The Virginia gazette — Williamsburg, Va., 1773-03-18 00:00:00, page 2

mule}- that the expence of the intended MW
could ' er essentially or maleriafly'nssect the "
zest!" o e cbmpzmy, in point of expence; that the
expence could not be considch as a , " en,
because the supcisivisors were to be paid thew'Sveul
Ripcnds, or sahrics, out of the saving; that as it
wafclsinfessed bn the oiher side thnt ithc- propl'ietors
- alone had the power of app'ointing, it might be well
presumcd that they were the best judges of what was
so:.sitheir own. interest, and would never consent m
Incus : ruinmu nr uselcss expence; thutss th: measure
had been adopted after thc most sun and nmzucc con
' fidmtiou, apd was plunned and intended to be ex
ecuted in utdcr to prcvcxit ruin, not to purchase: it;
andfinally, let the measure be big with ad'vuntage
,BI-desh-uction to the company's nsszlirs, the Court of
Directors were resolved to suspcnd its execution till a
ffll andsisidigefled report had been made by the secret
committec. The principal speaken in behalf of the
inotion me Mr. Harlcysi, Mr. Jenkinson, Mr. Dyson,
svu'. plIi-usslcs 1 us, in: . JUHLHI'I ucuu zu. l-Ul u. 1\Usl,l1,
Nsr. Prcscost, and Mr. Cooper. Against it, Mr.
Dcmpstersi Mr. Hnssss-y, Mr. Pultney, Mr, Rhom
bold, Mr. Sullivsim, Mr. Dowdeswcl], Esihctrsid ("live,
Mr. Bnrke, Mr. Boulton, and Governnr johnstone.
A few mintttcs before seven the'question was called
for1 and the House divided. Ayes 114; nous 45.
_ Dcc. 10. A petition wzl'; prescntcd to the House
of COmmons, from the borough Os Plymonth, com
plaining of the high price osprovisions, ;tn-J praying
that the malt distillery may be csisi-ontinugd. Petiti
ons of the same nature were likewise presented srom
several other places.
_ Yesterday the East India company paid 205468].
and 8d. in one bank note, to the rcvcnuc os customs,
peing the amount of dutics due on certain unrated
goods imported under the eompany's bond.
Dec. 12. Yestersilay Mr. Dowdeswell made :! mo
tibn thap leave bc giyen to bring in a hill " for the
felics of poor persons'in certain circumfiances and
under certain restrictions." He wassisccondcd by Sir
Geoi'ge Savillo. The motion was agreed w m-rrn'ne
cutraditfl'zte, and a hill ordered to be prepared and
brought in Ictsy Ljrss, Dowdcswcll, Sir George Saville,
Mr. Comwactllsi'Mx-ct Burke, &c. The intention- of
this billsssigk " make 'a proyisimsiflt a certain age, for
the iodi A laborious, and indusirious. 1: is in
tended t _ je '_ , Ae'siflull have power to grant annu
iciqfl'dm Eye sitossbssqrenty pounds. pcr :tnnum; that
si si 'er sumsishafl he paid by the persons to be so en
titled; 'cmsidin w the received rulcs of computa
* ,floja; sithe elsums shall be from time to time
visited ' ' 7 bliqssfunds; that no person shall re—
cci't'etaggsi _ t_ this fund till he is fifty yeays ,
M, neithen,jf nptindigent.
sssi' Sali __ ct ' , Dqsicsi-[Jss'rhere is now at Lady Elizaheth
Ireher's ' A densictsizit Hale, neax Downton, Wilts, an
Noe, in all bloom, which is,"} years old, and the
sinne which waissssi in bloom last year, but is now shot
up_ with a sisiesh stern. about six feet higher, and is
thought to be thcssfinest bloom that ever was seen in
- this ]: ss' dom. What; is most remarkable, is, that it
is the ' "ever known to blow more than once, :tll
' themthen dying. -
(Cnininow- _(South Carolinn) January tz.
A'ss'grantof an immense tract of country, back
"of the - northern co'lonics, which, we hear, wi]!
besiestabhfhed into a prop'rietary government, hath
been-ohfi'ined from the Kin , by Thomas W—sstlpole,
Esqfin} Doctor Benjamin rnnklin, John Sargent,
undsiSiduel Wharton. General Lyman, in behalf
of himself" and other profincial officers, who served
- in the lade war, hath likewise obtained a grant of an
X extenflwe' country, on the Mifsisippi'river. His Ex.
' , cellency Gov nor Wright has also obtained a grant
Zsi-ctof arractof and in the province of Georgia, sup
sssi'iisiposcd to contaih three millions of acrcs. And scve
ral other grants have also been made to other per.
sisi' son: ofjgreac bodies of land on this continent, for
the better sectling and populating this extensive part
of the British dominions. -
'— Nflssrronr (Rhodc Iflnnd) Fehruary I, 1773._
Lasl: Sunday night se'nnight arrived Captztin Willi
am Sweet, in 24 days from the Grenxtdes, who in
rsi-msi shen- du- Fno-Hsh rrnnnq at St. Vinccnss siwere
very sickly; and died fast; that the Chnribs had
poisoned the waters of the rivers, 6n which account
the En lish were obliged to send a teat distance for
water, th for the flrsi-et and the arm ;that the Cha.
.l'ibssi made frequent fumes fi'siotn'the hills and moun
tzi'ns upon their English enemies, and have killed
Isimmbers of them; and that it was very doubtsul
whether the island can be subdued by the force now
there, as the natives have retreats almost inacceffible
to any enemy whatever. ( Heaven often protefif tlv:
"innocent and brave, even in !li; rwar/d, against op
preffwf, rubbersig, um! tyrants!)
We hear that many of the planters at St. Vincents
were about disposmg of their estates, in order to quit
the island on account of the war with the Charibs,
P H I L A D E L P H I A, Februarctv 24.
On Wednesday and Thursday last our river was
so clear of ice that several vessels went down, and
two or three came up; but on Sztturd'sity last it came
on very scverc, so that our river was sroze from side
to side by Monday morning, and people crossed it on
snnr
. . _/
WILLLWRG, March is.
Msiisi Mr.__R LN. "
_ ": che enclosed riarrative a plate in
your next pzpet you will oblige
ct . A CHRlSTIAN LAYMAN.
R. Purdie is exceedingly mistaken if he fancies
I intended to complain osbim to Me- public, by
my cnrd to the Orthodox Laymm: ! had no such
intention. I am able to defend myself againfl Mr.
Purdie's personal insulcs without calling upon the
public for afflstance. He had promised me the use
of his pupcq, and afterwards, in violacion of his
promise, refused it me. '
This qnmcriced refusal made it peceffii'r'y for me to
ceer about in search of a more obligin'r pijinccr, upon
whose promise I could depend. I ound one, and
thought proper to advertise the Orthndox Luyman
osit, and that my future correspondence with him
wo'uld be carried on through Mr. Rind's Gazcnc.
is was my sole mocive for writing the tard which
has afforded Mr. Purdic an opportunity of displayiug
his abilitics in the character of 11 bust'oon, apd en
tertaining his customers with his z/e/ec'fa'b/e jcsts and
plcasantries.
In a free state men [run a righ Io fiinl' and speak
srerl) is the motto to Purdie and Dixon's Gazetle;
but notwithstanding this excellent sentence stands at
the head of the Gazette, our. of the printers of it has
treated me with a cynicul insolcnce for exercising
is freedOm upon a subject which may indeed be
disigustsu/ to Mr. Purdie, but which, I am persuadcd,
cannot be so to any man of sense, who is not a Deist,
or a Socinizm. ' '
As Mr. Purdie has demanded my recal/si-cticn am!
rclalrcifl-mmt of his singular behaviour to me, the
public, lhopc, will excuse me for laying before thun
a candid detail of it. In this dcmil I do not intend
to inchidc Mr. Dixon: His good breeding, Politsie
behaviour, and other vnluable qualities, exempt him
from censurc, and secure to him the esteem of all his
acquaintance. If Mr. Pnrdie thinks this deserved
encomium of his partner is intended ;.s & contrast to"
his character, he is welcome-to think so; the public'
will determine whether it is a just one. _
After my third letter was sent to the press, I re
ceived a letter from the Orthodox Layman, to which
I replied early in Sepiembeisi: This reply was deliver
ed'to a Gentleman'who promised to send it to Mr.
Purdie by :} safe and expeditious convcyance. About
the middle of Octpber Mr. Purdie told me he had not
received it, but whql he did receive it he would give
it a place in his paper. .
Soon after, Mr. Purdic acknowledged, in his Ga—
zettc, the receipt'of this letter, but seemed to inti- '
mate thnt qeligious and philosophical disquisitions
were not proper subjects for 'his paper. Upon seeing
this peculiar i'emark, I supposed Mr. Purdie judged
that his usual selectionsis of trifling anecdotes, quaint
sayings of witty men, and recipes for making good ,
husbands, were the most edifying and entertaining
of all other subjects: I intended therefore to with
draw my letter; but upon rcflecting that this rcmark
might be an exuberance of his uncommon wit, and
that gmat wits do not always possess the clearest
judgment, and deepest reason, I suffered it to remain
in his possession.
In the latter end of October I received a second
letter from the Orthodox Layman (addressed to me,
as the first was, through Mr. Purdie's paper) wherein
I was condemned as a very unstn'r fwriier, will; very
little knowledge of the striplurn, andctru a propagutor
osa dangerous and crisnaring doctrine. This heavy .
charge I certainly had a right to answer. I sent
therefore to Mr. Purdie, for my fourth letter, ac
quainted him with the cause of my sending for it,
and promised to_ return it' him in a few days. He
sent it me without a single Objection to its being re
turned to him, or to its being printed.
Concluding from thence that Mr. Purdie thought "
himself obliged, in justice to me, to publish my let
ter, after makingsome alterntions, I returned it to '
him, and soon after sent him a fifth letter, my sonth
not-containing a full reply to the Orthodox Lz-siyman.
Mr. Purdie being thus possessed of my two siletters,
I waited till the. z4th of December, in cxpcct-ssition
that he would "do me justice, by at least publishing
the letter in which I had cndcavoured to wine off the
personal reflections flung our. against me in several of
his papers; for I must obseissvc that A Beurctvm had
extended his bcnesicence to she in as full measure as
the Orthodox Lnyman had done. Upon that day I
sent a servant with a letter to Mr. Purdie, in which
[told him his delay in publishing my letters con
vinced me he was unwilling to' ive them a plucc in
his paper, and desired he woulfreturn them by my
messenger. Mr. Purdie assured me, in answer, that
he always intended to publish them, but ,much busi
ness had prevsinted him ; that he saw nothing at that
time to prevent my fourth number from m'aking its
appearance the week following, but if any thing
should happen to prevent it, I might depend both
letters should be published by the mecting of the
merchants upon the zsth of junuary. I had heard
that Mr. Purdie had been engaged for some time in
an affair relative to his domestic felicity, and was
satis'fied.
But upo " the zgrh of ]anuary Mr. Purdie retm-sis
ed my gwo ttcrs, q'nd used himselfsrom primi si ,
them, by telling me [: contained so many now}
and quotations. which he was doubtful of, that 5
determined, rather than .prsil'ht them crroncoufly,
return them. This Objection, after so great : !cn
of time, surprized me, Mr. Purdie Was intimate]
acquainted with my hand writing; and, for [he
primer's case, the Greek quotations were wrote in
our common characters. I sul'pcctbd; Mrcforc um
it was mere pretence, and, to be cdnvinccd os
trnnsmitted to Mr." Rind che sinne letters wichm
transcribing them. These letters Mr. Rind print'
notwithshmding the many words and quotations, th.
many inaccurac'rcs and difficulty of the hand writi
which determined Mr. Purdie to return them ;- siss
that Mr. Purdie must acknowledge that Mr; Rind 5
the best, most obliging, nndsisimmt descrving prime"
or that his conduct to me has been altogethfl ins'
cere and dismgcnuous. ' '
lt' the subject of my layers was disgnstsul to ::
bers, 'wl'o complajued of being prstngdctyitb unedf/ji
sectglsi'jlll di/jmla, and tbflilmtd, at amenr/mp
!a/lrih lbem/e/w; aff/zi! list oscustoitufl, Why did 11
Mr. Purdie, as anv bcnevolenc maid would hum- A,...ct
. . si . . ss __"
inform me of this cogcnt reason for not ;primin fsi
them : Why did he keep me in suspence almost threess
mouth;", by his reitcrated promises, when he had,?
determined not to print them? ss-l Belitwrsiand au '
Orllvrsidox Laymctm, had been favoured with his paper.
to display their zeal against me in very angehtecl
language; but he refused me the father savour to de.
send myself; although I never had given him caufe
to withdraw from me his profaund respect, an}! lmn-lysi
goodwill.- So that I must have submitted, without
reply, to the severe qensurcs of these writers, had not}
the very obliging Mr. Rind given me his affishtnssss "
for which service he justly merits from me tfflipflb ss
testimony, 'that rudeness and insolence, the chafWi
attendants ofa morose and sullen temper, dof'nct si
constitutc any part of Mr. Rind's character. ";: si" si ,.
I will do justice to Mr. Pur'diezss He is a gqod mzsiY-si
chunical printer, but I never knew that he was e'mi. ss
hent sor solidity of judgment,. or literary abilities. "
To his Excellency .the Right Honour'ahle JOHN
Earl of DUNMQRE, his Majesty's Lieutenanzjf
and Covernor General of the colony and dominion 3
of Virginia, and Vice Admiral of the same: __
The humble ADDRE SS of the HOUSE-ofssct
BURGESSES. ss- "
M ? L 0 R Dz- - ss
WE, his Majesty's dutisu] subjects, bcg leave to
rcscnt Ye}! Excellency our sincere thanks for '
your a tention to the interests of this colonysi, by- vi-siss
goroufly endeavouring to bring the fotjgers of on"! '
paper currency cojusiiee; but the proceedings in this -
case, my Lord, though rendered necessary by the
particular nature of it, are, nevertheless, different
fromthe usual mode, it being regglnr that an ex
amining court on crimipgls should be held, either in
the county where the fact wus committed, or the arrest si
made. The-duty we owe our constituents obliges us. '
my Lord, to be as attentive" to the s'ssisety Of the 'm- _'
nocent, as we arcssdesirous of punishing the guilty,
and we apprehend that a doubtfu! coul'u-uction and
various execution of criminnl laws does greatly cn
danger the safety ofinnocent men: We do therefore
most humbly pray your Excellency that the proceed
ings in this case may not, in future, be drawh intoss
consequence or example. , - _ ;"
To which his E X c F. L L E N c Y Was pleased sim' . *
return the following A N S WE R. * ct si_
Mr. SPEAKER, and Gentlemen of the HOUSE bf si]
BURGESSES, " ' ctj
8 I have always made th: ku'vs of the country "
the rule of my conduc'sit, I nctcd in this affnin 'j
with the greatest caution, and took the advice and
affishmce OsCcutlemcn in siwhushjudgmcnt, caudour, '
and integxsiitssv, I could consiie. In apprehending and
bringing to justice the sorgcrs of your paper currencctv,
I little imagined, when I was cmieuvouringssto punish '
the g'iiltssv, that my conduct could, by ;mvymfsims. he
thought sso endanger thc safety of the innocent. . ['t-r
mit me to shy that 'a" laws, dnuhtful in their: con
urucnon, muxt nuncerprexca py me works of justice.; -_
Ifsil have done amiss, the same method Will not be (57, si
pcatcd; but is it should be determined to be regulzsiuf; '
1 .
I shall continue to exercise the powers I am invcsib'd'
with whcnsocvcr the cxigcncies ns government, and
the good of the country, require shchss exertion; and, ss
under such circumctnncm, I am persuadcd that no onect si "
(even the most timid) will be under the least appre
hcnsion that this proceeding may, in future, be drawn
into consequence or example. ct
ExTnACTs from me lo URNAL as z/Ja Honourable
t/wHOUSE'o/BURGESSES. si
F R 11) A Y, ]llarcb 1231773.
PO N a motion made,
The- House rcshlvui itsclsinto a committce of
the whole House upon the Ah!: oi'thc culouy.
Mr. 'Npesilkx lest the chair.
Mr. Blalul took the chair os the committcc.
Mr. Speuch l'csumud Lhc chair.