The Pennsylvania packet, or, The general advertiser — Lancaster, Pa.;Philadelphia, Pa., 1779-09-07 00:00:00, page 2

WILLIAMSBURG, August 28.
Extract oj a teft^jrom St. Jiujiatius, to a gentleman in this
~ dated August io, 1779
'' Count L'ERaing is kill going ®n rapidly in his con
quers. Since he reduced Grenada he has taken Tobago.
It is cons len: y alferted here that the Spaniards have join
ed him with fixteem fail of the line, and that they have in
veßuo B rbaloes with t e most formidable fleet that ever
appeared m diis quarter of the world Admiral Byron
remains at ^. Kitts, quite inadive, and without a prof.
pe& ofbeing able to quit that Ration for some months; in
the course of which it is supposed almost every Bricifh island
must fall to the French.
BALTIMORE, August 31.
Extract of a letter from an officer on the Northern
Expediti n, dated at Colos, June 28, 1779.
“ Col. H <zen with part of the regiment, has advanced
as far as the river La Moile, diflant from hence about 40
miler . iaking a read and building block-houses; intelli
gence receives from Canada, by an officer of —regi
ment sent in as , is greatly in our favour, the in
habitants of that country re almofl determined to a man to
join us the moment we enter tneir territories. The fort
at St. John's kasa uard of a teige nt and 15 men only,
the cannon ;re all demounted and lent off, except one er
two pieces unfit for service. At Chamblee there is a sub
altern's guard of 30 men ; At the Three River's they have
a guard of 600, and at Montreal 100 men, which are all
the men Rationed above Quebec ; this my friend is gqod
news, and nothing inferior is it, that the enemy have de
stroyed or carried away the whole of their fleet on Lake
Champlain, except two gallies one of which mounts one
gun only.—This you may rely on."
B O S T O N, August 26.
Extract of a letter from Bilboa, dated July 8, to the Ho
norable Board of War of this State.
" His Catholic Majesty having thought proper to
break off all intercourse with Great-Britain, and to order
his Ambassador to withdraw from that Court, the King
of Great-Britain has granted letters of marque and re
prisal against the Spaniards, and eight or ten fmali vessels
have been taken off this ^ort. All British vessels were
CHARLESTOWN, (South Carolina) August 3.
SUNDAY night last, four aimed sailors took poffeffi
on of our State pilot boat 7 ryal, lying at Frioleau's
wharf, on board of which were Messrs. Jacob &ayle - anti
William Colfon and a negroe fellow, who were al:; in.
fined ; they put to sea immediately, and off the bar -^^
the two white men the boat, in which they arrived in town
lafi Re nt - They kept the fellow. It is supposed the) are
gone eir^ r to Savannah or Beaufort.
A bevy ot men, being part of General Scott's army,
have arrived at Camden.
The Chambers of Accounts, on the reference of the
Auditor-General, shall carefully examine claims and ac
counts against the United States : compare the charges
with the allowance by Congress, and the vouchers to flip
port them > reduce fuc - articles as are over-charged, and
reject such as are groundless or unjust, is well as the vouch
ers which shall appear th them incompetent: they shall
have power to examine ffes, being firft sworn or af
firmed by them, or one of them, and to call for any books
or papers in the public offices or in the cufiody of any
public officer; when they reduce or rejed a charge, or
set aside a voucher, they shall allow the accountant or
claimant an appeal to the Auditor General, if demanded.
The Auditors of the army shall refpeHively reside in the
main army or detachment of tue army for which they shall
be appointed by the B ard of Treasury, and not be absent
without leave ofthe Commander in Chief, or commanding
officer. It shall be his duty to call to account all regiment
al officers indebted to the public; to receive the pay rolls
and abhrafts of the army from the Paymaster-General or
his deputies, who shall previously examine and certify the
lum due : to fettle all other accounts of the army, except
ing those in the departments of the Quarter Master, Pay-
Master, Directors, Cloathier, Barrack-Master, or Com
wiffaries of Provisions, Prisoners, or Military stores : but
when any articles in any of those departments are mixed
with charges wrhin the immediate duty of the Auditor,
he shall fettle the whole account notwituftanding : be shall
also adjufl all other accounts which he shall be inftruHed
by the Board of Treasury to do. He shall present the ac
counts fettled by him and the abfirads with certificates of
what is due, to the Commander in Chief or commander
of a detachment, having a military chest, who shall there
upon, unless he has reafpns to the contrary, issue warrants
on the Fhy-Mafter or Deputy-Pay Mafter-Generaf, in
difeharge thereof. He shall make report of all his feide
ments and tranfaaions to the Auditor General at such
times and in such forms as shall be directed by the Audit
or-General. In all other refpe&s he shall execute his duty
as prescribed by aft ®f Congress, dated the 6th day of
February, 1778, and such inftruftions as he shall from
time to time receive from the Board of Treasury.
sident ofCongrefs or Board of Treasury. On receiving
money, he shall give a receipt, and on every payment
take one to serve as his voucher ; he is to render his ac
counts quarterly to the Auditor-General, for examinati< n
by one of the Chambers of Accounts, and being reported
to and approved by the Auditor, and presented by him
to the Board of Treasury, and no objections appearing to
them, a copy shall be transmitted to Congress. All Loan-
Officers shall make monthly returns to him as well as to
the Board of Treasury of the monies in their hands atifing
from loans, taxes or other means; on which returns he
shall charge such officers m his bosks : whena warrant is
drawn on him, and he finds it convenient that it should
be paid out of the money in any Loan Office, he shall in
dorfe on the warrant an order to the Loan-Officer, re
quiring him to difeharge it accordingly ; but before it is
transmitted, he shall produce the indorfements to the Au
ditor-General, who shall register and certify it to have been
passed by him, and tne Loan-Officer is authorifed and di
re£fed to pay it; and both the Auditor-General and the
Treasure! are to credit the Loan-Officer with the sum which
he is required to pay by such warrant and order.
On taequeßion to agree to this clause, beginning at "all
Loan-Officers,"
It was resolved in the affirmative.
L ONDO N.
HOUSE of LORDS, June 18.
YESTERDAY, as soon as the House met, Lord
Weymouth, one of his Majesty's principal Secreta
ries of State, laid before their Lordfllips a message from
his Majesty, to the fame purport as that brought to the
Commons, and accompanied with a translation of the
MANIFESTO delivered on Wednesday from the Court
of Spain, by her Ambassador here. After which, the no
ble Lord, in a fliort speech, moved the House for an hum
ble address to his Majesty, assuring his Majesty that their
Lordships were willing to haz*d their lives and fortunes
in defence of his person and government.
Lord Abingdon, with great spirit, opposed the motion.
No probability appeared, he said, of feeing our public af
fairs put into a better fruition, or our calamities removed
or alleviated, by those men who had by a series of the most
gross, obstinate, and unexampled follies, plunged us into
a thousand difficulties. Our present situation, his Lord
ship farther contended, was now become so critical as to
require the advice and consent of our ablest Ratefmen, and
that it would be, highly absurd indeed, to entrust the con
du& of the war, when extended to the whole House of
Bourbon, to those very Miniflers who had woefully prov
ed themselves wholly incapable of defending us with any
kind of success or reputation against a frart cf it. His
Lordfllip brought into cue point of view the whole mif
conduft of Admmiftration, pointed out their ignorance
and inability in the most remarkable instances, with pro
per animadversions thereon, and laid immediately at their
doors the deaths of those thousands of brave men who have
been facrificed in the course of the American war.
His Lordfilip remarked, how entirely the Ministry had
loft all confidence of the people; that confidence, he said,
which it was so necessary for a Ministry to enjoy, before
they could act with efficacy and success: finally maintain
ing, that the spirit of the public was so damped by the pre
fect men in power, that they really could not find it in
their hearts to with for victory while they continued to
guide the reins of government. His Lordship therefore
nsevs/, “ For an humbe address to his Majesty, pray
" ing, that his Majesty would be graciously pleated to re
" move the present servants of the Crown from his confi
" dence, advice, and councils "
The noble Lord's motion brought on a very warm and
general debate; after which there appeared, upon its be
ing put,
Contents, - - 82
Not contents, - 60
Majority, 38
Lord Abingdon's m®tion, which his Lordfllip had mov
ed by way of amendment to the motion for addressing his
Majesty, being got rid oQ the DUKE OF RICHMOND
proposed another amendment, by moving, " That an
" humble address be presented to his Majesty, praying,
" that his Majesty would be graciously pleased to change
“ the present fy Rem of measures laid down in the cabinet,
'' and pursued by his Majesty's Ministers."
His Grace represented, with his usual good sense and
force of argument, the very dangerous principle of our
politics for some years back, pointed out the many un
happy events which had tnfued therefrom, together with
the calamitous Rate to which we were now reduced, and
was confident that nothing but an entire alteration of our
public measures could possibly save the British empire from
utter deftruaion.
A second debate, equally warm and Spirited with the
firft, now took place, after which his Grace's motion was
rejeded, by a majority of 34, there being,
Contents, - - 32
Non contents, - 66
The two amendments being severally thrown out, Lord
Weymouth's motion,:as originally Rated, was put and
carried without a division. Aher which the House ad
journed.
Extraa of a letter from Rouen, June 9.
“ The greatest preparations are carried on in this pro
vince (Normandy) and in Britany. Our workmen here
are employed in repairing the ships destined to be used as
transports, and this day they began to build the boats ne
cessary for the landing of troops: there are now fifty of
them on the stocks at St. Maloes, where about 60 ships of
i<o tons burthen have been taken up for the King's ser
vice: there are forty at Havre, and fifty at Granville ;
those 150 fail are now ready, and will be fufficient to trans
port 25,000 men; the regiment of Normandy is on the
way to Brest, with orders to embark immediately ; all the
English residing in or near our ports, have orders to re
move at the distance of at least sixty leagues from their pre
Saturday last arrived at Salem, the Salem Packet, Capt.
C®ok, in about 30 days from Bilboa—We have been fa
voured with an English paper which came in this vessel
containing the following
PARLIAMENTARY INTELLIGENCE,
refpe&ing the Spanish Manifefto or Refcripf, delivered
in by Count D'Almodovar, with some debates which
passed thereon.
flopped in spain by order from Court, the 27th ult. ITe
feet from Cadiz failed the 21st ult. and it is here said
they have invested Gibraltar with 30 ships of the line and
12,000 land forces. The gd inst. Count D'OrviMiers, with
30 fail of the line and 12 frigates, were joined off Ferrol
by 10 fail of the line and 3 frigates, from that port. The
English fleet, of 33 fail of the line remain in the Chan,
nel. A fleet is making up at Toulon, in order to lay siege
to Minorca. A very large number of vessels are taken
up in France, and a great body of la^d forces are marched
to the coast of Britanny and Normandy, 'tis supposed a
defeent on the coast of England or Ireland is 'intended,
should the fleet be tempted to leave the Channel. The
Deputy of this Province, came to notify me (being the
only American resident here) that they had orders from
Court to furnifh all American armed Clips with whatever
they may want, and to treat the Americans as friends.
Every thing wears the most promising appearance in our
favor here, and I believe this summer the English will have
bufiaefs enough on hand."
The accounts refpe&ing the retreat of our little army
from Penobfcot being so various, we choose to omit at
tempting any particulars until we have it from authority.
sent settlements. A fma"il boat which lately arrived from
America, brings advice, that General Lincoln, after hav
ing defeated the English in several fkirinilhes, had forced
them to evacuate several of their posts in Georgia."
It is said Lord Stormont will be immediately appointed
Secretary of State.
Though we are now entered upon a war with Spain,
with France and America on our backs, we have formed
no one alliance of any consequence; the fate of Great-Bri
tain therefore, and the full exertion of her strength, de
pends entirely on the wisdom, spirit, and (economy ofthe
present administration.
'Tis now with great confidence said, that the Brest fleet
failed on the 3d of June at half past two in the afternoon ;
that it consisted of 28 Blips of the line, and 23 frigates ;
that it contained a great number cf troops and marines ;
that their cockades in their hats were white and red, to
Blew that a union, had taken place between France and
Spain. 'Tis generally supposed they are gone to join the
Spaniards, and it is to be feared an invafrxi'bf great con
sequence will take place on some part of the British domi
nions : Ireland is at present most thought of for the place
in which the firft aH of hostilities will commence.
Yesterday morning some dispatches were received at
Lord Weymouth's office from the Englifli Ambassador at
Madrid, who is hourly expected to arrive, as he had tak
en his leave before the dispatches came away.
Yesterday noon messengers were difoatched from the
Admiralty to the out-posts, for all the men of war, frigates
and Roops of war, that are in condition, to be fitted for
sea with all possible difpaich.
Advice of a most alarming nature have been received
from Quebec; it is reported that that city is taken by the
Americans in a coup de main
Thursday morning, at twenty eight minutes past three
o'clock, the Spanifli Ambassador set off from his house tn
Great-George street, on hi° return to Madrid.
Our feperation through the incorrigible obftiaa
cy of administration, is now critically distressing in
deed! unnerved, as the arm of Great-Britain is, by
an absurd and fruitkfs war with America ; we have
not only this to struggle against, the difficulties and
difagvantages of it, but have drawn, by cur follies,
the whole house of Bourbop upon us; and while our
military and naval strength is miserably enervated,
and our refourees in a manner exhausted, France
and Spain appear in the height of vigour, furnished
with the most ample means of a formidable and ex
tensive war, the former over-Recked, as it is, with
ships and troops, while the treasures of the latter
power leaves the French cabinet under no fort of
concern for their finances.
At the Court at St. James's, the 18th of June, 1779.
PRESEN T,
The KIN G's Most Excellent Majesty in Council.
HEREAS the Ambassador of the Kmg of Spain
has, by order of his Court, delivered to Lord Vis
count Weymouth a paper, in which it is declared, that
his Catholic Majesty intends to have recouife to arms,
under the groundless pretence of obtaining reparation for
injuries supposed to have been received ; and whereas the
said Ambassador has received orders to retire from this
kingdom without taking leave. His Majesty, being de
termined to take such measures as are necessary for vindi
cating the honor of his crown, is pleased, by and with the
advice of his Privy Council, to order, and it is hereby or-,
dered, that general reprisals be granted against the flips?
goods and fubjeffs of the King of Spain, so that as well,
his Majesty's fleet and fllips, as also all other ships and
vessels that shall be commissioned by letters of marque or
general reprisals, or otherwise, by his Majesty's Commis
sioners for executing the office of Lord High Admiral of
Great-Britain, shall and may lawfully seize all ships, ves
sels and goods belonging to the King of Spain, or his fub
jeds, or others inhabitants within any the territories of
the King of Spain, and bring the fame to judgment in a
ny of the Courts of Admiralty within his Majesty's do
minions; and to that end, his Majesty's Advocate-Ge
neral, with the Advocate of the Admiralty, are forthwith
to prepare the draught of a commission, and present the
fame to his Majesty at his Board, authorizing the Com
missioners for executing the office of Lord High Admiral,
or any person or persons by them empowered and appoint
ed, to issue forth and grant letters of marque and reprisal
to any of his Majesty's fubjeHs, or others whom the said
Commiflioners shall deem fitly qualified in that behalf, for
the apprehending, seizing and taking the ships, vessels and
goods belonging to Spain, and the vassals and fubjefts of
the King of Spain, or any inhabiting within his countries,
territories or dominions ; and that such powers and clauses
be inserted in the said commission as have been usual, and
are according to former precedents : And his Ma
jefty's said Advocate- Generai, with the Advocate of the
Admiralty, are also forthwith to prepare the draught of a
commission, and present the fame to his Majesty at this
Board, authorizing the said Commissioners for executing
the office of Lord High Admiral, to will and require the
High Court of Admiralty of Great-Britain, and the Lieu
tenant and Judge of the said Court, his Surrogate or Sur
rogates, as also the several Courts of Admiralty within
his Majesty's dominions to take cognizance of and judici
ously proceed upon all and all manner of captures, seizures,
prizes, and reprisals of all ships and goods that are or shall
be taken, and'to hear and determine the fame; and ac
cording to the course of Admiralty, and the laws of na
tions, to adjudge and condemn all such ships, vessels and
goods, as fh^ifbelong to Spain, or the vassals andfubjeSs
of the King of Spain, or to any others inhabiting within
any of his countries, territories and dominions ; and that
such powers and clauses be inserted in the said commission
as have been usual and are according to former precedents;
and they are likewise to prepare and lay before his Majes
ty at this Board, a draught of such inflruHions as may be
proper to be sent to the Courts of Admiralty in his Majes
ty's foreign governments and plantations, for their guid
ance herein ; as also another draught of inftrudions for
such fllips as shall be commiffionated for the purposes a
forementioned.
(For the Debates in the House of Commons, the Spanish
Manifefto, and the King of England's Message, fee our
Paper Extraordinary of Thursday last.)