The Pennsylvania packet, or, The general advertiser — Lancaster, Pa.;Philadelphia, Pa., 1778-05-20 00:00:00, page 2

VbR K-T 0 W N, May It
From a Philadelphia Paper, of May 9, 1778, printed
by J mea Humphreys, junior, we have extraded
the fallowing.
^ the Porcupine Frigate, arrived in tbe river yeferday
morning join London, c we are favoured with tbe joL
lawns advices
LONDO N, March 17.
PARLIAMENTARY PROCEEDINGS.
HOU>E OF LORDS.
The following is the message delivered by Lord
We)meuta to the H&ufe of Lords last Tuesday.
Geogt R.'
HIS M jed having been informed, by order of
.h- Fitneli King, that a treaty of amity and
i .umcice.has been tinned between the Court cf
France and certain pertons employed by his Maj fty's
revolted fu j Ns in N Ith America, has judged it ne
celfaty t direct, that a copy of the declaration de
livered by the French Ambaff dor to Lord Viscount
Weymouth be laid b foie the House of Lords ; and at
the tame time to attaint them, that his Majelty has
thought p oper, in consequence of this offenfive com
municat on on toe part of the Court of France, to
fe^a 0 dels to his Ambassador to withdraw from that
Curt
H^ M j sty is perfu m ded that the justice and good
$ no 01 ms conduN towards foreign powers, arid the
fiactrity of to willies to preserve the tranquility of
Eu *pe, will oe acknowledged by all the world ; and
11 s Majeft, trults that hefhdl not hand responsible for
the disturbance of that tranquility, if he should find
h melf celled upon to relent la unprovoked and un
jut an aggreffi m on the honour of his Crown and the
clbmual inte^fts of his kingdoms, contrary to the
molt lobmn affuian es, subversive of the law of na
t ns, and 1 j lious to the rights of every sovereign
p ^ei in E tape.
Hib M jetty relying with the firnvft confidence on
the zeaious and ass &unate Support of his faithful
people, is determined^ be prepared to exert, if it
shall become neceffarv, all the,orce and rtfoufees of
hs kingdoms, wni h tie tyufteWill be found adequate
to repel every inlultad attack, and to maintain and
uphold the power and repuatiop^f this country.
✓ G.R.
T e Lord Viscount Weymotith also (by his Ma-
Iliy'slliy's command) laid before the House a copy of a
p pe aeuv^ed to Lord Viscount Weymouth by the
Matins de Notifies the 13th of March, 1778, and
tr .alia ion, vliich is as followsl
I' H E un ler-figned Arabaflador of His Most Chrif
tim M jetty, has received e±prifs orders to make the
folowing decl nation to the Court o^onden :
fuc Uited Sides of North-America, who are in
full i ilelTion of Independence, as pronounced by
tnem on tn 4.111 of July, 1776, having proposed to
teK ig, to consolidate by a formal convention the
connection begun 10 be eftabbfhed between the two
nation,, the relpe&ive Penp rtentiaries have signed a
tre t Juf friendship and commerce, deigned to serve
ararloundatton tor their mutual goCTfevr^eipondence.
h s M jelly being determined to cultivate the good
u:me ft;nd^ lubfitting between France foil Great-
Britii, b, every means compatible with his dignity,
and the b ood of his fulje&s, thinks it nectfLry to
m kt tuts proceeding kn ;wn to the Court of London,
and to declare at tue fame time, that the contrasting
pa ties have paid great attention, not to ftipuiate any
exeutive advantages in favour of the French nation ;
and tit 4 the United States have referred the liberty of
tr ting with every nation whatever, upon the fame
footing of equality and reciprocity.
11makiug'ths communication to the Court of Lon.
pm rhe Kng is fi rrly persuaded, she will fiod new
proofs of his Majesty's constant and sincere disposition
foi peace; and that his Britannic Majelty, animated
by the fame Entunents, will equally avoid every thing
t.,A may altei their good harmony ; and that he will
paticui ty ake iff &ual measure to prevent the com
men e between his Maj dly's fubjefts and the United
States o' No. th-America from being interrupted, and
to cause all tne ulages received between commercial
'nati ns to be in this, refyea observed, and all thole
rule's which can be Did to hi fill between the two
Crowns o' France and Great-Biitain.
11 this foil confidence, tbe under signed Ambassa
dor thi ks it furp fluous to acquaint the Britiih Mi
nister that the King his Matter, being determined to
• protect etfc anally the lawful commerce of his fw j &s,
an'd to maintain the dignity of his flag, his Majesty
hrs, in consequence, taken eventual measures in con
ceit with the United States of North America.
Signed, Le M. DE NOAILLES.
London, March 13, 1778.
The following is the humble Address of the House
of Lords, preferred to his Majesty yesterday, in con
ftquence of the foregoing mriiage:
Molt gracious Sovereign,
WE your M j tty's meft dutiful and loyal fubj#ls,
the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, in Parliament al
fembleo, return our humble thanks to your MajUty
for the communication of the paper presented to Lord
V ount We, mou.h by 0 dvr ot the French K.ng,
and for acquainting us, that in confluence of this of.
fe five deciarat on, you< M jelly has thought propter
to or ryew Ambarfidor to withdraw from the Court
of France. And we begle^ve to affare ycur Majesty,
tatit is with the utmost difficulty we caa reftain the
strongest expreffi not the nlentment and indignation
which we led tor this urjult and unprovoked aggres
sion on the honour of your Majesty's Crown, and the
eti-< ial interests of your K ngdom, contrary to the
]iw of nations, and injurious to the rights and poffef
fians of every fdvereign power in Europe.
she good fri h nd up ightnefs of your Majesty's
condu& towards foreign powers, and the sincerity of
your mentions to prefave tne general tranquility,
must be acknowledged by all the world; and your
Mijefty cannot be considered as responsible for the
dilturbance of that tranquility, if you should find
yourfelf called upon to read the enterprizes of that
restless and dangerous fririt of ambition and aggran
dizement, which has io often invaded the rights and
threatened the liberties of Europe.
W^ should be wanting in our duty to your M-jeffy,
and io ourselves, if we did not give your Majrity the
strongest assurances of our most zealous#affilfance and
support. Every sentiment of loyalty to your Majesty,
and of love to our country, will animate ns to itand
forth in the public defence; and to promote every mea
sure that shall be found nectary for enabling your
Mj fly to vindicate the honour of your Crown, and
to prote& the jalt rights and iffentiul interests of these
kingdoms.
His MAJESTY'S most gracious Answer:
My Lords,
I thank you for this loyal and affe&ionate address.
Nothing shall be wanting on my part, that may tend
to the effectual support of the just rights of my Crown,
and the true intermits of my people. These great and
important confi lerations shill ever be the immediate
obj.N of my attention.
HOUSE of COMMONS.
On Tuesday the House read several public and pri
vate bills.
Lord North, agreeable to his intimation, delivered
his Majeft, 's meflage, literally the fame as in the Upper
House. Mr. Baker moved the difmiffion of the Mi
mfters, as an amendment, which produced a very long
debate of tne fame nature and fublKnce as that in the
Lords.
Lord North painted the fixation of this country as
much more comfortable than feme persons in oppefi
tion had held cut. His Lordihip fard o^r navy was in
a much better condition than it had been in at the
commencement of the late var, ard that the new le
vies were nearly filled ; that we should speedily have
30,000 men in arms, which, added to the miliia, who
would forthwith be embodied, would be an ample
force for the internal fafety of the kingdom. His
Lordship further said tha; he bad, since he had fat that
day in the House, received intelligence that every
frilling of the fir ft deposit on the new fubfeription had
been paid.
Extract of a lette, from Edinburgh,^ March 14,.
" We hear that orders ar@ come down for a draught
of 500 men to be made from each of the regiments
now railing in Scotland, to be fhippd for America by
the 25th of March ; as two armed vessels had arrived
at Greenock, feme transports engaged there, and
m ny more expelled from England, it is imagined
they will embark at that port.
March 19. There war the hottest press on the
Thames on Tuesday night and yesterday morning
ever known. The gangs took a great number of
sailors ; not a vessel eleaped them, even those that had
prot &ions were carried off.
March 20. On Tuesday evening orders were issued
for the embodying the several regiments of Militia,
and for complearing the regular forces to 30,000 ef
ft&jve men.
The humble Address of the HOUSE of COMMONS
to the KING.
" Most gracious Sovereign,
'' W E, your Majesty's mbit dutiful and loyal fub
je&s, the Commons of Great-Britain, in Parliament
aflembled, return our humble thanks to your M jHy
for the communication of the paper presented to the
Lord Viscount Weymouth, by the order of the F ench
K ng ; and for acquainting ut, that, in consequence
of this offenfive declaration, y ur Mjefty has thought
proper to order your Ambaflador to withdraw fiom
the Court of France; and we beg leave to assure your
M jtftj, that it is with the utmost difficulty we can
restrain the strongest expr.ffians of the resentment and
indignation which we feel tor th s urjuft and unpro
voked aggression on the honour of your M.j/fty's
Crown, and the essential interests of your kingdoms,
contrary to the law of nations, and injurious to the
rights and peKflions of every sovereign power in
Europe.
" The good faith and uprightness of ycur Majesty's
conduct towards foreign powers, and the sincerity of
your intentions to preserve the geneial tranquility,
mult be acknowledged by all the worlds And your
Maj sty cannot be considered as responsible for the dis
turbance of this tranquility, if y@u should find your
fell called upon to relirt the entei prizes of th^t restless
and dangerous spirit of ambition and aggrandizement,
which has so often invaded tae rights and threaten ed
the liberties ofEurope.
“ We should te wanting in our duty to your Ma
jesty, to our constituents, and to ourselves, if we did
not give ycur Msjefty tbe ftrengeft affutances of our
most zealous affittarce and support: And we have the
firmed confidence that in every demonstration of loyal
ty to your Majesty, and of love of their country, your
faithful fubje&s will vie with each other; and that no
confederations will divert or deter them from Handing
forth in the public deforce, and from fuftainieg, with
a steady perfeveranre, any extraordinary burthens
and expences which ihall be found necessary, for en
abling yeur Majesty to vindicate the honour of your
Crown, and to prot<& the just rights and effentiai in
teretts of these kingdoms."
March zi. The Earls of Chatham, Shelburne and
Cambden, coming immediately into office, w?s the
prevailing opinion yesterday in the firft political circles.
Yesterday morning hit Excellency the Marquis de
Noailles, the French Ambalf dor, tbe Marchioness,
and their whole suite, let off for Dover, in order to
embark for France.
Lord Viscount Stormont, our late Ambassador at
the Court of Versailles, arrived in town last night.
LA ^ C A S T E R.
An ACT for tbe cMihg in of the Bit's of Credit, ifoed
by tbe Legislative Authority oj rennfi/vanra, under the
fan&ion and authority oj tbe Crows cJ Great Britain,
and jor other purposes therein mentioned.
WHEREAS sundry perlons, , referring their pri
vate inteied to the public weal, have hoarded up
the paper tills cf credit cf this State, which have
been emitted under the faeoion and autherty of tl e Crown
of Great-Britain, from an expectation that tl ey wilbbe re
deemed let the event of the prefect glorious fttuggle for the
liberties of this country prove fuccefsfvl or the contrary, and
have thereby made an injurious diftinaion between such b:1 3
and the paper.bills of credit emitted ,y Corgrefs, naturally
tending to depreciate the latter. For remedy whereof,
Be it enacted, and it is hereby enaßed by tbe Re,refen
tati ves of tbe freemen of tbe Common Wealth 0, Rennfyl
vania, in General Afjembly met, and by the authority oj the
farce, That from and after the publication of this Atl, the
bills of credit issued in Pennfylvaria, under the authority of
the Crown of Great Britain, on or be so e the nineteenth
day of April, in the year of our Lord Ore thoufa d seven
hundred and fcverty-five, fltall cease to be lepal tender in
any payment wharfoever, except as is herein after diteded;
and that : ach and every of the A^s cl General Affimbly by
which the fame, er any part thereof, have been made cur
rent, shall be, ano are hereby repealed, and declared to be
null and void, saving and excepting such parts of the said
A 6? as relate to the conviding ar d punifoing of any person
or persons counterfeiting or altering th# said bills of credit,
or uttering the fame knowing them to be counterfeit or
altered ; and also such parts of the said A6s as relate to the
finking thefaid bills of credit by taxes, excise, cr otherwise.
And be it further cnafied by the authority aforefaid.
That all the find bills of c edit itiucd before the said nine
teenth day of April, intheycar One thousand seven hundred
and seventy five, shall either be paid into the hands of rhe
Slate Treasurer, who shall thereupon deliver to the payer
an equal sum in paper bills of credit, emitted either by Con
g-eis or this Common-Wealth, or to the several Coif dors
of tl e taxes in payment of taxes; which Celltdors are here
by erjoi ed to exchange all said monies offered to them with
any otter bills, as far as money in their hands will enable
them so to do, or into the General Loar-Offi e of this St?te
in payment cf any mortgage monies the e due, provided the
said payments he made on or befo e the firft day of June next.
Ard be it further enabled by the an bority atorefaid.
That from a d after the firm day ctjune aforefaid, all bills
of credit issued by any Ad of General Assembly of Penrfyl
vania, struck under the farAion and authority of the Crown
of Great-Britain, on or before the nineteenth day of April,
in the year of cur Lord One thousand seven hundred and fe
venty-five, which fliall not be brought in and exchanged as
herein before directed, shall be, and are hereby declared to
be from thenceforth irredeemable ; any thing contained in
the Adi, by which the fame was made current, to the con
trary hereof in any wife n< rwithfianding.
Provdea nevertbebf. That if any of the said bills of credit
fliall be in/the hands of any person or persons in any of the
neighbouring States, and the person or persons possessed
thereof shall produce the fame to the Treasurer of this State,
on oi before the firfl day of August next, together with a
certificate under the hand and seal of one or more Justice or
Juflices of the Peace of any County in such State, fitting
forth, that he or they had counted, sealed up, and endorsed
the fame, with his or their name or names, and the sum
therein contained, on or before the fifteenth day of Jure next,
then, and in that case, the said money shall be exchanged
by the said Treasurer, as is herein before rh r eaed.
CT And be it further enabled, by tbe authority aforefaid,
That all such bills of credit as shall appear, by g?od and (ef
ficient evidence, on oath or affirmation, to have been, at
the time of passing this A&, or within twenty days thereaf
ter, in the hands, and really and truly the property of any
person who hath taken the oath or affirmation of allegiance
to this State, or to any of the United States of America, and
hath not since taken the oath of allegiance to the Kirg of
Great-Britain, and shall at the time of passing this A& be
within the lines of the enemy, and which bills of credit shall
be presented to the said Treasurer, oh or before the fir^ day
01 September next, shall also be exchanged as before directed.
And be it farther enacted by tbe authority aforefaid,
That the said State Treasurer is hereby authorifed to exchange
all the monies aforefaid that may be received by the Truflees
of the Loan Office, in pursuance of this A&, and to make
report in writing under his hand of the said bills cf credit by
him received, and shall, together with a Committee to be
appointed from time to time by the General Ass mbly, count,
burn and defltoy the said bills.
JOHN BAYARD, Speaker.
Enabled into a Lazu at Lancaster, tbe twenty third day of
March, One thonfandfeven hundred and seventy eight.
JOHN MORRIS, Jun, Clerk of General AfTmbly,
An ACT for tbe further Security of the Government.
WHEREAS the welfare and happiness of the good
people of this Common- Wealth, do, next under
God, entirely depend upon tl e maintaining and fop
porting the independence and sovereignty cf tbe State, as
declared by Congress;
Be it therefore enadled, and it is hereby enabled by tbe
Representatives of the Freemen of the Common Wealth of
Pennsylvania, in General Asf embly met, and by tbe authority
of the fame, That all male w hite inhabitants of this State
above the age of eighteen years, who have not hitherto taken
the oath or affirmation mentioned a id appointed to be taken
in the A& of Assembly intitled, “ An A& obliging the male
white inhabitants of this State ro give assurances of allegiance
to the fame, and for other purposes therein mentioned,"
enabled the thirteenth day of June last, fliall, on or before
the firft day of June next, take and fubferibe the fame in
manner and form as by the said Ad is direded ; and that
every such person, pegleOing to take the said oath or affirm
ation, shall, during the time of such negled, be liable to all
the disabilities, incapacities and penalties to which they are
fubjefled by the said Art ; and also fliall be disabled, from
and after the said day, to sue or use any aflion, hill, plainr
or information, in course of Law, or to prosecute any suit
in equity or otherwise howsoever, or to be guardian of the
person or eflate of any child, or executor or adminifirator cf
any person, or capable cf any legacy or deed of gift, er to
make any will or teflamenr, and moreover fliall be liable and
compelled to pay double the taxes, which another person cf
equal eflate, who has taken such oath or affirmation, shall
be rated or assessed at, to be levied by the Collector of the
public taxes of the Townships Ward or Diftri& in wbfch
such offender dwells.