The Pennsylvania evening post — Philadelphia, Pa., 1776-09-05 00:00:00, page 6

PROCEEDINGS in the HOUSE of COMMONS, Monday,
May 6, 1776.
C COLONEL BARRE arofc, and holding a paper in his
/ hand, which he informed the House be Lad cut out of
the London Gazette, and which, he observed, was the only
account, or reason assigned, for the British troops quitting
Bofthn; and followed this short exordium, with moving,
" That copies of the last despatches received from the firft
of March last, from General Howe, and Vice-Admiral Shul
dam. be laid before the House, before they proceeded to
grant any farther iuppiies ror Carrying on the said war." The
Colonel observed, that the only paper published by authority
was become a disgrace to the nation ; that the most fhameful
efforts had been made to mislead the people without doors ;
but, what was- in finitely of worse consequence to the nation
at large, that House had been grossly milled in every single
communication which had come from his Majesty's servants,
or, which amounted to nearly the fame thing, every degree
and species of information had been refufed.
Lord NORTH afferted,.that the troops were not compelled
to abandon Bolton, He confirmed the contents of the Lon
don Gazette; said that as the British troops met not with the
least interruption from the rebels, neither did the General
come into any compromise whatever. He said, the stores,
ammunition, &c. were not abandoned ; that the army buffer
ed no loss, either immediately before, or on its embarkation ;
that the troops embarked with all pcffible coolness and regu
larity, and even, as he emphatically expressed it, " perfectly
at their case."
Lord JOHN CAVENDISH spoke warmly in defence of
the motion. He observed, that the nation had been insidiously
led into a war ; when once embarked, it was too late to re
cede ; and, from the very firft day the sword was drawn, his
Majesty's Ministers have refufed to impart a single tittle rela
tive to the conduct of this war; and the Minister comes
down, day after day, to this Honfe, and experts an implicit
obedience and assent to whatever demand he pleases to make,
without any other pretensions to their favour or confidence,
but what he can build on the information ; that under his
administration the whole Britilh Empire has near loft all the co
lonies, at the national expence of twenty millions of money,
precisely in eleven months from day to day, that is, from the
date of the defeat at Lexington to the celebrated embarkation,
which was the fubjed of the present debate.
Mr. BYNG spoke on the fame fide. He said the public
ought to be informed what was doing in America, and to
what purposes the money was to be applied, which they were
granting out of their own pockets.
Sir GEORGE YOUNGE arraigned the conduct of Admi
miftration in very pointed terms. He said it was impossible but
the consequences of the present war mutt be the deftru&ion
of the nation. In any hands the event would be doubtful ;
but in fitch hands the ruin and disgrace of the nation, and
the loss of America, were inevitable.
Mr. HARTLY spoke very full on the fubjed. He con
tended, notwithstanding the bold and unqualified assertions of
the noble Lord at the head of the treasury, that Gen. Howe
was DRIVEN from Bolton, and that nothing but the dread
of having his whole army cut to pieces, or made prisoners,
induced him to make so precipitate and unexpected a retreat.
Mr. BURKE observed, that the noble Lord had disclaimed
any intention of giving falfe colours to the account which
appeared in the London Gazette, but there was room left for
a possibility of misrepresentation ; for though the Bolton ex
traordinaries for eight thousand men, in the course of twelve
months, had amounted to one million and a half, or nearly
444
two hundred pounds a man, for salt beef and four crout, he
would be bold to ahirm, ana called on the noble Lord to con
tradict him, that the troops couia nut have remained in that
town ten days longer, ir the heavens hud not rained down
manna and quails; and, in a limuar expectation, he pre
sumed, the troops w^e embarked lor Halifax, a land flowing
with milk and honey.
Mr. ELLid and Mr. LY TILEI ON spoke against the mo
tion. 'I hey minted mat the communication would be ex
ceedingly improper in the present critical lunation 01 artairs.
Gen. COAVvAY was boia, animated, and periualive.
He laid the Britilh Councils had lancu into coneqmpe, and
the honor of tae nation was deeply wounded. He condemned
the conduct of Admindbation without reierve, ana laid -the
army, which was aeftined for the conquelt of America now lay
inactive and Rutted into transports, waiting at Spithead ; that
tome of them were in Germany, iome of th m at opitneau, and
none of them where they should long lince have been ; that he
always thought the measure of coercing America,tor the purpose
of railing a revenue, an unjust one; he always looked upon it to
be impracticable; but was certain it was to trie tail degree cruel,
oppreluve and deltruCtive ; dellrutlive in either event; of the
commercial importance and deare ft intetefts of this country, in
case it should milcarry ; deftrudive bt what was still, if possible,
more valuable, its liberties, if it should succeed.
Lord GEORGE GERMAINE said, by what little of the
correspondence he had seen, he never underflood that Gen.
Howe intended to begin his operations in Boston. His opi
nion was well known, it was the opinion of the majority of
the House ; as long therefore as the House thought it proper
to continue the war, or support it, he thought it would be
right to pursue it, and no longer. Whatever his own senti
ments were, if the House should change theirs, he was ready
to acquiefee; When he came into office, the nation was al
ready engaged in it, so that, on either hand, he remained
perfectly contented.
Col. BARRE again spoke to his motion. He was, if pos
sible, stronger in his expressions than before. He observed,
that the embarkations were all made too late last year; that
convoys were neglected; that the provisions, ammunition
and stores, by that means, had fallen into the hands of the
Provincials. That the naval force was inadequate to the
service, and that unequal as it was to the service, it was still
worse provided, and more improperly directed. He should
be glad to know to whom those delays, mismanagements, if
not malverfations in office, were to be imputed. He then
took a view of the condud of administration since the com
mencement of the present year ; and desired to know, how
it came to pass, that now, on the sixth of May, the greatest
part of the army should be lying at Spithead, or what was
the reason that some of the Hessians, who ought to have been
at the place of their destination in America, have not yet left
Germany.
Mr. HOPKINS spoke against the motion; said ,crecy
should be observed, otherwise all our plans would ihortly
come to the knowledge of our enemies.
A few minutes before nine o'clock, the question was put,
and the House divided: Ayes fifty-four, Noes one hundred
and seventy-one.
BOSTON, August 29.
Last Saturday afternoon was chafed into Marblehead by the
Milford frigate, the prize ship Isaac, from Tortola bound to
London, three hundred and fifty tons burthen, commanded
,by Capt. Afhburn, laden with five hundred hogsheads of
sugar, forty-four puncheons of rum, one hundred and fifty