The New-Jersey gazette — Burlington [N.J.], 1781-03-28 00:00:00, page 2

tion ; and having in the most solemn manner assured
me, that, in order to encourage all perlons under this
government to make captures of the ships and vessels
of the States General and their fubjeds, and destroy
or distress their commerce: For which purpose the
Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty will fend me,
with all possible dispatch, proper authorities for grant
ing letters of marque against the States General and
their fubjeHs: But, in the mean time, to assure (which
1 do by virtue of the above power and authority in
me vested ) all owners of ships bearing letters of marque
against the French or Spanilh King, and their fubjeds,
or to whom I may grant such, before my further au
thorities arrive, that his Majesty will consider them
as having ajaft claim to the King's ihare of all Dutch
Ihips and property, which they make prize of.
Given under my hand and seal, at St. Christopher,
this seventh day of February, 1781, and in the
twenty hrftyear of his Majeftv's reign.
ANTHONY JOHNSON.
By his Honour's command,
Anthony Wharton White, Sec'ry.
Publifued on Thursday the eighth day of February,
in the year of our Lord, 1781.
_ HE NR YBERKELEY^De p. Pro. Mar.
LONDO N, December 11.
By authentic letters from Cork, we learn, that Sir
Richard Pearson, 011 board his Maicfty's ihip Amphi
trite, of 6oguns, fell in with the Don Velafco, a Spa
nilh man ot war of 74 guns, fix leagues N. W. of the
Madeiras; the engagement commenced at half past 2
A. M. and Capt. Pearson kept beating to windward in
order to cloiely engage the enemy. At 7 o'clock the
Amphitrite came within piflol Ihot, andaltho' much
damaged by the maintop-gallant-sari going overboard,
yet the kept up a most desperate tight with the Spa
niards for seven glares, and at length obliged the Ve
lafco to ilrike her colours to the Britilh flag. The
Velaico had 72 men killed, and 16 wounded. On
board Sir Ricnard's ship 5 men kitted, and 7 Wounded.
A letter from Madrid fays, " seven ships belonging
to the subjects of the States of Holland, captured by
his Maiefty's cruisers and private ships of war in the
Streights, have been fold for the benefit of the cap
t„, notwithstanding the utmost exertions of the
batch minister to prevent the fame."
An embargo is laid on all Dutch ships in the river.
Exprelles have been sent to every port in Great- Bri
tain and Ireland, to stop all the Dutch ships that may
be found in their harbours.
Yesterday the grand inquest for the city and liber
ties of Weftminfter,was sworn in before Mr. Justice
Willes, who afterwards delivered a charge to them.
He firft adverted to the situation of the town, when he
fat there last term. He said it was a day, indeed I such
a day ! as would ever disgrace the annals ot this coun
try. He then told them, that as a petition had been
presented to the court the firft day of the term, call
ing for a trial of Lord George Gordon, he supposed
that they would probably have the charge against him
under their consideration ; therefore he would define
what constituted the crime of high treason, which he
did very shortly, and then referred them to a charge
lately delivered very fully by Lord Loughborough,
and then desired them to confider well of their cir
cumstances, and to give every attention to the cir
cumltances of the case of the prifoncr ; at the fame
time.remembering the duty they owed to the publick
justice of the kingdom.
At half an hour pad 3, just as the Court of King's
Bench was riling, the grand jury to whom Justice
Willes had given a charge in the morning, returned,
when the foreman delivered into the hands of Mr.
Barlow, Clerk of the Crown, J true bill against Geo.
Gordon, for high treason.
On Saturday the Attorney-General made a motion
in thb Court of King's Bench, that the Sheriff of Mid
dlesex should be ordered to summon ajury for the trial
of Lord George Gordon, and that the pannel, toge
ther with a copy of the indictment, Ihould be sent to
his Lordship, which motion being assented to, Mr.
Erikiuc, on the part of his Lordship, moved, that he
should have the liberty of nominating his own coun
sel, under the aft of the 7th of King William, and
that Mr. Kenyon and himfelf be accordingly admit
ted his Lordship's Advocates. Mr. Justice Buller
asked if it was usual for such motions to be made, but
by prisoners in person at the bar of the court? but
Lord Mansfield observed, that if Mr. Attorney-Ge
neral had no objection, the court would not be disin
clined to grant the motion in its present form. Mr.
Wallace declining any opposition, it was accordingly
admitted. Mr. Erskine then moved to know, if Mr.
Kenyon, being a King's counsel, would be permitted
to plead for bis Lordship without the royal license ?
To which Lord Mansfield replied, that he (Mr. Er
skine) knew as well as the court, that no such permis
sion could be granted, but by the King's authority.
His Lordship observed, that the court had not the
power of dispensing with the oath taken by the King's
Advocates ; and that the license therefore muft'be ob
tained at the proper office. By the indulgence of the
Attorney-General, if is thought that Lord George
wjll not appear in court until the day of trial, when
he will plead to his indictment ; and if he thinks
proper, challenge the pannel, or as many of the bo
dy as may appear ineligible.
HOUSE of'L ORDS, Thursday, Nov. 16.
The order of the day being called for, the Duke of
Bolton begged leave to trouble their Lordships with
the proposition he had given them notice he should
move. The present deplorable state of the British
empire, the noble Duke observed, was at this time
truly distressing, and particularly the condition of our
trade. In his opinion it became every man feripuEy
to confider of it; and, infignificant as he might be held,
he trusted he ihould not be thought impertinent in
animadverting upon it. The language of the times,
as well as the times themselves, had of late been
ftrahgely altered. It was in their Lordfhips' recol
tedion, for all might remember it, that the speeches
spoken from the throne had usually represented the
state of the nation, and its profpetts : but, from the
late fpee Jr his Majesty had delivered to that house, no
thing had been laid of our present circumstances, or
what we might reasonably expect to meet with. For
his own part, his Grace was unable to fee what the
issue of the present war might be, or indeed that it
was likely to have any issue at all. A language had
ot la^e been held by their Lordships, which he could
not but reprobate in the fevered terms. The junc
tion of the House of Bourbon had been derided and
fcoffed at, as of no consequence to this country. The
late Ear! of Chatham, however, for it was yet frefh
in his mind, had a far different opinion of that alli
ance, and was never fifhamed to bid us be upon our
guard against its politics and operations. How far
the noble Lord and those who thought wi^him, were
right in what they had advanced, or were well found
. ed in their conjectures, a variety of events had since
determined. Another discourse, equally fubjedt to
animadverfion,' had also of late b^en too generally
held, and that was that we were this year much bet
ter than we were the last year. But how was the as
sertion made out ? Or was it by any means the faft ?
Were we better now in America than we were? His
Grace apprehended not ; we had loft the only port
there that was worth keeping.
The French had taken possession of Rhode-Tfland ;
and had tortified it in two strong a manner for its to
attack with any kind of fuccels, should we be inclin
ed to do it. A great deal indeed had been said of our
late victory by Lord Cornwallis, but it furelv could
not be thought equal to the loss of that island. Much
too had been said of the desertion of General Arnold,
who had lately come overto us But what was the
utmost of all that could be made ofit ? Nothing more
than that we had loft a good man and found a bad
one ; for the loss we had sustained by the death of
Major Andre, was much more than the gain we had
reaped by the acquisition of General Arnold. How
too were we better this year than the last in the Weft-
Indies ? The last year, at least for two months, from
June to August, we were matters in the Weft-Indies;
and since that time, their Lordships well know, the
enemy had been very considerably reinforcing them
selves in that part of the world, while dur ships were
becoming every day more and more out of repair,
and consequently unfit for service.
Those were circumstances, his Grace said, he could
not but animadvert upon. Did their Lordships tod
forget the neutral powers ? Was their forming an al
liance together no cause of uneasiness to us ? Did not
their Lordships know, that at this time we had not so
much as a tingle ally left us ? Portugal, the only pow
er in Europe that remained with us, We had wanton
ly loft. It might still, his Grace said, have continu
ed with us but for our own follv. The loss of it had
distressed thfs nation in a greater degree, perhaps, than
their Lordships were aware of, lor we had now no
port near home to put into. His Grace also highly
censured the fending Sir George Brydges Rodney from
Gibraltarto the Weft-Indies with only 4 fail of the line.
But beyond all this, we had loft our trade, and our
name as a great naval power was gone. His Grace
did not mean to point out any particular officer under
the crown, as inattentive to his duty, but he was, for
his pari, diffatisfied with the present management of
• the navy. There certainly was great blame some
where, and particularly for the loss of our fleet of
merchantmen and convoy on the 9th of August last.
To institute an inquiry into this misfortune, a misfor
tune unparalleled in the annals of this country, his
Grace particularly rose ; he would not fay where the
blame was due, but certain it was that administrati
on knew that the combined fleet lay at Cadiz, for
upwards of two months, ready to fail at a moment's
warning ; and what precautions were used ? ,The fleet
indeed had a convoy, but the grand fleet here at home
should have convoyed it through the several latitudes,
till it had got beyond Cape St. Vincent. How it hap
pened that the merchantmen touched at the island of
Madeira was another object of his inquiry, as it ap
peared to have been the cause of their capture ; but
he would fay no more on that head, till he knew how
it was that the step was taken.
His Grace spoke with great concern on the heavy
loss of the above fleet, and estimated it at above 20
millions of money, besides that the stores it had on
board would enable the enemy to continue the war
another year. This his Grace thought too feriotis a
business to pass over in silence, and altho' no blame
might be incurred, that a minute inquiry into it was
the duty of their Lordffiips, and what had been the
usage of both Houses of Parliament, under cases of a
similar nature.
This, at present, was all his Grace would trouble
their Lordships with ; he would therefore move for
the neceflary papers, and when they should be laid
before the house, prosecute the matter as should ap
pear to be necessary and just.
His Grace then moved, That an humble address be
presented to his Majesty, praying that his Majesty
would be ple.ifcd to order the proper officer today b^
fore the house, so much of the orders and indruttions
given to Captain Moutray of the Ramifies, as reiped
ed his touching at the island of Madeira, as well as
any precaution he was to use in pursuing that track
that was most likely to avoid the enemy; and allo a
copy 61 Captain Moutray's letter, acquainting the
Lords of the Admiralty ofthe capture of a great part
of the fleet of merchantmen under his convoy.
Lord Sandwich was so little averse to the motion
made by the noble Lord, that he role to second it;
for he sincerely Wished to have the papers called ^
laid before the house, and to have every inquiry that
could pohibly be made into the cause of the capture
ol ihe merchantmen spoken of. No one, hi. Loidihip
laid, lamented in a greater degree that loss than he
did ; but it was a calamity which every nation at war
might expect, and no one had been to blame. It was
an accident, and could not be avoided. The noble
Duke had laid that ministry knew the combined fleet
lay at Cadiz, and were ready to fail at a moment's
warning. The fad was readily admitted, for ministry
really aid know of it, and for that very reason dis
patched Admiral Greaves, id order to intercept the
combined hea, who failed with the merchantmen as
far as he thought it necessary to fail, though the con
voy appointed here consisted of 3 men of war, and 2
fix ano thirty gun ships. As to their touching at Ma
deira, it was in consequence of an application from
the merchants for that purpose.. But the whole, his
Lordship again said, was an accident, and nothing
elle ; for the Spanilh Admiral had himfelf written
home a letter, in which he exprefled his furprize that
he had fallen in with the English Weft-India fleet.
His Lordship particularly adverted to the censure
the noble Duke had paired on the fending Sir George
Bi ydges Rodney, with four fail of the line to Gibral
tar ; and said, it had been an att of great utility, for
the place was relieved, and Sir George, in his way
took and destroyed fix Spanish men of war, besides
anotiiei, with some transports, on his return back to
the Weft-Indies.
His Lordship took notice of the description the no
ble Duke had given of our present condition, and did
not fee it in so melancholy a point of view as his Grace
though he confeffed he had seen pleasanter times.
His Lordship begged leave to second the motion, with
the addition, that there also be laid before the house
an extract of the letter received from Admiral Greaves
dated the 2d of August last, refpeding the Weft-In
dia outward bound fleet, under the convoy of Captain
Moutray, ot the Ramilies. His Lordship also said,
that it was rather a lucky circumstance than other
wise, that a Wronger convoy had not been sent out,
as in that case more ships might have fell into the
hands of the enemy.
The Duke of Bolton answered, that he did not
mean that a stronger convoy should have been sent, so
much as that m&e precaution should have been u'fed
to avoid the enemy ; and farther observed, that while
the combined fleet made Cadiz their post, our fleet
should never touch at Madeira ; and as to the Spanish
Admiral being furprized at meeting with our mer
chantmen as he did, it was nothing extraordinary,
when a fleet was fleering north, to be found a hun
dred and fifty leagues to the weft.
The motion, as added to by Lord Sandwich, was
then put, and agreed to, and the house adjourned to
Friday.
BOST O N, March 15.
On Thursday last M. Deftouche commander in chief
of the French squadron at Newport, failed from that
place, with the greatest part of his squadron, among
which was the Romulus, lately captured from the Bri
tish This brave and enterprizing officer had on board
a body of troops. The destination of this fleet re
mains a profound secret.—Some suppose it designed
for Halifax, others Virginia, and others one of the
Carolinas. The object is undoubtedly important ; and
the zeal of our Allies to be ufeful to these states in
the present arduous contest, and to reap laurels in
America, must give great pleasure, and new anima
tion to every friend to our independence and happi
ness.
We hear from New-York, that Admiral Arbuth
not is highly displeased that the commander of the
French squadron at Newport has lately refuted the
entrance of a flag from New-York into that port. The
British Admiral wanted, no doubt, to know the si
tuation of Newport ; and the French commander
wifely chose not to gratify him, especially as other
ports more convenient for the purpose, were open for
exchange of prisoners.
The most fugacious and prudent men among us,
are so well fatisfied with the foundation of publick
justice, lately laid by the Legislature of this Com
monwealth, and the encouragement afforded for lend
ing to government, that they are determined to set the
example themselves, and do all in their power to en
courage others to engage heartily in the fubfeription
now on foot, to answer the exigencies of our coun
try. This fubfeription promises to be large and ge
nerous ; to the success of which every friend to our
rights and happiness must not only with well, but con
tribute by exertions proportioned to his ability. E
ven the most felfifh man must feel the propriety of giv
ing a part to preserve the remainder of his possessi
ons, when the whole is in danger.
NORWIC H, March 15.
Yesterday arrived at Noywich-Landing, the priva
teer Young Cromwell, commanded by Captain Wil-