The Pennsylvania evening post — Philadelphia, Pa., 1776-01-11 00:00:00, page 1

From the GENERAL EVENING POST of O&ober 28,
'1775, we have the foil'"."ng advices, viz.
ON Thursday a new petition of Mr. Sayre to the
House of Commons, complaining of an undue elec
tion for the borough of Seaford in Sussex, was pre
sented to the House by Mr. Sawbridge, Lord Mayor
eled, and Seconded by Sir George Younge.
As soon as his Majesty's speech had been read in the Upper
Assembly, by the Lord Chancellor and clerk of that Hon.
Assembly, Lord Townsend refe up, and in a very manly and
malferly manner went fuily into .the unhappy disputes be
twixt America and this country ; at the conclusion of which
he moved an humble address to his Majesty for his most gra
cious speech. His Lordship was seconded by Lord Dudley.
The Marquis of Rockingham was the next who spoke ; he
differed greatly in opinion from the two firft mentioned Lords,
and at the end of his speech proposed an amendment to the
address, which brought on a very interesting and long debate,
in which the following Right Honorable Members assisted
with the three ab ve, Lord Rochford, Lord Coventry, the
Duke of Grafton, Lord Sandwich, Lord Lyttleton, the Bi
ffiop of Peterborough, Lord Dartmouth, Lord Effingham,
Lord Grosvenor, the Duke of Manchester, Lord Gower, the
Duke of Richmond, Lord Shelburne, Lord Warwick, and
Lord Ferrers ; after which the question was put for agreeing
to the amendment, and the House divided, when the numbers
were as follow : Not contents sixty-nine, proxies eleven ;
contents twenty-nine, proxies none.
The House again divided upon the address as originally
moved for; contents sixty-six, proxies ten ; not contents
thirty-three. The House broke up about eleven o'clock, and
adjourned till next day.
The arguments in the House of Peers turned entirely on
American affairs. The Lords in Administration candidly
owned they had been mifinformed last year, and that their
measures were consequently founded in error, and had there
fore failed of success. This concession furnifhed matter of se
vere remark to the Lords of the minority ; the Bishop of
Peterborough pointed out the falfe policy of continuing the
dispute with the colonies, and urged Administration to flop
the farther ravages of fire and sword. The Duke of Rich
mond followed the Reverend Prelate's argument with his usu
al inaccuracy and inelegance of manner, but with much force
of matter. Lord Shelburne, in a most warm and pidurefque
Few of words, painted die present ill effeds of the conceit,
and Brewed how much more fatal the confluences might be
if the unnatural war was pursued. His Lordlhip was ex
tremely severe on Administration for the impotency and in
expediency of their measures ; and after intimating that the
introduction of foreign troops without leave of Parliament, was
'high treafen to the c^ftitution, hoped that the day would come,
when those who put that part of the speech into his Majesty's
mouth, which mentions tneir being feet to Gibraltar and
Minorca, would be called to a proper account, and undergo
an exemplary punishment. Lord Giofvenor spoke to the fal
lacy of the addresses, and the unfair means used to procure
them, which he proved by citing an instance of Ihamctul par-
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THURSDAY, JANUARY 11, 1776.
17
tiality and undue influence, which fell within his own know
ledge. Lord Ferrers opposed the address.
The. business df Parliament was opened in the House of
Commons by fwearjng in feveral?Members ; after which the
Speaker read twice his Majesty's most gracious speech from
the throne ; whereupon Mr. ACKLAND, son to Sir Thomas
Ackland, moved for a dutiful and loyal address to his Ma
jesty in.a very elaborate speech, highly commending the le
nity and forbearance of government with refpe& to America,
and enforcing the necessity of assuring his Majesty of the ap
probation of the measures already taken against the Americans,
and of firm support from his faithful Commons in the prose
cution of the war.
The motion for an address was seconded by Mr. LYTTLE
TON, late Governor of Jamaica, who likewise expatiated on
the necessity of strengthening the hands of government.
Lord JOHN CAVENDISH moved for an amendment,
which occafioncd a long and warm conversation in which the
Ministry were pretty roundly told of the fatal effe&s of the
measures of the last sessions.
The Right Hon. the LORD MAYOR spoke against the
address ; called the war against the Americans a murderous
war ; and said, that he should confider every fubjed who fell
on either fide assassinated by the Minider, and their blood to
be laid to his charge ; he concluded with recommending an
address -0 the King, that he would be pleased to point out
some method of conciliating the affections of the fubje&s of
all parts of the empire.
Governor JOHNSTON spoke on the infufficiency of the
present forces, to carry this favourite point of Administration !
He averred, that a general diSatisfaction prevailed amongst the
King's troops already at Boston ; and that three field-officers
of the five regiments, lately embarked at Cork, solicited leave
to resign ; of this he pledged himfelf to bring evidence to the
bar, and dared them to call for it.
General CONWAY defended the Americans with an un
usual warmth of argument; he called for information from
the Treasury Bench, what part of America we might deem
our own, alked whether Canada, whether Halifax; nay,
whether Boston itfelf, owned at this time the superiority of the
British arms ?—He declared his conscience forbad his assent to
the butchery of the Provincials; and therefore he firmly pro
tested against the address
Lord GEORGE GERMAINE replied to him in favour of
the addreis, and consequently supported the measure of govern
ment; but threw out nothing new, except that he had received
a letter from General Burgoyne, who said, that notwithstand
ing the distresses and obstacles the King's troops met with,
they were zealous and determined in defence of their country.
Col. BARRE entered minutely into the consequences of the
summer campaign, described the situation of the King's forces
as on a wen, or little excrefeence of land, blocked up within
the walls of Boston, and the fleet not even mafler of the
river in which it lies. He drew a conclusion, that if an army
of 22,000 of cur forces, with 20,000 Provincials and a fleet
of twenty-two fail of the line, with more than as many fri
gates, were three years in fubuuing Canada, though co&
[Num. 152.