The New-Jersey gazette — Burlington [N.J.], 1784-11-08 00:00:00, page 2

Extras of a letter from Edinburgh, August 18.
" Some time ago mention was made in the papers
of a famine raging in Shetland, for which parliamen
tary aid was given. Ihe following letter affords a
recent and melancholy testimony of their situation :—
" [ never saw such distress, and yet I fear more to
come , but lam hafting away to avoid feeing it. We
h.ve had only two days of summer, one only of fun
fnine. No fishing; and what crop is on the ground
is a month too late. In very many places no crop at
all, as none was sown. There is meal to be fold, but
nothing left to give for it; and the people are dying
of hunger. About 1300 head of horned cattle died
in the parities of North Maving and UnR; in others
nearly in the fame proportion ; and about half the
sheep in the county."
The English charaSer has Buffered greatly in Eu
rope by the Events of the late war, which are consi
dered as the proper punishment of its haughty tyranny
and felfdhnefs. There is some justice in this opinion ;
and it is mentioned, that the grounds of it may be re
moved by our conditions of connection and communi
cation with other nations, particularly those which
bear our name, and are united to us by consanguinity.
It is said by historians, that the Lacedemonians were
destroyed for acting on principles which have been
long fashionable in England. The Lacedemonians
gave ample proofs of honour and virtue amongst one
another, and in observing the laws of their country.
But in regard to the rest of mankind, they reputed as
honourable the things which pleased them, and as just,
the things which promoted their interest.
Aug^l 25. A gentleman, who left Holland on
Tuesday last, fays, the madness of politicks fupercedes
even the consideration of interest, which, with the
Dutch, is a miracle indeed ! ' All is clamour and dis
content, which the French agents are assiduous to cul
tivate, with a view of promoting some serious conse
quences, which may distress all the provinces.
The Kitty came up with a large body of ice in Da
vis's Straights, on which were some dogs of the coun
try, among which were four with harness on, and a
bitch with four young puppies. They were in a very
starved condition, and luttered themselves to be taken
on board very quietly, one excepted, which was so
fierce, that the crew were under the necessity of kil
ling it. They were brought fafe to Shields.
inftruaions have been difpatqhed to John Purr, Esq.
the Governor of Nova-Scotia, under who^ jurisdic
tion this settlement is placed. The prefer' .Gover
nor, Mr. Patterson, is not to be recalled, but to re
main and receive his inßruCtions from Nova-Scotia,
until inch time as an opportunity offers of removing
to some other lettlement, as it is intended to annihi
late the oilice of Governor in the island of St. John's.
Extract of a letter from Dublin, Anguft 14.
“ The notorious proceedings of the mob continue
to rage here with violence, and the unhappy quarrel
between the Viceroy's aid-de-camps and a citizen, in
which several were wounded, has considerably in
created their insolence, the officers having been in the
wrong, which gives the party against them every ad
vantage. Scarce a day passes without the tarring and
feathering of some person who had been in the Eng
lish import trade; and material orders for British
goods have been countermanded."
Extra& of a letter from Lifoon, August 4.
" The failure' of a Portuguese house, who have
flopped payment here, is said to be for upwards of
450,000!. sterling, of which more than two-thirds fall
upon London."
^ u g u fl 24. On Thursday Mr. Stanley, member
for the county of Lancaster, accompanied by the Earl
of Derby, ptefented to his Majelly at St. James's a
petition, signed by upwards of 10,000 manufacturers
of the town and neighbourhood of Manchester, pray
ing that the intended tax upon the fuftian manufac
tures might not pass into a law. The petition stated,
that the tax would be in the highest degree ruinoUs
and oppressive to the manufacturer, and by no means
productive to the revenue.
The spirit of sedition which has been lately che
rilhed, for the purposes of advancing parties into pow
er, has introduced every species of wickedhefs into
our manners. Persons who have been idols of the
populace, are branded with the imputation of all the
vices that car diflionour human nature. The idea of
retaining a minister of good principles and decent man
ners was laughed at as ridiculous and extravagant.—
Before the introduction of Mr. Pitt, it was the cus
tom for the members of the cabinet to keep up a con-
Rant enmity of intention against one another. No
promile was strong enough, no oath fufficiently fo
!emn, to banilh such reciprocal diffidence. Will not
this diffidence return, the instant Lord S ne is
called in? And will not the coalition chuckle at an
event, which, by exchanging publick fatisfadion for
diSatisfaction, will give them hopes that the plates
they have 101 l may yet be brought within their reach.
DUBLI N, August 14.
The late feafonabl^ arrival of a large quantity of
* E W-Y O R K, October 28.
The refpedfal Anfaer of the Senate of the State of
New-York to the Speech of bis Excellency George
Clinton, Esq. Governor of the said State, Gene
ral and Commander in Chief of all the Militia,
and Admiral of the navy of the fame.
S I R,
WE, the senate in legislature convened, return
your Excellency our thanks for your fpeecb.
However inconvenient it may prove to our private
affairs to attend at this season, the reasons assigned by
your Excellency for convening the legislature are en
tirely fatisfactory.
After all the severe calamities by which this state
hath been distressed in the progress of a vindictive
war, we flattered ourselves, tnat the period was at
length arrived, when we Mould have an opportunity
to repair our misfortune without envy or interruption.
Among the firft to make a common cause with our
litter Rate of the Massachusetts — Among the firft in
strenuous and expenlire exertions to maintain the war;
and dillinguifhed above all others by the weight and
duration of our fufferings, we flattered ourselves that
we had some claim to her friendship: At least, that
pretentions under a charter which had been annihi
lated and cancelled a century, and which, but for the
revolution, could never have been brought into view,
would not have been revived to interrupt our tranqui
lity. We agree with your Excellency, that the claim
which that legislature hath been pleased to announce,
is so indefinite,^ that it exposes us to great disadvan
tages in our defence; but such is our confidence that
the jurisdiction of this state can be supported by con
clusive testimony, that we shall submit it with the ut
most cheerfulnefs to an impartial tribunal.
The several important ads of Congress to which
your Excellency refers, are entitled to our attentive
consideration ; and you may be allured, that the re
sult will be dilated by a regard, to the faced rules
of jullice, the honour of the state, and the principles
of the federal compact.
1 he injury which the state sustains by the claims
of absentees and aliens to large tracts of uncultivated
lands, is too manifeft in itfelf, and too strongly en
forced by your Excellency, not to make a deep im
pression. While we wilh to pursue this fubjed in
ibid conformity to the spirit of the treaty, and the
principles of equity, we do not hesitate to agree with
your Excellency, that it is our duty to provide an
effectual remedy.
We have, fir, long experienced the want of fixed
principles of taxation, and we acknowledge that our
endeavours to attain this desirable object have hitherto
proved unfuccefsful.—But the difficulty with which it
is attended ought not to difeourage us from farther at
tempts, especially as the restoration of peace will ren
der an estimate of the wealth of the state, and the
comparative value of its respective counties and dif
triffs, which is so eflentral in imposing and apportion
ing the publick taxes, much more practicable.
I he management of our publick revenue with more
system, and a revision and digest of our laws which
your. Excellency so eaineßly recommends, as well as
the several other matters contained in your speech, re
quire our serious deliberation. We wish, however,
that the business of the present meeting may be drawn
into as narrow a compass as a due regard for the pub
lick fafety will admit: And your Excellency may be
assured, that whatever may now remain unprovided
for, will, in the course of our winter fitting, meet
with all the attention which the great weight and im
portance of the several fubjefts require.
By order of the Senate,
Abraham Yates, jun, Prefdent, pro hac vice.
Senate-Chamber, OG. 21, 1784.
To his Excellency GEORGE CLINTON, Esquire,
Governor of the State of New-York, General and
Commander in Chief of all the Militia, and Ad
miral of the Navy of the fame.
The refpeßful ADDRESS of the ASSEMBLY of
the said State, in Answer to his Excellency's
Speech, at the opening of the Session.
May it pleafeyour Excellency,
W'E, the Representatives in Aflembly, beg leave
to affine your Excellency, we arc fully con
wheat from Bourdeaa*, is a happy presage of the sup
ply that may be expected from France, Mould any ac
cident intervene to injure our present crop. Letters
from that kingdom have announced the abundant har
vest with which it has been favoured, most of which
was got in, especially in the southern provinces, about
the middle of last month ; and as it is an established
law, that no grain shall be exported when bread rises
above id. a pound, we may conclude that that wife
government were fufficiently apprised of their ability,
otherwise they would not have fatisfied any foreign
demand.
American Intelligence.
vinced that a due regard to the interesting affairs of
the state, has been your only inducement to convene
the Legislature at this early season ; and we shall pro
ceed in the more pressing business committed to our
charge, with cheerfulnefs and dispatch.
The claim of Massachusetts to lands supposed to be
somewhere within the ancient jurifdi&ion of this state,
being of so important and unexpected a nature, will
command our most serious and immediate attention.
'1 he election of delegates to Congress, and mem
bers to compose a council of appointment, have al
ready been fubjeCts of our deliberation.
The acts of Congress, refpeCting the arrears of in
terest of the national debt, and the expences for the
year 1784, and a requisition of money to difeharge
the lame, as they involve not only the faith and cre
dit of the state, but also of the whole union, will be
fubjeds of our attention.
We approve the reasons afligned by your Excellen
cy, for not convening the Legislature on your receipt
of the ad of Congress, recommending it to this and
some other of the Rates, to raise a proportion of their
militia for taking possession of the western posts, guard
ing the publick Lores, and protecting the treaties with
the Indians. We however regret, that those posts
have not yet been delivered up by the British com
mander in Canada, as the withholding them evidently
tends to the injury of this state.
We are well convinced, that, the right to large
tracts of unimproved lands within the state, being
veiled in absentees and aliens, is detrimental to its
settlement, population and prosperity ; because, under
such circomAancca, the lands remain uncultivated and
unprofitable, and are increasing in their value for the
benefit of strangers, by the labour and expence of
our industrious citizens: We Mail therefore confider
it our duty to adopt measures productive of their spee
dy improvement.
It is evidently necessary to afeertain the value of
taxable property within the Rate, not only that har
mony may be preserved among our citizens, but also
that we may be enabled to establish a mode of taxa
tion which may in future be mure equal and efficaci
ous in its operation.
From the fulleft conviction we concur with your
Excellency, that hitherto no adequate system has been
adopted for drawing the revenues, expenditures or
debts of the Rate, to a point, nor any effectual means
pursued for afeertaining either its resources or ex
pences. 7 his matter is so essential to the preservation
and refpeClability of government, that it shall be ranked
among the objects of our serious difeuffion.
The reviling and digesting the laws of the late co
lony and of this state, and such of the British Ratutes
as are adopted by the con ftittition; the general regu
lation of highways, and the internal ceconomy of dif
tri&s and precinQs, appear to us so necessary and ufe
ful, that we have already taken them under conside
ration ; as also the defects, in the ads for eftablilhing
an university in this state, and the impost ad.
The various and important matters which your Ex
cellency has been pleased to recommend to us, shall in
their order be duly attended to; and you may be as
sured, that we meet with the most cordial disposition
to pursue every measure tending to advance the inte
rest and honour of the Rate, or the convenience and
advantage of our constituents.
By order of the Assembly,
JOHN HATHORN, Speaker.
Assembly-Chamber,
October 22.
To which his Excellency the Governor returned
the following ANSWER.
Gentlemen,
I RETURN you my sincere thanks for this polite
address.—Your approbation of my conduct, in
calling you together at this time, affords me great fa
tisfadion; and the sense you entertain of the impor
tance of the several matters recommended to your at
tention, with the disposition you discover to adopt
every measure which may tend to advance the interest
and honour of the Rate, cannot but be highly grate
ful to your constituents.
Permit me to assure you, that it will give me the
highest pleasure to facilitate the deliberations of the
Legislature, and to render their acts effectual by a due
execution.
GEORGE CLINTON.
New-York, Oflober 23.
On the 15th inst. the Right Hon. the Marquis de
la Fayette arrived at Boston. He was received with
every mark of grateful refpeft and esteem; Monarchs,
fay they, may boast of the plaudits of their fubje^ ;
and Kings may be dragged in the triumphal car by«e
hands of their vassals ; but they are the dictates of
servility, not the effufions of gratitude. Merit must
be truly apparent, and the virtues that adorn human
nature must be abundantly conspicuous, when the
whole body of freemen of an extensive continent, who
view the man, and not the title, voluntarily join in
congratulations, and welcome, in the most distinguished