The Pennsylvania packet, or, The general advertiser — Lancaster, Pa.;Philadelphia, Pa., 1780-05-09 00:00:00, page 2

LONDO N, Januury S.
YESTERDAY, i^ confluence of a public
notice given by the Sheriffs, 2 numerous and refpe&-
able meeting of the freeholders of Middlesex was beld.at
the Mermaid, at Hackney. About one o'clock Mr.
Sheriff Wright took the chair (Sheriff Pugh being con
fined with the gout, did not attend) and read a requ.fiti n
made to him, signed by several freeholders of the county,
requiring the meeting, the purport of which war, “ to
confider the propriety of entering into refutations, and
so-operating with the Noble Lords who formed the mi
nority on the 7th and 15th of December on the motions
for the retrenchment of the civil lift, and for controlling
the public expenditure, &c."
The fodow^g is a copy of the petition agreed to at this
meeting:
To the Honorable the Commons of Great-Britain, in
P irliamen. assembled :
Ths petition of the Gentlemen, Clergy, and Freeholders
ofthe county of Midaleft*.
Sheweth,
That this nation hath been engaged for several years
in 3 most expeufive and unfortunate war; that many of
our valuable colonies, having afluaily declared themfe^vea
inJepen lent,have formed a ftrkl confederacy with France
and Spain, the inveterate enemies of Great-ErKain ; that
the coufequeoce of those combined misfortunes hath be&n
a large addition to the national debt, a heavy acemhui
ation'of taxes, a rapid declineofthe trade, manufactures,
and hind-rimsof the kingdom..
Alarmed at the diminished refourcesand growing bur
thens cf this country, and convinced that rigid frugally
is now indispensably necessary, in every department of
rhe-Rate, your petitioners obfr rve with grief, that not
withflan ling the calamitous and impoverished condition
of the nation, much public money has been improvideat
1, fquandsred, and that many individuals enjoy sinecure
places, efficient places with exorbitant emoluments, and
penfiocs unmerited by public service, to a lare, and still
increasing amount; whence the crown has acquired a
great and unconflitutieaal influence, which, if n t check-.
ed, mud soon prove fatal to the liberties of thus country.
.Your petitioners, conceiving that the true end of every
legitimate government is not the emolument of any indi
vidual, but the welfare ofthe community, beg leave fur
ther to represent, that until eff-au^l meafur^s be tak°n
to redress the oppressive grievances h^rei% slated, the
grant of any additional sum of public money, beyond the
produce 0: the prefect taxes, will be injurious to the rights
and property of ton people, and derogatory from the
honor and dignity of Parliament.
Your petitioners therefore do must earoeftly request,
that before any new burthens are laid upon this country,
effectual measures may be taken to enquire into and cer
rt& the groi's abuses in the expenditure of public money ;
to reduce all exorbitant emoluments ; to refeind and abo
lish all sinecure places aml unmerited pensions; and to
appropriate the produce to the necessities of the state, in
fuels manner as to the wifdomof Parliament shall seem
meet. And your petitioners shall ever pray, &c.
Jan ix. The last letters from Hanover mention a re
port prevailing there, that the French are meditating a
plan for invading the Electorate early in the fpriag, for
wl itb purpose their troops in Alsace and Lorraine had
GENO A, January t.
« VESSEL which arrived here this week from
'Tunis, brought a letter to the Dutch Consul, dated
unis, Nov, 29, which mentions advice being received
om Tripoli, in Barbary, "That one of the Uncles of
?e Pachi had revolted against him, and was advanced at
le head of an army to within a day’s journey of that ca
<tdl, which had caufedthe greatest confufion imaginable;
at tye Chrifthns were flipping thety^ves and their most
suable etfa&s on board the vefftls in the port, and the
lors dni Jews were securing their money and jewels,
, a general p^'nge was expected if the rebels could get in
) the city."
Pir ; , jin 5. The farcer granted by t^e arret ofthe 3d
'July in the Provinceof Holland in refpe& of its corn
ier was at firft -eftrifled to five towns, since to the city
fAmft :rda<n only,and litelyto those merchants whom the
hike de la Vauguyon shall judge worthy of a certificate of
minunity.
Jan. 2 M. de la Mothe Picquet's divifionshas, it is said,
on nodanger on its passage, not having met with any
vhere any t ring of the enemy. It is assured that Admiral
barker has divided his fleet in»twofiuadrons,one of which
3 Rationed to cruize of the Windward Islands and the o
h-r offt^e Leeward. These parts will become again next
?6ir the th & re of war. The two rival nations are pre
kuing tb wrest from each other the S^r Elands ; and
iiey ten to he fully resolved to flick at nothing to fup
;ort these bloody enterprizes.
Hamburg, Jan 7. According to advices from Dcr
n?rk, the Court of Copenhagen is extremely diffatisfied
vith the conduct of 1e Spaniards in flopping 12 of their
hips, defined for the Mediterranean ; arid the Court was
ieter'miued to make representations on the fubjed it Ma
drid
Cordova in the Tucurrian, Jane t, 1779. In the Vil
age of Altagratia ti ere lives a Negro Woman, who, ac
cording to the roost authentic information and teflimo
aies taken judicially, must be about 175 ye>rs old : She
is extremely thin, very much wrinkled, and bent double,
but she can fee at a few paces distant, and spins ; but
what is meft extraordinary, though fie cannot stand for
any space of time, (he Rill carri s on the business of a mid
wife with dexterity. She had five children by her h^f
band, one Michael, a Negro; and the thinks her grand
chil^ren have grandchildren of their own. Old pfyl®
feem'to be no rarity in that country; as there are several
Negroes upwards of too years old, and one woman of ize,
who retains her memory pen'e&ly, and declares that the
old woman in quefcon was arrived at woman's eftatewhen
the firft had the use of her reaf n.
Dublin, Jan. 8. We learn from Newry, and several
other opulent towns, in the Province of Ulster, that Se
lect Committees of Correspondence (compefed of the most
rvipedable characters) are form ; n^ for the laudable pur
pole of promo^n^ unanimity and mutual intercourse of
confutation, for the common defence, and also Adopting
every lawful means for procuring a Free Constitu
tion to tiiis Kingdom.
The gentlemen of the county of Dorfet have applied
to the Sheriffol that county, to call a meeting of thecoun
ty ; which reqgeft he complied with, and fixed the 21st
inflant, at Dorchefler, for that purpose.
The fame request has been made to the Sheriff of So
merset, and he has complied with it, and fixed the 25th
infl. at Wells, for that purpose.
Thefame request has been made to the Sheriff of Breck
nock, who has fixed the 9th of February at Brecknock,
for that business.
Hcredit way be given to some private letters received
from Amflerdam, the French have now orders lying in
Holland for naval stores tb theamoubt of i^o,oooL
A private letter fror mLisbon to a gentleman in the city
speaks of a report circulated there cf the death ofthe fa
mous Spaniard Don Martin Badia, in an engagement with
a frigate from Port Mahon. This man the King of Spain
had just rewarded with a golden medal for his signal na
val firvices,
So amazingly has the colony of Nova Scotia flourished
in cenfiquence of the present rebellion in North- America
that one gentleman who has an extensive plantation on
the Bay of Funday, has quadrepledlbe gross produce of
it in fouryears. In one tras there are thirteen miles in
succession all improved and cultivated within five years.
The island of St. John has received almofi equal improve
ments.
The following article is copied from a letter received
from a house of the firft credit at Hamburgh : " Should
a war break out in Germany, it is confidently said a cer
tain Prince will bring into the field 240,000 men divided
into three armies of £@,ooo men each.
At a numerous meeting of the Nobility, Gentlemen,
Clergy, aud Freeholders ofthe county of Wills, on Tues
day last ar the Dev.zes, a petition (the feme as that from
the county of York) wasapproved of,.and agreed to; af
ter which a Committee of cornfpondence w s appointed,
and the meeting adjourned to Tuesday in Easter week
next TiGmg, at Devizes.
Patents are preparing to create the Earls of Shannon,
Tyrone, and Ely, Dukes; and for advancing fix other
Earls of Ireland to be Marquiffes, fix Vrfcounts to be
Earls twelve Barons to be Vifcounf3, and eight Common
ers to be Birons.
On Wednesday last a French cartel fllip arrived in Tor
bay from St. Maioes, having on board General Garth
(who was taken prisoner in the Experiment man of war,
by the Count D Eftaing) and 316 fallows, who had been
confined prfooers at Dinant and Fougaret—She failed
on the 9th inft*nt, when there remained four other vefftls
to transport the remainder 0! the prisoners for England,
from whence they are to carry back an equal number of
French sailors in return.
HERTFORD COUNTY MEETING.
YESTERDAY avefy refpeaable number of Freeholders
ofthe bounty of Hertford met at the Shire-boufe in Hert
ford, in confluence of an Advertisement from the She
riffs who convened them together agreeable to the requi
sition of several Gentlemen, '' to endeavour in the pre
lent date ofthe British Empire, and the diftrefsful fitua
of individuals, to concert meafyfes, in a constitutional
way, for the public fafety, and for their own relief."
Mr. Baker (Sheriff) at 12 o'clock, slated to the com
pany the cause of their being afrmbled, and left it to them
to proceed on the budnefs.
Mr. Jennings being called to the chair, Mr. N. Cal
vert addressed the Freeholders . •He Rated the present dis
tressed situation of the ration ; the innumerable number
of taxts lately levied ; the number of peofions and sinecure
places granted to those who had never been famed for do
ing any public service; and the arm zing fume granted, of
which no account was ever given. He also laid, the sums
expended during four years of the present war, exceeded
those of the firft four years in the left, almost two to one;
that during the administration of Mr. Pitt, on whole me
been considerably reinforced ; that all possible precautions
was taken to give them a warm reception.
They write from Hanover; that the troops of that elec
torate pursuant to orders from England, have been aug
mented to 39,006 men, and that they are in two divisions
on the frontiers of that electorate, ready to march on the
firft notice.
. A private letter from Berlin fays, his Prussian Majesty
has given orders for several thousands of his best troops
to be kept in constant exercise as they will be wanted for
actual service early in spring.
They write from Cadiz, that fix transports, under con
voy of two men of war, are failed from that port, with
three battalions of Spanish troops on board, bound to
Mexico.
Jan. 18. A plan has been laid before the Lords of the
Treasury for laying a tax on all places of public 'diversions
throughout the kingdom, to aiifwer in part the emergen
cies of Government.
A letter from Paris fays, " Orders have been femtto
Toulon to flop the departure of a fquaron at that port,
and now ready and under failing, orders, rill the return of
a courier from the Court of Madrid, who is gone thither
with some very Angular and interfiling dispatches."
Four traqfport fllips have been appointed by Govern
ment, and laden at Ramfgate with lime in ctfc, for the
several ports io the Weft-Indies. Great quantities of
forticatien tools, and several masons, car/fenters, and
smiths, are logo in the above vessels, to flrengthen the
works in the places lately taken from the Spaniards.
A private letter from Bombay mentions, that 'the In
dian seas have lately Deen greatly infefted by several ar
med piratical vessels, the crews of which had robbed and
plundered all the country ships they met with ;, but the
plar^of their rede%vou< being difeovered, some armed
veffils were sent cut Against them, which not only drove
them from that place, but likewise seized the greatest part
6f their plunder"
Yesterday the Dutch Ambassador had a long conference
with the Secretary of State, on the fubjed of some difo
pitches received by his Excellency from the States Gene
ral relative to the motions ofthe Emperor of Germany.
Toe High Sheriff of the county of Gloucefler having
refufed to call a meeting of that county, feveral,noblemen
and gentlemen have advertised a meeting: among many
other refpeßable names, are those of Lords Berkely,
Craven, Chedwortb, Hon. George Berkely, Sir William
Guise, Sir William Codrington, Mr. Hayward, &c.
&c. &c.
feme advantage be feeured towards maintaining the free
dom and indi penden e of Parliament.
I trust there can be no doubt of a numerous and rtfrec
table attendance, upon an occasion i® highly inrerifting
to every individual. I have the honor to be, witii the
higher refped,
Gentleman;
Your most faithful
And obliged humble fervent,
UPPER OSSORY.
The profufeoefs in the expenditure of public money calls
aloud indeed, for correOion and amendment : But still i 4
Is to be hoped the good sense, found patriotism, and judg
ment of the yeomanry of the people of England, will di
red them properly, in the present ahnoß general call for-
County-Meetings : If Faction end Party once (cadtbeta
into error on these public occafi ns, fl, ey may too late re
pent thefituation of this happy country, and remember,
with remorse and horror, how foch praflice; led the na
tion into the calamities of civil war, a little more than a
century ago, arid even in our own times to open rebellion
in America.
The Great and Opulent enjoying places and preferment
under the Cr^wn, ought publicly nd honorably to ap
propriate thei± appointments to the exigencies of 'the
State : This would be patriotism indeed, and yet would
be only what our enemy, the Minißtr of France, has
taught us.
A meeting of the county of Kent is resolved upon ; and
it w II be held immediately after the meeting of the coun
ty of Surry.
Jan. 26. In the course of the laftyear 3900 flips were
cleared out at the Custom-house here, including their re
peated voyages, viz. 3670 /coaftwife, and 230 to foreign
parts; which number fails short of the „ar 1778 upwards
of 500 and the year 1777 upwards of 900 flips.
Yeflerday an express was sent from the Admiralty to
Plymouth, for a §0 gun ship and three frigates to fail imme
diately to cruiz of Lilbon.
A correspondent observes, that this country seems ap
prreaching with rapid progress to that period, beyond
phich, if even success attends the war, taxation tanned
much longer be carried with effect New ^kcs, even in
popular Adminißrati' ns, are received by the community
with ill-will and disgust, but when repeatedly aggravated,
upon a nation whose commerce, colbnizatio^ and depen
dencies are upon the decline, itcannot be long (upperted
by the most able financier. Notwithstanding the conti
nual reports of an accommodation with America, where
are the terms er propofitidns, 'or that purpose ? Nei
ther the Sovereign nor the fubjeft, it is now believed,keov
any thing of them ; and we are still pursuing a phantorr,:
at the expense offwelve millions per annum, which, it
iscenfidentl, affirmedan beleived by many moderate men,
might be saved to this kingdom by a liberal offerto Aroe
rica, equal, cr similar, to the favours and friendfllip late
ly befio^ed on Ireland.
St. PI ERR E, (Martinique) April 6, i,to.
Our accounts from the neighbouring Islands are truly
diftreffieg. On the 30th of March, at half after four
o'clock in the evening, a fire broke out at a house, at
Fointe-a- Petre, in Gaudalope. As there had been <
long spell of dry weather, and the warehouse filled with
goods and a variety of combuftablfes, the ^mes spread
rapidly and irrefiftably, so that in Ids than 2 hours, two
thirds of the city was burnt. That part of the place which
was to windward, was difina from the other and it
only escaped. The loss is estimated at>s millions. The
town of Roseau, Dominique, had (Offered a similar misfor
tune, but had only 8 or 9 hcufes burnt, the fire being
speedily suppressed./
BOSTO N.
We have been favored with the latest London News-pg
pefs, bro't by the Liverpool prize, from which we have
fek&ed the following articles.
London, Jan. 25. Adminiflratibn are hourly in ex
petition of dispatches of the utmost importance from Sir
Henry Clinton, he having left New York at thehlad of
10,600 men,and marched for Carolina,(as foen as h 6 heard
that D'Eftaing had left the coast; all dispatches from the
Admiralty, and Secretary of Stated-offices, are direied
to him at Georgia.
Extras of a letter from Stockholm, January 2, 178%
" This Court was applied to some months ago, taper
"'' m W* antß of Sweden to supply the French navy with
naval flares of several kinds, the major part cf them to
be the growth of this country, particularly oak in great
quantities, that wood here being found excellent for ship
building ; but tho'the merchants were willing to cen
tral, the King would not permit them; faying, how
ever clandestinely it might be done, it was contrary to
the treaty fubfifling between him and the King of Great-
Britain, which forbids the fending of naval Fores to his
enemies, by Swedilh ships. The French he added might
load whatever they pleased, but his fubjeds fliould not
be the carriers.
A private letter received from the Hague has the follow-
filer, he passed the higheff encomiums, fle nation fleu~
rifhed, but since that time we have been gradually decli
ning, and reduced to almost the !aft extremity.
The resolutions were proposed by Mr. Calvert; they
met with some opposition by two or three gentlemen, and
were as strongly fuppewted by others. At length they
were agreed to, a Committee appointed, and the meeting
adjourned.
The reflations were similar to those of the counties of
York and Middlesex.
Ampthill Park, Jan. 16, 1730.
To the Nobility, Gentry, Clergy, and Freeholders of
the County of Bedford.
Gentlemen.
Sir Rowland Alflon, High Sheriff of the county of Bed
ford, having refuted to call a meeting on the application
of many refyeHable persons of the county, I think it my
duty to request you to meet at the Seffons-Houfe, in he
town of Bedford, on Monday, the 24th inflant, at twelve
o'clock.
The proposed meeting is to confider ofa petition to Par
liament, comprehending gre^t objects, and in conjunc
tion with other counties, to pray for a reform ih the pub
lic expenditure, shd the abolition of useless places, pen- 4
fions, and emoluments, whereby the (objects cf this realm
map be eased from the burthen of unnecessary taxss, and