The Connecticut courant and Hartford weekly intelligencer — Hartford, Conn., 1777-03-17 00:00:00, page 2

LONDON, Nor.
SUBSTANCE cf the PROCEEDINGS ^ ^
HOUSE cf COMMONS, Yesterday.
THE Speaker being returned from attendiegth^
king in the house of lords, read the fpaech twice
to the house, when Mr. Nevillerofe, and moved. '* for
aw humble addref to be preferred to his majesty."
The fubitance of rhe addrefi was read, and the motion
made for preferring i^ and seconded by Mr. Hutton.
Lord John Cavendish opposed the motion, recapi
tulating the old grounds of opposition on the Ameri
can fabjeft, cenfering th* war itfelfas urjuft, and the
conduft of it as ineffectual and inhuman, ffiis lord-
Ship produced an amendment to th^addrefs, thick the
fpeak<r read to the house. It chiefly turned 4 < upon &
cesfure cf the ministry, a defi & that his msjefty would
order An enquiry into their coudud, and begged that
^he fucc^fi T ths w^r might be ufad moderately and
,rudently."
Governor J jhaftoae, ar signed the condu& cf ad
ministration, not only blaraimg them for commencing
ih^ prefect wa , but eud^voutiag to prove hat they
had as vet had no fuccafi, and that even he affair of
Long Ifhad wa# no matter of riumph, as hat iflaad
teas a mere ont^poft tu New Y. =k, as N^wfork wag
m out-post to America, and tha< it would have been
wrang so-the provincials to havea^emp ed to maintain
it The g&var or paid general Howe and his brother
very grm compliments on thrir m^o^ers in the cap
ture of the ?flnd.
The governor complained of the defsncelefs stat& of
thik'tyn and u gad ih^ dagger of an immediate
war with France and Spain The minifler'a speech,
which they had jfl hcad h. declared to be a com
pound of- hypecify. I talkedof peace at the mo
ment when nt only ah Europe but this kingdom gave
the most evident appea^ncej of preparation for war.
That p^rt of it which talked cf giving the Americans
law and liberty, he conceived to be a mer^ turr of wit
^d humour, which would not bear a ferioui interpre
tation.
Th^ governor (poke loudly of the fi&ood of France,
ard tire little reliance that was to be put on her profif
fioas, infaacing a circumstance which happened
whi^ cardinal Maza ine w^raiaifter, when the Por
tuguese aud Spaniards were at war together, aed rhe
latter had received repeated affarance# of the pacific
intentions of France, although that kingdom had a&g
all, lent Portugal troops, eloathed them, paid and of
ficered them,
The governor said, he was far ficin being pleased
with the Americans for their declarations in favour of
independency, but he saw clearly that they were driv
en to the meafufes by our vigorous perfecutioa of them.
We had hired foreign troops to fight against them, and
they had no other way of putting themselves on a foot
ing with us, than by throwing off the yok^, declaring
themselves iide; evident,and inviting foregin aid tn de
feud them. They had, he said, taken every poffib^
means to avoid such a meafare ; they had sent a most
humble petition to government preying relief a&d
couched their pre; er in the ftrongefl terms of duty and
allegiance; government had rejeded their petition.
The mode of their declaring for independency was to
be fare in feme meafurt indefanfible.
The governor cellared the late iffai^g of prafi
warrants, & declared that he was not only convinced a
better mode of manning the navy might be found out,
but that he was informed the late press was carried on
with irregularity and cruelty. He flawed ths lift of
killed and wounded to the house, declaring that o»e of
a press gang was killed on board a merchantman,
through the temerity of the officer of the gang; that
many, both fixmen and men attempted to be preffad,
were wounded, and fourteen persons drowned.
After having condemnedthe ministry, and painted
the speech as ill-timed and fallacious, the governor
gave his assent to the amendment propgfed by Lord
John Cavendish.
Mr. Wombwtll rose to contradict the governor's
afferio^s relative to th conduct of the press, and the
death cf & fai o ffiot ; he declared that he was wall
inftru& d t) deci&rr, that he mercantile part of the
city in general condemned the psr£n who ffiot him,
and w 1 unanimougr <f opinion that ' there never
was a pr^L butter condu&d than the prefect, nor
mo?e men übatined ,i h lek blood anti tumult.
MT Wombwel forks much in favour of govern
meat. Ht dJT nie from the p?opofed amendment.
M . Wi'ktscmdemned the prefect war es one of
the most unnatural ^n uoj ft that time had ever pro
duced, and agreed to the propof d amendment.
Mr. Temple Luttrel spoke next, a%d from a great
variety of h.ftoried precedents, proved, that in former
times, in similar situations with the present date
of our dispute with America, it had always been held
politic to treat with the opponent parties, whether
^he, were rebels or not.
Mr. Thomas Towafhead entered on the fubjed of
the addr fi, pronouncing it a farrago of deceit and
hypocr fy. He said, we were on th? point of ? war
with France, and were altogether in a deftncelefs
flats. That our army in England, and our army in
Ireland, were contemptibly weak in point of numbers,
That the fr viewable part of our fleet, the frigates
and final! ships, were all on the coast of America ;
and therefore, if we were attacked, we are in a de
plorable situation.
He attacked the treasury-bench with great asperity,
and (observing that Lord North had quitted tl^
house) he took occasion to observe, that parliament
was now treated by that minister with the utmost con
tempt ; that the firft mam in office configured a de
Seeing Lord North cams back to his feat, he re
turned to his attack on the treasury-bench, and said,
it had ever bean the plan of the members, who filled
that feat, to conceal, as much as peffib'e, intelligence
from par riament ; that the, kept that houfa continu
ally in the dark. That even on that day, when it was
usual for the house to confider it as a day of inquiry,
mid when it was expedited that the minister ffiould give
fime f^isfiftion on such qneftions, as the members
might think it necessary to put to him, the firft man
in office had wi:h the utmost carelessness walked out
of the house, and (as he till that moment imagined)
being certain of a majority, had left the butinefs of
the nation to his clerks, supposing they had only to
count and report the numbers. Mr. Townsend cox
cluded giving his uffent to the amendment.
Colonel Barre next rose, and said that he had a
qu^ftior to put, of the firft confluence, of the most
fifos Importance, to which the minißer (Lord North)
had wholly neglcaed to fyeak. In ordtr to give him
an opportunity of speaking to it, he would therefore
then put it, and fit down, without preceding further,
that hf ; minister might give the house that fatisfaai
cn which he doubted not many cf them wished to re
ceive. The question was," What powers were ge
neral fy lord Howe invested with, as his majesty's
commissioners, to treat with America."
Lord North immediately Aid, that their commiffian
h^d lately b^n published in the Gazette, and that
nothing relative to the bufiaefs had been concealed. His
lordihip .gad part of the commiffien, and said hr knew
of nothing more, unless indeed feme dixtaions relative
to prisoners.
Cornel B^rre, pulling a paper out of his pocket,
declared, he had in his hand, an account of what pas
sed et the conference between General Waihi^ton
and Lieutenant Colonel Patterion, when colonel Pat
terson was dispatched with general and lord Howe's
letter; ihat the account was printed in America, -but
that it bore evident marks of authenticity, although it
did not coms directly to his hands ; for he could po
titi^ly Ay^ that no latter direfyd to him, and sent
from America, ever reached him. He then proceed
ed to comment on the account in his hand, declaring
his high atom for colonel Patterson, with whom he
had the happiief# to ba acquainted, end ?fferting,thtt
he was a man of the firft honour in the service. He
said, the account he was going to read, did colonel
Piiterfon infinite credit. The account was extracted
from an American paper, printed at Pennsylvania, on
the 27th of July last, and fteted, that colonel Patter
son was received by General Waffiington, on the zoth
of the fame month with the greatest politenefr.-That
thi colonel addr&ffed Mr. Washington, with the
title of Excellency.—That he exprefled general and
','' 'Howe s concern, that there ihould have been any
deficiency in point of iefp#a and puadilio; that no
affront was intended by the general , who begged his
excellency to recalled, that he had received a letter
from his Excellency about the treatment of prifoxers
in Boston, fubferibed, " To the honourable Wiili&m
Howe, Esq;" and that the general then tock no of
fence; that both general and lord Howe had the high
est pe f>Hal regard for Mr. Washington; that they
nw had sent a letter directed for " George Wash
ington, Esq ; &c. &: &:.” znd that they hoped all
diffi.wlisw» r « removed, as the th-ev ez c^ras might
be understood to comprehend all his Excellency's ti
tles ; and that he begged leave to inform his Excel
lency, that the otter he now brought, was the fame as
his majtfly's commiffiaam had sent before, but which
had ufrn rationed, on account of the deficiency of th#
fapet feription, refpeding his Excellency's titles.
It Appeared further, from the account the colonel
read, that colonel Patt«rf.m laid down the letter cun
table ; that Mr. Washington declined to accept it,
alkiag what powers the general and lord Howe were
invested with, declaring that he had read the last a&
of Parliament, relative to America, and fund by that,
that they were merely empowered to grant pardons;
that he then said, '' the Americans had done no wrong,
and therefore wanted no pardons;" that General
Washington declared,he had reported to the Congress,
his return of the letter as firft fint, with his reafoas
for fa doing ; that the Congress had approved of his
cond u a,he would not therefore enter into a faffitreat
ty without frsfh authority ; besides, though it was true
that the three ct cettras now added to the faperfcription
of the letter, might mean every thing, it was also true
that they might mean any thing. After more conver
sation, in which colonel Patterson exculpated general
Howe frem the charge of having treated the prifonm
bate on the most ferfous «zd i^pmm fi%& at±
matter unworthy his consideration, and was better
ple&fed in closeting a member in the mernieg, c r whif-
P eri *g With a friend in the lobby in the evening,
than in attending his parliamentary duty,
He said the ministry had been most illiberal in eucor
raging their dependants is afperpfing the officers who
condi&d the attack onSullivan's island,& after fpeak
m^cb ^favour of Sir Perter Parker, he said that ge
neneral Clinton was the officer who had most rea
son to clear himfelf, for that he was informed that
general was himfelf nineteen days trying the ford,
and that at last it turned out, he could not in all that
time difeover whether the ford was eighteen inches
or seven fert deep.
r Speaking of the capture of Longifland, he described
the turning of the flank cf an enemy's army, as an or
dhiar, military ma. oeuvre, known to everv man qua-
Lfied in the art of war; and spoke of the {laughter of
the provincials im cold bleed, as an && of the most sa
vage barbarity.
Upon the whole, the colonel made it out, that we
by no means a ma;ch for the united forces of
France and Spain ; he therefore desired the ministry
would, any rate, make up matter, with America
Recal, therefore (fays ft) y our fi^ t , „ nd , r Q
from America, and,leave the brave COLONISTS
to the ,j y m&Lt of their liberty." [This crated a
fecund laugh, which the colonel took wot fe th & n the
and was by it roused to frelh warmth.]
He arraigned the wantef manners of the tresfury
tach, end declared that he thought pr ftffidcou tfo
bad been better bred ; he then again denounced vtn
-1 , ^ Ihe ,""■iftry appoint proper cffi^s;
the he faidougnt to be commanded by a brave
man then in the house, an admiral who had once al
ready saved his country ; the admiral he meaut was
honourable friend near him, admiral Keppel ; k
said he knew he was out of order in naming a member,
but on such an occasion he thought himfelf' juft:fi&i in
mentioning so brave an officer.
At length having held up a most tremendous pi&ure
of impending mifehief to his country, he repeated his
quelbon to the treasury bench, and fat down, deplor
ing the infatuation of government, and ass rting, that
a majority of votesin that house, would never conquer
France and Spain, however they might procure <hs
minder a momentary triumph, & make him a welcome
gueit at St. James's.
Admiral Keppel merely Shewed the defencelefi finite
of the kingdom from her unprepared navy.
L ondo n, Novcmberig.
Aletter from St. Euftatia, dued September 22,
fays, " The commander of a Dutch hoop, arrived
ft this place from Porto-Bello, brings the follow
ing intelligence: A powerful squadron is arriv
ed at Porto-Bello, fora Cadiz, a# are also z large
body of land forces; every thing there wears th^
'PP™"" °' * war, and every preparation for
„ ,*~ e purpose is carrying on by the Spaniards in
all their ports in the Weft.lndies."
It is now very confidently talked among th® friends
of government, at the Court end of the town, and
in the city, that by Christmas they expe& the port,
to be open to New- York, if ^ ^ Philadelphia 04
Maryland.
Colonel Berre, seemed not to like a refutation &f
the master of fia cf his assertion, and declared ha eve?
would watch the minister ; that it was extra©!din^ry
lacerd if the ncb;e lord high ia cffice, and the cft,%nfc
ble minister, expected his words would not be watch
ed ; be pretested he would continue to which him,and
report h^ words on every fit occafiom ; but he pro
mised to do it alwa,s like a gentleman and a man cf
honour, with truth and accuracy; that the day
WAS NOT YET COME, WHEN AX ENQUIRY MUST
B,„° E / XT ° T ^E CAUSE OR THE AMERICAN
WAR; that, he was ferry to tell the noble lord, if
di , d . , 0t '^ ra appear f £ tisfa&cry, his h?ad
^culd be laid an tae block. That the fixation of af
fairs were tremendous ; that this country fe^tred to be
near the crisis of her fate ; he advised the t^sfury
bench, therefore to lock about them, aid as there was
ouzqueftion which demanded an immediate adfier,
he would then put it :
“ Had, he king's miaiftm information of a parti
cular fpecm of armament preparing by the F^ach in
thofeparu of Fiance which were immediately o,p a fi&
and nearest to thia kingdom ?"
The q,ftioa, he trusted, was clou and comprehen
sive. it was not anfared, thefilenceof the ministry
would operate 1A his mind as fully a, any afo r they
could give; if they had not the necessary information
they were not fit for their pofls, an d ought to hold
no longer.
^had taken With ^Ku^aity ; fr. Ce^rri W%%.
ington also declared, that he h: # ^. : ^ ^ fill @_
der his cognizance with every poffiLh ^cm'.^. .. # he
account stated that the conference »ded; \hiiL^e
ral Washington invited the colonel no p^ul^ &
Collation, which he had provided; tr^ ihz ..
declined it, urging his hating but lately br^kfoied,
and the impatience of general and tod Huw% to re
ceive an answer to their letter.
The colonel then pounced like an eagle on the tre
mendous part of his fubj^&, the appearance of a war
in Europe, and told the house, that a new war of tail
most serious kind threatened this county, a war fora
the unit^dpowers of France and Spain. That the at
tack would Shortly be made, and made within the
hearing of rhofe who fat within the walls that then en
circled the h jufa [this created a general laugh, which
fecmed to hurt tne colonel much, and he infianti,
faid] " Gentlemen may laugh, but I dare aver, that
thof& who laugh now, will, in the moment of danger,
b, lyiag in ^*rs on their backs, like cowards." fc[s
then declared, that France was full two months be
fore-hand with us in preparation ; that we wexe ia
f,& defenceless, unable to ^ak# any retiftance Ihould
fht soon begin ; that Lord North fhified his ground so
often, that thete was no dependance on his infoimati^
on; that even now he had said, he relied on ^he^r^
feataflurances of the pacific intentions of France, but
that he did not know how soon she might alter her i?-
tentton.
r This called up Lord North, who repeated what be
had„frid in this part of th* fubj^a of his speech, ^kd
agun cechzed, that he firmly believed the ^ffnr^a
the court of Verlaiihs, but as ha was mo prophet,
he wQuldnot fay pofinvely that France might aotlict
after change her intention. Lord Nurth 'complained
of having his words watched, and thrown perpatuaLy
in his teeth.'