The Pennsylvania packet, or, The general advertiser — Lancaster, Pa.;Philadelphia, Pa., 1779-03-09 00:00:00, page 2

OBSERVATIONS upen the Rights of the Pro
prietors of Pennsylvania, jor the Cenfderariea
of the General Assembly.
IL, V Ein the State of Pennfylvanii, bat have no con
cern in the public business, and have always been fuf
ficiently employed in managing my farm so as to enable
me to support my family and pay my taxes. I have long
been a witness of the rapid growth and progress of this
rotmtry, which has far exceeded that of any other State
in America, and for many years have 1 seen it tie parti
cular object of migration from Europe. I have ever un
derwood that this preference, this dillinfbon, was owing
to the freedom of its constitution considered either in a ci
vil or religious light; a constitution which has been ap
proved and,even Applauded in the writings of the most
distinguished advocates of freedom and liberty in Europe;
a confiitudon which has produced effeds that have risen
the country to such a degree of eminence as to take the
lead of the other Colonies while they were Colonies, and
. of the other States since the present glorious revolution, I
have locked back and found that this constitution took its
rife from that love ofliberty and that generosity of senti
ment which actuated William Penn, the firft Founder and
Propr etor of this country. lam out of the way of public
affairs; but I have heard a report tnat the present Assem
bly were about to flrip the defeendants of that great and
good man of their family estate, or to encumbered it in
inch a manner as to render it of no value. I heard the
report amd took a retrofpedive view of the facts and cir
cumstances I have related, and was flruck at once with
the injustice and ingratitude of such an attempt, and said
to myfelf, surely I have been mifinformed; it is incredi- *
life that a ^ople who have grown to so high a pitch of
eminence under a government so diflinguifhed for free
dom as that of Penafylvania, planned by the firfl propri.
etor, and administered by dm and his defendants with
out infringement of its privileges, can be really concerned
in attempting to deprive the family of their estate. And
although I feel myfelf greatly inferior t® the undertaking,
and have never attempted any thing of the kind, I have
so mu-h concern for the cause of justice, and am so anxi
ous for the reputation of the present government of this
state, t at I am flrongly impelled to expose myfelf to the
public, in making a few observations upon the interefling
ex cafion. lam confeious of being altoget er unacquaint
ed with those ornaments and decor riions of style which
givea polish to writings fit for the public eye, and I only
teeK to make myfelf cafily understood by the reader.
In toe fir Ip e I would observe, that there is in the
w&ld a reg wu .; r justice; there is a credit and reputation
attending 1, and even those who commit injustice would
fain oe tuouj : just ; of course all free governments ought
to a ten J with t e utmost care and precaution, to support
their.reputu.i_h by the justice of their laws and their ad
minifiration. Though they may have power to enforce
their own deepens amongst rhemElves, they cannot force
the opinions of the unprejudiced world, who will have
their eyes upon taeir public tranfadions, and it is easy to
conceive what an etfea the unfavourable opinion of the
world at large mud have upon the advantages or difad
yantages of any particular country. If the laws, or the
public adminiilration, fhsuld be marked with partiality
and injustice, i: will be Ihunned by flrangers, who will
retort to more favourable situations.
Although it were to be wished that every public regula
tion was attended with the ftriaeft justice, it is not to be
expeded that this good rule can be invariably obErved.
On tag spur of revolution and urgency of policy, there will
probably happen small deviations, which may impercepti
bly take place. Such will be readily excused; but those
which are great and glaring, will net be passed over :
They will infallibly produce difeontent and uneasiness
within, and diferedit without, the llate. lam very little
versed in history, but I remember to have heard of
Cromwell, who was confeffedly a wife man, that he had
a very particular regard to tne principles of juflice, and
placed the reputation of his government principally on that
foundation. To that end he took unwearied pains to
bring over my Lord Hale, though he well knew him to be
cifaifeaed both to his person and usurpation, and histori
ans fay, the high character of that Lord, so diftinguilhed
for his inflexible regard to the principles of justice, reflect
ed great reputation on the government of Cromwell.
I could never hear the least well founded objection to
the rigtit'of the proprietors: The province of Pennsylva
nia, and the government of it, was granted by the crown
of England to the firft proprietor in fee simple, in conse
quence of its right by difeovery; a right which was a
dopted and allowed throughout Christendom; a right on
which the territorial extents of all the several hates of
America now depends To this ri lit, univerfaily allow
ed to be just and valid, William Penn added that of pur
chase from the natives : For I have been informed, that
very foor iafter the royal grant, he came over with a num
ber of adventurers who had purchased rights of him, and
proceeded to a settlement of the country His firft care
was to be upon good terms with the natives, with whom
he came to a treaty, and agreed with them for the pur
chase of their right to as much of the country as he intend
ed to fettle for the present ; and likewise agreed with them
that he would never fettle any part of it till he had pur
chased of them : And they on their part agreed never to
fell to any but him or his poVerity ; and tus he became
invested with the double right of the crown of England
and the natives, With their immediate right to such part as
he then purchased, and to the right of pre-emption in the
rest. Thus invested with a full, cornpleat, and I may
fay, twofold right to the foil of Pennsylvania; a right
from which all the estates within it L re derived, and which
therefore must be taken to be good and effectual the pro
prietors have always been at liberty to grant or otherwise
dispose of the country to settlers, in such manner, and up
on such terms, as from time to time should be agreed upon.
Accordingly at firft some people chose to take their lands
upon rents reserved upon leases for years ; others, to pay
a sum of money and a quit rent for the fee simple. The
prices of the land and the quit-rent have been various, and
from time to time have been altered. In general as the pur
chase money hath been greater, the quit-rent has been
less: It has always been confid-red as a mere matter of
contrast. The proprietors, from tne nature of their estate,
had a right to propose as they pleased, and the people a
right to accept or refufe. The right to reserve quit-rents,
results from the nature of the estate, and has always been
acknowledged even by the legislature, who have made
Jaws to facilitate the recovery of them. The quit-rent
What I have said above is the effed of my regard for
the cause of juflice and for the reputation of the govern
ment. I need not mike any apology; for lam told the
terms of the coriftitution allow every man to speak his
sentiments of public measures with all the freedom which
is consistent with the rules of decency; those rules I have
not designedly transgressed. What I have written is
chiefly upon information, which in fomeinftances may be
wrong. It will not reflect upon either the wisdom or pru
dence of the Assembly, to give it an attentive confederati
on. I will conclude the fubjed, with taking the liberty
to give a caution against railing fuperftrudures of policy
upon the ruins of justice. That foundation will ever be
found a Landy one, and experience will feoner or later
Show that teat kind of policy is replete with a most ruin
ous and deflrufhve canker. How much ought every mtn
and body of men to revere the armory of that upright
and intrepid Judge, who said, Fiat j„:tia, ruat cceium!
Let jufiice be done, thougn the world should be wrecked !
1 have only to add, that as lam influenced solely by the
motives I nave mentioned, I mem not to enter the lifts
of controversy, nor Shall I trouble myfelf to reply to any
who may think proper to obje& to what I have written.
Feb. 28, 1779. N U M A.
❖„{, ;} ~ - fy^-fr.^fyd-#
Philadelphia, March 6.
TO BE S O L D,
On Saturday the third of April next, at the Coffce-haufe,
at fix o'clock in the evening,
/\ NE undivided fourth part of Martick Forge, and a
" like proportion of twelve hundred and firry acres
of good land belonging thereto, fitua e in Ma i tick town-
Ship, and within ten miles of the borough of Lancaster :
Th: forge is Supplied by that never-failing Stream Pequea:
The house is built of Stone, has four fires and two h?m
m.rs, and io the heart of a fine country for timber as
well as every other necessary: As the works have not
been carried on for feme years past, the timber on the
land is now well grown, and judged to be fufficient for
the support of the land and works for many years. The
advantageous fixation of the wo^ks are very obvious,
having the advantage of both the Philadelphia and Bal
timore markets for the iron, and conveniently fiuate for
obtaining piggs A °ood title will be given, and attend
ance at the time of sale b, the present owners. S.
T O B E s' O= L Dr
On reasonable terms for cash,
qi^ HE following Lots of LAND, viz. three undi
j. vided twenty fifths of twenty five thousand acres
of land, lying in the township of Meath, on the east
fide of Lake Champlaine. Also four thousand five hun
dred acres of undivided land in the township of Smith
field, in the county of Charlotte. Likewise three lots,
No. i. containing one thousand and forty five acres ;
No. 2. eleven hundred and twenty-one acres; No. 9.
one thousand and sixty-sour acres, in the township of
Belvidere, and county of Tryon, near Cherry Valley.
All the above-mentioned lots of land are in the State of
New-York. Fer further particulars apply to Mr.
Adrian Renandet, Merchant, in Philadelphia, or
Cornelius P. Low, near Somerset Ciurt-houte, in
New-Jersey.
WANTS A PLAC E,
AY OUNG MAN who can be well recommend
ed, and writes a geed hand. Enquire of the
Printer,
Estate is not peculiar to Pennsylvania : That kind of re
servation has been usually made in other places; either to
the,crown, where it retained the right of the foil; or to
trie proprietor, where it was granted by the crown. The
quit rents are not the gift of the people, as some have
mistakenly supposed, but the reserved rights of the pro
prietors, to which they have as just a claim as any land
holder in the state, who rents his farm to another, has to
hi, rent. I have heard that some people have ignorantly
taken up an opinion, that the quit-rents were given to the
proprietors for the support of government, which I have
ihewn to be a mistaken notion. What I imagine may
hav^ given rife to such an idea, was that sometimes in
disputes between the proprietors and assemblies, about the
support of the governor, the latter, as I have heard, have
infilled that the former ought to furnifh it out of their
quit-rents; but no body ever thought the proprietors had
not a right to reserve them. As the proprietors had a
right, from the nature of their estate, to fell their lands
upon general or particular terms, either with or without
a reservation of quit-rent, so had they a right to reserve a
reasonable part to themselves exempt from the general
terms. I have been told, that the firft proprietor agreed
with the firft settlers to reserve to himfelf a tenth part,
to be separately laid off, of all townships (all lands at firft
being laid out in townships) since which that cu ftom has
been disused, and the proprietors have surveyed to them
selves, exempt from thfgeneral terms, separate tracts of
land in purfuauce of the firft ide. of referring a tenth,
and I believe those trails do not amount to near one-tenth
of the granted lands.
Upon a review of what has been said, it appears very
clear to my conception, that the proprietors have, an un
queflionabie right to their reserved quit rents and located
trads of land, and to all tne ungraded lands within the
state, which have been purchased of the natives, and the
righto pre-emption, as well as the crown right, in what
remains unpurenafed. What have the proprietors done
to forfeit this right ; or what principle of policy (suppos
ing polity in any case ought to bear down justice, which
cannot be allowed) requires that they should be deprived
of their rights ? One of them is upon the spot, and has
acquiesced in the present government; the other is a mi
nor in England, and cannot have offended against the
state. Their right to government is out of the queßion.
When they were possessed of both government and foil,
there appeared nothing inconsistent with the good of the
people in the exercise of their rights: Let the rapid pro
gress of the country in wealth and population, beyond all
example, fay if there was. If there was nothing incon
fillent with the welfare of the people in their possession
of both foil and government, how can policy require a
deprivation of their estate when the government is fepa~
rated from it.
DE SERT E D,
From the First Pennsylvania Regiment of Artillery,
commanded by Col. Thomas Proper, now lying at
Philadelphia,
THOMAS TAYLO R, matrofs, five feet ten
inches high, swarthy complexion, pitted with the
small pox, long black hair. Wiliam Mahone, filer,
about five feet three or four inches high, fair complexion,
fliort fait hair, about sixteen j ears of age, born in New-
Jersey. Charles Calloway, matrofs, five feet seven inch
es high, dark complexion, born in Virginia, twenty-five
years of age. James Scarborough, terjean', five feet
seven inches high, fair complexion, long brown hair, a
few red pimples in his face, an Engl.fhtr.-n born. John
Dicks, mat/ofs, five feet seven inches high, full round
face, fair complexion, fliort brown curled hair. Willi
am Ashton, matiofs, five feet seven inches high, by
trade a bricklayer, fair complexion, fliort brown hair,
remarkably fond of fnuff, born in New-Jersey. Jesse
Rice, drummer, five feet two inches high, fair com
plexion, country born. John Chub, matrofs, five feet
nine inches high, brown complexion, dark blown hair,
by trade a fhoemakcr, born in Pennsylvania. Phineas
Pagent, matrofs, five feet ten inches high, brown com
plexion, dark brownhair. Charles Plank, matrofs, five
feet fix inches high, by trade a barber, (licit black hair,
a Frenchman born, speaks very bad English. Peter
Craige, matrofs, five feet seven inches high, long black
hair, swarthy complexion. J mes Goidon, matrofs,
five feet ten inches high, fhoit brown hair. Richard
Kenedy, drummer, five feet five inches high, full face,
a little freckled, (hort curled hair, nineteen years of age,
born in Ireland. William Totton, fifer, about five feet
three inches high, short curled hair, a little freckled,
seventeen years old, born in Ireland. Francis Barba
roofe, matrofs, five feet seven inches high, black hair,
dark complexion, a Frenchman born, freaks but indif
ferent English. Whoever takes up the aforefaid desert
ers and secures them in any gaol, or brings them to the
Barracks in Philadelphia, fliall receive TWENTY
DO LL ARS reward for each.
TO BE SO L D,
A COMPLZAT covered Waggon, and very neat
- let of Harness as good as new, fit for a stage or a
family. Also two good Horses, with the Waggon or
without it. Enquire of the fubferiber, living below the
Drawbridge. MARTIN PENDERGAST,
TO BE SO L D,
For the emissions of the 20th of May 1777, and 11th of
April 1775, er ary otrer;
QIX THOUSAND 7 WO HUNDRED and FIFTY
3 ACRES of LAND, tht is to fay, five thousand
acres lying between Kats and Katers hid, cn the welt
fide of Hudson's-River, in t' e rouruy of A'bny end
state of New Yok, between forty and fifty mils helcw
the city of Albany, fix to ten miles from trie N:cng on
te said river, and in the mieft of a f:ll fettled country.
This trad, besides the great edvant ge of out.drift for
cattle forever in the mourHains rdj cent, is exceedingly
well watered by Katers-kill, which r ffords several falls
of water, on which grist and law mills may be ere&d
at a small expence ; end as the land is well timbered with
oak and pine, great advantages may be made in time of
p ac, by traniporring the f wed timber and boards tG
the city of New-York, upon n;uch easier terms than
from any other landing place rp the said river. The o
titer Twelve Hundred and Fifty acres ere also in the
county of Albany, in the patent of Shen r.dehewah, a
lias Clifton Park ; from twelve to sixteen miles above
the city of Albany, four to eight miles above the
Cohoes, or Great Falls, fix to ten from the township
of Scheneflady, and in the midst of a delightful, plenti
ful and full fettled country. For terms ap,ly to the fub
fcrfoee at Beverwyck, near Morris Town, Ncw-Jerfey ;
or to Messrs Meade and Co. in P l.d.lpGa.
. Beverwyck, Feb. 15. > ABRAHAM LOTT.
ASHLEYand GI I, L,
Have for sale at their store in Second Areet, above Race
ftreet, and oppefite Col. Farmer's,
BLUE and black broadcloths, kerfeys, ccatingr,
drawboys, camhletmes, fhalloons , flannels, linen,
ftiped Manch fter woollens werfted aid thread fteck^
ings, mens shoes; gilt, filtered and molar buttons §
some trimmings, feeing fik, ribbands, ferret and bind,
ings, White-chapel and common needles, pins, barlow
and other penknives, fc;ffa r s, pipe heads and reeds,
b^es-wax, soap, mould candles, wafers, chest locks,
a^ls and tacks by the groce ; also a chest containing a
complect ft of joiners and carpenters tools, and rcary
other articles too tehiius to mention.
J OHN Y 0 UN G, Junior,
In Market ftreot, Philadelphia,
A VER Y elegant collection of new and London edi
tion BOOK S, by the most approved authors in
History, Law, Phytic and Divinity, confiding, of about
nine hundred volumes, among which ae a grand edi
tion of Albino's Tab 1 - s, two fetwide by two feet four
inches lung; Pope's Works, Blackstone's Commentaries,
Wood's Institutes, Burkett on the New Teft?ment
Ciudm's Concordance, Attorneys Pa&ice, Sydney on
Governor nt, Locke on Toperation, Window's Anatomy,
Bradley's Houh-wift, G affe's Cookery, Robertlon's
History of Charles the Fi'tb, ditto Navigation, ditto
Astronomy, Hale's Hufbindry, Young on Agriculture
Shew's Chemifhy, Northcote's Anatomy, Rollin's Arts
and Sciences, Entick's History cf the War; Bailey's,
Bowyer's, Dyche', Stone's end Fenning's Dictionaries;
Smart's Horace, Smith's Formula, Martyn's Virgil,
Latin Testaments, ditto Grammars.
WANTE D,
A WOMAN who will undertake cooking and house
work in a small f mily.GEnquire of the Printer
Catalogues of the whole to be had gratis at said store.
THOMAS FORRE ST, Major of Artillery.
Just opened and to be fid by