The Pennsylvania packet, or, The general advertiser — Lancaster, Pa.;Philadelphia, Pa., 1782-08-08 00:00:00, page 2

purpose; that is to fay, oeconomy ; and though this
iyfttm will flrip many individuals of their employs, we
flatter ourselves, that this circumfiance will not how
ever excite those murmurs, which are usual upon such
occasions, as there can be no personal or premeditated
design pretended : the public necessity, and the public
interest only forced us to it, besides the displaced per
sons; are not succeeded by others their offices being
abolished."
Meaux corrie to the petition of the sugar planters, 1
and alked leave to prefect a bill to autborife rhe inha
bitants )f the thr^e islands. a bovementiooed, conquered
by France, to import their products into Great-Bri
tain, Ireland or America, fubjeH to thefame duties,
as fugarfy&c. from the British iflends:—" The favour
able capitulation," added this member, “ granted to
tlie inhabitants of these inlands, by the marquis de
Bouille, that prince of A GENERAL,wouId be vain,
ii the legislative body do not give efficacy to his be
nevolence; for that mifchievoc law, called the aft of
navigation, debars foreign Sugars from being entered
in our cuftorn ftoufer.''
"Mr. Burke seconded the motion, and observed, that
it would be bed not to do things by halves, and there
fore he was of opinion, that in the preliminaries of
!eace, to be concluded with North-America, they
ought to repeal, ^together, the act of navigati
on. The house came into the motion, and Mr. Moli
neaux's bill was pretexted accordingly.
Then lord JHm Cavendilh, chancellor of the exche
quer, presented a message from the king; which is as
follows:
“ -George Ilex.
“ HIS majefiy having with pain remarked, that
rk^withflanding the assistance twice given, by paying
off the debt of the civil lift, and the augmentation
made of this revenue, it has again contrasted a consi
derable debt: his majefly wishes for the advice and
assistance of this house concerning the fame, as to
means of paying off this debt, and preventing the re
newal of it hereafter, without laying any new burdens
on his people, as it is bis ardent desire to ease them as
much as possible.
" For this purpose his majefly lays before the house,
the plan of reformation, which he thinks proper to
make in his houlhold, that it may be perfected by the
wisdom of parliament, for the honour of his crown and
the public advantage."
His lordship observed, that " the reformation intend
ed to be made in the public finances, was not confined
to one object What you have heard is only a frag
ment of the scheme of riged economy, which the mini
stry propose to extend to every partof our public af
fairs. By this single essay, at saving in the civil lift,
you will abridge the expenditure thereon, about se
venty thousand per an^um; a sum which will in time
liquidate all the arrears upon this eflablifhment, with
out laying any new burden on the people." Lord John
Cavendish, then made the cuflomary motion for an ad
dress of thanks, which passed unanimously.
May 6. The order of the day was read, upon which
the house went into a committee of the whole, in order
to confider of the king's message, concerning the debt
of the civil lift, and the plan proposed for introducing
eeconomy and reformation into the expences of the
houlhold. Lord John Cavendish, thereupon, read the
following Bate thereof.
DEBT of the CIVIL LIST.
The whole sum which his majes
ty owes, - - 433^931. is. fl.
Remains in the exchequer for
discharging it only, 138,675 4 1 1-2
L. 295,217 18 3 1-2
SAVING S.
Salaries of 3d secretary of state, and his
assistants, abolished, - - L. 7500
Board of trade. The business to be done
by the privy council, - 12,600
Board of trade and police for Scotland.
Meerly a sinecure. - - 6600
Board of works, to be regulated on a new
plan, and the duty performed by arti
ficers, - - - 9462
Wardrobe, abolished. The lord cham
berlain to do the duty, - 3506
Jewelloffice, abolished. The lord cham
berlain to take charge of it, - 2000
Treasurer of the chamber. Useless, abo
lifhed, - - - 3000
Treasurer of the houfhold. The fame, 3000
Six secretaries of the board of green
cloth, - _ , 8000
All pensions to be paid at the exchequer;
which will save, - - 1200
Salaries suppressed, - - 1500
Mafler of the buck-hounds. Suppressed, 3000
Board of monies. Their duty transfer
red to the bank, - - 3000
Salaries suppressed, - - 10,000
TOTAL, L. 72,368
There will be regulations made in the office of mafler
of the horse, and in the royal stables.
The places which hereafter become vacant in th com
pany of the gentlemen of the guard, will be filled from
¥he half-pay lift of the army; which will be at once a
mark of honour, and a recompence for services.
'' It is proposed," added lord John, “ to make a
bundance of other regulations, tending to the fame
This ceconomical plan appeared to be approved, not
only by the members who may not be dire-ly effeHed,
but by those whom it deprived of their places. They
all declared, that they willingly paid this homage to
the public; and some went so far, as to renounce the
furvivorfhips which they were entitled to in order
that nothing of the kind might be granted hereafter.
HOUSE of COMMON S, May 22
Mr. Fox moved, that the thanks of the house be giv
^ to fir George Bridges Rodney, for the important
viHory gained by him on the 1 2 of April last.
Lord North, applauding the motion, fuggefled an
idea of including in these marks of public favour, all the
.general officers who commanded under the admiral:
this met with no opposition. A third member thought
it should be extended to all the captains and officers of
the fleet. A fourth wished that it might take in all the
f?amen,and another afterwards recolleHed the marines.
It was in the end determined to thank every one pre
sent. We intend to resume the account of this day's
tranfaHions, with design to shew lord John Cavendish's
departures from the last budget of lord North
May 27. ft appears that the English are well enough
pleaftd, that the count de Graffe could not think of
abandoning a lagging ship. They cry up the proofs
of courage which he exhibited in the naval aHions in
April last, and they are the more sincere in the eulogiums
which they lavish on him, as they are well persuaded,
and fay openly, that if he had given up this vessel, the
French would have got off as usual with a cannonade,
escaping once more the consequences of a general acti
on, and gaining St. Domingo, where, reinforced by the
Spanish fleet, Jamaica must have fallen, as we could not
have hindered it, for the French once landed, would
have but to easily compleated a business to which
they are accustomed.
The emperor has lately opened a commercial inter
course between Hungary and the Turkish empire. The
new met traders it seems find much fault with each other.
The Hungarians,in particular,accufe the Turkish deal
ers with frauds and deceptions in every Shape, and have
introduced this faying as a proverb, the disputes
which they occasion, are such as would puzzle the great
judge of England; meaning lord chief justice Manf
field; whose fame for equity has reached that distant
country.
N E w- Y O R K, Auruft 3.
Wednesday the Roebuck Packet, captain Richards, ar
rived here in fix weeks from Falmout # , with the
mails from May and June last. From the papers
brought by her we have extracted the following im
portant intelligence.
P A R I S, May 14 .
ExtraH from the account given by the chevalier de
Sallans, commander ofthe Pegafe, addressed to the mar
quis de Cafiries, minister and secretary of state for the
marine department, dated on board the Foudroyant,
at Portsmouth, April 26, 1782.
" The 20th of April, finding myfelf, at nine in the e
vening, at the distance of a leaugue and a half from the
ProteHor, and finding that that vessel ought to be pre
served in preference to the Pegafe, on account of the
sums of money which I knew to be on bo rd that vessel,
I determined to keep in the rear, in hopes that the ves
sels of the enemy of the most confequen.ee would follow
me, which really took efEd. At one o'clock in the
morning, the Foudroyant being near my fieri), at about
pistol Shot distance, I directed, as well as my Situation
would let me, all the fire I could against them, and I
preserved all the fail I could possibly wit out changing
my route, but finding that it was impoflible for me to
do any injury to an enemy whose fwiftnefs rendered all
my movements useless, I direHed, as my last resource,
to board my adversary, flattering myfelf, that by that
manceuvre I might be, perhaps, so fortunate as to da
mage their masts, and to escape by difengageing my
felf, if the hazards of boarding happened to be in
my favour, but nothing happensd as I wished.
The two vessels remained grappling near an hour and
an half, fighting with their muskets. At last, about
three o'clock in the morning, the mizen-maft of the
Pegafe fell, as did the sore-mast, and the bar of the helm
was cut even with the mortice. The approach of the
enemy's sq uadron determined me to surrender the Pe
gafe to the Foudroyant, again ft w hich I couki no longer
make any refinance. I had in the engagement 80 men
killed, and 40 wounded; in the former number is the
Sieur de Bompart, an auxiliary officer. The Sieur de
la Houffaye, ensign of the vessel, had his leg Shot off.
The Sieurs de Vaires, ensign, and Trobriant, of the
marines, are slightly wounded."
From the London Chronicle, dated June 13, 2782.
A commission passed the great seal last week, ap
pointing the honourable Mr. Grenville, brother to
lord Temple, minister plenipotentiary to the court of
France; it seems, when Mr Grenville firfl went to Pa
ris, he only carried with him cr dential letters, to
wardsa negotiation for a peace, which has lately been
brought to so m ch maturity, that he is now empow
ered to sign the preliminaries.
A dissolution of the present parliament, is an event
that is confidently talked of to take place Shortly af
ter the prorogation.
From Rivingtoys Royal Gazette, dated
HOUSE of COMMONS, June it.
General Conway rose, to move for leave to bring in
a bill for the better enabling his majesty to grant com
missions for raising battalions or corps of volunteers,
for the defence of the coasts during the present war.
By way of preface, he stated, that if any Solid objec
tions had originally occurred to gentlemen from the
novelty of the measure, they were, by this time, up
on mature refleaion, entirely done away. Ireland af
forded a proof, that there was no danger in trusting the
people with arms; for though in point of form, there
appeared to be a division between England and Ireland,
they were in fa& more closely linked, more cordially
united 'than ever they had been. There remained at
present only one thing to be done, in order to restore
unity and harmony to the empire, and that was to
move for the independence of America upon the fame
principle that the independence of Ireland was acknow
ledged : when America Should have a legislature of
her own, independent of the parliament of Great-Bri
tain, he made no doubt, but France and the agents of
the congress would not be able to prevent a food uo
derftanding between the colonies and the mother coun
try. He had been accused of having imposed upon the
house when he said, that there were perlons in Europe
authorifed by America to treat with us about a peace;
but no imposition whatever was either used or intend'
en ; for there certainly were persons authorifed to
treat with us, but he had never said upon what terms;
and therefore he had said nothing but what at that
time he knew to be true. As to the measure which he
was now going to propose to the house, it was, he ho
ped, better underflood than it was when it was firft
mentioned ; the alarm was pretty nearly subsided, and
the necessity of the measure was now apparent. The
lord lieutenants were thought to be all against it ; but
though it was said that the plan was rejected by them
all, in their meeting at the St. Alban's tavern, where
only eighteen had attended, yet in their particular
answers to the secretary of state, they all appeared to
be fati^fied with it. He concluded then by moving for
leave to bring in the bill; and was seconded by Mr.
T. TownShend, secretary at war.
The plan which is in agitation with refped to Ame
rica, and by which, it is hoped, the Americans may
be induced to content once more to a connection with
this kingdom, was formed by a noble lord. The plan
is said to be, that America Shall have a legislature of
her own, supreme itfelf, and independent of any other
legislature upon earth; this legislature to consist of
the king of England, as king of America, and such a
representation of the upper and lower houses as the A
mericans fnall think proper to have formed; so that
America will be really like Ireland in point of legisla
ture ; the will be to all intents and purposes regal with
in herfelf, and contribute her share to form without,
an imperial power, to consist of all the fubjefts who 0-
bey the monarch who fits on the throne of Great-
Britain, but without being in the smallest degree un
der the contronl of the Britilh parliament.
It is confidently reported, that the empress of Russia
is absolutely determined upon an active interference
in favour of Great-Britain, if her proposals for a gene
ral congress are not accepted by the Dutch and the
house of Bourbon.
Extras of another letter, dated London, June 8.
“ Having just heard that a letter might be got on
board the pacquet, and a frefh article of intelligence,
of some importance, having got into circulation, I em
brace a single minute that offers to give you a hasty
Iketch of it. We have an account which seems to be
generally credited, that the Ruffians are coming out
to our affiftince with fifteen fail of the line, in conse
quence of the Dutch refufing to accept of their media
tion for peace with Britain. Letters from the conti
nent fay, that they have declared this # to the French
I and Spanish ambaffajors, and a gentleman just arri^
I ved from Copenhagen affirms, that they had certain
ly sent to that place to engage proper pilots before ha
l p ft it. Upon what terms this assistance is to be given,
, is not yet known, but at any rate, it will render us
as decidedly superior to our enemies in Europe, as we
are in other parts of the world."
ExtraH of a letter from a well informed gentleman,
/ dated London, Juneß.
“ I am told from the best authority, that the empress
of Russia has offered to fend twenty fail of the line to
the aid of Great-Britain, which I suppose of course
will be accepted."
ExtraH of another letter from London, dated June 8.
'' You must have heard of a change in the admini
stration, and the resolutions of parliament previous to
it, and probably conceived all was over I can now
affrue you, that is not rhe case, more troops are going
for New-York to the amount of at lead four thousand
Yesterday some letters were received from admiral
Ross, mentioning that the Dutch fleet, notwithstand
ing their superiority, kept close at anchor in the Texel,
without attempting to put to sea.
N E IV - Y O R K, Augufl 3.
Extras of a letter from London, dated June 2.
" 1 wifli I had it in my power to give you the real
state of things on this fide of the Atlantic: At present
every matter either remains in a state of fufpence, or
is kept a profound secret. The intentions of admini.
Oration are not known; nor do I believe they will
form any plan relative to America, till they have fir
Goy Carleton's report of the situation of things in your
part of the world. I cannot learn that they have an
idea of abandoning New-York, or quitting Charlef
town. You must not expert any offenfive operations
till the result of the pro positions offered by the com
missioners, who are going to America very soon, are
known. The difeontents of the Irish nation are all
composed ; every thing demanded in Mr. Gratton's bill
of rights has been acceded to, and that gentleman car
ried a motion in the house of commons to vote twenty
thousand seamen towards manning the British navy,
and an hundred thousand pounds to effect that busi
ness. That house has voted a gratuity of fifty thou
sand pounds, and an house to be conftruCted in reward
of the infinite services rendered our lifter nation, by
Mr. Gratton ; that generous people has also offered al!
the regular troops now on their establishment, to be
employed wherever his majesty fha 1 command their
services, declaring their militia fufficient to secure Ire
land against foreign invafipn."
five hundred men, and though I cannot learn what plan
of operations will be pursued on their arrival, yet I am
confident t ere are no thoughts entertained of aban
doning you, or acknowledging the independence of A
merica ; the ministry find they cannot make peace
with either Holland or America without the consent of
France, and they hope to humble the pride of the lat
ter before they can expeft to make a good one. The
French cannot (pare any fleet to fend to America, and
we have now such a superiority in the Weft Indies, that
you need not fear their out-numbering us in ships of the
line on the American coast, and under such a comman
der as fir Guy Carleton, you may defy the whole force
the rebels can bring against you, without the assistance
of a F reach fleet, and an additional French army, and
those you have no reason to expeH feeing this year,
unless followed by our viHorious Weft-India fleet ; and
by the next, the people of America will become so sick
of their heavy taxes and tyrannical rulers, as to in
duce them to accept the liberal terms they may now
receive from Great-Britain."
LONDO N,
June 4. The American peace bill has at last passed
the house of commons ; it was altered agreeable to the
suggestion of Mr. Laurens, who thought it a fu fficient
ground for America to open a frefh negociation with
this country, and was in hopes it would be the means
of restoring peace and harmony to both countries.