The Connecticut courant, and the weekly intelligencer — Hartford [Conn.], 1778-07-07 00:00:00, page 1

LON I) O N, February „.
Cep, of the petition of the Gentlemen Freehol
ders, and others, of the county of Norfolk,
and of the city of Norwich, preferred to
the House of Commons on Thurftto, t'ajk
VOUR petitioners observe, with the
utmost concern and surprise, that ex
traordinary endeavours are used in this
county, and in many other parts of the
kingdom, to raise men and money for his
Mandy's service b. free gifts and contri
butions, not given and granted tn a par
liamentary course, which unufuland strai n .
ed efforts (concerning the very legality of
which tlrcy conceive doubts mayjuftly be
entertained) while Parliament actually
fits, and at a time when his Majesty is in
apparent peace with all the powers in Eu
rope, ftroogly indicate some violent dif
tenper in the date, to wnich its ordinary
powers and mea^s of supply are not {effi
cient, We most humbly apprehend, that
if a war with any of the neighbouring na
tions threatens to break out, nothing can
give mo r e encouragement to' it than the
taking such meafares as tend to prove
this kingdom to be as much exhausted in
its strength, at the very commencement
of foreign hoftilitjes, as it has been at the
tlofe of the longest and most wasteful
war*. Your petitioners have been also
called upon, in a mannerequallyalarming,
by persons of great power and rank in his
Majesty's service, to raise men apd money
for flipporting the constitutional authori
ty of Great- Britain. > We hope and trust,
that constitutional authority is fafe a d
well fupporced in the affections of a loy
al and free people ; we know of no attack
upon, or refinance to, the operation <?fthe
laws in this county, or in this kingdom ;
impared, as we may be, in power or repu r
tation abroad, we have, however, peace at
home ^ but in the Thirteen once flourish
ing and obedient Colonies of Great-Bri
tain, his Majelly has no authority or other
gove nmerit to be supported. A nifre
pr^ntation of our unhappy situation
would be a mockery of our distress, Ari
empire is loft. A great continent in arms
js to be, conquered or abandoned. One
whole British army of veteran troops has
TUESDAY. JULY % 177! THE [Numb. ^
CONNECTICUT COURANT,
ANdTHB
WEEKLY INTELLIGENCES.
ts 1 levies of a new nation ; another, a
tkhbning a province which had been o
ver run in the Rft campaign, and after
two engagements in the field, fuccefsful
without advantage, having marched out
Intake a view of an enemy poked in one
of those places of inacctffible strength
with which America abounds, has teen
Compelled by necckity to march back to
an open town, which they are obliged to
fortify for winter quarters at an enormous
expence ; the Continent of America is, it
stems, to be conquered by defeated and
defective armies. It is a project we can-
surrendered prisoners of warto the sud-
HERTFORD: Printed by WATSON ^d GOODWI N, near the Gr^at B^ge.
not apprehend. Sixty thousand soldiers,
a force of artillery (it we ar^ to judge by
the charge) such as never has been lent
out of this kingdom, fixer thousand lea
men voted, more than an hundred armed
flhips employed in this special service, an
unheard of expence in every fort or mili
tary supply, have, after three years strug
gle, brought things to fucn a Rate, that,
instead of quieting our c: I troubles, we
are threatened with a f.r,ign war, for
which, after such an ab" nance (for we
Cannot call it profufion) pa liamentary
grants increasing daily, 2 with the most
exuberant recruiting tun< ^ we are called
upon to piece out the de riency of pub
lic wealth by private c tribution. A
nation of such power as t is, reduced to
such a state, muftlofe its reason and its
feeling^; together with its [lory, if it could
acquiefee in its condition. It is not tin
our choice to suppose that 't can have hap
pened without a fault fom-where ; in the
Generals and armies the faultcanriot be ;
if there known,and trie,d characters did not
forbid ail suspicions of them, yet his Ma
jesty's most gracious speeches from the
throne make it improper f ~us to enter
tain the lead doubt of their courage and
conduct ; but his Majesty has not forbid
us to entertain doubts of the wisdom, care
and prudence, of those who conduct his
affairs ; and we trull, that the House of
Commons, whole dut calls, and whose
competence and constitution enables them
to come to the bottom of tholeevils, Will
seriously enquire into the cau&s of our pre
sent calamitous filiation, for, we g eatly
fear that we, with the rest of our constitu
ents, have been hitherto greatly deceived
and deluded with regard to the nature,
the cause, and the importance of the Ame
rican troubles, as well as concerning the
means of quieting them, both legal and
coercive ; clfe we should not have the mi;-
fortune to fee ads of Parliament made,
only to be sent back to be repealed ; ar
mies feat out to enforce them, only to be
returned to us as prisoners under capitula
tion ; and to speak with the filial confi
dence of free iubje&s; We plainly declare
ourselves unwillingt -commit any more
of our national glory to attaint, and the
persons of more of our countrymen to fo
reign hardships and perils, without any
common human Security that they fliall
not, by the fame errors, be exposed to
the fame catam ties and disgrace which
many of those have fallen into who have
already been sent forth. Without wife
council at home, we cannot have empire
or reputation abroad. It is our duty to
our Sovereign, to whose person and ifluf
frious house we have ever bore the molt
distinguished and zealous attachment, which
compels us to lay before this Honorable
House this reprefentMion of his affairs.
We shall ever be forerroft in providing fol
every ufeful and reasonable supply fcr the
public service; but we cannot make oUr
felves the instruments of any ta&iofr, or
grant mony as a left of our support of it ;
fftheColonies cari be brought to obedience
we ; are convinced, by lad experience, ic
must be by wife and lenient councils, and
by those in whom they have no experience
of ill will or incapacity, the one produc
ing hatred, the other contempt. For our
domestic protection, we most humbly con-'
ceive that our constitutional militia, which
his Majesty h^ been enabled to call out,
is the most eff.&ive and lead incidiods de
fence; twelve entirely dew corps, confut
ing of fifteen thousand Highlanders of the
northern part of the u^i^d kingdom, and
of the towns ol Manchrner and Liverpool,
appointed during the firing, without the
previous approbation di Pg; Halbert, and
which can hardly be ready in time tor A
rherican service, are not, we humbly Sub
mit it to superior wisdom; the debate in
which we can or ought, for obvi us tea
fons, to trust, in preference to that more
numerous and equally wwil tiainc d and well
afF'&d body, the* national militia ; nor
have we been given 'o under danl, at i rime
when the wa eitaol fhm nt stands at c >rri
pararivriy low numbers; and those nurite
bers farfrom Complete, and at a time Whi:rt
the public burthens are lo opp effive, tor
what reason new coips should be railed, ot
on what grounds; it a compliment was
meant (at the expence of out finances, and
what we conceive the most serviceable mi
litary arrangement) that the corhplimenC
has been confined to the above mentioned
parts 01 this kingdom We do therefore,
with all earneitnels and Humility, p ay am
enquiry into the true grounds and ton
duel of this unhappy civil war, that the
bed means may be found for bringing ic
to a Ipcedy termination, for facilitating
the restoration of concord and confidence
to all the citi^eas of the British empire ; to
avert, if possible, a foreign war, or, if that
be not possible, to take due care that ra
tional. effectual, and becoming pfovifion, in
an orderly and parliamentary wav, b. made
for our defence and faief. (J dr the
accumulated cifcels of foreign and civil
humility, we throw ourselves with them ft
perfect reliance on the care and wifJoni
(never more called for than in the preienc
exigency) of a British Houle of Com
mons ; on 'theni we rest the last hopes of a
deferring, but, we fear, an injured, de
ceived, and endangered people.
TO B^
By JAMES i.AMB, and SON,
At their Store ^ear the Great Bridge n ffirtfe rd,
C^HOiCZ Indigo, Sugar Rice Allum Allfpc%
^ Pepper, belt Philadelphia Bladder and lb. Snuffy
with.a number of other articled which will be fold
for Cassi. AHo a fma/l quantity of the best fort
SICKLES to be exchang'd for any kind wf Produce
on seasonable terms.