The New-Jersey gazette — Burlington [N.J.], 1780-10-18 00:00:00, page 2

In ASSEMBLY of VIRGINIA.
An aft to take away the property of the Indiana pro
prietors, and to vest it in the commonwealth of
Virginia.
In Assembly, Williamfburgh, June 17, 1779.
TO remove and prevent all doubts concerning
purchases of lands from the Indian Natives, —Be
it declared by the General Assembly, That this com
monwealth hath the exclusive right of pre-emption
from the Indians of all lands within the limits of its
own chartered territory, or described by the aft and
constitution of government in the year 1776. That
no person or persons whatsoever have, or ever had, a
right to purchase any lands within the fame from any
Indian Nation, except only persons duly authorifed
to make such purchases on the public account former
ly for the use and benefit of the colony, and lately of
the commonwealth ; and that such exclusive right of
pre-emption will and ought to be maintained by this
commonwealth to the utmost of its power.
And be it farther declared and enacted, That every
ptirchafe of lands heretofore made by or on behalf of
the crown of England, or of Great-Britain, from any
Indian Nation or Nations, within the before-mention
ed limits, doth and ought to enure forever to and for
the use and benefit of the commonwealth, and to and
for no other use or purpose whatsoever : and that all
sales and deeds which have been or Ihall be made by
any Indian or Indians, or by any Indian Nation or
Nations, for lands within the said limits, to or for the
separate use of any person or persons whatsoever,
Ihall be and the fame are hereby declared utterly void
and of no effect.
June i,th, 1779, Passed the Senate,
JOHN BECKLY, C. S.
June 17th, 1779.
Passed, E. RANDOLPH, C. H. D.
The Remonstrance of the General Assembly of Vir
ginia, to the Delegates of the United American
States, in Congress affembled.'
7 'HE general assembly of Virginia, ever attentive
1 to the recommendations of Congress, and desi
rous to give the great council of the United States
every fatisfadion in their power, confident with the
rights and constitution of their own commonwealth,
have enabled a law to prevent present settlements on
the north weft fide* of the river Ohio, and will, on
all occasions, endeavour to manifeft their attachment
to the common interest of America, and their earned
withes to remove every cause of jealousy, and pro
mote that mutual confidence and harmony between
the different dates so essential to their true interest
and fafety. Strongly impressed with these sentiments,
the general assembly of Virginia cannot avoid express-
ing their furprize and concern upon the information,
that Congress had received and countenanced peti
tions from certain persons stiling themselves the Van
dalia and Indiana Companies, asserting claims to
lands in defiance of the civil authority, jurddiction
and laws of this commonwealth, and offering to
eredt a separate government within the territory there
of. Should Congress assume a jurifdiftion, and ar
rogate to themfeives a right of jurifduftion, not only
unwarranted by, but expressly contrary :o, the fun
damental principles of the confederation, fuperceding
or controling the internal policy, civil Ripulations
and municipal laws of this or any other state, it
would bea violation of the ptfblick faith, introduce
a mast dangerous 4 precedent, which might hereafter
be urged to deprive of territory and subvert the so
vereignty add government of any one or more of the
United States, and eftablilh in Congress a power
which, in process of time, must degenerate into an
intolerable despotism.
It is notorious that the Vandalia and IndianaCom
panics are not the only claimers of large trads of
land under titles repugnant to our laws; that several
num of great influence in some of the neighbouring'
states are concerned, in partnerffiip with the Earl of
Dunmore and other fubjeds of the British King, who,
under purchases from the Indians, claim extensive
trades of country between the Ohio and Miffifippi
rivers, and that propositions have been made to Con
gress, evidently calculated to secure and guarantee
such purchases: so that, under colour of creating a
common fund, had these propositions been adopted,
the publick would have been duped by the ads of
individuals, and great part of the value of unappro
priated lands, converted to private purposes. Con
gress have lately described and afeertained the boun
daries of there United States, as an ultimatum in
their terms of peace.
1 he United States hold no territory but in right of
fowe one individual state in the union:
I he territory of each state. from time immemorial,
hath been fixed and determined by their refpedive
charters; there beipg no other rule or criterion to
judge by, should these in any instance (where there
is 110 disputed territory between particular states) be
abridged, without the consent of the states affeded
by it, general confi ion must ensue ; each state would
be fubjeded in its t rn, to the incroachments of the
others, and a field opened for future wars and blood
fbed: nor can, any arguments be fairly urged, to prove
that any particular tradtof country, within the limits
claimed by Congress on behalf of the United States,
is not part of the chartered territory of some one of
them, but must militate with equal force against the
right of the United States in general, and tend to
* These lands Virginia dare not attempt to fettle, for
they belong to Indian Nations by treaty.
BOST O N, Sept. 25.
Saturday last arrived here several vessels, in the
following order, viz. Capt. Bartlett, in 16 days from
Htfpaniola, who brings an account, that a French
fleet failed from thence about 20 davs before him,
luppofed for the northward.—The brig Polly, Capt.
— ,in 9 days from North-Carohna.—A prize
flap came round from Beverly.—Besides sundry lum
ber and coasting vessels.
Fuefday last arrived here two vessels from Holland.
% 2. We hear from Albany, that about a fort
night ago Col. Warner, with two other officers of
his regiment, were fired upon by a way-laying
party of Indians, between Lake George and Fort-
Edward. The Colonel was unfortunately badly
wounded in the arm, and the two other officers, one
a lieutenant and adjutant, by the name of Hopkins,
the other a lieutenant and quarter-master, by the
name of Coon, fell victims to their savage cruelty.
, <>^. 5- Ihe British ministry have every year, from
the beginning of the war, made an insidious appear
ance ofca disposition for peace : They have done this
with a view to hold up to the Courts of Europe, an
idea of their moderation, to keep their own nation
and its creditors in gbod temper, to encourage new
loans from an apprehension that peace was at hand,
ano to deceive and lull the Americans, and put us off
our guard. At the fame time it is evident that they
secretly determined to push their military operations
as far as possible, and to run every rtfque rather than
concede our independence. Their late success at
Charleftown will have no tendency to change this de
termination. Accordingly every honest citizen of
, ltcd States is now thoroughly convinced of the
ablolute neceihty of filling up the army during the
war, and of establishing sure and permanent meafi res
for its supply ; without which Britain will never think
of peace. We ought indeed to have discovered this
berore ; but it is happy we have now made the dis
covery. Io know the defeat is more than half the
cure, especially when the remedy is in our own hands
It is now the cry ofevery feeble honest man, “ Give
°,., n °. General an army that will stand by him
while the war last, and let this army be well tup
ported : The abilities of our count,y can well do
it : Our numbers and our wealth are Abundantly fuf
fi°enli°r ^ $ P ur P°' e ; and what man among us
would flirink from the burden, when it is the Ihorteft,
£ fheapeft, the lureft, and the only effectual method
closing the war, and of crowning us with all the
budlings of peace, and an unfetter'd commerce in
the bolom of liberty.
Last evening the Great and General Court of this
state was prorogued to Weduefday the 18th instant.
prove each traa of country (if north weft of the
Ohio river) part of the British province of Canada.
When Virginia acceded to the articles of confedera
tion, her rights of Sovereignty and jurifdiflion within
her own territory were reserved and secured to her,
and cannot now be infringed or altered without her
consent. She could have no latent views of extend
ing her territory ; because it had long before been ex
pressly and clearly defined in the att which formed
her new government. The general assembly of Vir
ginia have heretofore offered Congress to furnilh lands
out of their territory on the north tide of the Ohio
river, without purchase money, to the troops on
continental eftaolifhment of such of the confederated
states as had not unappropriated lands for that pur
pose, in conjunction with the other states holding un
appropriated lands, and in such proportion as should
be adjudged and fettled by Congress : which offer,
when accepted, they will molt cheerfully make good,
to the fame extent with the provision made by law
for their own troops, it Congress shall think fit to
allow the like quantities of land to the other troops
011 continental eftablifbment.
But altho' the general assembly of Virginia would
make great facrifices to the common interests of Ame
rica, (as they have already done on the fubjeft of
representation) and will be ready to listen to any just
and reasonable propositions for removing the often
lible Causes of delaying the compleat ratification of
the confederation, they find themfeives impelled by
the duties which they owe to their constituents, to
their prosperity, to their country, and to the United
States in general, to remoftrate and protest, and they
do hereby, in the name and behalf of the common
wealth of Virginia, expressly protest against any ju
ruoiftion or right of adjudication in Congress, upon
the petitions of the Vandalia or Indiana Companies, or
in any other matter or thing subversive of the internal
policy, civil government or sovereignty, of this or
any other of the United American States, or unwar
ranted by the articles of the confederation.
PAR I S, April 24.
An American officer was yesterday at the opera, in
company with Dr. Franklin's grandson. They fat in
a front box. The pitt paid great attention to him ;
but between the acts the name of Paul Jones having
palled from mouth to mouth, great appiaufes re
sounded immediately. The officer to whom they
were addressed, could not mistake their object. He
rose and thanked the publick several times: It was
Commodore Paul Jones himfclf, whom the pitt and
boxes received in this distinguished manner. At going
out, the paffage^ were crouded with multitudes,
who wished to have a near view of him, and their
appiaufes continued till he got in his coach.
Passed the October Session, 1779.
'ISH - KIL L, Odober T 2.
v ? re "5° rnl ^ by the Alban y P°ft, that Colonel
" S ^^ have reached Albany, fronv
' wph huy f'' °" "'7 way t" 10111 the grand army.
We hear from Head-Quarters, that Jolhua Smith's,
trial is not yet finished. omitu,s,
We have a report, that a New-York paper g ive , m
account of the capture of Barbadoes, together uith
2000 British troops and a number of Shipping, by the
French navy and army. y e
Died, the 2d instant, at his house at Ringwood
Robfrt Erskine, F. R. S. and Geographer to &
army of the United States, in the 46th year of his
T' Aman in whom were united the chriAian and
the gentleman. His integrity and unbounded bene--
volence nave rendered his death a folk to the publick
and a^upjedt of sincere regret to all his acquaintances:
He made the laws of justice the invariable rule of his
conduct, and upon this principle elpoufed the cause
of An^ca, mw hich he served hie COW
approbation and universal esteem. y
rJ'VJ' A DELPHI A,'oa o ber ro.
at the c^^ fr ° m their Commissioners
tne Court ot Versailles, a copy of the treaty
of F a °h d Commerce > concluded at Paris on'the
H '^^"'J 778 ' between the Plenipotentiaries
°\ a'" " Christian Majesty and these United States
did on the 4th of May, that fame year, ratify it in
r w e folu t ; o n"! °" C " cxt day> Passed the following:
In C ONGREs S, May 5 , 1778 .
Resolved, Thatthe Commissioners, or one
of them reprelenting these States at the Court of
be intruded to inform that Court, that al
• though Congress have readily ratified the treaty
Amity and Commerce, and treaty of Alliance
f' + separate and fectet between His Most Ch'rif
iian Majesty and these United States, in order
evince more clear v their sense of •
and of fe lis M^h^
deuced in the said treaties; y et , from
of rendering the iriendfhip and alliance 10 hap^
and perpetual, and being appre'
he , e that differences may arise from the hth^d
12th articles in the treaty of Amity and Commerce
Congress are dehrous that the said nth and 12th
articles may be revoked, and utterly expunged • The
^z thc fald llth ^ c ^^
ti ^^^^^^
t L O „N D O N, October 6.
Last Thursday evening, Capt. Elisha Hart, in the
privateer sloop Retaliation, arrived here from a cruize,
and brought in a sloop which he took within Sandv-
Hook, near Staten-Island, having a company of New
jerxey Volunteers on board, consisting of 47 men and
officers, m the British service, who were going to re .
r ? guard which they keep near the Hook.
Last Saturday a Blip Packet of 40 guns, from Cape
arnved at Newport, with dispatches for
A '^"^ 'i r ^ but nothl ^ has yet transpired.
Hum P hr Y Crir y, in the snow
Black I rincefs, belonging to Stonington, arrived at
71:° r? 29 "i y ' trom Ste Marti ns, with a load
of lalt. In lat. 39,^, long. 68, on the 27th ult. Capt.
vrary saw a be. Lot l 6 fail of sh ips , 12 us „ hic h hA
Judges Mere ot the line, standing S. W. one of the
Inial.eft flips chafed him several hours, and must
°r° h '^ not a f ^ nal been hove out'hom
the Meet to dilcoiiiinue the chace#
NEWP O RT, October 2.
The following gentlemen are chosen Delegates to
reprefe^t the Rate of Massachusetts-Bay in Congress
for one year fi am November next : T^ Honourable
Samuel Adams, Artemus Ward, Elbridge Gerry
Samuel Holton, George Patridge, James Lovel at!
Caleb Strong, Elquires.
Arrived at Providence, the sloop Humbird, Capt.
Phineas Potter, from Cape-Francois.' °
N ORWIC Fl, October 3.
On Wednesday the 20th ult.his Excellency General
Washington, with his suite, General Knox, and the
Marquis de la Fayette, (in compliance with a prior
appointment) were met at Hartford by the French
General and Admiral, where they held a conference
011 Friday morning, the French General and Admiral
let off on them return to Newport; and on Saturday
morning, General Washington, &c. set off for camp.
Both parties, on their going in, and returning from
Hartford, were laluted by a difeharge of thirteen
cannon. General Washington had also a conference
with Governor Trumbull, at Hartford.
Lail Friday pafied through this town on his wav
to Newport, the Chevalier de Luzerne, the French
Ambassador, with his suite.
It is reported that one or two French ship s of the
line arrived at Newport a few days ago.
Saturday last arrived a cartel from Halifax, wiffo
upwards 70 prisoners. By this veflel we learn, that
the Boston and Delaware frigates (late Continental^
but taken at the Southward) were fitting out at that
port, said to be deltined for this coast.
Yesterday arrived in port a prize brig from Liver
pool to New-York, with a valuable cargp, prize to
theletter of marque brig Thomas, Capt. Smith.