The Pennsylvania ledger, or, The Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, & New-Jersey weekly advertiser — Philadelphia, Pa., 1776-03-09 00:00:00, page 5

By thefeip Chalkeley, Capt. Spain, from Brifol, <we
have the following Advices.
LEGHO R N, December io.
A few days ago arrived in our road a Dutch
frigate of war, by which we learn the fol
lowing interesting piece of intelligence: About
the month of May last a Dutch Eaft-Indiaman was
found stranded on the co,aft of Japan by some fil
ers of'that coast, who went on board of it, and
finding it totally abandoned, they seized every
thing on board and carried it to the government of
Japan; unluckily there was found a packet direded
for the directors of the Dutch Ealtlndia company,
which was interpreted to the Emperor by a Jesuit,
and which made fame important discoveries, so
that tlie Emperor immediately proclaimed war
against the Dutch.
Hague, (Holland) Dec. 25. Orders are given to
fit out fix more frigates as soon as possible, to cruize
ii the Mediterranean; aad it is assured, that this
republic will make it a common cause with Spain,
to chaltife the infolente of the King of Morocco.
Warsaw, Dec. 4. They reckon at present in the
two Prussia's 70,000 Prussian veteran troops. The
city of Dantzick has received its ultimatum from
the court of Berlin, in which it is fignified, that
Ihe has nothing to do but to submit to the conditi
ons proposed.
„ Hamburgh, Dec. 16. A private letter from Mu
nich mentions, that a courier from Rome brought
account, that Cardinal Anthony Eugenius Vifcon
ti, formerly Nuncio at the court of Vienna, is
elected Pope, and that he proposed retaining the
name of Eugenius.
L O N D O N.
r Dec, 24^ His Majesty was attended yesterday to
the House of Peers, by the Duke of Ancafter and
Lord Willoughby de Broke, when the royal assent
was given to the malt bill and the bill for the im
portation of Indian corn; after which the House of
Peers adjourned to the 20th of January next.
On 7 hurfday last atopy of the petition from the
American Congress to the King was delivered to
Lord Dartmouth for the purpose of (hewing it to
his Majesty before it is prefehted th him by the
Agents. It contains a state of grievances, a folici
taion for the removal of evil counfellors, and a
claim that the colonies are exempt from taxation
by the British Parliament.
We hear that a fubfeription is soon to be'opehed
under a very refpe&able patronage, for the inhabi
tants of Bolton, who are bravely fuffering all the
rigours of a siege, in opposition to arbitrary power.
A plain speaking man told a Minister that the
French had better intelligence about American af
fairs than the King's servants. How can that be,
replied the Minister? Because, said the other, they
Jiear every one, and are in search of the truth.
An expr^fs arrived this day from Spain, with an
account that the King of Spain lias retired from
the Sovereignty, and that the Prince of Asturias
has assumed the reigns of government.
The prelent Ministers have no plan, with refpe&
to America. They are trusting to chance. This
is exceedingly alarming to the great commercial in
tereit of this country, which is on the point of be
ing facrificed to their ignorance and blunders.
Besides the petition to the King from the Ameri
can Congress, it is laid there is cue from the fame
body to the House of Commons.
Dec. 26. It is said that a plan is how agitating
in the Cabinet to conciliate matters between the
mother country and the Americans, by repealing
the dilagreeable a&s, and admitting them to be re
presented by eighty Members in the House of Com
mons.
The unanimity of the American congress, the
moderation of their demands, and the firmnefs of
their refolyes, have confounded the Ministry, and
struck their advocates dumb. The wretches who
have been constantly representing the opposition in
America as a contemptible fadion, aiming at a dis
solution of all dependance on this country, and the
deftru&ion of the a&s of trade and navigation, are
now difeovered to be falfe and malicious incen
diaries.
Dec. 27. The spies and runners of the Ministry
are every day in the city, trying to manage the
meeting of the merchants, which is to be on the
4th of January. The obje& of the Ministry is 40
prevent the merchants coming to any resolutions
condemning thelate measures with America. They
will allow the merchants permission to solicit for
new measures, but not to take any retrofpe& of
the old. The merchants of London are too sensi
ble to be duped by this paltry artifice.
The greatest secrecy and silence is ordered to be
kept on the affairs of America; and the public may
red assured, that some very disagreeable advices
have within these few days been received from Bos
ton which have been managed with so much pri
vacy, that few or none of the contents have trans
pired, even to the people inoffice.
Dec. 29. It is whjipered at the Weft end ofthe
town that the troops will shortly be recalled from
Boston.
Some business of the greatest confequence' is on
the carpet, as not an evening passes but a Cabinet
Council is held at the house of some of the mem
bers of the cabinet.
POSTSCRIPT Extraordinary to the Pennsylvania Ledger, March o.
It is certain that General Gage has found means
to bring over the officers of the provincial militia to
his interest, by certain promises, which may serve
to inform the American advocates here, that their
hopes of assistance from them are indeed misplaced.
It is very confidently said that a certain military
Governor in America, has in his last letters, parti
cularly desired leave to resign, on account of.the
irreconcileable heats and animosities now prevailing
in his government.
It continues to be rumoured, that a change in
ministry will take place in a Ihort time, but that it
will only be a change of some few men.
Extras of a letter from Paris, Dec. 16.
, Advice has been received, that three English
frigates, Rationed in America, have seized upon
two of our merchant ships, laden with military
stores and French manufa&ures. The Captain had
the precaution to throw tlieir papers overboard be
fore they were taken; and we flatter ourselves, that
if they are able to prove that they failed before the
King's orders arrived at the Ports they came from,
they will be released. Some accounts set forth,
that they are two Dutch ships under French co
lours; be this as it will, both the English and
Dutch Ambassadors have had some talk with the
ministry upon this affair, since Which they have
sent couriers to their refpe&ive courts."
It was yeferday # reported oh the Exchange, that
feme arms, ammunition and field pieces, have lately
been landed in North America by a French floip.
Letters from Cadiz mention, that the fleets of
the Emperor of Morocco, and the rest of the Bar
bary States, are become so powerful in the Medi
terranean, that the Spanish ships are often obliged
to take shelter at Gibraltar and Mahon.
Dec. 29. Advice is received that the Faircloth,
Starmer, belonging to America, after an obstinate
fight of three hours, wherein the Capt. Was killed
is taken by a Spanish Guarda Costa in Glover's
Reef, near the Bay ot Honduras, and carried into
Campeachy, where the crew are imprisoned.
Dec. 31. The petition from the American Coh
grefs to the King, has been presented to his Majesty
by Lord Datmouth.
The above petition is to be laid before the two
houses of Parliament at their next meeting.
The last pitiful expedient devised by the oppres
sors of America, it is laid, is to export our mantle
fadures to the four government colonies, Nova
Scotia, Georgia, 'and the two Floridas, and from
thence smuggle them into the other parts of North-
America, thereby to defeat ,the non-importation
agreed to in the congress by the other provinces.
By letters from Lisbon we learn, that his Portu
guese Majesty has ordered the duty on leaf tobacco
from America to be taken off; an exemption which
occasions some (peculations, at a time that every
possible obftru&ion is thrown in the way ofthe Bri
tish commerce, the greatest encouragement is given
to that of the colonies.
Jan. 3. Means are said to he using to keep Up
the spirit of party against government in France,
that their attention may be diverted from our di
sputes with the colonies by their own nearer home.
Certain advice is received, that the French King,
since the beginning of last month has railed twenty
millions of livres, at eight per cent.
+ An American agent is said to have ha d an inter
view with a leading person, when he insisted on the
necessity of repealing the American a&s; hold, said
the statesman, I for my part will sooner submit to
the block than a single clause should be repealed.
Jan. 5. Yesterday in pursuance of an adverxife
ment for a meeting of the merchants and others
concerned in the North American trade, there was
a very numerous and refpe&able meeting at the
King's Arms tavern, of the most eminent merchants
and traders of this city, to confider of apetition
to parliament on the present alarming situation of
affairs with relpe& to America; the total stoppage
of all commerce to those parts; and the present
decline of the trade and manufa&ures in this king
dom: A motion was made by Mr. Alderman Hay
ley, and seconded, that Thomas Lane, Esq; as an
eminent North-American merchant, be placed in
the chair;, which was carried unanimously. After
tlie Chairman had informed the company of the
intent of the meeting, Mr. Barclay moved, that an
address be prepared and prefehted immediately to
Parliament, and a committee appointed to draw up
the fame.—A more refpe&able meeting was scarce
ly ever known in the city of London, and every
motion carried unanimously, except one gentleman
well known in the room, who observed that there
was no need of petitioning at present till they had
information what the Parliament would do after
they had taken into consideration the petition from
the congress of America to His Majesty; which pe
tition His Majesty had promised to lay before the
house tlie earliest opportunity, and that it would
then be a proper time for the merchants to meet,
and to take the matter into consideration; but this
appearing as a miniflerial manoeuvre, it was abso
lutely and unanimously reje&ed.
A great personage is laid to 'have infpe&ed all
the papers which have been received relating to tlie
unhappy tranfa&ions at Boston, and that "he has
been pleated to make memorandums on the most
remarkable passages they contain.
Yesterday morning several chests of ordnance
stores were flipped in the river for North America.
j a "° 7° It is said to be fa&, that the account
0 secret service money for the last year amounts to
upwards of two hundred thousand pounds.
It is reported, that two noblemen of distinguished
a b.ff ties Speedily embark for America, by corn
million, in order to enquire into the grievances
complained of, and on other matters of conlequence.
@ The Martha, Clarke, from Virginia to London,
is totally loft near Milford; the captain and part:
ot the crew dfowned.
J^n. 12. Lord Chatham is with Earl Temple at
f e jt at Stow, where, it is reported, those two pa
triotic noblemen are preparing the plan of a reconci
liation with America..
It is very currently reported, that several mem
bers of administration have publicly declared they
will not any farther accede to violent measures with
the Americans.
A letter from New-York, dated Nov. 30, fays,
"It was this day reported, that Governor Carlton,
°I Quebec, had by a letter, offered Gen. Gage a
reinforcement of 6000 Canadians besides Indians,
if requifite.'
Positive orders, we hear, have lately been tranf
initted to the commanders of the several men of war
on the north American station to be extremely vigi
lant in their duty against smugglers, and to seize
all such goods and merchandize, which, by the laws
of trade, ought to be exported dire&ly from Great
Britain to the colonies.
One house in the city lias fuffered above 12,0001.
loss in its trade since the resolutions concerning the
non-importation of goods took place in America;
and we hear some others are very considerable losers.
Some counterfeit guineas were circulated on.
Friday in Smithfield, different from any before seen.
They are of George I. date 1721, appear well pre
served, and weigh About 17s. but they look so well
that few people would think of weighing them.
Jan. 13 Ihe Charming Nancy, Daverfon, from
Boston, is arrived at Spithead, with an Express in
twenty-four days passage.
The greatest part of the military, we are told,
will soon be removed from the province of Maffa
chu'fetts Bay, and the blockade by sea is to be
continued, with the addition of more shipping.
Yesterday morning was held the adjourned Meet
ing of the merchants and others concerned in the
American commerce to receive the report of the
Committee,' appointed yesterday fetahight; when
the petition to Parliament, as drawn up by the
Committee appointed, was read three times, and
gave universal fatisfa&ion. A debate arose from a
merchant trading to Quebec, observing that the
Canada Bill was not enumerated among the griev
ances in the petition. In answer to this it was ob
served, the petition was drawn up in as general a
sense as possible; and the question being put,
whether the petition should stand without addition
or amendment, it was resolved in the affirmative,
four to one.
A report.prevails at Pisa, that the Emperor of
Morocco hath declared war against the French,
and thAt his corsairs have already insulted the flag
of that nation. ,
Brifol, Jan. Ri. Imported here this week, 15,367
bushels of wheat, and 1803 barrels of flour from
New-York—.-c^zb bushels bf barley, and 104.0
bushels of oats from Ireland.
This is to give notice to all merchants, traders
and others interested in the American trade, that a
general meeting is intended to be held in the Guild
hall on Friday next, the 13th instant, precisely at
eleven o'clock in the forenoon, to deliberate upon
the present situation of American affairs; and to
confider of a petition to Parliament upon that fub
je&. When and where it is earnestly requested ever,
person concerned will attend.
Wednesday the Society of Merchants Venturers
in this city had a meeting at their Hall to confider
of a Petition to Parliament, refpe&ing the Ame
rican affairs; the heads of a petition were then read,
and the several parts thereof difeufs'd, but another
meeting is appointed to be held on Monday next, to
determine the question.
Yesterday there was also a Very refpe&ible meet
ings of Merchants, Traders, and others interested
in the American Trade, at the Guildhall, for the
purpose of petitioning parliament, relative to the
many and great hardships likely to ensue to the
commercial and trading interest of the kingdom,
from the present differences between Great-Britain
and her colonies. Mr. Hayes, an eminent merch
ant was placed in the chair— when a petition that
was previously prepared, was read. Some few a
mendments were at firft proposed, but at length it
was unanimously approved of and will be left for a
few days at some public places for those who chufe
to fubferibe it.
We think the inhabitants of this city, who have
any dependence on the American trade, cannot
fufficiently express their acknowledgments to Meffi-s.
Hayes and Mallard, for the great pams they have
taken in forming and forwarding a petition to par
liament, for tlie conciliating of measures Between
Great-Britain and the Colonies.
, Proceedings oj the Commons, with further Advices
by Capt. Spain, in car Pa,er of Saturday it