The New-Jersey gazette — Burlington [N.J.], 1779-09-15 00:00:00, page 1

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We are deJired, by federal Gentlemen, to insert the
Jollozuing :
From the New-York Journal of August 9, printed
at Poughkeepsie.
FOR the information of the good people of
the United States of America, I lend you
for publication^ report of a committee of
congress made to that body on the 30th
of April last. The information contained
in this report being of the highest authen
ticity, it is evident that Mr. Lee could do this coun
try no essential service as a commissioner, either in
France or Spain. What then could have ind^edd
14 gentlemen in congress to vote for his continuance^
(22 being against it) and some of them to assert, that
he was the properest person to represent these Rates
at the court of Madrid, is hard to conceive. But
how they can reconcile their conduct to their consti
tuents, it is now become necessary for them to explain.
Fads speak for themselves, and are placed in a clear
light by the following report of the committee of
congress, appointed for that purpose.
The undersigned members of the congress of the
United States of North-America have the honour
to inform the said congress,
HAT upon good grounds, having been led to
believe that the conduct ot Arthur Lee, Esq.
late one of the commissioners representing these
United States at the court of Versailles, and now sole
commissioner to represent the said Rates at the court
of Madrid, was difguftful to these courts, unconcili
atory to their fubjeds, and prejudicial to the honour
and interest of the said Rates.
They were astonished to hear an assertion made in
congress, on the 15th inst. by an hon. member from
Massachusetts Bay, as from the highest authority in
America, that the said commissioner is possessed of
the confidence of the court of Versailles; and since,
another assertion, by another hon. member from the
fame state, that the said commissioner is the most
proper person to represent the said Rates at the court
of Madrid, assertions which, being made in the de
bates on foreign affairs, were made to influence con
gress to continue the said Arthur Lee, Esq. as the
public minister of the said United States to the court
of Madrid at the expected negociations for a general
pacific ition, under the mediation of that court.
That the undersigned, impressed with a conviction
in such an important conjuncture, the minister to re
present the said Rates, at the court of Madrid, ought
not to be disagreeable to that courj, nor the court of
Versailles, in faithful alliance with these Rates; and
that the intereß of the said Rates demanded that it
ihould be precisely afeertained, whether or not the
said commissioner was disagreeable to the Aid courts,
for certain information upon the point they have from
the necessity of the case, been compelled to apply to
the minister plenipotentiary of France, residing near
congrefo, as the highest source of information in
America; that in consequence of such application,
the minister plenipotentiary produced to the under
signed an original letter to him from the count d'Ver
gennes, minister for foreign affairs at the court of
Versailles, dated the 29th of October, 1778, in which,
after having dated the intelligence which has been
communicated to congress, by the minister plenipo
tentiary, in February last, and after having assigned
some reason for not having communicated that intel
ligence to the American commissioners in Paris, the
count d'Vergennes concludes in these terms, " Je
vous avonerai d'ailleurs je craindre M. Lee et fe au
tour, besides I confefs to you, that I fear Mr. Lee
and all those about him." —That the minister pleni
potentiary added that this consideration induced the
court of Versailles to keep secret from the said com
missioner the intended failing of the count d'Estaing,
for America, until his fleet was ready to put to sea;
that the said commissioner, by his conducton several
occasions, created the highest disgust in the court of
Versailles against him. That the court of Madrid, in
the elofeft connexion with that of Verfailies, enter
tained the fame sentiments refpefting the said com
missioner, not only on account of his conduct on
those occasions, but because of his imprudent con
duct in Spain; and in a word, the minister plenipo
tentiary expressly declared, that he has every reason
to think, that neither of those courts have that confi
dence in the said commissioner, which is necessary to
give success to the negociations of a foreign minister.
The undersigned having received such decisive infor
mation from the minister of France, with liberty to
communicate to congress, think it their indifper.fa
ble duty to the United States, and to themselves, to
lay the fame explicitly before this fnpreme council of
America ; to the end, that they may not be milled
to continue the said commissioner, as the reprefenta-
NEW-JERSEY GAZETTE.
[Vol. IL]
WEDNESDAY, September 15, 1779.
Amt. ? & &<¥M&. "Th J<•dTfyrtm.,~u A&<M^U4t 44
tive of these Utiited Stated, at a court in the highest
manner disgusted at his conduct, and at which, of
consequence, his negociations must be unfuccefsful.
But if unfortunately it ihall be disregarded, they will
have the consolation to reflect, that in giving this
information, they discharged their duty to the United
States; and that having given it, they cannot justly
be held responsible for the consequences of a measure
but too likely to prove unconciliatory abroad, ruin
ous to the public finances at home, and an impedi
ment to a speedy and honourable pacification, fecur
,ing the independence of the United States of North-
America. Signed by the
► (Copy) Gentlemen of the committee.
Laid on the table, and read in congress, April 30,
1779.
[The reader will recoiled, that the votes in con
gress are estimated not by the number of persons vot
ing, but by the number of Rates. So that though,
in this case, there was a majority of 22 against 14,
who voted for the recal of Mr. Lee, yet' the number
of Rates for and against him being equal, he was con
tinued in office.] The report of the committee hav
ing been made on the 30th of April, as above-men
tioned, a copy delivered in writing, and laid on the
table, [though it is remarkable that this report does
not appear on the journals of congrefs] on the 3d of
May, the queltion by Mr. Smith being put, " Shall
Mr. Arthur Lee be recalled?" It was determined as
follows; viz.
New Hampshire, no; Mr. Whipple, no.—Massa
chusetts-Bay, no; Mr. S. Adams, 110 ; Mr. Gerry,
aye ; Mr. Lovell, no; Mr. Holten, 110. —Rhode-
Island, divided; Mr. Ellery, no; Mr. Collins, aye.
—Connecticut, 110 ; Mr. Sherman, no; Mr. Spencer,
no. —New-York, aye; Mr. Jay, aye; Mr. Duane,
aye; Mr. Morris, aye; Mr. Floyd, aye.—New-Jer
sey, no; Mr. Witherspoon, no; Mr. Scudder, no;
Mr. Fell, aye.—Pennsylvania, divided; Mr. Arm
strong, no; Mr. Shippen, no; Mr. Atlee, aye; Mr.
Searle, no; Mr. Muhlenburg, aye; Mr. Wynkoop,
aye.—Delaware, divided; Mr. Dickinion, aye ; Mr.
Van Dyke, no. —Maryland, aye; Mr. Paca, aye;
Mr. Carmichael, aye; Mr. Henry, aye; Mr. Jenifer,
aye.—Virginia, aye; Mr. Smith, aye; Mr. R. H.
Lee, excused ; Mr. Griffin, aye ; Mr. Fleming, aye.
—North-Carolina, aye; Mr. Penn, aye; Mr Burke,
aye; Mr. Sharp, aye. —South-Carolina, divided;
Mr. Laurens, no; Mr. Drayton, aye.
Y virtue of a " Ad of the General ARembly
of the state of New-Jersey, passed the last
y session, at Trenton, intitled, " An Ad for
veiling the real estate of William Alexander,
Earl of Stirling, within this Rate, in truftces, to dis
charge, by the sale thereof, or of so much as may
fuffice, the debts and incumbrances affecting the
fame, and to convey to him the remainder, if any
there be," will be fold at publick vendue, at the
under-mentioned times and places, sundry trads of
land, cultivated farms, houses, &c. being part of the
real estate of the said Earl of Stirling, in the said Rate
of New-Jersey, as follows :
At John Wykoff's tavern, at Potters-Town, on
Monday the 20th of September next, at ten o'clock
in the forenoon, the vendue to be continued from day
to day until the premises are fold, five very fine well
improved farms near Potters-Town, in the county
cf Hunterdon, viz.
No. I. In the possession of Archi- ) acres, hundredths.
bald Aurifon, containing ) 183 7
No. 2. Ditto of Jacob Tyger, 179 7
No. 3. Ditto of Joseph Everett, 420 45
No. 4. Ditto of Benjamin Cooper, 423 30
No. 5. Ditto of Christopher Teets, 223 47
Also one half of 55 acres, including the town spot of
Potters-Town.
On Monday the 27th of September, at the house of
William Davifon in Pitts-Town, and by adjournment
from day to day unto such places near the premises
as shall be most convenient, twenty-ore farms under
very good improvements, in the townships of Leba
non, Tewkfbury, Bethlehem and Alexandria, viz.
In the poffeflion of Joseph Blain, 145 acres 7 tenths;
of Batrum Beam, 245 acres; of John M'Kenfbry, 193
acres; of Charles Gordon, ic6 acres; in Tewkfbury
townfllip.
In the possession of John Swackhammer, 448 acres;
of Casper Luneburey, 236 acres; of Matthias Tuf
ford, 238 acres ; in the township of Lebanon.
In the possession of William Fleming, 192 acres ; of
Joseph Ofmun, 142 acres; in Bethlehem.
In the possession of Frederick Jordon, 51 acres 8
tenths; of Peter Haughabout, 4 acres 4 tenths; of
Philip Palmer, 240 acres 4 tenths; of john Brink,
170 acres 5 tenths; of William Craig, 160 acres 4
THE
V , i&> end ut frayl, ✓ /rs.
<fa.£« pt 2a 7&fo #hD/2a#0,4^0 ,0,
tenths; of Ebgor, 145 acres; of Benjamin
Jones, jun. 192 acres 3 tenths; of Daniel Brink, 219-
acres 4 tenths; of Jacob Ackman, 273 acres; of Isaac
Oakes, 286 acres; in Alexandria.
In the possession of Daniel Simes, 261 acres ; John
Martin, half of a wood-lot, 68 acres 5 tenths, in
Bethlehem.
On Monday the 11th of October next, at Brew
ster's tavern at Bafkenridge, all that fine farm and
mansion-house at Balkenridge, the residence of the
said Earl of Stirling, with all the elegant buildings,
gardens, &c. containing about loco acres, of which
about 300 is cleared upland, 300 acres of meadow
fit for the feythe, and the remainder timber swamp
capable of malting the most excellent meadow. On this
farm there are about 1500 fine bearing apple-trees of
the best Lind, besides several hundreds of pears,
peaches, plumbs and cherries in the greatest variety.
On Wednesday the 13th of October, at Arnold's
tavern in Morris-Town, from day to day, and to
such places by adjournment as shall be found most
convenient, twelve lots of 98 acres each, adjoining
each other, situate in the Great Swamp, -in Morris
county, in the front of the above mansions, bounded
northerly by the north line of the said swamp, each
lot being fourteen chains broad and seventy chains
long. They are about four miles southerly from
Morris-Town, in one of the best fettled parts of New-
Jersey. Each lot has several acres of cleared plow
land and meadow; the greatest part of them are ca
pable of being made most excellent meadow, with
rich chefnut ridges interfering them. These lands
will be shewn by Jonathan Stiles, Esq. and Capt. John
Lindly, who live contiguous to them.
Also twelve other lots adjoining, whose sale will
succeed the above; containing 86 acres each, on the
south fide of the said swamp, adjoining the north fide
of Long-Hill, about seven miles southerly from Mor
ris-Town and two or three miles from Balkenridge :
The foil is excellent for meadow, and some ridges
of plow-land. Major Cornelius Ludlow, of Long-
Hill, will shew these lands. Each lot is ten chains
broad and eighty-fix chains long. * r
Also eight lots of fifty to fixty-five acres each, whose
sale will succeed the preceding, on the north-east part
of the said swamp, on each fide of the forge-lot, on
Pine-Brook. These lots are each of them ten chains
broad, and from fifty to fixty-five chains long; they
have some valuable improved upland and meadows ;
the whole most excellent foil, well watered, and the
greatest part capable of being made most excellent
meadow. They are situate about four miles south
easterly from Morris-Town.
One lot of about 130 acres, adjoining the above
eight lots, and will be fold next in succession. It in
cludes a good stream, Pine-Brook, with a very fine
mill-dam, the remains of a bloomary forge and saw
mill, some good buildings, and improved meadows
and plow-lands. These lands will also be shewn by
Cornelius Ludlow or Jonathan Stiles, Esq.
On Monday theist day of November next, at the
house commonly called Stell's tavern, near the Vir
ginia encampment, at or near Middlebrook, a traeft
of about 1000 acres, on the weft branch of Middle
brook, in the vale between the firft and second moun
tain, leafed in fix farms, the leases expired, very good
interval lands, and most excellent timber-land, con
tiguous to the farms on Raritan river.
On Wednesday the 3d day of November next, at
Phipis's tavern, in Pluck'emin, a trad of 800 acres ad
joining or near the artillery park at Pluck'emin. This
is chiefly timber-land, with some small improvements.
On Monday the 15th of November next, at Hack
et's-Town, in Sussex county, about 2500 acres cf
land, in several farms of good improved upland and
meadow, the remainder excellent timber-land and
fine swamps, in the said county of Sussex, bounded
partly by the Mufkonctcung river, and bordering on
Hackets-Town. The leases are all expired. A pro
per person will be appointed at Hackets-Town to
ihew these lands. The road from Morris to Eafton
on Delaware, and the great road from Trenton to
Sussex courthouse, passes through this tram.
On Wednesday the firft day of December next, at
the tavern at Croffwicks, two tracts of lar,d neat
Croffwicks, adjoining Plumftead's and Willcoks's
land, containing about 526 acres.
N. B. Continental money or loan-office certificates
will be received in payment, and conveyances exe
cuted agreeable to the infractions of the above aft by
July 20, RICHARD STEVENS, n '
1779. JOHN MEHELM, 5 draftees.
LA M P B'L A C K,
To be Sold, by Wholesale or Retail,
At the Printing-Office in Trenton.
[Numb. 90.]