The Pennsylvania evening post — Philadelphia, Pa., 1776-08-08 00:00:00, page 3

No alteration hashappened in the date of foreign affairs
since your meeting, and it is with pleasure I inform you, that
the affirmances I hare received of the dispositions of the several
powers in Europe promife.a continuance of the general tran
quillity.
'Gentlemen of the House of Comraons, -
It was with real regret and concern that I found myfelf un^-
der the necessity of asking of my faithful Commons any ex
traordinary Applies, . I thank you for the readiness and def
patch with which they have been granted, and they are the
more acceptable to me, as you have shewn in the manner of
raising them, an equal regard to . the exigencies of the service,
and the ease of my people. And you may be assured that the
confidence you repose in me shall be used with proper fruga
lity, and applied.only to the purposes for which it was in
tended.
My Lords and Gentlemen,
We are engaged in a great national cause, the prosecution
of which mult inevitably be attended with many difficulties,
and much expence; but when we confider that the eflential
rights and interests of the whole empire are deeply concerned
in the issue of it, and can have no faftty or security but in
that constitutional subordination for which we are contend
ing, I am convinced that you will not think any price too
high for the preservationof such objects.-
I will still entertain a hope that my rebellious.fubjefts may
be awakened to a sense of their duty, they will juiufy me in
bringing about the favourite with of my heart, the restoration
of harmony and the re-eftablifliment of order and happiness
in every part of my dominions. .But if a due submission
ffiould not be obtained, from such motives, and such a dis
position on their part, 1 trust I shall be able, under the bles
sing of Providence, toeffedtuate it by a full exertion of the
great force with which you have entrusted me..
Then the LORD:C HANCELLOR,; by his hfajeftfs
command, said, ,
My Lords and Gentlemen,
It is his Majesty's royal will and pleasure that this Parlia
ment be prorogued to Thursday the tirft day of August next,
to be then here holder, and this Parliament is accordingly
prorogued to Thursday the fifft day of Auguft.next.
By a gentleman from South-Carolina, which he left about
the 20th ult. we learn that two soldiers had deferred from
Clinton's troops, who confirm the accountgiven by the sailors
transmitted by General Lee, and inserted in this paper .of.the.
PHI LADELPHI A, August 8.
By the Lord Hyde Packet, which left Falmouth
the third of June, and arrived at Staten-Island
the 29th of July, we have received HIS BRI
TANNIC MAJESTY'S SPEECH to both
Houses of Parliament, on Thursday the 23d
of May, 1776.
My Lords and Gentlemen,
T'HE conclusion of public buGnefsj and the advancedfea
fon of the year, make it proper for me to give you some
recess, but I cannot put an end to this session without assur
ing you, that the frelhinftances of your attachment to me,
and your Ready attention and adherence to the true interest
of your country, which you have Ihewn in the whole course
of your important deliberations,. afford the highest fatif
faction. . N
393
20th ult. and farther add, that the Engliffi troops were two
thousand eight hundred, that they had promised themselves
the pleasure of breakfafting at Sullivan's-Island, dining at
Fort Johnston, and supping at Charleftown, but they were
terribly disappointed, as they were glad to get off with a
very severe drubbing ; that the brig which was sent to Eng
land with the Captain of the Commodore's ship, the Br : Rcl,
who had loft his arm, had returned, as the Captain did loom
after he left the fleet, and his body was buried on Longlfiand
the gd ult. that the English soldiers began to grow very sickly;
that they are much diftatisfied with Clinton's conduct ; that
they even fay, they suspect that he keeps a private correfpon
deuce with^Gcneral Lee, and that it was rumoured in camp
that he was under an arrest ; that it was reported among them
that they were to gp to New-York ; and that the Bristol is so
much flattered that/the Commodore has gone on board
the Experiment, where he hoisted hi) broad pendanr the 4th
ult. The deserters also inform, -that in the ^cannonade a
fllot from the fort took off three midfnipmens heads, who hap
pened to hand in a range, and that one of them was the fort
of a nobleman.
The above gentleman farther informs, that about the mid
dle of lad month thewhJe English ileet at Charleftown ap^
peared in - mourning, from whence it is conjectured that the
Commodore, Sir Peter Parker, was dead of the wounds he
received from a splinter in the engagement atSullivaa's-ifland.
Extract of a letter from Elizabeth-town point (New Jersey)
dated August 7, 1776.
" I was ordered, by Col. Chevalier, to wait on two gen^
tlemen, Mr. Maddifon and Johnson, one of whom is a cler
gyman, and both natives of Augusta county, Virginia, who
arrived in the Lord Hyde packet from Falmouth, at Staten.-
island the 29th of July, and have brought papers from Lon
don to the.23d of' May, which are now here, and kept for
the use of General Washington, who, it is said, will be in
town tomorrow. A copy of the King of England's fpee&h
is inclofcd. The abovementioned - gen tinmen, left the island
this morning, with Lord Howe's approbation, and inform
, that Lord Cornwallis and General Clin'ton, uith all the
troops, arrived there ou Thursday last from Carolina, as a
reinforcement preparatory to the attack on Nbw-York, which
these gentlemen fay would, in their opinion, be made in iefs
than a week, without waiting ' for the arrival of the -remain
der cf the foreigners, who were hourly looked fbr, having
failed three days befo p this ship. That the troops now on
the island amount to about twelve thousand, and those ex
pected will make the enemy twenty thousand strong. -
“ The current, opinion of the British Generals is, that
they will find -no difficulty in taking pofTflion of New-York,
but are much afraid that the rebels '(as they caH us) will de
stroy it, as they (peak mod conremptuoufly’of us, looking up
on us as an undisciplined rabble ; and that they are confident
of effecting a junction with Burgoyne from Canada, and
thereby facilitate the fuhjection of this country. The gen
tlemen add, that the enemy are ^much diftrefled for want of
frefh provisions.
“ The English papers inform that the Minerva, Winning,
from Philadelphia, was arrived at Londonderry in five weeks,
loaded with 3 20"hog(heads of flaxfeed, and that the was im
mediately made a prize of, being American property. An
article mentions that on the question for independance in Con
gress the Pennsylvania Delegates voted against it, and in con
sequence thereof the other colonies kept a jealous eye over
them. The papers contain many other matters, but 1 cannot
keep them any longer, to.transcribe particulars"