The Pennsylvania packet, or, The general advertiser — Lancaster, Pa.;Philadelphia, Pa., 1780-03-09 00:00:00, page 1

A P PEN DI X.
No. I.
Copy of a letter from the Hon. Arthur Lee, to Mr. Sa
muel Petrie in Paris.
SI R, Paris, April 8, 1779.
IT appears by a letter lately published in the London
papers, that Mr. Silas Deane has desired his corre
spondent in Paris to obtain from you "a copy of the let
ter ghich you received in March last from London, which
gave the information of the signing of the treaty." Itis
probable you are not acquainted with Mr. Deane's having
publicly accused me of being the author of that informa
tion so given of the signing of the treaty, and this, as he
fays, upon the authority of a refpeftable person at Paris,
who had received such a letter as he writes for from you.
I therefore beg you will do me the justice to inform me
explicitly whether you gave Mr. Deane the information
upon which he found his accusation, and who the person
is in London, who pretends to have seen a letter written
by me giving intelligence of the signing of a treaty with
France, and dated the night it was signed. lam sorry to
trouble you on such a fubjeft, but you must be sensible,
Sir, how necessary it is, that an untruth of this nature,
whether lightly or malicioafty asserted should be traced to
its author.
I have the honor to be, &c.
ARTHUR LEE.
An amfwer to the foregoing letter addressed to Mons,
Mons. A. Lee.
SIR, Paris, April 9, 1779.
I N compliance with your request in your letter of yes
terday, to be explicit, I now inform you, that Ido not
recoiled ever shewing any letter to Mr. Deane that I
thought had any reference to you ; but I well remember
reading to him a paragraph out of a letter which I had re
ceived from London, stating that intelligence of the sign
ing cf a treaty with France, had been transmitted there,
the very night on wh ; ch it was signed exprefled in terms
which could not have been misunderstood, and which in
telligence, from a concurrence of circumfiances, appear
ed to have been communicated by your brother the Al
derman. Of this faft I cannot suppose you ignorant.
When I flawed this letter to Mr. Deane, I meant only
jocularly to upbraid his secrecy, repeating a tranfa&ion
which I understood your brother had unreservedly com
municated several months before; but I had no idea of
bringing censure on any person whatever. lam confident
no friend of mice pretend or ever did pretend, to have seen
any letter which he did not fee ; and the particulars of
the fad to which your letter alludes as far as try know
ledge goes, you would have received as explicitly from me
upon a personal application, as you now do, in the formal
mode of a reply to a written requisition. I have the honor
to be, Sir, your most obedient servant,
S. PETRIE.
Copy of the reply to Mr. & Petrie.
SIR, April, 9, 1779.
I had the honor of receiving your answer of this day
to mine of yesterday ; it is entirely fatisfadory as to my
felf, but I cannot help believing ybur correspondent was
mistaken in gathering from circumstances that my bro
ther was the writer of such a letter, because I did not in
form him that the treaty was signed, till long after ; and
lam most sure he did not know it at the time he is sup
posed to have given the intelligence. l am obliged to you
Sir, for the readiness with which you have given me this
fatisfadion ; and be^you will believe it was with much
regret I gave you the trouble.
I have the honor to be,
& A. LE E.
N. B. Mr. Petrie was a merchant in London, and fail
ed; be is now Rationed at Paris to give intelligence for
{peculations in the flocks.
NUMBER 11,
Extra& ofa letter, dated Nantz, January 22, 1778, sign
ed John Lloyd, and addressed to the Hon. Arthur Lee,
Esq; at Paris.
"IN the several conversations which I have had with
Mr. Carmichael, he has never hinted the leaf! unfriendly
disposition towards you, nor has he ever spoke of you but
in refpe&ful terms, and so far from co-operating with Mr.
Deane, he condemnsjiis conduct towards you, and is
pointedly severe in reprobating the fyflem and measures
that he has pursued in his public character, and which he
assures me he will fully unfold when he arrives in Ameri
ca. I was much pleased when he told me that he had o
pened a door of information to uny friend Mr. Izard, by
which you might enter, and become acquainted with
tranfadions that he was confident the Doctor and Mr.
Deane were desirous to conceal from you. Mr. Carmi
chael'# enmity feeius to be levelled principally against
EXTRACTS from a LETTER written to the
PRESIDENT of Congress, by the Hon 0
ARTHUR LEE, Esquire, in answer to an
ADDRESS, published in the Pennsylvani a
Packet, of the Fifth of DECEMBER,
1778. By SILAS DEANE, Esquire.
(Concluded from our last)
JF^!^^> m^&^Wl
^w^^o^y
GENERAL
THURSDAY,
O R
[ Published every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. ]
Mr. Deane, but he does not fail in his censure on the
Dodor's condud.”
Nantz, January 24, 1778.
I am since confident in my opinion, that Mr. Carmichael
is at present positively determined to expose, on his arri
val in America, Mr. Deane's conclud as a commiflioner,
in the fulleft extent. His enmity is such that he has re
peated it to several Gentlemen in equal terms of reproba
tion, and which are pointedly severe. I have not been
wanting in my endeavours to discover his sentiments con
cerning you. But I cannot learn that he has ever spoke
of you in the least difrefpedful manner, but has fignified
that you had very just cause of offence againß Dr. Frank
lin and Mr. Deane. The dispatches which those Gentle
men entrusted to Mr. Carmichael's care, he has given up
to Mr. Williams, having relived that he would not be
the bearer of them, nor will be, I am told, embark on
board the Deane frigate.
Extrad of a letter, dated Nantz, January 21, 1778,
signed, William Stevenson, and add'rtffed to the Hon.
Arthur Lee, Esq;
" IWAS rather surprised to find that Mr. Carmichael
entered into a minute detail of some part of Mr. Deane's
private and public conduct, both which he reprobates in
the strongest terms, and this in the most open and unre
served manner, without my asking any questions, or his
making it a confidential matter; indeed my surprise has
since ceased, as I find he has done the fame to several 0
thers. He further te 'ls me many things are done at Puf
fy without your knoledge, and which you Ought to be ac
quainted with. He fays he has given Mr. Izard a clue by
which you may get a knowledge of all their secret practi
ces.”
Nantz, February 1, 1778.
Mr. Carmichael fays he knows Mr. Deane has applied
the public money to his privateufes; that they have come
to a resolution to do the business without consulting you
on any occasion, and that he knows the excuse they will
make to Congress is, that the French Miaifiry have de
defired it, though he does net doubt that desire has arose
from Mr. Deane's infinuations.'
NUMBER 111.
To the Right Hon. the Earl of Shelburne.
My Lord, December 23, 1776:
FA VERY few hours after my last letter to your Lord
ship, brought me the desire of my country to serve her in
a public character. Your Lordship, I hope, thinks too
well of me to suppose I could hefitatea moment. In fad
almost the fame minute saw me bid adieu, perhaps for e
ver, to a country where from choice, I had fixed my for
tunes, and to a people whom I mod refolded and could
have loved. But the firft object of my life is my coun
try; tbe firft with of my heart is public liberty. I must
fee therefore the liberties of my country eflablifhed or pe
rish in her last ftrug;le. In truth, I have long difpair
ed, even of a flruggle in England for liberty. 1 will not
insult Scotland with the idea. It is not the subtle Wed
derburne poisoning the fountain of public security, nor
the ruthless Thur Toe deliberately butchering the liberties
of his country that makes me difpair, but—and yet, per
haps the people are only not virtuous, and America may
yet, with a fort of filial piety, re-animate her expiring con
stitution. Our pater patriae with whom and Mr. Deace
lam joined in power, is in good health and spirits. If
fate will have it that Americans ihe has rearerd her tem
ples and altars to liberty, must furnifh her victims too, I
know not where the can find a facrifice more acceptable.
Should the event of this measure be found fatal to Eng
land, it is the perfidy offer Miniflers, which would never
offer any thing that could be trusted, winch compels it,
and to which the consequences are justly imputable. I
beg your Lordfllip to remember me as one who can never
cease to have the most perfed esteem for you. I have
communicated to the Abbe Rayual all the fads I could
coiled, in answer to his questions. He will write to you
soon. May I beg to be remembered to our friends in the
college; and to those out of it who, I hope will always
do me the honor of remembering me, Col. Barre, Mr.
Dunning, Dr. Priestly, and Dr. Price.
I have the honor to be, &c.
(Signed) A. Lee,
To the Right Hon. the Earl of Shelburne.
My Lord, December 10, 1777.
TNAVE the honour of enclosing to you the copy of
a letter, transmitted at the fame time to the firft Lord of
the treasury. The honour of the nation and the rights
of humanity are too much interested in the objed of it
not to receive your Lordship's advocation. The enclosed
papers contain the principal tranfadions between the
northern armies. The burning defencelefs towns and every
thing before him, as General Clinton has done, will proba
bly draw upon him and his, the vengeance which such
enormities deserve in fpight of all the endeavours of Con
gress, to prevent any hasty retaliation. The South Carolina
Gazette mentions the arrival of an American Captain,
who had been taken by Captain Jarvis, and who menti
ons with the highest praise, the generous and humane
treatment he received from that officer. We have had
from other prisoners, accounts equally to his honour,
'Tin
THE
^^a^^
ADVERTISER
which lam fare will give your Lordihip pleasure. Capt.
Jarvis may be allured that such conduct will command
from us the praise and esteem whieh are always due to a
generous enemy. The necessity which has made us ene
mies for a time, and separated us for ever from the fame
government, has not altered the esteem I felt for the good
and wife in England. Among those I hope your terd
fnip and your friends will accept ^n affurarite of my re
fpe& and friendship. I condole most sincerely wnh the
family at Coombwood for the misfortune at New York.
I have the honour to be, &c.
(Signed) A. Lei.
N UMBE R IV.
Copy of a Letter from Mr. Thomas Morris to Mr.
Jonathan Williams, dated Nantz, December £, 1777.
SI R,
THE private concerns of our house occupying the
princip d part of my time, I find it necessary to have some
o^e to assist me in conduaing the business committed to
my care by the Secret Committee of Congress, and as
you gave me to underhand yesterday upon Change you
was disposed to take an active part in this business ; I
hereby authorize you so to do, and request that in answer
to this, you will promise to attend to such matters as
may be committed to your management ; and by your
letter obligate yourfelf to be responsible to me for the
nett proceeds of any effects (public gt private) you may
have the disposal of upon all sales and purchases. I here
by agree to divide the cemmiffion of five per cent, mutu
ally between us. If these terms are acceptable, you will
be good enough to let me know, and we can then make
fucn arrangements as may be necessary
I remain with sincere regard.
Dear Sir,
Yours, &c.
(Signed) Thomas Morris.
Copy of a letter from Mr. Jonathan Williams to the Com
missioners, dated Nantz, Feb. 28, 1778.
THE Ranger has cost a great deal of money, her ac
count will also (oon be handed to you ; but I mus f beg
leave to remind you of the agreement made with the late
Mr. Morris, by which I was to account with him for ail
sales and purchases that I Ihouid make in consequence of
his authority, charging the cemthiffion of five per cent,
allowed by the Committee of Congress between him and
myfelf. I therefore beg to know whether I am to confix
der the Ranger's account as part of his business, or whe
ther lam to confider my conduct as in confequeoce cf
that power only.
spt cent, commission on the Ranger's £. ' </•
diiburfemeßts, - - 370 1 1 3
5 per cent, commission on the Independence, 238 9it
NUMBER V.
Report upon the accounts delivered in to the Commission
ers by Mr. Jonathan Williams, July 15, 1778.
THAT there are 161,655 livres and 2 sols, charged
improperly to the account of the comnofiiocers, being
expended in business for wuic' hhe had.no orders, and
which was totally foreign to his duty as agent to the com
missioners : That this creates a balance at the end of May
against Mr. Williams of 159,094 livres 5 sols, due from
hun to the public. That Mr. Williams having always
had an advance from the public either in the actual ba
lance, or in credit given and accepted by Mr. Grand the
public banker; there ought to have been an allowance of
6p r cent, to the public on the expenditure o this money
(except in some articles where prompt payment without
the difeoOnt is customary) which upon so large a sum as
1,128,011 livres is considerable. That though it appears
from Mr. Deane's letter in April 1777, that a plan for fend
ing dispatches in the cheapest manner was transmitted to
Mr. Williams, yet from the latter end of November 1777,
to March 1778, there are these enormous sums charged
for expresses 84.2 livres 8 sols, for pottage of letters i Bsi
livres 11 sols. To show the extravagance of this it may
be observed, that the whole expence cf the commission
in dispatches, postage, &c. in our bankers accounts from
February 1777, to March 177 Q being treble the time, is
only 1803 livres 10 sols. That though Mr. Williams fays
the 3600 livres charged to the public on account of Mer
cier, which the punlie has already paid, is on both sides
of the account ; in fad it appears on the debtor fide only.
That in the account of the out- fit, &c. of the Deane, af
ter every article of charge and txpence is made in the
detail, there is a lumping article of "charges by Jona
than Williams," 29719 9-5, and upon this a commission
of 2 per cent is charged, all which I take to be errone
ous ; besides Mr. Williams's charge of 2 per cent, com
mission amounting to 6607 12-4, whi h is the ufeal mer
cantile commission, the public is charged wit an additi
onal i per rent, to Peltier du Doyer, whoin fad it seems
did the business though Mr Williams was on the spot.
From whatever cause Mr, Williams's incapacity to do
the business arose, tor which the public is to pay theabovg
commission, is immaterial. He who did it is to be paid,
and no more than what is usual can be permitted to be
charged.
~(For the Remainder fee the Fourth Page,
MARCH 9, 17^0.
THE