The New-Jersey gazette — Burlington [N.J.], 1785-10-31 00:00:00, page 2

Letters from Berlin, dated July 30, mention, that
M. Beutwizt, the Hanoverian minister, had dispatch
ed a fecund messenger to his court. A Ruffian cou
rier paiTed through here three days ago, in his
way to London. The minister from the Landgrave
of HefTe Caffel, is expected here soon; and as he
probably will be soon followed by some other Ger
man princes, it is conjectured that the affair of the Ger
manic confederation will soon be brought to a conclusion.
The French vefTel which lately refufed to pay the
accustomed honour to one of his majesty's (loops of
war, though on our own coast, was, it is now per
fectly known, taking soundings of the coasts of Hamp
shire ; (he had been seen in the Needles about the
IGe of Wight, and, if die had not been discovered,
would probably have gone to St. Helen's, or Spit
head. This affair has been hushed up, but it has
given some alarm. The French during the late war,
had by feme means got the soundings of Ply
mouth and Portsmouth harbours, all the princi
cipal ports in the channel, the mouth of the Thames,
&c. which they are now in poGeGion of,
A report was circulated in the city, that the mi
nister of the Irilh house of commons was left in a
minority on Monday.
A letter received yesterday from Lisbon fays, that
news having been received, that the Algerines had
taken several Ihips bound to Cadiz, and carried them
into Algiers, a fleet of men of war was preparing
to fail to Algiers to demand the Grips to be released,
and if refufed, to make reprisals of all the Barbary
refels they meet with, and to bring them into some
port belonging to the Portuguese, that the crews may
be made slaves of.
Americans states against slavery, extend the in
fluence of tire late great revolution, in some degree,
to the swarthy sons of Africa. In America too we
find merchants of such justice and enlargement of
mind, as to meditate plans of civilizing and carrying
on a fair trade with the Africans. But the influence
of the revolution in question has operated on the
coasts of Africa in a more direct manner. Of the
Comora islands which are situated in the channel of
Mozambick, between Zanguebar and the island of
Madagascar, the chief, in extent, population, and
power, is Joanna, which of course claims a pre-emi
nence and authority over the rest. The natives of
Mayotta, one of these inlands, about two years ago
refufed to pay to their neighbours on the large island,
the customary tribute. On being afl<ed the reason
of this, they replied, " Mayotta like America."
A letter from Malaga, dated July 29, fays, " Last
week, as a Portuguese armed vessel was convoying
several flaips from Lisbon, bound up the Mediterra
nean, she was attacked in the Streights of Gibraltar
by an Algerine frigate of 28 guns, and full of men.
After a desperate and bloody engagement of nine
glasses, the Portuguese vessel was forced to strike to
the Barbarians, who, though viftorious, had above
100 men killed, betides a vast number wounded, 19
of whom died the next day. All the ships in the
convoy made their escape during the conflid, and got
clear off. The Portuguese captain was unfortunate
ly killed in the heat of the action with a lance, as he
was making a stroke with his fibre against an Alge
rine lieutenant, who was coming up the Grip's tide,
at the head of 60 men. Notwithstanding this fatal
accident, the Portuguese cleared the decks of the
enemy, who were ail killed, as was also their fierce
and daring leader ; yet this horrid carnage did not pre
vent a second boarding, which was received with
equal bravery by the gallant crew, who being at last
overpowered were compelled to submit to these terri
ble marauders."
sequences to themselves: and all the endeavours of a
Mr. Alexander, who was sent out to infped the to
bacco, and keep up the terms <T the contract, have
proved abortive.
The Weft-india planters are also complaining:—
They are glutted with rum of so inferior a quality,
that it is impossible for them to vend it in Europe, it
not being capable of paying the freight and duty;
they wish to have the American market again open
for their furplufage.
The French are struggling hard to gain, in every
particular, an afeendency in America over the Eng
lish; their principal aim at present is to form a con
nexion between the United States and the French
sugar colonies, whereby the latter are much to be
benefited—they already experience great advantage
by their rum being admitted at a very low duty,
while the duty which is laid on the rum from the
English sugar colonies a&s as a prohibition.
✓lug. 19. We underhand it is the intention of
ministry, to abandon the Irish propositions in their pre
sent stage, as fiom the small majority of 16 in the Irish
parliament, on the firft division, it is perfectly evi
dent that it is impoGible for them to be carried
through.—• Ihe cries of the people in defence of their
independence, have roused the Irish house of com
mons; and however venal the majority of that body
may be, they can never dare to withlfand the united
voice of their constituents.
The resolutions that have passed in some of the
The honourable Mr. Temple, his majesty's envoy
to the American States, attended the levee at St.
James's, on Friday, and Saturday last set out with
his lady and family for Portsmouth, there to embark
for New-York, the present residence of the Ameri
can Congress.
Ministers and their friends profefs to fay, that
they are perfedly fatisfied with the fate of the Irish
resolutions.—They are convinced that Ireland must
call for them; and in the mean time they will pass
them into an ad in this parliament, that the system
may be ready when the Irish call.
A correfpendent observes, that the fuccefsful mag
nanimity of the Irish will probably rouse the latent
spirit of the Scotch against any infringement of their ju
dicial establishment, as secured by the treaty of uni
on, which, if violated in one article, will no longer
be a bulwark.
The Quebec fleet, now going out, is to carry over
1500 soldiers, for the better protedion of our fron
tier places near the American Settlements.
Yesterday fir John Johnftone set out for Ports
mouth, to embark for Canada, with a commission
from government on a negociation with certain In
dian nations.
Aug. 31. A letter from an English gentleman at
Bombay, dated March 5, fays, " We received in
telligence, that 300 G troops arrived the middle of
January last, at the island of Mauritius, from Old
France; and it is not to be doubted, but the rel
iefs spirit of Tippoo Saib will soon find them employ
ment."
The Spaniards now feel very severely the ill effects
of the encouragement given to the North-Americans.
The example of those states has operated as a pow
erful stimulus all over the new world, and his most
Catholic majesty has reason to dread that in a few
years the treasures of Mexico and Peru will be spread
The fate of the Irish proportions in the house of
commons in Ireland, gives no dtfpleafure even to the
friends of the ministry here, who are of opinion that
an union may hereafter be formed of a more per
manent and fatisfa&ory nature, by a delegation from
the parliaments of both kingdoms, than can be form
ed by the ministerial cabinet. And this would an
swer the purpose of a commercial treaty better, for
while, according to Mr. Orde's idea, the Irish par
liament are at liberty to make laws to reXify or
amend in cases where they shall hereafter think them
selves aggrieved, there would be no security given to
England, and the two kingdoms might hereafter
make laws against each other, until the whole com
mercial treaty was destroyed, and confufion intro
duced.
The advices from Ireland have filled the cabinet
with the most serious alarm, and they now, to their
cost, find that the assertions of oppolition here, with
refpeX to the dislike of the Irish to the new fangled
proportions, were founded on something more than
mere declamation. The minister on the firft day car
ries his question by a majority of sixteen. A majo
rity so very trifling, that it is impossible for Mr. Pitt
to attempt carrying them through the house, after so
marked a declaraton of the sense the people.
It was yesterday reported at the weft end of the
town, that a messenger had been dispatched to Ireland
to forbid any further difeuffion of the propositions,
as from the account of the firft division administrati
on was convinced they would be difgracefully reject
ed by the parliament of that kingdom.
What is become of all the boastings of the mini
sterial runners, that the propositions would be carri
ed in Ireland by a great majority? We find on the
very firft question, notwithstanding the notorious ve
nality of that parliament, the minister can obtain on
ly a majority of nineteen, and on the second but six
teen. if such then is his success when backed by
the whole strength of the castle influence, what must
be the consequence when the present minority find
themselves supported by the whole force of the peo
ple, who universally execrate Mr. Pitt's insidious at
tempt to deprive Ireland of her conftituonal indepen
dence? Why that the sleepy duke and his sapient se
cretary will be driven, with the molt infamous dis
grace, from a country which they have meanly at
tempted to enslave.
Aug. 23- A letter from Dublin, dated the 17th
inst. fays, " Our city was yesterday illuminated through
out, (a few houses excepted) and there were bon
fires in most of the ftieets, in exultation of the fate
that attended the bill brought in by Mr. Orde, on
Monday last, on the fubjed of the Irish propositions,
or rather the resolutions of the two houses of the
British parliament. The crowds in the streets aXed
peremptorily, and insisted upon lights being put in
the windows where none appeared at firft. The
houses that came under this description, however,
were but very few, and of those, who refufed to
obey the mandate, still fewer. Mr. Forster, the
chancellor of the exchequer, had some of his win
dows broken, and here and there a few panes of glass
were facrificed, but in general peace and good order
prevailed."
Sept. 3. The present situation of Europe and A
merica marks a great turbulence of disposition as pre
vailing. Men are impatient for a something, they
know not what, and become restless in attempting to
obtain it. The Dutch army weakened by desertion—,
all over the rest of Europe, without once deigning to
visit Old Spain.
Letters from the Brazils mention, that the whale
fifhery there is like to turn out very fuccefsful this
season, as several ships had failed with full cargoes,
and every ihip on that Ration had been very fuccefs
ful.
The French king has given orders that the royal
castle of Compeigne be forthwith thoroughly repair
ed, the court being to pass the next summer there,
that the ravages occasioned by time and negligence
at the palace of Versailles may be remedied: The
French are great and good architects, yet a certain
national penury hinders them from keeping their
chef deevres in proper repair. Were Louis XIV to
come to life, and fee his palace which cost him so
many millions, in its present state, and which was
deservedly the pride of Europe, would he not inveigh
against hi's grandson for his neglect?
1 he queen of France has not only one of the most
mufieal voices in her dominions, but is also distin
guished for her admirable elocution in the private
plays, in which the condescends to take a part. On
the 11th of this month (August) (he gave a splen
did fete au petit Vienne, near Faris, at which most of
the firft nobility were present: They day was crown
ed with a representation of the celebrated Beumar
chais' Barbier de Seville, the Spanish Barber, in
which her majesty played the part of Rosina with
eminent taste, the duke d'OGhn was great in Figaro,
and Mons de Vaudreuil both deferred and gained
applause in comte Almaviva. The queen was so en
chanted with the whole performance, that fie instant
ly wrote to Beaumarchais, that she would take upon^
herfelf to recommend him to the attention of his
majesty, whose displeasure he had lately the misfor
tune to incur.
Government has resolved to continue building
three decked Grips of war, on the firft vacancies of
flips in the royal dock-yards, till the number of them
at least are equal to those in the French and Spanish
navies.
Extras sf a letter from Tripoli, June 25.
" This city is involved in miseries too afflicting
to be described; being visited at once with those
dreadful calamities the plague and famine. Four
Grips are preparing to fail for Europe, being filled
with fugitives from this unhappy place, and among
the number is the only profeffor of medicine that
was resident among us. It is feared this calamity
will be the more fatal, since the methods pra&ifed
in the Levant for repressing its shocking effects are
entirely unknown here. Our flock of grain and
other provifiors is very scanty, and we have but lit
tle profped of relief from strangers, who, however
disposed to yield us assistance, will be fearful of en
dangering their own lives by holding communication
with a people so fnockingly afflicted. In palling
through the streets, great numbers are observed pe
riling with famine, and endeavouring to prolong a
miserable existence by gnawing the bones that have
been dried by the air and fun, and greedily devour
ing the refufe of vegetables thrown upon the dung
hills."
" The garrison of this place is now complete, and
consists of 4,350 men; that of Bruges of 2,100; that
of Oftend 2,600 ; that of Brussels of 2,300 ; so that
there are upwards of 11,000 men fit for service, of
which 1,600 are cavalry; the regiments in Flanders
are now compleat; the Dutch have a small camp near
Lillo of 2,400 men."
A morning paper fays, while feme of the powers
of Europe are engaged in projects of aggrandisement,
in endeavours to revive ancient claims by which they
excite jealousies in one Rate, and terrors in another,
the French court is occupied in more political and
pacific objeds. The comte de Vergennes, knowing
tire possibility of reviving to the commerce of India
its ancient course by Alexandria and the Persian
Gulph, has been seriously engaged in realizing the
means—we are assured that at length he has sur
mounted all the obstacles. He has made arrange
ments with the beys of Egypt and the Arabs, that
by means of a flight annual fublidy, they are to fur
nifh an adequate escort to the merchants from Suez
to Cairo. We fliall soon have an arret of council,
to give a solid foundation to this enterprize, at the
head of which is to be placed fieur Samondi, a rich
merchant at Marseilles. The baron de Tott has
made a report of the places in Egypt proper for com
mercial stations, and which proves the importance
and susceptible extent of this trade.
Sept. I. The several schemes of economy, which
are putting in pradice, are expeded ultimately to
amount to upwards of 100,000 annually, which is
neatly equal to the paying off three millions of the
national debt.
Extrafl of a letter from /briber,, Auguf 26.