to the address mov^
ed in the house of coalmans on Monday night by lord
John Cavendifll, with lord North's addition to the said
amendment: “ to assure his majesty, that his faithful
“ commons will proceed to confider the fame, with
“ that serious and full attention which a fubjeft of such
<' essential importance, to the present and future inter
" efts of his majesty's dominions, deserves; that they
" entertain in the mean time the fulleft confidence in
'' his majefty'spaternal care, that his majesty will
“ concert with his parliament such measures as may
“ be expedient for extending the commerce of his ma
“ jefty's fubjeas : and his majesty's faithful commons
“ feel, that it would be fuperfluous to express to his
“ majesty, the regards due from the nation to every
<c description cf men, who, with the rifque of their
" lives, and the facrifice of their properties, havedif
" tinguifhed their loyalty and fidelity during a long
'' 'and calamitous war.
“ That whatever may be the sentiments of his ma
''jefty's faithful commons in the result of their invef
“ tigation of the ' terms of pacification, they beg leave
" to assure his majesty, of their firm and unalterable
' c resolution, to adhere inviolably to the several arti
" cles for which the public faith is pledged, and to
« maintain the blessings of peace, so necessary to his
'<majefty's (objects, and to the general happiness of
^ mankind "
The two members of parliament, meffrs. Cooke and
Wrimot, who were appointed some time ago to revise
the lift of pensions granted to American refugees, hav
ing, with no less humanity than ability, duly examin
ed and investigated the merits and claims of each pen
sioner, lafl week made their report to the lords of the
treafu,y, by which it appears, that a favihg of up
wards of 20,0001. p^r annum will accrue to the nati
on, by the reduction of such of the above pensions as
they deem unmerited. Those gentlemen who held places
in America, will be paid their salaries (which are now
greatly in arrears) up to the 10th cf GOober last, and
be considered no longer as servants of the crown; but
there is no doubt of their being allowed a compilati
on for the loss of their salaries.
The county of Middlesex and the city of London
were divided on the question of Monday night, Mr.
Wilkes, Mr. alderman Bull, and fir Watkin Lewes,
were for the peace ; Mr By^g, the lord mayor, and
Mr. riderman Sawbridge, were against it.
They write from Stockholm, that the importation
of fait used for fitting herrings, &c. in the provinces
of Gottenbnrg and Bahus, which had been confined
to Swedish ships only, has by a late refcript been al
lowed to all foreign ships with that commodity into a
ny of the Swedish ports free of ail duty, for the better
encouragement of their fifhery.
Extract of a letter from Chatham, February 17.
“ For three or four nights past, this town has been
thrown into the greateß Consternation by some folders
quartered in our barracks, who were difeharged in con
sequence of the peace; and most of them afterwards
entered to serve in the EaR-lndite, having beat ard
knocked down every person tl ey 'met. The inhabi
tants sire obliged to flint up their (hops and houses be
fore da r k. Several people are ^angerovfly ill of the
wounds they have received. Them enmiy has been
chiefly against the seamen and dockmen. A poor man
who had been to our market on Saturday evening,
they robbed of his meat, beat and cut him in a barba
rous manner, after which they attempted to bang him
on the garrison gates, but he luckily extricated him
felf. The greater part of them marched this morning
for Portsmouth, where they are to embark for the East-
Indies."
Yesterday the marquis of Carma'hen was at court,
and had a private conference with his majesty, previ
ous to his setting out on his embassy to the court of
France.