The Connecticut courant, and the weekly intelligencer — Hartford [Conn.], 1781-10-16 00:00:00, page 1

LONDO N.
HOUSE OF PEERS, Wednesday July 18.
THIS day his Majesty came to the House,
and being seated on the Throne, the Usher
of the Black Rod was sent to the House of Com
mons, to desire their attendance. The Com
mons being come, the Speaker took his stand at
the Bar, and holding in his hand the East-India
Company's Bill made the following Speech to
the King :
SIR E,
" Your Majesty's faithful Commons have, in
the course of the present session, granted every
supply which your Majesty has asked, in order to
enable you to answer all the emergencies of
the prelent crisis of public affairs and to resist ef
fcaually the unprovoked confederacy which has
been formed agaihft this country ; and, although
in the railing of the supplies, they have done eve
ry thing in their power to render them as little
burthenfome to the people as possible, they have
found the resources of this country equal to eve
ry demand which has been made upon it yy&,
as the burthen's which the neceffhy of the times
obliged them to impose were great indeed, how
ever chcarfullyimpofed, his Majesty's faithful
Commons trust, that his Majesty's humanity
and wisdom will take care, that the supplies they
have so liberally granted, (hall be applied only to
the purposes for which they have voted. .
SIRE,... ,
" I have the fatisfaaion to inform you, that
during the present session your faithful^ Com
mons have paid particular attention to tne sup
port and extension of public credit, and the im
provment of the public revenues, in order to be
the better prepared to strengthen your Majesty's
arms, and to enable them to answer the future
exigencies of affairs:
"SIRE,.
" I have in my hand the last of the bills which
makeup the supply for the current year. It is
an a& for enabling your Majesty to enlarge the
charter of the United Company of merchants of
England, trading to the East-Indies, and for fe
cu'ring to your Majesty, for public use, the four
hundred and two thousand pounds y which bill I
molt dutifully present from your faithful Com-,
mons, ^ho humbly intreat that,, may receive
your Majesty's royal approbation."
The royal assent was then given to the follow
ing bills, viz.—To the East-India new Charter,
Bengal Judicature, and InfoLvent Debtors bills
—Bill to amend an Error in the Cocoa Nut A&
—Bill to regulate the Driving Cattle— That to
provide places of residence for the parochial Cler
gi —Bill for erecting new Buildings near the
ink—Bill to prevent the dealing of Iron Rails,
Pewter, Brass, Solder, &c. —Plymouth Dock
Bill, and several public and private Bills.
After which, his Majesty made the following
speech to both houses :
“ Mv Lords and Gentlemen,
" ALTHOUGH the business of this session
has required a longer attendance than may have
been confident with your private convenience,
yet I am persuaded that you look back with fatis
faaion on the time you have employed ma faith
ful discharge of your duty to your country, in
the present arduous and critical date of public
affairs. rrc
" I cannot let yon depart into your refpedive
counties, without assuring you of my entire ap
probation of your conduct, and of my perfect
confidence in the loyalty and good affections of
this Parliament,
WEEKLY INTELLIGENCER.
HERTFORD : Printed by H UDS6 N AND GOODWIN, near the Great Bridge.
TUESDA Y, October 16, 1781?
" The zeal and ardor which' you have fliowri
for the honor of my crown, your firm and stea
dy support ofa just cause, and the great eflorts
you have made to enable me to surmount all tne
difficulties of this extensive and complicated
war, must convince the world that the ancient
spirit of the British nation is not yet abated or
dimjnifhed...^
"In the mids tof these difficulties you have
formed regulations for the better management
and improvement of the revenues you ha-fe given
additional strength and stability to public Credit ;
and your deliberations on the affairs of the East-
India Company have terminated in such mea
sures as will', I trust, produce great and essential
advantages to my kingdom.
“ I have observed, with much fatisfa&ion;
that during the course of that important bufinefs<
your attention was not more anxiously directed
io the benifits to be derived from the territorial
acquisitions, than to the happiness and comfort
of the inhabitants of those remote provinces.
" Whatever mhy remain to be done for se
curing those valuable pofleffionsf and for re
straining the abuses to which they are peculiarly
liable, you will, I doubt not, proceed to provide
for at your next meeting, with the fame wisdom
and temper that have governed your late pro
ceedings and enquiries.
„ " Gentlemen of the House of Commons,
" My particular thanks are due to you for the
ample pro+ifion you have made for the service of
the current year. I fee with great pleasure that
you have had it in your power to apply so large
a sum to the discharge of the debt of the navy,
and that the supplies which you have granted
have been raised in a manner the least burthen
fome to the property and iriduftry of my faithful
people.^ r
" My Lordsand Gentlemed,
" While I lament the continuance of the pre
sent troubles, and the extention of this war, I
.have the fatisfadion to reflect, that the constant
aim of all mv councils has been to bring back my
deluded fubjeds in America to the happiness
and liberty they formerly enjoyed, and to fee the
tranquility of Europe feftored.
" To defend the dominions, and to maintain
the rights of this country, was, on my part, the
foie caufe,and themhly object of the war; Peace
is the earnest wilh of m'y heart ; but I have too
firm a reliance on the fpirit.and resources of the
nation, and the powerful afliftance of my Parlia
ment, and the protection of a just and all-ruling
Providerice, to accept it upon any other terms or
conditions than such as may consist with the ho
nour and dignity of my crown, and the, perma
nent interest and security of my people."
Then the Lord Chancellor, by his Majesty's
command said,
"- Mn Lords and Gentlemen,
" It is his Majesty's royal will and pleasure,
that this Parliament be prorouged to Phurfday,
the thirteenth day of September next, to be then
here holden ; and this Parliament is accordingly
prorobged to Thursday, the thirteenth day of
September next<
LONDON, June 16.
It is said that Admiral Graves, now in Ameri^
ca, will remove to Jamaica, to succeed to the
command on that nation, as soon as Admiral
Digbyarrives at New-York.
June 23. Captain Leslie of the Surprize frigate
arriyed yesterday at the Admiralty, with advices
from Gen. Elliot, by which we learn, that a fall.
The Emperor of Germany has granted the
establishment of an English Church for the use
of all Protestants who reside at Oftend,
Yesterday morning inftruftions ofa very par
ticular nature passed the Great-Seal, and were sent
off to the British mfiniftcr at Peterfburgh.
No less than ten young noblemen are added
to the number of young midshipmen, now ort
board the Prince George, Admiral Digby's ship,
the whole are said to be thirty who are to go
with the Admiral upon the American Ration.
having been suddenly made by our troops in gat
rifon there, the Spaniards were so compleatly
surprised, that the British forces carried all before
them, killing several of the enemy, with v^ry in
considerable lofson our fide. The consequences
according to the fame authority, were, the Spa
niards immediately raised the siege, & and retired
into the country with the greatest precipitation.
Accounts from Lisbon, brought by a gentler
ffian just arrived in town, give the following de
tail of this affair. That the Spaniards having re
solved upon a general attack upon the place,both
by sea and land, a fleet of 7 Jine of battle ships, 5
frigates, 6 fire-flrips, and 3 bombsy failed from
Cadiz ; the lack'd forces at the fame time advanc
ing nearer the garrison, keeping up a continual
Cannonade, - and throwing Shells, &c; upon the
besieged. General Elliot being apprised oftheir
defign,caufed twomaiked batteries to be ere&ed,
and cannon mounted on them, so that he might
open these batteries, and play upon their flanks,
which fucceeJed, he buffering the enemy to ad
vance almost within pistol (hot of the Queen's
battery, whicli was manned by three companies
of British grenadiers, and two of Hanoverian,
who then bred on the enemy ; the masked bat
teries at the fame time opening on their flanks,
put the enemy into the greatest confafion ; of
which General Elliot taking the advantage, im^
mediately sallied out with four battalions of Bri
tish, and three of Hanoverians, and charging the
confufed Spaniards with their bayonets, totally
routed them, destroyed all their new raised works
near the place, took several pieces of cannoned
other military stores, with which they retired
into Gibraltar. The Spaniards loss in this affair
is supposed to be near 5000 killed and wounded.
A letter from the Hague, dated June 16, fays,
'' That the Ruffian Ambassador has acquainted
the States, by order of the Empress, that she is
unwilling to fee her ally the King of Great-Bri^
tain overpowered by numbers, and urges themto
a negocration for pehce ; and that the Ambassa
dor has requeued an answer in a fortnight, that
he might fend it to the Empress. What effect
this may have on the States is uncertain ; they
are to meet in a few days to deliberate on tho
matter. We are very anxious to know the event,
as the people in general are desirous of a peace."
Since the Emperor has declared Oftend a free
port, people are coming from different parts to
reside there, where they have begun to build
warehouses, and a piece of ground is marked out
to build a ftreetof capital houses for the residence
of merchants#
lord North on the 26th of June, moved, that
the committee of the whole house would enable
hte Majesty, by a vote of credit of one milion, to
take such measures as the exigency of affairs may
require.—-The vote of credit puffed the house.
The Ruffian Minister, reading at the French
Court, at a meeting held at the hotel de Nar
bonne, in Paris,publicly declared, that a treaty of
alliance and friendfhip was negociating between
his Court and those of Vienna and London#
(No. 873.)