The New-Jersey gazette — Burlington [N.J.], 1778-07-29 00:00:00, page 2

That under these circumstances, we can give his
Majesty no other advice, than instantly to withdraw
his fleets and armies from the thirteen revolted pro
vinces, where they are decaying and wafting ; where
they subsist with difficulty ; cost immense sums of
money ; can answer no good purpose, particularly at
this time, when they are much wanted for our secu
rity at home : to effectuate conciliation with the Co
lonies, on filch terms as may preserve their good will,
on the preservation of which the future greatncfs of
this nation may in a great measure depend.
That the armaments long since preparing in the
ports of France and Spain, and the late declaration
of the French Ambassador, although natural, are me
lancholy consequences of the measures that have been
pursued, and make it indispensably necessary to view
our situation in a new light : That we are no longer
to confider ourselves as contending solely for domini
on over others; we are to look to our own fafety';
we are to refeue, if possible, what remains of this em
pire from the further effects of those measures by
which it has been reduced to its actual limits. And
as we apprehend, that the present calamities have
arisen in a great degree from the degeneracy of the
times, and a departure from the true principles and
spirit of our constitution, it would be highly expedi
ent to endeavour at some sober, well directed plan of
public reformation, in order to restore the antient
morals, and revive the original character of this nation.
That we think it our duty, on offering to his Ma
jesty this unhappy, but true representation of the date
of his dominions, to express our indignation at the
conduct of his Majesty's Ministers, who have caused
it, who by abusing his confidence, have tarnished the
luftre of his crown ; who by their unfortunate coun
cils have dismembered this empire, wafted the public
treasures, funk the public credit, impaired thecom
merce of his kingdoms, disgraced his Majesty's arms,
and weakened his naval power, the pride and bulwark
of this nation ; whilst by delaying to reconcile the
difference which they had excited amongst his people,
they have fuffered such an alliance to take place, be
tween the former fubje^s and the ancient rivals of
Great-Britain, and have neither taken measures to
prevent, nor formed alliances to counteract so fatal
a union.
manner we are unwilling to think on. The national
debt has increased an hundred millions in the memo
ry of many of us. The natural period, and inevit
able consequence of this system, appears to be at
hand. As one principal foundation of credit, $ a
confidence in government, we have much to appre
hend under ministers who have justly forfeited the
good opinion of the nation. The want of confidence,
complicated with the effects of this enormous, and
enormously growing debt, appears from the low Rate
of the public funds; and from the discredit of the
new loan, which fells considerably under par, altho'
the terms given this year for fix millions, are higher
than those which were given for twelve millions in
the year 1761, in the seventh year of a war with the
house of Bourbon, and although we have hitherto
had ho foreign war whatsoever.
That from this melancholy Rate of fads, we fee it
impossible to carry on the present system of reducing
America by force of arms.
That we conceive this impossibility not to have
arisen from the accidents of this war, but to result
from the very course of nature ; to be the necellary
consequence of an attempt to reduce to servitude a
numerous people, united in the defence oftheir liber
ties, in a distant, extensive, and strong country.
That we conceive that his Majesty and the Par
liament, could not have been induced to prose
cute so fatal a war, but from the milled information
they received of the disposition of the people in Ame
rica, of their disunion, and the possibility of reducing
them, by force of arms, to UNCONDITIONAL
SUBMISSION, and to the acknowledgment of the
supreme authority of Parliament, before a complaint
even of just grievances should be listened to.
That it was the peculiar duty of his Majesty's Mi^
nifters, to procure correct information on matters of
such high importance, and to have laid the whole of
such information before his Majesty, and before Par
liament, previous to their proposing such steps, as
have led us into our present calamitous situation.
That we cannot but lament, that when propositions
of a similar nature to those lately proposed and enact
ed, were three years ago repeatedly offered to Parlia
ment in both houses, his Majesty's Ministers, the very
men who now have advised greater concessions, did,
upon delusive arguments, and falfe representations,
prevail on Parliament to rejeft these propositions, at
a time when they would probably have been fuccefs
ful, and might have prevented the prodigal, and, we
fear, fruitlefs waste of so much treasure, and the still
more to be lamented effufion of so much blood.
That in this calamitous, although they trust not
desperate situation of public affairs, this House reposes
its ultimate hope in his Majesty's paternal goodness.
That we have no doubt, that he will look back to the
principles both political and constitutional, which
gave rife to the revolution, from whence we have
derived the happiness of being governed by Princes
of his illustrious House. That he will reflect on the
examples of his predecessors from that auspicious pe
riod, during which the prosperity, the opulence, the
power, the territory, and the renown of his throne
and nation have flourifhed and encreafed beyond all
example. That he will particularly call to mind the
circumstances of his accession to the crown, when he
took poffeffiort of :n inheritance so full of glory, and
of the trust of preserving it in all its luftre. That
deeply affeCted wi:h these considerations, he .will be
graciously pleased to put an end to afyftem, too well
understood in its nature, and too sorely felt in its ef
fects, which by the arts of wicked men has prevailed
in his Court and Administration, and which, if fuf
fered to continue, will compleat the miseries which
it has begun ; and leave nothing in this country which
can do honour to his government, or make the name
of an Englishman a matter of that pride and distinc
tion, in which his Majesty and his fubjeris had so
much reason to glory in former happy times.
The question being put it palled in the negative.
Diffentient,
Because we think the rejection of the proposed ad
dress, qt this time, may appear to indicate in this
House a desire of continuing that plan of ignorance,
concealment, deceit and delusion, by which the So
vereign and his people have been already brought into
so many and so grievous calamities. We hold it abso
lutely necessary that both Sovereign and people should
be undeceived; that they should be diftinCtly and
authentically made acquainted with that state of their
affairs, which is faithfully represented in this propos
ed address, at a time when our existence as a nation
may depend upon our conceiving a just idea of our
real situation, and upon our wisdom in making a
proper use of it.
RICHMOND, PORTLAND,
ABERGAVENNY, EFFINGHAM,
THANET, RADNOR,
ABINGDON, ROCKINGHAM,
HARCOURT, STAMFORD,
DE FERRARS, MANCHESTER,
FITZWILLIAM, PONSONBY,
J. ST. ASAPH, CRAVEN,
DEVONSHIRE, SPENCER,
BOLTON, HEREFORD,
HOUSE of LORDS, April ro.
After the division was over on Weduefday, upon
the Duke of Richmond's motion, for an address to
the King, the Earl of Abingdon got up, and made
the following speech;
My Lords,
THESE dead majorities will be the ruin of this
nation. Let the question be what it will, though the
salvation of the country depend upon it, if it be mov
ed by the minority, it is sure of a negative. And,
my Lords, we are told too by the ministry, that this
is the only way in which his Majesty will receive our
counsel. It may indeed, my Lords, be the only way
in which his Majesty will receive our counsel, but it
is not the only way in which we have a right to give
our counsel to his Majesty. My Lords, we are the
hereditary counfellors of the crown, and have aright
to an audience of his Majesty at all times, to lay our
humble services before him. I therefore move, my
Lords, that we of the minority do, in a body, wait
upon his Majesty, with the address that has been this
day made by the noble Duke: It contains informati
on worthy the royal ear : What effect it may produce
is not for me to forejudge.
[The Duke of Richmond assented to the proposal
of the noble Lord, and said, that if it was agreeable
to the other Lords, he himfelf had no objection ; but
that that was a matter which would be belt fettled
out of the Houfe.]
THE Admirals Byron and Hyde Parker are to com
l mand the division of the fleet destined for North-
America. If D'Eftaign is gone to that part of the
world, and it is generally admitted and believed that
he is, he is more than half way there by this time.—
Instead of failing, our fleet has been kept at Spithead
to be reviewed by his Majesty.
It is said that the French fleet were on the 15th of
April off Cetc, where they took some persons on
board ; that Monsieur Girard and Mr. Dean's bro
ther are on board ; and that they went thro' the Gut
of Gibraltar on the 24th with a fine wind at east ;
that they confined of twelve fail of the line and fix
frigates; that they had three thousand troops on
board, and that they were deeply laden with stores
of various kinds. Their destination was undoubtedly
to North-America.
The King of France has given positive orders that
no strangers whatever Ihall in future have access to
his person. No reason is announced for the above
mandate.
As the orders of Council for fending a fleet after
Monsieur D'Eftaign passed through the office of Lord
George Germaine, it is evident that the Toulon fleet
is gone to America. —Alas! poor Howes! to what
a perilous situation has an ignorant Ministry reduced
vou!
Almost all the public prints mention there being
4% fail of the line at Spithead, besides half a dozen
frigates. In fadt, there are no more than 32 ships of
the line and 3 frigates.
Neither is there any division relative to General
Washington, which hath been also given out by the
fame people. These are filly tales, and look like
drowning men catching at twigs. General Washing
ton has the supreme command of the American ar
my, and there is a thorough good understanding be
tween him and the Congress.
The reason assigned by the Congress for recalling
Mr, Deane from Paris is, th# they want hU pre
LONDO N, Jf a , 7.
fence to inform them exa&ly and fully of the ff^
things in Europe, at this very critical period.
French King, as a mark of his particular eftecmf
Mr. Deane, has given him a box of great value and
exquisite workmaidhip, with his picture richly set in
diamonds, and given him a letter written in his own
hand to the Congress, strongly teftifying his entir^
approbation of Mr. Deane's conduri, of the treaty
lately concluded with America, and of his inviolable
attachment to the letter and spirit of that treaty
which he shall ever hold sacred, and nothing fhal lbe
wanting on his part to establish and compleat the
mutual advantages of it to both countries."
May 9 . If Count D'Eftaign is gone to America, as
is generally supposed, he will find our fleet there an
cafy conquest. Lord Howe has no more than three
fllips of the line ; and as to his frigates, there are but
few. No less than forty of his frigates have beta re
called, by orders which went from hence abo t a
month ago. This ihews what blunderers our iniui
fters are. Instead of strengthening the fleet in North-
America, they have weakened it. The guards were
also recalled at the fame time.
Upon the fame blundering principle, the ministry
are fending a force to Halifax. The 70th (General
Fraud's) the Argylfhire, anew corps ; Maclain's (in
which the Duke of Hamilton) also one of the nor
corps, have all embarked at Greenock, for Halifax.
This is an idle, and it is feared, will prove a wicked
measure. Halifax is not defenceless It is more than
a thousand to one, they will be all taken. They
would have been better employed in protesting the
coast of Scotland.
No reinforcements have been sent, nor are to be
sent to the armies at Philadelphia or New-York. Ge
neral Howe's army have been repeatedly allured, that
at least 20,000 men will arrive by the firft week in
May. How great will be their disappointment, when
they find they have been deceived. A wife minister
would either have reinforced or recalled these brave
troops. They are too few to be of any real service
there, and too many, and too valuable, to be loft ;
which it is feared will be the case, if Count D'Eftaijr
is gone to co-operate with General Washington.
In all the sea-ports of France public notices are post
ed up that convoys will be appointed in the month
of June next, and regularly afterwards, for all such
ships as are bound to any part of the dominions of
the Independent States of America, This places it
beyond a doubt that the French Court mean to pr r
ted then trade to the utmost.
Tobacco is the staple of America, which the French,
and it is believed, the Spaniards, have agreed to take
from them. Salt is a grand point of French produce,
and brings in a greater revenue, which the Congress
have ftipulatcd to take for a certain time from France
only.
BOSTO N, July 9.
By a gentleman late from Halifax, we learn, that
two regiments of foreign troops (whom the British
commander did not wish to trust through the Jer
seys) with a large quantity of heavy artillery, has
arrived there from Philadelphia.
N E W-L ONDO N, July 17.
Monday morning last a fleet of 17 fail of Whipping,
from Newport, went up the Sound.
The fame day a fleet from th^ westward of 20 fail,
about half of them armed vessels, anchored in the
Sound off Lyme.—They came to fail on Tuesday af
ternoon, and went to the eastward, supposed to be
bound to Newport. While the fleet were at anchor
on Monday night, four men (Americans) being or
dered in a boat from one vessel to another with the
Captain of one of the transports on board, they took
an opportunity to row off with the boat, and got
fafe on shore with the Captain. They fay there was
about 3000 troops on board, and that they were bound
to Newport. They also inform that Gen. Clinton
was arrived at New-York, and that the accounts
were that his whole loss, since leaving Philadelphia,
amounted to about 3000 men. The Captain of a
small cruizer, who was in the Sound, fays that one
of the transports had some field-pieces on board,
which they difeharged at him.
Same day also, a sloop of 112 tons, from Halifa
bound to Newport, was brought in here by the pri
vateer Industrious Bee, Capt. George Allen, from
Providence. The prize is laden with coal and some
beef, and had four pagengers on board, one of which,
is a Captain in the British service.
FISH-KILL, July 23.
The French fleet off Sandy-Hook, have taken Bof
the Cork provision ships, and sent them to Philadel
phia; the remainder of the said fleet it is probable
will fall into the fame trap, as they were hourly ex
peded.
We learn that a number of the best pilots are gone
on board the French fleet, likewise several gentlemen
well acquainted with the coasts and harbours.
A large drove of cattle are sent to Shrewfbury, in
order to supply the fleet at Sandy-Hook.
We also learn by a deserter, that the Sound is
blocked up—an English frigate having been out from
New-York four days, was obliged to return back.
PHILADELPHIA, July 23.
JOSEPH REED, Esquire, is elected a member of
the Supreme Executive Council of this Common
wealth, in the room of his Excellency Thomas Whg-