The Virginia gazette — Williamsburg [Va.], 1776-06-22 00:00:00, page 4

BOSTON, May3o.
HURSDAY last the sreeholdess and other lnhabitanti of this town,
qualified as the law directs, met at the Old Brick Mccting-house,
in order to choose their representativec for the ensuing General Assembly,
when they made choice of the following Gentlemen, viz. William
Phillips, ]ohn Pim, ]ohn Brown, William Coo !, Besinjamin Austin,
Oliver Wendel], Nlthaniel Appleton, David ] ies, Jol'e Gardner,
;nd Smold Wellen, Esquim, Mr. Caleb Davin, nnd r. William
o- ].
Mr. Wellel end Mr. Powell hnving declined the service, Mr. Slmuel
Allyne Otie, and Mr. Henry Hill. have been chosen in their room.
m to-wn bow gem me-g iusrnucnous m tbn'r represen
_ lati-vu, viz.
Gutknm,
AT : time when, in all problbility, the whole United Coloniet of
America are upon the verge of 3 glorious revolution, and when,
consequently, thsse molt impottant question. that were ever agitated before
the reptesentative body of this colony, touching in internal polite, will
demand your lttention, your conshtuentl think it necessary to instruct
an in seven! matters whet pztt to act, thnt the path of your duty may
he lain before you. . *'
. e have seen the humh1e petition. of these colonies to the King of
Grm! Britaix repeztcdly rejected with disdain. For the prayer of peace,
he hu tendmd the sword; for liberty', 'ehlim; and for lhsety. death.
He hue lieenced the instruments of his hofliie oppressions to soh us of our
proyerty, to burn ohr house., end to spill our blood. He has invited
evetlzchzrbarotn nation whom he could hope to influence, to alsilt him in
pro ming thedinhuman purposes. The Prince, therefore, in support
of whose crown and dignity, not many years since, we would most cheer
Kully have expcnded life and summe, we are now constrained to consider
an thefworst of tyrants. Loyalty to him it now tr-son to our country.
W'si- have seen bi: vennl Parlinment so basely prosiituted to his defigm,
that they have never hefitated to enforce his arbitrary requisitiom with the
' mail sanguinary Ilwe. We have then the people ofGrett Britain so left
to' every lense of virtue and honour, sin to past overctthe molt pathetic and
earnest eppeale to their jusiice with an unfeeling indifference. The hope:
we placed on their exertion: have long since fniled. In shott, we are
cunvinced that it in the fixed and settled cletermination of the King,
Minihry, and Parliament of that ifland, to con uer and subjuglte the
,olom'ee, end that the people there hnve no dispo uion to oppose them.
Asreeoneiliation with them uppelre to us to be as dangeroue as it is
ahfurd. A spirit of resentment once raised, it is not easy to appease.
The "collection of at} injuriea will perpetually keep alive the Name of
jealousy, which wi] Rimulate to new imsiositione on the one side, and
louseqnent refishznee on the other; and I e whole body politic will be
co'plhntiy subject tocivil commotionl. We therefordtink it absolutely
inpratticztble fot- these niet to be ever again subject sito, or dependent
upon Great Brinin, wit t endnn ering t e very existence of the state:
Ppcin , however, unbounded con dence in the supreme Councilt of the
CDthRl-ZSS, we see determined to wait, moii patimtly to wait, till
it wisdom Mldfflnw the neeeflity of maki : declaulm of indepen
ee. Not should we hewe removed to exgysi our sentimenn n n this
Mjefl, but from the presumssition that the ongress would choo e to feel
themselvet supported by the ople ot'_ enh colony, before they adopt a
resolutibn so tnterefling to whole. The inhabitants of this town,
therefore, unanimoufly instruct end direct you, that at the approaching
sdsion at the Stone] Assembly. you use your endeevoun that the Dele
gate: of this colony, at the Congret't, be advised, that in case the Con
gru't should think it necetsnry, for the safety of the United Coloniez, to
declare them independent of Great Britain, the inhlbiuntl of thin colon ,
with theis lives, end the remnant of their fortunes, will most cheetful y
supporuhe- in the measure. .
Touching'the internal polite of this colony, it is lsi'entially necessary,
in ordet to preserve hlrmony [mon ourselvet, that the conshtnent body
be satisfied that dey ne snirlyss end ull represented. The rightctto Iegiil'
late in 0 ' " in every member () the community, which right in
slaveye exet'eis in the infaney of : sitte: But when the inhabitlnts are
become numel'ont. it it, not only inconvenient, but impncticable for 01]
to meet in me Assembly; and hence nose theneeeflity and pnctiee of
legilhting by : fm, freely chosen by the may. When thilchoiee is
free, end the entation e uil, it it the peo nle's saulsiif the are not
heppy'iss We ore insh-u you to devise ome menn- too tain an
ill] r Motion of the peo leof this colonyin the legiflltures B_ut ease
], taken, thet the Aambly be not wailed); for this would he
UWO the evil meant to be curd by tepresentation. The largest
bodies of men do not always delpatch business with the greatest cxpedltion,
nor conduct it in the wisest manner. _
It is eflentiil to liberty, that the legiflative, judicial, and executwe
power: of government be, as nearly a. possible, independent of, and
separate from each other; for where they are'united in the same person,
or number of persone, there would be wanting that ssinutual check which
is the principal security againfi the making of arbxtraryulawe, and a
wanton exercise of power in the execution of them. It !: also of the
highest im rtance, that evety person in a judiciary deFattment employ
the greatel part of hil time and attention in the duuea o his office. We
therefore farther instruct you, to procune the enacting such ]:tw 01: lawe
as shall make it incompatible for the same person to hold a seAt in the
legillative and executive departments of government at one and the same
time; that shall render the judgee, in ever judicatory through the colony,
dependent not on- the uncertain tenure o caprice or pleasure, b_ut on an
unimpeasiehable deportment in the important duties of their [tation, for
their continuance in office; and to revent the multiplicnty of officet in
the same person, that such salaries e settled upon them, a mll place
them above the necessity of stooping to any indlrect or collateral meane
for subsistance. We wish to avoid a profusion of the public manie:
on the one hand, and the den er gfsamfting our Iibem'a usiq [Writ qf
pmsimon} on the other._ Not (foubting of your zeal and abilltlee in the
common cause of our country, we leave your discretion to promote such
exertions, in promoting any military o rations, at the exigenein of our
public affairs may require. And tn't e same considenee of your serve:
and attachment to the public weal, we readily submit all other matters
ofspublic moment, that may require your consideration, to your own
wi dom and discretion.
Yesterday se'nnight were interred at Marblehead, the remains of Capt.
]ames Mugsosd, jun. who has left this honour to embalm hil memory,
that he made an brave and vigorous : hand in defence of American liben
as any among the living can boast of. Hie funeral wasattended Wit
suitable military honotm, by : detachment of the 15!!! regiment.
PROVlDENCE, jane 1.
GENTLEMAN arrived here from France, intorme, that ;;
French shi e of the line were ready tor sea the 16th of March last
at Brel't, to whic'hylaee soo shipwrighn hld been ordered from Name;
that men were takln up in all part: of France for the sea service; that
the sortisicatiom o Dunkirk and Bellifle were re airin with all ex.
pedition; end thnt at greet preparation were to ing or wzr at were
ever known in t kingdom. .
Aletter from artimco, dated'the nth of April, mentioun, that :
genenl embargo hnd taken place in France.
We have authentic advice from Cape Francois, that on the 7th of
May soo additional troopn arrived there from France. -
WATERTOWN, jum- 3.
THE beginning of las! week arrived in this colony : vessel having on
board ten tone of sulphur, and the remainderof her cargo salt. The
former article will greatly help in mnnufafiuring the emazing quantity
of 34,9o7{ wt. of saltpetrer made in thit edlon and brou ht to the
Commisiary General": store in this town during the course o the week
past, exclusive ot what he: been ezrried to the powder-mills et Haverhill,
Stoughton, &c.
On T el'day the "& ult. the continental krigate of thirty two sun:,
built at pm-tl'mouth, under the direction of yobu Laugdm. Esq; wan
launched amidlt the acclamatiom of many thousand spectaton. She is
esteemed by all those who are judges that have seen her, to be one of the
completesi ships ever built in Ameriel.
The fortisications at Fort Hill in Boston, at Governor's iflznd, Dor
chester Point, end at the Came, we hear, are near complete.
NEWPORT, jzsictnqsi
A FEW days past Mefl'. Hubbard and Read. two millen, who were
taken by the Swan, Ca t. Ayscough, as they were coming down
river last winter in a sma ] boat, came to town from the southwnrd,
t e
hnving made their escape from the Swan It Liverpbol, near Hnlifak, they
say the men of war'e people were :! three quarters of an ellmnce.
Ca t. Cotterell, who was taken going from this eolony to Philadel
hia ast winter, lately madehis escape from Halifax, and returned home
fast week; he confirms the account given under the Hartfnrd head, and
zdds, that just before he got off. a ship nrrived from En land with ad
vice, that there were great dfflurbencee on account of theforeign troopd.
and that those troops were stopped for the present. .