Dunlap's Pennsylvania packet , The general advertiser — Philadelphia, Pa., 1774-01-31 00:00:00, page 2

gourt of Admiralty. Allowing this to be true,
(which, by the way, doesnot appear) the danger
to the liberties of these countries, is not the less on
that account. In England, where the courts of
Westminster Hall can 'lend writs of prohibition to
the Civil Law Courts, it is not very material what
are the words of the cornmillion to the Court of
Admiralty. But in America, the case is widely
different.
It may be juflly doubted, whether our Superior
Courts of common law have a power to flop the
proceedings of a Court of Admiralty. Ido not
indeed pretend to fay exactly what may be the
provincial laws of the other colonies on this head.
But in this province at lead, I think the Supreme
Court has no such power. Suppose then your
focceffor in office should think proper to try a cause
on a policy of insurance; which is expressly one
of the objects of your commission. 1 o fay that
he will never make this use of his power, and
that there is no danger ofit, is language fit only
for those Who are totally ignorant of every idea
oflaw. In fucha case, let me &fl< you, to what
tribunal shall we apply to prevent him from going
on to a determination? For my part, I know of
none. But perhaps you will fay, there lies an ap
peal from such a decree, either to the King in
Council, or to the High Court of Admiralty in
England. Be it so. Yet you muff own, that the
expence and delay, naturally attending appeals to
England from these provinces, are most dilcoura
ging circumstances in their way, and arc doubtless
the causes why so few are carried hence. Besides,
in the prefect case, I apprehend an appeal would
Signify nothing. If it was to be made to the King
in Council, we should probably be told, that the
Judge had not gone beyond the line of his duty,
as chalked out in his commission, and that that
Was the only rule he could possibly go by. Or if
the appeal should be made to the Admiralty in
England, it is highly improbable, that a Court,
which has been so fond at all times of extending
its jurifdiaion, would, merely for that reason, re
verse a judgment given by one of its inferior bran
ches. We know too much of the policy of the
times, as well as of the great influence of a certain
eminent Chief Justice, to suppose that appeals
against the jurifdidion ofa Civil Law Court, would
be listened to with much attention.
The times in America, Sir, are critical and im
portant. Every Hep, taken by the Mother Coun
try, in which we are the least interested, should
be watched with a jealous eye. The spirit of
administration in England, has ran violently for
some time pad, towards arbitrary measures. To
promote these measures, the civil law is certainly
a most compleat instrument. In your hands indeed
there may not be so much danger from it. But
we are not always lure of having a man of probity
to fill tie office. Your successor may be a very
different man. Laws cease to be any security,
when they trust to what men ivill do, and neglect
to guard against what they may do.
You will perhaps fulped this letter comes from
some gentleman in office, whose interest is in dan
ger from your commission. But rest assured, Sir,
it rives not. Whatever may be %y character and
profeffion, I cannot help thinking, and I hope you
will excuse me for telling you so, that the execu
tion of the office,^ hold, must wound every feel
ing of honour and delicacy. You know what I
mean. Your salary of £. 600 ayear is to be paid,
in the firft place, out of the moiety money arising
from condemnations made by yourjelf as a Judge.
This, Sir, people will think, looks too much like
being party, judge, and jury. The administration
of justice should not only be pure, but like C^far's
wife, should not even be fufpe&ed.
RUSSE L.
For the PENNSYLVANIA PACKET.
x^' "' province 6 f Pennsylvania is ivell fapplied
mith waters, ifaing out of bills and mountains in
many parts thereof, favouring an Inland Navigation :
And as the great utility of canals have beenfo abun
dantly demonflrated in our Mother Country, as well
as in other States of Europe, it is thought a canal
might be opened between the waters of Schuylkill and
Sufquehannah, which would greatly tend to encou
rage husbandry and agriculture in this province, and
increase and improve our Western trade. The fol
lowing extracts from the History of Inland Naviga
tions, particularly those of the Duke of Bridgewater,
<C'c. publifoed in England, may be fufficient to frew
the utility and importance of canals.
WHEN we confider that the wants and ne
ceftties of mankind are principally supplied
by trade and commerce, it will appear of the ut
most importance to render their communication
with each other, for those salutary purposes, as
easy and as commodious as possible. Thus navi
gation joins, as it were, the whole world in a so
cial intercourse of benefits;, it conveys the fuper
abundaoce of the productions of one country or
climate to another, destitute of those productions
or manufactures, and returns to the other the na
tural or artificial commodities of that country;
and every pen has celebrated those great and ad
r rturous men, who, by their difeoveries in this
art, have spread knowledge, humanity, and im
provement over every part of the globe. Thence
have flowed into Europe a full tide of wealth and
opulence: and the importance or weight of every
nation of this happy quarter of the world, may be
deduced from the encouragement they have given
to trade, commerce and manufactures^ the few
restraints they have laid upon these transactions,
so necessary to the well-being of tares and indivi
duals; which make such an effmtial difference be
tween the maritime and the military governments,
as I venture to stile them, as everyone muff con
template with delight and fatisfaction.
Subordinate only to navigation upon the ocean,
every attqnp* to facilitate an intercourse between
one diftri& and another, in any particular country,
to render the carriage of the n^u-al or artificial
produ^s of the several or, vines of a kingdom,
ready and clrap, certarli merits the public at
tention and apriaufe. WitEjut the means usual
ly employ) for this purp d, tb e inhabitants of
the northern and fouth^rn, or eaiiera and western
parts of England, would be little Acquainted with
each other, or those of the midland parts, and the
commodities they peculiarly grow or make, would
be almost coined to their own consumption: But
the planning, laying out, or improving roads for
land communication and carriage, the rendering
rivers, where naturehas not done it, navigable for
vessels of burthen, has admirably answered these
ends in many refpeAs: Still there were inland dif
tri&s remaining, which had no opportunity natur
ally of a water communication, and many still,
whose inhabitants have never thought of any such
conveyance; by which large trails of country are
locked up in almost impenetrable gloom, no ver
dure cheats the eye, and the industrious peasant
beholds the fruits of his daily toil confined to his
own, or sent to a distant market, with such a load
for carriage as eats up his little gains, and cramps
him in obtaining the necessary articles of fubfiftartce.
The present age, however, will shine With di
stinguished luftre in the annals of our country:
We have rendered ourselves renowned by our war
like atchievements, and, though late, we have be
gun to improve our country, (during the days of
peace) by many praise-worthy and salutary under
takings, of which none redounds so much to the
public benefit as inland navigations, which, as will
appear in the sequel, have been (where already un
dertaken) executed with spirit, and were only plan
ned, proposed with judgment, and inforced by the
'moft solid and convi&ive arguments; which felfifh
interest, obffinacy, and ignorance have, in vain,
endeavoured to refute.
I have said, it was late before this country
found out the benefits of inland navigation, which
its situation as an island, and its many fine navi
gable rivers, might conduce to retards us from the
thoughts of, though our neighbours and natural
allies, in Holland, out ofa small trad of marfli
land, by this means, particularly, have raised a
populous and powerful state, reverenced and
courted by ail the world. They have interfered
their country with artificial canals, the support
and repair of which they attend to with the ut
most precaution and diligence; these canals convey
away, or receive thole waters which otherwise
would drown their country. They are the con
veyance of travellers and passengers from place to
place, as well as of goods of every kind. They,
turn mills, weave tape, split iron, and perform
abundance of other profitable labour. An inhabi
tant of Rotterdam may hereby breakfaft at Delft
or the Hague, and dine at Leyden; he may sup
at Amsterdam, or return home again before night.
In frofty weather, travelling on these canals, on
fkaks, is still more expeditious, and carts and
fledges are substituted, for hear y burdens, in the
room of boats and barges, which are not as much
employed on their canals as in their ftrects. By
means of their canals and navigable rivers, they
carry on that immense inland trade to all parts of
France, Flanders, and Germany, which has never
been exceeded by any other people. France ex
hibits also inftanecs of industry and contrivance in
canals for inland navigation. The canals of Bri
ere and Orleans supply Paris with the productions
of divers provinces, and the south of France with
the cloths, fluffs, and camblets of Abbeville, Ami
ens, Rheims, Sedan, and Lille; from whence,
by the fame conveyance, they furnilh the north of
France with Provence oils, Mufcadel wines, dri
ed fruits, hard ware, paper, and other merchan
dizes of the south. The junction of the Somme
with the Oyfe, opens to Paris a ready conveyance
for the grain of Picardy, and the sea-coal, wood,
butter, copper, and spices of the northern pro
vinces of the kingdom. The junction of the Oce
an with the Mediterranean, the works for which
commenced in 1666, were resumed in 1667, and
have answered the great ends proposed ever since
1682, will ejer do honour to the memory of
Lewis XIV, his able minister Colbert, and to Ri
quet the engineer, who conduced this amazing
work. As this work is not much known here, I
fliall digress into a short account thereof, from a
celebrated performance*, from which all the dif
ficulties considered, our prelent undertakers of in
land navigations may reap spirit and fortitude, to
stem all the difficulties that may occur in their pa
triotic labours, when they survey what unabated
industry and ever availing perseverance have pro
duced in a neighbouring kingdom.
" The hill of Nauroufe, which is con fiflerably
nearer to Thouloufe than Narbonne, was pitched
upon as the most proper place from whence to
draw two canals; one whereof was to fall into the
Garonne, and the other into the Mediterranean.
M. Riquet made choice ofa place upon this hill,
that was raised 600 feet above the level of those
two waters, from whence he observed that the
ground lay llanting down, almost in one continual
defeeht to them on each fide. Upon this spot he
endeavoured to make a large collection of waters,
in order to distribute them into the two canals;
one whereof was to defcand to Thouloufe, and the
other to fail into the Mediterranean. Though
there was but one spring at Nauroufe, and that
infufficient to answer the end proposed, yet he
brought hither, from the adjacent mountains J,
by virtue of an aqueduct, or conduit, of about
five leagues in length, a current of water between
fire and fix thousand inches both in breadth and
depth; which stream being distributed in the two
canals l^ft mentioned, forms in every part a body
of water of above a million of cubic toifesj. In
order to be guarded against any accidental drought,
he caused a long reservoir to be dug near Nau
roufe, which contained above 600,000 cubic toi
fes of water, and was reserved to supply the
source of distribution in case of a dry season. In
such places where tire land lies upon a descent, the
water is pent up in large sluices, between 20 and
30 feet in breadth, inclofed on each fide by two
high walls, that run parallel one to the other;
and by a pair of substantial gates. As the water
falls down from the upper sluices into the lower,
it forms a grand cascade, and strikes the eye of the
* Nature Displayed.
f The Robine, or channel, that conducts the
waters from the back mountains to the source of
distribution.
X A measure consisting of fix feet, or a fathom.
fpeAafor with Wonderful delight. We will sup
pose a vefTel in its passage from Narbonne, after it
has failed through the canal that runs along the
plain, arrived at the foot of one of these sluices:
the gates are inftantlyflung open ; the water so
hemmed in, as aforefaid, rushes forth with an
impetuous force • and blending with that in the
canal, forms one common level. Upon this, the
bark fails into the sluice, and the gates are shut
up again. The water which descends from the
upper sluice, rises, by flow degrees, several toifes;
the vefTel accordingly rises with it,, till it comes
to a level with the water contained in the second
sluice, by means whereof a bark that is coming
from Narbonne may pass, without any obftru&ion,
out of the firft sluice into the second ; or, one
coming from Thouloufe, may be introduced out of
the second into the firft. The gates of the second
sluice being shut, the vefTel in the fame manner
mounts into the third: And thus it afeends from
sluice to sluice, till it come to the source of distri
bution, and then, by the fame lort of conveyance,
falls down to Thouloufe. The channel, from
the place where it empties itfelf into the port of
Cette to Thouloufe, is at least 70 leagues long.
They were frequently reduced to the necessity of
turning and winding it to preserve the level, to
fortify it with piles in those places where the
earth gave way, to convey it over bridges and
stone arches, in the vallies; to lay some moun
tains level with the ground, and cut a passage
through others, and arch them over, for the re
ception of its waters. Above 2,000,000 of cubic
toifes of earth, and more than 5000 of solid rocks,
have been hollowed for the preparation ofits bed:
One hundred and fourteen sluices have been erod
ed for the afeent and defeent of vessels; sixteen pro
digious mounds have been raised to divert such
waters as might any ways obftruft their passage,
and twenty-four spacious drains to empty the ca
nal, upon any apprehepfions of its being too much
embarrassed or overcharged with mire and sands.
Upon a moderate computation, we are informed
that there are above 40,000 cubic toifes of ftonc
work in these eredions, together with a projedion
into the sea of 200 toifes, and a pier of 500, which,
at present, secures the port of Cette, and renders
it a very fafe and commodious harbour: which,
as the coast of Languedoc has not havens at all,
and is very dangerous, is so much the more ad
vantageous. The expence of this stupendous
work was nothingcompared to the advantages reap
ed therefrom."
Peter the Great, Czar of Muscovy, amongst his
other grand designs, had planned a navigation for
conveying all the rich goods of Persia, to his new
city of Peterfburgh. They were to be firft trans
ported to Aftracan, through the mouth of the
Volga; from thence, by a conjunction of canals,
into the river Don; by another conduit into the
Occa, and from thence to Moscow, by the river
Mofca: afterwards, by several other channels of
communication, through the Dwina to Archangel,
on the White Sca; and lastly, through the lake
Ladoga, which lies at the foot of the gulf of Fin
land, to Peterfburgh. But alas ! the death of
this great man prevented the perfect accomplish
ment of this noble undertaking, which would have
made Peterfburgh, perhaps, the most populous and
best place of traffic in the world.
• (To be continued in our next.)
ozoofoofo^ofo^ofoo^ofoofo^c^x^cfc^ocfc^
BOSTO N, ,an. 20.
TH E committee appointed at the late meet
ing of the dealers in Tea in this town, join
ed by a gentleman from the committee of corre
spondence in this place, to repair to the persons
concerned in the sale of that article to obtain their
assent, and fubfeription to the resolves passed at
said meeting; have in conformity, applied to the
principal dealers, and fihd the numbers to stand
thus,
79 against the sale and use of all Tea,
9 for the sale and use only of such, as may
not be fubjefted to duty.
This being the day fixed when the sale of Tea
will eeafe, it is desired and expected that such who
have agreed to, as well as those who have subscri
bed the resolves offered to them by the commit
tee, will ftrialy adhere thereto ; and it is wished
that the few who have not, will on reconsiderati
on, perceive the utility and necessity of the mea
sures, and immediately join their disinterested fel
low-citizens in the fame resolutions.
The 18th of January being the day appointed
for the celebration of the birth day of our most
gracious Queen Charlotte, accordingly on Tues
day last at twelve o'clock the guns at the batteries
in this town were fired, and at one o'clock the guns
at Castle William and on board his Majesty's (hips
of war in this harbour, were also fired.
We are informed, that one John Cook, of Sa
lem, Dipper ofa schooner belonging to Mr. George
Bickfoid, of the fame place, accepted of the in
famous employment of transporting from Cape-
Cod to Castle William, the East-India Compa
ny's detestable Tea, saved out of the wreck of
Capt. Loring's brig.
Mr. Bickford is now a patient at Essex Hospital,
and we are assured, that a company of natives,
dressed in the Indian manner, armed with hatchets,
axes, &c. have already paid him a visit; but he
being under inoculation, they deferred proceed
ing to extremities. What punishments is to be
inflicted on the skipper is yet uncertain ; but it is
judged by the expreflions of indignation at his
condud, he will not escape with impunity.
From the BOSTON GAZETTE-
To Mr. Hutchinson.
TO commend Virtue, and to detest and op
pose Vice is the prerogative of every human
being, as thereby the happiness of society may be
advanced; by the former in exciting toacontinu
ance and inc'reafe of it, and by the latter often in
its restraint in some degree at leaf!: Suffer me
then, Sir, te make a few observations, refering
them to you and others for a particular application.
When the chief Magistrate administers his high
office fer the happiness of society for which he was
instituted by the laws of God and man, he justly
has not only these laws, but the highest efteeni
and regard of his fellow-men for his security: On
the contrary, when he prostitutes it to felfifh views,
to accomplish which he becomes the tool of wicked
men to enslave a people, he justly exposes himfelf
to the reproach of mankind, is obnoxious to the
laws of God, and to those of man were they not
unrighteously executed, and therefore to be de
tested and opposed as having no authority but the
submission of the people, which would be de
grading themselves below the brute creation. Ab
solute and unlimited submission is to be expe&ed
and required from them whose nature is adapted
only for that purpole: But mankind were defign'd
for an exalted and extenfivefphere; endow'd with
ao inestimable variety of natural rights, to enter
into society, all the laws of which arise from free
dom of choice and determination, and under the
direction of the diftingnifhing chara(fferiftick of
their nature, reason and understanding ; the rcfult
of which is to submit only to the laws consented
to for the security of these natural rights, and for
the happiness of society which depends upon them.
So that a proper sense of the dignity and felicity
of human nature must excite men when deprived
of any of them, especially so essential a one as
their property, to appeal to the laws of God and
nature, upon which those laws were grafted that
are executing for the means of slavery and misery,
when they were defign'd to make men free, and
consequently happy, and not fuffer such an infa
mous tool to.live : The reverse ofthis is not huma
nity, it is the highest ad of injustice to themselves
and posterity, as well as offenfive to that being who
gave them powers and faculties to know and en
joy the rights granted to them, for which the,
can rejoice in existence as a priviledge, and which
he has made it their duty to support and defend,
and to recover when wrested from them. 1 here
fore such an unfaithful and unrighteous magistrate
cannot be treated with severity equal to his deserts,
and it must be the wish of all good men, that if
his own reflexions have not proved like a faithful
glass to give him back his own image, thereby re
ducing him to such diftradion as really to cut Lis
own throat, that any one of the injured commu
nity would do it for him, or that some foot that
should not prove random, might take from the
world (if God should not immediately in his ordi
nary providence) such a traitor and rebel to the
laws of God and man. Nor is it unreasonable to
expect this might be the case, for man is often
the instrument in executing the purposes of Heaven
for the punishment of man.
Whether you, Sir, are the amiable or aban
doned character described, I leave to your own
confeience and ninety-nine in a hundred of the good
people of this province to determine.
In either character that may be justly attributed
to you, I hope you will experience thejuft reward.
Milton, Jan. 177 , FELTON.
NEW-YORK, fa. 24.
To His EXCELLENCY
WILLIAM TRYO N, Esq;
Captain-General and Governor in Chief in and over
the colony ^New-York, and the territories de
pending thereon in America, Chancellor and Vice
Admiral of the fame.
The humble ADDRESS of the General As
sembly of the colony of New-York.
May it plcafeyour Excellency,
WE his Majesty's most dutiful and loyal fub
jeds the General Assembly of the colony
of New-York, beg leave to return your Excel
lency our most hearty thanks for your speech.
We most cordially condole with your Excellency
on the late melancholy event which has involved
yourintereft, and that of the colony, in one com
mon ruin ; and we are the more sensibly affected on
this occasion, that the calamity has befallen a gen
tleman of your Excellency's benevolence, whose
feeling heart has always been disposed to relieve
the wants of the poor and distressed.
We cannot fufficiently adore the peculiar interpo
sition of divine providence in the preservation of
the lives of your Excellency and family, and pre
venting the terrible effects which might have been
expelled from the rapid and resistless fury of the
flames ; and our warmest thanks are due to the
'citizens and military, by whose powerful exerti
ons the metropolis was preserved from this de
ftrudive fire.
It would 'afford us great fatisfa&ion to knew
from whence this accident arose ; at the fame time,
from the depositions which your Excellency has
been pleased to lay before us, we cannot enter
tain the least doubt but that every precaution had
been taken by your servants to prevent this dread
ful misfortune ; nor can we have the least grounds
to compute it to any negle&.
We also most sincerely lament that the mate
rials and papers which your Excellency had pre
pared to be laid before this house for our delibe
rations, have been so unfortunately destroyed.
We are pleased to find that the commissaries
appointed to fettle the line of jurifdidion between
this colony and Massachusetts-Bay, have, with
the consent of the refpedive Governors, entered
into an agreement for that purpose; and we have
the greatest hopes that his Majesty's approbation
will soon put a final period to this controversy,
which has for so long a time not only affeded the
property, but greatly disturbed the tranquility of
many of his Majesty's fubjeds in both govern
ments.
We flattered ourselves that the running the
line between this colony and the province of Que
bec, would have been finally compleated last sum
mer; but are disappointed to find that the sur
veyors were compelled, from the want of provisi
ons, to leave the work urifioifhed, after the trou
ble your Excellency has taken on this occasion in
visiting that government, and the liberal grants
of tills colony for that purpose.
We fha!l give all due attention to the support
of government, and the other matters particularly
recommended by your Excellency to us.
The tumults and disorders which have arisen
from the contests between the Nev-Voik grantee}