The New-York gazette, and the weekly Mercury — New-York [N.Y.], 1775-06-26 00:00:00, page 1

WILLIAMSBURG, June 3.
On Thursday last the General Assembly of this
icolony met here, agreeable to the Governor's Pro
clamation ; the Hon. House of Burgee, having
'made choice of Peyton Randolph, Esq; for
their Speaker, his Excellency was pleased to open
the session with the following SPEE?H:
Gentlemen of the Council, Mr. Speaker, and Gentle
men of tie House of Burgejes,
I HAVE called you together to give you an
opportunity of taking the alarming Rate of the
colony into your consideration, and providing
remedies against the evils which are increasing
therein ; and I am induced to it at this time
particularly, because, as the declarations of the
king and Parliament, contained in the joint address
of the Lords and Commons on the 7th of February
!aft, and his Majesty's answer, no longer admit of a
doubt that your well-founded grievances, properly
Teprefented, will meet with that attention and regard
which are so justly due to them ; so likewise the fefo
lution of the House of Commons, which followed
on the 27th of the fame month, will, I trust, have
the effe& of removing the jealousy which has been the
principal source of disquiet and uneasiness in the
minds of the people : Therefore, I entertain the
flroßgeft hopes that nothing will remain, after a just
consideration of the nature and tendency of that reso
lution, to prevent your seriously exerting yourselves
to bring the disputes, which have unhappily raged
between the mother country and the colonies, to a
good end ; to which the step already taken by the
Aoufe of Commons muff be considered as a benevp
lenttender, and I hope, auspicious advance on the
part of the parent state.
It must now be manifest, to all dispassionate people,
that the parliament, the high and supreme legislature
of the empire, fa^from having entertained thoughts
so inconsistent with the wisdom arid public virtue
which have ever distinguished that august body, of
oppressing the people of the colonies, or of promoting
the interest of one, at the expence of another part of
their fellow fubje&s, have only been extending their
care that the whole, in consideration of the enjoy
ment of equal rights, privileges, and advantages,
Should be obliged, according to their abilities and
Situation, to contribute that proportion towards the
burdens necessary for the support of their cjvilgovfrg r
ment, and for the common defence, which the rfub
je&s of the fame state cannot, with any justice, or
confidently with their own welfare, fefufe to grant;
the principle of which having never, I believe, been
denied by the people of his Majeftfs dominion of
Virginia ; I hope you will think it f&fonable now to,
acknowledge the propriety, and to engage to fulfil
your part of the obligation it concludes.
Mr. Speaker, and
Gentlemen of the House of Eurgeffes,
No Specific sum is demanded of you for these pur
poses, that (as I thinkobvioufly appears) your justice
and liberality may be left to their full Scope, and that
youggift, if you should be induced to offer any,
may be, in the compleateft manner, free. The civil
government of this country being already provided
for, will only have to declare what proportion,
and by what means, you are willing to contribute
towards the public burthens of the,ftate, burthens to
which the mother country hath cheerfully Submitted to
Secure the colonies from the encroachments of a dan
gerous and vigilant enemy: And I am warranted to
fay, that as it'is never intended to require you^o tax
yourselves, without Parliament's taxing the Subjects
of Great-Britain on the fame occasion, in a far greater
proportion, no prudence which you shall think neces
sary to observe for your security in that particular can
be disapproved of.
And I can likewise assure you, that if you should
judge fit to adopt the principle, and imitate the
'example of justice, equity, and moderation, in your
proposals, which actuated the House of Commons
,n their resolution, declaring at once what was ulti
mately expected of you ; such a compliance on your
part will be considered by his Majesty not only as a
testimony of your reverence for Parliament, but also
as a mark of your duty and attachment to your So
vereign, who has no object nearer his heart than the
peace and prosperity of his fubje&s in every part of
his dominions.
You may be assured of my cheerful concurrence in
±ll measures, and ready assent to all laws, which it
may be found expedient to adopt for the present peace,
tranquility, and advantage of the country ; and I
hope you will think it necessary to these ends, that
the courts of justice Should forthwith be open, in
order that the laws may again have their due course.
I cannot conclude without exhorting you in the
mod earnest manner, to enter upon the fubje& mat
ter, now recommended to you, with that patience,
calmness, and impartiality, which its great impor
tance requires, and to reflect upon the benefits this
country hath received from the support given to it by
the parent state, which I hope will animate your zeal.
Now you have it in your power, to restore that har
mony and mutual confidence which rendered both
countries so flourishing, and, in Short, to pursue
your true interest, which will convert our present
gloomy apprehensions into profp^s of peace, hop
fefs, apd Idling security.
I must recommend to you to fall upon means of
paying the officers and private men employed in
repelling the late invasion and incursions of the In
dians, as I make no doubt you will think their services
on that occasion deferring of your attention.
Gentlemen of the Council,. Mr. Speaker, and Gentle
men of the House of EuEgeffes,
ASSIZE of BREAD. Flour at i6s. per Cent.
A White Loaf of the fineft FLOUR, to weigh
ilb. 130 Z. for 4 .Coppers.
Published 3d April, 1,75.
Monday, June 26, 177 g. T HE [No, I2sZ]
^Z ^ ^^T^ AK^^^^^ G A ZET T E:
AND THE
W E E K L Y M ERCU R Y.
Containing tbe ^Wcfl^ . J^wcign anb ©ome
# Printed by HUGH GAINE, Printer, Bookseller, and Stationer, at the Bible and Crown, in Hanover-Squarb,
Gentlemen,
irOUR .willingness to concur in measures, which,
1 if adopted, will entirely compose the dfruflive
differences between this country and Great-Britain,
and reflore the order and tranquility of the colony,
cannot but give bis Majesty the most Jdfble plea fare ;
as the opportunity of communicating to him fab a
proof of the duty and loyalty of this branch of the
legislature of Virginia affords me the greatef fatif
fadion.
Resolved, That an address be presented to bis
Excellency the Governor, to express to his LorJ/kip
our thanks for bis kind and tender services in behalf
of this colony, and for re,oring the public tranquility
on a fare and firm foundation ; to assure bis Lord,sip
that we have the bigbe, sense of bis services on the
late Indian expedition, and fineereh lament that any
event foould fufeend the bappihefs which his Lord/b,
hath enjoyed among us ; that, wifsing a reparation of
peace and harmony, we bad directed an inquiry into
the causes of the late great uneafnefs given to the
people, which we fall proceed on with that attention
recommended by bis Lord/bip, and apply on our parts,
remedies the be, our abilities can suggest.
Last Thursday morning about two o'clock, our
Governor and his family decamped from the Palace,
and are now on board the Fowey man of war at
York town. His Excellency left the following
message to be delivered to the Aflembly.
THE removing, bv my order, fifteen half bar
rels of the King's powder, received from the
Rippon man of war, from the public magazine, has,
I find, given great uneasiness to the people : I was
influenced in this by the belt motives ; and asl have
once ventured, and if occasion offered, Should again
venture my life in the service of this country, 1 had
hopes the most favourable conftruftion would have
been- put upon my conduct. The magazine was
represented to me as a very infeure depository, and,
from experience, I find it so; all the arms which
have been kept there being now taken away ; arms
not purchased at the expence of this colony, but
sent here by his Majesty, from his office of ordnance,
of which they bear the mark : But, in confidence
that you are now met to remove every grievance,
and by your wisdom to establish the public tran
quility on a fore and firm foundation ; I do promise
you, that as soon as I fee the magazine in a proper
state for securing the powder, and other public
Stores, I will replace it, and at all times be ready,
most willingly, to do every thing my poor abilities
are capable of for the benefit of this colony, in
which I have lived, till of late, in the greatest hap
piness. DUNMORE.
In the night of Saturday the 3d instant some young
men got into thepublic magazine in this city, intending
to Furnish themselves with arms, but were presently
after fnrprifed by the report of a gun, which was
so artfully placed (said to be contrived by L--d
D e) that upon touching a firing which was in
their way, it went off, and wounded three persons,
but not mortally ;' one of them is terribly hurt by
ftveral small balls that entered his arm and Shoulder;
another, by the loss of two fingers of his right hand,
rendered incapable of following his pfofeffion for
subsistence ; die other wounded very Slightly. There
were two guns prepared for this horrid purpose, one
of which was brought out next morning, and found
to be double charged. On Monday a committee
was appointed of the Hon. House of Burgesses to
examine the state of the magazine, who have placed
a guard over it till measures Shall be concerted for
its better security.
In conference of the above me,age, tie Hon. House
of Burgefts came to the following resolution :
To bis Excellency the Right Hon. JOHN Earl of
.DUNMORE, bis Majefys Lieutenant and
Governor General of the Colony and Dominion of
Virginia, and Vice Admiral of the fame.
The humble ADDRESS of theCOUNCIL.
My Lord,
WE his Majesty's most dutiful and loyal Sub
jects, the Council of Virginia, now met in
General Assembly, beg leave to present our humble
thanks to your Excellency, for your Speech at the
opening of this session, and for giving us an oppor
tunity to take the present alarming state of this colony
into our consideration, and provide remedies against
the increasing evils therein. Your doing this so
seasonably, and as soon as you were properly appri
zed of what you thought would lay a firm founda
tion for our proceeding with success in so deferable a
work, we cannot but regard as a proof of your
attachment to the welfare of this dominion.
As this country hath, 'or many years past, made
ample provision for the civil government thereof, we
have only to declare our willingness to concur with
the other branch of the legislature in such propor
tion, and in such means, as they shall be willing to
contribute towards the public burthens of the date.
The peace and good order of every country de
pending on the regular administration of justice, we
are desirous that the courts should be forthwith
opened, that the laws may again have their dhe
Course ; as such a step will be instrumental in rex
moving mischiefs of the greatest magnitude and most
destructive tendency:
To which his Excellency was pleated to return the
following ANSWERS
A Message from the Governor.
Mr. Speaker, and
Gentlemen of the House of Burgeffet,
Monday, 58 Min. after 7
Tuesday, 49 Min. after 8
Wednesday, 36 Min. after 9
Thursday, 23 Min. after 10
HIGH-WATER at NEW-YORK, this Week.
Tuesday, June 7, 15th Geo. 111. 1775.
Friday, 8 Min. after it
Saturday, 32 Min. after 12
Sunday, 16 Min. after 1
New-Moon To-morrow.
The Lord Mayor's Answer.
Man,on House, May 2, 1775.
My Lord,
IT is impoflible for me to express, or conceal,
the extreme aftoniShment and grief I felt at the
notice your Lordship's letter gave me as Chief Ma
gistrate of the city, ' that for the future his Majetty
* will not receive on the throne any address, remon-
L O ND O N, May 6.
The following is a Copy of a Letter font Yeferday by
the Lord Chamberlain of bis Majefy's Houjboldto the
Lord Mayor of the City of London.
" My Lord,
lAm ordered by his Majesty to acquaint your
Lord Ship, as Chief Magistrate of the City of Lon
don, that his Majesty will not receive, on the Throne,
any Address, Remonstrance, or Petition, of the Lord
Mayor and Aldermen, but in their corporate Ca
pacity.
I am,
Your Lordfllip's humble Servant,
HERTFORD.
My Lord,
'X7' '”' Majesty's dutiful and loyal fubje&s,
,', the Council, and the Burgesses of Virginia,
assure your Excellency, that it is with the greatest
concern we find your Lordfoip, by your messages, to
them, that yotir Lordship entertains any fqfpicions
of the personal security of yourfelf or family, as
we can, by no means, suppose any of his Majesty's
fubje^s in this colony Would meditate a crime so
horrid and atrocious, as your Lordship seems to
apprehend: We are fearful, the step your Lordship
hath taken, in removing from the feat of govern
ment, may conduce to a continuance of that great
uneasiness, which hath of late so Unhappily prevailed
in this country. We cannot but express oui(concern
that your Lordship did not think proper to commu
nicate the ground of your uneasiness to us ; as, from
cur zeal and attachment to the preservation of order
and good government, We should have judged it
our indispensable duty to have endeavoured to re
move every cause of disquietude. In proof of the
great refpe& we shall ever pay to the representative
of our most gracious Sovereign, and to remove, to
the utmost of our power, your Lordfllip's appre
henfion^, we assure your Lordfllip, that we will
cheerfully concur in any measure, that may be pro
posed, proper for the Security of yourfelf and family.
Itis with much anxiety, we consider the very dis
agreeable Situation of your Lordthip's most amiable
Lady and family, and should think ourselves happy
in being able to refere their perfect tranquility, by
removing all their fears.
We cannot, my Lord, but approve your intention,
of not giving the lead interruption to the important
affairs on which we are now assembled ; and it is
with much pleasure we receive your Lordship's assur
ance of your disposition, so establish that harmony,
so efiential to the repose and comfort of every indi
vidual; but we mutt beg leave to observe to your
Lordship, how impracticable it will be to carry on
the bofiuefs of this session, with any tolerable degree
of propriety, or with that dispatch the advanced
season of the year requires, whilst your Lordship is
so far removed from us, and so inconveniently fitu
^ted : We therefore earnestly entreat your Lordship,
that you will be pleased to return with your Lady
and family to the Palace, which we are persuaded
will give the greatest Satisfaction, and be the most
likely means of quieting the minds of the people."
Mr. Speaker, and ^
Gentlemen of the House of Eurgejjesy
BEING new fully persuaded that my perfcri,
and those of my family likewise, ate in conllant
danger of falling Sacrifices to the blind and unmea
surable fury which has so unaccountably leizect upon
the minds and understanding of great numbers of
;he people, and apprehending that at length feme
among them may work themtelvei up ' that pitch
of ddringurfs and atrocioufoefs as to fall upon me
in the defencelefs date in which they know I am in
the city of Williamsburg, and perpetrate a^s that
would plunge this country into the most horrid ca
lamities, and render the breach with the mother
country irreparable ; I have thought it prudent for
myfelf, and Serviceable for the country, that I re
move to a place of fafety, conformable to winch I
have fixed my relidence, fer the present, on board
his Majesty's Ship the Fowey, lying at York;
It is rot my inrention to give the lealf interruption
to the fitting of the Alfembly, but I hope they will
proceedin the greut business which they have before
them, with diligence and effe&. I Shall take care to
make the access to me so easy and fife, that the
neceflary Communication between me ithe House
may be attended with the least inconvenience pofhblc ;
and I thought it would be more agreeable to the
House to fend to me, from time to time, some of
their members, as occasion shall require, than be
pu^all to the trouble of moving to be nearer me;
1 hope the House wilfYee my proceedings on this
occasion as they were really meant ; and I beg them
to be sflhred that I shall now be as ready to attend
to all the duties of my office as I was before, and
that Lam perfectly disposed to contribute all in my
power, if opportunity he gi # en m% to restore that
harmony, the interruption of which is likely to ,cofl
I'o dear to the repo@, as well as to the comforts of
every individual.'
DUNMORE.
To bis Excellency the Eight Hon. JOHN Earl cf
DU N M 6R E, bis Majesty's Lieutenant and
Govenor General and Commander in Chief of tie
Colony and Dominions/ Virginia.
The joint Address of the COUNCIL and the
HOUSE of BURGESSES:
Wheat per Bushel, 6s. od.
Flour, i$ s * °d.
Brown Bread, 15s. od.
Weft-India Rum, 3s. 4d.
New-England, do. 2s. 6d.
TRICE-CURRENT; in NEW-YORK.
Muicovado Sugar, 645. od.
Single refin'd ditto, is. id.
Molafles, 2s. od.
Beef per Barrel, 48s. cd.
Pork, 655. od.
The city, my Lord, have been careful that all
their proceedings Should be grounded in the true
principles otthe Sawand constitution. NvtwithftanJ
ing it is the clear right of the fubje& to petition th.
King for the redress of grievances, a right, which so
many thousands of our fellow Subjects, my Loid,
have julily thought it their duty very frequently to
exercise in the last ten years, yet tiie city from excels
of caution took a gr&at legal opinion in the case, 2nd
I find the following words entered in their journals
by the express order of the common hall.
' The Livery of London legally aSFmblcd in
' common hall, either on Midsummer, Michaelmas,
' or any other day, have an undoubted right to take
' into consideration any matter of public grievance
' they may think proper. It is beyond dijpute tbai
' the right is inherent in them.' A jury have like
wise declared this in a solemn verdi&.
I have been thus particular, my Lord, on this
fubjea from our records, because I differ in one point
from thelalt opinion, which I quoted; for I know
I there is no right or privilege of this free people, or of
mankind, but what has been disputed, and even denied,
I by pensioned pens and tongues in the service of the
arbitrary Ministers of arbitrary Kings.
Your Lord Ship I am sure will now no longer fuf
fer a doubt to remain in your mind as to the legality
of common halls or of their extensive powers^ and
therefore I presume to lay claim on behalf of the
Livery of London to the ancient privilege of present
ing to the King on the throne any address, petition,
or remonstrance. In this manner have the addresses
of the Livery constantly been received both by his
present Majesty and all his Royal predecessors, the
Kings of England. On the molt exa& research Ido
not find a Single instance to the contrary. This im
memorial usage in the opinion of the ablest Lawyer#
gives an absolute right, and is as little fubje& to
controversy as any fair and just prerogative of the
crown. Other fights and privileges of the city
have been invaded by despotic Monarchs, by Several
of themcgirfed race of the Stuarts, but this in no
period of our history. It has not even been brought
into question till the present inaufpitlous aera. I have
an entire confidence, my Lord, that a right left unin
vaded by every tyrant of the Tarquin race, will be
sacredly preserved under the government of our pre
sent Sovereign, because his Majesty is p'erfeaiy
informed thati consequence of their expulsion his
family was chosen to protest and defend the rights of
a free people, whom they endeavoured to enslave.
It cannot escape your Lord Ship's recollection, that
at ^ll times, when the privileges of the capital ware
attacked, very fatal consequences ensued. The
invasion of the liberties of the nation we have gene--
rally seen preceded by attempts on the franchifes of
the first city in the kingdom, and the Shock has Spread
from the centre to the most distant point of the cir
cumference of this wide-extended empire. I hope
his Majesty's goodness will revoke an order, winch
mightperhaps in this light be considered as ominous
to the people at large, no less than injurious to the
citizens of this metropolis. Such a measure only
could quiet the alarm, which has already spread too
far, and given gloomy apprehensions of futurity.
The privilege, my Lord, for which I contend, io
of very great moment, and peculiarly Striking.
When his Majesty receives on the throne any address,
it is read by the proper officer to the King in the pre
sence of the petitioners.' They have the fathfa&ion
of knowing that th4r Sovereign has hoard their
fc France, and petition, but from the body corporate
6 of the city.'
I entreat your Lordship to lay me with all humilit,
at the King's feet; and as I have now the honour to
be Chief Mugiftrate, in my name to fopplitate his
Majettfs juttice and gqpdnefs in behalf of the
Livery of London, that he would be graciously
pleased to revoke an order, highly injurious td
their rights and privileges, which in this instance
have been conftahtly refpe&ed and carefully preferred
by all his Royal Predecessors. The Livery of Lon
don, my Lord, have approved themselves the zealous
friends of liberty and the proteftafit fuccefiion. They
have Steadily pursued only those measures, which were
calculated to Secure the free constitution of this coun
try, and this your lordship well knows has created
them the hatred of ail the partizans of the exiled and
proscribed family; They form the great and power
ful body of the corporation, in whom most important
powers are vetted, the election cf the firft Magistrate,
the Sheriffs, the Chamberlain, the Auditors cf the
Receipt and expenditure of their Revenues, and of
the four Members, who represent in Parliament the
capital of this vast empire. The full body corpoiate
never affemhie, nor could they legally a& together as
ohe great aggregate body ; for by the constitution of
the city, particular and didinft privileges are referred
to the various members of the corporation, to the
Freemen, to the Liverymen, to the Common Council,
to the Court of Aldermen. His Majesty's Solicitor
General, Mr. Wedderburn, was consulted by the
city in the year 1771, refpt&ing the legality of com
mon halls and the remonstrances of the Livery. Ia
conjunction with Mr. Serjeant Glynn, Mr. Dunning,
and Mr. Nugent, he gave an opinion, which I hav^
the honour of tranferibing ftom our records.
* We apprehend that the head officer of every cor
' poration may convene the body, or any class of it,
' whenever he thinks proper---that the Lord Mayor
' for the time being, may, of his own authority,
' legally call a common hall; and wefee no lethal
<objeNion to bis calling the two lafl—we Conceive it
<to be the duty of the proper officers cf the leveral
' companies, to whom precepts for the purpose of
6 Summoning their refpe&ive liveries have been
' usually directed, to execute those precepts ; and
' that a wilful refufal on their part is an offence
' punishable by disfranchifement?
Fine Salt, 3s. 3d
Coarse Salt, gs. od
Indian Cornperßu. 3s. 4^