The Connecticut courant, and the weekly intelligencer — Hartford [Conn.], 1782-08-06 00:00:00, page 1

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W EKJ& LIN ILLLJCroN C&
From the LONDON GAZETTE, April 27.
Admiralty-Office, Aprilaq, 1782^
Extrafl oj a letter from the Hon. Vice-Admiral
. Barrington to Mr. Stephens, dated onboard the
Britania, at St. Helen's, the 25th of April, 1782.
I HAVE the pfeafure to acquaint you, for the
information of my Lords Commissioners of
the Admiralty, that on the 2§th inst. Ulhant
bearing N. E. half E. 23 leagues, at one, P. M.
I perceived the Artois, Capt. Macbride, with
the signal out for difeovering an enemy's fleet, 1
but at such a diflance that it was with the utmoit
difficulty I could distinguish the colour of his:
flag. It was then calm, but a breeze soon spring-;
ting up, Imade the signal for a general chace; ;
the enemy at such a distance that I could but just
discover them from the Britania's mast-head, at
three o'clock. At the close of the evening seven
of our Blips had got a good distance a-head of
me, the Foudroyanr, Captain Jervis, the fore
moft; and in thenight, it coming toblow strong,
with hazy weather, after having loft fight of his
companions, at 47 minutes after 12, breughtthel
Pegafe, of 74 guns and 700 men, to a close a&ion,
which continued three quarters of an hour, when
the Foudroyant, having laid her on board on the,
larboard quarter; the Frenchman Struck. My'
pen is not equal to the praise that is due to the
good condud, bravery and discipline of Captain
Jervis, his officers and seamen, on thisoccafion.
The next morning, soon after day-break, the
wind then at south blowing Strong, it drifted in
an instant to weft, and with such violence that it
was with difficulty I could carry my courses to
clear Ufhant, and get the channel open ; which
being accomplished by noon, I brought too, and
remained so until the 22d, to collect the Iq^a
dron.
By the accounts of the prisoners, there were
18 fail, laden with stores, provisions, and ammu
nition, under the convoy of the Protecteur, of
74, Pegafe, 74, I"Andromache, 32, together with
I'Adionaiie, . a two-decker, armed en flute, all
bound for. I'lfc de France. They left Breit the
19th instant.
.I cannot pretend to give their Lordflrips a par
ticular account of the number of prizes taken,but
must refer them to that the y may, receive as they
arrive in port, fho' I believe there are ten atlead.
N. B. Advice has been received, that the
Pegafe, of 74 guns, is arrived at Spithead, and
the following ships, part of the above mentioned
captures, at Plymouth.
La Fidelite, with 178 troops and floras.
La Bellone 147 troops and Bores.
La Lionn^, 18$ troops and Stores.
Le Duc de Chartres, Bores and arms.
[London Cuz.]
F VA N C E.
Bred, April \. We work without intermidion
in repairing andequippingthe ships. Navalriores
arrive daily from Havre de Grace, St. .Malo, &c.
and the convoys from Bonrdeaux and the coast,
bring us provisions to supply the fleet and trans
ports. M. dela Motte I'icquet will fail veryfoon;
as la Bretage cannot be got ready soon enough he
will continue on board !'.evincible ; he takes in
provisions for five months, and is to fail about
the middle of the present month.
L O ND O N, April 20.
By yesterday's French mail an account was
received, that the troops at Breftj began to em
bark on b^ard transports on the Bth ; and that La
Motte Picqupt was expected to fail with seven dr
@ight ships of the line in a few days aften
.HAR f FO R D : Friktxd ey H UDSO N AMD GOODWIN, wear the Great Bridge.
T U E S D A Y, August 6, 1782.
April 23. The advices which are just come
over from Holland, in reply to the proposals that
have been twice made by Mr. Secretary Fox, are
of a disagreeable nature ; the cabinet have fat
twice onthem, and.no less than fix messengers
have been dispatched on the business to Vienna,
Peterfburgh and Brussels.
The merchants of Amllerdam have presented
a memorial to the States General, setting forth
the melancholy ffate oftheir trade ; that ini^So
nW less than 2900 Dutch ships puffed the Sound,
but 1 781, icce only ; and that their navigation,
formerly relpedfable, ha<pafTed entirely into the
hands of other powers. They then set forth the
losses they had luflained during the war. Under
these heavy calamities, they have call their at
tention every where to difeover new resources,
to revive their decayed commerce and manufac
tures ;---thefe resources, they flatter themselves
they have found in the offers of trade from North
America-—that trade from which Great-Britain
formerly drew i'ueh immense treasures, from
whicli her extraordinary prosperity and extreme
splendor were derived. This resource they look
upon as the only one left to revive the welfare
ot the Republic. They then proceed to state,
that whoever has the lead knowledge of the ftu
ition of America,muft b^ sensible, that the inha
bitants will not for along time ellablifh manu
fattures, but rather cultivate those immense and
beautiful regions Bill lying waste, cenfequently
they must depend upon Europe for all their ma
nufactures. They conclude with observing, that
England is tired of the war, that they are great
ly afraid she will loon fully recognize the Inde
pendence of the United States, and draw from
America some favourable conditions for herfelf
to the disadvantage of Holland, Now therefore
is the time upon which evety thing depends, and
the happy moment ought by no means to be let
flip."
Similar memorials were presented from the
other States to their High M^ghtineffes.
Letters from Dublin fay, that the plan of poli
tics adopted th'ere, is to permit the Irish parlia
ment to enter into a declaration of rights without
opposition, and for the English parliament to
meet them on that ground, and a medium to be
struck.
The followingis the detail of the Irish claims^
as brought over by Mr. Eden.
1. The repeal of the declaratory act of Geo. I.
2. Bills to be puffed in the Irish parliament ex
actly as in the English, the privy councils to have
no negative.
3. Bill to originate in the House of Lords, as
well as in that of Commons.
4. All English and Scotch peers oflreland who
have not a thoufann pounds a year in land in that
kingdom, to have no power of voting in person
or by proxy.
;. No Irish offices of state or revenue to beheld,
by abfen+ees.
6. Irish Corifuls, for the protection of Irish
trade, to be resident in all places to which itmay
be necefltiry to ft nd them.
7. A regulated militia to be established, is
which the refpeaive corps shall elec) their own
officers, to be paid by the public.
8. Irishmen only t^ be appointed to Irish bifbop
rics.
It is said the great obft#cle of peace with Am
erica is the proportion of Independence. The Earl
of Shelburne and Lord Aihburten are positively
against itd
* Meffi'rs. PRINTERS,
The inclofed I esteem interesting not onlyto this,
but all the United States, and request that
you insert it in your next Courant. Your's,
Constitutional is.
B^ our late Charter, which the honorable As
sembly has thought proper again to adopt
as a rule or form of civil government, it is evi
dent, in order to constitute a General Assembly
for tranfadfing the business of the state, the Go
vernor, or in his absence the Deputy-Governor,
fix Affifiants, and the major part of the Deputies
ele&ed,muft be present. The words of the char
ter are thus : ' On every second Thursday of
' October and on every second Thursday of
' ^lay, or oftner in case it be requisite, the Af
‘ hftants and Freemen of said company,or such
of them, not exceeding two perfops from each
place, town or city, who shall be from time to
' time thereunto elected, or deputed,by the ma
jor part of theFreemen of the refpeCtife towns,
c cities, and places for which they shall be so
elected or deputed, shall have a general meet
( ing of assembly, then and there to consult, ad
-6 vise, &c. And that the Governor, or in hi,
absence the Deputy Governor of the said coin
;j„B> f° r tbe time being, and such ofthe Af
.' tiftants and Freemen of the said company, a$
‘ shall be so ele&ed or deputed, and be pefent at
such meeting or assembly, or the gteate/l num
' her of therh, whereof the Governor or Deputy
' Governor, and fix Assistants at least to be so
' ven, shall be called the General Assembly." —
By which words of the Charter, if I underhand
the Englilh language, by our late charter, the
Governor, or Deputy Governor, fix.Affiftants,
and the greeted number of freemen so elected or
deputed,ri. e. the greateJi number of the Deputies
cliofen, must be actually prefect, in the Assem
bly, in order to constitute a General Assembly,
and render any a&, resolution, or decree valid,
otherwise they are mere nullities. The honora
ble Council Board have invariably acted upon
this conrirudiion of our charter, refufing to act
at all when there was not a quorum of that board
present.
if our charter is to be understood in this sense,
and them words cannot be understood in any
other, every ad of the Lower House, when the
greatef number of representatives are not present,
is an evident departure from the charter, which
they have adopted as a rule or mode of govern
ment. ,Nevertheless, if I am net greatly abused
in my information, some ads and laws, and 0-
; ther important matters, were made and tranfad
ed, the very last day of their late sessions, when
not more than twenty-fiveanembers wereprefent.
Upon one of which laws, viz. the law altering,
and regulating the levying executions, I would
obf^ve—That by this law, as it now stands.
Land, Neat Cattle, Bar-Iron, and even State se
curities provided the, are out, and draw intereJi,
&c. are made a fendery for the fatisfying execu
tions, at the appraifment of men, and must dis
charge an execution for lawful money, unless the
creditor will stay execution, in which case it shall
draw interest.—Upon this law would fay, If any
man hipulates to pay me fifty pounds in specie,
l always used to think, no legislature on earth,
had a right to alter the contract without my con
lent ; as by entering into civil compad, men do
not relinquish the right of making private con
trols on their own account, unless it appears
they are ideots, or fraud in the contrad itfelfo
, in whicli oale the law makes special provision.
iNo, 915.)