Dunlap's Pennsylvania packet , The general advertiser — Philadelphia, Pa., 1775-08-07 00:00:00, page 2

f N CONGRES S.
'" p H E several Afemblics of New-Jersey,
JL Pennsylvania and Virginia, having
refered to the Congress a resolution of the Houle
' of Cordons of Great-Britain, which relolu
tion is in these .words, viz.
Luna?, 20° die Feb. 1775.
The House in a Committee on the American pa
pers. Motion made, and queftton prepofej.
THAT it is the opinion of this Committee, tlat
•when the General Council and ffemby, or General
Court of any of bis Majefiy'sfrounces, or colonies in
America, Jhall propoje to make provifon, accor ding
to the condition, circumfance, or Jituatio, of fuck
province or colony, for contributing their proportion
to the common defence (such proportion to be raijed
•wider the authority of the General Court, or General
fffembly of fuck province or colony, and disposable by
Faliament) and Jhall engage to make provifon also,
for the support of the civil government, and the rid
onniftration ofjufticc in fueb province or colony, it
nvill be proper if fueb propfal float! be approved by
bis Mafefly and the two Houses of Parliament, and
forfo long asfuch provifon shall be made according
ly, to forkear in refpekl offuch province or colony, to
lay any duty, tax, or afleffment, or to impose any
further duty, tax or aftfrneyt, except only fetch
duties as it may be expedient to continue to levy or
impoje, for the regulation of commerce ; the net pro
duce of the duties last mentioned, to be carried to
the account of juch province or colony rejpefiivety.
The Congress took the said resolution into con
^deration, and are,thereupon of opinion :
That the colonies of America are entitled
to the sole and exclusive privilege of giving and
granting their own money; that this involves 3
right of deliberating whether they will make any
gift, for what purposes it (hall be made, and what
thali be it s amount; and that it is a high breach of
this privilege for any body of men, extraneous to
their constitutions, to prefenbe the purposes for
which money shall be levied on them, to take to
themselves the authority of judging of their con
ditions, circu nftances and situations, and of de
termining the amount of the contribution to he
levied.
That as the colonies possess a right of ap
propriating their gifts, so are they entitled at all
times to enquire into their application, to fee that
they be not walled among the venal and corrupt
for the purpose of undermining the civil rights of
the givers, nor yet be diverted to the support of
Landing armies, inconsistent with their freedom and
subversive of their quiet. To propose therefore,
qs this resolution does, that the monies given by
the colonies shall be fubjed to the disposal of par
liament alone, is to propose that they shall relin
{uifh this right of enquiry, and put it in the
power of others to render their gifts, ruinous, in
proportion as they are liberal.
That this privilege of giving or of witholding
our monies is an important barrier against the un
due exertion of prerogative, which if left alto--
gether without controul may be exercised to our
great oppression ; and all history fliews how es
ficacicus is its intercession for redress of grievances
end re-establishment of rights, and how improvi
dent it would be to part with so powerful a
mediator.
We are of opinion that the proportion contain
ed in this resolution is unreasonable and insidious:
Unreasonable, because, if we declare we accede
to it, we declare without reservation, we will
purchase the favour of Parliament, not knowing
at the fame time at what price they will please to
estimate their favor : It is insidious, because, in
dividual colonies, having bid and bidden again,
till they find the avidity of the feller too great
for all their powers to fatisfy; are then to re
turn into opposition, divided from their filler co
lonies whom the minister will have previously
detached by a grant of easier terms, or by an art
ful procrastination of a definitive answer.
That the fufpenGon of the exercise of their
pretended power of taxation being expressly
made commensurate with the continuance of our
gifts, these mutt be peipetual to make that so.
Whereas no experience has shewn that a gift of
perpetual revenue secures a perpetual return of
duty or of kind disposition. On the contrary,
the Parliament itfeif, wifely attentive to this ob
servation, are in the established practice of grant
ing theii supplies from year toyear only.
Desirous and determined as we are to confider
in the most difpaffionat'e view every seeming ad
vance towards a reconciliation made by the British
Parliament, let our brethren of Britain retted
what would have been the facrifice to men of free
spirits had even fair terms been proffered, as these
infidiows proposals were with circuipftances of
insult and defiance. A proportion to give our
money, accompanied with large fleets and armies,
seems addressed to our fears rather than to our
freedom. With what patience would Britons
have received articles of treaty from any power
on earth when borne on the point of a bayonet
by military plenipotentiaries?
We think the attempt unnecessary to raise up
on us by force or by threats our proportional
contributions to the common defence, when all
know, and themselves acknowledge we have fully
contributed, whenever called upon to do so in
the character of freemen.
We are of opinion it is not just that the colonies
Should be required to oblige themselves to other
contributions, while Great Britain poffeflesamo
nopoly of their trade. This of itfelf lays them
under heavy contribution. To demand therefore,
additional aids in the form of a tax, is to demand
the double of their equal proportion, if we are to
contribute equally with the other parts of the
empire, let us equally with them enjoy free com
merce with the whole world. But while the re
ftri£lior,s on our trade flint to us the resources of
wealth, is it just we should bear all other bur
thens equally with thofeto whom every resource
is open.
We concede that the British Parliament has
no right to inrermed de with our pr virions for the
fuppo , ~ of riW government, or a Iminiftration of
jettift , The p wifions we have made .are such
as pieafe ourieives, and are agreeable to our owa
cwcunftinces ; they answer the substantial purpa
fes of government and of justice, and other pur
poles than these mould not be answered. We do
not mean that our people shall be burthened with
oppressive taxes to provide sinecures for the idle
or the wicked, under colour of providing for a
civil lift. While Parliament purfae their plan of
civil government within their own jqrifdidion,
we also hope to pursue ours without mbleftation.
We are of opinion the proposition is altogether
enfatisfadory, beanie it imports only a fufpen
fon of the mode, not a renunciation of the pre
tended right to tax us: Because too it does not
propose to repeal the several A&s of Parliament
palled for the purposes of remaining the trade and
altering the form of government of one of our Co
lonies ; extending the boundaries and changing
the government of Quebec; enlarging the jurif
didion of the Courts of Admiralty and Vice Ad
miralty; taking from us the rights of trial by a
Jury of the vicinage in cases affecting both life
and property; transporting us into other countries
to be tried for criminal offences; exempting by
mock-trial the murderers of Colonists from pu
nishment; and quartering soldiers on us in times
of profound peace. Nor do they renounce the
power of lufpending our own Legislatures, and of
legislating for us themselves in all cases whatfo
evef. Oa the contrary, to (hew they mean no
difeontintiance of injury, they pass aCts, at the
very time of holding out this proposition, for re
straining the commerce and fifheries of the Pro
vinces of New-England, and for interdicting the
trade of other Colonies with all foreign nations
and with each other. This proves unequivocally
they mean not to relinquish the exercise of indis
criminate legation over us.
Upon the whole, this proposition seems to have
been held up to the world, to deceive it into a
belief that there was nothing in dispute between us
but the mode of levying taxes; and that the Par
liament having now been so good as to give up
this, the Colonies are unreasonable if not perfectly
fatisfied: Whereas in truth, our adversaries still
claim a right of demanding ad libitum, and of
taxing us themselves to the full amount of
their demand, if we do not comply with it.
This leaves us without any thing we can call pro
perty. But, what is of more importance, and
what in this proposal they keep out of fight, as if
no Rich point was not 'in contest between us,
they claim a right to alter our Charters and efta
blilhed laws, arid leave us without any security for
our Lives or Liberties. The proposition seems
also to have been calculated more particularly to
lull into fatal lecurity our well affected fellow fub
jeds on the other fide the water, till time should
be given for the operation of those arms, which a
Britiih Minister pronounced would instantaneously
reduce the " cowaidly" sons of America to unre
served lubmiffion. But when the world refleds.
how inadequate to justice are these vaunted terms;
when it attends to the rapid and bold succession
ofinjuries, which, during a coorfe of eleven years,
have been aimed at these Colonies; when it re
views the pacific and refpe&ful expostulations,
which, during that whole time, were the sole a!ms
we cppoled to them; when it observes that our
complaints were either not heard at all, or were
answered with new aid accumulated injury; when
it recollects that the Minister himfelf on an early
occasion declared, “ that he would never treat
with America, till he had brought her to his feet,"
and that an avowed partisan of Ministry has more
lately denounced against us the dreadful sentence
" delendo est Carthago," that this was done in pre
sence of a British Senate, and being unrepreved
by them, must be taken to be their own sentiment,
(especially as the purpose has already in part been
carried into execution by their treatment of Bos
ton, and burning of Charleftown) when it confi
ders the great armaments with which they have
invaded us, and the circumstances of cruelty with
which these have commenced and prosecuted hos
tilities; when these things, we fay, are laid toge
ther, and attentively considered, can the world
be deceived into an opinion that we are unreason
able, or can it hafitate to believe with us, that no
thing but our own exertions may defeat the mini
ilerial sentence of death or abjed submission.
By Order of the Congress,
JOHN HANCOCK, President.
Philadelphia, July 31, 1775.
From the PUBLIC ADVERTISER.
Lot there be no frife, Ipray thee, between us, for
we are Brethren.
Abraham to his kinsman, Lot.
Lock now toward Heaven, and tell the Stars, ifthou
be able to number them. So shall thy poflerity be.
Benediction on Abraham.
To Lord DARTMOUTH.
Afy Lord.
FROM a comparison of the most authentic'
estimates of the inhabitants in the several
British Colonies in America, taken at different
times, it appears that the British Americans have
doubled their numbers in every period of twenty
five years from their firft plantation. A rapidity
of population not to be paralleled in the annals of
Europe; it has never been equalled since the pa
triarchal ages. This rapid population of the Ame
ricans arises partly from the great accession of fo
reigners, but principally from the natural incre^le
of the inhabitants. The reasons why the Ameri
cans are more prolific than the Europeans, are,
that they are less luxurious in their manner of
living, and the means of supporting a family can
be more easily obtained ; for the last reason the
Americans are induced to iharry Carlier in life,
and consequently their families of children are
more numerous, and their temperance in diet ren
ders them more healthy. The ease of procuring
subsistence for a family is occasioned by the bound-'
less trads of uncultivated forefts bordering on
their plantations ; for every new-married couple
can, at a small expence, purchase a Freehold,
which by their industry will afford them and their
children a comfortable fepport.
Till the wilderness back of the old plantations
ffiall be filled withiahabiunu, and brought ynd,r
Total, 3,026,678
When we look back to the state of the Colo
nies at the middle of the last century, and com
pare it with the present, we are furprized to find
that the ancestors of that people, amidst all the
difficulties they had to encounter, have been able
in so short a period to put a face entirely new on
all the country extended from Nova-Scotia to
Georgia, by changing the sorest into a fruitful
field; that they have opened such an extensive
commerce as is carried on from America; and
that, by their cultivation of the liberal arts, they
have left a posterity of two millions and a half*,
enjoying all the necessaries and most of the elegan
cies of life. A rapidity of population and im
provement that fills the mind with admiration !
But to anticipate their population and improve
ments at the close of the twentieth century, over
whelms the mind with astonishment ! At that time,
should their future population be as rapid as the
past, the Americans would amount'to Ope Thousand
T^o Hundred and Eighty Millions! The Conti
nent extending back to the South Sea, affording
them new plantations, and the diversity of climates
and foils, inviting the introduction of all the vari
ous productions of the other quarters of the world.
Should a system of policy Be adapted to conci
liate the affections of the Americans, what an
amazing source of commerce will be opened to
Great-Britain ! To what limits will the demand
for British manufactures be extended, while the
Americans are busily employed in subduing the
wilderneis? And should Britain continue to en
courage the cultivation of these materials of com
merce, for which she has been dependent on fo
reign nations, to what a state of independence may
she arise!
That the present unhappy contest betWeeen Bri
tain and America may be amicably terminated;
that the extent of Parliamentary authority may be
afeertained, and that the rights of America may
be fixed on an immoveable foundation, are the
earnest desires of every true friend of Britain and
America. Should this ever be the case, such a
union of interest and affection would succeed as
would render them the envy of Europe, and the
glory of the world.
^ AMERICAN.
* Five Millions, according to the estimate of Dr.
Price and our best modern calculators, is nearest to the
true number of the people of England. " The males
" between sixteen and fifty-fix in Five Millions are
" 1,250,090 or a fourth part of the whole. In North
“ Britain the number of fouls is about 1,500,000. The
" males between sixteen and fifty-fix are 300,090."
Political Dilquifitions, Fol. I. A. 36. If the Dolor's
proportion is just, the number of males in America be
tween sixteen and fifty-fix is 625,000. The increase
of Americans the present year, from a calculation .just
come over, is ,0,284; one fourth of them are mates
between fxteen and fifty-fix. There are then 17,571
effective men added to the Americans the present year.
Lord Barrington moved in the House of Commons that
17,542 effective men be employed for tie land service
this year.
as good cultivation as the fettlememts on the sea
coast, it may be presumed that the future popula
tion of the Colonies will be as rapid as the past.
By an estimate made at the late Continental Con
gress of the number of persons in eleven of the
Colonies, it appears that there are ^,026,678 fouls
inhabiting those Colonies. Allowing that there
are 526,678 slaves, which allowance is probably
larger than ought to be made, there are 2,500,000
British Americans, which may be reckoned as a
capital stock, cn which a calculation may be made
of their future population. Should nothing inter
vene to retard their increase, the Americans will
be more numerous than their brethren in Britain in
half a century from the present time; and in less than
seventy years their numbers will exceed those of
the inhabitants of Great-Britain and Ireland taken
colledively. Happy had it been for both Great-
Britain and America, if the present contest had
slept in silence! They might always have been
subservient to each others prosperity and happi
ness, and have formed one of the most populous,
potent, wealthy and happy kingdoms that ever
existed. r
At the Continental Congress held at Philadelphia
the last Ahthmo, an Estimate was made, as has
been noticed already, of the number of fouls in
the provinces fpecified—The publisher has not
informed his readers whether it includes slaves
(for to the disgrace of America, Slavery gill pre
vails there) as well as freemen.
It is to be regretted that the publisher has not
been more particular in his account ofthe estimate ;
for if the numbers in it are expressive of freemen
only, we have a foundation on which we may
with fafety build a calculation. But if slaves are
included in the number of fo=ls in the several
provinces, they must firft be deduced before we
can proceed to make a computation of their fu
ture population with accuracy : For the Negro
slaves are so far from increasing by propagation,
that it requires a large annual importation from
Africa to keep the stock good.
New Hampshire, 150,000
Massachusetts, — 400,000
Rhode-Bland, —— — 59,678
Connedicut, —— 192,000
New-York. —— — 250,000
New-Jersey, —— 130,000
Pennsylvania, —— 350,000
Maryland, -— — — 320,000
Virginia, —— — 650,000
North Crolina, — 300,000
South Carolina, 225,000
BALTI M Q R E, July 26.
Extract of a letter from a gentleman in Frederick
town, to hie friend in Baltimore, dated July 19.
" On Monday last Capt. Morgan, from Vir
ginia, with his company of rifle men, (all chosen)
marched through this place, on their way to Bos
ton. Their appearance was truly martial, their
spirits amazing elated, breathing nothing but a
desire to join the American army, and to engage
the enemies of American liberty. They were'met
about amile out of town by three companies, viz.
Capt. Price's company of ride men, Capt. Grofh's
and Capt. Be^ty'^ companies of exilic a^d es
PHILADELPHIA, Atguft 7 .
The Committee for the City and Liberties
of Philadelphia will meet this afternoon, at Six
o'clock, at the Philosophical Society's Hall.
General LEE's A.Ns\v ER to General BUR
GOYNE's Letter. [See the Sup/lenient]
Cambridge, Head-Quarters, July 11.
(I ENERAL LEE's compliments to Ge-
JI neral BURGOYNE.— Would be ex
tremely happy in the interview he so kindly propo
sed. But as he perceives that General BUR
GOYNE has already made up his mind on this
great fubjed; and that it is impossible that lie
[Gen. LE E] should ever alter his opinion, he
is apprehensive that the interview might create
those jealousies and suspicions, so natural to a peo
plc struggling in the dearest of all causes, that of
their Liberty, Property, Wives, Children, and
their future Generations. He must, therefore, de
ter the happiness of embracing a man whom he
most sincerely loves until the subversion of th:
prefect tyrannical ministry and system, which he
is persuaded must be in a few months, as he knows
Great-Britain cannot Rand the contest.—He begs
General BURGOYNE will fend the letters
which his Aid de Camp has for him. If Gardi
ner is his Aid de Camp, he desires his love to him.
^PROVINCIAL CONGRESS, at
Trenton, New-Jersey, Hugufi ”, 1775.
!•R ESGLHED, 1 hat the several persons,
appointed in pursuance of the ordinance of
this Congress in their last session to colled the
quotas of the several townships, do pay the money
by them collefted to the County Colledors, on or
before the tenth day of September next; and if
any persons within their refpedive diftrids ffiall
have refufed payment, that, in luch case, they do
make and deliver in a lift of the names of the de
linquents to their several Committees, together
with their receipts and vouchers for the money,
which they shall have paid to the aforefaid County
Collectors.
2. Revived, That the several Committees do
furnifh the Provincial Congress, at their next ses
sion, with the names of all fitch persons within
their diftri&s, as shall have refufed to sign the as
sociation recommended in the last Congress, or
one of a Similar nature; and of all such as shall
have refufed to pa^ their refpeCtivc apportionments,
^ Refotved, 1 hat the refpe&ive Committees of
this Coloy do return to ».$ Frovicfyl Cc^r^s,
N E W - Y 6) R K, Atgufl 3.
On I uefday last arrived here, accompanied
by several yourig gentlemen, volunteers frort
Maryland and Pennsylvania, Col. Thompson
of the Pennsylvania regiment of rifle men ; and
yesterday they proceeded on their journey to his
Excellency General Washington's camp at
Cambridge.
HARTFORD, 7^31.
Last Wednesday week Major Skeene came to
town from Philadelphia, and in the evening he,
with his son, who has been some time past in this
place, took leave of the town without liberty.
We hear they have taken a house in Middletown,
near the Water fide. As the Major appears to
be an inveterate enemy to us, and will doubtless
watch every opportunity to make his escape, it is
hoped our friends in that place will keep a watch
ful eye over him.
Last Wednesday Major Skeene was removed
from Middletown, to a very commodious, and
well situated house, in the weft society in this
town.
Last week one Heron, who was sent under
guard from New-York, was brought to this town
and Committed to close confinement in the com
monjail for assisting one Mr. Lundy (who came
passenger in the fame ship with the Major) in
making his escape,
Yesterday Major Clark's company of volunteers
pal Ted through this town, to join the American
army at Cambridge.
W ORC E S T E R, July 26.
Information is given to Gen. Gage, of matters
in oar army, &c. by persons in womens eloath
ing, who or what they were is not known to our
informant ; Gage's army was thought to be 9000
strong but greatly intimidated ; the, regiments
that arrived last at Borton, were as follows, viz.
Light Dragoons 17th, Col. George Preston, 120
Men : Foot, 35th, Col. Henry Campbell; 49th,
Alexander Maitland ; 63d, Francis Grant; 420
men each : Regiments dertihed for New-York, but
ordered to Boston by Gage, 22a. Gen. Tho.
Gage; 40th, Sir Robert Hamilton; 44th, James
Abercrombie (killed at Bunker's Hill ;) 45th,
William Haviland ; 42c men each. The whole
number of the King's troops lately arrived at Bof
too, 3060.
WATERTOW N, July 24.
It is said that General Burgoyne is delirious
about hafhis time; General Gage is often out of
his head; whether or not it is the fame difemper
that infers both, is not certainly known.
C AMBRID G E, July 27.
Last Tuesday came to town from Philadelphia,
and joined the Army of the United Colonies, a.
Company of 106 Rifle-men. Many hundreds
more are daily expected.
corted a few miles out of town, amidfl; the.ac
clamations of all the inhabitants who attended
them. And yesterday Capt. Price with his com
pany also marched ; and surely never were two
finer companies raised in any country, more de
termined to conquer or die, than those two com
panies are. Capt. Crefop also with his brave
company have marched. I need not fay any thing
of Capt.Crefop's undaunted courage; not an Ame
rican but knows him to be an intrepid warrior,
and of course he knows his men, and has call'd
them from the many. We are also in hourly ex
pectation of Capt. Stinfon with his company in
this town, on his way to Bolton. GOD grant
them a speedy and happy arrival there. So many
offered to join the above companies, that not one
of them but might have had 100 men atlcaft."