The Connecticut courant and Hartford weekly intelligencer — Hartford, Conn., 1775-04-17 00:00:00, page 2

Yesterday the Earl of Rochford presented the Up
per Assembly a massage from his Majesty under his
sign manual, the purport of which was, “ That, in
consequence of the address he had received, he was
determined to the more speedy and effectual mea
sures for supporting the just rights of the Crown and
two Houses of Parliament, in which undertaking he
informed them, an addition to his forces by land and
sea would be found necessary, not doubting but their
Lordlhips would readily concur in such measures,
as the exigencies of the case should require.
In consequence of the above messages, their Lord
fnips agreed to an humble address to be presented
to his Majesty, humbly to assure his Majesty, that
they will, with the utmost zeal and chearfulnefs,
concur with his Majesty in such measures as the pre
sent exigency may require.'
LONDO N.
House of Commons, February £'
^HIS day, a few minutes after four, Lord North
rose, and in a speech which lasted two hours,
recapitulated the contents of the American papers
which had been read to the house, and pronounced
the province of Massachusetts-Bay, and other parts
of New-England, to be in a fate of actual rebellion,
and proposed a conference with the Hbufe ofLords,
that a joint address might be carried up to the throne.
He said that administration wished to adopt conci
liatory measures, if America would permit them ;
but at all events, in the firft instance, the present step
was become indifpen fi bly necessary. Among other
things, his Lord fhip i dated the burdens borne by
Britain and America, from which he drew this de-
duftion, that every person in the former, ors an a
verage, contributed at the rate of 255. a head,
whereas the latter did not contribute 6d. His
Lordffiip likewise, in the course ofhis speech, point
: ed out the measures intended to be pursued in case
the King should agree to comply with their address.
He said he Ihould propose a temporary ad to put a
flop to all the foreign trade of Ntw-England, and
particularly to their fifhery ori the banks ofNew
foundland, till they returned to their duty • at the
fame time declaring, that whenever they Ihould
acknowledge the supreme authority of the Britilh
legislature, pay obedience to the laws of this realm,
and make a due Tubmiffion to the King, their real
grievances, upon their making proper application,
would be redressed." His Lordffiip further observed.
that the other colonies were not so culpable, and he
hoped might yet be brought so a sense of their duty
to the mother country by more lenient measures, and
he then concluded with a motion, “ that an hum-
ble address be presented to his Majesty, to' return
thanks to his Majesty for communicating to the
• House the American papers, and that he would be
pleased to take such measures as might be suitable
co his wisdom for enforcing the laws against Ame
rica, and promising to support him in a full and vi
, gorous execution of the fame with their lives and
fortunes." The measures proposed to be taken the
better to enforce to obedience intNew-England were
mentioned generally, and are said to be, to fend
fourteen frigates to Boston, and 10,000 troops, in
cluding Preston's regiment of horse ; to aft a supply
of 2000 fearaen more to man the fleet for Bolton,
and to supply the naval establishment at home, which
falls short, because Admiral Harland is not arrived,
, as was expected, with the fleet from India,
After Lord North had finifhed his speech, the mo
tion was read by the Chairman; when Mr. D-----g
rose and spoke to the following purport :
The noble Lord has endeavoured, by every
light into which he can throw the question, to prove
that the refinance of the Americans,- though it has
gone no further than votes and resolutions, is actual
and open rebellion ; and we are come to a refofuti-.
on declaratory of the fame ideas: I think, Mr.'
Speaker, that there is no difficulty in proving the di
rest contrary position ; that the Americans are not
in rebellion ; that the votes and resolutions of the
several congresses, both provincial and continental,
are. decent and moderate, though firm declarations
of the eflimation in which liberty ought to be held,
and tempered with the bigheft expressions of loyalty
arid-duty to their sovereign.---Against what is it
that they rebel? Do they deny allegiance to his
Majesty ? Arc they in arms in opposing the King's
troops? By what explanation, or by what miscon
ception their condud is now to be branded with so
violent and so fatal an epithet, I cannot apprehend.
You passed afls, the last session, which, instead of
governing America, carried tyranny into the bowels
of America, and overturned all legal constitution in
one of their provinces ; and you utterly ruined the
capital of the Empire in that part of the world, by
way of puniffiing the insolence of a mob---you exe
cuted those ads by force of arms ; the people of the
.The question was put at eleven o'clock, and the
House divided, ayes 261, nces 85..
I he resolution of the committee was agreed to
without a divifibn, and a bill ordered to be bro't in.
The Upper Affcmbly yesterday wcrat through the
land-tax and marine mutiny bills, without amend
ments. '
Colonies thinking themselves tyrannically used, and
conceiving that the nature of their dependency upon
theParliament of Great-Britain.was not well under
stood on either fide the water, in order to treat with
this country upon such momentous points, convened
a general congress---the deputies met in that con
gress, came to,refolutions declaratory of their ideas
of their submission unto Britain, full of duty and
allegiance to the King, and reaped of Parliament ;
but as all free countries have licentious fubjefts, and
freedom in that country attended with licentious
news-papers, we, the Parliament of Great-Britain,
are to overlook the conduct of the congreG, and
search for proof of rebellion among the American
mobs and colony news-papers, which have been ac
tually laid before us as date-papers, upon which we
are to form our resolutions ; yet in the action of
those mobs, and in the expressions of these news
papers, is not rebellion to be found."
The Attorney-General answered Mr. Dunning
with great sense arid spirit. A general debate now
ensued, in which all the able speakers on both sides
Shewed their abilities.
. Col. Ba rre pointed out the inextricable difficulties
into which ^dminiftration were now plunging the
whole empire, by declaring the resistance of the A
mericans to be rebellion ; that when once that de
claration was passed by the . legislature, the civil A,
merican war would be commenced, the sword would
be drawn topuni/h the rebellion that was declared ;
and he warned the House against a miserable and
unhappy catalogue of evils of the deepest hue and
the mod alarming magnitude that would follow.
Mr. Burke laid forth the numerous ill consequen
ces that must inevitably follow—called the present
moment the true crisis of Britain's fate, pointed the
dreadful abyss into which the hation was going to
be plunged ; he called upon the commercial part of
the houle to rouse themfelyes at the open declaration
cf their approaching ruin,'/ He pathetically dif
cribed to the landed interest the fatal effects that
must inevitably reach them.-
The Solicitor- General in his speech defended the
measure in a very able manner. He gave every al
lowance for, and paid all deference to the interests
Of commerce and mail ufailures ; but contended, that
in the present case interests were concerned of yet
greater consequence ; that all the world must ac
knowledge that when the clearest rights of the le
^" a ": e P° we s °f a country are invaded and deni
ed, and when in consequence the people so denying
are in aftual and open rebellion, that then there are
Pf"?" o ' greater importance to.be decided and fet
tled than points ofcommerce and manufacture.
- These arguments Were replied to in a very master
ly manner by the other fide of the House, and the
debate run very much into an examination of what
was rebellion. It was strongly contended that the
refinance of the Americans could not possibly come
witliin that description, for a thousand reasons, and
no more than the very declaration in question, since
real rebellion never wants a declaratory vote to prove
it ; it is seen and acknowledged by all the world.
In the two rebellions of 1715 and 1745, there was
ne such vote ; the fafl was taken for granted, and
the address of support in the firft instance.
Col. Grant, in reply to Mr. Dunning, said, that
he had often a&ed as an officer in the fame service
with the Americans ; that he knew them well, and
from that knowledge would venture to predict they
would never dare to face an English army, as they
were destitute of every one requisite necessary to con
stitute good soldiers.
Mr. Cruger answered Col. Grant as to the re
flexion thrown by that gentleman on his country
men ; and lamented in the most pathetic manner,
the dreadful consequences of a civil war.
Capt. Luttrell was violent on the fide of opposi
tion, differed greatly, from what was thrown out by
his brother officer, said he knew the disposition and
temper of the Americans well, from a long personal
acquaintance with them ; and assured the House,
they would never submit to be dragooned out of
either liberties or property. ~"
/The right Hon. Mr. C; Fox made a motion for
an amendment to Lord North's motion, by leaving
out almost the whole of it, except thanks for the
papers ; and when the question was called for, it
was, whether the words proposed to be left out,
stand part of the motion, The House then divid
ed, ayes 304, noes io§.
e The question was then put on Lord North's ori
ginal motion, and the House again divided, ayes
296, noes 106.
Deferred the consideration of the London Mer
chants petition, and the other petitions on Ameri
can affairs till Wednesday next.
e We are assured that recent complaints have ar
rived from the British Governors in the Weft-Indies,
relative to the interruptions which the Spaniards
give to our trade in those parts.
Orders were last week sent to Ireland, for the
Bribed guard to be kept to hinder the railing re
cruits by the French and Spanish emissaries, which
are now said to be swarming in that kingdom.
NEW-y 0 RK, April 1 3 .
Or. Tuesday arrived the Ship Earl of Dunmore, Capt.
Laurence, in a fart fe a £age, from London ;-----and
yesterday, the Harriot packet &at. Captain^ Lee, i±
ftven weeks and. three days from Falmouth, by whM
we have the London papers to the 23d of February 7
which contain the following Advices, viz.
Q N DO N, fan. 31,
^N address is said to be in agitation with the
Corporation of the city of London, to know
who are the persons that have advised the present
measures against the Americans.
It is rumoured, notwithstanding the promised
neutrality of France and Spain, they are waiting at
favourable opportunity to dismember America from
England, and to fix an adventurer in the govern
ment of that vast empire. His friends at home are
said to be in high spirits on the occasion, and he is
resolved to abjure Popery, a conversion that can
not much affed his conscience, the religion of most
reigning Princes being like a great cloak, made to
put on and lay aside at pleasure, as it suits belt
with their interest and ambition.
. The regiment of light horse destined for Ame
rica, are all equiping with new accoutrements; on
their .caps is the following motto. ' Death or
glory,' and a death's head likewise embroidered.
PARLIAMENTARY PROCEEDINGS.
House of Commons.
11l a Committee of the whole House on the af
fairs of America, Lord North yesterday moved,
7 for afufyenfon of the several American A&, un
til it should be known wfac^ of the Provinces would
agree to the railing of a revenue, and to the ac
knowledgment of the Supremacy cf the British Lc
giflature. Such of the Provinces as did thus a
gree, were to be permitted to raise the revenue in
the mode most suitable to themselves; but in the
Colonies still continuing refractory, the several
Ads were to be rigorously enforced."
His Lordship grounded the expediency of a moti
on of the kind, .on certain articles of news from
America, which he dignified by the appellation of
Proposals, and being suddenly seized with a. fit of
candour, he could not but lift'en to proposals which
might so infallibly dire& the operations of distribu
tive justice. It had heen objected as the extreme
of cruelty, to blend the innocent with the guilty
™,he appointing of necessary punishment; by
giving therefore the well affe&ed Provinces an op
portunity of teftifying their loyalty, the Parent
State might shew indulgence, yetnot relax one tit
tle from her ^Aerted right of sovereignty; this was
to aft withfrume/s, though with prudential caution
also; it was to Unite the wisdom <>ldeliberation with
that attention to consequences so highly necessary
at this important epoch of political events. Nor
was lenity disregarded by the Minister. The House
was given t@ understand, that although, when the
dignity of Government required a spirited and ,a de
termined exertion, he would go every length in sup
port of that dignity, yet when healing measures
were at all compatible with the public welfare, no
man in that august aflembly could wiffi more fer
vently for the adoption of such measures. A sus
pension of the American Adis would afford a con
vincing proof of such a disposition in those who par
ticipated of the Government of this country; a
suspension on the terms proposed, by demonstrating
the lenity of Great-Britain, might work a change
of mind in the most refractory; or if they continu
ed obstinate in error, and hardened in contumacy,
then would Government be entirely acquired in the
eye of every unprejudiced person, let the conse
quences prove ever so calamitous.
GOVERNOR POWNAL
was for the motion. As it carries the specious ap
pearance of an aversion to pushing matters to an ex
tremity, the Governor's interest and his reputation
were most happily reconciled; his interest, because
he has been proselyted to Administration, and owes
his feat in Parliament to the Ministry, the tenure of
his mock consequence demands an exertion of his fable
aid in the service c: his benfafiors, and whilst a
measure is fuggefled, which bears the remotest ap
pearance of lenity, though crafty villainy may lurk
under that appearance, yet the measure may be sup
ported, and the reputation of the supporter pre
served in the eyes of the vulgar.
Mr. CHARLES JENKINSON,
AND
M r . CHARLES FOX
attacked the Minister with that poignant severity,
from which c@nfcious meanness must ever shrink ap
palled. He charged the Minion home, as one of
the most inconsistent beings that ever put manhood
to the blush, by ftruting in his borrowed form. His
councils and measures were tranferipts of his mind;
they were weak, timid, undecifive, irresolute, im
pofitionary, and deceitful to the „ last extreme of
fallow artifice. One day the Americans are to be
Mr. WELBORE ELLIS
spoke in favour of the motion, the one with his
mouthing prolixity, the other with his starch fana
tical precision.