The Connecticut courant and Hartford weekly intelligencer — Hartford, Conn., 1775-04-24 00:00:00, page 2

dverlafting monument of clemency and magnanimity
in the benignant father of his people, of wisdom and
moderation in this great nation, famed for humanity as.
for valour, and of fidelity and grateful affection,
from brave and loyal Colonies to their parent king
dom, which will ever protest and cherish them."
Cavete!
We hear from good Authority, that the only rea
son given byLord North for his extraordinary motion
on Monday is, that the Province of New-York pro
mised, upon the conditions mentioned in the motion
on Monday, to desert the American combination,
and to pass votes of censure on the conduct of the
Congress. Others, with more probability, ascribe
the whole to his own timidity.
Not a Commission has been lately bellowed either
at the War-Office or the Admirality for the Ameri
can service, but toPerfons whose opinion with refped
to the Opposition of the Colonies have been firft very
scrupulously canvassed.
enemies as quell as the rest of Europe ridicule us, for giv
ing into a more pernicious scheme, than we at frft op
posed ?-—Befdes, what can be more insolent, unjust and
cruel, than to tax a people, who are deprived of the means
and benefit which Providence intended them, equivalent
with their Oppressors, who are in thefull-enjoyment of all
their natural rights as a nation ?-—PPbat thinkye, Gen
tlemen, Farmers, and Land-holders, of this honourable
feheme ?--- What would the noble and bold afertors of your
rights, Lord Camdon, Granville Sharpe, and others Jay to
an acfyeiefcence in such deep-laid designs to ruin us ?
The above Bill was brought into the House of Lords, the
fir, Da, of February, occafaned a long Debate, which
la,ed till io at Night ; when,being thought too favourable
to the Americans, it was treated with some Contempt on
that Account, and rejeAed by 68 against 32.
This, we have Reafod to think a happy Circumflancefor
America ;for the friendly Appearance and perhaps De,gn,
of great Part of the Bill wsould have had apowerful Fen
denc, to divide and weaken us,fo that if it had passed into
a Law, we might have been unable to prevent its Opera
tion. And yet I apprehend it would have proved almost
as fatal in its Conferences, as the Ads againf which we
ba ve been so long contending.
The very Title conveys a servile Idea offensive to Free
men, and in itfelf, both unju, and impolitic, as it makes an
odious Difinßion between them tending to produce haugh
tiness and oppression on one ,de,fertility or resentment on the
other, and on both a mutual disgust, which will necefarily
lefen the power, security and happiness of each.
It is true the expression in the declarator, aft, of the
Parliamentary power, to bind the Colonies in all cases
whatfover, is changed to all matters touching the ge
neral weal, &c. But ,nee the Parliament are to come
under this description I fee very little security in the dif
tinßion, efpeciall, as they claim the right of quartering
troops in the Colonies without their cogent. Nor would
they be secured by the saving clauses in the bill. But this,
in my fucure remarks upon it. Ipropo, to jhew us also,
that so man, other particulars, it has such infdious appear
ance, that I Jhould have thought Lord Brre, Mans,eld,
North, or Marriot, more likel, to be theframers of the bill,
than Lord Chatham. fl, p
We are informed that the Attorney General is ordered to
profcute theMembers of theConfituticnal Club for fabfcrib
ing tool, to the relief of the Bosnians, when both Houses
of Parliament have declared that a Rebellion is fub„ing in
the Province.
We learn that in Virginia they have now 15,000
Troops under Arms, 1000 Horse, 5000 free Negroes.
The Ministry now give out that the Oppofers of
their Measures are not to be fatisfied by any Steps
towards the Americans, hpftile or pacific ; that on
Propositions made by Lord North, tending to recon
ciliation with the Colonies, the Gentlemen in the
Minority were as firm in their Opposition, as they
had been to the mod rigorous Measures : the rea
son is, that no plan was asserted, which was even
in appearance either just, reasonable, or pradical
ble. A parade of conciliation was at firft pretend
ed by the Minister, while his faithful retainers
spoke all the language of war, horror, and deso
lation. He himfelf at last profeffed--.be expected
nogood from it in America, but his hope was, it
would excite the spirit of the people apainft Ame
rica.
BOSTON, April 17
Thursday last Capt. Collins, in a Brig, arrived at
Cape-Ann, in 32 Days from Falfaouth, in Eng-
Lind, by whom we have the following important
Advices.
LONDON Feb. 14.
A Difeovery has been lately made, the Particulars
of which will soon transpire, that the Ruin in
which this Country is now about to be plunged, is
owing entirely to Engagements entered into by a
certain noble Lord, whose Brother was Secretary to
the Pretender here in the Year 1745, and between
whom a Meeting was lately procured at Paris. Eyes
will be opened when it may be too late to fee.'
Indeed the fatute of Edward the Third is so severe
again. Aiders and Abetters in Cases ofTreafa, that its
" That during the combinations and disorders
which at this time prevail within the province of
Massachusetts-Bay and New-Hampshire, and the
colonies of Connecticut and Rhode-Ifland, it being
unfit that the inhabitants of the said provinces and
colonies Ihould enjoy the fame privileges of trade
to which his Majesty's obedient fubje&s are entitled'
after a time to he limitted, and during the conti
nuance of this aft, no merchandizes enumerated by
former ads, being the manufacture of the above
provinces; which are to be brought to some other
British colony, or to Great-Britain; or any mer
chandize, which mail at any time have been im
ported into the said provinces or colonies, shall be
ffiipped from any of the. said provinces or colonies
to any place whatsoever, other than to Great-Bri
tain, or some of the British inlands in the Weft-In
dies; and that no other merchandizes- whatsoever
of the manufacture of the said provinces or colonies^
or which shall at any time have been imported in',
to the fame, shall, after the said limitted time, be
flipped from any of the said colonies to any place
whatsoever, except Great-Britain or Ireland, or th^
British Islands in the Weft-Indies, on forfeiture of
ihip and cargo.
, ." Also, that after a limitted time, and during
this aft, no fort of wines, salt, or any goods or
commodities whatsoever, (except horses, victuals
and linnen cloth, the produce and manufacture of
Ireland and goods for the victualing his Majesty's
fhxps, and for his Majesty's forces or garrisons, or
the produce of the British Islands in the Weft-In
dies) fiall fiall be imported, upon any pretence
whatsoever, unless such goods be flipped in Great-
Britain, and carried directly from thence, upon
forfeiture of goods arid veffel.'
" Likewise, that if any vessel not belonging to
Great-Britain, or Ireland, or the Islands of Guern
fy or Jersey, shall be found, after the limitted time,
carrying on any filhery upon any part of North-
America, or having on board materials for such
filhery, unless the master do produce to the com
mander of any of his Majesty's ffiip s of war stati
oned for the fu perin tendance of the American fifh
eries, a certificate under the hand of the Governor
of the colonies of Quebec, Newfoundland, Saint
Johns, Nova-Scotia, New-York, New-Jersey, Penn
sylvania, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South
Carolina, Georgia, East Florida, setting forth, that
such vessel hath cleared out from some one of the
said colonies, and that fie actually belongs to his
Majesty's fubjeds inhabitants of the said colony it
shall be lawful for any of his Majesty's flips o f 'war
stationed for the protection of the filhery upon the
coast of North America, to seize and prosecute all
such yeffels, with a proviso, That nothing herein
contained shall extend to any vessel belonging to
the French King, which shall be found fifhing
and not carrying on any illicit trade.
W - Y O R K, April zo.
evening arrived the Albany Snow,
Sir William Johnson, Capt. Duane, 30 days from
England; and yesterday the ship Samson, Capt
Coupar, both which vessels left the Downs together
about the 7 th ofMarqh, and have brought London'
papers to the 4th.---Some accounts by these vessels
mention, that the forces defined for, and on their
way to America, were 11 regiments of foot, and two
ofLight Horfe,on board 95 transports, with 11 fail
of men of war, all victualled for 12 months ; other
accounts reduce the forces and flips to about half
the above number. All accounts however, agree
d^^a','^ °f their coming, is to dragoon the
British Colonies into a surrender of their liberty and
property, and to destroy the Engliffi Constitution
They who refufe tofghtfor their Liberty, deserve to be
Slaves.
thought no hone, fury can he,trite a moment about this
verdiß.
By the Bill now depending, for refraining the com
merce and navigation of the American colonies, particu
larly their ffoery, after reciting their former a&s, by
which such trade and navigation were permitted, it
enaßs:
Feb. 25. New-England Refraining Bill read afecond
time, and committed to a Committee of the whole itoufe.
Orders are iffuedfrom the war office for augmenting all
the marching regiments of foot, with 1 ferjeant, one corpo
ral and 12 private men in each company, which will make
50 rank and, le.
LONDO N, March 1.
The 22d, 40th, 44th, and 45th regiments, (which
have been for some time talked of to embark next
for America,) have received orders for immediate em
barkation which makes the present reinforcement to
' confift of one regiment of dragoons, and seven of in
fantry.
Ve are assured from undoubted authority that the
three Major Generals, and the troops both horse and
foot that are defined for America, are to embark
with all possible expedition.
Six independent companies of Invalids, are only
to be raised ; all the officers are fettled.
Let what will be thrown out cither in the Upp
or Lower Robinhood, by the Lords in office, or' b
the Scotch runners without doors; we can venture
assure our readers, from the bell inteligence, that 11
English or Frifhmen will enter or lift at this jnndure;
so general is their abhorrence to being sent on ^
Scotch errand, to butcher their countrymen and fel
low soldiers in Noi;th-America.
shat altho the two houses had not declared all
Massachusetts-Bay in rebellion, they had declared
thatthere is rebellion in that province. It was iud,
therefore to deprive that province of its fifheriesi"
It is said that orders are sent from the Admiralty
for a clean frigate tc hold herfelf in readiness to fail
at the shortest notice, which is to take ri Nobleman
of abilities over to New-York, in order to improve
and confirm the conciliating spirit which has taken
place there by giving the inhabitants the
assurances from government of protection, and e
very other encouragement which they can reasonably
defire.'
Orders are sent to Portsmouth for the men of war
designed to fail for Boston, to be ready at Spithcad
by the 12th instant, by which time the three Gene
rals will be ready to embark with the troops.
n tran 'P orts lately taken up, to carry troops to
Boston, have received orders to take in three months
additional provisions, stores, &c. from which it is
conjectured, that their destination is further to the
feutiward than given out. Indeed the frequent and
various complaints of the insolence of the Spanish
crullers to trading ships in the Weft-Indies, may
well juftify such a surmise.
N E W-Y OR K, Aprils.
Extrafl of a Letter dated in London, the 2d of March,
}77S> received by Capt. Coupar.
The friends of America, on the arrival of the
packet, were much alarmed at a report that New-
York was difaft'e&ed to the common cause, and had
determined to break the resolves of the ConpreL,
especially that of non importation ; however, we
had the pleasure from the best accounts to find it 0-
therwife, and that we had little reason to fear the
late resolutions of your Assembly, would produce any
change in your proceedings.---I have now to inform
you, that notwithstanding all we could do.the Fine
ry Bill was yesterday read the third time, and paired
the House of Commons, whereby a flop is to be put
to all the fifheries on the firft of July, except thewhafe
filhery, which is to be continued to the firft of Nov.
Every impartial^ man must, in his heart, condemn a
bill so replete with inhumanity and cruelty; and it
will be an everlasting stain on the annals of cur/Q
Sovereign, who from the best accounts, is the grand
promoter of these proceedings. We hope the firm
nefs of your countrymen will evince to all the world,
your just sense of measures so unjust; and will in
due leafon, retort them with vengeance, on the guil
ty heads of the enemies of the British Empire "
We hear by Capt. Couper, that his Exceify
Governor Tryon, our Governor, was fhortlv to t
bark for New- York. ' 'W
The petition of the city of London against the-
New-England refraining Bill was pretented,, an^
referred to a committee of the whole House.
Read a second time, in the House of Commons, &
committed, the bill to refrain the trade and com
merce of the North-American Colonies, and also te
refrain them from fishing on the banks of New
foundland, &c.
It is confidently asserted, that the Ministry have
received certain information that theFrench are bent
upon a war, as soon as ever they shall be in a cond^ -
on to commence hofilities ; and that their fixed in
tention is to make England the theatre of it, bv car
rying the sword into the heart of the kindonw—---
Pub. Led.
The BLCKACT,
First Reading, Flouse of Commons Friday,Feb.ic,
IT was rtfelved that leave be given to bring in 3
bill to refrain trie trade and commerce of thePro
vinces of Massachusetts-Bay and New-Hampshire, .
the Colonies ofConneclicut and Rhode-Ifland, and
Providence plantation in North-America, to Great-
Britoin, Ireland, and the British islands in Wed-
Indies ; arid to prohibit such provinces and colonies
from carrying on any filhery on the banks of New
foundland, or other places therein to be mentioned,
under certain conditions, and from a time to be li
mited.
WLord North said, that as the Americans had refuf
ed to trade with this kingdom, it was out just, that
we should not fuffer them to trade with and other
nation. That the refraints of the as lof navigati
on were their charter; and the feve; al relaxations of
that law, were so many afls of grace and favour;
which, when the colonies ceased to merit, it was rca^
fonable that the British legiflat&e mould recal. In
particular he said, thatthe filhery on the banks of
Newfoundland, and the other banks, and all the o
therein America,was the undoubted right of Great-
Britain. Therefore we might dispose of them as
we pleased.