Dunlap's Pennsylvania packet , The general advertiser — Philadelphia, Pa., 1776-05-27 00:00:00, page 4

In thus proteftirg agrirftthe authority of this House
for framing a new government, we mean not to object
againit its exceeding the proper powers it has hitherto
been accustomed to the, ior the lafety and convenience
of the province, until such time as a new constitution
originating from, and founded on, " the authority of the
people" Shall be finally fettled by a Provincial Convention
to be ehaed for that purpale, and until the proper ofii.
cers and repreientauves of the people Shall be chosen a
grccable thereto, apti qualified to fuc eed this Houle—
fror which purpose an application will be made to the
Committee of hiSp^&ion and Observation of the city
and liberties (whole services on all occasions hath been
applied to tne Support of the rights of the people) for
calling a conference of Committees of the Several coun
ties of this province, agreeable to the powers it is alrea
dy invested with, f r that purpose, which laid conference
of Committees, Shall iffne cut t^mmonfes for electing, by
ballot, a Provincial Convention, confining of at least 100
membeis, tor the purpole of carrying the laid resolve of
C-mrets into execution— As we are tul y convinced that
our fhf'tv and happiness, next to the immediate provi
dence of God, depend on our complying with, and Cup
porting, firmly, to* Shirt resolve of Congress, that there
by the union of the Colonies may be preferred inviolate.
Refolded unanimfb, fhar the Chairman be directed
to sign and prefect ^e laid Protest to the Hon. Houle of
AUlmbly.
Refolded unanim^fy, That we will support the mea
sures now adopted at ail hazards, be the ccnfequences
what they may.
The thanks of the city and liberties being presented
(by an t unanimous vote) to Col. Roberdeau Ser hjs impar
tially and faithful difeaarge ofhis trust as chairman, be
was pleated to reply—That he acknowledged the honour
done him, and that he eftetthed it more than if conferred
by a Prince.
The thanks of the city and liberties were also present
ed (by an unanimous vote) to their Committee of In
fpcthon and Observation for th< ir zeal, fidelity and Rea
dy attention to the duties of their important Station.—
And Co!. Thomas M'Kean, as Chairman of that Com
mittee, accepted and politely acknowledged the fame.
The meeting was conduced with the utmost decorum
anti harmony, Daniel Roberdeau, Chairman.
The Protest, agreeable to the resolve, was the fame
day piefented to the Speaker of the Hon. Houle of AU
frmbly.
The following Remonfirance to the Honourable the House of
Sftmbly, which was yeferda, agreed to at a meeting of
a rtf,enable number of the inhabitants of this city and
liberties, and is now Jigning by them, is earn&fl, recom
mended to the inhabitants of the different counties of the
province, that in this, or fame Jimilar manner, thy may
express their sentiments upon the proteji rejerred to.
May 22, 1776.
To the Hon, the Representatives of the Freemen
of the province of Pennsylvania, in Afl unbly met.
The Address and Remonstrance of the Subscribers,
Inhabitants of the City and Liberties oj Philadelphia.
%%7 PERLAS to our great affliction we find that a
Vv paper has been presented to the Houie, stiled
" The Protest of divers inhabitants of this province,"
fid to be " in behalf of themselves and others," the
purport of which is to Subvert and change the constituti
on or this government, up< n sundry allegations which
we cannot conceive to be well founded ; and whereas we
think it an indifptnhble duty to ourselves and our poste
rity, to claim and Support our birthright in the charter
and wife laws of Penr.f, Ivanin, either consented to by
ourselves, or delivered down to us by mar ancestors, as
fares may bn possible, without injury to the public cause
of America, during the prelent diltieffed Situation of our
affairs : VVe do therefore remonstrate againit the said
protest, for the following tea fens :
iff. Bcaufe it holds up the Resolve of the Congress, of
the 15th initant, as an absolute injunction for the " tak
ing up and establishing new governments throughout ail
th* United Colonies, under trie authority cf the peep e/
\vhereas the laid Resolve is only a conditional recom
mendation " to the refpe&ive Assemblies and Conven
tions of the United Colonies, where no government Effi
cient to the exigencies oj their affairs has been eftablifbed, to
adopt such governments as Shall, in the opinion of the Re
presentatives of the People, belt conduce to the happiness
and lafety of their constituents in particular, and America
in general" And here it is obvious to remark, that in
this and every other Resolve of Congress, # where “ AJ
fembUes and Conventions" are referred to, it must be in
tended (and the practice has been accordingly) that
wherever Afemblies exilt, and can meet as the ancient
constitutional bodies in their respective colonies, the
public bufinels is to be carried on by them, and by Con
ventions, only in those urgent cases where arbitrary Go
vernors, by prorogations and dissolutions, prevent the
Representatives ot the People from fitting, to deliberate
cn their own affairs, or have subverted the constitutions,
by abdicating their offices, and levying war againit these
Colonies. That the Assembly of this province cannot be
prorogued or dissolved ; that they have been exceeded
by no province in their noble exertions in the common
cause of liberty ; that by the Refo ve of Congress, who
have never inter sered in the domestic police of the colo
nies, the Representatives of the People are left as the
sole judges, whether their governments be “ Sufficient
for the exigencies of their affairs" or not'; that our courts
of law are open, justice has been administered with a due
attention to our circum Stances, and large sums of money
issued, the credit of which might be Shaken, and num
berless confufions ensue, from innovations haltily or un
necessarily made.
2d. We remonstrate against the said Protest, as Setting
on foot a measure which tends to disunion, ard must
damp the zeal of multitudes of the good people of Penn
sylvania in the common cause, who, having a high vene
ration for their civil and religious rights, as Secured by
our charter, never conceived, when they engaged, among
other things, for the fopport of the charter rights of
another colony, that they would be called upon to make
PHILADELPHIA: Printed by JOHN DUNLAP, at the Ne^weft Printing-Office in Markst-fireet, where
Subferiptions at Ten Shillings per Annum, Advertisements, &c. are thankfully received for this Pape^
a Sacrifice of their own ebrirter.— Nor can we now fee any
thing in our Situation which requires such an unequal Sa
crifice, while other colonies, particularly Connecticut
and Rhode Island, the authority of whole Assemblies is
the fame way derived by charter as ours, continue their
ancient forms cf government by these bodies, without
Conventions.
That whatever temporary alteration in forms the ur
gency of affairs, or the authority of the people, can be
conceived to justify or render expedient, that authority
is fully veiled in our Representatives in Ahembly freely
and annually ch®fen.
Six parts in seven of your body are, by our inestimable
charter, vested with the power of determining in this
matter, —We look to you, as entrusted with the conser
vation of our rights, and are firmly of opinion, that your
constituents in general will ckearfully be governed by
whatever your wisdom may ordain in the ptefent exi
gency,—humbly recommending it to you always to keep
in mind, that in times of confufion every change Should
be cautiously adopted, and only such made as are abso
lutely neceffary:—ln which particulars the province of
South-Carolina (when impelled by necessity) has let a
laudable example, regulating themselves with a view to
wards, and only until, " an accommodation of the un
happy differences betweenGreat-Britain and America can
be obtained, an event which," though traduced and
treated as rebels, they still profefs earnestly to desire.
To the Hon. the Representatives of the Freemen
of the province of Pennsylvania, in General Altera
bly met.
The Address of the Committee of Inspection for the county
of Philadelphia.
WE esteem ourselves, in no Small degree, happy
that we have the fatisfadion, in this very criti
cal conjuncture, of expressing our sentiments to the con
stitutional representative body of this province.
With the deepest concern we have lately observed, that
the ground, on which our opposition to the arbitrary and
oppressive meafares of tne British Ministry was firft made,
is so totally changed—lnstead of ourjoining hand and heart
in forwarding a reconciliation with our parent state, on
constitutional principles, which is the object we ought
ever to have kept in view, as the only termination of cur
disputes, which can possibly give us happiness and Secu
rity, a System has been adopted by feme persons in the
city and liberties of Philadelphia, which tends immedi
ately to the subversion of our constitution.
When we recoiled the declaration of Congress, that
they “ mean not to deftrcy the union which has so long
happily subsisted, and which they sincerely with to be
reftoied ;" when we think cf the known inftrudions
given to the Delegates of several provinces, as well as
to those of our own, we are alarmed at the profpe& of
a difanion, which must attend the prosecution of a Scheme
that will, in the end, not only set province againit pro
vince, but (mere dreadful to think) foment civil discords
in each.—
Should our inveterate enemies be so loft to all sense of
justice and humanity, as to peifift in their infernal plan
of defectifm ; should they drive us by their violence to
that last fliift, a declaration of independance, every one
will then be convinced of the necessity of meh a measure,
and we Shall be as one man, so united and Strengthened
by the conviction, as to bid defiance to all their at
tempts;
The inhabitants of this county, “ in their own native
land, in defence of the freedom, which is their birth
right, and which they have ever enjoyed, until the late
violation of it, for the protection of their property, ac
quired solely by the industry of their forefathers, and
themselves againit violence actually offered, firft took up
arms, and mean not to lay them down, until hostilities
Shall cease on the part of the agreffors, and all danger of
their being renewed Shall be removed."
They have, with the greatest alacrity, given a consi
derable part of their time to qualify themselves in mili
tary matters, and are well assured that they will be be
hind none, in their endeavors, to put an end to the op
prtfficn cf their country ; hut it was, at the fame time,
with a determined resolution to support and defend their
constitution against all eppreffiuns and innovations what
soever.
These we know to be the sentiments of the people, un
der whole authority we a&, as well as our own; and as
such, we Should be highly wanting in duty to ourselves
and our constituents, were we to neglect lay ing them be
fore you.
We are not insensible cf the difficulties which attend
your Situation ; but trust, you will proceed in the weigh
ty affairs now under your consideration, with unanimity
and fiunnefs, still looking forward to a happy, perma
nent, termination ofour calamities, in constitutional re
conciliation with our ancient friends. To forget inju
ries, and to forgive thole who have offended, is as con
ducive to happiness as conformable to the rules of virtue ;
and, we make no doubt, the most salutary events mult
result from measures formed and conduced on such prin
ciples.
What we have to offer and advise, is, that you will
most religiously adhere to the instructions given to our
Delegates in Congress. We consider them our greatest
security. And we farther most seriously intreat, that you
will, to the utmost of your power, oppole the changing
or altering, in an^ the least part, our invaluable consti
tution, under which we have Experienced every happi
ness, and in Support of which there ifno hing just or rea
fenable, which we would not willingly undertake. Sign
ed by order of the Committee,
W. HAMILTON, Chairman.
Philadelphia County Committee,
May i£, 1776.
Extrafls of a letter from anofficer in the army, at Derbam
bault, forty-eight miles above Quebec, Ma, 9, 1776.
“ I have but just time, by an exprels that goes to New-
York, to acquaint you of our unfortunate, and, I must
add, difgraceful retreat. The circumstances of which,
as far as I am able, 1 will inform you of.
“ When I arrived within nine miles of Qjy.l> c, with
the fix companies of our regiment, 1 was hailed by an
officer on board of a vefiei belonging to us, and inform
ed that cur whole army was recreating, with the uSmoft
precipitation, and advised to retfeat vrith the regin ent as
faft as pe dicle, which you must he well affined I could
not think cf doing u^lefs absolutely obliged to it. J
then immediately put to Shore, and ordered tne regiment
to wait my orders before they moved from that pace.
I accordingly Set out, and ran for about fix miles, meet
ing the roads full of people Shamefully flying frurnan
enemy that appeared by no means fiipe ior toom fhingth.
The General and officers halted here, and held a coun
cil of war, to determine whether they foould fto. >the
troops and engage the enemy. It was deermirad al,
mod unanimously against the proposal, aitbeuf 1 I was
of opinion, from the heft accounts I received from the
officers, that the British troops mi, lit have been driven
back into the town. Iy vain wasevery argument of dis
grace attending a retreat urged. They had <iete mined
u9t to make a Stand till they got to the moi th of the So
relle, but a letter coming from Cen Arnold, premising
•a reinforcement of men and cannon, they determined tu
wait here until an officer could return, who was tert to
Montreal by Gen. Thomas. The fleet is arrived at
Quebec. A frigate of thirty-fix guns, a £ip of twenty
guhs or upwards, ahd a Schooner taken from us, hove
failed up the river as far as this place, and remained here
two days. They landed eight boat loads T met, about
four miles o^, who were obliged to embark bv a party of
the rear, before a party of one hundred and firiy men,
that we marched from hence could get up with them;"
In COMMITTEE of S AFETY,
Ma, 21, 1776.
Col. Cadwalader having introduced the report of the
several gentlemen appointed by this Bo rd, to examine
the mafleet cartridges made up by the Ccmmiliay.
Ordered, that the fame be pu lifhed in the different
news-papers. Extras from the Minutes,
WILLIAM GOVE rr, Secretary.
WE the fubferibers, appointed by the Board of Offi
cers of the Affociato s of the City and Liberties of Phi
ladelphia, for the purpose of examining the cartridges
delivered by the Commiflary to the said Associators, huve
carefully examined the fame, and find the weight of
powder therein contained is two fifth parts of the weight
of the ball. It appears clearly from experiment, that
the powder is very good, that the above proportion is
fully fufficient, and that more would be useless it not dan
gerous. T. Matlack, Col. R,fte Bat.
Fr. Wade, Capt. 2d Bat.
Philadelphia, Fr. Gurney, Capt. 3d Bat.
Ma, -0, 1776. Wm. Will, Capt. ilt But.
In Philadelphia Count, Committee, Ma, i%tb, 1776.
Refolded, That it be and is hereby Recommended to
the Colonels of this county, to make immediate returns
ofthe associators in their several battalicns, agreeable to
the resolve of the honourable the House of Affemlly.
Refolded, That it be and is hereby recommended to
the townships in this county, where petfens have been
chosen to receive the arms of non-associators, to make
their returns to this Committee at the next meeting, in
order that proper persons, (as enjoined by the H^nte of
Assembly) to called the arms in these townflrips where
none have been chosen.
Extract from the Minutes,
ENOCH EDWARDS, Secretary.
§+ 3Q+4 —+°4 —&+*"4 —l —r--^• 4 —so-, i, Q§
THE TRUSTEES of the Academy of
NEWARK are desired to meet in Philadelphia,
at the Indian Queen, at eight o'clock on Friday evening
the gift of May, 1776.
BY virtue of a writ to me directed, will be so d by pub
lic vendue, on Monday, the 27th day of M y inst. at
the house of George Bakcoven, in Kenfingtun, at four
o'clock in the afternoon, a certain vacant lot or pre e of
ground, fitu^te in K^ntington aforetaid, and on the north
or north-easterly fide of Hanover-street, containing in
front 60 fee', and in depth 200 feet; bounded with ground
late of Anthony Palmer, Esq; and by ground cf Edward
Morris and Wife, and others ; fubjea to a ground or
quit rent of currency per annum ; late the est rfe
o' Jonathan Biles, deceased ; feiz/ d and taken in execu
tion by WILLIAM DEWEES, Sheriff.
BY virtue of a writ to me directed, will be fold by pub
lic vendue, on Wednesday, the 29^1 day of May inst.
at five o'clock in the afternoon, on the premises, a certain
two story frame meffuage or tenement, and lot or piece
of ground thereunto belonging, situate on the e.ft fide
of Third-street, the feuth corner es Chester or Stamp r's
Alley, between Pine and Lombard-streets, in the city of
Philadelphia, containing in front on Third-street afo:e
faid, 22 feet, and in depth on Chester Alley aforefaid,
66 feet ; bounded northward by Chester Alley aforefaid,
eastward by ground of Edward Shippen, southward by
ground of John Brickill, ,nd westward by Third street
aforefaid ; lubjedt to a ground rent cf 22 Spanish milled
dollars per annum ; late the estate cf John Andrews;
seized and taken in execution by
WILLIAM DEWEES, Sheriff.
Newtown, Buchs County, Ma, 18, 1776.
BY virtue of a writ of Venditioni Exponas to ^e di
rected, will be exposed to fide on Saturday, tuefi ft
day of June next, on the premises, one moiety, or equal
half part cf a certain meffuage, plantation, and three
trails of land, situate in Bristol Townflrip, in the said
county of Bucks ; two thereof bounded by lands of John
Martin, John Smith, Thomas Stanaland, and Delaware
River; the other bounded by tlie said River, ard by
land of the said Thomas Stanaland and others ; conta n
ing in the whole about 237 acres, more or less ; late the
estate of Henry Elves, jun. Esq; deceased.
§ SAMUEL BILES, Sheriff,