The Pennsylvania ledger, or, The Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, & New-Jersey weekly advertiser — Philadelphia, Pa., 1776-05-25 00:00:00, page 2

The three conYtiffioners of the treasury, two
thouland pounds each.
And all other public officers shall have the fame
fahries as are allowed filch officers refpe&ively by
act of AfLmbly. By Order of Congress.
^.tfe.i • March 26, >776.
Peter TimctAy, Secretary,
Wm. Henry Drayton, Prefdent,
%Sr% yf7s'%->f &f ^f^
B O 8 T O N, May'll
George Merchant, a private in Captain. Mor
gans -.lupany of riflemen from Virginia, who
Acat to Canada with Col. Arnold lalt fall, was
taken prisoner with two Indians and a New-Eng
land foldicr, palling over the river St. Lawrence.
Merchant was lent to England to be hanged, but
never was even examined, and the other three were
kept elofe prisoners in Quebec, confined in Irons:
He left Bristol the 25th of March, and arrived at
Halifax in 23 days, tarried there 10, when he with
several masters of velLls that had been taken by the
miiiiileii.il cruisers, hired a small vclfcl to bring
them to Newbury; but, by reason of contrary winds
put into'Old York bid Thursday, and came to town
by land jetterday to General Ward, who soon dis
patched him express to General Wafhipgton:—By
him we have the following important and very- in
teresting advices, viz. -^
H A L I FA X, April 23.
Tuesday afternoon lad, arrived his Majesty's
sloop Viper, with some transports from the Wed-
Bidies, being part of the fleet which was drove' off
this coad by the severe weather lad winter.
Saturday failed the Viper Sloop of War, for
Quebec, with a Number ofTranfports and Troops
on board.
Same day arrived a packet from Falmouth [G. B.J
111 5 weeks and 3 days.
Sunday arrived here the Scarborough from Sa
vannah in Georgia, in whom came Governor Wright
of that province.
We are informed that Governor Campbell, of
South-Carolina is on his parage for this place.
B R I S T O L, February 17.
The Weft India traders outward all take guns:
.—The captures of the homeward bound would
alarm the merchants and distress, —Those are yet
unprovided.
Extract of a letter from an eminent gentleman in
London, to bis friend in Americe, dated February 7.
" Lord Howe is appointed commander in chief
of the fleet, the commander at land is not yet de
termined. Lord Cornwallis is now ready to fail
from Cork with 3000 men for Virginia, to meet
General. Clinton. The plan is, to march through
that colony and attack Philadelphia by land, if
impracticable by sea; they reckon upon paper to
have an army of 30,000 mostly Germans, in Ame
rica, by June. Burgoyne is to retake Canada with
10,000 men; if the passage over the Blue-Ridge is
fortified, that way will be impracticable. If offers
of settlement, &c. are prepared to fling into the
camp, in German, when the Germans arrive, it
muff have a great effect.—They trull to the slaves,
but more to the Scotch among you.
“ The Generals talked of are Amherst, Count
La Lippe or Harvey, the lad is most probable.
“ A General of the fifft abilities has offered to go
over, if I could alfure him of being received by the
Congress. If the ministerial efforts do not succeed
this campaign, it is over with them."
From the Public Ledger.
L O N D O N, February 14.
[Authentic.]
Corps in America, and under Orders for the
Continent, January 1776.
Now in America.
17th drag. Preston's )
4th foot, Hodgfon'sC at Boston.
sth Percy's )
, „ . , ? Taken at Chamblee the greatest
,h- berths j part , the re st with Carleton.
n 5 At the upper posts, Niagara,
Bth- Armftrongsf Detroit, & c .*
10th — Sanford's )
22d — Gage's Cat Boston.
23d — Howe's )
~ 7 Ld. Wm. Gor- C Taken the greatest part at
2 °' 1 ) don'slateScott's / St.John's,reft with Carlton.
35th — Fl. Campbell's'
38th — Pigot's
40th — Hamilton's,
43d — Carry's
44th — Abercrombie's
45th — Haviland's } At Boston..
47th — Carleton's
49th — Maitland's
52d — Clavering's
63d —T. Grant's
64th — Pomeroy's J,
65th — Urmhon's - - at Boston and Halifax.
Royal Artillery, at Boston, five companies, each
one Captain, one Captain-Lieutenant, one Firll
Lieutenant, three Second Lieutenants, three Ser
jeants, three Coporals, fix Bombadiers, twelve
Gunners, one Fife, two Drums, and forty-eight
Matroffes.
I Company ditto, at Quebec.
I Company ditto, at Montreal, &c. part supposed
to be taken.
1 Company ditto, at St. Augufline.
I Invalid Company ditto, at Newfoundland.
Marines, —intended to be made up to 2000, and it
is expedited that more Artillery will be sent.
Intended for the Service in North-America,
177 6 -
29th foot, Evelyn's,—Now at Chatham, ordered to
be in readiness to embark on board of men of
war, supposed to be defined for Quebec, and to
fail lb as to arrive there as early as the navigation
of the river St. Lawrence will admit.
,3d loot, Sir J. Amherlt'sj
9th —Ligonier'sj
nth—A'Court's I Now ordered to be in
20th—Parker's ^ readmels tor embarb
24th—G. Cornwallis's, j ation in tlie sp r ing.
now Taylor's J
34th —Ld. F. Cavendifh'sJ.
53d —H. Elphinftone's|
bed —Strodes's, now , now at St. Vincent's.
Jones's
6th — Boothby'sJ
Partly at St. Augustine,
14th —Cunningham's partly with Lord Dunmore
) the rest at Halifax.
16th— Cavan's - ready to fail from Corke.
6th—Gifborne's at Pentacola.
1-th-MoMto ?° n ^ P% from Ireland.
fo-MMeyY I 4, m P,f, 01 the I 7 th am.
') ved at Bolton.
28th— Erle's - put back to Corke.
33d —Cornwallis's ) D j rr A ,
^th-Coo^s £ Read Y 10 ^ fr ° m Corke
-42d —Lord Murray's recruiting in Scotland.
) 7 companies put back to Corke,
46th —Vaughan's > the other three 011 their passage
) to Boston.
54th — Frederick's ready to fail from Corke.
55th —Ja. Grant's on their, passage from Ireland,
fyth —lrwine's ready to fail from Corke.
.2d bat. Frafe^s corps? f, in ScOt ^, to con
' , lilt of 2000 men.
Goreham & McLean's / railing in America, to con
corps ) flit of 4 or 500 each.
N. B The marching regiments for the American
service, are to consist of twelve companies of fifty
fix effective rank and file each company; the three
Highland battalions exempted, viz. Lord John Mur
ray's and Fraser's, which are to consist of 1000 men
each.
16th Drag. Burgoyne's—under orders for Boston.
N. B. The prelent eftablilhment of the 16th and
i7th drag, exclulive of the commiflioned officers; —
two ferjeants, two corporals, and thirty-five effec
tive privates to each troop, fix troops; but an aug
mentation is ordered of one cornet, one ferjeant,
corporals, and thirty-five privates to each troop, to
do duty on foot, no horses to be provided for this
augmentation. 1000 of the guards to be drafted
from the three regiments, and commanded by Col.
Matthews. Besides the above Britilh force, it is
reckoned there will be 15,000 foreign auxiliaries;
and that the Ihipping necelfary for the embarkation
will be 90,000 ton.
We further learn, by extracts from the St. James's
Chronicle, of the 19th ot March, inserted in the
Halifax Gazette, that Gen. Burgoyne was to fail
for Quebec with 10,000 troops, and retake it if in
the hands of the rebels, and then proceed to Mon
treal, St. John's, &c.— that Gen. Gage and Lord
Howe, with 7000 troops, were to join Gen. Howe
at Boston, at which place it is supposed there is 8000
. Gage to remain as Governor ot Massachusetts,
while the Generals Howes are to attack and beat the
rebels from their polls; they are then to secure their
embarkations and proceed to New-York, land there
and occupy Hudson's-river, and proceed up and join
Gen. Burgoyne from Quebec, and eftablilh a chain
of forts round New-England.—Also that 100 fail
of frigates and Hoops of war are to line our coast,
it is said three deep, to cut of all communication
between the Colonies.—That the above troops are
to be Hessians, who enter into pay before they march,
and Hanoverians and British; the foreign dates are
fubfedized for two years alter the troops th ill be re
turned to their own land again, if ever that ihouldbe.
WILLIAM SB U R G, May 10.
There is advice from North Carolina, that eight
or ten transports have arrived at Cape-Fear from
Ireland, being part of a fleet which failed from that
kingdom witli 4000 troops on board. The rest were
looked for daily.
PROVIDENC E, May u.
William Ellery, Esq; is chosen a Delegate
for this colony, to attend the Continental Congress
in place of the Hon. Samuel Ward, Esq; deceased.
N E W-LONDO N, May 10.
Last Monday a New-York privateer, which was
bound out from this port, was chafed for several
hours by the Cerberus frigate, and a brig her con
sort, from Montauk-point to the westward, but the
privateer, by making short tacks close in Ihore, kept|
out of reacli of their ihot and got clear; mean while
sundry vessels which had been some weeks waiting
an opportunity to get to sea, ran by Montauk point,
and got out.
N E W-Y O R K, May 20.
Extract of a letter from Montreal, May 1
" On Sunday last arrived here, Baron Woedlke,
and Col. De Haas, witli Mr. Joseph Terry, of this
place, accompanied by several other gentlemen of
the army. And on Monday the Committee of the
Hon. Continental Congress, for ellablilhing and re
gulating the Continental affairs in this province,
Kvith the celebrated Dr. Franklin at their head.
They were received on the beach at the port de
Vadreuil by General Arnold, and the friends to li
berty, and a salute was fired from the Citadel; be
ing escorted to head-quarters, they and a number
of friends to liberty spent the evening with decent
mirth."
Thursday last 24 Indians, the chiefs of several
Indian Nations, arrived here from Albany: we hear
they are to set out for Philadelphia in a few days,
in order to wait on the Honourable Continental
Congress.,
PHILADELPHIA, May 22.
AT a Meeting at the State-House, on Monday
last, of a very large number of the Inhabitants
of the City and Liberties of Philadelphia, upon due
notification.
Major John Bayard, as chairman of the Commit
tee of Infpedtion and Observation of the City and
Liberties of Philadelphia, &c. informed the people
that the meeting was called at the requelt of a con
siderable number of reipeHable citizens. Where
upon Col. Daniel Robefdeau was appointed to, and
seated in the chair—and it was
Moved, That the Resolve of Congress, of the 15th
inst, be read—Whereupon it was read in the follow
ing words.
[ For the Resolve of Congress fee our laf].
The people, in testimony of their warmest appro
bation, gave three cheers.
Moved, That the inftrudions given by the House
of Assembly to their Delegates in Congress be read,
and the fame were read accordingly as follows:
" Gentlemen,
“ TH E trust reposed in you is of such a nature,
and the modes of executing it may be so diverfified
in the course of your deliberations, that itis scarcely
poflible to give you particular inftru&ions respec
ting it.
“ We therefore, in general, dired, that, you,
or any four of you, meet in Congress the Delegates
of the several Colonies now assembled in this city,
and any such Delegates as may meet in Congress
next .year; that you consult together on the present:
ci itical and alarming state of public affairs; that you
exert your utmost endeavours to agree upon, and
recommend such measures, as you ihall judge to
afford the bell profped of obtaining redress of Ame
rican Grievances, and reftormg that union and har
mony between Great-Britain and the Colonics so es
sential to the welfare and happiness of both countries
“ Though the oppressive measures of the Britifo
Parliament and administration have compelled us
to resist their violence by force of arms, yet we
ftri&ly enjoin you, that you, in behalf of this colony
dissent from, and utterly rejed, any propofitiohs,
Should such be made, that may cause, or lead to
a feperation from our Mother Country, ora change
of a form of this government.
“ You are directed to make report of your pro
ceedings to this House.
Signed by Order of the House,
November 9, 1775. JOHN MORTON, Speaker."
Col. Thomas McKean informed, that the Com
mittee of the City and Liberties, apprehending the
dangerous tendency of the said inftru&ions, had pre
sented a memorial to the Honourable House of
Afiembly. praying that they might be refeinded,
and that the House taking the said memorial into
their consideration did, as the last aft of that body
in their last sessions, determine not to alter the said
inftruffions.
Upon motion, resolved unanimously, That it is the
opinion of this meeting that the said inftruftions,
have a dangerous tendency to withdraw this pro
vince from that happy union with the other colonies
which we confider both as our glory and prote&ion.
Upon motion refolded unanimously, That the pre
sent House of Assembly was not elected for the pur
pole ot forming a new government.
On motion, rejolved (with one dissenting voice only )
That the prelent Houle of Assembly not having the
authority of the people for that purpole, cannot
proceed thereon without affirming arbitrary power.
Rejolved unanimously. That a protest be immedi
ately entered by the People of this City and Li
berties, against the power of the laid Houle to carry
the laid Resolve of Congress into execution.
It being moved, and the question thereupon put,
Whether the present government is competent to the
exigencies of our affairs? the lame was carried in the
negative unanimously^
Refolded unanimouJly, That a Provincial Conven
tion ought to be chosen by the people, for the ex
press purpose of carrying the said Resolve of Con
gress into execution.
As lome difficulties may arise refpe&ing the mode
of electing Members for the said Convention there-
I fore,
Resolved unanimoufy, That the Committee of the
City and Liberties, of Philadelphia, be direded to
fend the aforementioned Resolve of Congress to the
several Committees throughout the province, and
to call together a number from the Committee of
each county, to hold a Provincial Conference, in
order to determine upon the number of which the
Convention for framing a new government shall be
composed, and the manner in which they ihall be
elcffed.
A Protest being produced and read, the fame was
unanimously approved.