The Pennsylvania packet, or, The general advertiser — Lancaster, Pa.;Philadelphia, Pa., 1783-09-30 00:00:00, page 2

PARIS, Ju n e go,
,"\UR treaty of commerce with America is not yet
conem'd. 'ie Am ricans have proposed to the
cabinet of VrrCdle^ eight articles, of which three are
rj^ ted, itrp irticirar trie dmanding the importation
(if floor jot > our ill ds; live cattle and lumber of all
lid< are prmi< e.i. Nothing is Bipulated with regard
t fdt-tith. it is thought they will not be allowed to
t o <= fug r« in exchange, oily molasses, as heretofore,
lets tru that our dear a.lies are not pleased with these
arang mets, bur we cannot think of ruining our
trade, and with it our marine, to f rve their particular
interests.
LONDO N,
Ju'y io. I.he case wliich fir Adam Ferguffon men
tioned in the conversation which took place on the
Am w r can (offerers bill last Tuesday w^s shortly this :
— Mr. Macknight of Carolina, whilst he was hazard
ing his life in support of the Bri'ilh government in
America, had two vessels taken in the beginning of
the year 1776, and Condemned under the prohibitory
at of par! arn^nt, which was passed in 1775, and con
fiscated all vef? Is belonging to inhabitants of co
lonies in rebellion, without making any exception
fr faring those belonging to loyal fubjefts, so that
'Mr. M Mcknight's propery in America was seized and
confiscated by Congress, on account of his attachment
to this country, afthe fame t me that rhe laws o's this
country ftript him of <hat part of his property which
had escaped from the hands of the Congress.
July 16. Yeiierd?y lord Abingdon rose inthe house
of peers, and (aid, my lords, a noble lord not now
upon t'>e woolsack, but who, I truss, will very soon
take his feat there again, having pointed out to your
lordfh ps a day or two agb, the absurdity of his ma
ny's minifies in bringing forward a bill for the par
pofe of re, utiling the offices and opening the ports of
rne island of Dominica, an island not now inour poffef>
fion, but in the hands of the French, and where it is
likely to continue, for Some time at leaf!, from the iu
capaci y of those ministers to conclude what their pre
deeffors had so ably begun; I mean the definitive
t eaty of peace ; —I rife to date to your lordfllips an
other absurdity; which, notwithstanding the authori
ty I have for it, is of such a magnitude, that it is im
poff^e for me to give a^y belief to it, unless 1 hear
it fro..; the mouths of mmifters themselves, and find
it avowed by them. Toe abfutdity, my lords, I al-
J"de to is this: I fee the public prints, and under the
authoity of the Gazette, that an order of council has
ibned for the purpose o' confining the trade and com
merce between the American States, and his majefly's
WeftTndia ifland*, to Brftith buit (hips owned by
British subj ds, and navigated according to law."
Tie order is conceived in these words. (His lordship
teen r i the order from the Gazette of July 5.) Now,
my lords, if this be not a falfity, or some forgery, to
make mi liters appear worf~ than they really are, it is
that whj 1 muffmake every thinking man ffiudder with
in ici, breaufe he cannot help perceiving into what
hanos rut government of this country has unfortunate
ly fallen : for, my lords, not to mention the want of
policy, which is so felf evident upon the face of such
a monopolizing measure as this is, in the moment of
the negotiation of a commercial treaty between Ame
rica and thi country, when we fee the precarious state
in which the commerce of America is as-to us; when
every individual feels the necessity of attaching that
commerce as much as may be to ourselves, and whin
we know of a certainty that this order (the conduft of
America depending entirely upon the Reps That we
Shall pursue towards her) will be answered instantly by
a similar declaration on her part; I fay, my lords, even
to pass and overlook these confidera'tions, great and
important as they are, in point of policy, the ad itself,
is, in point of commercial regulation, the effeft of the
most consummate ignorance that ever before blafled the
councils of his majesty. An a& which at once betrays
the want of even one single idea, not only of the na
ture of the commerce subsisting in that part of the
world, but of the mode and manner in which that com
merce is carried on and conducted. Good God. my
lords, what an idea! that his majefly's Weft-India
idaids, and America, should be Supplied with the pro
duce of each other, by British built (hips, owned
by British Subjects, and navigated according to law !
Why, my lords, it is absurdity itfelf; so absurd, that
there is not a cabin-boy in that trade that would not
laugh in your face at the mention of such a propositi
on ; nor could such a proposition ever have been made
but by some ass of a city merchant, who, being a deal
er in (hips himftlf. would hope to convert those ships
to this use, for his own private purpose, and not for
the public service; nor was it possible for any mini
stry to have adopted such a proposition, but the pre
lent. Why, my lords to mention one effect only of
this curious system of navigation, the freight of the
goods so exported and imported as this order directs,
would be infinitely more than the value of the goods
themfelvea. The prime cost of the goods in carriage
there is trifling, and it is the readiness and cheapness
of the navigation that Supports the intercourse. From
the vicinity of the American continent and the Weft-
India islands to each other, the commerce is, as is well
known, c rried on by little (loops and schooners, nay,
even by haif decked boats, with two or three men, and
perhaps a boy on board of each, the value of one car
go of which, inconsiderable as it is, being more than
Sufficient to pay the prime cost of the whole vessel,
whereas a (hip, as described by this order of council,
must, from its Superior charges and expence, either
raise its freight beyond what the ar icies of its load
ing will bear, or make 50, nay probably 300 voyages,
according to its size, before it can repay even the cost
of its outfit. But, my lords, was this new mode of
trafficking, for new it is, either political or advanta
geous, ii is not practicable : for it would be impoßible
to furnifh British ships Sufficient in number to carry
on the trade, and to Supply the calls of the several
markets there for one fiogle month; and thus it is
that the intercourse between these countries is now by
these means ignorantly, aad with one coupe de plume,
Foreign Intelligence.
not o n !y h-jig up and suspended, but for tht present
at lea ft, totally prohibited and put a flop to, under
every circumflance of injury on all sides, and without (
the (milled profpea of good on any. My lords, I
have men ioned this faft, out of a thousand others; in
objection to this ridiculous order, and have (aid thus
much just to point out to your lordihips the danger
that there is in appointing men to public trusts, be
cause (upported by an unnatural and a wicked faction,
and who are incapable of daing the duty of their offi
ces, and to hope and trust that the spirit of this nation
is not so totally funk as to Suffer such a coalition of
councillors any longer to pervade the Councils of his
majesty, and to direct the measures of this govern
ment —His lordship was answered by lord Stormont.
July 17. It is reported, that the last dispatches from
Mr. David Hartley at Paris, state the commercial treaty
with America to be for the present suspended. Mr.
Hartley, agreeable to his inftrußions, had infilled on
the exclusive right of Great-Britain to transport the
produce di the Weft India islands to America in Efig
li(h bottoms. This was proposed as an article of the
treaty, but the commissioners of Congress peremptorily
refufed the admission of any such claim, contending
for she equal right of America to convey the Weft-
India produce in the Vessels belonging to the United
S ates. In conftquence of so every material a difagree
mem, a packet was dispatched to Philadelphia, requeu
ing the final inftrußions of Congress on the fubjeft, and
an aufwer has been returned containing the ultimatum,
which is, not to recede from her claim.
A velTel is just arrived in the Thames, after a short
voyage, from Baltimore, m Maryland, with tobacco,
flax-feed, ftaves, &c.
Extra& of a letter from Brest, June 17.
" At four o'clock this afternoon, the squadron of
Mons. de Vaudreuil, confiding of eight ships of the line,
entered this port; amongil several passengers of rank
are the prince of Brogho and Marquis de Viomenil."
July 21. The king of Prussia has ordered 50,000
men to be encamped in Silesia, and to hold themselves
in perfect readiness for otner service ; and it appears
from various accounts horn Grmany and Russia, that
a war between the latter and the Porte is inevitable-
Two ships from Philadelphia, with thirteen (tripes
flying, are fafe arrived at Belfaft.
July 24. Letters from Paris mention, that the pro
prietors of several private docks in different parts of
France have entered into contrast for building a num
ber of fllips proper for trading to the Eafl-Indies, with
the produce of which quarter of the exclusive privilege
of (applying the fubj^&s of the American States.
" We are sorry to announce from great authority,
that the Revolution, of and from North Carolina, capt.
Carpenter, laden with tobacco, who arrived here the
28th of June, in expectation of being able to difpole of
his cargo, and to lay out the proceeds thereof in fri&
maoufaaures for Am rica, was obilged, much against
his wishes, to fail from hence for another kingdom,
being refufed liberty to enter his tobacco at the cus
tom-house of Cork, on payment of the fame duties that
are accepted and paid in Dublin ; and being afraid that
his (hip would be forcib y boarded by the fame worthy
gentlemen who took ab ut twelve hogsheads of tobacco
fror ron board two other American ships, viz. the fade
dependence and th* Gloucester packet, foo n after they
hoifled their colours, and moored their vessels at Cove.
Had no obhruaions arisen there would have been above
gocol. expended for the returns of capt. Carpenter's
cargo in coarse woollen cloths, flockings, night caps,
blankets, garterings, fufiians, (hoes, nails, &c. which
is now loft to this ci y by ill timed feveritieq exercised
agai fl & people who desire to give Ireland a preference
in trade."
SAMUEL JOHNSTON, Esq ; in the chair.
The sense of the meeting w,s taken, and ordered to
be exprefifed as follows;
WHITEHAL L, July 22.
Advices have been received by the Fox packet, which
failed from Bengal the 17th of February last, that peace
had been concluded with the Marattas; that Hyder
Ally died in the month of December last ; and that his
successor Tippou-Saib appeared more pacifically in
clined towards the English tnan his father, having per
mitted such as were prisoners in the towns taken by
him to have free communication with the prefidentcy
at Madras, to be better supplied with necessaries, and
to have ree egress and regress : that Mons. Suffrein,
after watering his fleet at Achin, had crossed over the
Bay of Bengal to Ganjam, with nine fail of the line and
2 frigates, where he captured the Coventry frigate and
the Blandford Eatt lodiaman: that the Medea frigate
had retaken the Chacer (loop of war, on her way from
Trincomale with dispatches from M. Buffy to M. Suf
frein, by which it appeared, that the rest of the French
fleet was in great distress from a violent dysentery,
having loft a number of men, and was unable to join M.
Suffrem as soon as he intended; and that M. Suffrein
remained only a few days on the coast, and it was up
pofed had returned to Trincomale, leaving two frigates
to cruiza from Ganjam to Bollafore road, whicn had
captured a number of vessels bound to Madras with
rice.
STATE of NORTH CAKOLI NA.
At a Meeting of the Inhabitants of the Town of
Edenton, on Friday the firft day of August, 1,83,
in order io deliberate on the present fituatiou of Pub
lic Affairs.
July 25. A messenger arrived cn Wednesday at Lord
North's office, Whitehall, with dispatches from David
Hartley, esquire, at Paris ; they only state generally
that the proclama ion refpefling the carriage of the
produce of tne Wett India islands had been fubjeaed,
as was directed by order of council, to the infpeaion
of the American ^ommiffioners who had expressed
no disapprobation of its tenour or contents, b<t have
transmitted it to Congress, whose fentiment^ and deci
sion upon the fubjeft will be necessary before the final
adjufiment of the treaty between Great Britain and
the colonies can take place, and which is now the on
ly impediment in the way of this most wished for event.
Extract of a letter from Cork, July 14.
WHEREAS it it the undoubted right of the peo
ple at all times, either collectively or individu
ally, to express their sentiments on the fituatiou of
public affairs ; and from the various opinions express
ed on certain important points throughout the United
Spates, at this important crisis, they become proper
objects of zeal and anxiety to us as well as to others.
Refolded unanimously, That while we partake with
the rest of our fellow citizens in tne United States, in
the great and universal joy which a peace so glorious
and advantageous has occasioned, we hope that the
terms of it will be fadredly ulfilief, and that we ma,
not be exhibited to the world as a people so mean as
well as perfidious as hot only to be ditpofed to violate
a mod solemn engagement of our government, but one
which by the blessing of God has irrevocably establish
ed that freedom and independence to which we have
been so long aspiring.
Resolved unanimously, That it is our earnest desire,
that effectual measures for the support of public Credit:
Chay be taken. No longer let Congress be distressed
for the payment of even common expences. Let the
public creditors at least inviolably receive payment erf
the interest, and have a fund established for tne gradu # -
al redemption of the principal of their debts. May
those worthy officers and soldiers, who have hitherto
born with such unexampled patience, (ufferings which
perhaps no other army ever sustained, be delayed no
longer of what they have so greatly earned, than (hall
be absolutely unavoidable. On this occasion we have'
much to regret, that the recommendation of Congress
for the impost of five per cent, failed of its effed ; it ap
pears to us to have been a mail wife and judicious mea
sure, and as it was the result of the united councils of
the whole continent, we think it ought not to have
been lightly rejected. We observe with great pain the
indecent licence many people take in (peaking of that
august body. When we reflect upon the many and
great difficulties with which America has had to drug
gie in her late contest, and that the Congress of these
United States, in spite of them all, by wisdom, virtue
and perseverance, jiath at length obtained the great
blessing we had in view, we feel a veneration and at
tachment to it which it gives us pleasure to express ;
sensible that without luch an union and a hearty sup
port of it, we probably should now have been a mise
rable and dfgraced people. We still fee in a firong
point of view the necessity of that union. In vain (hall
we hope to preserve the freedom and independence we
have acquired, but by carefully cherishing those prin
ciples upon which it was formed : the power neceffar,
for its support let us therefore chearfully give. Let us
have a proper degree of jealousy, but no unreasonable
fafpicion ; the one is as wholesome as the other benefi
cial. Whom can we trust, if not our own representa
tives, annually elected and at any time liable to be dis
placed by ourselves?
Resolved unanimously, That we wish, so far as is
confident with the treaty of peace, proper meafure# may
be taken to guard against the evils that might arise
from a return of those persons who withdrew themfelv^
from a defence of the country and joined the British in
the lime of our distress. We scorn to triumph over
enemies we have defeated, but considering those people
in general, we are fatisfied tney never can make good
Subjects of these states on account of their early preju
dices againf t our government, their bigotted attach
ment to Gr^at-Britain, and the mortification they feel
from their defeat, after the delusive hopes and gafco.
nading encouragements they held forth to induce a
continuance of the war; were they not now in df
trefs, we could (peak also of the cruelties of many of
them, and the pleasure they used to take in every op
portunity of intuiting and (peaking contemptuously as
us; but their Situation now forbids resentment. We
only wish tuat t^e public in their conduft towards them
may be guided by motives of policy not of revenge,
which we think is unbecoming a generous people.
What flaps it may be proper to take, it is for the v<if
dom of legislature alone to decide, to whom we fubnit
these sentiments with the utmost deference and refpeft.
Resolved unanimously, That in the mean time, it be
eatneftly recommended to the magistrates of this tovq
to be vigilant in the ex.cution of their duty, agaiift
such perlons as are above mentioned, who may attempt
to return and render themselves obnoxious to the lavs
now in force against them.
3- An aft to encourage the speedy apprehending and
'ringing to juthce, divers robbers, burglars and felons.
I, he 'hip Success, captain , from Dublin, is
loft on Cape Henlopen. Her crew and part of the car
go are Saved.
Philadelphia^ Sept. 30.
Tne honorable Alexander Gillon, esquire, has re-
Signed his commission as lieutenant governor of the ftat^
0 South Carolina, his great commercial and other
concerns not permitting him to continue in that elevat
ed nation.
2. An att to re-eftab'ifh the corporation of the Ju
^"a library company in Lancaster, in the county of
C a ncafte r .
The (hip Albion, captain Langdale, from Oftend'and
Plymouth for this port, was loft, on the 10th of June
la , on the rocks of Scilly. Every person on board
perilled. Some parts of the wreck were afterwards
taken up, and carried into Sr. Mary's, by which this
unhappy event was discover'd.
Several vessels, it is (aid, were driven ashore by the
ea " 3 gale, on the Jersey coast, among which is
a from St. Vincents bound to New-York.
hi°"r ".'day last the Honorable the General Affem
°''"' Commonwealth role, fine die.
During the session, the following laws were enabled,
viz.
1- An aft for building market honfes and keeping a
public market on both sides of CallowhiU. street and
r "'^arke'-Preet in the northern liberties of the city
Pnilade phia.
It was then ordered, that these resolves be fgned by
the chairman, and made public.
SAMUEL JOHNSTON, chairmar.