The Connecticut courant and Hartford weekly intelligencer — Hartford, Conn., 1775-03-27 00:00:00, page 2

WILLIAMSBURG H, March 4.
1 here is a person of great ingenuity, in Surry
county, who has found out the method of making
pins, needles, and wool-cards; he also draws the
wire for those articles himfelf.
Last Wednesday, as the rider who carries the
mail between Newcastle aud Richmond was return
ing from thence, about ten miles before he had fi
nifhed his stage, he found in the road, a young
child, carefully placed in a box, with ten pounds
caffi, and a letter, the purport of which was, that
whoever should pick up " the child, and take care
of it, might apply the money to his own use, and,
moreover, might expert more at a future day;" up
on which, the man put the money in his pocket,
carried the child to his own house, and become his
fofter father.
PHILADELPHIA, March 4.
On the ,th inst. as George Taylor of Wilming
ton, in his own fhallop, was on his passage from
thence to this city, he was boarded by a party of
ruffians from the King's armed schooner the Diana,
commanded by Captain Graves (nephew to Admi
ral Graves now at Boston) who brought Taylor to,
and on boarding him, demanded what he had on
board, to which he answered only rum and limes,
but civilly told them they might go down and look;
they then demanded his papers, which were pro
duced authentic, but this not fatisfying them, they
entered the cabbin, wherein were several hundred
pounds cash, which Taylor, no doubt, justly think
ing proper to have his eye toward, went after them
to the cabbin door without going down; whereup
on he was immediately menaced and insulted, as
fafpeding the honour of the King's men, and al
though he made no other than a moderate civil re
ply, as several passengers on board can teftify, he
w^ immediately furioufly attacked and knocked
down, where he was beaten in a most inhuman man
ner till the deck was besmeared with blood, and at
the fame time fhamefully insulted with the infernal
language common to such crews, and which but for
offending the civilized ear might be repeated; they
even threatened to throw him overboard and drown
him, took the command of his boat, and after gra
tifying their malice, by towing her about in the ri
ver, tobk+er along fide the schooner, where the il
lustrious captain detained her a considerable time,
iufulting and abusing the skipper, and juftifying and
applauding the condud of his heroic men, who had
brought him a common fhallop with two or three
men on board, without the lead appearance of clan
destine condud; after the gallant Captain with his
crew had somewhat glutted their rancour, they dis
missed the fhallop; but Taylor was so wounded
and abused that he was notable to condud her, yet,
by the assistance of those on board she was got up to
this city, and he afterwards conveyed home to Wil
mington, where he lay dangerously ill.
QuEKY.---Whether such conduA as this, does not me
rit the attention of the public, and an exertion of the ponder
of those in authority.
Extras? of a letter from a Gentlemen in Barbados to his
Friend in this City, dated February 8, 1775.
" A Subscription was opened at the house of 'John
Prettyjobn, Esq; for our worthy and difreffed brethren of
Boflon, to be Jent in rum, the firfl weekin April. It is
imagined the sum will exceed £.IOOO this currency. The
Affembl, are forming a Petition to Jend to his Majesty, by
the frf European vessel."
PHILADELPHIA, March 15.
The Committee for the city and liberties of Phi
ladelphia will meet this afternoon at fix o'clock, at
the Philosophical Society's Hall.
\ SIR, London, Dec. 24, 1774.
THISis just to inform you, that having received
the Petition of the General Congress to the King ;
we immediately communicated the fame to Lord
Dartmouth, Secretary of State for the American
department, as the regular official method ; and
that, by which only, we could have expectation of
obtaining an answer.---His Lordship, this day, in
formed us, " That he had laid the fame before the
“ King, that his Majesty had been pleased to re
“ ceive it very graciously, and to fay, That it was
“ of so great importance, that he should as soon as
" they met, lay it before his two houses of Parlia
“ ment.---We can now only add, that we are, with
great refped, Sir, Your most obedient and most
humble servants,
To Edward Biddle, Esq; °)W. Bollan,
Speaker of the Hon. House of < .B. Franklin,
Representatives, Pennfylvania.J Arthur Lee.
Extract of a letter from Malaga, fan. 18.
" As you no doubt have, ere this, heard of the
Moors commencing hostilities against the Spaniards,
I shall endeavour to give you a letch of their de
claration of war.---' As it is contrary to the laws of
« our Prophet Mahomet, to fuffer any Christians to
' have any poffeffiohs on my coasts ; I desire you
< will immediately quit the several garrisons you
' are now master of ; viz. Ceuta, Millilia, Oran,
' Ac. otherwise I shall immediately lay siege to
' them, and lay them in ashes---As my intention is
‘ only to make myfelf matter of them, I have given
' my eruifeis stria orders not to moled any of your
' shipping, which may still have free acccfs to any.
' of our ports without molestation.---For you mutt
' not suppose our nation like yourselves, who can
' fuffer so small a place as Gibraltar to remain in
6 the hands of the English, and at so great a dißance
' from them, that they cannot receive any fuccour
' in less than two or three months.'
Extrafi of a Letter from London.
" I was very much obliged to you for your last
favour, the contents of which I thought proper to
communicate to the public. The firm and spirited,
I may fay magnanimous proceedings of the Con
gress, have had*the desired effect. The Ministry
are absolutely humbled ; they talk of their measures
having had a different effed from what they expect
ed, and Lord Mansfield begins to insinuate, they
did not originate from him. We shall soon have a
public disavowal of them from him. The fad is,
they begin to feel that their places will be hazard
ed by persevering, and they have no hesitation in fa
crificing the dignity of Parliament to their continu
ance in office, which they pretended they could not
give up to the peace of America, and the prosperity
of Great-Britain.
We hear a Body of People, armed with Clubs and
some few fire Arms, to the Number of about 100 assem
bled at Westminster, in the County of Cumberland, in the
Province of New-York, on the Evening of the 13th Day
of this infant, being the Evening before the Day of the
fitting of the Courts of Common Pleas, for said County,
for the Purpose of preventing the Courts fitting there, and
took possession of the Court-House ; the Sheriff of the Coun
ty being previoujl, advertised of their Defgn, raised the
Posse Commitatus to oppose them, and came up to the Court-
House a fart Time after the Rioters had seized it, and
attempted to enter the fame ; but was opposed by them ; he
informed the Rioters that the Court-House was the Pro
perty of his Majefy, and that he was the Keeper of it, and
demanded Entrance into it, and ordered them to disperse,
which they peremptorily refufed to do. Several Attempts
were made by the Sheriff and the Posse to enter the House
without Force, which were reefed by the Mob. The
Sheriff then informed the Rioters that he was determined
at all Events, to have Possession of the House, if be could
not get it without, he would get it by Force : He then
read the Riot Ad to them, and ordered them to disperse
within one Hour ; and told them that if they did net dis
perse within that dime and cease their Opposition to his
Entrance into the Court-House, he would most certainly
" The merchants are in motion and have adver
tised for a meeting, the Ministerial tools are the most
forward, as if they wanted to make a merit of ne
cessity. Among these Manduit, and Mollefon, the
most devoted instruments of Hutchinson and Wed
derburne are active. The latter wrote a letter to
might attend the delivery
of the petition, to bear his testimony against the
measures it complains of, as if he was become a con
vert by inspiration and in the heat of his new zeal
would adopt the petition without knowing its con
tents. They want to take a lead in the measures
they cannot prevent, in order to recommend them
selves both to America and the Ministry---to the
former, by an apparent zeal for their intercfts---to
the latter by betraying the counsels in which they
are permitted to share.
" A continuance ofthat firmnefs and unanimity,
which have thus disposed them to give us redress,
will secure the attainment of it ; and as we know it
is malvolunteers on their part, we must not remit in
the lead, till the ultimate ratification. For like true
cowards, they would take courage upon the least
appearance of remission on our part. I have no
doubt but they will endeavour to divide, by propof
inga partial redress, or as they will infiduoufly call
it, meeting half way. But as you have drawn the
line with great moderation, I trust you will not give
up an lota of what you have stipulated ; for indeed
Ido not fee what can be yielded with fafety. All
your demands are essential to Liberty, and therefore
must be religiously adhered to. Your wisdom will
inform you that favourable as appearances are at pre
sent, they are but appearances, which unremitting
firmnefs on your part can alone realize and conduct
to a happy issue. I hope, I shall not again have the
misfortune to lamentthe retracted honour and vio
lated faith of my countrymen. Ido not mean it as
any reproach to New-York to fay they will be tempt
ed; but while I hope they will do themselves the
honour of rejecting it with honest indignation, I beg
you will keep a watchful eye over them, because,
as the late Lord Clive very feelingly observed, there
are sometimes offers made, which flefh and blood
cannot resist."
Extract of a Letter fromLondon,dated Jan. 2.1775.
" The proceedings of the Congress are much
admired.---The manly spirit of Liberty, so elegant
ly expressed in all their writings, do them immortal
honour. Before they arrived, the torrent of invec
tive was hard against America ; but, so soon as their
resolutions and letters were reprinted, the fccne was
changed, and the cry was and is, That by the virtue
of the Americans, Britain will be saved."
BOSTON, (Monday) March 20.
oraer the Pff to fire on them ;to which they replied, Fire
and be damned ! Ij you do, the bardeffend of: The Sht
r'f told the Rioters be would not have them flatter them
fives that be fould not fire on them, for'be was abso
lutely determined to do it, if they continued obflinate.
He then, with his Peffe, left the House for the Space cf
about three Hours ; during which Time all possible Argu
ments were used to dissuade the Rioters from their Purfo,
which the, treated with Negled. They then sent to thofc
°f the Judges of the Court then in the Town, to know if
they would treat with a Committee from their Body, whe
ther the Court feould do Bufnefs : The fudges 'returned
this Answer, " That they could not treat with them whe
ther his Majefy s BuJinefs should be done or not ; but that
if the, thought themselves aggrieved, and would a,f, t®
them in a proper Way, they would give them Redress if it
was in their Power:" Rut this was by no Means fatis
faflory to them. At the Expiration cf the three Hours, the
Sheriff and Peffe returned to the Court House, and again
attempted to enter it ; but were beat back ^ the Rioters
with their Clubs ; be told them be would most certainly
fire on them if they did not deffl ; they answered, Fire and
he damned ! ---Fire and be damned ! The Sheriff then or
dered his Men to fire upon them, which they did, and
wounded one mortally (who is finee dead) and several 0-
thers very badly, one of whom is thought to be dangerous ;
the Sheriff, after a few Shots, ordered the Fire to cease,
and bis Men to enter the House with Clubs, which the,
did, when a flout Refinance was made b, the Rioters for
feme Time ; but they were fnall, disposed, and nine or ten
of them taken Prisoners. The Rioters fired once or twice
on the Sheriffs Part,, but did no Damage. The next Day
the Rioters were reinforced b, a large Number armed wish
Mifets, and being much superior to the Sheriff's Part,,
took him and about twelve others, and confined them in
cl°fe goal.
BOSTO N, (Tburfday) March 23.
Yesterday fe'nnight the following Remonstrance
was presented to General Gage.
" 'May it please your Excellency,
" We the feled men of the town of Beleiica,
beg leave to remonstrate to your Excellency, that
on the Bth instant March, one Thomas Ditfon, an
inhabitant of said town of Belerica, was tarred and
feathered, and very much abused by a party of his
Majeßy's 47th regiment, under the command of
Lieutenant Colonel Nefbit. As guardians for said
town, and from a regard to the liberties and pro
perties of its inhabitants, we cannot but resent this
procedure. Your Excellency must be sensible that
this aft is an high infraction on that personal lecuri
ty which every Englishman is entitled to; and
without which, his boasted constitution is but a
name.
" It is fufficiently unhappy for us, that we find
troops quartered among us for the purpose of en
forcing obedience to acts of Parliament in Great-
Britain, in the highest sense iniqtitous, cruel,
and unjust. It is still more unhappy, if these
troops instead of preserving the character which
British troops once had, should pour in additional
insult, and be guilty of the most brutal out
rages. We hope your Excellency will take some
proper steps for accommodating this affair; for we
assure you, we cannot, confident with our duty,
pass this matter over. We have been told by your
Excellency, that you never me^nt to diflurb the in
tercourse between the town and country. Confiding
in this, we have passed and repaffed in our usual
manner. We therefore hope your Excellency will
make it evident by your future conduct. that
you are determined the intercourse shall be pre
served, and we be not buoyed up with promises,
which in the end, we unhappily find not to be depend
ed upon. Lieutenant Colonel Nefbit is an officer un
der your Excellency's command: Of you, there
fore, we demand fatisfadion for the insult com
mittedby him. We think it is in your power. We
beg your Excellency, that the breach now too wide
between Great Britain and this province, may not
by such brutality of his Majesty's troops, still be
increased. We assure you Sir, it always has been,
and still is, our sentiment and prayer, that harmo
ny may be restored; and thatwe may not be drove -
to the last distress of nations.
But, may it please your Excellency, we must
tell you, we are determined, if the innocent
inhabitants of our country towns (for we mull think
this man innocent in this affair) must be interrupted
by soldiers in their lawful intercourse with the town
of Boston, and treated with the most brutish feroci
ty, we shall hereafter use a different ilyle from that
of petition and complaint.
If the grand bulwarks of our constitution are thus
violently torn away, and the powers of earth prove
unfriendly to the cause of virtue, liberty and hu
manity, we are still happy. We can appeal to him,
whojudgeth righteously; and to him we chearfull,
leave the event."
Extrad of a Letter from London, fan. 3, 1775.
" We shall not give you or any other person
with whom we have formerly had connexion in
New-York, or other parts of North-America, cause
to censure us,by fending over books or other things