The Pennsylvania packet, or, The general advertiser — Lancaster, Pa.;Philadelphia, Pa., 1781-06-26 00:00:00, page 2

treaty. A point so evidently rle^r, and so inconfeft
ibly just, could not become the object of negociation,
or of a new convention, derogatory to this treaty ;
nor could their high mightinesses Ihew themselves dis
posed to renounce, of their own accord, rights justly
acquired, or desist from them through regard to the
Court of England A renunciation, however, advan
tageous to one of the belligerent powers, would have
been incompatible with the principles of neutrality^,
and by which their mightinesses would on toe other
hand, have exposed the hate to dangers which they
were obliged carefully to avoid. A renunciation, which,
in other refpefts, would have exposed the commerce
and navigation -of the republic (its principal Support
and the Qurce of its prosperity) to irreparable injury.
The different branches of commerce being so inti
irately connected w th each other, as to form one
whole from which so essential a part cannot be taken
without neceffarlly producing the rum and destruction
of the whole body ; not to mention, that in the fame
time that their high mightinesses with reason, made a
difficulty of accepting the proposed conferences, they
had modified and retrained the exercise of their right
effectually by a provisional,resolution. As to the fgc
cours demanded, their high mightinesses cannot con
ceal that they have never been able to conceive how
his Britannic majesty could be brought to believe,
that he might, with the lea-fl appearance of juflice and
equity, insist upon the fuccours flipulated by the trea
ty, at a time when he had already renounced theobli
gations which the treaties had' laid him under towards
the public. Their high mightinesses have not been
Jess Surprised to fee, that whilst the troubles in Ame
rica, and their natural conferences,, could not cf
fed the republic by virtue of any treaty, and : that
the fuccours had not been demanded, until after the
Crown f Spain had augmented the belligerent power's,
his Britannic majesty, notwithfianding, took occaffon
upon this event, to infill upon hsdemands, with as
much eagerness and ardor, as if his majesty had a
right to pretend and maintain, that a war taking
place between hi,m and some other power, was alone
Sufficient to oblige the Rates at once to grant the fuc-
Cours Stipulated, without every previous examination.
The republic, t is true, was obliged 'by treaties to
assist the kingdom of Great Britain, whenever it was
attacked by a-n unjust war: and further, the republic
ought, agreeable to the fame treaties, to declare a
gai^ft the aggressor ; but their high mightinesses have
never pretended to relinquish the right which necef
farily flows from the nature of all offensive alliarces,
and which cannot be conteßed by - allied powers, viz.
previous to granting fccours, and taking part in the
war o examine the causes of detentions and the na
tu'reof the differences from which it arofe,and to weigh
deliberately the reasons which may establish the exist
ence of the cafus foederis, and serve as the basis to the
iuftice and legality of the war on the fide of the con
federated power which demands the Succour. And there
exists no treaty by which: their high mightinesses have
renounced the independence of the states, and Sacrificed
their interest to Great Britain so far, as to deprive
themselves of the right & an examination so necessary
and indifpenfible, in pursuing heps by which they
miaht be considered as obliged in duty to Submit to the
rood pleasure of the court of England, in granting the
fuccours dem oded, even when this court, engaged in
aquarrel w th another power, might think proper to
prefer having re ourfe to arms, to that of a. reasona
ble Satisfaction upon proper complaints.
It was not therefore owing to party fpiri:,'or the
combination of any predominant power; but after ma
ture deliberation, and wit.l a sincere desire to main
tain the most essential interests of the republic, that
the refpeaive flat s of the united provinces unani
moufly determined,that the fuccours demanded ought,
in as polite a miner as possible, to be refufed,
and their high mi, htineffes would not have failed to
furnith his Britannic majesty with an answe r , to the
reiterated demands for fuccours, if they had not been
prevented by the violent and unexampled attack of the
flag of the date, under the command of admiral Byland,
by refufing to give Satisfaction in so interesting a point,
and by the declaration no less furprifingthan unjuß,
which his majesty thought proper to make, relative to
the fufpenfibn of the treaties, which subsisted between
him and the republic ; in proportion as events demand
ed from them deliberations of a different nature, those
which had taken pl ce upon the fubjed of the,faid re
quifition, were prevented from being c tried into exe
cution. Pis in vain and contrary to truth for them to
attempt to multiply grievances, by alledging, t e sup
preflion of the rights of exportation, as a measure tend
ing to facilit te the transportation of naval stores to
France - for although this suppression formed an objeCt
which refpeded the interior regulation of commerce,,
over which all sovereigns have an inconteftible right,
and for which they are not accountable to any person ;
even this po nt has been taken under con .deration,
but has never been determined,consequently the rights
yet remain upon their antient footing, and what is ad
vanced relative thereto, in the manifesto, is totally void
of foundation, though it mull be cohfeffed that the
conduct of his Britannic majesty, towards the repub
lic,' has but too amply furoifhed motives, to juftify
fuc'h measures on the part of their high mightinesses.
The diff tisf ^ion of his Britannic majesty, refpeft
ing what took place in regard to the American Paul
Jones, ;s altogether as ill bounded. It is many years
Since their high mitineffes fixed and published express
orders, to aomit privateers and armed vessels, of fo
reign nations, with their prizes, in the ports of their
dominions ; orders, which to this day, have been ob
served and' ex cuted without any exception: under
these circumstances their high mightinesses could not de
part from those regulations with refpeH to a privateer,
furnished with a commission from the American con
grefs, lying in the Texel, and connected with vedels
of war, belonging to a Sovereign power, without tak
ing upon themselves to aft as judges, and to decide
upon matters in which their high mightinesses were
not obliged to take any -art, and with which it did not
appear to them, confident with the interest of the re
public, to intermeddle in any refped. Their high
mightinesses therefore thought proper not to depart
from regulations so long eflabl:flied, but they resolved
expteffly to prohibit the said privateer from being fur
nifhed with warlike stores, and infifled upon her quot
ing the road, at the expiration of the time absolutely
necessary for repairing the damage, which he (offered
at sea, with a formal declaration, that in case of a
longer delay they would be obliged to compel her to de
part, for which purpose the officer of the Rate, com
manding at that port, took care to make the neceffa
ry dTpufition, the effects of which this privateer had
fiercely time to. prevent.
With refpeft to wuat has past in other pa/fs of the
world, the informations which their high mightinesses
have constantly received from the Eaft-Jndies, are di
re&ly opposite to those which appear to have fallen un
der the eyes of his Britannic majesty, of which the re
iterated complaints which the directors of the Haft-In
dia company have forwarded to their high mightinesses,
and whit h the ioveof pe ice has caused them to suppress,
are inconteflible evidence. The measures taken with ref
neH tothe Weft Indies, as before mentioned, ought to
serve as irrefragable, evidence of the sincerity, zeal and
attention, witn which their high mightinesses have en
deavoured to maintain' in those countries the mos texaCt
and petfe& neutrality, nor have their high mightinesses
everbeen able to discover the lead legal proof of any in
fraction of their orders in this refpeft. As to the project
of an eventual treat; of commerce, with North Ame
rica, which originated with a member of government,
in the province f Holland, without any public autho
rity, and t; e memorials prrfented on this fabjea, by
the chevalier York -the affair happened in the fol
lowing manner. When this ambassador had preferred
the memorial, of the tenth of November, of the last
year, their high mightineffes,without noticing expres
sions scarcely adraiffabie between sovereigns, wish
which this memoria. was replete, did not delay to en
ter upon the most serious deliberations, relative to
this fubjeft, and by their resolution of the 27th, of
the fame month, they did #iot hesitate to disavow, and
pubfckiy to disapprove all which had ben done
in this affair; after which they had reafonto expect
that his Brita ic majesty would have acquiefeed in
this declaration,, since he could. 'not be ignorant that
their high m-ghtineffes exercised no juriCd /dion in the
resp. Stive provinces, and that it was to the states of
the province of Holland (which were invefled in the
fame manner, as r he other provinces, with the fove
reign and exclusive authority over the rfubjeHs) Ihouid
be submitted an affair, relative to which their high
mightinesses had no reason to doubt but the slates of
the laid province would aft according to the exigency
of the case, and agreeable to the law of the state, and
the rules of equity. The eagerness with which the
chevalier York infixed, by a second memorial, upon
the article of punishment, couid not, therefore, but
appear very strange to their high mightinesses, and
tneir furprize was Gill augmented when three days sf
this ambaffidor declared verbally, to the president;
that if he did not receive that day a fatisfaftory an
swer to his memorial, he should be obliged to inform:
his court by a courier extraordinary.
Their high mightinesses, informed cf this declaration;
difeovered its importance, as viably manifesting the
measures already fixed in the council of the king, and
though the eftablithed tufloms would notadmit of any
deliberation upon the verbal declaration of foreign mi
nisters; they; nevertheless, thought proper to depart
from them upon this occasion, audio order their secre
tary to wait upon the chevalier York and inform him,,
that his memorial had been taken ad referendum by the
deputies of the refpedive Provinces, agreeable to the
received customs and confiitution of the government,
adding (what appeared to have been designedly omit
ted in the manrfefto) that they would endeavour to
give an answer to his memorial as soon as it was possible,
and the Condi.ution of the government would permit ;
and ia a few days after the deputies of Holland notified
the allembiy of their high mightinesses, that toe states
of their province had unauimoufly resolved to request
the advice of their court of justice refpefting the de
maud of punishment ; charging the f id court to give
th<ir advice as speedily as possible, laying aside all oth r
affairs. Their high mightinesses didnot fail immediate
ly to forward this resolution to the chevalier York; but
what must have been their furprize and aflonishment,
when they learnt that this ambaflador, after having,
reviewed his infirußions, had cut a billet tor e secre
tary, taxing this resolution as illusory, and refufed to
transmit it to his court. This obliged their high mig.h
iineffes to fend the (aid resolution to count Weldereo,
their minister at London, with orders to forward it as
loon as possible tothe minister of his Britannic majesty;
but the refufal of this minister prevented the execution
ot those orders. After this explanation of all the cir
cumfiances attending this affair the impartial public
will be able to weigh the principal motive, or rather
tue pretext of which his Britannic maxfty has availed
him elf for carrying into execution his designs against
the republic. The affair may be thus slated : his majes
ty was informed of the negociation which had taken
place in the yea 1776% between a member of govern
ment of one or the provincesand a member of the Ame
rirail Congress, wiiich negotiation had no other end
but an intended treaty of commerce to be concluded
between the republic and the said colonies, cafn quo,
namely in cae theindependence of those colonies should
be c(nowledged by the crown of England ; this nego
tiation, though conditional, and holding as condition,
that w-uich depended upon a previous aft of his majes
ty himfeif- This negotiation, which, without this aft
cr this anterior declaration, could have no effect, was
so ill taken by his majesty, and appeared to excite his
refinement to fuc) a degree, that be thought proper to
demand from the Rate a disavowal and public disappro
bation, as also a punithment and complea t fatisfadion:
their high mightinesses immediately and without the
leaf! delay, agreed to the firft part of the requisition,
but the puodhment demanded, was not within their
jurifdiaion, and they coald not submit to it without
adding repugnant to the fundamental constitution pf the
Rate. Tne Rates of the province of Holland being the
the only authority, to which the legal connufance ap
pertain, and who could provide therefor by the or
dinary ways and rules, this power constantly attach,
ed to maxims, which oblige her to refpe& the authori
ty of the law, and fully convinced that the mainte
nance of the judicial department, in all that integrity
and impartiality which is infcparable fron, it, ought te
form one of the firmeft fopporfs so the Supreme power.
This sovereign, ' ound, by all that is sacred, to defend
and prote& the rights and privileges of her fubje^s
could not forget herfelf so far as to fubferibe to the
will of his Britannic majesty, in Rrikingat these rights
and privileges by exceeding the I mis prescribed by
the fundamental laws of the government; these laws
require the intervention of the judiciary departments
and these were the means which the said Rates, were
refolded to employ in requiring upon ibis fubjed the
advice of the court of juflice eßablNied in their Pro
vince. It i: by pursuing these measures that they
have demonflrated to his Britannic majesty, the Eng
lish nation, and to all Europe, the unalterable princi
ples of justice and equity, which charafterife the Bata
v an constitution, and which, in a part, so interefling as
that which refpf& the exercise of the judicial power,
ought forever to serve as a buckler and a rampartagainft
ever, thing which might endanger the Safety and inde
d-nce of a free nation : It i also by these means, and
by pursuing these measures, that far from flopping thet
channels of jufiice, or eluding the demand of punish
ment, they, on the co. trary, left open a way to a re
gukr . proeefs conformable to the constitutional princi
ples of the republic . and it is, in fine, by these means,
that they have deprived the court of London of every
pretext to complain of a denial of justice, they have
hitherto prevented the least Shadow or appearance
which might authorize that court to make reprizals -
to which, nevertheless, they have made no scruple to
have recourse, in a manner, as odious as unj„ft.
But while the Rate took measures So just and pro
per, to prevent all fubjefis of complaint, the proceed
ings which were to commence the rupture had alrea
dy been fixed and concluded upon in the council of
the king : This council had resolved to attempt all
means for preventing, if possible, the accession of the
republic to the convention of the northern powers,
and the event has clearly demonstrated, that it was re
sentment against this convention, which has induced
this court to purftie the measures which she has been
pleased to take against the republic. In addition from
these causes and after the reiterated outrages and im
mense losses, which the Subjects of the republic have
experienced from his majeftythe king of Great. Britain,
their high mightinesses, finding themselves beyond
measure provoked and insulted by his said maiefy,
are comp lied to employ the means which they 'have
in theii power to vindicate, and defend their inestima
ble rights, their liberties, and their independence:
They persuade themselves, with a firm confidence, that
the Godot armies, the God of their fathers, who by
the visible diplay of his providence, preferred and
delivered their republic from thegreateft d ngers, will
bless the means which they have resolved to use for
their lawful defence, by crowning the justice of their
arms with the ever triumphant fuc ours of h ; s all pow
erful protection ; in the mean time their high mighti
nesses ardently wiffi: for the- moment, when they may
fee their neighbour and antient ally, but now aftualy
their enemy, brought to more equitable and moderate
(eptiments, at which period their' high mightinesses
will eagerly seize on all occasions, which may be offer
ed, (compat be with the honour and independence of
a free Rate) for bringing about a reconciliation with
their antient friend and ally.
DO< E and fixed at the assembly of their high
mightinesses the lords of the states general of the
United Provinces, at the Hague; the twelfth of March,
17^. COCQva^ HAAFTON, Vt
Was marked, (,was fgned) Plus bas.
by order, D'ICEUX. . H. FAGEL.
STATE of PE N NSVLV A NIA.
An ACT to fraife effective Suppl es for ti e Year one
thousand seven hundred and eighty one.
% H ~RE-A' the honorable Congress of the United
ww States of America, did, by their resolution of
the fifteenth of January; one thouffr d feveo hundred
and eighty one, demand of the federal Rates in union,
such effective supplies as might enable them to carry
on the w^r with vigorand effe& : And whereat it is
the desire of the representatives of the freemen of this'
Rate, to comply with the Gid resolution of Congress :
Be it therefore enabled, md it is hereby enaflej, by
the representatives of tne - freemen of the common
wealth of Pennsylvania, in general assembly met, and
bytbe authority of the fam-, that the sum of two
hundred thousand pounds Shall b^ railed, levied, col
lefted and paid witting the current year, (over and
above all arrearages of taxes assessed in the old conti
nental currency) and &I 1 be levi-d, assessed and ralf d,
in the city of Philadelphia, and the Several counties
of this state, according tothe method and proportion
following, that is to fay,.
In the city and countyof Philadelphia; tie sum of
66,26 c!. ss. Bd, In the county of Bucks, the sum of
13,1051. 13s. 2d. In the county of Chester, the sum of
^0371. 17s. 3d. In the county of Lancafler, the sum of
28,4721. Bs. 5^ In die county of York, the sum of
15,8621. jßs. In the county of Cumberland, the sum of
14,9091. 16s. In the county of Berks, the sum of 14,320!.
3s.yd. In the countyof Northampton, the sum of 8,2431-
13s. Bd. In the county of Bedford, thefum 014,519!.
7s. gd. In the county of Northumberland, the sum
°' 5:5^21. 15& 2d. In the counties of Weftmoreland
and Washington, the sum of 7,6851. is. fid.
And be it further enaßed by the anti ority afore
faid, that the commissioners of the city and county of
Philadelphia, and of ev-ry county in this state, or any
two of them, shall meet together on or before the firft
Tuesday in July next, at their ufaal places of meeting,
in the city, and in their several counties, and Shall
then and there issue their warrants, under their hands
and Seals, to the town Ship, ward or dißrid assessors
of each township, ward or difirid within their respec
tive counties, requiring them, the said affeffers, to
make fair returns in writing, on a certain day to he
by them appointed, of the names and firnames of all
the taxable inhabitants, and fiogle freemen within their
respective townfltips wards, or diftri&s; together with
a fair and true return of ad their elates real and per
sonal, made taxable by this aft, in what county situ
ated, and to whom such eflates do respectively belong.
And to enable the comm. Wooers to do the flrißeft just
tice, in aligning the quota cf the several townships,
wards and diftpi&s, within the city and ea:h count)