The Pennsylvania packet, or, The general advertiser — Lancaster, Pa.;Philadelphia, Pa., 1778-03-25 00:00:00, page 2

LONDON, December ~
HOUSE or C ()M MONS.
F RIDA V, November 21.
„fr, II IS day, at two o'clock, the Speaker took the
chair, when a motion was made for the second
reading to the loyal addrtfs of the House to his Majes
ty, upw which a very long and fpir ted debate endued.
Lord Nugent revert d to the conkquences oi the
amendment in a very full and cornpython five manner.
Be observed, that nothing ru fubn^ffion on the part
of America could redore to Britain the benefit foiling
front that country, and no fubwsflion could he gained
but by force. For his part he believed the obj ft of
the war was principally to convince their cool judg
ments, by the calamities attendant on carnage, or
the bl ifri^ arising from peace ; to convince them,
by the tymnny and oppressive measures of their Con
gress, of the more lenient sway and domination of
the mother power ; and was himself convinced that an
uniform petleverauce in coer-five measures would prove
adequate to the intention, and fulfil the define of ad
mmiitration.
General Conway with great warmth, lamented the
fatal determination of the Minister, ad the horrid
effects arising from bis ehdeav< uis to conciliate the af
fections ofenthufiafts in the cause ofiil>erty, by pour
ing on their heads the miseries of war, and the horror
of bipodlhed. He declared, for his part, though he
was a Ibldier, and daughter was his trade, he delight
ed not in the effnfion of human blood, and shrunk
with horror from the thought of shedding his bro
ther's blood.—He was sensible, from his knowledge
of the heart of man, that it was impofficle to fubje&,
much lets to conciliate the m nd, by racking the body.
The means we aie taken to fill up, actually widen the
breach ; and it must, in the nature of things, so long
as a single (park of tn^riy ardow and noble freedom
''exiled in the bosom of our brethren. He reverted to
the fffea, that it had already produced. Were the
American# in the le ft degree conciliated ? No. Were
they even lut,j&cd ? No. We have employed 50,000
men, fp p nt 20,000,000 of money, 2nd in two years
we have gained New York J{Wrid, Staten Island, and
had prefoved Canada; all which, in his ideas, a
' fnbunted to nothing. But he begged, in the most
'pathetic manner, that they would refl & on the pre
fcnt situation of our troops. General Howe has given
us no precise intelligence of having efkaed any one
thing; and General Burgoyne was in a situation more
truly lamentable than an? General perhaps that ever
exited. He spoke as a soldier, he said ; and from the
knowledge he had of military matters, he was sincere•
ly led to tear, that he neither could go backwards nor
forwards. Tli was the situation of cur troops—a si
tuation preceding from the fatal measures of a domi
nating Ministry—a Ministry that had exe r cised more
tyranny over America, than ever the Duke of Alva,
that bane of liberty, had exercised over the Nether
lands. He begged the House to refleft on the state of
foreign affairs — -He dreaded there was more to fear
from France and Spain, than the. nation was ^ware of.
His Majesty from the throne, had acknowledged, that
he thought an augmentation of the navy necessary to
the security of the kingdom. Two years ago, a de
crease of it was deemed proper. The implication was
plain, and the conclusion easy. He declared, that the
preceeding day he did not hear one argument adduced
by the noble gentlemen on the other fide in the least
convincing. It was now become a dispute of the f el
ings, and not of the judgment- --the passions only were
addressed, and not the undeißinding.
The Attorney General went into a long defence of
the measures of employing Indians. He observed, that
it was iwpcffible to preferye them in a state of neutra
lity, and of the alternative of having them either for
friends or foes, it was easy to determine which to
choose- True, he said, their mode of fighting was
Varied with horror; but war, and especially intestine
^ar nas ever so. They were taxed, he said, with
many crimes ; he would not attempt to juftify them,
but observe that the rebels against whom they fight,
ate as mean, cruel, and treacherous as they are ; wit
ness thecondtiff o' the wretches, who after taking the
oath of allegiance to his M jeftv, turned their arms a
gainst his troops, and endeavoared to butcher them by
furpr ze.
Sir George Savile answered Mr. Thurloe. Was it,
he said, become logical, that the criminality of one
man should excu^te another. We had been reduced
to the miserable necessity of employing ravages to work
out our purposes of cruelty, and we attempted to ex
cuse it by one tingle aft of guilt in our enemy. He
begged the House to consider that even without the a
mendment propos'd, the address would be most im
proper, finre in effect by it the House pledged them
selves to hi,port the Ministry in the coerfive measures,
without limitation or attention to cemfequence.
Col. Barre (hewed the necessity of fending out full
powers to the Coromiffioners, of preferring the olive
branch to the Americans, before they became utterly
irreconcileable to Great-Britain ; he complained that
his letters were opened by the orders of the Minifteis,
and that no officer from America dared to speak to
him, as he was looked upon as a proscribed perlon.
The following motions were made by Mr. Hartley.
THAT it is the opinion of this House, that
the further prpfecuti n of the American war mutt
be attended with t» enormous expence.
That it is the opinion of this House, that the ex
pences of another, campaign in the year 1778, added
to the expences already incurred in the American war,
may probably amount to a sum net less than between
30 and 4.0 millions sterling, which muff create an
alarming increase of the principal and interest of the
national debt, and muff require many additional, hea
vy, and burthenfome taxes as well as other taxes, up
on the B ii(h fubjeAs to defray.
That it is the opinion of this House, that the pro
secution of the American war mult be deftrwCbve to
the navigation, commerce, rithes, and refourc^s of
this country, as well as of the lives of his MLjefty's
fubjeCts, and will leave us in an exhausted Rate with
our land and sea forces, at the distance of 3000 miles,
open to the in fults or attacks of any secret or ipfidious
enemy to this country.
That it is the opinion of this House, that it is Un
becoming the wisdom and prudence of Parliament to
proceed any farther in the support of this fruitlefs,
expensive and deftruftive war, more especially without
any fpecific terms of accommodation declared.
After a debate, they were over ruled.
N EWBURN, (North Carolina) February 13.
On Sunday, la£ arrived here from the iflihd of Pro
vidence, Mr. Wright Stanley, who was lately taken in
the Letter of Maique (loop the Lydia, belonging to
this port, and carried to lamai a, where all the Ame
ricans that are taken are confined till they can be sent
to England, but Mr. Stanley, with several Capta ns of
vrffels, were fortunate enough to make their escape to
Providence.
Mr. Stanley, who himfelf, with Captains Cockran,
Annibal, Moor, and tome others arrived with him,
were in the a&ioh, brings a very particular account of
the taking the forts on the island of- Providence, and
cutting out of the harbour 7 fail of vtffels, one a very
large Jamaica ship richly laden, with only a single pri
vateer, and about 60 or 70 Americans. The account
is as follows.
ABOUT it o'clock at night, on the 27th of Janua
ry, the continental sloop of war Providence, mounting
twelve 4. pounders, carrying 50 men, commanded by
John Pech Rathbuine, landed 25 of her crew under
the command of his Captain of marines on theifland
of New Providence. They were joined by 18 or 20
Americans who had been prisoners on board different
Blips of war, and made their escape from Jamaica and
were there waiting for opportunities to their refpe&ive
homes.
They took possession of fort Nassau with the cannon,
ammunition, and 300 stand of small arms A ship
mounting 16 guns, 45 men, Jobnfon commander, with
rum, sugar and coffee, from Jamaica to New York,
lay there in the road, as allo five vtffcls captured by
the privateer sloop Gayton, Capt. Chalmers, of Ja
maica, and sent in there for condemnation.
At day break 4 men were sent on board the 16 gun
ship to take pofleffion and fend the officers and crew
into the fort, the commanding officer being fnean the
13 stripes hoifled in the fort, and informed that it was
then in the hands of the Americans, who would fink
the ship if the order was not instantly complied with,
thought proper to fuhmit, they were carried to the fort
and there put in irons. Other parties were sent to take
p^ffeflion of the five prizes, which they soon effe&ed,
and facured their prize-matters in the fame manner.
This being done, a party marched to the Governor's
and demanded the keys of the eastern fort, which, af
ter being informed what had happened (it being then
only fun-rife) he delivered. They took pofTeffiin of
that fort also, removed some powder and small arms,
spiked up the cannon, and returned to fart Naffw.
All this was effe&ed by ten o'clock, by which time
the inhabitants were in the utmost surprise and confu
fion, and were removing their eff &s out of town, but
were informed by the Americans that they did not in
tend to moled the person or property of any inhabitant
of the island unless reduced to the necessity in their
own defence.
About- 12 o'clock a motley crew of negroes, molat
toes and whites, to the number of 150 or 200, appear
ed armed, and threatened to attack the fort, but on
being told that if they presumed to fire a gun, the
town ffiould be laid in allies; and feeing preparation
made for that purpose, they dispersed.
The Providence now came into the road, and an
chored near the ship, and vsry soon after the Gaytan
also appeared. Continental colours were immediately
ILuck, and the guns on board the Providence housed,
in hopes the Gayton would came to an anchor, but
signals being given by a number of perlons from the
beach and bills adjacent, (he tacked and ffood off, on
which the fort began to play on her with 18 pounders,
from which {he received considerable damage, but
under cover of night made her escape.
No attack was made this night on the fort, but next
day at 3 o'clock, two bodies of men, confiding of a-
Lout 500 with several pieces of cannon marched witbin
fight of the fort, and gammoned it to fanender or th?t
they Should storm it and give no quarter. The gar
rison nailed their colours to the flag ft ff, in the pic
fence of the thc&ngers, cut away the halliards, and
returned for answer, that they would not Surrender
While a man furvivad.
Until twelve at flight the garrison expe&ed to be
attacked, but their enemy being more disposed to
deep than fight, retired to rest.
N.xt morning early the prizes were manned, the
guns of the fort spiked, the ammunition and small
arms carried on board the privateer, and the whole
garrison with their prisoners embarked, and put to lea.
Two of the prizes being of little value were set on fire,
the rest stood for New-England, except a sloop c lied
the Tryall, which on the 7th instant fafely arrived
heie with Captains Cockran, Moor, Annibal, Mr.
Stanley, and some others belonging to this place.
Mr. Ganbier has lately been appointed Governor
of the island of Providence, and was just arrived there
from England. He told Mr. Stanley, that before he
left the British Court he waited on Lord George Ger
maine, ahd in a conversation with him on American
affairs, the Minden hero told him the Americans were
a headstrong perverse people, that thiy were purfufng
their own ruin, and that as they never had been any
thing but an e<pence to Britain, it might be better to
acknowledge their independence.
WILLIAMSBURG, March 7.
I rom North-Carolina we learn, that 'Governor
CASWELL had made up five thousand VOLUN
TEERS, at the head of whom he was to march to
reinforce General Washington in a few weeks.
A frigate ofthirty guns, from France, is just ar
rived in North-Carolina, deeply laden with all forts
of necessaries for the army.
L ANCA S I E R, March 2^.
The Assembly ofthe Stat^ of New-Yerk have em
powered their Delegates in Congress to ratify the
Confederation proposed for the perpetual alliance of
the United Statcs.of America.
On Monday fe'nnight a handsome donation was
received at Ephrata, for the use of the sick and
wounded of the hospital at that place, sent from
the charitable and well disposed Presbyterian congre
gation of the Forks of Brandywine; a laudable ex
ample worthy of imitation. —.The Medical Gentle
men take this public method, in the name ofthe sick
and wounded, to return their most hearty and un
feigned thanks to the good people who so genercufly
contributed in so seasonable a tanner.
On the 21st of February died at bis house near
the Cross Roads of Duck Creek, in the Delaware
State, Mr. WILLIAM WHITE, a man refpeAed
and beloved by his numerous acquaintanceand friends.
Of found and fixed principles; of manners ftrialy mo
ral, and sincerely pious; he possessed withal the faci
al, kind affections in an eminent degree; Frankrefs
and liberality of fentimenr, wi4 a benevolent jfow of
foul, were indeed his diftinguiffiing qualities. Raced
in easy circumstances, enjoyi^ an affluent compe
tence, the effect of such unb aued ceconomy, dili
gence, and upright dealing, as Pi evidence was pleated
remarkably to Lie's, he lived with decent hospitality;
was generens, and watched for oppanunities of do
in 8 good. Improving bis hours of leisure in the most
rational of all entertainments, leading and reflection
be had treasured up &o inconsiderable flock of ufeful
knowledge, which added to his agreeableness as a
companion. A lover of mat kind —a friend of civil
and religious liberty, he viewed the present Druggie
in this country with anxious concern, and the most
ardent withes for its ban y termination. Ome of the