The Pennsylvania evening post — Philadelphia, Pa., 1776-10-12 00:00:00, page 3

in the business ; and that, however, he formed little or no
expectation from the commission which was the fubje& of the
present motion. He believed io would meet with a similar
fare to that of the Noble Lord's conciliatory piopofition :
That was, in his opinion, surrendering the dignity of Parlia
ment to answer no puipofe. He begged that such gentle
men, as did him the honor to remember any thing he said,
would recoiled that he foretold the fate of that proposition
the very instant it was made, and he was inclined- to think
that the commission and inftru&ions would meet with the fame
fate. He was always of opinion that no middle path could
be struck out ; that either America must be abandoned, or the
legislative controul of this country be maintained without di
minution ; for as soon as the authority of this country came
to be a conditional authority, unless the conditions were pre
scribed by Great Britain, we Should from that instant cease
to have substantial or beneficial authority over America at all.
Mr. T. TOWNSHEND observed, that Parliament had
talked in a high drain against America, but what Parliament
thought or resolved one way or the other, was of very little
consequence, for Administration would ad just as they liked.
Parliament, instead of taking the lead, was at length degraded
intoa mere engine of government, one day to bally, another
to conciliate, and the next, he fofefaw would be to sue for
terms to America. Such was the case a few years back, in
the case of Lord HTfo rough's circulatory letter to the colo
nie§; while Parliament was asserting the supremacy of this
country, and the unlimited, unconditional right of taxa
tion over America, this letter contained the most fpecific
declaration that no tax whatever fhould.be ever laid on that
country. He said, however^ that that letter'was productive,
of much worse consequences than barely contradicting the
sense of Parliament ; a British Administration was no longer
to be relied on, for the solemn engagement made for his
Majesty to three millions of his fubjefts, was no sooner made
than it was fhamefully violated., What dependence then
could America have on any future promise ? How could {he
trull to the Sincerity of our prof^ons, when all Administra
tions had to do, would be to get Parliament to overrule
them, or remove the Minister under whole immediate di
rections the faith of the nation had been pledged? This
Ivas precisely the case with the letter in question ; America
rested fatisfied with the assurances it contained, and when
the system was to be changed, the Minister was removed,
and his engagement on the part of this nation set at naught,
as a mere unauthorifed aft of office.
LORD GEORGE GERMAINE said the Commiffoners
bad no power to enter'into any treat, whatever with our re
bellious fubjeas in America, .farther than to receive the fub
miffens of fueb as were tifffed to return to their duty,, and
acknowledge the authority of the Bybife Parliament ; and ms
the, Parliament had agreed to fend /Cpm^niffioners, be had no
doubt but those named by bis Majesty were the fiiteft for effect
ing the ofePs of the commission. It was proper so make the
experiment ; none of the operations on jea or land would be
suspended; and though the matter foould not be brought to matu
rity, nor the objeQs of the commission succeed, it was nectary
that she intentions of Parliament Jbsuld be complied with.
COLONEL BARRE tock notice that the noble Lord in
the blue riband had cenfeffed that the Commissioners were
fnt out not to treat, but to found. He said it was a hap^y,
.and,he believed a very proper expression ; it might be every
wav descriptive of the fate of the errand, and it was not very
improbable that both the noble Commissioner and his brother
would be employed in founding the epafts of America (a loud
laugh on the opposition fide of the House). He said he knew
509
DESERTED from Capt. Equilopica's company, in CoL #
:Hall's battalion from ' Hartford county, Maryland,
ISAAC TOYANTS, who follows the employ of an oftler,
is. about fix. feet high, slender made, and. brown-hair. He
had on, when he went away, a iky blue coat turned up with,
green, a brown coloured jacket with Elver basket buttons,
and bucklkin breeches. And has passed under the follow
ing different names in this city, viz> Toyants at his enrol
ment, and Tuition and Lewis in common. Whoever Se
cures said defefter. and gives Information thereof to his Cap
tain, or Corporal Isaac Johnson, at present in Philadelphia,
Ihail have TEN DOLLARS reward.
C^ KEEN TEA, by the quarter chest, to be fold Ey
^ While and Montgomery on Market-ftrect wharf.
both the gentlemen extremely well ; they were men of inte
grity and high hondr ; of eminent Till in their refpe&ivd
profeffions. He had served with one of them in America
during the late war, and was personally acquainted with the
other ; but at the fame time he did not think that Adminis
tration could have picked put two men more unqualified for
the effectuating so abstruse, difficult and arduous a business, as
that committed to their charge by the commission. He was
extremely severe onthe conduct of Administration; said the
armaments both by sea and land were fhamefully delayed';'
that neither were the troops nor transports ready ; part of the
Hessians had not yet left Germany, though the twenty second
of May was arrived.
Surely Ministers, ignorant as they were, could not imagine
that troops fill in Germany would arrive early enough in
America, thisdeafon, to carry on the operations of an offenfiye
war, a war of conquelt. He then took a general view of
the date of the whole empire, and its several parts of Ireland,
and the East and Welt Indies, He said, the Parliament of
Ireland, fr m its obsequiousness to the Miniller, had rendered
that country totally defemcelefs, by dripping it of its troops ;
that the East-Indies. was in a date of internal confufion, and
external imbecility ; that the Weft-Indies was on the eve of
a famine, and that North- America was for ever loft ; so that,
walnut any attempt from a foreign enemy, the co.nfeqnences
to be expended were dreadful to think on ; but if France
should take an advantage of such a Rate of things, one or all
of them mult fall a prey to the ambitious designs of that rel
iefs power,
GOV. JOHNSTONE elofed the debates and was person
ally severe on.the m ; nifter. He expatiated greatly on the nu
merous infamous jobs, that were every day going on, and
enumerated the various methods there were devised for creat
ing corrupt majorities in that House. He spoke of the licen
ces granted by the Admiralty Board, and remarked a curious
fad which had come out in the papers laid before the House,
which was a contra& of Sir James Cockburn.and James Bogle,
French, for ten thousand gallons of rum, at four [hillings
per gallon, though it was well known that thecontra& might,
be executed at two fliillings a gallon. ' No wonder that the
people were plundered,, and the nation undone. No .wonder
that there were deceive majorities in that House, and numer
ous addresses from every part of the kingdom. No wonder
that the American war was become a favorite war with the
majority of that House, though hated and disapproved of
by every man in the kingdom, who had not a personal interett
in its continuance.
The question was put at half after ten, and^the House di
vided.. Ayes eighty five, Noes one hundred and Seventy one.