The New-York gazette, and the weekly Mercury — New-York [N.Y.], 1777-02-03 00:00:00, page 1

[The following Letter passed between his Excellen
cy the Honourable William Franklin,
% Governor of NEW-JERSEY, and the
Council and Assembly of that Province feme
Time before be was sent PriJoner to Connecti
cut, and as butfew People have yet seen it, the
Re-publication of it at this Time, is imagined
would be agreeable.]
A LETTER from His Excellency
WILLIAM FRANKLIN, Esq,
To the Honorable the Gentlemen of His
Majesty's Council and to the Gentlemen of
the House of Representatives of His Majesty's
Province of New-Jersey.
Gentlemen,
HAVING by Proclamation summoned
you to attend a meeting of the Ge
neral 'Affemby of the province, on
the 20th instant, in order that I
might communicate to you matters of great
importance to the public welfare, and as there
now seems little probability that I shall have
it in my power to meet you, agreeable to my
intentions, it' is necessary thrt I should ac
quaint you with the cause of the disappoint
ment, that you may aft such a part on the oc
casion as you may think the nature and exi
gency of the case requires.
Between nine and ten o'clock this morning,
Mr. Nathaniel Heard, of Woodbridge, and
Mr. Jonathan Deere of this place, called at
my house, and on my enquiry of Mr. Heard,
what his business was, he delivered into my
hands a paper, of which the following is a
copy.
" J William Franklin, being apprehended by
'' an order of the Provincial Congress of New
" 7 er fj, do promise and engage on my word and
'' honour and on the faith of a Gentleman to
" depart within two days from hence to
" in the province of New-jersey, being the place.
<c of my destination and refdence, and there, or
" within fix miles thereof, to remain during the
“ present war between Great-Britain and the
" said United Colonies, or until the Congress of
" the said United Colonies, or the Assembly, Con
" vention, or Committee or Council of Safety of
" the said colony full order otherwise, and that
" I will not, directly or indirectly, give any in
" telligence whatsoever to the enemies of the
'* Untied Colonies, or do, or fay any thing in
" oppoftion to, or in prejudice of the measures
" and proceedings of any Congress for the said
" colonies, during the present troubles, or until I
"am duly difeharged. Given under my hand
" this Day of & D. 1776.”
After perusal of this paper, I desired to
knew of Mr. Heard, by what authority he
tendered it to me; on which he produced the
two following papers, viz.
" To Colonel Nathaniel Heard,
" The Provincial Congress of New-Jersey
" reposing great confidence in your zeal and
" prudence, have thought fit to entrust to
" your care the execution of the enclosed
" Resolves. It is the desire of Congress that
" this necessary business be conduced with
" all the delicacy and tenderness which the
" nature of the service can possibly admit of.
" For this end you will find among the
" papers the form of a written parole, in
" which there is left a blank space for you to
" fill up, at the choice of Mr. Franklin, with
“ the name of Princeton, Bordenton, or his
" own farm at Rancocus. When he shall
" have signed the parole, the Congress will
" rely upon his honour for the faithful per
" formance of his engagements: But should
" he refufe to sign the parole, you are desired
V to put him under a strong guard and keep
" him in close custody until the further orders
" of this Congress.
^A. February 3, 1777.
E W-Y ORK
AND
VE E KLY
“ Whatever expence may be necessary for
“ this service will be cheerfully defrayed by
“ the Congress. We refer to your difcre
" tion what means to use for that purpose ;
“ and you have full power and authority to
“ take to your aid, whatever force you may
" require.
By order ofCongrefs,
" ^w-jerfey, Burling- 5 '
" ion, June 15, 1776. Samuel Tucker, Pref.".
"In Provincial Congress, New-Jersey.
p " Burlington, June If, 1776.
frfy, That in the opinion of this
« r'fr'' the 'reclamation of William
",klin, Esq; late Governor of New
c c ^" ey : bearing date on the thirtieth day of
May last, in the Name of the King of
ASSIZE of BREAD. Flour at 30s. per Cent.
A White Loaf of the fineftFLOUß, to weigh
3 lb. 40Z. for 14. Coppers, and in the fame
Proportion for Loaves of a lesser Weight.
Published January 10, 1777.
0 Printed by HUGH GAINE, at the BIBLE and CROWN, in HANOVER-SQUARE.
Containing the catlieff tWeice^
HIGH-WATER at NEW-YOR K, this Week.
M>nday, o Min. after 5
Tuesday, 56 Min. after 5
Wednesday, 45 Min. after 6
Thursday, 41 Min. after 7
" Great Britain, appointing a meeting of the
“ Genera! Assembly, to be held on the 20th
“ day of this instant, June, ought not to be
“ obeyed.
" Refolded, That in the opinion of this
" Congress the said William Franklin, Esq; by
“ such his proclamation has acted in dired con
" tempt and violation of the Resolve of the
" Continental Congress of the 15th day of
'' May last.
" Refolded, That in the opinion of this
" Congress, the said William Franklin, Esq;
" has difeevered himfelf to be an enemy to
“ the liberties of this country, and that mea
" fures ought to be immediately taken for fe
" curing the person of the said William
“ Franklin, Esq;
" Refolded, That in the opinion of this
" Congress, all payments of money on ac
" count of salary or otherwise. to the said
" William Franklin, Esq; as Governor, ought
" from henceforth to cease. And that the
" Treasurer or Treasurers of this province,
" shall account for the monies in their hands
" to this Congress, or to the future Legifla
" ture of this colony.
“ By order of the Congress,
" Samuel Tucker, President."
To be represented as an Enemy to the Liber
ties of my Country, (one of the worst of cha
racters) merely for doing my duty in calling
a meeting of the legal Representatives of the
people, to lay before them matters of the ut
most concern to their future happiness and
fafety, was, as you may imagine, {efficient to
rouse the indignation of any man not dead to
human feelings, and occasion him to express
his.refentment in terms suitable to such un
merited provocation. It is needless, however,
to trouble you with all that paifed. Suffice it
to fay, that I rejected the written parole (is
they term it) with that contempt such an in
sult deserved from one who has the honour to
represent his Majesty.
To you, Gentlemen,—to every individual
in the province can I fafely appeal to vouch
for me, that in no one inftaace have 1 ever
manifefted the lead inimical disposition to
wards this colony. Your journals and mi
nutes will shew, that from the firft com
mencement of the present unhappy disputes,
I have been uniformly for having them accom
modated by negociatibn and treaty; from a
full conviction that America might thereby
obtain a fixed Constitution, which would afford
every reasonable security for the enjoyment of
British Liberties.
If in the opinion cf those who stile them^
selves a Provincial Congress, my fumneons'of
the General Assembly " ought not (as they fay)
" to be obeyed," it was equally in their power
to have prevented the meeting, by enjoining
you to pay no regard to the Proclamation, as
it was to make me a prisoner; and they cer
tainly would have done that, had they not
meant a personal affront to me, or designed to
wound the dignity of the Crown through my
person.
But it is pretended that "by such Procla
" mation I have aded in direct contempt and
" violation of the Resolve of the Continental
" Congress of the 15th of May lad." Were
this even the case, it surely could not be any
crime in me, nor juftify such treatment as
I have received, and am likely yet to fuffer.'
But the fa& alledged is falfe, and muti appear
glaringly so to every man who has read the Re
solve alluded to, and is capable of underftand
'ng it- The Continental Congress, after a
preamble declaring their opinion " that the
" exercise of every kind of authority under
" the Crown should be totally suppressed," do
" therefore Resolve, that it be recommended co
" the refpedive Aflemblies and Conventions of
" the United Colonies where no governments
" faftcient to the exigencies of their affairs has
" been hitherto efablifhed, to adopt such Go
" vernment as shall, in the opinion of the Re
" prefentatives of the People, belt conduce to
" the happiness and fafety of their Conftitu
" ents in particular, and Americain general."
How any perlons can construe and represent
my calling and meeting of the Assembly, at
the very time when such an important matter
was recommended by the Continental Congress
to the consideration of the Representatives of
the People, to be a " direst contempt and vio
'' latiou" of the above Resolve is difficult to
fouceive, supposing them possessed of common
T HE
ft/Q^W'<^ft^
@s#^Mks
Friday, 37 Min. after 8
Saturday, 28. Min. after 9 ;
Sunday, 25 Min. after 10|
New Moon next Friday. p
1 sense and common honesty.—The Assembly of
Pennsylvania have met since that Resolve, and
I believe are Fill fitting, under an authority
derived from the Crown. They, no doubt,
I have had the Resolve under their considera
tion; nor can any good reason be given why
I the Assembly of New-Jersey should not like-
Iwife be permitted the opportunity of giving
I their sentiments (if they should think it ne-
I ceffary or expedient) on a matter of such in
finite importance to them and their Constitu
ents. If when you met, you had thought it
proper to adopt or comply with the Resolve,
either in whole or in part, it is well known
that I could not have prevented it, whatever
my inclination might have been. In other
Colonies, where a change of Government has
been made, one of the reasons assigned in ex
cuse for such measure has been, that the Go
vernor has either abdicated his Government,
appeared in arms against the people, or neg
le&ed to call a meeting of their Reprefenta
itives. But I do not recoiled an instance,
where neither cf these circumstances existed,
/and Government could be carried on in the
: usual way, in such essential points as meetings
-cf the Legislature, passing of Laws and hold
ing Courts of Juliice, that any material al
teration has been made in such Government
by a Convention ; nor that any Convention
has before presumed to attempt a business of
that importance, where an Assembly existed,
and were not hindered from meeting. Most
probably, had I not called the Assembly, I
Should have been irfuch blamed by these very men 1
for the omission, (especially as matters of fuchl
consequence were in agitation) and accused of i
not exercising the prerogative veiled in me for
the good of the people, as I ought to have [
done. But however that may be, sure I am,
that it is the. evident meaning of the Resolve
of the Continental Congress, that where Af
fenlblies can meet they are to confider the pro
priety of the measure. recommended, and not
a Convention ; consequently as the Affembly}
of Ncw^Jcrfcy could have met, the Provincial
Convention, who have attempted to prevent
them, have " a&ed in direst contempt ard
" violation of the Resolve of the Continental
" Congress of the 15th day of May last,"
and, of course, are, according to their own
principles " Enemies to the Liberties of this l
" Country."
Their last Resolve which refpefts the flop
page of my salary is, I must fay, an instance
of meanness, which I never expected to have
experienced from any body of men in New-
Jersey. When I firft came among you, Gen
tlemen, I declared, that " whatever was
" granted for the support of government,
" should, so far as related to myfelf, be made
" use of for the honour and credit of the pro
" vince." My conduct has been ftri&ly con
formable, both to the letter and spirit of this|
declaration. Those who belt know me andl
my affairs know that if 1 were to quit this
province to-morrow 1 should not retire one
farthing the richer for any thing acquired by
means of my office. The income has at no
time been more th^n fufficrent to barely sup
port the dignity of the ftation^ and"of late;
years it has been by no means adequate to the
encreafed expences of living. However, as I
did not enter.into His Majesty's service from
mercenary motives, which I think 1 may justly
fay make no part of my character, I have ac
quiefeed with the allowance granted by the
Representatives of the people, in hopes that
the time would come when they would be in
duced to increase it from a proper sense of
their own dignity. Io put it in their power
to do this, and to defray all other expences
for the support of government, without any
burthen to their constituents. I recom
mended the passing of a Loan-office Aft and
last year obtained His Majesty's allowance
of it, by which means the province is now in
the actual receipt of about five thousand
pounds a year, raised without any taxes; a
sum almost double what has been usually
granted for the falarics of Officers, Assembly
mens wages, and the other common expences
for the support of government. Of this the
Assembly, at their last session, seemed to have
a somewhat grateful sense, and gave intimati
ons that they should, at a future session, make
a more adequate allowance to the public Offi
cers. But now it feeras, a body of men are
got together, who, actuated by illiberal mo
tives, think to make a merit with the people
PRICE CURRENT, in NEW-YORK.
Wheat per Bushel, 9s. od.
I Flour, 30s. od,
I Brown Bread, 255. od.
IWeft-Ind' 2 Rum, Bs. od.
INew-England do. ss. od.
/j, (No. 1319.
GAZ ETTE:
T HE
MERCUR Y.
, Mufcovado Sugar, 5!. tos.
Single refin'd ditto, 2s. 9'.
Molasses, 3s. 6d.
Beef per Barrel, 90s. od.
Pork, 51. 10$.
1
foreign anti Domenici.
As you, Gentlemen, at our last meeting,
intimated your desire that I would not quit
the province, and as I flattered myfelf that by
remaining quietly here I might be of some
service when His Majesty's Commissioners
should arrive, in promoting the good work of
peace and reconciliation, I have never at
tempted to remove myfelf, though the insult
I received soon after that session would have
fully juftified me in taking such a step.
The occasion of my calling you together at
this time, was not only to give you an oppor
tunity of considering the present diffracted
Rate of the province, and of defending your
own and the people's constitutional rights, if
you should chufe it, but to communicate to
you, and to consult you upon some intelligence
Ihave received from His Majesty's Secretary of
State, refpeding the business to be tranfaded
by the Commissioners which His Majesty has
graciously condescended to appoint for the
purpose, among others, of " conferring with
" proper perfens upon fuels points as may be necef
" f ur j f or effidping a reforation of the public
" tranquility." These Commissioners 1 had
great reason to expert would be arrived by the
time cf your meeting, and I know of no per
sons in this province so proper to receive and
to confer with them as yourselves.—
On the whole, Gentlemen, much positive
good would in my opinion, have resulted to
the province, had a meeting of the General
Assembly been held at this juncture. But as
that now seems not likely to happen, I shall
take my leave of you, and the good people
you reprefent —perhaps for the lad time. Per
mit me, before we part, to ^commend it to
you to defend yoir, coAftitution in all its
branches. Let me exhort you to avoid, above
all things, the traps of Independency and Re
publicanism now set for you, however tempt
ingly they may be baited. Depend upon it
you can never place yourselves in a happier
situation than in your ancient constitutional
dependency on Great-Britain. No Indepen
dent State ever was or ever can be so happy
as we have been, and might kill be, under that
government. I have early and often warned
you of the pernicious designs of many pre
tended patriots ; who, under the malk of zeal
for Reconciliation, have been from the firlt
insidiously promoting a system of measures,
purposely calculated for widening the breach
between the two countries, so as to let in an
Independent Republican Tyranny—the worst
and most debasing of all possible tyrannies.
They well know that this has not even a chance
of being accomplished, but at the expence of
the lives and properties of many thousands of
the honest people of this country —yet these,
it seems, are as nothing in the eyes of such
desperate gamesters ! But remember, Gentle
men, that I now tell you, that should they
(contrary to all probability) accomplish their
baneful purpose, yet their government will
not be lasting. It will never fait a people who
have once tasted the sweets of British Liberty
under a British Constitution. When the pre
sent high fever shall abate of its warmth, and
the people are once more able cooly to survey
and compare their past with their then situ
ation, they will, as naturally as the sparks fly
upwards, wreak their vengeance on the heads
of those who, taking advantage of their deli-
in robbing me of even a pittance of the salary
which their legal Representatives had granted
me by law, and which they have no more
right to deprive me of, than to take my money
out of my pocket-book. If the people at large
fh®uld approve of this unworthy treatment of
a man who has done his duty faithfully by,
them during a thirteen years administration,
I own it would give me a concern infinitely
greater than the loss of my salary. But be
assured, Gentlemen, that I am far from fuf
pe&ing there are many persons to be found ira
this province capable of such a pitiful action,
which, though not indeed without a prece
dent, will, I hope, never more be thought
worthy of example. Besides—Their firft en
deavouring to “ filch from me my good name,"
by falfely calling me an enemy to the liberties
of tris country —then making that falfehood a
plea for robbing me of my property—and
afterwards affecting, in their orders, that they
would have me treated with delicacy and ten
dernefs —is such an adding cf insult to injury
as cannot, I am sure, but excite the detesta
tion of every honest man throughout the
country.
, Fine Salt, ios; od.
Coarse Salt, Bs. cd.
Indian Corn per Bu. 6s,' 6d.
Coff e, is. gel.
Chocolate, 265. per Dez.