The Connecticut courant, and the weekly intelligencer — Hartford [Conn.], 1779-10-05 00:00:00, page 1

LONDO N.
HOUSE of COMMONS.
Tuesday, June 1.
LORD NORTH presented to the
House the following message from
• his Majesty :
“GEORGER.
" His Majesty relying on the repeated
“ zeal and affeftion of his faithful Com
" mens, and considering that in this cri
" tical juncture of affairs, emergencies may
“ arise which may beof theutmoft impor
“ tance, and attended with the mod dan
" gerous confequenc.es, if proper means
" Should not be immediately applyed to
" prevent or defeat them, is desirous that
" this House will enable him to defray
" any extraordinary expences incurred, or
" to be incurred, on account of military
^ Services for the year 1779, an d to take
" all such measures as the expediency of
“ affairs may require.
G E ORGER.
The said message was, upon motion, or
dered to be referred to a Committee of the
whole House next day.
The bill for granting certain duties to
his Majesty, by additional damps on vel
lum, parchment and paper, was read a
Second time and committed.
Two petitions against the arrest bill
were presen ted, which were read and or
dered to lie on the table, with liberty to
be heard by counsel on the third reading
of the bill.
Mr. Ord made a report of the five reso
lutions come to in a Committee of Ways
and Means, on Monday last, which after
having been read a firlt and second time,
were agreed to by the House, and bills or- .
dered in agreeable to the fame.
Mr. Montague moved that the Speaker
should leave the Chair, and the House re
solved itfelf into a Committee on the Ame
rican enquiry.
The Earl of Harrington (late Viscount
Peterfham) was called in, and examined
by General Burgoyne. His evidence ten
ded to shew, that after the battle at Hub
bertun, it would have been imprudent to
pursue the enemy further then they had
been pursued ; and that prudence scarcely
juftified the General in pursuing as far as
he had done : That General Burgoyne had
endeavoured, by everv means in his power,
to retrain the enormities of the Indians,
that he had permitted them, because they
infilled on it, to scalp the dead; and offer
ed them rewards for bringing in Rebels
alive : That when the murder of Miss
M'Crea had reached his ears, the General
went to the Indian camp, insisted that the
culprit should be delivered up, and declar
ed that he should ftiffer death. Lord Har
rington confeffed, that he himfelf was one
es those Britilh officers, who, frond the
TUESDA Y, October 5, 177$
CONNECTICUT COURA FT,
AND THE
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Thursday, June 3.
REPORT from rhe Committee of
Supply for granting a million vote of cre
dit to his Majesty: Agreed to ; Seventeen
Members only being in the House. Bill
ordered to be brought in.
The House being resolved into a Com
mittee of Enquiry into the conduct of our
Generals in America, Colonel Kingftcne,
who opened the proposal for a capitula
tion with General Gates, was called to the
bar. His evidence corroborated that of
the gentlemen who were examined before
him. The affair at Bennington, and the
transporting provisions, were the chief
points on which the Colonel was examined.
The plan of the attack on Bennington, he
said, had been formed by General Reidefel,
a copy of whose orders to the troc ps under
his command, Colonel Kimgfton delivered
to the committee, The march by land to
Fort Edward was proved to be infinitely
more advantageous fcr the transportation>
of provisions than a water-carriage over the
lakes ; and indeed the General was as
much juftified by the evidence of Colonel
Kingftone as he could be by the opinion
of any individual.
The enquiry which was so warmly pro
moted by the gentlemen in eppe fition, -
when administration appeared rather averse
to it, teems new to be totally ntgleded by
them ; for this day fcatce n ore than twen
ty Members attended the Cc remittee, and
among those few, net a single Member of
any rote in the minority was to be seen.
As focn as Col. Kirgfione left the bar,
General Burgoyne gave notice that his evi
dence was elofed, unless he should find it
necessary to call witnesses to fads which
General's determined language, were afraid
that he would put his threats into execu
tion ; which policy, at that time, he would
have condemned as dangerous, on account
of the ravages they might commit on their
return through Canada : His Lordship
proved, that when Mons. St. Luc informed
the General of the diicontent that reigned
among the Indians at the restraint under
which.they were kept; the latter had said,
that he had rather lose every Indian in his
army than connive at their enormites: That
no party of Indians was ever fuffered to go
out without having an officer, or other
conductor, at their head, who should be
refpcfible for their behaviour. As to the
orders the General had received to force
his way to Albany, his Lordship declared
it to have been the general opinion of the
armv, expressed in their conversations, that
a passage was at all events to be made to
Albany. His Lordship Shewed likewise,
as far as opinion went, xhe propriety of
passing the Hudson's Riv'^r, and of Several
military manoeuvres upon which he was
examined.
T H-E
might be controverted in the further course
of the enquiry.
The House being resumed, and a moti
on being made that the House should meet
on Saturday on purpefe to read the Vote
of Credit bill a f^ft time, 2 most extraor
dinary and very severe altercation took
place beetweea Col. Barre and the Speak er,
and Col. Barre and Governor Johnftone.
The Colonel complained in very harsh
terms of the report of the Committee of
Supply having been frnuggled in, and not
fairly made in the face of the House; the
complaint the Col nel accompanied with a
fide-wind attack on the Speaker, for Suf
fering such condud. The Speaker defend
ed himfelf, and Shewed molt incontrover
tibly, that he had not been in (he leAft to
blame, but that the report had reen regu
larly made, before the Colonel came into
the House. The Colonel replied, and in
his reply said something personal of Gover
nor Johftone, who happened to be fitting
on the Treasury Be, ch at the time. The
Governor in anfwet said, such firndies as
the Hon. Gentleman had made relpedting
him, were ridiculous, and not fit for that
House ; he added that the Honorable
Gentleman by such urparlkmentiary
condu&, made a scaramouch of him
felf. The Colonel did -not relilh the
term, and said, it d< manded an explanation.
More arguments was held on both sides,
till at length the difference was adiufted.
The House rose at eleven o'clock, and
adjourned till Saturday.
L ON DO N, June 19.
The brave Lord Gtc-ge Minden is to
have the command cf the army, and it is
said, to please the King, intends to invade
France ard Spain, drive the Turks from
their territories, ar d fe ze Mahomet's temb
at Mecca ; then he propctes to take Pei fia
and all the countries in the East ; he then
intends travelling by lard to America, the
inhabitants of which are to be pre f^nted at
the feet of Lord North —to be kick'd.
'Tis said the followsg (among other)
Terms of Negcciaticn are proposed, viz.
'' That Conmiffioners be appointed to
hear, consent ard agree upon the final Set
tlement and pacification of the present
troubles in America upon Safe, honorable
and permanent turns, fufita to ratifica
tion by Parliament. [lht D-.-1 Iruji zLm|
And that any one of the afcrefa:d eOTffiil^
fitters may be appointed to agree, as a
preliminary, to a lufpenfion of all hostili
ties, by sea ard land, for the certain term
of ten years."
By anew Treaty between Dr, Franklin
and the French Ministry, the latter are to
assist the Americans with 10,coo men, in
case Great "Britain takss 2£>,oco Hatfve
rians or Ruffians into F"f*rQe Afrfgi
can war. .•- , . ^=
NUMBER 767