The New-Jersey gazette — Burlington [N.J.], 1780-04-12 00:00:00, page 1

At half after 4 o'clock, Lord North rose, and after
a short prefatory difeourfe, which will come out more
intelligibly and diftinCtly in his Lordship's narrative,
opened his three propositions relative to the allowing
Ireland a free export of her wool, woollens and wool
flocks; a free exportation of glass and all kinds of
glass manufactures ; and a freedom of trade with the
British plantations on certain conditions, the great
foundation of which was, an equality of trade, and
an equality of taxes, customs, &c. on the export
and import.
To demonstrate the matter of right, as well as mat
ter of favour, which Ireland had fought, or might
claim, he dated the following propositions: First,
That Ireland had a free and unlimited right to trade
with the whole world: Secondly, That Ireland did
not pretend to claim any right, directly or co-rcla-
RELIEF OF IRELAND.
( Continued from our lafl.)
HIS proposition, his Lordship observed,
M would certainly open a new source of wealth
I to Ireland ; and it would be a gift which
R the could not claim, the British colonies and
settlements were our own, gained and eftabliihed by
the expence of the blood and treasure of this country.
Under a consideration, however, that Ireland was a
part of the empire, and that it was right for Great-
Britajn to give Ireland every possible encouragement,
he had formed the refolutiun ; at the fame time that
he said this much, he owned that his proposition was
a matter of great nicety, a matter which called for
much consideration, and might be affeCled by a thou
sand relative circumstances, which would naturally
suggest themselves in the dilcufiion of it.
His Lordlhip observed, that it would be necessary
to govern this matter by some reftriCtions, because
otherwise Ireland would be put upon a better foot
ing than England ; which would certainly not be a
wife measure; any more than a juit one, or such as
Ireland could heffelf in reason desire; as the restric
tions however, were to be left to the consideration
and decision of the Parliament of Ireland, he did not
imagine they would be any obstacle, or that the mat
ter might not b.e so modelled as to make it perfectly
expedient and efficacious towards every end that it
could be calculated or desired to answer. He repeat
ed however, that the whole of the third proposition
would require more care and circumfpeCtion than
either of the others ; one objection, he said, he fore
faw, and it would probably be urged; This was,
that the imports from the Weft-India islands, the
principal of which is sugar, wouid come differently
into Ireland and Great-Britain ; the importers of su
gar in Ireland would have to pay higher duties than
the importers of Great-Britain, a circumstance which
would tend to led! n the importation into Ireland, be
cause the Irish might chufe to have their sugars cir
cuitously through Great-Britain, and to receive them
at lesser duties than those more high duties which
they must pay for a direct importation from the Weft-
Indies ; he could not, however, but think, that giving
Ireland a power of direCt importation from the Bri
tish colonies (which under all its difficulties, would
still doubtless be a very desirable matter) was certain
ly a great object. He declared, he Should submit the
whole of the three propofitjons to the Committee, to
whom, at a future day, they would be referred, and
to whom, when he did refer them, he Should go into
the fubjeCtmuch more fully, and enter into an am
ple d< tail of the reasons and circumstances upon which
he had founded them ; state the views that had open
ed to his mind upon the whole matter ; point out the
particular advantages and benefits they would convey
to Ireland, and remove the difficulties and grievan
ces which that people fuffer, and which the Parlia
ment of Ireland had conveyed to the throne, at the
fame time that they fully declared their idea of the
fort of redress which they had hoped for from this
country, when they alked for a free trade.
His Lordfllip added, that the three propositions he
had made, comprehended in general, as much as Ire
land desired,; that there would nevertheless remain
some particulars to be given, which would naturally
suggest themselves hereafter, and would be a matter
of no fort of difficulty to fettle and accommodate.
His Lordship moved, " That a Committee of the
whole Houle do fit on Monday next, to take into con
sideration the papers on their table relative to the re
venue, trade, &c. of Ireland.
Before he fat down, his Lordship earnestly recom
r^nded it to gentlemen to turn the matter most icri
oMfly in their minds, and to come prepared to enter
fully into the difeuffion of it, and to treat it with that
candour, moderation, and attention which its great
importance deferred.
MONDAY, December 13.
NEW-JERSEY GAZETTE.
[Vol. lII.]
WEDNESD AY, April 12, 1780.
tively, with any part of the British colonies or plan
tations. Every person in both kingdoms must instant
ly give an universal consent to the latter proportion.
It was not his with on the present day, and on the pre
sent occasion, to enter into a difeuffion of questions
merely speculative; so much, however, he could
hazard, that mixing the broad claim of a free and
unrestrained trade, and qualifying it with the advan
tages derivable from a connection with Great-Britain,
it would not be too much to fay, that although the
claim was with Ireland, the option of a connection
with this country, and a participation of commercial
interests was clearly in favour of the latter, in prefe
rence to any ideal or remote benefits, which might
be drawn in future from what by some was under
stood, by some perhaps very mistakingly, under the
undefined teims of a free trade. He would even go
further, and affirm, that from every thing he could
learn, that the people of the firft rank and consequence
in that kingdom perfectly met his opinion on the fub
jeCt, and that their own good sense led them to make
the estimate, and wifely determined on the choice.
His Lordship after explaining himfelf pretty much
in detail, relative to the disposition of the people of
Ireland, and endeavouring to prove that it was both
their interest and inclination to hand well with the
people of England, proceeded to demonstrate, that
on the idea of such a natural and political connection,
they had been rather harihly and impolitically treat
ed. Before the restoration they enjoyed every ad
vantage and benefit in common with England. Even
the plantation afts 'of the 13th of that king (1661)
did not reltraiu them. In the year, the aid of that
king's reign, it was true, that liberty was taken a
way by a lide wind ; for the bonds entered into for
the effectual execution and purposes of the plantati
on acts mentioned England and Ireland, but in the
subsequent aCt Ireland was designedly left out, which
at one stroke cut the Irish totally off from all commu
nication with the English colonies in the new world.
There were anecdotes still extant, relative to the
real causes of those harsh and reftriCtive laws. They
were supposed to have originated in a dislike, or jea
lousy, of the great power of the then Duke of Or
mond, who from his great estate and possessions in
Ireland, was supposed to have a personal interest in
the prosperity of that kingdom. Indeed so far was
this spirit carried, whether from personal enmity to
the Duke of Ormond, from narrow prejudices, or a
blind policy, that the Parliament of England passed a
law to prohibit the importation of Irish lean cattle.
( For the remainder fee the fourth page.)
A gentleman who pafjid through this place lajl week, on
hit way to Congress, has favoured us with a copy of
the following confidential letter to Lord George Ger
main. It was taken with a number of other dis
patches, and duplicates of dispatches, from Sir Henry
Clinton, on board a Packet, b, one of our Eajlern
privateers. Our vessel had the peculiar address co
appear us a New-York privateer till Jbe gained her
purpose. As the letter contains, in particular, a flute
of our Southern affairs, of which we have been ulmofl
totally in the dark for some time pujl, we flatter our
selves we fball gratify the curiojit, of our readers b,
its publication ; and as coming from the enemy, we
cannot doubt but the information is perfect, as far as
it rejpeas themselves.
PRIVAT E, No. 15 .
Savannah, (in Georgia) January 30, 1780.
I HAD the honour to address your Lordship in my
official capacity, on the 20th ofDecember ultimo,
dated at New-York, in which I gave a special detail
of the regiments and corps then embarked, referring
you for the naval operating force, to Admiral Ar
buthnot's dispatch.
From the time I was honored with your Lordship's
inftiuCtions to evacuate Rhode-Bland, and to con
denic and dilpofe the King's troops, 011 such a scale,
as would afford the most substantial protection to
New-York, and such of its dependencies as might be
held confidently with the force to be withdrawn for
the proposed southern operat ors ; till the moment of
embarkation, no opportunity whatsoever has offered
itfelf to strike any part of the enemy, or even to ven
ture upon any incursion that promised advantage su
perior to the rifque. Betides as I communicated in
my last, the violent demonstrations of the rebels,
which threatened a determined attack of the poll at
New-York, in conjunction with a large naval and land
armament, under Count D'Eftaing, then directing
itfelf againftthe garrison at Savannah, necessarily
turned our whole endeavours to defeat so alarming a
combination.
The regular troops under General Washington, a-
FISH-KILL, March 30.
THE
Not a moment was to be loft in such a critical con
juncture ; for every moment was important, and ex
pected to come with the account of D'Eftaing's ap
pearance before our harbour. The works at Brook
lyn, and on Governor's Illand, were enlarged and
improved. New works were treated at the Water
ing Place, and Sandy-Hook ; the King's battery at
New-York, was repaired and mounted with heavy
ordnance ; and places marked out, and defences pro
vided, to cover the fllipping along the Sound. These
preparations employed the whole labour of the ar
my; and I cannot but observe, in addition to what^
have said in my official letter, the general readmefs
in most of the Refugees, to facilitate these important
objeCts.
1 flatter myfelf, after this enumeration, your Lord
flip will concur in the impracticability of essaying
any thing against the enemy. Washington remained
in his faftnelles at the Highlands; and so posited, as
to be able to use the Hudson to the greatest advan
tage, in making his impression on our left ; while e
very advantage of water was also in his power by the
Sound, and under protection of the French fleet, ex
poled us to the molt perplexing embarraflments. —As-
sailable in so many points, and every instant expecting
D'Eftaing, we had but time to look towards, and take
measures for our own defence ; and the occasion re
quired us to put forward our belt exertions.
I do not reckon, my Lord, among the lesser mis
fortunes of the last year, the operations of D'Eftaing
on the American coast : The vast relief thereby given
to the rebel trade, and the injury which it brought up
on ours : The impression it carried home to the minds
of the people, of our loft dominion of the sea, and
the disposition of the French to give them every assist
ance reconcileable with the general objects of the war,
to complete cur ruin on the continent : The reduc
tion of the King's force in Georgia, by the combined
operations in that quarter, and its consequent effects :
For although our brave garrison escaped, yet a great
er detachment from New-York became indispensable,
than was at firft intended ; and necefia.ily placed it
in a condition, much below your Lordlhip's expec
tations ; The expence it has accumulated by the fink
ing or Ihips to obftrud the entrance into that harbour;
and the railing of new works, and improving of old
ones, which will be uteleE, unless an army as large
as what was then at New-York, should be kept there
lor its defence. These considerations, my Lord,
while they fill me with the utmost mortifica+ion, will
convey to your Lordship the causes that delayed so
long the entrance on the execution of a plan, with
which I have the honor to be entrusted.
In the official letter of the 25th instant, you will find
a detail of the dilireffcd and shattered hate of the fleet,
by a fuccelhon of the most severe storms. I enume
rated the several transports with troops, taken by the
enemy, as far as they had come to my knowledge ;
with our losses in store Ihips, horses, cavalry, and the
military attarail, ablolutely essential to the enterprize
against Charleftown: But a very few of the milling
vcffels have arrived since.
By this last misfortune' , our affairs are not only de
ranged, but nearly at a hand; pressed by my incli
nation to go forward ; stimulated by the danger which
hangs over the Floridas, to advert to their protection ;
unwilling to divide a force,, in its present situation,
incompetent to the original purpose ; diffracted be
tween calls the most urgent ; our numbers decreafiug
by the urihealthinefs of the climate, even while I am
writing to your Lordship. In such a situation, can I,
my Lord, but express myfelf feelingly ; and I trull
your sympathy is not to be the only consolation I am
to expect from my country ; Hitherto a train of in
cidents, peculiar and beyond human forefight, have
set in against the arms of my royal matter; but, as
they were beyond our foreknowledge, no precauti
ons of ours could have counteracted them ; it is this
which will be our apology for what we have not done ;
and I flatter myfelf, that when we come to aCt, we
shall want none for what we shall do.
mounted at this period to sixteen thousand men; to
which is to be added, the army commanded by Ge
neral Sullivan, then on its return from a fuccefsful
expedition against our Indian allies, and but very lit
tle dirninifhed by the campaign. This gave him a
force of twenty thousand effectives : But your Lord
ship will be able to form a more perfeCt judgment of
our measures, when you combine with this army,
the militia of Penufylvania, New-Jersey, New-York,
Connecticut, and Massachusetts, which were ready
to be drawn together on the fhorleft notice, and whose
spirits were peculiarly exalted at this crisis, from the
profped of a city, full of wealth, and devoted to
plunder, and by the flattering idea of ending the war,
by its capture.'
[Numb. 120.]