The New-Jersey gazette — Burlington [N.J.], 1781-05-02 00:00:00, page 2

and fay, Thh ft is with the utmost concern and asto
nishment, we have already not only received your
Excellencies affliding Order and Sentence, to give
up the keys of our stores, with an inventory thereof,
and of our houfhold plate and furniture, and to hold
ourselves in readiness to depart this island : Ignorant
of our destination, leaving our Beloved Wives and
Helpless Families behind us, and our property and
effeds liable to seizure and confifcation ; but also to
find, that those Orders are for the major part carried
into execution, a number of our brethren having on
Tuesday the 13th instant been sent on board of a
ship, and have not since been heard of. Such unex
peaed orders, from BRITISH COMMANDERS,
whole principal characteristic is " MERCY and HU
MANITY," have not only been productive of the
most horrid and melancholy Scenes of distress and
confufton that ever British eyes beheld under the fatal
consequences of a rigid war ; but numbers of families
are now Helpless, Disconsolate, and in an absolute
. state of Indigence and Despair.
Unconfeious of deferring so severe a treatment,
~ we flatter ourselves, that your Excellencies will be
pleased to hear this our humble petition, and not in
volve in one complicated scene of Distress and Mitery,
our Helpless Women and Innocent Babes; confident
. ly relying upon, and earnestly hoping, that through
- your Excellencies Justice and Humanity, we Shall not
Supplicate in vain.
It is the peculiar happiness of those who live under
the British constitution, to be indulged with their
own sentiments in matters of religion, when these
principles of religion are not incompatible with, or
fubvertive of the constitution of church or state :
and it is the peculiar happiness of the Hebrew nation
to fay, that their religion teaches peace, and obedi
ence to the government under which they live ; and
when civil diffentions have threatened to Subvert the
, constitution, the Hebrew nation have ever preferred
a peaceful demeanor, with true loyalty to the King,
and a firm and Steady attachment to the laws and
.constitution..
For what reason, or from what motive, we are to
be BANISHED from this, island,. we arc at a loss to
account. If any among us have committed a crime
for which they are puniihablc, we humbly beg those
crimes may be pointed out, and that such persons
may be purged from among us. But if nothing can
be alledged.againft us,but the religion of.our fore
fathers, we hope that will not be considered a crime,
or that a religion which preaches peace and recom
mends obedience to government, should point out
its feriaries asobjeds of your Excellencies rigour,
and merit exclulion from a British island, by the cx
prefs orders of British Commanders. A moment's
reflection must discountenance the idea, and.leave us
in perfea confidence of your Excellencies favourable
, answer.
Permit us then to afire your Fx-ellcncies, that
we ever have, and still are willing, to give every con
fciehtious testimony of purobedience to government;
and those of us in particular, who claim to be natural
born fpbjeris of Great-Britain, most humbly entreat
your Excellencies to order us before you, or before
such person or persons as your Excellencies shall
please to appoint, there to prove our loyalty and
fidelity, and repeat and take our oaths of allegiance.
May the God of all mercies incline your hearts to
listen to the prayers and supplications of your petiti
oners ; and in this confidence we humbly submit our
selves to your Excellencies determination, hoping
that you will pardon us for the intrusion of this ad
dress ; and that, through your Excellencies Lenity
and Humanity, your Excellencies will yet be pleased
to grant us juch favourable terms, as you in your
Judgment and Wisdom shall think most advantageous
to his Majesty's interelt, and the honour and glory of
his fuccefsful arms.
And your petitioners, as in duty bound, will ever
pray, &c.
St. Euftatius, Feb. 16, 1781.
Head-quarters, (St. Euftatius) Feb. 22.
All the inhabitants of this iflandj (foreigners and
native Dutch excepted ) are to deliver in to the Q,M.
G. by twelve o'clock to-morrow, signed certificates
of the time they have relided in this island.
All merchants and traders on this island are forth
with to give up their books of correlpondence, let
ters, &c, to the Q M. G.
His Excellency the Commander in Chief orders,
That all Americans do leave this island; and that
they be 011 the beach this afternoon at five o'clock,
when boatd wifi be ready to Carry them off.
March 1. Whereas it appears by the inventories of
effects given in by the merchants and inhabitants of
this place, that most of them have neglected to make
a return of the cash and plate they stood pofleffed of
at the surrender of this island.
It is hereby ordered, That they do forthwith give
in to the Q M. G. an exari account of all monies
and plate now in their possession, as well belonging to
themselves as other people ; for which they are to be
responsible, when required.
And if any future discoveries shall be made of mo
nies or plate, concealed after this return is given in,
, it will be deemed the property of no particular indi
vidual.
[From such rulers, Good Lord deliver us !]
March 2. All merchants at present residing in this
place, who are inhabitants of Amsterdam, are to
prepare to leave this island forthwith, and to return
to Holland. They are to give in their names to Mr.
Since our last arrived here the Hispaniola and Ha
vannah fleets, confining of about twenty tail of armed
trading vessels.
Saturday last arrived here the Fair American priva
teer, from a fuccefsful cruize.
Captain Derham, who left Martinico the 21st ult.
informs, that at the time of his tailing a signal was
flying on the lookout poll, for descrying a large fleet
to windward of that island, then fuppuied to be the
fleet from Old France.
By a vessel in a short paflage from Ilifpaniola we
are informed, that a French fleet of 30 odd fail, and
a number of troops on board, were arrived at Marti
nico.
The last vessels from the Havannah bring the fol
lowing interelting intelligence: On the 4th January
the important fort of San Juan de Nicaragua, on the
Spanish Main, was re-taken by his Catholic Ma
jeity's forces ; part of the garrison were taken, and
the rest efeaped in boats the preceding night, or rile
they would have shared the time fate.
We further learn, that about the middle of Fe
bruary General De Galvez failed from the Havannah
for Mobillc, with 3000 troops to join thole already
there, to the amount of 409 c, and with the whole to
carry on the liege of Pentacula ; that by a packet ar
rived from thence at the Havannah they had the fol
lowing account, that on the 18th he forced the post
on Role Island, at the entrance ,us the harbour of
Penfscpla; that on the 19th his licet entered the har
bour ; that General De Galvez landed his men, and
bed advanced his batteries within half cannon shot of
the works at Pensacola.
Our informant further adds, that bout the begin
ning of March, a fleet from Jamaica of eight ships of
the line and forty tramports were seen to pals the
weft end of Cuba, luppoka ror the relief of Pensa
cola, on which the Spain sh fleet of eighteen fail lying
at Havannah took on board between 5 or 6000 sol
diers, and in four days failed in purtuit of the Britilh.
Extract of a letter from St. Pierre, ( Martinique)
March 18, 1781.
" Arrived here the sth inttapt, from Brest, in forty
four days, a lugger with diipaich.es from the Minister
to the General the Marquis de Bouille, advising him
of an approaching arrival of a large fleet, confining
of 400 fail or thereabouts, among which he expects
30 fail of the line. I hope soon to be able to give you
a more particular account of this piece of news."
Extrema of a letter from Martinique, dated March 4.
" The States General are making the greatest pre
parations to fit out a formidable fleet ; it is expected
they will have 50 fail of the line ready by the begin
ning of the campaign. 1 bey have sent great rein
forcements to their East-India poffethon,.
" Portugal has acceded to the armed neutrality,
has eight ships of the line already lit for fca, in the
Tagus, and it is expected will have eighteen by the
beginning of April.
" The death of the Empress Queen will not at all
derange the political fyltem of the Northern powers.
" It is confidently reported, and believed, that
Count d'Estaing, in his passage from Cadiz to Brclb,
where he arrived the 18th of January, captured 40
fail of English transports and fume ihips of the line
that escorted them, destined for the windward islands
and Jamaica, on board of which was a considerable
number of troops. The long paflage of this fleet
will prevent the reinforcement failing for America as
soon as wa^experied."
Yesterday arrived here the brig Virginia, Capt. All,
kfter a paflage of nine weeks from I'Orient, in France,
who confirms the accounts we have already had re
fperiing the spirited preparations of the States of
Holland, to retaliate the injuries fuflained by them
from the Court of Gfeat-Britain ; but that nothing
very materially had happened, except an ariion in
the Channel of England, between two ships of fifty
guns each, belonging to the refperiive nations, which
however, was not dccifive, both vessels having at the
fame time left the feene of ariion.
By Captain Derham, from Martinico, we learn
that the privateer Holker, Capt. Kean, of this port,
had put into that island, having taken five prizes,
viz. a fliip from Glasgow with provisions, which fold
for near 10,000 Half Joes ; a cutter of 16 nine pound
ers, copper bottomed, from Liverpool ; a brig from
Cork, with provisions; a privateer schooner of eight
guns, from Antigua ; and a schooner from St. Lucia
for Antigua, with 100 Half Joes in specie on board.
He also informs, that the Holker had been hove down
in that island, and since had failed on another cruize.
A letter from France, dated February 6, 1781, fays,
" That the Ruffian Ambassador has left London with
Brookes, Secretary to the island, at Mr. Henricus
Godet's, between the hours of nine and twelve
o'clock to-morrow morning.
BASSETERRE, (St. Kitts) Feb. 19.
By a rebel vessel which arrived at St. Euftatius a
few days ago, we are informed, that seven of the
American provinces have revolted.from Congress, and
thrown off the yoke of tyranny and oppression, un
der which they have groaned lince their commencing
hostilities against the mother Country, and declaration
of independency. The truth of which, with the
particulars, we hope soon to be able to affirm and
give to our readers.
[Hence <we fee, that Rivington is not the only one
Faffed of a patent for lying.]
PHILADELPHIA, April 25.
" On the 31st of December last, the Dutch pleni
potentiaries and Mr. Swart, the Dutch resident at
Peterfburgh, mnifhed their conferences with the Ruf
fian plenipotentiaries, and the whole matter having
been I.nd before the Empress and approved by her,
the accession of the United Provinces to the treaties
of Russia, Sweden and Denmark, for the mutual
protection of the trade and navigation of their fub
jeris, was signed on the 4th instant, and the ads ar
rived on the 21st. During the whole management of
this business, the English left no artifice untried, in
order that the republick might be excluded from this
alliance; but the Empress and her ministry, unsha
ken, rejeded their memorials with firmnefs, and even
with indignation. The money which this republick
has now occasion to take up from the fubjeds there
of, will greatly increase the difficulty to the English
to obtain, and fink their stocks still more. You may
be assured, that when fir James Harris, the English
minitler at Petersburg, gave the Empress to under
hand, that her reception of this republick into the
alliance, might, possibly, bring on a war between
her Majesty and his King: the answered, " This
" reason should not hinder her from doing what'was
" proper to be done."
Extract of a letter from Amiens, dated February 6th,
1781, to a gentleman of this city.
'' When you left France, you knew the arrival of
M. De Guichen at Cadiz, having under his convoy
about one hundred fail, and that count D'Eftaing was
to take the command of the combined fleet, which
is composed of seventy-one ships of the line, thirty
eight French, and thirty-three Spanish, which failed
with count D'Eftaing as far as the Capes, and then
returned to Cadiz. Our fleet meeting with contra
ry winds it was with difficulty the count got fafe in
to port the rich fleet under his convoy, two months
after he had failed.
" Twenty-two English ships ofthe line, command
ed by Darby, saw our fleet, and fled before them.
I he English had failed to meet their rich Eaft-India
fleet, which has not yet appeared. A piece of news,
that is now confirmed, will prevent that rich fleet
from arriving fafe, which is, that M. De Tronjolly,
who commands our fleet at the Isle of Bourbon, has
taken twelve vessels from that fleet, which are valu
ed at forty millions of livres, besides a seventy-sour
gun ship; many newspapers confirm this intelligence,
but it has not yet been mentioned in the French Ga
zette. The siege of Gribraltar is constantly going on,
and some of the Spanish works are within 20 feet of
the portcullis of the place; don Barcelo intercepts
all the provisions ; the besieged are reduced to half
a ration, and the Governor is asking fuccour and pro
visions with impatience. It is said England is deter
mined to fend him some, escorted by twenty-two
ships of the line, but Cadiz contains forty ships of
the line ready to fail, and count D'Eftaing may also
fail, at the firft signal, with twenty-four fail of the line.
out taking leave ; and that the British Ambassador at
Petersburg had received orders from his Court to do
the fame.—That Holland had entered into the war
with the utmost spirit, and are carrying on their na
val preparations with the greatest exertions."
On Friday the 20th instant (before the Justices of
the Supreme Court) came on the trial of the cause
between James Davis and James Hamilton, by a
special jury. This ariion was brought on the tender
law of January, 1777, for the recovery of a bond
and mortgage, or the penalty in lieu thereof; on
which the plantiff tendered the exchange of 3551.
sterling, in March, 1777. This tender was refuted
by Mr. Hamilton, and the money paid into the trea
sury, according to law. After a full hearing the jury
found for the plantiff James Davis,the original debtor.
Extrari of a letter from a Gentleman of Information
in Europe, dated February 22, 1781, to his Cor-
respondent in this City.
" I have for some time deferred writing, in hopes
of having it in my power to give you more diftinri
information of the ariual situation of affairs in Eu
rope, at this important crisis, when its attention is
turned to the conduct of the Empress of Russia and the
armed neutrality. It would seem, that if the Em
press doth not openly declare against England, flie
will at all events protest the Dutch commerce, and
this may speedily terminate in open hostilities. The
republican party in Holland are in good spirits. Ze
iand hath dropped the opposition it made to hollile
measures, so that at present there is unanimity in the
Rates on that interesting point. The troops from
England for America and the East-Indies were em
barked and embarking the last of the past month.
They coillift of 3 or 4COO men, recruits included, and
of Fullarton's and another ragged regiment, to use
the words of my informant. The greater part ol
these, it is supposed, are destined to the East-Indies,
and Commodore Johnston is named by the publick
to command an expedition, which is to attack the
Cape of Good Hope 011 his passage. The protestant
associations begin to stir a little. Lord George Gor
don is acquitted. Stocks have fallen conliderably
since the Dutch war, not less than two and an half
and three per cent. The fubferiptions for the loans
of the present year, it is generally believed, will be
paid in slowly. The Spanish squadron of 30 fail of
the line is at tea ; that of England it is fuppofed,'wili
fail about this period of time."
Extract of a letter from a gentleman of credit, in
Holland, to his correspondent in this city, dated
January 23, 1781.
APRIL 28.