The Pennsylvania evening post — Philadelphia, Pa., 1776-10-12 00:00:00, page 1

An authentic account of the DEBATE in the HOUSE of
COMMONS, on^GEN. CONWAY's MOTION the zzd
of May. [From the St. James's Chronicle.]
GENER AL CON WAY firft Shortly explained the
leading ojeds of his intended motion. He observed
that Administration had, to the scandal of all good
government, suppressed every thing relative to the
true state of affairs in America. That the complaints of our
colonies were interrupted in their passage to the throne
and Parliament, as long as the King's Ministers found their
account in so doing. When a war was determined on, the
conduct of Administration changed with their views ; 'they
firft provoked the people to resist government, and only pro
duced to Parliament such part of the state of affairs in that
country as promised to inflame and irritate Great Britain.
That as soon as Great- Britain had determined to assert her
rights, Administration again resumed their wonted tacitur
nity, and from the very infant that America was declared in
a state of rebellion, the present Parliament had been kept in
the most profound ignorance of every thing passing on the
other fide of the Atlantic. Hethen moved, “ That an hum
ble address be presented to his Majesty, praying that his
Majesty would be graciously pleased to communicate to this
House so much of the inftrudions given to Lord Viscount
Howe and General Howe, his Majesty's Commissioners, as
relates to the conditions or terms proposed for making peace
with, or receiving the submissions of, his Majesty's American
fubjedts, now in America."
After the motion, as near as we can recollect, he spoke for
above an hour and an half. He said, he would have made it
sooner, but did not think when he determined to make his
motion, that any fpecific time was fixed for the rising of the
Parliament. That he waited impatiently to fee if the Gazette
would not give some information to the people, at least since
Parliament were to be led blindfolded, or kept in the dark.
He lamented, in the most pathetic terms, the manner Parlia
ment had been milled, and worked up by the arts of designing
interested men, to set their faces against all concessions from
America, however reasonable and Sincere, unless the people
of that country conferred to lay down their arms like cow
ards, slaves, and paltroons. He contended in a strain that would
have'done honor to the most Ready patriots of Greece and
Rome, that the honor of the British nation was betrayed, the
dignity of Parliament facrificed, and its dearest interests given
up, to keep a set of men in power, the most unpopular, and
the most unfit to direct the affairs of this country of any that
the annals of Britain had known since the Revolution. How
is it pcffible (fays he) you can treat with this people, unless
you know their terms ? How is it possible, though you did
know their terms, that you can have any expectation of peace,
unless you know, at the fame time, the conditions which Ad
ministration mean to hold out? What can America think of
the British Parliament, or the British councils? This day no
revenue, no tax is expected; tomorrow both are infilled on
in the most peremptory terms. This day treaty, the next
war, the third a strange heterogeneous mixture of war and
eonceffion ; and at length all ends in darkness and confusion.
The PENNSYLVANIA EVENING POST.
Vol. lI.J
Price Three Coffers. Published every Tugday, Thursday, and Saturday Evenings.
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12, 1776.
507
Your words and actions, your flatutes and resolutions, are
eternally at variance; you differ from your own resolutions
before you leave the House, and from each other before you
meet again ; so that the nation, and every individual in it, is
kept in aftate of fufpence and uncertainty. He next alluded to
the letters said by Whitlocke to have been written by Charles the
First, and the closeting some of the Commissioners sent to him
by Parliament ; and feared that in the farther prosecution of
this business, Parliament was meant to be employed as a mere
engine of government; in which, let the matter end as it
might, either in war or conciliation, it was previously deter
mined that Parliament should be disgraced. He could not
help remarking, with some degree of indignation, on the lan
guage of Ministers ; REBELS ! And REBELLION. The
affair of 1715 was REBELLION ; that in 1745 was a RE
BELLION of the fouleft and rankest kind ; perhaps, if fonre
men's minds were searched, it would be found that neither of
those flagitious attacks on the constitution and liberties of this
country were deemed so. Whether or not, he was fully
convinced that the preferit resistance of America was NOT
REBELLION. The former endeavoured to bring in a Pre
tender, known at once to be inimical to the civil and religi
ous liberties of this country, the latter were only fighting like
freemen for their lawful liberty and property, and every thing
they held dear and sacred as men, citizens, or Englishmen.
He then proceeded to arraign the condud of Administra
tion in the most pointed and severe terms, relative to the
prosecution of the war. He said, all Canada had been loft
by their negled, Quebec excepted, and that too probably
would fall before any fuccours could arrive ; that Boston was
a post injudiciously taken, or fhamefully abandoned ; that the
foolifh schemes and wild expeditions to the southward suc
ceeded no better ; that if Boston was worth keeping, Admi
nistration were to the daft degree censurable to let it be loft in
the fhameful manner it was, when it was in their power so
easy to have relieved it; and that, in short, Providence had
counteracted every scheme devised for the deftruftion of Ame
rica, and the annihilation of British liberty. But though, fays
he, you have hitherto miscarried, I fear one part of your plan
will prove fuecefsful ; the follies and corruptions of the peo
ple have rendered them fit for any thing you may think pro
per to inflia on them. I trust, however, the day is not far off,
when tlie names of the prime actors and promoters of this in
famous business will be wiped away from the recollection of
every honest man, but for the mere purpose of holding them
in the utmost execration and contempt. But if you have no
traces ofjuftice left in your minds, if you feel not for your.
own honor, for God's fake pay some little attention to your
own individual interests, and the fafety of the nation. Do
you think, however credulous you may be, that France and
Spain will lie by silent and inactive, with their hands across ?
Is it French policy to do so ? Or will the vindictive spirit of
the Spaniard permit him to sleep, when so favorable and op
portunity presents itfelf of avenging his real or ideal wrongs ?
I have good reason to be persuaded of the contrary. Spain
is daily arming. France has a new Minister, who is fond of
warr who is a man of enterprise and ability, and is well known
[Num. 270.