The New-York gazette, and the weekly Mercury — New-York [N.Y.], 1778-04-20 00:00:00, page 2

day of April, 1778.
William Tryon.
The Right Hon. Lord NORTH'S SPEECH,
on bis conciliatory Motion, on Tuefda, the Iftb
of February.
THE proportion which I have the honour to
offer to this Houle, is, for two a&s of parlia
m^nt. I will now open the contents of them full,
ahd will then refer them to a committee of the whole
House. Atthe opening of the present session, on the
fifl day, doting the debate upon the address to his
Majesty, I told the House, that in my opinion terms
might be made &ith the colonies, fliort of uncondi
tional submission, and that the time of making them
was the moment of vi&ory. I said this, thinking that
tl^ victory gained by Sir William Howe was more
decisive than it really was, and ignorant at the tinie,
of the dififter which had fallen on General Bur
goyne's army. When the news of that melancholy
event arrived, I was struck, that the time of propa
fing terms was pall, and that the firft poi^t to be done
was the railing of newlevies, and a new force. The
consequences of that misfortune were unknown :
The general idea, was, that the viaoriousarmy would
march to Philadelphia, and that, flushed with victory,
a general engagement might have happened, which
would have been decisive. I thought it necessary,
therefore, to waittill the end of the campaign, till I
had a knowledge of all the events of it; it is ended,
and nothing decisive has happened. The forces of
Washington are not Efficient to make him quit his
defenfive plan. Our army is great, our navy is.great,
our men in health, in spirits, and well supplied ; but
the refinance of America is greater, and the war has
laded longer, than was at firft apprehended, much
longer than any friend to this country could wish,
and I do not think that it will end in this campaign.
I think that our forces are fufficient to compel Ame
rica to accept of reafonab'e terms ; but I make my
proportion on this ground, that it is better to offer a
concession to the colpnies now, which may end the
con'eft within the year, than to continue the war for
three or four years longer, though with the assuran
ces of compleat conquelt. In the present situation
of affairs only three propositions can be made.
I. To strengthen our forces, and continue the war
upon the present plan.
11. To recall it from America. And,
111. To offer terms of conciliation to her.
Therfirft proposition is attended with too great an
expenceof men and money ; an expence which con
«|ueft irfelf would not balance. The second is to
fubicribe to the independency of America. The
thud is that which appears to me to be the best and
wifelt. I never thought of proposing an ultimatum
to America. In a contest which contains so many
nice and difficult points, so many matters which de
mand future remedies, without any perlon present on
the part of the colonies, that would be impossible and
impracticable. Whatever you give, unless iris firft
fettled .and agreed on by persons authorifed by the
colonies, might be given in vain. The danger also
of pub idling such an ultimatum would be great ;
every word wan'd be critically examined by jealous
powers, and receive an invidious and faife conitruc
tion, or unjust comment. Every proposition would
be blasted before it reached America. II it got there
entire, the colonies by refuf.ng one condition, would
dHfroyall. I with, therefore, so: an open conference
with America I think that there is so much affec
tion hill left in that country towards this, that barely
to enter on a difeuffion is more than half the business.
My plan is to open such a discussion. I shall there
fore fappofe, ift. An aft of parliament to vest Com
rhiffioners with very ample powers tor this purpose.
The powers must be ample : limited powers can pro
duce no good. They murt beampie, as to the persons
with whom they treat, and as to the objects concern
ing which they treat. As to the persons, the present
cpmmrffi )ners have great powers ; but the present a&
must be full, and clear, containing no doubt ; no
doubt whether they (hall treat with the Congress,
with rebels, with persons Dually in arms, whether
with a general afl'embly of all the colonies, or with
the affembiy of a particular colony. The only rule
to guide the commiffipners mult be, whether the per
sons with whom they treat, are authorifed so to do.
I.Jhjiltherefore propple, that such persons shall be
drferibed in the molt general words. There lhould
Wn, etiquette j the time for that is past. As to the
oßjffy of tfe treaty; they lhould be as generally
de&ibed. The Commissioners lhould be enabled to
treat on all grievances exiting, or supposed to exist
i^the laws of. the colpnies, or in the statutes of this
realm.; onallwters, provisions, orthings, and on
all aids and future contributions to be furnished by
the colonies ; for I have reason to think, from the.
drehrafons of the colonies, that they are willing to
contribute 'their (hare to the public support. This
w ^j^i£ ^ e " e Wronger between us. Those who
derive an advantage from a state, ought to contribute
td'the burthens of ir. The execution of these powers
miift receive ~the subsequent fan&ibn of parliament ;
butther&are some points in which the opinion of the
Commissioners mud prevail immediately, as the
granting of general and particular pardons, or a cef
fition ot hultil^ies. They muff have also another
i u,medlate.power, % more great and extenfire, founded
on the example of an .aft passed in the reign of
Charles it. &'e power of fulpending a&s of parlia
n&tl; The colonies have demanded to be put in the
fi^ritbn they were in (763# I doubt they will never
be placed exaflly in the fame situation, but perhaps
they ma^be placed in one not much lefi advantageous.
The dailies, since that, year are many ; many of them
are beneficial to the colonies; many necessary for
their dependance as to trade ; and many ought to be
repealed, ail perhaps lhould be revised ; I would give
the Commiffijners full power to take them all into
their confideratipn, and 19 fofpend fah as lhould be
J l)3 'hereby certify that the foregoing drafts of lilh
are true copies of eiclofures sent me in a di/patch by
the Right Hearable Lord GEORGE GERMAINE,
one oj bis Majefy's principal Secretaries oj State.
His Maj/fly /saving seen wish great concern, the
calamitous c lufequences oj the dispute ivitb the Colonies,
and aciding to hope that even those ivbo have been
?n?f jorvuard in bringing on tbofe misfortunes, are now
' convinced of the fatal tendency of their conduß, and
would gladly return to tbeir allegiance, if they nuere
not withheld by apprehenjions that advantage would
be take# of tbeir Jubmiffinn, % pursue measures dila
ted by resentment of tbeir pafl behaviour, and to
impose upon the Colonies intolerable burthens and
restraints. To remove allgrounds of fueb appreben
tions, and to prepare the way to the return of peace,
the above Bills were read in the Houje oj Commons,
on the i,tb day of February last, in pursuance of an
unanimous resolve of that Houje, oj the 17th of the
fame month ; and I have his Majefy's command to
cause them to be printed and difyerfed, that the people
at large may be acquainted with tbeir contents, and of
the favourable dfrfaion of Great-Britain towards
the %erican Colonies.
GIVEN under my Hand at New-York, this 15th
repealed. There rs another provision, which 1! per
haps a matter of convenience only; they should have
a power of appointing Governors in these colonies,
where his Majesty was used to appoint them.
' I shall propose to limit the duration of this aft to
June 1, 177'9: If Iwas to stop here, the plan would
be certainly defective; defective in not offering an
inducement to the colonies to treat with us. They
must give up their claim ot independency; but to
induce them to do this, they must be certain of some
thing fixed and decided. If it is necessary to hold
out an inducement to all thecolonies collectively, it is
equally neceffaty to hold it out to each colony in
particular. Though some rhay not renounce their
independency, some may, and it will not be/faid,
that it the Commissioners cannot treat withall, they
/ball not treat with any. The colonies mutt have
some other inducement than mere hopes. Before the
war broke out, I offered a reconciliatory proposition
to America : I offered it before the sword was drawn.
The ground upon which I made it was, that it was
just that the colonies fliould contribute to the support
of government, but that their taxation by parliament
occasioned jealousies in them of our attempting to
throw the burden off our own shoulders, upon them,
and of endangering the security of their assemblies.
This proposition was unfortunate; it wab rendered
suspicious by the fuppefition of a Variety of cases; it
was misrepresented or mifundei flood. I thought it
necessary to (how them, that we were not fighting for
taxation, for I never thought that such taxation would
be very beneficial to us. The stamp was the best duty
that could be laid, and even that could not have pro
duced much, so great was the aYerfion to it. My in
tent of making this proposition was, to prevent the
war, by preserving our rights, and freeing them
from their jealousies. In many of the assemblies
there was an inclination to have accepted it, but they
referred it to the Congress. The Congress treated
it as unreasonable, and inlidious, and rejected it.
War began, and my intention was, from the be
ginning, at the moment cf victory, to have propo
sed the fame proposition, in terms obviating all the
mifreprefemtations, aid mis- understandings concern
ing it. The principal objeaions to it were,
I. That the colonies had a foie right of granting
their own money. My proposition locked to a per
manent revenue to be granted by them in the firft in
stance. My idea was, that they lhould grant their
own money in proportion to our grants, rising, and
falling with them.
IT. That it was ur.reafonable, because the quan
tum was not afeertained ; but their contribution was
afterwards to undergo the revifal of Parliament.
This was not my idea :---my intent was, that their
proposition fliould be fettled, and being fettled,
ffiould always remain the fame.
111. That it was insidious, because the ministry
intended to get one colony to bid against another. I
had no such intent. The Congress might have fet
tled what each colony should offer. I will now hold
out to the colonies a cessation of the exercise of tax
ation, and I will not fubje& it to any conditions, or
to the demand of any fpecific contribution. My
proposition, therefore, is, an aft of Parliament,
giounded on the jealousies of the exercise of the
right of taxation, and on their declarations of their
being willing to contribute, to take away this exer
cise, abiolutely trusting to the negociations of our
Commissioners for gaining contributions from the
colonies: but I do not mean to make their grantee
qua non, but will declare, by an aft of Parliament,
that for the future the Parliament will not tax the
colonies for the purpose of raising a revenue ; and if
en account of commerce, that the money so railed,
shall be appropriated to the use of the colonies. I
propose this, as an explicit declaration. It may be
said, Should not the colonies give up their claim of
independency ? The renunciation of that claim is
implied in the ad itfelf. It may be said also, If
you give up taxation, what is there left to fight
for? I never thought taxation a fufficient obje&
for the contest, and upon this idea, I made my
proposition before the war begun. But I fought
for the dependence of America. The Congress
claimed Independency. The Colony of MalEchu
fett's Bay claimed it, and a great outrage was com
mitted on our merchants. The war has cost us more
than any revenue which could have been railed from
America by Parliament. The contest was for fu
preinacy. But it may be urged, that concessions in
time of war, of so public a nature, are dangerous.
It is the misfortune of this war, involved in so many
parliamentary points, to require public steps. The
state of our resources is well known. This concessi
on cannot therefore, in this refpe&, be prejudicial to
us. Our army, and navy are great ; our loss can
be repaired; the necessary supplies can be railed ;
and our customs are not diminished. But why was
not conceflion made before? I am willing that
my past condu^ should be infpe&ed. I never pro
posed any tax. When I was unfortunate enough
(for I dill use the word, notwithstanding the use
made of it) to be placed in my present office, I
thought there was a gleam of hope, that the colo
nies would return to their duty. My maxim was to
fay nothing about America; neither to propose or
repeal taxes ; neither to advance or secede; but to
remain in total silence. But when it was necessary
to give the Eatt-India Company a power of felling
their tea in America, I did not think it right to re
peal the tax. I however diminished it. A repeal
would have been of no service; for America was
afraid, that the Ed-India Company would under
sell their smugglers. A monopoly was also urged.
They had in fa€l, the commodity cheaper than they
had it before. If they deemed this a grievance, they
were ready to make any thing a grievance I When
the war was b°gun, I thought it necessary to accom
pany our forces with a pacific commiffion,---and the
Commissioners were men oj abilities, men of ho
nour, men of a pacific difpqfrtiqn, men trusted by
America, who were the most likely to bring about a
reconciliation. But this commission produced noef
fe&, because the claims of America were so distant.
When the sword was drawn, why dd I not make
my proposition? I own I .thought that the war would
soon have ended, and I should have made it, had
America been reduced to unconditional submission ;
but misfortunes, ?mifcondu&, or a greater natural
force in America than was expe&ed, and which no
man could forefee, have carried on the war to its
present length. I will never own that adminiftration'
has deceived the public, in wanting to delude them
into measures, which they thought were ineffectual.
The information laid before Parliament was full :
Parliament bad every paper necessary to found its'
judgment, no papers were retained, but those only,
which, for the fake of the writers, would have been
dangerous to have exposed. But the deception is,
that Administration said, that in their opinion the
war would soon be at an end. Our army and navy
were great; Sir William Howe's ariny was gene
rally superior to Washington's; and General Bur
goyne's army, when at Fort Edward, was Wronger
than the enemy's force.™ Parliament knew the force
sent out as' well as the Minister, Ministry promi
LOND O N,
Feb. 19. According to the accounts delivered by
Sir Grey Cooper, relative to the extraordinary ex
penses of calling in the gold coin, it appears, that
the money deficient in weight, as delivered into the
Bank, under the different Proclamations, was as
follows :
By the firft Proclamation £. 3,806,435 7 2
2d Proclamation 4,876,171, 18 3
3d Proclamation 6,880,986 5 3
£ - 15,563:593 If 8
Lieutenant Colonel Burgoyne, we hear, is to suc
ceed Sir George Osbourne, as Mufler Matter Gene
ral of the foreign troops, and is shortly to embark
for America.
Admiral Barrington, in the Prince of Wales, is
ordered to the Leeward Islands.
Sir Robert Stewart is appointed a Major to the
Athol Highlanders.
Lord Cornwallis has had, it is said very many
private as -well public conferences with the King, and
the King's friends, since his return from America.
Yesterday Sir John Woodhoufe, Bart. Chairman
of the Committee for railing a fubfeription in the
county of Norfolk, was introduced to his Majesty
at the levee, when he received the honour of an au
dience, and was most graciously received.
At the fame time several officers were presented,
and received the honour of kissing his Majesty's
hand on their promotion in the army.
The Andrew, Geyer, from New-York, who is
arrived at Dover, failed the zad of January.
Extraß of a Letter from Fort St. George, dated
May 13, 1777.
" It is with the deepest sorrow that I now acquaint
you with the melancholy event of the death of Lord
Pigot ! Through the great care and ikill of Mr.Paif
ley, he seemed to have got the better of the firft ill
ness which he laboured under when I wrote to you
by the French ships in March : But when he relapsed,
and Mr. Paisley, (as well as Major Horne, under
whose charge my Lord Hill lemained a prisoner) re
presented to the people in the fort, that there was a
necessity for removing him, for the benefit of the Fa
air,; and he was by the particular persuasion cf, Mr.
Pailley and his own friends, accordingly brought in
a palanquin, on the 28th past, from the Mount to
the company's garden house, which is about, a mile
from the fort, and not so far from the sea. He was
then very weak and much exhausted, and though the
power of medicine did, for two or three days, give
some faint hopes of a recovery, at the fame time that
his manly behaviour strengthened those hopes, the
furg^ons, on the 7th and Bth inst. declared that he
could not survive many days ; and on the 9th his
friends perceived that he had himfelf determined to
prepare for his approaching dissolution, by telling
Mr. Russel, Mr. Stone, and Mr. Monckton, (who
were eonftantly with him) that he wished to write a
letter to the company. He then fat up in his bed,
and dilated the letter with all possible propriety and
recolleaion ; and took occasion to tell them, that that
would probably be the last letter that he should ever
address to them ! The next morning he called for
federal papers relative to his own affairs ; and having
spoke of the fubjeft to which they related with great
precision, he dilated a codicil to his will, of some
length, in the clearest manner. Though the force
ofuhis constitution, and the faculties of his mind
were overborne by his long confinement, and the in
sult and cruelty with which he had been treated, yet
the powers of his undeiftanding preserved their na
tural tone to the last moment, and gave the cleared
proof of that recollection and firmnefs which has so
muclf distinguished his character ! No man who then
saw him employed in those solemn preparations for
eternity, but was well convinced that he left the
world with a confeious integrity of heart ! But in
the evening his decay seemed faft approaching; and
on the next day, Sunday the nth, at eleven in the
morning, he took his leave of an ungrateful world !"
TRENTO N, April 8.
On Saturday last the General AffembJy of
this State adjourned to Princetown, where they
are now fitting, for the further dispatch of
business.
Extras of a letter from Monmouth county, dated
March I, 1778.
“ The late storm has destroyed many of the
small salt-works on our shore, with all the salt
in them.—The night tide was several feet
higher than has ever been known before—a
considerable number of horned cattle were
drowned on Long Beach and other places.
The Long Beach is almost wholly levelled, and
but little more ofit than a land bar kfcThc
fed that the army lhould be ft/plkd. The army
has been supplied. Ministry promised to raise the
money necessary for the Services. The money has
been railed. The public therefore has been deceiv
ed by the event. It may be afktd, what is likely
to be the effect of this proposition ? The real efteft
I cannot fay, but it is a right thing to endeavour to
bring about a peace. Ido not fee that any other
concession can be made without admitting the com
plete independency of America. But what would
be the efte& of that independency ? I cannot fee into
futurity; but it is big with many pcffible evils. In
dependency with a cordial love between us, is one
thing ; with an union with our enemies fatal. From
their independency a danger arises from a great na
val power ; a danger also to our other pofieffions.
I do not think that we should yield to it, till our te
fources are much lowered. Independency is not be
neficial to America. She cannot be so happy, so
eaty, cannot have such peifonal liberty, as if she re
mains dependent on us. If independent, the muff
be loaded with heavy burdens, more heavy than fire
had, her perfanal liberty will not be so great. Her
present situation, as compared with ours, is ten
times more grievous. Her fatmers are ruined ;
when all the neceflaries of life fell at prices the molt
high, they aie compelled to fell the produce of their
land at a small price in comparison. I was assured
that at Albany, tea a necessary article there, fold at
16 dollars per pound ; and salt at 30 dollars per
bushel. Thinking that men in this fnuation will be
inclined to peace on just, and reasonable teims, I
move the House for leave to bring in two Bills,
&c. &c.
[lhe t^o bills above mentioned are tbofe in the firft
page of this paper.]
H AMB UR GH, February 6.
LETTERS from Copenhagen confirm the
report that 15,000 men are to encamp near that,
capital.
Paris, Feb. 7. The English have taken two more
of our ships laden with arms, regimental uniforms,
and other articles necessary for an army, on the dale
pretext that they were defined for their colonies in
North Air erica.
IF Margery Hutchinson, wife of the late Capt. Hutch
jnfbn, of the city of New-York, is yet alive, or
Catharine Haly, fifter'to the above mentioned Margery,
and will apply to Hugh Gaine, they will hear of a fift^r
of theirs who would be glad to fee them. Catharine
came to America in the Year 1745.
WHEREA~S ~
TH E partnership between Smith and Dean,
dyers, and scourers, was dissolved, as by an Adver
tilement inthis paper, of June last ; and as several debts,
were then, and is due, to said Smith, he requests, those
that are indebted, will pay it by the firft day of May next.
Said Smith continues to carry on the Business, at No. 9,
Maiden-Lane;
WAS taken out of the houf: of Captain Thomas
Brown, of Ramrepough, on Saturday night the
11th inflant, the fallowing pieces of plate, viz. a silver
tea pot, maker's name Banker; 6' silver table fpoons,'
masked A 7 tea spoons, 4cf them marked M the
T B, T B,
other three marked E and the date of the year ; a
M T,
faufe cup with a mermaid engraved thereon; a bowl
marked E, T. and half a dozen silver handled knives
and forks. Should any of the above articles be offered
for file, 'tis requested the owner may be made acquain
ted therewith.
Four Dollars Reward.
RUN away on Tuesday the 7th inst. from the sub
scriber at Newtown, Long-Island, a negro wench
named HESTER, about 34 years of age, shore and well
set, rather of a yellowish complexion ; had on when she
went off a striped lindfey short gown and petticoat, has t
fepr under one of her eyes; ffie is supposed to be in one
of the negro houses in New-York, as the has been seen
lurking about the Fly-Market. Whoever will deliver
her to the owner, shall have the above reward, with rea
sonable charges ; all persons are requeued not to harbour
oremploy her# WATERS SMITH.
S~~O L D,'
A good CARRIAGE,
And a pair of gentle H ORSES.
Enquire of Hugh Gaine.
furniture, has floated out of the lower rooms of
some houses that flood low on the water-fide.
The inhabitants never saw so dillreffing a time."
We hear that on Saturday morning last, Co
lonel Shreve, who commands the second Jer
sey regiment, lent a party of men under Major
Howel, to join some of the Salem and Cum^
berland militia, in order to invest Billingsfort,
where about 150 tories had been intrenching
and fortifying themselves ; but the militia not
arriving in time, and the tories getting infor
mation, the Major returned to Haddonfield,
whbre Col. Shreve had taken post. The ene
my in Philadelphia getting intelligence of
what had paired, detached 14.00 men about 9
o'clock at night, who landed at Gloucester
Point, making a circditotls route, with intent
to surprise Col. Shreve ; but the Colonel,
though in the dead of night, received intel
ligence of the enemy's movement, and his
troops, being greatly inferior in number, all
retired to Mountholly about 3 o'clock on
Sunday Morning, except three who were
boyoneted by the enemy on their arrival. One
of our cavalry, who had been dispatched to
give notice to the guard at Cooper's ferry,
was also killed on his way, by which means
the guard had no notice of the enemy's ap
proach, and several of them were killed and
taken prisoners, among the latter is Major
Ellis of the Gloucester militia, and Lieute
nants Stout and Hutchin, of Shreve's regiment
of continental trbops.
SUPERFINE, middling,
and coarse broad cloths,
Yard wd. kerfeys and plains,
Hunters, duffles, coatings,
White, green, moreen, mul
berry, buff, &c. caffimers,
Shalloons, white flannels,
Black callimancoe, broad
and Harrow,
Durants and tammies, all
colours,
Cambists, fluffs, and dor
fetteens,
Corduroys, velverets, and
brown fuftian,
Black and coloured sewing
silks,
Silk twist and mohair,
Hair, twist, and £ar gimp
buttons,
Metal and horn buttons.
Mens hats,
foff breeches patterns,
A large assortment of printed
linen and cotton handkfs.
A large assortment of printed
cottons and linens,
Irish linens,
Mena coarse and fine leather
shoes,
Womens ditto,
Youths and boys ditto,
Worsted, brown thread, cot
ton and yarn stockings,
Childrens spotted ditto,
Mens silk ditto,
The enemy fruftrated in their d^figh of maf
facreing our troops, and having gafconaded
through the village, where they committed
many rads of cfuelty, besides burning two
dwelling-houses, returned to Philadelphia, in
the evening of the fame day.
From Princeton we learn that charitable do
nations from the congregations of Newark,
Elizabeth-Town, Connecticut Farris, Tu^ky,
and South Hanover, Springfield, Morris-
Town, Scotch Plains and Bound-Brook, for
the sick soldiers in hospitals, &c. were lately
sent to that place, confining of the following
articles, viz. 68 sheets ; 9 pairs of new shoes;
46 blankets; 347 pairs of stockings ; 243
shirts ; 200 breeches and trowfers ; 200
jackets; 76 coats; 39 yards of new cloth ;
5 coverlets ; sewing thread, yarn, buttons,
several new garments cut out but not made
up, new linen, and a large quantity of old,
suitable for lint, &c. &c.
And to be fold wholesale only,
At his store No. 520, in Hanover-Square, next store to
Mess s. Bowman and Codner's vendue-houfe ;
Alexander Riddell, and Co.
Lately Imported by
, Striped and blue caps,
, Worsted and cotton ditto,
, An assortment of ribbons,
Black and coloured fitk
handkerchiefs,
, Black modes and fattens,
White perfian,
Black lace,
Trolly do. new do.
A compleat aflortment of
plain, striped, and figured
gauzes,
Catgut and thread gauze,
Plain, ribbond, and brocaded
gauze handkerchiefs,
Gauze and lawn aprons,
flowered,
Clear lawns,
Striped and check'd do.
Sprig'd do.
Cambricks,
4-4, 5 4, and 6 4 muslins,
Striped and check'd do,
I Shirt buttons,
, Worsted mitts,
1 Striped laces,
Yarn gloves and mitts,
Womens leather gloves and
r mitts,
Nuns thread,
An assortment of hardware,
Stationary,
. Some .bales of flops,
Plain linen shirts,
Ruffled do#