The Pennsylvania gazette — Philadelphia, Pa., 1776-02-14 00:00:00, page 2

Sv the Sbib Centurion, Candid f.lbn, arrived in bur Bay
from Newry, we have the .following Advices, viz.
LONDON, November 16.
A S the Ministry have for some Time pak deprived
11 us of all information from America, they now
ihut out all Information at Home as much as poffikle;
and have begun it in locking up'the Gallery Door of the
House of Commons, on the very Pay, for the fifft Time
this Season, when it was expected Mr. Burke would
give to the Public, and to his Country, a Plan for the
Conciliation with the Colonies. The Ministry were
aware this Plan would be rclifhed much better by the
Public, than that decided on by the Cabinet, and for
&us Purpose were determined to prevent all Compari
sons. Surely such a Conduct in a free State has but one
obvious Interpretation; which is, that the Ministers are
confeious to themselves, that their Actions will not bear
the Approbation of Reason or Justification.
Orders are given for an accurate account of the ex
penses incurred in the garrisons of Gibraltar and Minorca,
for the last three years, to be made out from the books
at the War Office, to be laid before the House of Com
mons.
The Number of Men that perished in different Ships
in the late Storms, amount to 2500, as appears by the
Estimates delivered to the Commanders from the several
Harbours.
Lad Night Admiral Duff, from Newfoundland, arrived
in Town, and the fame Evening waited on Lord North,
and gave his Lordihip an Account of the State of the
Fishery and the Damage done the 11th of September last.
The general difficulty of recruiting extends even to
the Highlands, insomuch that Lord John Murray's bat
talion wants above a third of the number to compleat.
Not. 18. On Thursday, about Half an Hour after Three
d'Clock, Mr; Burke opened his Conciliatory Proposition.
He began by preferlting a Petition from the Gentlemen,
Clergy, Clothiers, Manufacturers, and other Inhabitants
of the several Towns of IVeJlbury, Warminjier, and Trow
bridge, and the neighbourhood thereof, in the County of
Wilts, complaining of the Address from these Places,
which had entirely misrepresented the State of the Trade,
and the Sentiments and Withes of the Inhabitants, and
praying the House to find some amicable Method for ter
minating the Differences between this Kingdom and the
Colonies. He told the House, that the Signers of that
Petition were all Men who manufactured for themselves ;
and he was authorifed to fay, that they possessed more
than 500,00 c!. of English Property.
He laid, that he wished the Prayer of that Petition to
be considered as the Exordium of what he had to fey to
the House. He complained of the Difficulties which in
Civil Wars lay upon moderate Men, who advised lenient
Meafurcs; that their Moderation was attributed to a
Want of Zeal, and their Fears for the public Safety to a
Want of Spirit; that whatever they said to incline the
House to Lenity, was construed into a Countenance of
Rebellion; anti so many Arts and so many Menaces had
been used, that if they had not been opposed with a
good Share of Firmness by the Friends to the Peace of
their Country, all Freedom of Debate, and indeed all
public Deliberation, would have been put an End to.
He said, that for his Part he was no Way intimidated
by all these Machinations from doing his Duty, and that
nothing that could be done by those, whole Measures had
brought this Country into so deplorable a Situation,
Ihouid hinder him from tiling his best Endeavours to de
liver it from its Diftrefles.
The firft Step for this Purpose, was to get out of ge
neral Difcourfcs, and vague Sentiments, which he said
had been one of the main Causes of our present Troubles;
and to appreciate the Value of the several Plans that were,
or might be proposed, by an exact Detail of Particulars.
The Speech was so very methodical, that it was not
difficult to form a just Idea of the Outline.
He Rated, that there were three Plans afloat. First,
Simple War, in order to a perfect Conquest. Second, a
Mixture of War and Treaty. And Third, Peace ground
ed on Coiiceffion.
As to the firft Plan, that of mere War, he observed,
that it was proposed in two Ways; one of direct Con
quest, the other indirect by Distress. In either of these
Ways he Did, he thought it his Duty before he voted for
a War, to know diftinftly that the Means of carrying it
on were adequate to the End. It did not fatisfy his Con
science to fay, that the Resources of this Nation were
great; he mult fee them. That before he could trust to
tuoft Resources, on the Credit of what had been for
'merly done, he must find the Situation of the Country
to be what it formerly was. He then examined what
the Ministers had laid before the House as the Meaps of
carrying on the ensuing Campaign. That as to the Forces
which they had made the House expert from his Majesty's
Allies, all Discourse of that had, for some Time, entire
ly fublided; he could, therefore, take Credit for nothing
more 011 that Account, than a handful of Hanoverians,
which only answered the Purpose of an imperfect Secu
rity to some of our foreign Garrisons. That our nation
al Forces to be employed in America, by the Account on
the Table, amounted to no more than 26,000 Men; that
in this, Credit was taken for the Army now in America
at full Numbers. This he could not allow; as supposing
that if their Reduction in future was to be estimated by
the pad, they mult be reduced to little or nothing, by the
Beginning of next Campaign. That the Troops here
. arc only upon Paper, and the Difficulty of recruiting
was acknowledged. On the whole, he saw Reason to
apprehend that we should not be very materially stronger
at the Beginning of the next year, than we were at the Be
ginning of the last; but that if the Number were entire,
it did not seem to him to be fufficient for the Purpose.
That as to the Predatory, or War by Distress (on the
Nature of which he greatly enlarged) he observed, that
it might irritate a People in the higheit Degree; but such
a War had never yet induced any one People to receive
the Government of another. That it was a Kind of War
to distress an independent People, and not to coerce diso
bedient Subjects.
But his great Objection to it was, that it did not lead
to a speedy Decision ; that the longer the War continued,
the greater Chance there was for the Interference of the
Bourbon Powers, which, in a long protracted War, he
conlidered not only probable, but in a Manner certain.
That he was very sure that this Country was utterly
incapable of carrying on a War with America, and these
Powers anting in Conjunction. He then entered into a
long and particular Enumeration of all the Dangers and
Difficulties which must attend such a War.
He then observed that, as he saw no Probability of
Success in the Detail of any of the Arrangements that
were proposed, neither did he fee any Thing of Autho
rity to induce him to believe that they would succeed,
not one military or naval Officer having given an Opi
nion in its Favour; and many of the greatest in both
Services having given their Opinion directly against it.
That as noMan of military experieityfoad vouched for
the Sufficiency of the Force, fo.no Man in the Comniif
fariate would knfwer for its Subsistence from the Mo
ment it left the Sea Coast ; that therefore its Subliftence
and its Operation were become incompatible.
To the Objection, that at this Rate the Americans
might always reduce us to unreasonable Terms, by the
supposed Impoflibility of reducing them by Force, he
said that he could not help the Difficulties which arose
from Nature and the Constitution of Tilings; that he
could not make America nearer to us than it is, or a
Country of another Nature than what God has made it.
The People who cannot contrive to reconcile their
Quarrels, mud fuffer the Evils that happen to a divided
Nation. That he was of Opinion, that there was no
Dishonour at all in any Kind of amicable Adjustment of
domestic Quarrels; and that he would rather heal an
Hundred Points, when it was Englishmen that gave and
received, than a (ingle Point to a foreign Nation; and
that we were in such Circumftaßces that we must yield
to cither one or the other.
Mr. Burke spoke for three Hours and an half, and was
listened to with mod profound and uninterrupted At
tention. The motion made by Mr. Burke was, “ That
leave be given to bring in a Bill to compose the present
Troubles, and for quieting the Minds of his Majesty's
Subjects in America."
Mr. Burke then read to the House a Bill which he
had prepared, with such Provisions and Regulations as
he judged equal to the Attainment of this molt desirable
End, which we hope will be made public, as never could
general Curiosity be excited by a dearer, or greater
Interest.
Nov. 21. Numbers of Seamen are out of Employment
at Port Glasgow, Greenock, &c. owing to the Stagnation
of the American Trade.
HOUSE of COMMONS.
Monday, November 20.
Deferred Mr. Alderman Oliver's Motion refpeding
America to Monday next.
Made a Progress on Ways and Means and the Supply ;
and proceed again 011 Wednesday.
Deferred the further Conlideration of the Nova Scotia
Memorial to Thursday.
Lord North made a Motion to the following Purport :
For Leave to bring in a Bill to cut off all Intercourse Ire
tween Great-Britain and the Colonies of America, now
in actual Rebellion, so long as they shall continue in Re
bellion, and to repeal the Boston Port-Bill, the Fishery
Bills, and another Bill passed last Sessions againf tthe
Americans; and to authorize his Majesty's naval Com
manders to seize all Shipping belonging to America as
lawful Prizes. He made a very long Speech, to shew the
Propriety and Necessity of this Measure.
Mr. Charles Fox proposed an Amendment, viz. to leave
out that Part of the Motion, which proposes to cut off all
Intercourse with the Americans. A warm debate ensued:
Sir George Hay spoke next in Support of the whole Mo
ton.
Mr. T. Townsend confuted the Severity and bad Policy
of thus declaring War against the Colonies, at the Mo
ment Admiuiftration would have it believed in the House,
that they were inclined to Peace.
General Conayay also spoke against it, the Attorney Ge
neral near two Hours for it, and Mr. Burke against it.
At Half after Ten the House divided, when the Num
bers were for Lord North's Motion 192, against it 64.
I R E L A ND.
Belfaft, November 4. A general meeting of the prin
cipal inhabitants, at the Town-house, to confider of
an address or petition to his Majesty, was this dry held
at noon (George Black, Efq;in the chair) when a motion
was made, and seconded, that “ An humble address be
presented to his Majesty, from the merchants, traders and
principal inhabitants of Belfaft, Rating their grievances
and apprehensions, resulting from the present unnatural
state of things ; their concern, as members of the British
empire, for its present dilturbed and endangered state;
their feelings, as men, for the horrors of civil war, now
raging in America; their hopes in the royal mercy for a
speedy termination of these ; and their prayers for a re
storation of the old constitutional system." Which being
agreed to, without a dissenting voice, a suitable address
was produced, and signed by almost every person present;
and after such as were not present have had an opportu
nity of signing it, it is to be transmitted to his Majesty.
Monday the firft, and Tuesday the second division of
the fifteenth regiment of foot marched from the barracks
for Corke, in order to embark for America.
Limerick, Nov. 6. This morning the 20th regiment
marched for Dublin; the 15th is on the road to this city,
to be ready to embark at Corke the beginning of Decem
ber. It is thought one of the regiments coming from
England will be ordered to this garrison.
Corke, Nov. 9. We are informed that orders have been
issued for the fix transports, with the 28th and part of the
46th regiments on board, to return here, and the men
to be difemb?rked, in consequence of a difeovery made
by Lord North, that this is rather a dangerous time of
the year to fend troops to Quebec.
Nov. 16. Capt. Thomas, of the Clibborn, on his Pas
sage from St. Übes, spoke with the Ship Loving Peggy,
Hezekiah Magruder, Mailer, from Maryland, laden with
Tobacco for London, about 7 Leagues from Cape Clear,
48 Days out from the Capes of Virginia, in Distress, hav
ing loft her Tiller, and being out of Candles, both which
Capt. Thomas supplied him with.
Dublin, Nov. 22. Six Thousand Hessian Troops are cer
tainly ordered to this Kingdom ; the Message from the
King to the House of Commons is prepared. —The Ame
rican War is the Plea for this bold Stroke. Liberty ! take
Care; you now stand in imminent Danger.—A foreign
Army, to awe the Subjects of Great-Britain, is an At
tempt at arbitrary Power which lho&H make every real
Friend to the Constitution tremble.
Nov. 24. By a Letter from Castle Townsend, that
came by Yesterday's Port, we are informed, that the Bows
and a great Part of the Deck of a large Vessel were dis
covered at Skiddy's Island, at the Mouth of the Harbour,
on Sunday the 12th Instant, a Man was dead on the Fore
deck, under a Heap of Cordage, his Leg broke, and
bleeding frefh ; it was supposed that she was wrecked on
Saturday Night the 11th instant, on the Stags, which
proved to be so; for on Monday Afternoon a Kinfale Fish
ing-boat came into the Harbour, and brought an Account
that there was a Man on the Stags who called and made
Signs for Help, but the Kinfale Man not having a small
Boat, and the Sea high, could not get near him; that
Evening a Boat was sent out, but the Surf dn the Rocks
being very high, and too late, nothing could be done,
but reported that there were five Persons alive on the
naked Rocks; the next Morning a Pinnace was sent out
with a chosen Crew, who were fortunate enough to bring
four on Shore, the Captain, Mate, and two common
Men, the fifth died the Night before; the four are all
Having read these two resolutions, Sir Archibald Ache
son moved the committee to agree with the firß.
• Colonel Ross seconded the motion, and observed, this
measure would be a faring to the nation of 85,0061. a-year.
Mr. Hellen said, the message was the must refpe&tui
that ever came from a sovereign to his people. That it
confirmed and allowed the compact for keeping 12,000
men here at all times, and that it should not be violated
by withdrawing one of those men, without the concur
rence of parliament; and was a pledge that the men re
queued of the house would be returned to the nation as
soon as the exigency shall cease. This naturally led to an
enquiry whether the exigency was fufficiently great to
warrant this requifion: That it was so, he endeavoured
to prove, from the present state of American affairs. He
then entered into the praise of the foreign troops intend
ed to be sent here, observing they were some of the best
in Germany, who had fought along with our forces, and
with them had Shewed their firmnefs and bravery on the
plains of Minden. By admitting those troops, our secu
rity was the fame, and our expence considerably less.
Some gentlemen, said he, may possibly ask, if these troops
are so good, why they were not sent to America, and the
Britifl iand Irish troops kept at home ?to this it might be
answered, that Great Britain was willing to shew the fame
arm that protested America, while she was dutiful, was
able to chastise her when she was seditious.
Mr. Ponfonby allowed that we ought to support Croat-
Britain, if it can be done with Jufice, Prudence and Hu
manity. That if the troops were sent abroad without ask
ing our consent, then we should not be made parties in
the quarrel. But if we give our canfent, we shall shew
we take a determined part against America. To do so
would be contrary to frfice, for we hive had no parlia
mentary proof of the delinquency of America, or the
state of the present troubles; all we know of either being
derived from news papers. We know, indeed, that the
Americans were dutiful and contented till the Stamp-aft
was passed, for the purpose of internal taxation. At this
they murmured, this they opposed; but as soon as it was
repealed they cheerfully returned to their duty, and so
would they do now, if the fame expedient was used. To
take a part against America would be contrary to,ruderce,
for if we assist to punifn them for refitting against being
taxed by the British Parliament, we furnifh a precedent
against ourselves, if ever the like occasion should happen.
It would be also imprudent to admit these foreign troops ;
they are not freemen, but fubjedts to arbitrary govern
ment, and will not regard us as their master if we do not
pay them, for soldiers always look up to the hand that
pays them. As this measure is contrary to justice and ,ru-
W^-ce, so is it also to humanity, for what can be more in
human than to fend our friends, our relations, men we
have converted and eat and drank with, to expose them to
the dangersof sea and battle, whilst foreigners live here
at ease and fafet,; and he asked, was it not inhumanity to
make widows anri orphans of our country women and
children, only to spa, ? those of strangers.
{This Debate being long wdlbe concluded in our next."]
WILLIAMSBURG, Feb. 3.
Six white men and four negroes, last week, landed
near to Mr. Narfworthy's, in Isle of Wight county, in
order to carry off some flieep which they knew were on
the plantation, and likewise to seize Mr. Narfworfhy, for
whole ransom they expe&ed a large quantity of hock.
A negroe man, who happened to be in the yard, difeover
ing a negroe dressed in the uniform of the 14th regiment,
immediately went and informed his maftcr that feme of
the Governor's men were landed ; he difpatch,ed the ne-
likely to do well, haring been taken particular Care of.
The Vessel proves to be the Abby, of Liverpool, from
Virginia, with 20 Hogsheads of Tobacco, 1200 Barrels
of Tar, and some .Staves, the Captain's Name Herbert.
These unfortunate Men were thrown on the lower Stags,
which are walhed over every Tide when the Sea runs high.
The Captain, a stout able Man, fatisfied that he with the
rest must perish if he remained there, on Sunday After
noon swam about 40 Yards, to a high Rock, where his
Situation was better, as he could walk about dry, and
what was of most Confcquence, from whence he could be
seen, which laved his and the Lives of his Companions.
HOUSE of COMMONS.
Thursday, November 23. Sir John Blaquiere presented
to the House a Message from his Excellency, lignifying
that " he had his Majesty's Commands to acquaint the
" House, that as the present exigencies of affairs requi
" red fending an additional Number of Troops to Ame
'' rica, he had the firmeft Reliance on the Loyalty of his
" faithful Commons of Ireland, to admit his fending
" abroad a Number of the Troops on this Establishment,
" not exceeding 4000 Men, which shall no longer conti
'' nue a Charge on this Kingdom, but be immediately on
" their leaving the fame in the Pay of Great-Britain."
" And to shew his Majesty's gracious Regard for the
" Safety and Defence of this Kingdom, if the Parlia
" ment shall desire it, he will replace the said 4000 Men
" with an equal Number of foreign Protestants (Subjects
of the Prince of Brunswick and the Prince of Hesse
" Caffel) to be continued here, in the Pay of Great-Bri
" tain, as soon as his Majesty shall be enabled to fend
" them, by his Parliament of Ireland."
This Message was read again by the Speaker, and or
dered on the Journals of the House.
Sir John Blaquiere moved, that the House do on Satur
day next resolve itfelf into a Committee of the whole
House, to take his Excellency's Message into Considera
tion.,
Saturday, November 25.
The House was called over, and resolved into a commit
tee to take into consideration his Excellency's message,
and the inftrudion toconfider on the best mode of defence
for this kingdom. Mr. Malone in the chair.
The order for going into the committee, his Excellen
cy's message, and the order for the inftru&ion were read.
Sir Archibald Acheson rose, and made many euloginms
on his Majesty, whom, he said, we ought to look upon
as the father of a much-favoured people, and then pro
posed to offer two resolutions, but they not being put into
proper form, were handed to Mr. Vice Treasurer; and as
they took some time to arrange, Mr. Ogle said the com
mittee had better adjourn till the refohttions were drawn.
At length they were produced, in substance as follows:
“ 1. Resolved, that it is the opinion of this committee,
that in the present exigence of affairs a number of troops,
not exceeding jfour thousand, out of the number of twelve
thousand, voted as necessary to be kept in Ireland for the
defence thereof, be spared for his Majesty's service abroad,
provided that from their quitting this kingdom they shall
be of no charge to the nation."
“ 2. Resolved, that it is the opinion of this committee,
that a number of foreign Prote'ftant troops, not exceed
ing far thousand, be received into this kingdom to replace
the like number sent abroad for the security and defence
thereof, provided they shall be of no charge to the na
tion."