The Connecticut courant, and the weekly intelligencer — Hartford [Conn.], 1779-09-07 00:00:00, page 1

LONDON, June 18.
HOU SEofLORDS.
Yesterday, as soon as the House
met, Lord Weymouth, one of his
Majesty's principal Secretaries of
State, laid before their Lord (hips a message
from his Majesty, to the fame purport as
that bro't to the commons, and accompani
ed with a trandation of the MANIFESTO
delivered on Wednesday from the Court of
Spain, oy her Amoaffador here. After
which the noble Lord, in a short speech,
moved the House for an humble address
to his Majesty, assuring his Majesty, that
their Lordships were willing to hazard their
lives and fortunes in defence of his perlon
and government.
°L>rd Abingdon, with great spirit, oppo
sed the motion. No probability appeared,
his Lordship said, of feeing our public af
fairs put into a better situation, or our ca
lamities. removed or alleviated, by thole
men who had by a series of the mod gross.
obstinate, and unexampled follies, plunged
us into a thousand difficulties. Our pre
lent situation, his Lordship farther contend
ed, was now become so critical as to re
quire the advice and consent of our ablest
Statesmen, and that it would be highly ab
surd indeed, to entrust the condud of the
war, when extended to the whole House of
Bourbon, to those very ministers who had
woefully proved themselves wholly inca
pable of defending us with any kind of suc
cess or reputation against a part of it His
Lordship brought into one point of view
the whole mifconduft of administration,
pointed out their ignorance and inability in
the most remarkable instances, with proper
animadversions thereon, and laid immedi
ately at their doors, the deaths of those
thousands of brave men who have been
facrificed in the course of the American
war.
His Lordship remarked how entirely the
ministry had loft all confidence of the peo
ple; that confidence, he laid, which it was
so necessary for a ministry to enjoy, before
they could aft with efficacy and success:
finally maintaining, that the spirit of the
public was so damped by the present men
in power, that they really could not find it
in their hearts to wish for vidory while
they continued to guide the reins of go
vernment. His Lordship therefore moved,
“ For an humble address to his Majesty,
“ praying, that his Majesty would be gra
^ cioufly pleafcd to remove the present
" fervantaof the crown from hisconfidence,
f c advice, and councils."
The noble Lord's motion brought on a
Very warm and general debate, after which
there appeared, upon its being, ut,
Contents - 22
Non contents —— 60
Majority — —^
TUESDAY, September 7, 1779; THE Number >63.
CONNECTICUT COURANT,
A N D THE
WEEKLY INTELLIGENCER.
HARTFO R D : Printed by HUDSON and GOODWIN, near the Great Bridge,
A second d< bate, ecy 'lb warm and fpi
rited with the firft, no^ ^k place, after
which his Grace's motion was rejected, by
a majority of 34, there being,
Contents — 32
Non contents — 66
The two amendments being severally
thrown out, Lord Weymouth's motion, as
originally Bated, was put and carried with
out a division. After which the House
adjourned.
Che ministry ought to be severely pu
nished, was it only for not fending out our
fleet to block up the Brest fleet, to prevent
their joining theSpania-ds; as the ministry,
according to Lord North's expression,
LONG LOOKED FOR THE SPA
NISH DECLARATION.
Nothing but the most miraculous cir
cumstances of good fortune could have lav
ed the East India fleet, and Admiral Ed
wards's little squadron that convoyed it,
confuting of three fail of the line, and two
frigates, from falling into the hands of the
enemy ; but luckily meeting with one of
our frigates that had been chaced by Compte
d'Orvilliers fleet, they altered their course,
and fleered back for England, or in lets
than three hours more they had inevitably
met their disastrous fate.
Extras of a letter from Rouen, June 9.
“ The greatest preparations are carried
on in this province (Normandy) and in
Britany. Our workmen here are employed
in repairing the ships defined to be used as
transports, and this day they began to build
the boats necessary for the landingofcroops:
there are now fifty of them on the docks at
Sr, Maloes, where about sixty snips of 150
tons burthen have been taken up for the
king': service: there are forty at Havre,
and fifty at Granville; these 150 fail are
new eadv, and will be Efficient to transport
25 coo men; the rigiment cf Normandy
is on the way to Brest, with orders to em
bark immediately; alltheEngb.fi), redding
Lord Abingdon's motion, which his Lord
ship had moved by way .of amendment to
the motion for addressing his Majesty, be
ing g ot rid of, the Duke of Richmond
proposed another amendment, by mov
ing, " That an humble address be present
" ed to his Majesty, praying that his Maj^f
" ty would be graciously pleafid to change
" the present system of measures laid down
" in the cabinet, and pursued by his Ma
“ jefty's mnifters."
His Grace represented, with his usual
good sense and force of argument, the very
dangerous principle of our politics for some
years back, pointed out the many unhappy
events that had ensued therefrom, together
with the calamitous state to which we were
now reduced, and was confident that no
thing but an entire alteration of our pub
lic measures could possibly save the British
empire from utter deftru&ion.
Yesterday morning some dispatches were
received at Lord Weymouth's office from
the English Ambassador at Madrid, who is
hourly expected to arrive, as he had t^ken
his leave before the dispatches came away.
Yesterday noon messengers were uif
patched from the Admiralty tothe out posts,
for all the men of war, frigates, and sloops
of war, that are in condition, to be fir.cd
for sea with all possible difpach
Advices of a mod alarming nature have
been received frem Quebec; it is reported
that that city is taken by the Americans in
a co&p de main.
Thursday morning, at twenty eight mi
nutes part three o'clock, the Spanish Am
bassador set off from his house in Geat
George street, on his return to Madrid.
Our feperation, through the incorrigibly
obfrinacy cf Adminiftrarion, is now criti
cally distressing indeed ! unnerved, as the
arm of Great Britain is, by an absurd and
fruitlefs war with America; we have not
only this to struggle against, the difficulties
and difadvantag s of it, but have drawn,
by our follies, the whole House of Bou bon
upon us; and while our military and rz
val strength is miserably erervated, and
our tefcurces inamannerexhaufted, France
and Spain appear in the height of vigour,
furnished with the most ample means of a
formidable and exterfive wa, the former
ovet flocked, as it is, wih ships and troops,
while the treasures of the latter power leaves
'Tis now with great confidence said, that
the Brest fleet failed on the ,1 of June at
half past two in the afternoon; that it con
lifted of 28 ships of the line, and 23 frigarts ;
that it contained a great number or troops
and marines; tha r their cockades in^their
hats were white and red, to shew that a
union had taken place between F ance and
Spain, 'Tis generally supposed they are
gone to join the Spaniards, and it is to be
feared an invasion of great confequenee will
take place on some part of the British do
minions; Ireland is at prelent most thought
of for the place in which the firft aft of
hostilities will commence.
in or near our ports, have orders to remove
ar the distance of at least sixty leagues f 1 m
their present settlements. A small b>at
which lately arrived from America, b lugs
advice that Gen Lincoln, alter having de
feated the English in leveial skirmishes,
had forced them to evacuate fev^al of
their posts in Georgia."
It is said Lord Stormont will be imme
diately appointed Secretary or fiate
Though we are now entered upon a war
with Spain, with Fiance and America on
our backs, we have formed no one alli
ance of any consequence; the fate of Great
Britain therefore, and the full exertion of
her strength, depends entirely on the Wis
dom, spirit, and ceconom, cf the present ad
miniltration.