The Pennsylvania packet, or, The general advertiser — Lancaster, Pa.;Philadelphia, Pa., 1783-04-24 00:00:00, page 2

N E #.Y O R R, April ig.
Head Quarters, New-Work, istn April, 1783.
O R D E R S,
=Tis the commander in chief's orders, that the follow
fl ing extract from the seventh article of the provisi
onal treaty between Great Britain, and the united Rates
of America, be ftriHly attended to and complied with,
by allyerfoas wha soever 'Hinder his command.
" An'd his Britannic majefly shall, with all conveni
" ent spe d, and without caufiog any deftruaion, or
“ carrying away any negroes or other property, of the
66 American inhabitants, withdraw all his armies, gar
“ rifons, and fleets from the said united states, and
' frerft? every post, place, and harbour within the fame ;
" leaving in all fortifications the American artillery
“ that may be therein, and 'nail also order and cause
" ah the archives, records, deeds, and papers, belong
" ing to any of the f,id states, or their citizens,
" which in the courfe'of rhe war may have fallen into
“ the hinds of his officers, to be forthwith restored
" and 'edvered to the proper ffates and persons to whom
" they b long."
All matters of vessels are particularly cautioned,
at their pe il, not to commit any breach of the above
article.
The commander in chief has been pleased to appoint
captain Citds, of the royal navy, captains Gilfillan
and Armllrong, a ffiftants deputyquartermafters gene
ral, with —— Hopkins, and Parker, esquires, on
the part of America, or any three of them (one of the
American agents bing prefect) to superintend all em
barkations, and fee that the above stipulations are firi&-
Iv observed.
Any person claiming property embarked, or to be
embarked, will apply to any of these gentlemen, who
will call a board to examine into the merits of their
claims, should any doubts arise on examination, the
circumstances of the case are to be minuted down, so
as to furuifh proper evidence to commiflioners, who
may hereafter be appointed on both sides, to adjust
and fettle all claims and controversies between the par
tis; is appointed secretary for this
. purpose.
Three of these gentlemen will please to examine every
transport previous to its failing, to prevent any evasion
of this order.
The efugees, and all maflers of vessels, will be at
tentive that no person is permitted to embark as a re
fugee, who has not resided twelve months with the Bri
tifli lines, without a special passport from the com
mandant. It is also recommended to the refugees, to
take care no person of bad character is fuffered to em
bark with them.
Captain Mowat, who commands the embarkation,
is requested to assist and give such orders as he shall
judge necessary for carrying these measures into exe
cution. O. DE LANCEY. Adjutant General.
Philadelphia, April 24.
Last night the fltip General Washington, captain
Caffon, arrived here from I'Orient, which she left the
19th of March, but brings nothing more than we have
received by other late arrivals from Europe.
Monday last the brig Ross, captain Chambers, ar
rived here from Nantz. On her passage she was taken
by a British cruiser and carried into New-York, but
is now restored, in consequence of the cessation of hos
tilities.,
Last Tuesday morning the French frigate ARive
arrived at Chester from Rochfort, after a passage of
38 days. We do not find that she has brought any
tiring new. The report which circulated on her arri
rival, that the Definitive Treaty of Peace was receiv
ed, proves.premature, as no account of the completion
of that bufioefs had reached Rochfort at her depar
ture.
A letter from Paris, dated the 2d of March, fays,
" The definitive treaty is tn great forwardness, and
there appears nothing in the way of its speedy con
clufion. The belligerent powers have communicated
it to the courts of Vienna and Petersburg, as medi
ators, and now wait their answer.
“Te Brtifh parliament has confirmed the preli
minary articles, by permitting his Britannic majesty
to give his concurrence for its observation."
The brio Minerva, captain Hallet, of Boston, arri
ved here last Tuesday evening, in five weeks, from
Bourdeaux. By her we are favoured with London pa
pers to the 4th of March, from which we have feleAed
the following INTELLIGENCE.
VERSAILLES, February 8.
THE treaty of commerce which the king of Swe
den had proposed to the united states of Ame
rica, was signed at Paris on the sth inflant by
bis majesty's minifler and those of the said united Rates.
February 19. Count de Rochambeau is arrived here
from America : he came in the frigate la Gloire.
PAR I S, February to.
On the 6th inst. an extraordinary meeting was held
at the comte de Vergennes's, of the ministers, negoci
ators for peace. They were employed, it is said, on
the interests of Holland. It teems it was agreed that
the republic should cede Negapatam to recover Trin
quemale, and that the preliminaries, by means of this
accommodation, have been signed between England
and their high mightinesses.
Mr. Benjamin Franklin having drawn out the ac
counts of the united Rates of America, and having
compared them with those produced by M. Vergen
nes, they are both found perfectly conformable. It
appears, it is said, that North-America owes to France
80 millions.
His majesty acquits the Americans of interest during
the whole time of the continuance of rhe war. He hath
given to those new independents the liberty of delay
ing payment till it is convenient for them. They have
requefbd 12 years to difeharge it, at the rate of from
fix to, seven millions each year. Iris thought that this
pro pofal has been accepted.
They write from Cadiz, that on the 29th of last
month Don Barcelo, having approached the Saint
Michael in the road of Gibraltar/ with 12 gun boats
and bomb vessels, fired upon her without intermission ;
that after being repulsed 30 times, and notwithfland
ing the fire from the garrison, which did great damage
to the Spaniards, he succeeded in setting fire to that
/hip, which funk to the bottom.
It is Reported, that his chatholic majesty hath made
the comte de Vergennes a grandee of Spain, of the firft
class.
HAGUE, February 25.
The nobleman designed by the province of Holland
to be invested with the character of envoy extraordi
nary, and minister plenipotentiary of the republic to
the united American Rates, is the baron de Dedem de
Peckendam, of the equestrian order of Overyffel, and
deputy of that province to the states-general. It is pre
sumed, that this nomination will soon be agreed to by
the other confederates; and that in consequence the
new minister will set out in a few months for Philadel
phiafr
We hourly expert here the news of the signature of
the preliminaries between Great Britain and the Rates
general of the united provinces.
We are informed, that the king of Sweden, on the
firft advice of the acknowledgment of the American
independence by Great-Britain, seized that favourable
moment fo r the advancement of the commerce of his
fubjefts. He was the firfl to propose a treaty of friend
fhip and commerce with the new republic. This treaty
was signed by the refpe&ive minißers on the sth of this
month at Paris.
February 26, We learn that the Rates general have
taken a revolution, on the report of the feventeeii di
reftors of the India company, relatve to the demands
of the court of London, and that by this resolution
their high mightinesses have provisionally agreed to
the advice of the directors till the ultimatum of that
Court is received.
Last Saturday a courier arrived here with dispatch
es from the minister of the republic at Versailles, but
the contents are a profound secret. The fieur Tor,
who was sent to London by M. Brantfen, is returned
to Paris; and it has been determined on to enter into
no negociations with England, but to continue the ne
gociatious diredly in concert with France, who is al
moftas much interested as the republic, from a prin
ciple of honour as well as from political views, in re
. fufing the unjust conditions which Great Britain would
impose upon the latter.
Seven of the towns of the province of Holland, not
only oppose the cession of Negapatnam to the English,
but even refufe to grant Great-Britain the liberty of
trading in those parts of the Dutch Indies as they re
quire, which would in sass be more hurtful in the end
to this republic than the cession of Negapatnam.
LONDO N, Feb. 24.
HOUSE OF COMMON S.
Friday, February 21.
Mr. secretary Townfhend gave notice, that he
would, on a future day, make a motion relative to
the regulating the commercial in tercourfe between
Great Britain and North-America.
Lord John Cavindifh informed the house, that at
firft it was his intention to wait till the Dutch articles
were laid before them, in order that they might
judge with the greater precision concerning the peace;
but after the issue of the debate on Monday last, he
was convinced that the farther consideration of these
articles should immediately take place, without any
interruption whatever. He did not argue in this man
ner from any pique or personal enmity againf tany
man, bu for the national goad, which ought to be
the firfl consideration of every member of that house.
It had been induflrioufly spread abroad, that the part
he took in Monday's debate tended to militate against
the peace, whereas he meant no such thing. His a
mendments tended to delay the consideration of the
terms of the treaty, till such time as parliament were
fully informed of the different articles, and not to in
form his majesty that they had considered and approv
ed of the treaty, when, in sass, they knew very little
about it. He did not at all mean to insinuate, that
the treaty should not be looked upon as binding in
every refpe&and that it was ratified to all intents and
purposes. He thought that the national honor and
faith were pledged upon it, and he would by no means
wish to have it believed without doors, that he enter
tained any the lead idea of breaking this traaty, al
though some very officious persons had induftrionf ly
circulated such an opinion; but he assured the hon.
house, and he believed every gentleman upon the lead
refleaion would agree with him, that the amendment
of Monday last, which he had the honor to make, had
quite the contra y tendency. What motives such
persons could have in circulating a report which car
eied along with it such notorious falfity, he could not
pretend to determine; but he was sorry to think that
might be now fully propagated in the country, that
those were his intentions. He then said, that although
he thought that the national faith should be held as
sacred and binding in every refped, and that the arti
cles of pacification, which were now ratified, should
be considered as finally entered into and agreed upon
by the different powers, yet he begged leave to ob
serve, that the peace was not so honorable to this
country as might have been expeded; He did not
think that the framers of this treaty were entitled to
such high compliments, or such distinguished praise,
as their dependents had imagined. We were not in
such a deplorable situation as they thought proper to
represent. We had been victorious in many parts of
the globe, and we should not have made such fhameful
and extravagant concessions as we had done. We had
given up great and lucrative possessions, and gained
nothing in return. We had loft our national impor
tance, and diminished our grandeur. We had tarnilh
ed our fplended victories, by yielding to our enemies
such possessions as they could not wih any degree of
season look for. He did not mean to criminate any
of the gentlemen in adminiftratiqn, but he thought,
UTRECHT, February 27.
Mr. St. John supported the noble mover. He
thought that our concessions were too many, especial
ly when we considered the infignificance of what we
had in return, and that the peace was a fhameful one
to Great• Britain.
Mr. secretary Townfhend did not attempt to defend
the peace on any other than national principles. If
gentlemen were resolved to make an inquiry into the
treaty, let them do it in a fair and candid manner, and
not be led away by party prejudices. Let them, if
they pleased, make a motion for the immediate removal
of the present adminifiration, if they thought they had
not afted agreeably to the interests of the nation. If
any man could lay any blame on him, he would be
ready to meet him whenever he thought proper: and
he was certain that his colleagues, who a&ed in ever,
refpef twith as much rectitude and probty, would be
ready at any time for such an investigation. He said
he had no objection to the firft, second, and third mo
tions, but the fourth he would oppose, as he thought
it uncandid and improper ; that his majefly's miniflers,
if they had made any cessions, had certainly some com
pensation in return. He likewise objeded to the fifth,
although he agreed that the loyalists ought to be pro
vided for.
Sir Cecil Wray declared, that he was an enemy to all
parties, particularly those that were detrimental to the
interests of the nation.
A desultory converfafion then took place between
lord North, fir Richard Sutton, fir Horace Mann, Mr„
Burrell, secretary Townfhend, general Conway, &c
----concerning this point, whether or not the different mo
tions fh®uld be taken into consideration in toto, or de
bated upon one after another, when the latter was a
greed to.
The firft and second were then read, and passed nemine
contradicente.
After which the third was read, when
Lord Newhaven and fir W. Dolben wished to know
what authority his majesty had for dismembering the
empire ? The bill that passed in parliament, granting
his majesty power to make a truce or peace with Ame
rica, did not grant him such authority. The framer of
the bill certainly did not mean that his majesty should
have full power to grant America independence. As
the honorable gentleman was in the house, they would
like to have his opinion upon it, and to know what his
sentiments were when he brought the bill into parlia
ment ?
Mr. Wallace said, that when the bill was firft brought
into parliament, it undoubtedly bore that meaning,
and that it granted his majesty full power to give the
Americans independence, if that was the price of
peace.
A short conversation took place between the attor
ney general, Mr. Lee, and the solicitor general, re
lative to his majpfty's prerogative to grant indepen
dence to America, in which they differed from one to
another, and promised at any time to meet each other
on this point of law ; but they deferred entering into
the grounds of it then, as it would in all probability
soon come before the house.
Sir Adam Ferguson doubted much whether or oof
this was the or ginal intention of the bill. But allowing
that it was, surely, fays he, his majesty has no power
to giveaway any principal part of Canada. The bill
never went so far, and he denied the legality of such
a procedure.
Lord North thought that we had given up too much,
and wondered that we should have made such conces
sions ; but he would not embarrass ministry by declaim
ing againff their conduct, as he thought it an uncan
did mode of proceeding. The motion was then a
greed to.
The fourth was then read, when
Mr. Powys, in a speech of considerable length, in
veighed against those who were diffatisfied with the
peace, and was surprised that the noole lord should
have made such a motion. He refoefUd him for his
integrity and philanthropy, and wondered how hecould
be guilty of so great an impropriety. He declaimed
against party prejudices, and imputed a great part of
our misfortunes to the noble lord in the blue ribband.
Lord John Cavendish r-fu ted the last honorable Spea
ker in his attacks on him and his party ; and said, he
did not mean to im each administration, but he thought
it necessary to enquire into the reasons of making such
great concessions.
Sir Edward Aflley despised all parties, and thought
every one should unite in the cause of the nation. H^
would with to fee difeord banished, and all sides of thA
house shake hands in an amicable manner, and exert
themselves in the common cause. So far w^s his interest
from Adminißration, that he assured the house he had
not influence enough to mike an officer of the customs
or excise. He thought that the noble lord in the blue
ribband had plunged us in the ruinous and defiruaive
war in which we had been engaged for many years.
But the enormity of pertfions had proceeded to fucha
height, that his lordship had been rewarded with one
and he flattered himfelf every gentleman, who judged
with candour and propriety, on a subj & of so great
importance, would coincide with him in.opinion, by
faying that there was fault somewhere, and ought to
be enquired into. Perhaps it might appear that go
vernment were not to blame ib this treaty, but it
should be so proved to the house. After some farther
argument to the fame purport, he made five motions
to the following effect:
1. That the house will support his majesty in the
articles of peace already concluded between him and
the different powers.
2. That they will assist his majesty in dispensing the
bießirigs of peace among his fubjeds.
3. That bis majesty, considering the circumflances
of the times, acted right in granting independence to
the thirteen united Bates of America.
4. That it is the opinion of the house, tl;at the cef-
Rons made on the part of Great-Britain, by his ma
jesty's miniflers, were too many, and too extravagant.
5. That it be recommended to government, to pro
vide some way or another for the loyalists, so as that
they may be relieved from their present distressed fi
tuatibn.