The Virginia gazette — Williamsburg [Va.], 1779-05-29 00:00:00, page 1

NIAY 29, 1779. T. !! I " NUMBER 16.
VIRGINIA GAZETTE.
lVILLIZ/IM'SBURG: PRINTED BY DIXON EF NICOLSON.
L O N D O N.
EOUSE or COMMONS. FEBRUARY 17.
IR VVisiliem Huwe rose, and in .1 lhort speech deseanted on the injustiee
which had been done him, both in that'Hottse and without doors, by
the prejudicial opinions entertdined respccting his conduct while com
mander in chief in Ameniea; Opinions never conti'adicted, and paflibly
encouraged, by those who alone had it in their power to speak from
authority on the htbject. He in partieulzr pointed out two allsiertiom
which had been made in Ptsliament, and which aniounted to a charge
against him and hit brother,ct of not having put an end to the Ameriean
war when it was in their power; the one was : deel usintiun by an Hon.
Gentleman lately returned from Ameriea, that " the means were equal
to the object," lizul the war been properly couducted; the other, by the
same Gentleman," tlmt the southern expedition, the entering Petyl'ylvania,
and the pinching to Philadzlphia," was the cause ofewry ill constTienee
which ensued. Nothing could dispmve these assertions but the etters
which had passed between him and the Secretary of State for the American
department. He was in hopes therefore that the lion. Gentleman to
whom he alluded, would have set on foot an enquir) which had so
ftequently been ulkcd of, and which he and his brotln-r had anxioully
waited for; as however no person had thought proper to move for the
papers in question, he was at length iedueed to the dishgreenble necessity
.of moving, for them himself, and he trulted no Gentleman would object.
as it would t'iom these papets appear to whom eensure was due. if any
were due; and either he and his brother would (land acquittcd or con
demned, neeordiiig as the facts should come out to be againsi them or in
t'. ir savour. He then read his motion :ts follows;
That an humble address he presented to his Majesty, that he will be
gracioully pleased to give directions tlut there be laid holds: the House
copies or extract; of all letters of corretsipondence that hue been received
by the Srcrctary of State for the Antericmn departuient, from Sir W'illizm
Howe, from the 4th of August, 1775, to the 16th of May, 1778.
Lord Howe rose to second his brother, and (" eke for a short time in a
similar manner. His Lordship concluded witli saying, that it was his
determination to retire from the service, and to hJVC no connection what
ever with any ublick person; but that he wished not to retire with
diseredit unless it should be proved that he merited it. Minilters had
withhold that approbation of the conduct of the General and himself from
the publissi which they had both received from their most gracioua
Sovereign; that the enquiry which the papers moved for would necessarily
lead to, would afford a proof, whether they were entitled to the a pro
bation they desired, or whether they must rest eontented with the l zme
:n-l obloquy, which I pr'oot'os their not having done their duty would
necessarily ini-qlve them in.
Goverhour ]ohnstone rose in order to answer what hid fallen from the
Hon. General in his speech introductory to his motion, relative to what
he had in : former debate said upon the subject of the Americnn war.
The Cavernous again declared that he was still of opinion that the force
sent to America was ailequzte to the object, and that the southern ex
dition was the immediate cause of the capture of the army under General
Furgoyne, and All the subsequent ill success; but that he meant not to
charge the gallant General, or his noble brother, as the cause of these
mischiefs. No man respected both of them more than he did; no mzn
wished more heartily that they would come off with honour from any
enquiry that could he set on foot rcs Sting their conduct; he did not
tztke upon him to say who was to [) :une, he only thought ;tn cnquiry
highly necessary; it might appear that the southern expedition W.\s planned
at home; that the troops were so scntout, that their arrival in America was
l'lch as to tender them ineffectual, and thnt the whole conduct of the war
was in the hands of the King's servants, and tlnt they nlone were
answernble. With regard to the southern expedition, he knew perfectly
well it was the opinion of :" ranks of people in the country (of
Ametica) that it wzs ?.n unwit'e :tncl ruinous measure. He did not trust
l'rlely to his own judgment respefiing it; that wait too little to fell upon,
and too poor : ground to jullify the House in cretlitlng his Jllt'rtlott : He
had taken the opinion of ; reat variety of senliblc and impzu-tissil persons
on the subject; all men o? intelligence and reputation, nnny of them
military men, whw one lntl all agreed that the expeditiun t'o Pcnzisylvania
wr- highly impolitick. For that reason he llill retained his opinion, that
tsite force which had been sent out by this country was equal to its obiefl;
hue yet he wu not so obllinate as to sey, that he would not change his
opinion, if the paper: moved t'ur proved that he was wrong in so thinking.
_ The Cavernous said further. that the loss of Amc-rica, aml the various
lll succeffes of th: Amerienn war, highly demands an enquiry; thzt every
member of the 'Britilh Parliament who had a grain of spirit, or of low.
for his country, mult wuh fursuch an enquiry. That he ditl molt
?rdently, but at the sinne time he wsiihcd it might be : his, candid and
lmpzrtial enquiry. without retsipcbl tu pcrlssonl. and that the pxaise or
senlitre, which in the result of the cnquiry might appear due. might be
ciittrihuted with rigisil justice. Before he set down. he begged the gallant
General un! the noble Lord not to regtrd him in the odtuus light of :m
nzruser, but u : member of the British Parlitment, delivering his
sf'n'cm'si'tte upm :tn object of the sin! importance, with the freedom that
should ever cziai-adterize th:- memben at' the! House.
Lord Howe. after eamplimentin ; the Govemour on what he had said
respectin the Generll end himself, declared that he lud underltood that
he had esigned to have moved an enquiry, and as he probably would
like the lezd on the present ocuston, he hoped he would bring found
———___.
the, Gentleman on) whose judgment in support of his own opinion ]!
ruamtamed his aslertion, "that the southern exp-sidition was ruinoul an
unpohtick," in order that the House might know what degree ofatttltority
and weight their judgment carried in it. His Lordship avowed hatrins
asstfled m plaqomg the enterprise, and assured the House, that is th
southern expedttton did not appear to be well founded, of infinite utilit
to the pmgres- of the war, and exceeding advantctgcous to the public
lervtee, he would be contented to retire, covered mth shame, when th'
enqunry was over.
Qmernour Johnflone replied, and declared that he never intended to
have stirred the question, it the Hen. General. or some other person. haL——
not moved it, but that he had before promised the noble Lord, that he
Mould second it whenever it was moved, which he had now done.
General Burgoyne rose, and expressed a wish that the enquiry might
he general, and might take in the whole of the Ameriean war, including'
his expcdition and the surrender of his army at Satatoga.
HOUSE or COMMONS, Mnacn :.
Eatractysi from Lord No l1' n's ])mb.
He said, that though the war should be eontsinued, we should flill have
the means of carrying it on with vigour, and be enabled to procure a
much as we might want. ls the term: of the loan were hard, our credit
was good. and in high reputation; and though it might not be thought
necessary or proper in the future osecution of it to continue borrowtng
and tunding, meant might be divised for raising the necessa shypliu
within the year. Such a plan, he wan satitfied. would be p ucttve of
many benefitt, nay, singular advantages. It would tend to raise the
value of the sunds already in being; it would muse the people at large to
the molt vigoroua exertionsz it would fully reflore publick credit. He
did not pretend to determine exactly, whether such a plan was, or was
not practicable. He thought there wan nothing very difficult in it, if
there was a full confidence in government, accompanied with an awre
hation of their measures. He allowed, if confidenee was wanting; if :
diversity os opinions prevailed in that House, and among the people at
large, that such a disposition would tend to throw almost insitrmounnhle
dufflcullies in the way. But he hoped that would norbethe case; he
hoped that the nation in general retained a proper senseos their own injuriea,
and of the perfidious conduct of France; and that. a Anerica won the
original cause of all our calamities, the peopleseethe nmlfi ofyroseeut
ing the war to an issue; and that, considering France an Anterio- sin
one enemy, an union would take place, susictent to inspiee us with the
most vizorous and successful exertiont. _
He said that he knew further, that Mr Neckar did not Have of the
present war, because of the real [tate of the summes; so far froW
their creilit being high in other countries, they could not procure a lus
in flelland on the terms proposed by them. but were obliged togo without
it. A great deal had been said of their turningtheir whole attention to
their marine, and neglecting their military efiabhshments. it might be
true, but he could hardly believe it. Their situ tion wan such as required
:: very gicat military force; the nius and inclination of the nation led
that way; and he never could persuadcd, until the event provedtt,
that France meant to rival us as a maritime power. Such an attemsit
would be unnatural, when the genius of the people wal considered; it
would be impracticable, when her fituation and new; on the comment
wsi-isi- taken into the zccount.
! vf
slv Mark of Sir Flctcher Norton !. Almira! Keppel, in man:!!!
!l'e' Houst qj' Common: or-lctjbr returning their tbctub to that upon
:
[."/".: late boaaurablt arquilal.
Anmnu. KEPPEL,
THIS House his done you the difflnguished honour of ordering theit
thanks to be given to you, on honour never eonfcrred but upon
extraordinny merit, which thanks it is my duty to communicate to you..
in your phce.
After hzving snt so long in this chair, [hope it in unneeefl'asy to declare,
th [( l luvc been always happy to obey the order! of the House; and ! hlve
now : particular satisfaction in that obedience. Indeed evety generous
mind mtut feel l'cttist'action, when the day of honounbk acqmsiul succeecb'
to the day of sevcre triml; and this leasura wn, ] believe, never more
general nor more sincere thm upon t present occasion.
You, Sir, was called by your Sovereign, with the ap robltion of all
descx iptions of men, particularly those osyour own Prose on, to ; Ratio
os- the utmolt difficulty, and of she highest im rtance. The slfety of
this country, and the honour of the British ag, weve trusted in you:
hands, when the enemy was expected u our coast; and notwithhnding
the most nhlc dischm-ge of this rest m momentoul trust, you wu neous
of misconduct and neglect okssducy. But, after a very long and !"
inveltigation by men in every respect the best qualisied to judge. th':
charge appeared to be ill grounded and malicious; and your judged have
ulunimoully and honouubly acquitted you, and have further had. M
your conduct on the :7th and aid: of July lafl vu- thu as I indiciolu,
brave, aml experienced officer. Surely then it cannotbe mannes suspifi
that extraordinary marks of rel'peEt end esteem are shevn to such .
charactcr. We now know with certainty. that our confidinn in ym
was not misphccd; znd we entetuin . well gwunded hope. them
shll remzin amongst the newe] officer- tdenu nd chilitin fully can] I
thiu dlnzorous crilsiu. '
Amidi} the general joy. I cannot heip repeatinqdu siogdu' House!
which ! so:] in giving you the Mt of this House. wb'cb ! m On
so: your dntiaguiskd Comyn. mmctw QUW '