The Pennsylvania packet, or, The general advertiser — Lancaster, Pa.;Philadelphia, Pa., 1782-07-25 00:00:00, page 2

If I may flatter myfelf with having shewn that this plan
is not dangerous, I can much more easily prove it is ne
cessary. suppose an invasion, or even an attempt, what
force will not be necessary for the protection of Ports
mouth, Plymouth and Chatham ? What will not be neces
sary for defending the capital itfelf ? If all the force of the
kingdom were aflembled, it would scarce faffice for so
great an object as the hit. How then ffiall it protest the
wh de kingdom, with so vast an extent of coast ? How but
by creating, what the danger of the moment renders in
difpenfible, a local force, extendable however where the
danger (hall call for it. I will not deny that this measure
is alarming. It ought to be so, and this was what deter
mined me more in its favor. It will open the eyes of the
people upon their true situation. May every inhabitant
in every city be struck with the danger to which his very
hoiife is exposed, if he do not protect it with arm's in his
hand. In one word, I expert the belt effects from this
plan, because it must souse the nation, unite them, put
them on their guard, animate their courage, and inform
our enemies that there is not one man in England, who
being apprized of his danger, will not be ready to repel it,
and to die with his arms in his hand, rather than renounce
his independence.
I fear that peace is not so near as we hope dr wish; but
if it is protracted, it is not for want of a pacific dispo
sition in his Majesty's ministers. They are ready to ac
cede to such terms as the necessity of the kingdom may
foftify. But they know no of no means more effectual to
>btain peace, than a vigorous prosecution of the war,
nd effectual preparation for defence.
The Lord Advocate of Scotland proved, on this occa
-sn, that though he happened to differ from the Admi
ftration in some points, yet that it was not his intention
oppose the ministry, right or wrong. He represented
loth The arms arc to be delivered to them for the ex
ercif- only, to be returned to the fnagazines immediately
afterwards.
But to (peak more particularly to the measure, which
appears to ala> m the , honorable member. It was to this
very measure I alluded the other day, when endeavouring
to shew the necessity of an enquiry, I said the kingdom was
in so extreme a itue of danger, that some new and alarm
ing mode of levying meh must be adopted.
At a time when cur fleet remaining in Europe appears
to be one fourth of those of the powers with whom ue are
at war; at a time when the regular troops that remain in
the kingdom are weak and incompleat, and cannot be re
cruited but with much time and difficulty; at a time when
our interior fortifications are, beyond all conception, in
fufficient to protest the kingdom against foreign invasions;
at a time, in fine, in which all our Cleans of defence, both
by sea and land, are in no manner equal to those of our
enemies with which we may be attacked ;it is surely time
that they, to whom the government of the kingdom is
confided, ftiould look on every fide for some part at least
of these deficiencies. That deprived, by the fcahdalous
conduct of their predecessors, of the fuccpur of a powerful
navy, the natural bulwark of this country, they should
endeavour to guard the kingdom against the attacks of its
enemies by the only mode that remains, that of arming
the people for their own defence and that of the kingdom.
What is the manifeft obje& of the plan in question ?
Simply to set on foot a national militia. The militia at
present embodied cannot be properly considered as mi
lioa, but a part of the regular force of the realm. It was
in this light that I considered them, when I said, that
what we had of regular force' in the kingdom was weak
and jncompleat. To remedy this weakness, we are about
to ftablifh a national militia, to arm the people for the
defence of th drown property and that of their neighbours ;
in ti e, the plan is not oidy to augment the interior force
of the kingdom, but that also which government may 00
cafionafy employ to a& offensively abroad.
Where then is the danger of this plan? Of what is the
honorable member afraid ? Of his fellow-citizen ! Of the
people of England ? What, is there danger in putting arms
into the hands of the most loyal people? No, Sir, 1 will
pledge myfelf for them, that they never abuse the confi
dence reppfed in them. I will take upon myfelf my share
of the crime and punilhment, since I acknowledge my con
currence in the measure.
i<th. Ti>e adjutant or town major ought always to at
tend ar the times of exetcife, and fee tha the co:ps march
nune:ady as the exetcift is finifhtd, and deposit their
arms in the magazine.
izth. Proper punishments Shall be annexed to non at
tendance on the exercise, disobedience of orders, indolence
to their officers, Ard other offen, es.
13th. These corps (hall not be obliged in any manner,
or by any\authority wha.tfc.erer, to march out of thei re
fyeaive cities, except in case of rebellion or invasion.
74th His Majesty (hull have power to order fitch corps
to march to such parts of rhe kingdom, as the Service
mav require.
I,sth On such occasions they are to a& conjointly, or
separately, with the regulars, and under the command of
such general officers as his Majesty (hall direct.
16th. The officers and men (hall receive the fame pay a<
the regular regiments of infantry, from the day they march
and during the time they areout of their refpe&ive cities.
i?th. 'Dotting he time tbes (hall be so employed and
paid, they ihdl be bibje& to mi'itary discipline.
1 Sth. Aii the < dicers wounded in actual service shall be
entitled to half pay; all the non-commissioned office, s and
privates (hall oe entitled to Chelsea hospital.
19th. rhe widows of officers killed in the service (hall
have pensions dicing life.-
The Honorable Charges Fox, Secretary of State, agreed
that the circular letter in question ought to be communi
cated to th - Hufe; but be expreffed' his aftoniihment at
the fears expressed upon the fubjeft by an honourable
member, as well as that he could suppose, that his Ma
jefiy's Minift.rs could intend to carry the plan into execu
tion, without previously obtaining the advice and consent
of the House. If the honourable m mber, continued hr,
had rea I the !-tter of my noble colleague, with a little
more attention, he would haye observed that nothing
therein indicated an intention of carrying the plan into
excution before it was communicated to Parliament.
A,p. indeed he might have known that the Miniftets of
hie Mujelty, not having it in t' eir power, would not cer
tainly have the prefump ion to carry into execution, nei
ther this particular plan, nor any other relative to the inte
rior defence of the kingdom, withouc the pievious cohfent
of Parliament.,
CAME to the Plantation of George Rupley, in East
Pennfborough township, Cumberland county, state
of Pennsylvania, on the 36b of April last, A Sorrel
MARE, about 14. or 15 hands high, 3 years old, in
m 'dling good order, has neither brand or ear mark,
one fare foot and one hind foot white, a white firak
down her face. The owner is desired to come, prove
property, pay charges and take her Sway.
July 3. HUGH MONTGOMERY,
STRAYED or stolen, out of the lot of the fubferiber,
' in the borough of Cheder, on the ni)ht of the 18 h
instant, Two HORSES; one a bay, about 15 hands
high, long switch tail, one hind foot white, a Roman
nose, a natural hotter, about 7 years old : the other a
sorrel, about 10 or 11 ye^rs old, short tail, one'or both
hind feet white, a Far in his forehead, thin mane lying
to the right, about 14. hands and a half high, trots and
gallops, and has remarkable high courage. Whoever
takes up and secures said Horses and Thief, itfftolen, so
that the owner may have his Horses again, and the thief
be brought to justice, (hall receive the abtye R:wa d,
or EIGHT DOLLARS for the Horses onll and rea
sonable Charges paid, by NATHANIEL TWINING,
in Newport, or Mr. WILLIAM KERLIN, in Chester.
July 23, 1782.'
to Mr. Parker Cooke, that his zeal, tho' laudable, had
carried him too far. Let us avoid, said he, clogging the
wheels of government, but, above all, in measures like
this for the defence of rhe country. I repeat what I often
said under the former administration in cases of imminent
danger, let us give government ^ll necessary confidence,
and without enquiring what hands the government is in,
let us acknowledge our obligation to hit Majesty's mini
sters for their attention in providing against the danger
that threatens us, and not neglecting any measures that
may obtain an honorable peace. Such a peace will de
pend upon their calling forth, oh one pact, all the powers
of the nation, and on the other, on the unanimity and
Support which their measures meet with in Parliament.
It is better therefore to reserve cur censure or applause of
ministerial measures, 'till we fee the event of them, ra
ther than throw obstacles in their way in the infancy of
their efforts. I exhort them, on my part, to act with
firmnefs and refolulion, to employ all the means that may
appear to them molt efficacious, without fearing that this
Ho fe, or the People, will fefufe them their support and
confidence. I exhort this Hou^, at the fame time, to
confide to them all the force that is in its power, to give
them their unanimous support in what they may attempt
for the public defence, for the vigorous conduct, and ho
norable conclusion of the war. I confider the plan pro
posed as wife and necessary. I shall confine myfelf to
Speaking of the danger that menaces my immediate coun
try, because I know it best. Almost all the cities on the
coast of Scotland are totally defencelefs, so that they are
at the mercy of the smallest privateer.
Mr.. Rigby, who flood in the fame light as the Lord
Advocate with regard to the late administration, emulat
ing the noble example of th< latter, declared his approba
tion of the plan, which he considered as equally wife and
falutarv. He observed that if the war continued between
Holland and England, they might expert continual at
tacks on the north eastern < oalTcf the kingdom. That
consequently, if the ministry could not fend a powerful
fleet into the North Sea, it would be necessary to provide
some other system of defence for the towns exposed to
such invasions. Although, added he, there should not be
troops on board the Dutch fleet, that will riot prove that
they did not embark troops, and this indeed is molt pro
bable.
General Conway, commander in chief of the army,
declared that the plan in question originated with him ;
that he communicated it officially to his Majesty's mini
sters, who, having approved it, adopted the plan of ad
dressing it in a circular letter to the principal magistrates
of the cities, for their opinion, not that it might be carried
into execution before it had been submitted to Parliament.
The General confirmed all that Mr. Fox had dated rela
tive to the defencelefs ftat6 in which he found the king
dom.
In general, all the mambers that spoke approved of the
plan; and Mr. Cooke, finding himfelf alone, extricated
bimfelf in an handforne manner, by felicitating himfelf
and the nation upon the very interesting and fat'isfaftory
information which his motion had produced.
s'Rf KE into the pasture of the fubfiriber, in Moy
waling, some time ago, a dark Brown COW,
had a rope tied cro'fs her forehead, marked mu one
born CXIIL Whoever owns said Cow by proving
his property and paying charges may have her again,'
by applying to ' ROBERT COREY.
Who has for SALE, Thirty Hogsheads R^ppaha
nock TOBACCO, and 100 Barrels of choice BEEF.
Claudius Paul Raguet,
Has imported from Franrr, in the Ship St. Helena,
and is now felling the following G O 0 D S, at his
S'ore in Water-Greet, below Walnut street,
SUPERFINE Broadcloths, Laval Linen, Britannia#,
S Ik and Ctten Stockings for men and women.
Silk Gloves and Mit r , Umbrellas, Calicoes and
Chinzes, Bedticki, % Checks, check & choletts Hand
kerchiefs, and a Virit of other Dry Goods,
ALSO, White La, pig and (heat Lead, window
Gbir.
LIKEWISE, A Quantity of heavy Maryland and
Virginia Tobacco, and some Bar Iron. July 24.
TO BE SOLD,
At 12 o'Clock at noon, at rhe Coffee House,
On Wednefdav Next,
A PH^T ON.
Forty Dollars Reward.
On board the South-Carolina, at
Philadelphia, 10th July, 1782.
S I R,
OBS ERVING a letter in a news-paper, dated
New York, 3d July, said to be written by lieu
tenant colonel Searle, of the Pennsylvania militia, for
merly a member of the honorable the continental con
gress, and particular agent for the state of Pennsylva
nia, to borrow monies in Europe, addressed to John
Jay, esquire. We cannot be silent whilst such falfities re
main in print against our commanding officer: we
have, therefore, met, fir, and requested the Printers to
publish our opinions on this letter ; expecting you will
not take amiss this reply of ours, nor prevent its ap
pearing in every paper on the continent, that the
world may fee what imprudent men we had to deal with.
Some of us were in Amflerdam when major Jackson
arrived from Paris, with letters from you: captain
Joyner immediately entered on the business with him;
aiked the number of packages ; was assured they would
be from five to fix hundred ; he observed his (hip could
not carry them all, but he would do his utmost; and
advised every means in his power to facilitate and hur
ry he business; but major Jackson's malevolent dlf
pofition prevented their going on with that harmony
that ought to have subsisted. Vou returned to Am
fie dam as soon as you had sent us the three hundred
and fifteen men from Dunkirk, and issued your orders
for receiving all the goods, and to flow the ship as full
as possible: we did so, by filling our hollop deck, and
our betwixt decks, causing our five hundred and fifty
feven men to lay on the gun-deck, and on the packa
ges ; but when we found the danger the ship would be
in from sickness, from want of proper room, and from
not being able to get the ship ready for a&ion in a
proper time, we thought it our duty to write you, as
we did on the 2d of July, 1781 ; freeing ourselves from
any blame, that might ari'e on the Chip's not being
properly defended, if attacked, particularly at firft
getting to sea, as we had a right to expert we saw
_ your distress on this occasion ; but we also saw that,
for many reasons, the goods must come out. Your
letter, in r ply to captain Joyner, eased our minds,
and there was not a man on board, who did not chear
fully agree to defend those goods to the last, by taking
every care of the vessels going under our convoy,fore
going every profpea we had framed of cruising on our
way to America, to procure the reward due to our se
vere difficulties, in assisting you to get this ship to sea.
I We got the ship ready for sea, and waited with impa-
I tience for the coming, from Amflerdam, of the two Grips
that were chartered whilst you were absent ; at last they
got near us; we aided by every means in our power
to flow them compleat, and to hurry them to sea ; but
we observed with pain, that there was a slackness
and indifference in those who ought to have hurried
those Chips away. You came down, and every one
was filled with hopes that we now should fail : you did
your utmost to hurry those flips, but to no efFe& : you
then took the lad step of forcing them to be ready by
your going to sea, which was highly necessary, be
cause there had been a revolt on board the 4th of Au
gust, on account of many of the mens times being near
expiring, fevera! others would soon be in the fame
way, and because the season for easterly winds was
failing. It was the 7th of Aug ft we failed, and got
the ship without all the shoals ; you ordered her to be
kept off and on till the Chips with the goods came out;
you requested major Jackson to go on Chore to hurry
thoe vessels out, and that you would wait ; he went,
and staid some days; we kept off and on that coast,
as near the Helder as possible, paring, as it were, the
boisterous winds that are frequent at that season, and
daring the enemy, who were very near us, by being
in the Downs, not above forty or fifty leagues diflance.
We, your officers, and the whole Chip's company, were
very une?fy at this conduce of yours; feeing our pro
visions daily exhausting, no pilot on board, no port but
mein Norway to get into, in case of accident from
storms or enemies, and feeing major Jackson so indif
ferent about these ships coming out ; we therefore ap
plied to you on the 17th and 18th of August, request
ing you to leave the coast and to proceed on our
voyage, flawing to you the daily dangers the fllip was
exposed to : your reply somewhat relieved us; as we
therein saw you had determined, to once more use every
effort to have the ships out, and that you had fixed
the time you would tarry; this fixed time seemed to
rouse major jackfon, and he declared, if you would
wait forty-eight hours, he would go on shore and
bring them out; thus was all, as we thought, proper
ly fettled. Captain de Boer, of one of the Dutch
ships, came on board, and we were pleased to fee ma
jor Jackson preparing to go on shore to finifh his bu
siness. On the 2o th of August, at day-light, a sudden
storm arifirig f-om the north-weft, soon compelled us to
try to work off of a lee shore, and it was with the ut
most difficulty the ship was kept from Charing the fate
of a Sweedifh 74 gun Chip, and a number of merchant
Chips who were that night and next day all cast away,
and but about fifty men saved out of all their crews,
though those Chips were far to windward of us when the
the gale came on; the press of fail we carried to save
the fllip, loosened her bead and drained her so much as
to have caused her being a leaky ship everfince. The
gale being over, we again remunerated to you the
danger the ship was in. You ordered the ship to be
got up to our old Ration ; we kept beating up till the
23d, when you were again applied to to leave the coast,
whereon you directed a council to be held of your prin
cipal officers, at which were present colonel Searle
and major Jackson, to hear the reasons assigned.
It was then determined that we should once more
procded to the Heldef, and wait off there 24 hours,
provided the weather adrmitted on epuig close in
shore; but on the 24th, finding winos and weather a
gainst us, we requested another meeting, and it was
then only, fir, that you gave your consent to quit thrf
dangerous coast ; and if you will recollect the joy and fa
tisfadion that every one exprefftd when you came out on
deck to give the or era to captain Joyner to proceed
with the fllip north about to America, you will be convin
ced it. was high time we should leave a lee fluoro and the
enemy's coast. We continued beating the North-sea,