Dunlap's Pennsylvania packet , The general advertiser — Philadelphia, Pa., 1775-01-16 00:00:00, page 5

Postscript extra to the Pennsylvania Packet, “fan. 17, 1774
The following is the PETITION of the
CONTINENTAL CONGRESS.
To the KING's Most Excellent Majesty.
Most Gracious Sovereign,
WE your Majesty's faithful fubjeßs of the
colonies of New-Hampshire, Massachusetts-
Bay, Rhode-Ifland r and Providence Plantations,
Connecticut, New-York, New-Jersey, Pennsyl
vania, the Counties of New-Castle, Kent, and
Sussex on Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North-
Carolina, and South-Carolina, in behalf of our
selves and the inhabitants of those colonies, who
have deputed us to represent them in General
Congress, by this our humble petition, beg leave
to lay our grievances before the throne.
A standing army has been kept in these colonies,
ever since the conclusion of the late war, without
the consent of our Assemblies; and this army,
with a considerable riaval armament, has been em
ployed to enforce the collection of taxes.
The authority of the Commander in Chief, and,
under him, of the Brigadiers General, has, in time
of peace, been rendered supreme in all the civil
Governments in America.
The Commander in Chief of all your Majes
ty's forces in North-America has, in time of peace
been appointed Governor of a Colony.
The charges of usual offices have been greatly
encreafed, and new, expensive, and oppressive, of
fices have been multiplied.
The Judges of Admiralty and Vice - Admiralty
Courts are empowered to receive their salaries and
fees from the effects condemned by themselves.
The Officers of the Customs are impowered to
break open and enter houses, without the autho
rity of any civil Magistrate, founded on legal in
formation.
The Judges of Courts of Common Law have
been made intirely dependant on one Part of the
Legislature for their salaries as well as for the du
ration of their commissions.
Councellors, holding their commissions during
pleasure, exercise legislative authority.
Humble and reasonable Petitions from the Re
presentatives of the people have been fruitlefs.
The Agents of the people have been discounte
nanced, and Governors have been inftruded to
prevent the payment of their salaries.
Assemblies have been frequently and injuriously
dissolved, and Commerce burthened with many
useless and oppressive reftri&ions.
By several ads of Parliament made in the fourth,
fifth, sixth, seventh, snd eighth years of your Ma
jesty's Reign, duties are imposed on us, for the
purpose of railing a revenue, and the powers of
Admiralty and Vice-Admiralty Courts are extend
ed beyond their ancient limits, whereby our pro
perty is taken from us without our consent; the
trial by jury, in many civil cases, is abolished ;
enormous forfeitures are incurred for flight offen
ces; vexatious informers are exempted from pay
ing damages to which they are justly liable, and
oppressive security is required from owners before
they are allowed to defend their rights.
Both Houses of Parliament have resolved, that
the Colonists may be tried in England for offences
alleged to have been committed in America, by
virtue of a Statute passed in the thirty-fifth year
of Henry the Eighth; and in consequence thereof
attempts have been made to enforce that Statute.
A Statute was passed in the twelfth year of
your Majesty's reign, directing that persons
charged with committing any offence therein des
cribed, in any place out of the realm, may be in
dicted and tried for the fame in any fliire or coun
ty within the realm, whereby inhabitants of these
colonies may, in sundry cases by that Statute
made capital, be deprived of a trial by their peers
of the vicinage.
In the last session of Parliament, an aft was
passed for blocking up the harbour of Boston, ano
ther impowering the Governor of the Massachu
setts-Bay to fend persons indicted for murder in
that province to another colony, or even to Great-
Britain, for trial, whereby such offenders may
escape legal punishment; a third for altering the
chartered constitution of government of that pro
vince; and a fourth, for extending the limits of
Quebec, abolishing the English and restoring the
French Laws, whereby great numbers of British
freemen are fubjed to the latter, and establishing
the Roman Catholic Religion throughout those
vast regions that border on the westerly and nor
therly boundaries of the free protestant English
settlements; and a fifth for the better providing
Suitable quarters for officers and feldiers in his
Majesty's service in North America.
To a Sovereign who “ glories in the name of
Briton, the bare recital of these ads must, we
presume, juftify the loyal fubjeds who fly to the
foot of his throne, and implore his clemency for
protection again.? them.
From this deftrudive system of colony admini
stration, adopted since the conclusion of the late
war, have flowed those distresses, dangers, fears,
and jealousies, that overwhelm your Majesty's
dutiful Colonists with affliction; and wTray our
most subtle and inveterate enemies to trace the ua
happy differences between Great-Britain and these
Colonies; from an earlier period, or from other
causes than we have aligned; had they proceeded
on our part from a restless levity of temper, un
just impulses of ambition, or artful suggestions
of seditious persons, we should merit the appro
brious terms frequently bestowed on us by those
we revere. But, so far from promoting innova
tions, we have only opposed them, and can be
charged with no offence, unless it be one to re
ceive injuries and be sensible of them.
Had our Creator been pleased to give us exig
ence in a land of slavery, the sense of our condi
tion might have been mitigated by ignorance and
habit; but, thanks be to his adorable goodness,
we were born the heirs of freedom, and ever en
joyed our rights under the auspices of your royal
ancestors, whose family was seated on the British
throne to refeue and secure a pious and gallant
nation from the popery and despotism of a fuaer
ftitious and inexorable tyrant. Your Majesty,
we are confident, justly rejoices, that your title to
the Crown is thus founded on the title of your
people to liberty; and therefore we doubt not but
your royal wisdom must approve the sensibility
that teaches your fubjeds anxiously to guard the
blessing they received from divine providence, and
thereby to rove the performance of that compa&
which elevated the illustrious house of Brunswick
to the imperial dignity it now possesses.
The apprehension of being degraded into a state
of servitude from the pre-eminent rank of English
freemen, while our minds retain the strongest love
of liberty, and clearly forefee the miseries prepa
ring for us and our posterity, excites emotions in
cur hearts, which though we cannot describe, we
should not wish to conceal. Feeling as men, and
thinking as fubje&s in the manner we do, silence
would be disloyalty. By giving this faithful in
formation we do all in our power to promote the
great objeds of your royal cares the tranquility
of your government, and the welfare of your peo
ple.
Duty to your Majesty, and regard for the pre
servation of ourselves and our posterity, the pri
mary obligations of nature and of society, com
mand us to entreat your royal attention, and, as
your Majesty enjoys the signal diftindion of reign
ing over freemen, we apprehend the language of
freemen cannot be displeasing. Your royal indig
nation, we hope, will rather fall on those design
ing and dangerous men who, daringly interposing
sing themselves between your royal person and
your faithful fubje&s, and for several years past
incessantly employed to dissolve the bonds of so
ciety, by abusing your Majesty's authority, misre
presenting your American fubjeds, and prosecut
ing the most defparate and irritating projects of
oppression, have at length compelled us, by the
force of accumulated injuries, too severe to be any
longer tolerable, to disturb your Majesty's repose
by bur complaints
These sentiments are extorted from hearts that
much more willingly would bleed in your Majes
ty's service. Yet so greatly have we been misre
presented, that a neteflity has been alledged of
taking our property from us without our consent
" to defray the charge of the administration of
justice, the support of civil government, and the
defence, protection, and security of the colonies."
But we beg leave to assure your Majesty, that such
provision has been, and will be made for defray
ing the two firft articles as has been, and (hall be
judged, by the legislatures of the several colonies,
just and suitable to their refpedive circumstances;
and for the defence, protection, and security of
the colonies, their militias, if properly regulated,
as they earnestly desire may be immediately done,
would be fully fufficient at least in time of peace ;
and in case of war, your faithful colonists will
be ready and willing, as they ever have been when
conflitutionally required, to demonstrate their
loyalty to your Majesty, by exerting their most
strenuous efforts in granting supplies, and raising
forces. Yielding to no British fubje&s, in affec
tionate attachment to your Majesty's person, fa
mily and government,|we too dearly prize that pri
vilege of expressing that attachment, by those
proofs which are honourable to the Prince who
receives them, and to the people who give them,
ever to resign it to any body of men upon earth.
Had we been permitted to enjoy in quiet, the
inheritance left us by our forefathers, we should
at this time have been peaceably, chearfully, and
ufefally employedin recommending ourselves by
every testimony of devotion to your Majesty, and
of veneration to the state from which we derive
our origin. But though now exposed to unexpect
ed and unnatural feenes of distress by a contenti
on with that nation, on whose parental guidance
on all important affairs, we have hitherto with fi
lial reverence conffantly trusted, and therefore
can derive noinftruCtion in our present unhappy
and perplexing circumstances from any former ex
perience ; yet we doubt not, the purity of our in
tention and the integrity ofour conduct will juftify
to at4^ grand tribunal before which all mankind
must submit to judgment.
We ask but for peace, liberty, and Safety. We
wish not a diminution of the prerogative, nor do
we solicit the grant of any new right in our fa
vour. Your royal authority over us, and our
connexion with Great-Britain, we shall always
carefully and zealously endeavour to support and
maintain.
Filled with sentiments of duty to your Majes
ty, and of affection to our patent state, deeply
impressed by our education, and strongly confirm
ed by our reason; and anxious to evince the sin
cerity of these dispositions, we present this peti
tion, only toobtain redress ofgrievances,and relief
from fears and jealousies, occasioned by the system
of statutes and regulations adopted since the elofe
of the late war, for raising a revenue in America,
extending the powers of courts of admiralty, and
vice-admiralty, trying persons in Great-Britain
for offences alledged to be commmitted in Ame
rica, affecting the province of Maffachufett's Bay,
and altering the government, and extending the
limits of Quebec, by the abolition of which system,
the harmony between Great-Britain and these co
lonies, so necessary to the happiness of both, and
so ardently desired by the latter, and usual inter
courses will be immediately restored.
In the magnanimity and justice of your Majesty
and Parliament, we confide for a redress of our
other grievances, trusting, that when the causes
of our apprehensions are removed, our future con
duct will prove us not unworthy of the regard we
have been accustomed in our happier days to en
joy. For appealing to that being who thorough
ly searches the hearts of his creatures, we solemn
ly profefs, that our councils have been|influenced
by no other motive than a dread of impending de
ftruCtion.
Permit us then, most gracious Sovereign in the
name of all your faithful people in America, with
the utmost humility to implore you, for the ho
nour of Almighty God, whose pure religion our
enemies are undermining, for your glory, which
can be advanced only by rendering your fubjeds
happy, and keeping them united; for the interest
of your family depending on an adherence to the
principles that enthroned it, for the fafety and
welfare of your kingdoms and dominions, threat
ened with almost unavoidable dangers and distresses.
That your Majesty, as the loving father of your
whole people, connected by the fame bands of law,
loyalty, faith and blood, though dwelling in va
rious countries, will not fuffer the transcendent
relation formed by these ties, to be farther viola
ted, in uncertain expedation of effects, that if at
tained, never can compensate for the calamities
through which they must be gained. ,
We therefore most earnestly beseech your Ma
jesty, that your royal authority and interposition
may be used for our relief, and that a gracious
answer may be given to this petition.
That your Majesty may enjoy every felicity,
through a long and glorious reign, over loyal and
happy fubjeds, and that your defeendants may in
herit your prosperity and dominions, till time shall
be no more, is, and always will be, our ^Sincere
and fervent prayer.
^^^j^^^^t^a,^^
Newport, Newcastle county, Dec. 31, 1774.
FIVE POUNDS REWARD,
STOLEN out of the liable of the subscriber,
last night, a chefnut sorrel HORSE, in good
order, with a bald face, the off hind foot white,
no brand nor ear mark, fourteen and a half hands
high, nine years old next spring. Whoever takes
up the horse and thief, so that the owner may have
the horse again and the thief ly brought to justice,
shall have the above Reward, or for the horse only,
FORTY SHILLINGS, paid by
BENJAMIN LETTERMAN.
TAKEN up in April last, by the
subscriber, living in Bethel townPrip, Bed
ford county, Pennsylvania, a dark brow., r black
MAR E, about nine or ten years old, branded
on the near buttock thus, F. H. The owner is de
sired to come and prove his property, pay charges
and take her away. ANDREW MAN.
TO BE SO L D,
A FRAME HOUSE in Fifth-ftreet, near
Walnut-street, 20 feet front, and 109 feet in
depth, and now lets at zol. per annum ; on the
front may be built a large house, as the depth will
allow it ; it is fit for any perlon in trade, there
being a run of water to carry off allnuifances ; fub
jeft to a ground-rent of fl per annum ; the title is
indisputable. Enquire of William Weston, at
the corner of Walnut and Fifth-lfieets.
December 7, 1774.
CA ME to the plantation of JACOB
MEEKSIN, in Bethel township, Bedfoi d
county, Pennsylvania, a brown MARE, near
twelveyears old, about fourteen hands high, brand
ed on the near shoulder thus, 8. The owner is
hereby desired to come and prove his property,
pay expences and take her away.