The New-Jersey gazette — Burlington [N.J.], 1784-03-23 00:00:00, page 2

To imprinter cf the New-J&sey Gazette.
S I R>
AMONG all our grievances that require the
interposition of the Legillature, there are
perhaps none that call louder for a speedy
regulation, than the number of taverns;
the scandalous manner in which moll of them are
kept; and the extravagant profits of the majority of
those who keep them. As to the number, one can
scarcely, in many parts of the state, travel three miles
without feeing the road contaminated with a diam
fhop: Nay, 1 have seen four of them within the dis
tance of a quarter of a mile. Ido not mean in any
of our towns or villages, in which, for the accommo
dation of travellers, and the convenience of the inha
bitants, both for the tranfa&ing of buhnefs and their
reasonable recreation, ft greater number may be tequi
fite ; I mean along the Congress-highway, remote
from any populous settlement whatever: And what
infernal mansions of riot, ro*t and revelry, they ge
nerally are; he that is ignorant, is a granger in Je
rusalem. Indeed they do not appear to be calculated
for any other purpose; most of them have neither pro
vision for man, nor provender for hoile, though by
lying signs, replete with falfe spelling and hideous
painting, they openly announce good entertainment
for both. They have, however, abundant tore of
bad gin and hautgouft rum, by the perpetual guzzling
of which, the idlers and loungers in the vicinity are
daily destroying their constitutions, ddlipatiug their
substance, and endangering their fouls. 1 hole who
keep them in a better and more decent style, 1 speak
of the majority (for Abraham supposed there might
be ten righteous persons even in Sodom) are guilty of
the most execrable extortion, in so much that many
of them have, in four or five years, accumulated am
>ple fortunes: And ought not all civil societies most
sedulously to guard against the impositions of such insa
tiable harpies? It is true that certain rates are efta
bliflied for their regulation: But how seldom are
those rates enforced ! And when have the extortion
ers been punished for their violation of the law ? Why
are those of them who are known io daringly to tranl
grefs it, conlfantly re-licensed, as if the jullices meant
to reward them for their iniquity? It is moreover al
leged that the courts of justices are to judge of the
proper number of inns: They are so; and would to
Heaven that they did judge of them As they ought !
But who can doubt that some of those courts are ex
tremely careltfs in determining what number is really
Beceffary for, or evidently detrimental to, the pub
lick good? It is impossible they should think the pre
lent legions of them compatible with the common
weal. They mull know them to be publick nuisances;
to be the pelt, the bane, the ruin, the curse, the dil
grace, and the ignominy of the country. It may be
farther said that the licenses are granted upon the pe
titions of the neighbourhood. I answer, that as to pe
titions in favour of this or that man, the Applications
of a free people ought to be treated with becoming
fefped. But I fay also, that after the justices have
so often been petitioned to license the most notoriously
difaffeted and the most abandoned characters; and
when they cannot be ignorant how easily petitions may
be procured by any man who will be at the trouble
of procuring them, they ought to have the prudence
to enquire, to deliberate, and to judge for themselves.
I have known some tory-tavernkeepers during the late
war (most pompously recommended to be lure, not
only by their brother-tories, which was natural enough,
but by ignorant deluded whigs into the bargain) who,
I verily believe, did us more mifehief by the influ
ence they had, in virtue of that occupation, which
over the lower fort is very influential, than was ever
done by any British regiment, during the whole con
test: And save only the magistrates (whose particular
business it was to know it) there was scarcely another
man in the county but did know them to be the most
pestilent indefatigable tories in it.
It is with reluctance, with extreme reluctance, that
one admits into his mind an idea so dishonourable to
our species, and so peculiarly difgraceful to men in
publick office, as to suppose that any of our justices
should be induced, by motives of felf-intereft, to grant
supernumerary licenses; or be capable of prevailing
with themselves, for the trifling perquisite which is,
upon that occasion, divided amongst the bench, to in
jure their country: But when we confider that their
worships are observed to muster much stronger at the
periodical terms appointed for granting thole licenses
than at any other time—when they have so often
found themselves imposed upon by petitions recom
mendatory of the most worthless beings that ever ex
ited in the Shape of man; and when, from the very
number of taverns, common sense must pronounce them
the most intolerable nuisances—it is no breach of
diarity, nor want of esteem for a very refpe&able of
fice, to have our suspicions. We cannot reasonably
be expeded to hope against h@pe; or to draw conclu
sions contrary to evidence : Nor can we be blamed for
lamenting the depravity of human nature, or for Shed
ding an additional tear over it whenever wo find it tire
Foreign Intelligence.
PETERSBURG H, October t 4.
H E joy occasioned by the return of the Em-
I press to this city, has been changed to grief.
Our august Sovereign is indisposed, which is faying
enough to prove that we have the most just cause for
grief. Her Imperial Majesty enjoyed of late the most
perfect health, until a courier brought word that
Prince Potemkin was at the last extremity, and had
no hopes of life ; when that Princess, conceiving the
idea that She was about to lose one of her molt zea
lous and faithful fubjeds, became so much indisposed,
as to be obliged to keep her apartment.
PARI S, October 30.
Four new grandees of Spain will be declared soon,
viz. the Comte de Vergennes, the Comte de Choifeul,
the Marquis de Serent, and the young Count de Nar
bonne.
Nov. I. A letter is just received here from Con
stantinople, of which the following is an extract :—-
" I he Comte de St. Priest appears in publick twice
every week ; when he goes to the Divan, he is ac
compaiMed by upwards of 200 French gentlemen, dres
sed in blue, who form a very brilliant cavalcade. This
retinue attracts in the way an immense number of
people, expressing acclamations of joy. Baron Her
bert, Internuncio of the court of Vienna, hath fre
quent conferences with the Comte de St. Priest; his
Excellency and M. Bulgakow, are no longer admitted
to an audience of the Grand Seignior ; however, the
Grand Vizor frequently dines at the Hotel of the
French Ambassador, in company with Sir Robert
Anftie, the EngJifh Ambaflador, and the two Impe
rial Mioifters. Peace and the means of re-eftablilh
ing it are still talked of.
VIENNA, October 19.
The Imperial mint is now melting down and coin
ing the gold and silver plate found in the suppressed
Convents.
Nov. 26. We have just received the melancholy
news, that the city of Salwica, the capital of Mace
donia, has been destroyed by an earthquake.
HAGU E, November 5.
It is now certain that Messrs. Zeeberg and de Ber
kel, Penfionaries of Haeilam and Amsterdam, are
appointed to assist on the part of the province of Hol
land, in the inquiries into the causes of the failure of
the expedition to Brest.
L O N D O N, November 11.
A farther reduction of the army is, we understand,
a measure that will certainly take place. It is far
ther said, that there will be in each regiment an abo
lition of two companies.
'1 he directions among the leading people in Ame
rica, are increasing in violence more and more every
day, inlomuch that, added to other efforts towards
appealing them, Dr. Franklin's personal mediation in
America, is an event which is mentioned as far from
improbable.
Whenever the shock of accidents shall have so far
operated on the policy of America, as to have fyfte
matifed and fettled the government —it is obvious, that
the Dictator, Protedor, Stadtholder, or by whatever
name the chief Magiilrate so appointed shall be called,
will be General Washington.
Extract of a letter from Paris, Ofiober 24.
" The Gazette of France, has announced the ho
nourable manner in which the Congress haye rewarded
the conduct and bravery of lieutenant-colonel de Fleu
ry, at the taking of Stoney Pointe The following is
the letter wrote to him on that occasion, by Doctor
Franklin, Minister Plenipotentiary from the Con
gress.
" Paffey, August 15, 1783.
"S I R,
" I have the honour to fend you, conformably to
the orders of Congtefs, the medium which they have
more conspicuously exposed, by being arrayed in the
venerable robe of magistracy.
It would therefore, I humbly conceive, well be
come the dignity of the Legislature, and entirely com
port with their duty and their wishes to make us a
virtuous and happy people, to abolish all fees upon
those licenses, and to allow the justices in lieu of them
an equivalent annual Stipend, in order to remove all
temptation from those who may be so easily tempted:
Or to grant us such other relief in the premjfes as
they, in their superior wisdom, Shall think proper.—
For the number of taverns in this state is really be
come such a crying evil, and the abominable abuse of
them so seriously lamented by every worthy citizen,
that it highly merits the mature consideration of our
representatives in General Assembly, to concert pro
per measures for their effectual regulation.
S C IP I O.
Letters have been received from Ireland, which
mention the most lerious apprehension to be enter
tained, in consequence of the late resolution of the
House of Commons. The Representatives have not
only determined against a Parliamentary Reform, but
they have in direct terms called on Government for
afliftance, to support their resolution against the gene
ral sense of the nation expressed by the Delegates
Both parties must contend, or one party must yield,
and as all th@ advices from Ireland concur in announc
ing the most determined resolution on the part of the
Volunteers to effed a Reform of Parliament, and the
fixed system of the castle being not to give way, ano
ther conflict, attended with fatal consequences, is much
to be dreaded.
Soon after the peace of sixty-three, it was proposed
to the Ministry to fuffer the Americans to carry on a
trade with the Spanish fetilements, and the argument
advanced in favour of the measure was, that the great
ell part of the specie they derived from that channel
would flow into this country. This now appears to
have been found policy, as the importation of the last
fix months clearly evinces the truth of the observation
made at this period.
Dec. 15. We are informed from good authority,
that a gentleman who has long been obfeured from
his dignity in the humble trade of a Taylor, has late
ly, by the proffer of a large film of money from Lord
G— ,to sign his name to the sale of a considerable estate,
found out that he is the real bona fide heir to the title
and property of Earl of Arundel, by lineal, though long
concealed descent, in the male line. Supported now,
and under the patronage of the heir of the firft duke
dom in England, he will make his formal claim is a
day or two at the Bar of the House of Peers.
Fhe fiench cabinet, in order to induce the Ame
ricans to give a preference to the French market for
the sale of their merchandize, have itin contemplation
to open two free ports in favour of die United States ;
these two ports, it is said, are to be Port Louis and
L'Orient, both in Brittany.
Henry Brook, Esquire, merchant of Bristol, is ap
pointed Conlul of Italy.
According to letters from Gibraltar, the Algirenes
are apptehenlive of a very rigorous attack from the
Spaniards in the spring, which they expert will be
commenced very early, as preparations are making at.
Malaga and Barcelona, where they are building Seve
ral large fire prames, for the purpose of setting fire to
the flipping in the harbour of Algiers. The Dey has,
however, tal^en into his pay a number of European en
gineers, who are now employed in a complete survey
of the castle and fortifications, and are pointing out
some places where there is a probability of an ene
mys landing to attaclt the city with a military force,
which it is expected the Spaniards have in contem
plation : These are to be defended by batteries. The
Dey, it appears, has also engaged the Emperor of
Morocco and the Bey of Tunis in his quarrel, so that
the Court of Madrid are likely to be engaged in a war
with all the Barbary powers.
Des. 18. It .may be depended on, that the Spani
ards have sent from the Havanna to Panama, during
the last summer, Boop men, and there are at this time
fcveral regiments at Cadiz under coders of embarka
tion, all of which, it is thought, will be too little to
prevent the independency of Spanish America, the in
habitants of which are fired with the found of liberty,
and look for great things from the fuccefo of the
English colonies.
The American ship that was entered at Lloyd's
books the beginning of last month, brought upwards
of one hupdr^d and fifty thousand dollars, which were
remitted to merchants in this city.
Government is anxious for the next official de
fpatches from Sir Edward Hughes, which the Mini
stry have no doubt will contradict the French account,
and link their triumph considerably. Indeed, the
French themselves only talk of a victory in general
terms, without describing any part of the ation, so
Extract of a letter from Paris, October 30.
" Young Afgil! and his lifter are much caressed at
Fontainbleau ; they have been presented at court, and
to M. de Vergennes, by the Duke de Lauzun, and
the Marquis de la Fayette."
ordered me to get struck in the memory of you^fine
action at the attack of Stoney Point, to present it to
you in their name. I fulfil this duty with pleasure,
having myfelf a high opinion of your merit. I wish
you may wear, for many years to come, this honour
able mark of their consideration.
I am with great esteem, &c.
(Signed) B. FRANKLIN."
A letter from Flushing fays, that their ships having
arrived fafe from Bergen and Drontheim, their works
in the dock-yards are carried on with great expedi
tion, and the keels for two 74 gun ships are laid; the
States being determined that they will not enter into
another war unprepared. The States of every pro
vince have taken the fame resolution, and will conti
nue the works in their dock-yards, as soon as their
vessels arrive from Norway.