The New-Jersey gazette — Burlington [N.J.], 1779-09-01 00:00:00, page 1

ON the 4th inst. the electors of the county of
Somerset, met at the courthouse. A mem
ber for affcmbly being chosen, the present
Situation of our national affairs was opened
to them ; upon which they unanimously agreed, and
immediately appointed a committee oftwelve, for the
county ; directing and empowering them to correspond
with any other committee or committees, in this or in
any of the United States, and to prevent, by every law
ful means, the farther depreciation of our currency,
without exercising any of the powers which constitu
tionally belong to the legislative or executive depart
ments of the government of this Rate; and allo di
rected and requeued, that committees be chosen by,
and for the respective townships in this county, to
aid and affiß the county committee, in any matters
which may be found necessary in the execution of
their trust.
The county committee being met for the purposes
of their appointment, and considering the obvious
face of our national affaift they cannot help lament
ing the train of calamities which the rapid and unna
tural depreciation of our currency, has brought up
on us. It appears manifelt to them, that this depre
ciation (from whatever source it may have originat
ed, and by whatever means carried on) is the chief
cause of many of our present calamities: It has caused
an enormous nominal debt to the nation, in so fltort
a time, and a fad embarrafTment to the government
of this empire, in carrying on the war with* vigour,
to secure to us a fafe and honourable peace, while
our resources are ample and fufficient: It has pro
traded this war, with all its horrors and calamities;
and withal, has opened the sluices to luxury and ex
travagance, while it has involved thousands of honest
and industrious citizens in ruinous and lamentable
circumstances. Therefore,
I. Resolved, That every person owing allegiance
to these Rates, is in duty bound to avoid, prevent,
and oppose, an evil so destructive to the publick weal.
2. Resolved, That the general intereß of a free and
independent people is belt Reared and promoted by
good, wbolefome, and known laws, enacted by the
people's legal representatives, and executed with vi
gour and spirit.
3. Resolved, That our happy conftituibn fur
nifhes the legillative and executive department of
government with ample powers to prevent and re
medy any evils destructive to the Rate; and that it is
their indispensable duty to exercise these powers ith
prudence and vigour, for such valuable purpose .
4. Resolved, That it is the privilege and duty of
the free citizens of this state, at any time they may
judge it necessary, to injiruct or petition their repre
sentatives, for the redress of grievances, and the
enacting of necessary and wholesome laws for the
common ty.
5. Resolved, That this committee will exert them
selves in Supporting the civil magistrates, in the due
execution of the laws, against foreftallers, monopo
lizers, and extortioners; persons who are to be con
sidered as the bane of civil society; and also those
against profanity and vice, the procuring cautes of
ail our calamities.
6. Resolved, That the present emergency of our
publick affairs, claims the molt serious attention of
the good citizens of this Rate, to some salutary and
general measures, for preventing the progress of
evils manifestly calculated to injure the common in
terest of this united empire; and therefore, this com
mittee humbly conceives,
1. That a general meeting of persons appointed for
that purpose, by the different county committees or
the counties themselves, within this Rate, to consult
and agree upon some measures to be generally pnr
fued, and if necessary, to petition the legislature,
may prove to be of publick utility; and therefore,
numbly presume to desire and request, that such per
sons may be appointed and directed to meet at Prince
ton, on Weduefday the 15th of September next. —
,'Lis committee intends to deputife some from among
hemfelves, then and there to consult as aforefaid,
fich as Shall choose to meet as aforefaid.
2. They also conceive, that persons who pretend
love to their country, ought now to Shew it, by re
solutely avoiding, discountenancing, and oppofmg, as
tnxch as possible, all farther depreciation of our
rurency ; and therefore,
This committee warmly recommends, and most
•arnefily requests, that every one who has beef, grain
or any articles absolutely necessary for the support of
our gallant army, for sale, will not dispose of them
to any person or persons who make it their business
to purchase these articles, and fell them again for the
use of the publick, at an advanced price, to tie evi
dent detriment of the community.
NEW-JERSEY GAZETTE.
[Vol. It]
WEDNESDAY, September I, 1779.
After having unanimously agreed to the above refo
lotions, and some directions to the refpeCtive town
committees, they adjourned until Friday the 3d of
September next; then to meet at Abraham Van
Nefte's, Esq. at loo'clock in the forenoon.
By order of the committee,
Jacob R. Hardenbergh, Chairman.
Done at Raritan, August 13, 1779.
New-Brunswick, August 7, 1779.
AGREEA BLE to an advertisement, the inhabi
tants cf the North Ward of the city of New-
Brnnfwick, in the county cf Middlesex, met at the
market-house in the fail city, and came to the fol
lowing determination, viz.
To appoint a committee for the purpose of taking
the sentiments of the inhabitants ofthe aforefaid ward,
and putting their directions into execution ; the fol
lowing persons were accordingly chosen, Col. John
Neilfen, Mr. William Vanduifen, Mr. William Har
rison, Mr. Henry Guest, Mr. Peter Farmer, Mr. Jas
per Farmer and John Piatt, Esq.
It was unanimously agreed that the inhabitants of
the North Ward of Brunswick, being anxiously con
cerned about the depreciated date of the continental
money, declare they are ready and willing to exert
themselves to the utmost of their power to carry into
execution any system of regulation for appreciating
its value, that may be adopted by the legislature of
this Rate, in conjunction with the other Rates; and
that the committee now chosen by them do immedi
ately prepare a memorial, addressed to the Honour
able Council and General Assembly of this Rate, and
have it Signed by the inhabitants of the county as ge
nerally as possible, containing this their resolution,
praying them to make speedy application to the Ho
nourable the Continental Congiefs to recommend in
perfualive terms a general plan to be adopted by all
the states in union, for the above purpose : And they
are likewise directed to publish the proceedings of this
meeting, requesting the other counties to adopt Simi
lar application. By order of the meeting,
William Harrison, Chairman.
L U N D 0 N,-MAX'I4.
Some account of the very interesting examination of Lord
Cornwallis and General Grey, rejpechvelj, at the bar
of the House of Commons on 'Thursday, Ma, 6.
': HE House having formed itfelf into a committee,
I the Earl of Cornwallis at four o'clock was de
sired to attend, and being conducted within the bar
by the Serjeant, his Lordihip profeffed sentiments of
reQ eCt and veneration for General Sir William Howe,
and delared his readiness to anfiver all questions put
to him that were not matter of opinion.
To follow the noble Lord thro' the whole of his
examination, which lalted near four hours, would be
rather difficult to us, as well as irksome and tedious
to the public. His Lordihip's three firft anSwers to
General Howe's questions went to Shew, that America
was better calculated than any country he ever saw
foi a defensive war, that from the great number of
woods with which it abounds, the King's troops
were continually liable to ambufeades, and that it is
a matter of extreme difficulty ever to get any the least
information from the inhabitants for military purposes.
His Lordihip alto admitted that it was almost impos
sible at any time to gain any good intelligence of the
enemy's force from a reconnoitre.
The noble Lord now went into a great variety of
matter, and in his answers fully exculpated Sir Wil
liam Howe from all suspicion of a want of judgment,
neglect, or supineness. Being interrogated particu
larly as to the General not having attacked the rebels
lines at Brooklyn, on Long-Island, in August 1776;
his Lordihip readily answered, that he had never heard
it suggested that it was possible to carry them by assault,
and he was sure (and it was so thought at the time)
that if the General had attempted it, and succeeded
at the attack, it must have celt him more men than
it would have been worth, for any purpose it would
have answered. Being asked how many troops the
enemy might have, his Lordihip thought about 6000
or 8000, but declined answering what force the Bri
tish troops were in, intimating that it was a matter
that more properly belonged to the General who
commanded them, and was a circumstance very easily
learned from his return of the different corps.
Governor Pownall wished to know if Sir Henry
Ciinton (had he been left at liberty) might not have
got behind the rebels lines; but his Lordihip answer
ed, that from his position, he was little enabled to
judge of that, as he did not know whether their lines
were complete.
His Lord Ship was then 'interrogated in order to ex
onerate Sir Wm. Howe from all blame as to his con
duct in the Jerlies, and in particular as to the unfor
tpnatefafc of the HHhans at Trenton. The noble
THE
Lord declared, that it had been necessary for the Ge
neral to extend his chain of cantonments to that dis
tance, that he.had himfelf indeed advised it, and that
the fatal accident that afterwards happened, was not
in human prudence to forefee, and therefore not to
be guarded against.
As to the General having declined to attack Mr.
Washington at White Plains, the noble Lord defend
ed it with force and energy. The rebels, he said,
yje too firong; and the British troops not prepared
for the purpose of attacking the enemy, or making
any use of a victory by penetrating up the country.
In the firft place, they had no means of baking their
flour, the only thing the men had to live on, but a
mole insurmountable obstacle were the heavy rains
that fell at that time.
Col. Onflow wished to know if the gunpowder had
been wetted, and whether the rain was in our faces,
or the faces of the enemy ? To this his Lordship re
plied, that he did not think the attack was defined
from on account of the rain being in the faces of ei
ther, but because that the rain had prevented us from
using our artillery. The Hon. Member, however,
wished much to put another question, which was,
Whether a considerable force, particularly of grena
diers, had not been ordered to begin the attack, whe
ther they did not actually begin it, and were after
wards ordered off? To this the noble Lord replied,
that the officer who commanded that corps u as the 11
in the house, and could anfiver the question much
better than he could. Upon this Col. Barre remark
ed, that it was a little extraordinary, aftera particu
larcorps had commenced an attack, and had succeed
ed therein, that they Should be withdrawn, and v. idl
ed the noble Lord would inform the committee the
reason thereof. Lord Cornwallis answered, that if
any thing could induce him to explain it, it would be
the great desire he had to oblige the Right Honorable
Member, but he thought himfelf bound to be Silent
on that head from political reasons. The Colonel,
not Satisfied with this, put several other quefbons to
his Lordfllip in order to get at the matter he was fish
ing for, and the noble Lord having said, that he was
not averse from being communicative on that head
from any account of Englifb politics, the Colonel
caught hold of the expression, and desired his Lord-
Ship to tell the committee the real cause of his objec
tion ; but I will put a Simple question (continued the
Right Hon. Member) to the noble Lord—Did not
the Hessian troops refuse to attack? 'I
must do those troops (replied his Lordihip) the jus
tice to fay, that they in general behaved extremely
well, and that the brigade of Lofburg much diking
guilhed themselves in the service of his Majesty. But
I must decline explaining why the attack was net
made, though, were I to impart the reason, I must
give the Right Hon. Member my honour that it would
fully Satisfy him." Col. Barre answered (somewhat
warmly) that he knew the reason long before his
Lordihip came from America, but he wanted it to
come properly before the house.
Another point much handled was General Howe's
forbearing to cross the Delaware, when at the Jerfies,
and going to Chefapeak-Bay in preference, which step
his Lordihip fully juftified, with many reasons for its
having been adopted. The noble Lord here took am
opportunity of preventing any imputation being case
on Lord Howe, from any supposed inability in hina
to transport the troops, and said, that the noble Ad
miral did not Rand higher in the esteem of the sea
men than he did in that of the soldiers; and in an—
swering to a question put by Admiral Keppel, whe
ther Lord Howe had not employed the most Skilful
persons he could obtain to found the Delaware, and.
find a fit place for landing, his Lordihip replied that,
the noble Admiral had to his knowledge done so.
The Earl Cornwallis was asked. What bad confe-'
quinces might have been expedited if Gen, Howe had
attacked Mr. Washington at White Plains? But his
Lordihip declined refolding the interrogator, as it.
was, he said, a question of opinion.
Upon defending the General's expedition to Phila-'
delphia, his Lordihip was asked by Mr. Commission
er Eden, Whether he did not know that Sir Henry
Clinton, the second in command, had condemned.
the propriety of such a movement ? This question too#
the noble Lord declined answering any farther, than,
that he never knew Sir William Howe bad ever asked
Sir Henry Clinton's opinion about the matter.
The noble Lord was asked, Whether, in case we
could possess ourselves of any town, the inhabitants
could be found numerous, and loyal enough to take
up arms, and defend that town, while his Majesty's
troops penetrated up the country ? But this his Lord
flrip waved as a question of opinion. The fame ob
je&ibn was also given by the noble Lord to the fol-
[Numb. 88.]