The Pennsylvania packet, or, The general advertiser — Lancaster, Pa.;Philadelphia, Pa., 1782-07-02 00:00:00, page 2

that such an event calls for the most attentive regard
of this state, whose principle is commerce, to prevent
advantages, which England has heretofore enjoyed ex
clufivel'y, from being (natched up by other countries
to the exclusion of the republic. That the opportu
nity which now offers, but which may be loft by ne
gleß, should be improved, &c.. They mention the
prohibition of congress, lately made against importing
British goods : the Tameness of religious principles be
tween the united provinces and united states ; fimilarit y
of life and manners, and. the ftrongdefires, as they are
well assured, of the Anglo Americans to prefer allian
ces ,ith free states, as additional motives for this aC
knovHedg/ment and for the p.-opofed treaty of com
merce. That America already numbers three millions
of people, who incr^afe in an incredible manner, but
being a new people, they are unprovided with manu
factures, which causes, even now, an immense vent for
European goods, &c. &c.
It would be tedious and indeed ufeiefs to transcribe
from all the pieces of this nature that have appeared.
The preceding ^xtra& may fuffice to give our readers
an id^a of the sentiments of this commercial people on
a fubjeft which is so highly interesting to trade.
suddenly got aboard, that Hyder Ally had invaded
the Carnatic. This unlooked for account, tho' at
firn void of all authenticity, threw these three king
doms and this house particularly into a consternation.
This confiernation increased, when it came confirmed,
so as to not allow us to suppose that the circumflances
of this difafler were m dieprefented. Hence the order
for enquiry into the reason of this irruption. Your
committee had made but little progress in the business
assigned to them, when they saw the n^ceffity of extend
ing their enquiry to other matters. Upon represent
ing this to the house, they 'were directed to look into
the condud of the prefidentry of Bengal, and the
causes of th^ war into which the company was plunged
with the Mirrattas, which on a firft glance at the
papers we found to be unavoidable, as the affairs of
India are greatly complicated and embroiled ; as each
>art had such connection and relation with the whole
that it was necessary totake up the whole, if we wish
ed to underftand.or report on a part.
Having told you, that the committee was forced in
-0 this Course, I find myfelf in making my report
-onftrained to a 'fimilar method. To make the house
understand me, f mill therefore begin by giving a ge
neral view of the affairs of India. That I may pre
erve some order in the chain of events, I must beg of
you to go back with me to the year 1765 ; a remarka
ble era in the annals of India, and ofour political con
neaions with.that country, as it was then that lord
'Clive went over the second time. I shall not under
take the eulogium of that great man. I shall only ob
serve, that at that time our system with refpea to life
dia was widely different from the fy flehi Which we have
lately adopted; and what I shall have occasion to fay
before I fit down, will enable the house to judge
whether we have gained or loft by the change. How
ever that be, when in 1765, lord Clive arrived at Ben
gal, he found the company in the northerly part, not
only in possession of the three provinces of Bengal,
Bahar and Orixa, but also of the dominions of Soujah
Doulah, Nabob of Oudes, a province we had sub
dued.
Lord Clive was so far from thinking that it was
found policy to hold a vast extended territory, and to
endeavour to extend it by military operations, that he
restored to Soujah Doulah his province. He consider
ed cur acquisitions in Indoftan, on the coast of Coro
mandel at Bombay, (possessions as vast as the Ruffian
empire,) as more than fufficierit for our utmost views
to India. It would have been very fortunate for
England ifhis idea# had prevailed ; that we had afled
defenfively and lived on good terms with the princes
of the country, instead of undertaking as we have done,
offensive operations, with design to extend our territo
ry. Of all the princes with whom we were interested
to be on good terms, were Hyder Ally, the Nizam of
Decan ; all tile Marrata chiefs, the Rajah of Bertrs,
and the Rajah ofTanjour and some others, left confi
derable, because of their neighbourhood to us. All
tuefe princes or chiefs were our natural allies, yet we
have found the secret of making them enemies ; at least
the most powerful of them. We have provoked Hy
der Ally, whose irruption into the Carnatic 'gave rife
to the enquiry on which I am now reporting. The
, Nizam of Decan is not at open war with us, but we
have no dependence on him, because a contrivance has
been luckily found, to cheat him of his tribute, tho'
he had as clear a right to it as the crown of Great-Bri
tain has to any of its dominions. And what is still
Granger, the moment of doing this was. precisely, that
of Hyder Ally's invasion of the "Carnatic; that in
।which, it was most important to be on good terms with
this Niz ^m, in order that we might be fare of the aid
he was able to afford us.
On the other hand we are at war with the Maraftas;
whom we ought to have managed better, and if we are
not openly at war with the rajah of Berefa, we have
Lttle to expefl from him. The ground of this flupid
war w,:h the Marattas is this: Every one knows that
among the Marattas, the sovereign is king only in
name ; the minifies is the real sovereign, or thole who
adminifler public affairs. The present Maratta king
lives like other Indian kings and is a mere cypher, but
if he were not, be might have been ignorant that we
.intrigued with Ragaboy (a name that mull be familiar
HOUSE of COMMONS, Tuesday, April 9.
The lord advocate of Scotland, conformably to the
notice he had given, rose, and in nearly the following
terms, lad open the situation of. our affairs in the
'Baft-Indies.,
" Having had the honour to be chairman of the
committee, named by this house in June last, to en
quire into the causes of the war in the Carnatic and o
ther territorial possessions of the English in India, it
is my duty to lay before the house the amount of the
enquiries ma r 'e on this fubjea.
The house will be pleased to recoiled, that this de
termination of appointing the committee of which I
am now the mouth, was occasioned by the news which
appointed, have been pillaged by their guardians ; re
duced to the want of the necessaries of life, by their
fupervifbrs. It is provoking to find a committee em
ployed in determining boundaries, requiring Zemin
dan, as presents, exorbitant furasof money Is irthus
we means to inspire the nations with confidence in our
government ? It is thus, we are to gain their affe&ions,
so neceffafy to our own security ? Thus every thing
proclaims that we are detested in India : that we are
considered as a people without faith ; without regard to
the most solemn treaties; asa people in fine, whose ex
termination would be for the good of humanity. And
What is above all distressing, this aversion is not the
offspring of blind prejudice, but we bave demerited so
highly, as to jnftify the most odious epithets, which
the Indian princes load us with. How far we are de
based and degraded in these countries, may be judged
of by the following fa& ; we, who some years since,
were tire oracle of India ; we, who on the rife of any
dispute throughout this vast country, were always
looked up to as arbiters; we found ourselves, lately
when engaged in a dispute with a neighbouring prince,
obliged to seek the good offices of the Rajah of Berara,
and take him as arbiter.
Such is the gloomy pifture I have to present. It is
to bt hoped that our arms may cast some rays of light
upon our affairs, and that if parliament adopt the mea
sures which I shall have the honour to propose, the
nioft valuable jewel which remains to the British crowd,
may recover its luflre though a little tarnished. The
sirs lthing to be done will be, to fend to India some men
whose reputation for wisdom will pass over before them,
eloathed with unlimited authority,to restore peace and
to introduce good order into every department, and
• regain the confidence and affection of the princes of the
country."
As to the Nabob of Arcott, and the Rajah of Tan
jour, it is not in their power to serve us in the least,
as appears by the letters of fir Eyre Coote, in one of
Which he fays, that when he applied to the Nabob for
affiance, he answered that he had neither money nor
grain, nor troops to oppose Hyder Ally, at the very
time this last had entered his country, and was laying
it wate. The Rajah of Tanjour alled^ed equal im
possibility, b^caufe his dominions were equally wafted
by the Nabob of Arcott. After what I have said, it
fmuft appear clearly, that in India as in Europe, we
,have many powerful enemies, and not one ally of the
least use! To this we may add the exhausted state of
to every one the least acquainted with the affairs
of India) though he had no minister. This Ragaboy
persuaded those who directed our affairs, that he would
put them in possession of an objeft, which it afterwards
appeared he pursued for his own account. He treat
ed with Mordige Boofby, the rajah ofßerara, whilst
we were in treaty with the fame iajah, in a manner so
imprudent and foolith, that the governments of Bengal
and Madras made him at the fame time and for t'e
fame object, proposals, than which nothing can be
more opposite. The rajah perceiving this, declared
fliat he never would have any thing again to do with
us. The whole became known to the Maratta minister,
and it gave him no disposition in our favour. This
was the firft cause of the war.
in this country disturb the neighbouring princes, ahd
draw upon us their implacable hatred. If the finan
c, of Bombay are unequal to the support of the
etlablifhments, what are we to fa y of that of Madrafs ?
In war time they are alike infufficient, in the space of
8 years of peace, scarcely 41,000 pounds beyond cur
rent charges could be laved out of the funds of this
last prefidentry. The prefidentry of Bengal rhe most
fertile, and incomparably the most valuable of our pof
fions is also thought to be ri h, but the war of the Ma
ratta'shas exhaufled it to that degree, that it is doubt
ful whether it will be able to make its remittances, af
ter paying debts contraHed in the country; such is
the condition of our finances in India. As it appears
we are indebted to the war with the Marrattas for
this alarming disorder, it would be proper to affigh
some cause for this war if I could, but in truth I can
scarcely offer conjectures. The 6rft idea rises from
the clumsy intrigues of which I spoke a while ago.
It is probable however, that the prefidentcy of Bombay,
which began this war, perceiving that those of Bengal
and Madrafs could not but support them "in it, em
barked in it with the foie view of drawing the others
into it. And it is very probable that this has arisen
from the directors of the company, who as appears by
a multitude of proofs never punish their fervahts for
disobeying their orders, as a certain number of lack
of rupees always come seasonably to close the mouth
of Censure.
From these few observations the house will readily
conclude, that it has been very foblifh, to fay no worse
of it, to depart from the system eftablilhed by lord
Clive, and that it will be wife to return to that fy flem
as soon as polfible. We have been carried away with
the delation bf military atebievements, to the rifauing
bf solid advantage of commerce. -GovernorHaflings,
for infiance, is an excellent officer. On many occasi
ons he has done essential (eryices to the company ; but
still he was their servant, and as such, should have con
formed to his inftruaions; not to figure, as if he were
an Alexander or an Aurenzebe; or pre f er vain aft-
our financed, arrived at the highest flage in all our pre
fidenties. Even that of Bombay has not nearly a fuffici
ency for the civil and military establishments ! I
much doubt generally speaking, ifany possession in the
western parts of India is worth keeping; and for Wrong
er reasons they would not be worth acquiring. I
shall a'mit, that as a maritime power, we need Bom
bay, as in certain seasons of the year it serves as an
asylum to our fleets and our commerce, b^t we ought
to confine our views, and not seek to extend the de
pendencies. Every military movement which we make
cheivements in war to promoting the commerce of his
country. In short, abuses of all kinds swarm in India,
and in making my report, I shall propose to the gene
ralcommittee a great number of regulations some more
prefling than others. It hurts a benevolent mind, when
he fees by the papers layed before the committee, that
the very Indians for whose protection guardians were
B ost o n, June 17.
On Wednesday last, the dayappointed by govern
ment to celebrate the birth of the dauphin, the
morning was introduced by ringing the bells of the se
veral churches, and difeharging the cannon from the
castle and ships in the harbour. At noon a collation
was provided in the senate chamber, when the doors
were open, and the rulers of the commonwealth, toge
ther with a croud of citizens convened to unite their to
kens of joy. A number of toasts were given, adapt
ed to the purpose, and the whole assembly notified
their happiness on the bright occasion. At evening
the house of his excellency and other gentlemen of cha
racter were most elegantly illuminated, and a number
of rockets, wheels, beehives, and other fire-works
displayed in the common; while the, French, continen
tal and Rate ships (some of which were beautifully hung
with lanthorns) fired in the channel. Indeed every or
der of men, in its owfa way, ihouted benediction to the
Dauphin, which is a compliment not only upon the
patriotism, but the good sense of the people, who did
well to confider of what importance (in an hereditary
kingdom) is the birth of a Dauphin; who not only
from bis infancy may be educated for the throne, but
(life preferved)may save immense bloodshed, which so
often happens where the right of a crown is disputed.
This alone is a reason why even republicans (as far as
they are friends of mankind) may rejoice when the heir
to a great empire is born.
J U N E 20.
We hear that the merchants in Providence have pre*
fented the brave colonel Dimmick, of Falmouth, with
an elegant sword, as a token of their refpea and efleem
for his gallant behaviour in annoying the enemy in
fefting our coasts, and captu ring their boats from time
to time in the Vineyard-Sound—A little before bri
gadier-general Freeman, commanding the militia in
that quarter, presented him with a genteel hanger, for
his valour in recapturing some vessels back of Nan
tucket.
The attentions which are shewn in England to a cha
racter flained by every mark of private infamy, as well
as public pro ftitution, as is the case of that distinguish
ed traitor Arnold, is a proof, among a number of o
thers, of the perlons who have had the direction of af
fairs in that country being as destitute of the true sen
timent of honour, as they are known here to be defici
ent in the common principles of humanity. Very dif
ferent is this from the manly spirit displayed by the
Spaniards on a similar occasion—" That generous peo
ple, fays the celebrated Robinson, detested Bourbon's
crime (a nobleman who had deserted to the Spaniards
on some pretended flight, and as much superior to Ar
nold as possible) and notwithstanding his great talents
and important services, they shunned all intercourse
with him, to such a degree, that Charles having desired
the marquis de Villena to permit Bourbon to reside in
his palace while the courr remained at Toledo, he po
litely replied, that he could not refufe gratifying the
emperor in that request; but added, with a true Ca
flilian dignity of mind, that he must not be surprised
if the moment the constable departed, he should burn
to the ground a house which, having been polluted by
the presence of a traitor, became an unfit habitation
for a man of honour."
PROVIDENCE, June 15.
Yeflerdiy captain Phineas Potter, and captain Ze
phapiah Brown, arrived here from the Havanna.h, after
a'paffage of 11 days.
Captain Hale is also arrived in the river from the
Havannah. On his passage he spoke a vessel from Win
yaw, the mafier whereof informed him, that aneaiou
lately happened in South-Carolina, which terminated
in favour of the American arms.
While we regret the.lots which our very amiable and
brave allies have fuflaibed in the Weft-Indies, we can't
help felicitating the public on the opening profpea of
solid afliftance from the Dutch, whose marine is daily
growing more formidable, and in addition to that of
their friends in Europe, muff now form the most au
gust naval confederacy, which perhaps has ever existed.
Extras of a letter of the 4th inflant, from a gentleman
of diftindion and veracity, from the Eaftermoft parts
of this commonwealth.
" I have to acquaint you that by late intelligence
from the river St. John's, a large reinforcement is ar
rived at Fort How (on that river) of men, cannon and
mortars. This event threatens us with the loss of this
country, and our interests with the Indians, unless a
verted by the hand of providence."
Thursday was brought into this port the brigßefr
fey, with a very valuable cargo es French brandy,
gunpowder and bale goods. She failed from Nantz,
in France, about eight weeks since, and was Captured
within Cape Henlopeo the 14th instant, by his majeL
tyl (hip M%tor, captain Ttllidge, (whose Condits
CHATHA M, June 26.
Intelligence being received at Eiizabeth-Town of two
whale boats, fitted for a two months cruise in the De
laware bay, lying at a wharf the north fide of Staten-
Island, a plan was concerted to furprize and bring them
off, which was put in practice last Thursday night, and
the boats, with all their appurtenances, were fafely
moored at Elitabeth-Town brige next morning, toge
ther with eighteen prisoners that were on board, fix
of whom valuable Negroes. The party, continentals
and volunteers, confined of upwards of thirty, com
manded by major Crane. There was a sentinel in each
boat, who hailed, and attempted to fire on the party,
but their pieces providentially flashing in the pan, the
party regardless of danger, rushed on them with such
impetuosity, that they had not time to prime again,
and a few moments put them in complete pogeffion of
fheir object, without any farther alarm.
Lippencot, we are told, has certainly received fen
fence of death by a court martial for the murder of cap
tain Huddy, and it is expelled, will either be executed
at New-YorK or sent out this week.
NEW- Y O R K, June 22.
American ' News.