The New-Jersey gazette — Burlington [N.J.], 1778-07-08 00:00:00, page 2

able his Majesty to appoint Commissioners, with fuf
ficient powers to treaty consuls and agree upon the
means of quieting the^diforders now subsisting in cer
tain of the colonies, plantations and provinces of
North-America," among other things enabled, that
it shall and may be lawful for his Majesty, from time
to time, by letters patent under the great leal of
Great-Britain, to authorife and empower five able
and fufficient persons, or any three of them, to do
and perform such ahis and things, and to uie and ex
ecute such authorities and powers as in the laid aft
are for that purpose mentioned, provided and creat
ed. And whereas we are earnestly deiirous to carry
into full and perfect execution the fevefral juftfand
gracious purposes abovementioned ; Now know ye,
That we have revoked and determined, and by these
presents do revoke and determine our laid recited
commi^on and letters patent, and ail and every pow
er, authority; clause, article and thing therein con
tained, And further know ye, That we, reposing
especial trust and confidence in your wildom, loyalty,
diligence and icircumfpebtion in the management of
the affairs to be hereby committed to your charge,
have nominated and appointed, constituted and as
signed, and by these presents we do nominate, ap
point, constitute and assign you, the laid Frederick
Earl of Carlifle, Richard Viscount Howe, Sir Willi
am Howe, William Eden & George Johnftone, or any
three of you, to be our Commissioners in that behalf,
to use and exercise all and every the powers and au
thorities hereby entrusted and committed to , on, the
said Frederick Earl of Carlifle, Richard viscount
Howe, Sir William Howe, William Eden, George
Johnftone, or any three of you, and to to perform
and execute all other matters and things hereby en
joined and committed to your care, during our Will
and pleasure and no longer, according to the tenor
sos these our letters patent, and of inch further in
ftrudtions as you filial! from time to time deceive un
der our signet or Sign manual. And it isour royal
will and pleasure, and we do hereby authority, em
power and require you, the said Frederick Earl of
Carlifle, Richard Viscount Howe, Sir William Howe,
William Eden, George Johnftone, or any three of
you, to treat, consult and agree with such body or
bodies politic and corporate, or with such assembly
or assemblies of men, or with such perlon or persons
as you, the said Frederick Earl of CaHille, ICchaid
Viscount Howe, Sir William Howe, VVmiam Eden,
'George Johnftone, or ^ny three of you, shall thmk
meet and fufficient' for that purpose, of and concern
ing any grievances, or complaints or grievances, ex
isting, or fappofed tokxift, in the governments
any of the colonies, provinces or plantations above
mentioned refpebtively, or in the laws and Imputes
of this realm, receding them or any of them, or of
and concerning any aids or contributions to be fur
mifhed by any of thefaid colonies, province ; or plan
tations refpedively, for the common defence of this 1
fcalm, and the dominions thereunto belonging; and
and concerning any other regulations, provisions,
matters and things, necessary or convenient for the
'honour of us and our parliament, and for tne com
mon good of all our subjects. And it is our further
will and pleasure, That every regulation, promhon,
• matter or thing, which shall have been agreed upon
between you, the said Frederick Earl of Carlifle,
Richard Viscount Howe, Sir William Howe, William
Ellen, George Johnftone, or any three of you, and
such persons or bodies politic as aforefaid, whom you
or any three of you shall have judged meet and fuc
ficient to enter into such agreement, shall be fully
ah^ diftindly set forth in writing, and authenticated
by the hands and seals of you or any three of you on
one fide, and by such seals and other signature on the
other as the occasion may require, ana as may be
suitable to the character and authority of the body
politic or other person so agreeing ; and Inch instru
ments so authenticated shall be by you or any three
of you transmitted to one of our principal Secretaries
of State, in order to be laid before o? r a arliament,
for the further and more perfect ratification thereof ;
and until such ratification, no Inch regulation, pro
vision, matter or thing, shall have any other force
or effect, or be carried further into execution than
is hereafter mentioned. And we do hereby further
authorife and empower you, the laid Frederick Fail
of Carlifle, Richard Viscount Howe, Sir Wiliam
Howe, William Eden, and George Johnftone, or, any
three of you, from time to time, as you or any tnree
of you shall judge convenient, to order and proclaim
a cessation of hostilities on the part of our forces by
sea or land, for such time and under such conditions,
reftriaions or other qualifications, as in your difcie
tions shall be thought requisite, and such order and
proclamation to revoke and annul in tne fame man
ner and form. And it is our further will and plea
sure, and we do hereby require and command all our
officers and ministers, civil and military, and all other
our loving subjects whatsoever, to observe and obey
all such proclamations refpedfively. And we do here
by, in further pursuance of the said act of Parliament,
and of the provisions therein contained, authorife and
empower you, the said Frederick Earl of Carlifle,
Richard Viscount Howe, Sir William Howe, William
Eden, and George Johnftone, or any three of you,
by proclamation under your refpedtive handsand
seals, from time to time, as you shall fee convenient,
to suspend the operation and effe& of a certain adt of
Parliament, made and passed in the 16th year of our
reign, for prohibiting all trade and intercourse with
certain colonies and plantations therein named, and
for the other purposes therein allo mentioned, or any
of the provisions or reflections therein contained, and
therein to fpecify at what time and places refpe&ive
ly, and with what exceptions and reftridions, and
under what paries and clearances, in lieu of those
heretofore directed by any add or ads of Parliament
for regulating the trade of the colonies and planta
tions, the said suspension shall take effect, and the
said-suspension and proclamation in the fame manner
and form to annul and revoke. And we do hereby
further authorife and empower you, the said Frede
rick Earl of Carlifle, Richard Viscount Howe, Sir
William Howe, William Eden and George Johnftone,
or any three of you, from time to time, as you shall
judge convenient, to suspend in any places, and for
any time during the continuance of the said firft re
cited act, the operation and' effect of any act or ads
of Parliament which have.palled since the loth day
of February, 1763, and whiqh, relate to any of our
colonies, provinces or plantations above-mentioned
in North-America, so far as the fame relate to them;
or any of them, or the operation and effect of any
clause, or any provision or other matter in such acts
contained, so far as such clauses, provisions or mat
ters relate to any of the laid colonies, provinces or
plantations. .And we do hereby further authorife
and empower you, the said Frederick Earl of Car
lifle, Richard Viscount Howe, Sir William Howe,
William Eden and George Johnftone, or any three
of you, to grant a pardon or pardons to any number
or description of persons within the said colonies,
provinces or plantations. And we do hereby further
authorife and empower you, the laid Frederick Earl
of Carlifle, "Richard Viscount Howe, Sir William
Howe, William Eden and George Johnftone, or any
three of you,' in any of our colonies, provinces or
plantations aforefaid respectively, wherein we haVe
usually heretofore nominated and appointed a Go
vernor, to nominate and appoint, from time to time,
by a ±ii)^ rument n n" er your hand, and seals, or the
hands'Md seals of any three of you,, a'proper person
to be the Governor and Commander in Chief in and
for such colony, province or plantation respectively,
to have, hold and exercise the laid office of Gover
nor and Commander in Chief in and.for such colony,
province or plantation refpedively, with all inch
powers and authorities as any Governor of Inch pro
vince, heretofore appointed by us, might or could
have exercised, in as full and ample manner and form
as if such Governor and Commander in Chief had
been nominated and appointed by our letters patent
or commission ; and for that purpose, if need be, to
revoke, annul and make void any commission or let
ters patent heretofore granted, for appointing any
such Governor and Commander in Chief. Whereas,
by certain letters patent under our great seal, bear
ing date on the 29th day of April, in the 16th year
of our reign, we have constituted and appointed you,
the said Sir William Howe, to be General and' Com
mander in Chief of all and lingular our forces em
ployed, dr to be employed, within our colonies in
North-America, lying upon the Atlantic ocean, from
Nova-Scotia on the North to Weft-Florida on the
South, both inclulive, to have, hold, exercise and
enjoy the said office during our will and pleasure ;
and in case you, the laid Sir William Howe, Should,
by death or any other manner, be difabted from ex
ercising the said command, it was our will and plea
sure, therein exprefied, that the fame, with all au
thorities; rights and privileges, contained in that our
Said commission, Should devolve on such officer,
bearing our commission, as Should be next in rank
to you, the said Sir William Howe. And whereas
our trusty and well-beloved Sir Henry Clinton, Knight
of the molt honourable Order ot the Bath, Lieut.
General of our forces, and General of our forces in
our army in America only, now actually bears our
commission, and is next in rank to you, the Said Sir
William Howe: Know it is our further -will and
pleasure, and we do hereby ordain and appoint, that
whenever the said command in the fagf/fetters pa
tent mentioned Shall, in pursuance thereof, devolve
upon the said Sir Henry Clinton, all and .every the
powers and authorities hereby entrusted and com
mitted to you, the said Sir William Howe, Shall
forthwith cease and determine, and the said powers
and authorities, and every ofchem, Shall from thence
forth be entrusted and committed, and are hereby
entrusted and committed to the said Sir Henry Clin
ton, to use and exercise the fame powers and autho
rities, and to perform and execute all other the mat
ters and things as aforefaid, in as full and ample ex
tent and form, and no other, as you, the laid Sir
William Howe, are hereby authorised to use and ex
ercise, do, perform and execute the fame. And we
do hereby require and command all the officers,
civil an, military, and all other our loving Subjects
whatfafcr, to be aiding and aflifting unto you, the
said Frederick Earl of Carlisle, Richard Viscount
flow/, Sir William Howe, William Eden and George
Johnftone, in the execution of this our commission,
and ofthe powers and authorities herein contained.
Provided always, and we do hereby declare and or
dain, tilt thufeveral offices, powers and authorities
hereby granted shall cease, determine and become
utterly null and void on theist day of June, which
shall be in the year of our Lord 1779, although we
shall not otherwise in the mean time have revoked
and determined the fame. In Witness whereof, we
have caused these our letters to be made patent.
Witness onrfelf, at Westminster, the 13th day of
April, in the 18th year of our reign.
A true Copy, By the K I NO bimfelf,
Adam Ferguson, Secretary. YOßKE.
Ordered, That they be referred to a Committee of
five.
Eodem Die, P.M. &
The Committee to whom were referred the titers
and papers from the Earl of Carlifle, &c. C^mmif
fioners from the King of Great-Britain, reported the
draught of a letter, which was read.
Refolded, That the consideration thereof be post
poned till to-morrow.
June 17, 1778.
Congress resumed the consideration of the draught
of the letter, in answer to the letter and papers re
ceived from the Earl of Carlifle, &c. Commissioners
from the King of Great-Britain, which was unani
mously agreed to, and is as follows:
To their Excellencies the Right Hon. the Earl of CAR
LISLE, WILLIAM EDEN, Efa. GEORGE
JOHNSTONE, Efa. Commifioners from his Bri
tannic MajeJly, Philadelphia.
J H AVE received the letter from your Excellencies
' of the 9th instant, with the enclosures, and laid
them before Congress. Nothing but an earnest desire
to spare the farther effufion of human blood could
have induced them to read a paper, containing ex
pressions so diSfefpedful to his Most Christian Maje
sty, the good and great ally of these States ; or to
consider propositions so derogatory to the honour of
an independent nation.•
" The ads of the British Parliament, the commis
sion from your Sovereign, and your letter, suppose
the people of these States to be Subjects of the Crown
of Great-Britain, and are founded on the idea of de
pendence, which is utterly inadmifhble.
" I am further directed to inform your Excellencies,
that Congress are inclined to peace, notwithstanding
the unjust claims from which this war originated, and
the savage manner in which it lidth been conduced.
They will therefore be ready to enter upon the ccn
fideration of a treaty of peace and commerce, not in
consistent with treaties already fobfifting, when the
King of Great-Britain shall demonstrate a Sincere
dilpofition for that purpose. The only solid proof of
this deposition will be, an explicit acknowledgment
of the independence of these States, or the withdraw
ing his fleets and armies.
I have the honour to be,
Your Excellencies most obedient and humblefervant,
Signed, by or^r of the unanimous voice of Congress,
HENRY LAURENS, Prudent?
'Dork-Town, 'June 17, 1778.
Refolded unanimously, That Congress approve the
conduct of General Washington in refilling a passport
to Doctor Fefgufon.
Published by order of Congress,
CHARLES THOMSON, Secretary.
From the Pennsylvania Packet.
Mr. Dunlap,
Be pleased to print the following Letters from his
Excellency General Waffiington, together with the
return of killed, wounded, &c. for the information
of the good people of these United States. lam, Sir,
Your most humble servant,
Philadelphia, HENRY LAURENS,
July 4, 1778. President of Congress.
EngliShtown, fix miles from Monmouth,
June aQ 1778, half after 11, A. M.
SI R,
IWAS duly honoured with your favour of the 20th
instant, with the report to which it referred, and
trust my Situation will apologize for my not answer
ing it before.
I am now here with the main .body of the army,
and pressing hard to come up with the enemy. They
encamped yesterday at Monmouth Court-house, hav
ing almost the whole - of their front, particularly their
left wing, secured by a marsh and thick wood, and
their rear by a very difficult defile, from whence they 4
moved very early this morning. Our advance, from,
the rainy weather, and the intense heat when it was
fair, (tho 2 these may have been equally disadvantage
ous to them) has been greatly delayed Sev'eral of
our men have fallen lick from these causes, and°a few
unfortunately have fainted and died in a 'little time
after. We have a feled and Strong detachment more
forward under the general command of Major-Ge-*
neral Lee, with orders to attack their rear if possible.
Whether the detachment will be able to come up with,
it is a matter of question, especially before they get
into Strong grounds. Besides this, Morgan with his
corps and some bodies of militia are on their flanks..
I cannot determine yet at what place they intend tor
embark ; some think they will push for Sandy Hook,
whilst others suppose they mean to go to Shoal Har
bour. The latter opinion feemsto be founded in the
greater probability, as, from intelligence, several vefc
fels andcraft are lying off that place. We have made ,
a few prisoners, and they have loft a good many men
by desertion. I cannot afeertain their numbers, is
they came into our advanced parties and pushed im
mediately into the country; i think five or fix hpn T .
dred is the least number that have come in in the:
whole ; they are chiefly foreigners.
I have the honour to be, with' great refpeßf
Sir, your most obedient servant,
G. WASHINGTON.
The Honourable Henry Laurens, Esquire,
PreJident of Congress.
Fields near Monmouth Court-house,
SI R, 29th June, 1778.
I HAVE the honour to inform you that about 'even
o'clock yesterday morning both armies advanced
on each oth@r. About twelve they met on the ground*