The New-Jersey gazette — Burlington [N.J.], 1778-07-08 00:00:00, page 1

June 1%.
The Committee to whom was referred the letter of
the oth from General Washington, with the papers
nclofed, brought in a report, which wab taken into
consideration, and, after debate,
Refolded, That the farther consideration thereof be
?oftponed.
Saturday, 'June 13.
Congress resumed the consideration of the report
of the Committee on the letter of the 9th from Ge
neral Walhington, with the papers enchofed.
During the debate an express arrived with a letter
of the iith from General Washington, which was
read, and a packet, in which was enclosed, together
with other papers, a letter ligned " Carlifle, William
Eden, George Johnftone," dated, " Philadelphia,
June 9, 1778," and directed " To hi Excellency
Henry Laurens, the Prelident, and other the Mem
bers of Congress." Which letter was read to the
words " insidious interposition of a power, which
has, from the firft settlement of these Colonics, been
actuated with enmity to us both. And notwithftand
3ng the pretended date or present form of the French
offers," inclusive ; whereupon the reading was'inter
rupted, and a motion was made not to proceed far
ther, because of the effenfive language against his
Molt ChrilEan Majesty.
Debates arising thereon,
o r dered, That the confederation of the motion be
postponed. And Congress adjourned to 10 o'clock
on Monday.
June 15, P. M.
Congress resumed the consideration of the motion
refpe&ing the letter from the Commissioners of the
King of Great-Britain : After debate, adjourned to
10 o'clock to-morrow.
June 16.
Congress resumed the consideration of the motion
refpedting the letter from the Commissioners of the
King of Great-Britain, which being postponed.
A motion was made, " Thlt the letter from the
Commissioners of the King of Great-Britain lie on
the table." Passed in the negative.
On motior, Refolded, That the letter, and the pa
pers accompanying it, be read. Whereupon the let
ter of the 9th, and one dated June 1778, both ligned
^‘ Carlifle, William Eden, George Johnftone," and
2 paper endorsed " copy of the commission for re
storing peace, &c. To the Earl of Carlifle, 'Lord
Viscount Howe, Sir William Howe, or, in his ab
sence, Sir Henry Clinton, William Eden and George
Johnftone," were read, and also three ads of the
British Parliament, one entitled " an ad for repeal
ing an ad passed in the fourteenth year of his pre
sent Majesty's reign, entitled an ad for the better
regulating the government of the province of the
Massachusetts-Bay in New-England." The other
two the fame as die bills already published. The
fetters are as follow:
In CONGRESS, June ii, 1778.
AL ETTER of the 9th from General
Washington, inclofing a letter of the
9th to him from General Sir Henry
Clinton, informing that the Earl of
Carlifle, William Eden and Governor
Johnftone, three of the Conftniffioners
for restoring peace between Great-Britain and Ame
rica, are arrived in Philadelphia, and requesting a
passport for Doctor Ferguson, their Secretary, with
4 letter from them to Congress, and a copy of Gene
ral Washington's answer, declining to grant a palf
,prt till the pleasure of Congrefe is known, was read.
Ordered, That the fame be referred to a Commit
tee of three.
" Gentlemen,
" IW™ an carneft desire to flop the further es-
VV fufion of blood and the calamities of war,
we communicate to you, with the least pollible de
lay after our arrival in this city, a copy of the com
mission with which his Majesty is pleased to honour
uis, as also the ads of Parliament on which it is found
ed. And, at the fame time that we allure you of our
most earned desire to re-establish, on the basis of
equal freedom and mutual fafety, the tranquillity of
this once happy empire, you will, observe that we are
vetted with powers equal to the purpose, and such as
are even unprecedented in the annals of our history.
" In the present Bate of our affairs, tho' fraught
with fubjeds of mutual regret, all parties may draw
some degree of consolation, and even auspicious hope,
from the recollection that 'cordial reconciliation and
afferifohave, in our own and others empires, fuc-
[Vol. I.] TH E * ' [Numb. 31.]
NEW-JERSEY GAZETTE.
To his Excellency HENRY LAURENS, the President,
and other the Members of Congress.
WEDNESDAY, July 8, 1778.
ceeded to contentions and temporary divisions not
less violent than those we now experience.
" We wish not to recal fubjeds which are now no
longer in controversy, and will reserve to a proper
time of difeuffion, both the hopes of mutual benefit,
and the consideration of evils, that may naturally
contribute to determine your resolutions, as well as
our own, on this important occasion.
" The ads of Parliament which we transmit to
you having passed with lingular unanimity, will fuf
ficiently evince the disposition of Great-Britain, and
shew that the terms of agreement in contemplation
with his Majesty and with Parliament are such as come
up to every wish that North-America, either in the
hour of temperate deliberation or of the utmost ap
prehension of danger to liberty, has expressed.
" More effectually to demonstrate our good in
tentions, we think proper to declare, even in this
our firft communication, that we are disposed to con
cur in every fatisfadory and just arrangement towards
the following among other purpofer.
'' To consent to a collation of hostilities, both by
sea and land.
" To reftorr free intercourse, to revive mutrtal af
fedion, and renew the common benefits of naturali
zation, through tiie several parts of this empire.
“ To extend every freedom to trade that our re
fpedive intcrefts can require.
" To agree that no military forces shall be kept
up in the different Bates of North-America, without
the consent of the general Congress or particular
Assemblies.
'' To concur in meafurcs calculated to difeharge
the debts of America, and to raise the credit and va
lue of the paper circulation.
" To perpetuate our union by a reciprocal depu
tation of an Agent or Agents from the different Bates,
who shall have the privilege of a feat and voice in
the Parliament of Great-Britain; or, if sent from
Britain, in that case to have a feat and voice in the
Assemblies of the different Bates to which they may
be deputed refpedtively, in order to attend t°o the
several interests of those by whom they are deputed.
“ In short, to establish the power of the refpeftive
legislatures in each particular Bate, to fettle its re
venue, its civil and military establishment, and to
exercise a perfect freedom of legislation and internal
government, so that the British Bates throughout
North-America, anting with us in peace and war
under one common sovereign, may have the irrevo
cable enjoyment of every privilege, that is short of a
total separation of interests, or confident with that
union of force, on which the fafety of our common
religion and liberty depends.
" In cur anxiety for preserving those sacred and
essential interests, we cannot help taking notice of
the insidious interposition of a power, which has,
from the firft settlement of these colonies, been ac
tuated with enmity to us both. And notwithstand
ing the pretended date or present form ofthe French
offers to North-America, yet it is notorious that these
were made in consequence of the plans of accom
modation previously concerted in Great-Britain, and
with a view to prevent oUr' reconciliation, and to
prolong this deftru&ive war.
" But we trust that the inhabitants of North-
America, connected with us by the nearest ties of
consanguinity, speaking the fame language, interest
ed in the preservation of fmilar institutions, remem
bering the former happy intercourse of good offices,
and forgetting recent animosities, will shrink from
the thought of becoming an accession of force to our
late mutual enemy, and will prefer a firm, a free and
perpetual coalition with the parent Bate, to an in
fin'cere and unnatural foreign alliance.' &
" This dispatch will be delivered to you by Doc
tor Ferguson, the Secretary to his Majesty's Com
mission. And for further explanation and difeuffion
of every fubjett of difference, we desire to meet with
you, either cohesively or by deputation, at New-
York, Philadelphia, Ybrk-Town, or such other place
as you may propose. We think it right, however,
to apprize you, that his Majesty's instructions, as
well as our own desire to remove from the immediate
feat of war, in the active operations of which we can
not take any part, may induce us speedily to remove
to New-York: But the Commander in Chief of his
Majesty's land forces, who is joined with us in this
commission, will, if it Should become eligible, either
concur with us in a suspension of hostilities, or will
furnilh all necessary passports and fafe conduct to fa
cilitate our meeting, and we shall of course expert
the fame of you.
“ If, after the time that may be necessary to con
fider this communication and transmit your answer,
the horrors and devaluations of war should continue.
we call God and the world to witness, that the evilg
which muß follow are not to be imputed to Great-
Britain: And we cannot, without the most real Bor
row, anticipate the profped of calamities, which we
feel the most ardent delire to prevent. We are, with.
perfect refpeCt,
Gentlemen,
Tour most obedient and mofl humble feriants,
CARLISLE,
Philadelphia, WM. EDEN,
tyh June, 1778. Geo. JOHNSTONE."
To his Excellency HENRY LAURENS, the Preftdenfg
and other the Members of Congress.
" Gentlemen,
" 7 TIE dispatch enclosed with this was carried this
I morning to the nearest post of General Wash
ington's army by DoCtor Ferguson, Secretary to his
Majesty's Commission for restoring peace, &c, but
he, not finding a passport, has returned to this place.
In order to avoid every unnecessary delay, we now
again fend it by the ordinary conveyance of your mi
litary posts. As soon as the passport arrives, DoCtor
Ferguson shall wait upon you according to our firft
arrangement. We are, with perfect rcfpeCt,
Gentlemen,
Your most obedient and most humble ferlantsi
CARLISLE,
Philad. June 1778. . Wm. EDEN,
Geo. JOHNSTONE."
GEORGE the Third, 'by the grace 'of God, of Create
Britain, France and Ireland, King, Defender ofthe
Faith, &c.
TO our right trufly and right well-beloved couJin ante
counfellor Frederick Earl of Carlifle, Knight of the
most ancient Order of the Tbiftle ; our right trust, and
well-beloved cotfin and counfellor Richard Lord Kif
count Howe, of our kingdom of Ireland; our trufy
and well-beloved Sir William Howe, Knight of the
most honourable Order of the Bath, Lieutenant-Ge
neral of our forces, General and Commander in Chief
of all and fiugular our forces employed, ar to be em
ployed, within our colonies in North-America, lying
upon the Atlantic ocean, from Nova-Scotia on the
North to Weft-Florida on the South, both inclusive ,
William Eden, Esq. one of our Commissioners for
Trade and Plantations ; and George Johnftone, Efq G
Captain in our royal navy, GREETING:
WHEREAS, in and by our commission and let
ters patent under our great seal of Great-Bri
tain, bearing date on or about toe 6th day of May,
in the 16th year of our reign, we did, out of our
earnest desire to deliver all our fubjeds and every part
of the dominions belonging to pur crown from the
calamities of war, and to restore them to our pro
tection and peace, nominate and appoint our right
trusty and well-beloved cousin and counfellor Rich
ard Lord Viscount Howe, of our kingdom of Ire
land, and our trusty and well-beloved William Howe.
Esq. now Sir William Howe, Knight of the Bath,
Major-General of our forces, and General of our
forces in North-America only, and each of them,
jointly and severally, to be our Commissioner or Com—
missioners in that behalf, to so perform and execute
all the powers and authorities in and by the faidt
commission and letters patent entrusted and commit
ted to them, and each of them, according to the
tenor of such letters patent, and of such further in-
Bru&ions as they should from time to time receive
under our signet or figa manual, to have, hold, ex
ecute and enjoy the said office and place, offices and
places, of our Commissioner and Commissioners, a%
therein mentioned, with all rights, members and ap
purtenances thereunto belonging, together with all
and singular the powers and authorities thereby grant
ed unto them, the said Lord Viscount Howe and
General William Howe, and each of them, for and
during our will and pleasure and no longer, in such
manner apd form, as in and by our said recited com
mission and letters patent, relation being thereunto
had, may, among divers other things therein con
tained, more fully and at large appear. And where
as, for the quieting and extinguishing of divers jea
lousies and apprehensions of danger to their liberties
and rights, which have alarmed many of our fubjeds
in the colonies, provinces and plantations of New.
Hampshire, Massachusetts-Bay, Rhode-Ifland, Con
necticut, New-York, New-Jersey, Pennsylvania, with
the Three Lower Counties on Delaware, Maryland,
Virginia, North-Carolina, South-Carolina and Geor
gia, and for a fuller manifeftation of our just and
gracious purposes and those of our parliament, to
maintain and secure all our fubje&s in the clear and
perfect enjoyment of their liberties and rights, it is,
in and by a certain aft made and passed in this pre
sent sessions of parliament, intituled, " An ad to en-