The Connecticut courant and Hartford weekly intelligencer — Hartford, Conn., 1775-03-06 00:00:00, page 2

• r NEW -YO RK, March 2.
Extras from the Votes and Preoceedings of the Ge
neral Aflembly of this colony,
Die j < o yi s i IO ho A. M. the 23d February, 1775.
A Motion was made by Mr. Thomas in the Words
following viz.
Mr. Speaker,
W Move that the Sense of this Honfe be taken, on
^ the Ne^effity of appointing Delegates for this
colony, to meet the Delegates for the other Colonies
on this continent, in General Congress, on the ioth
Day of May next.
And Debates arising on the said Motion, and the
Question peing put thereon, it was carried in the
Negative, in Manner following, viz.
For tne Negative. Mr. Walton, Mr. Jauncey, Mr.
Brinckerhooff, Col. Seaman, Mr. Bruffi. Mr. De
lancey, Mr. Coe, Mr, Van Kleeck, Mr. Rapalje,
Mr. Nicoll, Mr. Billopp, Col. Philips, Mr. Ten
Eyck, Col. Wells, Mr. Wilkins, Mr. Kiffam, Mr.
Gale.
For the Affirmative. Mr. Clinton, Col. Woodhull,
Mr. Thomas, Mr. Boerum, Capt. Seaman, Col. Ten
Broeck, Mr. De Witt, Col. Schuyler, Col. P. LR
vingfton.
We hear at least three Fourths of the people in
Cortlandt's Manor, have declared their Unwilling
ness to enter into Congressional Measures and that a
great Number of thePeople in general in Westchester
county are preparing to do the like; and that the
ASTociation againfttheContinentalCongrefs,has been
Signed by three hundred Persons in the Neighbour
hood of Poughkeepsie only ; rrany Lifts are sent a
bout Dutchefs County, to which also many hundreds
have subscribed. [Rivington.]
To the P R I NT E R.
Among the other falfhoods that have been propa
gated by the ministerial tools, who are aiming to
destroy the English constitution and enslave the co
lonies, it has been asserted, in order to difeourage
our present measures, that the American trade is of
so little consequence, that Great-Britain would not
be materially effected, if that trade Should be totally
suspended or discontinued ; which is so far from
being true, that more than half the whole trade of
Great-Br ; tain and Ireland, is with America, as will
be evident from the following estimate, the truth of
which may be depended upon, as it comes from good
authority.
THE amount of the Exports of Great-Britain and
Ireland, in one year to all parts of the world,
in British manufactures and other articles of com
merce, cxclufive of bullion.
To the Bast-Indies, £, 350,000
Africa, 150,000
Levant, 50,000
Spain, Portugal, and all)
other countries from> 1,150,000
Gibraltar, to the Baltic, )
Baltic, 250,000
Sterling, £_L9s°'°°°
Perhaps the whole amount of the above home
made manufactures exported to the above places
may be£. 2,000,000
To America, including the islands, 3,600,000
,600,000
So tlvat America takes off more of the British and
Irish manufactures, than all the world besides.
To the P R INF E R.
lObservedI Observed in Mr. Gain's Mercury of Monday last,
an affection (that three fourths of the people in the
Manor of Cortlandt, have declared their unwillingness to
enter into congressional measures) which is an imposition
upon the public. There is not any of the landholders in
said manor, except one C -y, a miller at Peek's-Kill,
and a few interlopers of his kidney, that are of his per
verfefatiment. The proprietors of the manor of Cort
lands, together with the other landholders, except the a
bove miller, and his few adherent tories, are unanimous
in favour of the congress measures. Should be glad you
would give a hint in your paper, of the sense of the peo
ple of the manor, that that notorious falje assertion may
appear in its trice light. I am, &c.
March if, 1775.
Another letter from the fame place.
" An artful piece has been handed about here, con
demning the proceedings of the congress; and ascribing
absolute aominion to the king and parliament, and the
quefion is put, " You mtffgn the paper, that you join
the king, otherwise you will be declared rebels ; and
when the king sftandard is Jet up, you will be de,roped
—come, I'm in base, willyou sign it, or not !"
Thus, are people drawn into an ad, which, on reflexi
on, they abhor." —
At a meeting of the general assembly of Georgia, at
Savannao, on the iSth fJanuary, the governor opened
the feficn with the mos footling and affectionate speech,
wherein he addressed the pafftons rather than the reason of
his audience, and urged them not to iritate the British na
tion (that is the minifry) by adopting the measures of
the other colonies. But by the addresses of the two houses
if appears, that the upper house, though they fay they dis
approve some of the measures of the other colonies, yet
appear to be heartily d@fed to maintain their right;
and liberties---" That they may enjoy all the rights and
privileges of Britijhjubjedts, as fully and effectually, in
all refpekts, as the inhabitants of Great-Britain do ; and
to that end think it necessary, that their confitutional rights
should be clearly and fully defined, and firmly efablifhed."
The commons house of assembly jay,---'' They should
be insensible, not to feel their numerous grievances,
" and wife them redressed. That they only contend for
" their confitutional rights and liberties---which foften
" every care, and render exigence itfelf deferable."
The General Assembly of South Carolina met at
Char leftown the 2yth ult. when the governor in his
speech, told them he had nothing in command from the
king to lay before them. At this the Commons House, in
their address, express their surprise, as their agent had
informed them, '' That the additional infraction, which
had so often been complained of, and remonfrated againf,
had been withheld in the inftruXions made out to the new
appointed Governor : This cruel negled, as well of his
honor as of the colony, they considered as an aggravation
of the many oppressive ads of the present minifry, ^c."
The Governor in bis answer, evades the fubjeCt, fays
it is his duty to conform punctually to inftrudions, that "be
confides in the royal wisdom, that when he fees any al
terations necessary, his pleasure will be transmitted by his
ministers, &c.
Extract of a Letter from Philadelphia, dated Feb. 20.
We are astonished that your sons of liberty and
committee, fuffer that base fellow Rivington, to
continue publishing his vile calumnies of every pro
vince in America: I am sure was he in this place,
he would have been called on long ago to give up
the authors of so much falfhood, as is contained
weekly in his paper. We had an attempt of the
fame kind, by a printer in this place, who has just
set up a paper and last week published an extract of
a letter, said to be from Kent County on Delaware,
reflecting highly on the present measures adopted
by the Congress, and asserting that nine tenth's of
that County were opposed to them.---Our commit
tee fentan express tp the committee of that county
immediately, and requested them to let us know
their true date ;---they in answer have given us the
strongest assurances, that the letter is a base calum
ny, and that the County are universally well affect
ed to the American cause ;---they further requested
we would call on the printer and demand the author
of him ; this we have doe;—the printer has given
us the name of the person who handed him the ex
tract, and this evening we meet to call said person
before us; the tories among us are all confounded at
our proceeding, and it is thought it will be found at
last, that the letter was fabricated by a junto in
this town :---this is strongly fufpe&ed to be the case
of many publications in Rivington's paper, said to
be extracts ofletters from Maryland, Philadelphia,
&c.-—Such villains deserve not to live among us,
and perhaps it will become necessary to make ex
amples of some of them to deter others from the like
practices.
On Tuesday last, between twelve and one o'clock
the new Hospital at Ranelagh, a large pile of build
ing, lately erected and nearly finished, was difeo
vered to be on fire ; the Workmen being all gone to
Dinner, and the rooms lumbered with combustible
materials, the flames spread so faft, that before any
Help could be called, they were got to too great a
height to be suppressed, and the whole wooden part
of the building, the ereding of which had been the
work of many months, was, in about one hour, re
'c." . to Allies.---It is unknown by what means the
accident happened, but it is supposed that the Shav
ings might have been left too near the fire.
It is hoped, however, that Charity, which reared this
Structure, will cause another to spring from its ashes,
for the relief of the distressed Poor.
By Capt. %ll who arrived here yeferday, in 30
days from the Bay of Hondoras, we learn that the in
habitants of that place are about to fend a donation of
100,000 feet of mahogany, to be fold in Europe for the
relief of the poor of Boflon.
We are informed by a Captain of a vessel who
arrived here a few days ago from Antigua, that
Admiral Parry with the royal squadron under his
command, on that station, has received orders to
fail for Boston, where this gentleman will be se
cond in command, as he is a jun. vice admiral of
the blue flag to Admiral Graves: the gentleman
who brought this advice, added, that he heard Ad
miral Parry himfelf, declare, the above destinati
on of his Majesty's ships.
A negro plot has been lately discovered at Efo
pus, two of the principals have been detected, and
confeffed that their design was to carry ammunition
to the Indians, and to set fire to Efopus, Marble
town, and other places.
To the Freeholders and Freemen of the City and
County ofNew-York.
^S the the last Congress held at Philadelphia, re
commended, that another congress should be
convened at the fame place, on the ioth day of
May next, and the eleftion of Delegates, ought
not to be longer delayed, most of the other colo
nies having already appointed them. And as the
Committee has no power without the approbation of
them constituents, to take any measures for that
purpose. They therefore request that the Free
holders and Freemen of the City and County of
New-York, will be pleased to assemble at the Ex
change, on Monday, the 6th instant, at 12 o'clock,
to signify their sense of the belt method of choosing
uch Delegates, and whether they will appoint a
certain number of persons to meet such Deputies,
as the counties may eleft for that purpose, and join
with them in appointing out of their body, Dele
gates for the next Congiefs.
Committee Chamber, ift March, 17/5.
By Order of the Committee.
ISAAC LOW, Chairman.
S A L E M, February 28.
Last Sabbath the peace of the town was disturbed
by the coming of a regiment of the King's troops,
the particulars relative to which are as follows.---A
transport arrived at Marblehead, apparently manned
as ulual. Between two and three o'clock (as soon
as the people had gone to meeting) the decks were
covered with soldiers, who having loaded, and fixed
their bayonets, landed with great dispatch ; and in
stantly marched off, some of the inhabitants fufpe&-
ing they were bound to Salem, to seize some mate
rials there preparing for an artillery, dispatched se
veral messengers to inform us of it. These mate
rials were on the North fide of the North river, and
to come at them it was necessary to cross a bridge,
one pait of which was made to draw up, for the
convenience of letting vessels pass through. The
inhabitants kept a look-out for the appearance of
the troops. Ihe van guard arrived, and took their
rout down in town as far as tlie long wharf; per
haps to decoy the inhabitants thither, away from the
place t° which the main body were destined. The
main body arrived soon after and halted a few mi
nutes by the town-hcufe. It is said enquiry was im
mediately made by some of the officers for a half
brother of C®l. Browne, the mandamus counfellor.,
Be this as it may, he was very soon whispering in the
Colonel s ear, in the front of the regiment ; and
when he parted from the colonel, the regiment
marched oft with a quick pace, in a direct course for
the North bridge ; just before their entrance upon
which, the draw-bridge was pulled up. The regi-,
ment however pushed forward till they came to the,
draw-bridge, not observing (as it seemed) that it
was drawn up. The Colonel who led them expres
sed some furprize ; and then turning about, ordered
an officer to face his company to a body of men
Handing on awharf on the other fide the draw-bridge
and fire. One of our townsmen (who had kept a
long fide the Colonel from the time he marched
from the town-house) instantly told him he had bet
ter not fije, that he had no right to fire without fur
ther orders, '' and if you do fire (said he) you will
be all dead men." The company neither fired nor
faced.---] he Colonel then retired to the center of
his regiment, assembled his officers, and held a con
sultation : Which being ended, the Colonel advanc
ed a little, and declared he would maintain his
ground, and go over the bridge before he returned,
if it was a month firft. The fame townsman repli
ed, he might stay there as long as he pleased, no
body cared for that. The half-brother before men
tioned (it is said) made towards the bridge, but fee
ing the draw-bridge up, said, "it is all over with
us." He has since disappeared. Mean while two
large gundolas that lay aground (for it was low
water) were scuttled, left they Should cross the chan
nel in them. But whilst one gentleman with his
assistants was scuttling his own gundola, a party of
about twenty soldiers jumped into it, and with their
bayonets charged against our unarmed townsmen
(some of whom they pricked) compelled them to
quit it ; but before this Sufficient hole had been made
in the bottom.] his attack of the soldiers, and some
other occurrences, occasioned a little Bickering,but
by the in terpofition of some of the inhabitants the
disputes subsided. At length some gentlemen aiked
the Colonel what was his design in making this
movement, and why he would cross the bridge ?
He said he had orders to cross it, and he would cross
it if he lofthis life with the lives of all his men.
And now (or before) alked why the King's high
way was obftrua^d ? He was told, it was not the
King's road, but the property of the inhabitants,
who had a right to do what they pleased with it.,
Finally the Colonel said he must go over ; and if the
draw-bridge were let down so that he might pass,.
he pledged his honour he would march not above
thirty rods beyond it, and then immediately re
turn.
The regiment had now been cn the Bridge about
an hour and an half; and every thing being secured,
the inhabitants directed the drawbridge to be let
down. The regiment immediately puffed over,
marched a few rods, returned, and with great expe
dition went back again to Marblehead, wh^ they
embarked on board the transport without delay.
The Regiment brought with them lanthorus,
hatchets, pick-axes, spades, hand-Spikes and seve
ral coils of rope. When all the circuinftances are
considered, there can remain no doubt that the sole