The Pennsylvania journal, or, Weekly advertiser — Philadelphia, Pa., 1776-05-15 00:00:00, page 1

The Congress therefore, confidcring the warlike
preparations of the British Minidry to Subvert our in
valuable rights and privileges, and to reduce its, by
fire and sword, by the savages of the wilderness and
our own domestics, to the mod abjefl and ignominious
bondage: desirous, at the fame time, to have people
of all ranks and degrees, duly impreded with a solemn
sense of God's fuoerintending providence, and of their
duty devoutly to rely in all their lawful enterprizes on
his aid and direction—do earnestly recommend that
Friday the foventeenth day of May next he observed by
the said Colonies as a day of Humiliation, Fasting,
and Prayer; that we may with united hearts confefs
and bewail our manifold fins and transgressions, and
by a sincere repentance and amendment of life appease
his righteous displeasure; and through the merits and
mediation of Jesus Chritt, obtain his pardon and for
givenefs. Humbly imploring his abidance to frustrate
the cruel purposes of our unnatural enemies; and by
inclining their hearts to justice and benevolence, pre
vent the farther eftufion of kindred blood. But if con
tinuing deaf to the voice of reason and humanity, and
inflexibly bent on defoliation and war, they constrain us
to repel their hostile invasions by open refinance, that
it may please the Lord of Hods, the God of Armies, to
animate our officers and foldieis with invincible forti
tude, to gu^rd and proted them in the day of battle,
and to crown the Continental arms by lea and land
with victory and faccefs: earnestly beseeching him to
bless our civil rulers and th^ representatives of the peo
ple in their several atAnblies and conventions; to pre
serve and drengtheri their union; to inlpire them with
an ardent disinterested love of their oountry; to give
wiflom and liability to their councils; and dired them
to the mod efficacious meafares for edabhihing the
rights of .America on rh c ;mod honorable and perma
nent balls —that he would be graciously pleated to bless
all the people in their colonies with health and plenty,
and grant that a fpiiit of incorruptible batriotifm and of
pure undetiled religion may uhiverfally prevail; and
this Continent be speedily restored to the bladings of
peace and liberty, and enabled to transmit them invio
late to the latent posterity. And it is recom - ended to
Chridians of all denominations to assemble for public
worship, and abstain from servile labor on the said day.
By order of Conyefs,
JOHN HANCOCK, president.
Attef. Chart,es Thomson, secretary,
oto 10^W^W^^x^^^* ^o*oo^o
Bordentown, M^v x, 1776.
PETER STRETCH,
HA V I N G finished the Ale of bis goods, and removed
inmibe country, begs leave to return his thanks to his
enßomos tor their favours; and to remind those th it are
fill indebted 0 him, to pry the fame to his Clerks who will
wait upon them with their refpeObe accounts ; add althat
are unpaid by the 25th iuftai% ihali burned without taped
of oc funs.
T. B. Ad those to whom he is indebted, may depend up
on I :% one before the fi<o of June next.
V/rTiU^hT ^ JENNY? V rood Lieutenant m
'V the fifth battalion in Penufyv^A has advertised me
JOSEPH DOBLE, being, a + fetter.' whe h I deny. As the said
JENNY was offering bis me row, I Did r- it I •.rov'd take mo
ney from any body that would bettow it on me, but not with
any design of being a tidier, he gave me ten Buttings, and
infilled that I was enlisted, then I offered him his money,
which lie refufed, I then laid the money down by his hanger,
andaever had any other concern with him, which I oaa prove.,
PHI LA D ^ L P H I A.
In CONGRESS, Saturday, March 16, 1776.
] N times of impending calamity and distress, when
I the liberties of America are imminently endangered
by the secret machinations and o^en afiaults of an in
sidious and vindictive ad niniftratiJn, it becomes the in
dupenfible duty of these hitherto free and happy colo
nics, with true penitence of heart, and the most re
verent devotion, publicly to acknowledge the over
ruling providence of God; to confefsand deplore our
offences against him; and to Applicate his interposition
for averting the threatened danger, and prospering our
tirenuous efforts in the cause of Freedom, Virtue
and Posterity.
White Bread. It> 3 1
rd. loaf is 0 S;
xd. ditto, 1 0%
4< ]ditto, a 1+
Bd. ditto, 4 3
izd. ditto, 6 4^
THE
May 15, 1776. • ^£ so ^ NUMB.^fr
V ;VNNAVI #^¥
PENNSYLVANIA ^ ^O JOURNAL;
WEEKLY ^^#^^s ADVERTISER.
sswsssss^ssss^ b| I iHlOi^^^ll^^ ^rossfostatofes
^EDNE.SDrtr, 1V ~ 4l^3§ May 15, 1776.
The ASSIJE OF BREAD.
Fine Flour at Fifteen Sailings and Six-Fence per Ct.
Middlings at Thirteen Shillings per ft.
RY e at Nine Shillings per Ct
I M:„1. do. 1b 3
rd. loaf is 0 9 l y
xd. ditto, x 3
4d. ditto, x 6
Bd, ditto, 4 IX
xxd. ditty, , x
R,e do. lb 3
rd. loaf is 0 rtf
xd. ditto, 1 7z
411. ditto, x is
8(1. ditto, 5 14
txd. ditto, 8 13
LONDO N.
SPEECHES delivered in the HOUSE cf LORDS.
LORD DENBIG H.
AS an old member of this Houle, I A? tk with the noble
Lend who Ipoke early in this debate, that the expreffiou
of the noble Duke is extremely reprtbenhble and disorderly.
1 he noble Duke may, it is true, deliver his opinion freely on
the qtieftimi immediately before the House, be it what it may;
but I contend, that he is bound to confine himfelf solely to
that, a'ud not go out of it. Nor is any Lord in this House,
in debate, warranted in charging an act of the King, Lords,
and Commons, with tyranny and injustice. If this licentious
life of the freedom of debate were indulged, it is m/offible to
fay where it might hop. Any noble Lord might rite in his
place and affirm, that his Majesty was an ufurptr, and that
George the Third had no right to the crown of this realm. I
contend, therefore, that by the laws and constitution of this
realm, any expression may be as well juftified, under the claim
of excercifixg the privilege of fpeecb as that, America is not
in rebellion; or that refinance to the art- .of the British Par
liament, is no more than refinance to the most wanton adts
of tyranny and oppression. And Ido openly contend, that
those who defend rebellion, are themselves little better than
rebels; and that there is very little difference between the
traitor, and he who openly or privately abets ucafon.
Duke of Richmond. The ntife your Lordffiips have heard,
has reached below the bar, and inuft convince you that the
moble Lord who spoke last has been heard there. But I will
tell his Lordship, that l am not to be intimidated or deterred
from my duty by hud words. Such exertions of mere found,
will not prevent me from punctually performing my duty.
The noble Earl fays, I have explained ava, my meaning. I
believe his Lordihip would not have maintained such an as
sertion, if he knew properly the difference between explain
ing, and explaining away. The noble Earl, as a collateral
proof of his knowledge of the forms and orders of this house,
fays, he is an old member. 1 believe lam almost as old a
member as his lordthip; at least, I have fat near twenty years
here; and I cannot be persuaded that I have offended against
any eftabliflied rule or form of this house. As to the point
of explaining away my meaning, I must remind his Lordship,
that I do not mean to rctra& any thing f have said; and if
he has properly attended to my explanation, he will be con
vinced, that what I asserted at both times, fubhantially cor
respond with each other ; if he should think otherwise, I now
take the opportunity of informing the noble Earl, that I
Briefly adhere to the firft expressions I used; and am ready to
abide the sense of your Lordships, who are to determine
whether or not I have tranfgrelled. As to the expreflion of
traitor, the noble Earl has so freely applied, I believe there
are no traitors in this house now a days, looking very ftedfaftly
at his Lordfllip, who fat near him, and at the fame time ver,
fignifieanti, nodding his head at him.
°Lord Sandwich. lam an older member of this House than
cither the noble Duke, or noble Each I have fat here these
seven and thirty years, and am happy in teftifying, since my
ficft knowledge of Parliament, that I never saw the debates
in this House conduced with greater propriety and deco
rum during my acquaintance with it, than in the courfc of
this bufinels refpe£ting America. I am, my Lords, extreme
ly unhappy, when 1 am a witness to such altercations as these :
They always impede public business, answer no one fubftau
tial or beneficial purpose whatever, and are only productive
of ill-humour. As to the point of order,Jf I may be permit
ted to Bate -my pretentions, as one of the old, if not the oldest
member of this House, I have always seen it observed, as a
constant rule of debate, never to condemn any act of Parlia
ment, unless on a motion for its repeal. In every other re
f,e&. I am of opinion that the noble Duke was perfectly juf
titiable, so tong as he confined himfelf to the subject matter
of the bill; but lat the fame time contend, that he had no
right to go out of the question, to investigate or deliver his
feutiments upon points not under the c^ufidcration of the
House. —As feme objections.l^vc been dated agaiuft this bill,
which immediately apply to the bufiuefs of the department,
over which I have the honor to prefirie, I look upon myfetf
particularly called upon to give every ficiTaGion in my power.
Two objections have been Bated aguinß the .present bill, by
the two noble Dukes wito have opposed its commitment.
The firft noble Duke complains of the injnftice of this bill,
because it gives the spoils taken from the enemy to the cap
tors, Is this uoufual? lam sure it is not. It has been so the
two lad wars carried on by this country. Ido apt know of
a more meritorious set of men than our feamn, nor none
more deferring of every degree cf public encouragement, be
tides the general motives of executing their duty with atten
tion and punctuality, the profyect of sharing the captures
among the officers and seamen will be a very great means of
speedily manning our navy without expence. It have like
wise been much relied on, by the noble Lords in opposition,
that this bill confounds the innocent with the guilty; but I
believe your Lordships will perceive that very few can be
classed in the former description, as the terrors of the Co^ti
ricnaLand Provincial Congresses have compelled ahnoft every
man in that country to take a decided part I shall not de
tain your Lordfllips, at this late hour of the night, by going
into a long detail of proofs; I shall only mention two ir.ftan
ces, to fati-fy your Lerdihips of die cruel and cowardly f dis
potirion ofthe Americans, by . Gating to your Lordfuip,, that
they have even tarred and leathered three women, and have
put an innocent Etc Negro to death, attended wirh every
circumftar.ee of cruelty and hafenefs. * The free Negro's
, Perhaps Lord Sandwich may alter his opinion, when be hears
from bis favourite Roebuck.
* No /!meri, an can ever be fcfrifed at an, thing that comes
from Lord Sandwich, after the. instance of bis %»&&uef§ % in be-
name was Jerry, and h& was worth several hundred pounds.
This man, in an unguarded minute, said, that if any of the
King's Grips came to that quarter, or the port were he resided,
that he would pilot them fafely up. This being reported to
the Committee, a mock tribunal was appointed to try him
and he was acquired for want of evidence. Not farisfied with
this firft attempt on the man's life, anoth r Negro, not a tree
one, was suborned to repeat the charge, on which the unhapy
man was condemned and executed, though the evidence of
the Have fliould not have, according to the colony law,, been
received againf t a freeman. There was another particular
circumstance happened relative to this horrid affair, which
was, that although the negro recanted every fyhable he had
sworn against Jerry, and owned that all he said on the trial
was a lye, yet Jerry was hev^rthelefs ptit to death.—The no
ble Duke who spoke last feeras to lament greatly the cruelty
of obliging such seamen as are taken aboard the American
vessels to enter aboard his Majesty's ships cf war. For my
part, I think very differently from the noble Duke. Instead
of an instance of cruelty or oppreflion, (think it is doing them
rather a favor, a 6 you put them into iriftant pay; besides,
though this bill were never pafl'ed, if we fnouid want seamen
to man our navy; and it should become necessary to if'uc
press-warrants, the persons compelled by the clause to enter,
would be liable to be pressed. So that in that view of the
matter this bill creates no new hardship. Suppose, my Lords,
that we should be inclined to alter or modify this clause, as
the noble Duke seems desirous, you would not, it may be
presumed, after you had those men in your power, put them
in a situation again to refill you. What, then, are you to do?
in the case of ptifoners taken in a foreign war, we know they
are brought home and confined in prison, and detained here
till a peace ensues, or they are exchanged upon cartel during
the continuance of the war ; but in the present case, the mat
ter being new and no provision being made, and in fa& in
the event of a want of men, the persons found aboard British
ships being liable to be pressed, I am of opinion the clause
on those several grounds are entirely unobjectionable. I am
sure I am much obliged to your Lordships for the indulgence
you have shewn, by hearing me so patiently. I shall not de
tain your Lordfllips ranch longer, I shall only fay a word or
two to the point urged by the firft noble Duke who spoke in
this debate. That noble Duke fay,, that a storm is gathering
in the North; that his Msjefty's ministers should not trull to
the allurances of foreign Courts; and that we ought not in
prosecuting this war against our rebellious fubjeds, reader
ourselves by a misplaced confidence in those assurances, de
feucelefs at home, and liable to be furprized or attacked by
our natural enemies. Ido not pretend to fay exactly what
may be the effect of the present disputes in the North; but I
will tell the noble Duke that we de not trust to rhe afTarances
of foreign powers; and that if such a mcafure should happen
to be necessary, that we shall be able at a very fliort warning,
to tit out a fleet and fend it into the Baltic: and further to as
sure his Grace, that by the present plan of operations, we
shall not have a fiogle line of battle fliips in America, as three
fify-gun Blips will be sent to replace the three line of battle
Blips now serving on that Nation; and that confequentiy we
Brail have such a formidable force at home, ready to a& upon
any emergency that may arise during :he progress of this busi
ness, as will not only be fully fumcient to protest ourselves
against any attack our enemies might meditate; but likewise
to adopt such other mcafures of vigour and effetft as the parti
cular Rate of affairs in Europe might render necessary or ex
pedient.
lietfog such a lye should an, tor, have wrote it; or of bis -wicked
ness, should he have indented the l,e, -which is most like?,.
Cfcc^O^C^C^OCQOC^OO^O#ofoofocfocfa%oofe*)o^3o%%o%)
To the KIN G's most Excellent MAJESTY.
The Humble Address and Petition of the,Merchants, Trad
ers, and other principal Inhabitants of the town of Belfast.
Moji Gracious Sovereign,
WE, your Majesty's most dutiful and loyal fubje&s, the
merchants, traders, and other principal inhabitants of
the town of Bslfaft, implore your Majesty to lend an atten
tive and favourable ear to these our humble, though earnest
supplications.
Universally interefled in the fate of trade, we cannot but
lament the decay of it already occafibned by the present un
natural Bate of things; limited and retrained as the commerce
of this country is by the policy of the British Legislature, any
obftruelion in the few channels, which have been left open
to our industry, must be sensibly felt, and cannot by any ef
forts of ours be compensated; the injury done to our staple
manufacture, by the ceflatiou of all inteicourfc with America;
the danger with which the remains of it are threatened, we
conceive to be truly grievous and alarming:—in the next con
siderable branch of our exports we are likewise diftreded, by
the operation of the fame ruinous cause; and to look forward
to the probable event of an unfruitfui year, when we may be
deprived of that support, which this country hath often de
rived from Aracriaa, fills our minds with the most gloomy ap
prehensions.
We must feel also as members of this once flourilhing em
pire, for its present dißraCted and endangered Bate; we saw•
it towards the elefe of your illustrious grandfather's reign, and
under the aufpicibus commencement of your Majesty's, raised
to the summit of prosperity and of glory; united within itfelf,
its magnitude and splendor awed the world. We now fee its
luflure obfeured, and the mighty fabric rent to its foundations.
And we mod deeply feel as men; as such, nothing can give
us greater augurih of fcul, than the horrors of civil war, now^
raging in ene extensive part of your Majesty's dominions „ but
we wish to avert our eyes from these, and raise them up to
that royal benignity apd mercy, which we cannot but hope