The Pennsylvania gazette — Philadelphia, Pa., 1776-06-26 00:00:00, page 2

vrbich were upon the road, for the express purpose of
fettling and adjusting the number, proportion, time and
place of. the Convention, nothing but confufion could
have been produced by the Assembly meddling there
with; because the Conference would have met notwith
standing, and being qualified by their constituents for
that especial purpose, their authority for that business
would have been far superior to that of the Assembly,
and in this case, two plans for a Convention would have
appeared at the fame time, by which means the day of
teleCtion would probably have been a day of confufion,
some infilling on one mode and some on the other. It is
time now that our object Ihould be single, for while two
are in view the Spirit of disunion will be kept alive. The
difeovery of this scheme created new suspicions between
the members of the House; those who considered it as a
dangerous experiment were warrtily against it, while
others, who had not fully reflected on the confequeuces,
were easily drawn in to approve it; and under the influ
ence of these apprehensions the different parties alternately
withdrew from the House to frustrate the designs of each
other, til the members, heartily tired and wearied with
mutual disappointment, agreed to break up the House
and go home. In their votes they have called it an ad
journment to the 26th of August, but there were present
at that time only 36 members, which not making an
House, they could only adjourn from day to day for the
want of a quorum, and not until another fitting; for if
any number less than an House, which is two thirds of
the,whole, could make a regular adjournment, the con
sequences would be equally as prejudicial as if the power
of adjourning had resided in a Governor. And if the
gentlen^n which were in the House at that time will con
tend for the excellence and existence of their charter,
they ought, should the House ever meet again, to be im
peached of\igh treason for breaking it in almost the only
instance in which it was valuable. On whatever principle
the separate members may juftify their conduct, is not
hero intended to be enquired into, but as an House they
have no excise. They have deserted the public truth in
a time of the seated danger and difficulty. Like James
the Second the, have abdicated the government, and by
their own aft ts desertion and cowardice have laid the
Provincial Conference under the necessity of taking in
fant charge of afters. And I fee not how the members
of Conference can ^xcufe themselves without attending
to this point. The revolution is now began, and mult
be supported, and the members of Assembly have their
apology by faying that the Conference was to meet in a
few days.
Besides, the confufion nay subsisting between the Com
mittee of Safety and the officers of the row-gallies, by
which the welfare of this city and province is in immedi
ate danger, makes a superintending power indifpenfibly
necessary; it matters not where the fawlt lies, or whether
in both, it is the confequcnces which the public looks at.
One thing in this dispute ought not to be forgotten,
which is, that several of the Committee of Safety are
fufpeded Tories, have Signed the Remonstrance, and are
highly improper to be at the head of military secrets and
affairs on the prefect system; and I cannot fee how any
man, especially a military man, holding independent
principles, can think himfelf fafe under the direction or
authority of those who oppose them; and when this
matter is reflected on, there will appear Strong reason to
believe that their present disputes arise from a heteroge
neous composition in the present Committee of Safety;
besides which, the authority of that body being derived
from the House of Assembly is at present in fufrafe,
which, added to other circumstances that are daily occur
ing; lay an absolute duty on the Conference to take the
state of affairs into consideration and provide accordingly.
The House of Assembly has, as appears by their votes,
confelfed their inability to go through the necessary mea
fares for defence. The circumstance is this —The resolve
of Congress refpe&ing the embodying fix thousand men
laid a fortnight on the Aflembly's table without being at
tended to, and at the time of their dissolution they passed
a resolve excusing themselves, by faying, " That they are
" &arneftly desirous of carrying into execution the refo
" lotion of Congress of the firft instant, but that, as they
“ despair, after repeated disappointments, of procuring a
“ quorum of the House, they find themselves unable, at
“ this time, to proceed on the said revolution.” Yet the
House took an effectual method to prevent their ever being
able, by breaking up dire&ly after passing the said resolve.
This is the state we at present lay in, and unless feme
thing is instantly done to regulate our affairs the conse
quences may be dreadful. We have now a large and
refpe&able representation, amounting to one hundred and
eight members, from the different counties, and as the
Assembly hath broken up and deserted its trnft, the inha
bitants have now no other body than the Conference to
look at or apply to for conducting and superintending our
military operations, and restoring order and confidence
throughout the province, and this opportunity ought not
to be passed over. It Signifies but little what our particu
lar sentiments refpeCting modes and forms may be, be
cause it is our fafety and not our opinions that is most at
stake.
L ON D O N.
March 21. In the debate which arose in the Committee
of Supply last Monday night, on the estimate of the army
extraordinaries, the death of the gallant Gen. MONT
GOMERY was lamented in Strains of the most pathetic
eloquence that ever were heard in the House of Com
mons. Three of the principal orators, Mr. Burke, Mr.
Fox, and Colonel Barre, distinguished themselves 011 the
occasion, and vied with each other in the panegyric of
that hero. General Burgoyne, though he expressed a
strong zeal against the American cause, i^ a very hand
some manner did justice to his merits; and said, that
all his virtues were abundantly rewarded, when they
were thus “ praised, wept, and honored by the muse he
loved." *
Lord North censured the unqualified liberality of the
praises bellowed on General MONTGOMERY by the
gentlemen in opposition, because they were bestowed
upon a REBEL; and said he could not join in lamenting
h§ death as a public loss. Me admitted, indeed, that he
was brave; he was able; he was humane; he was gene
rous; but skill he was only a brave, able, humane, and
generous Rebel; and said, that the verse of the tragedy
of Cato might be applied to him, —“ Curse on his vir
tues, they've undone his country."
Mi*. Fox rose a second time, and said the term of re
bel, applied by the noble Lord to that excellent person,
was n< certain mark of disgrace, and therefore he was
the less earned to clear him of.the imputation; for that
all the great affertors of liberty, the faviours of their
country, the benefactors of mankind, in all ages had been
called REBELS ;that they even owed the constitution,
which enabled them to fit in that house, to a REBEL
LION.
Lord Irnham said it Was a fhamc to punifli the poor
voters of Hindon and Shaftefbury for bribery, while the
names of several members of parliament were to be found
in the lift of contractors, amassing sums of money out of
the calamities of their country. He moved that the ac
counts on the table of all the articles of extras for the
army at Boston, four-crout and all, might be published.
Mr. Tuffual complained of an extravagant article for
pickles and vinegar for 6000 men at Boston for three
months, and said, that if they had lived upon nothing
else the whole time, it could not have come to half the
money.
Sir Joseph Mawbey objected to the war, and all the
charges of it; he was bitter against the Ministry, and said
somebody must answer in the long run for this deftruCtive
war.
Lord North, Sir Grey Cooper, and Mr. Pownal, spoke
in support of the measures, the expences and the resolu
tions of the Committee of Supply, and on putting the
questions they were carried.
Mr. Burke then made the following motions:
Refolded, That it appears to this house that the sum of
£ 849,000 14s 8d 1, charged as extracreb ary expences of
the army, was chiefly incurred for Services within the
town of Boston in North-America. It passed in the ne
gative.
Refolded, That ample provision for the comfortable ac
commodation of our troops at Boston having been made
by the public, there could be no pretence to call upon the
nation for any farther Supply. Passed in the negative.
It may be depended upon as an absolute faa, that the
Prince of Brunswick positively refufed to let 'his regiment
go to America; and on its being inlifted on,, resigned his
commission immediately.
WILLIAMSBURG, Ju^e 15.
We learn from Gloucester, that Lord Dunmore has
ereCted bofpitals upon Gwyn's island; that his old friend
Andrew Sprowle is dead, and that they arc inoculating
the blacks for the small-pox. His Lord Ship, before the
departure of the fleet from Norfolk harbour, had two of
those wretches inoculated and sent ashore, ^ order to
spread the infection, but it was happily prove
The men of war have made prize of a f^ofh brig
that was bound to Philadelphia, reported to cave on
board 12,800 dollars. Some deserters from e Fowty,
it is said, give this account; likewise, that they ^ very
weak upon the island as to number, fearti: ceing
attacked, and chiefly depend upon the fleet for th d pro
tection.
Mr. Robinson, late of York town, who has en a
prisoner on board the fleet for some .time past, but tic ( . ;d
from Gwyn's island, confirms the above accour s with
refpeCt to Andrew Sprowle's death, and the capture of
the SpaniSh brig, which was from the Havannah, taken
off the capes of Delaware, and sent in by the Liverpool;
but that Captain Bellew had retained the dollars. This
Gentleman further fays, that there are not above 200
blacks now alive, 75 at least having died within fix days
after they left Norfolk, and that the number of whites
on shore is very inconfidefable.
We hear the Honourable Continental Congress have
appointed Col. Hugh Mercer, of the 3d regiment, to the
rank of Brigadier General in the Service of the United
Colonies, and that he will set out immediately for New-
York. %
One day this week a small vessel belonging to the enemy,
with firc:±eti4® vAJM^MirrairKg^uud on cL^ & h\u..^ fl<_,
shore, within musket (hot, and was taken. The crew
jumped overboard, two. swam to Gwyn's island, one was
shot, and the other two drowned.
W A T.ERTOW N, June 17.
Last Thursday the inhabitants of the town of Boston
were made acquainted, by beat of drum, that an expe
dition was to be undertaken against our enemy's ships in
Nantafket Road, and for erecting proper fortifications in
the lower harbour. Accordingly detachments from the
colonial regiments commanded by the Colonels Marshal
and Whitney, and battalion of train commanded by
Lieut. Col. Crafts, were embarked on board boats at the
Long Wharf, together with cannon, ammunition pro
visions, intrenching tools, and every necessary imple
ment, and proceeded for Pettick's-Ifland and Hull,
where they were joined by some continental troops and
sea coast companies, so as to make near 600 men at each
place; a like number of the militia from the towns in
the vicinity of Boston harbour, with a detachment from
the train, and some field-pieces, took post at Moon-
Island, Hoff's-Neck, and Point Alderton.—At the fame
time a detachment from the continental army under the
command of Col. Whitcomb, with two 18 pounders,,
one 13 inch mortar, with the necessary apparatus, in
trenching tools, &c. were embarked for Long-Island, to
take post there. —The troops did not arrive at their se
veral places of destination till near morning, occasioned
by a fiat calm; notwithstanding, such was the adivity
and alertness of our men, that they had the cannon
planted, and a line of defence hove up on Long Island
and Nantafket-Hill in a few hours, when a cannon-shot
from Long Island announced to the enemy our design:
upon which a signal was imn ediately made for the whole
fleet, consisting of 8 ships, 2 snows, ? brigs, and one
schooner, to remove and get under way. The Commo
dore (Banks) bore cur fire, and returned it with spirit,
till a shot from Long-Island pierced the upper werte^ of
his fllip, when he immedi; tely unmoored or cut his
cables and got under fail, an I happy for him that he did
so, for in a small space of time afterwards a ihell from
our works fell into the very foot he had just before quit
ted. Unhappily our cannor did not arrive at Pettick's-
Island and Nantafket as fuo : as might have been wished,
but the fire from the latter * lace being properly pointed
against the Commodore's hip, who came to in the
Light-house channel, is app ehended to have done con
fiderabie execution.—ln she t, the enemy were compel
led once more to make a c<fgraceful precipitate flight;
and we have it now in our power to congratulate our
readers on our being in full possession of the lower har
bour of Boston; and had he wind been to the east
ward, we are confident we Lould have had the much
greater pleasure of giving th; m joy on our being in the
possession of many of their flips. Through Divine Pro
vidence, not one of our men were hurt.
The ministerial fleet on Fr. day last, before they quitted
the harbour of Boston, blew up the light-house, which
entirely destroyed the fame.
We can affiire the public, Tat there is not a minifte-'
rial troop in all New-Englar d, except what are prison
ers; nor is there a miniftei al fliip in an; harbour in
New-England.
In our last we mentioned he Yankey Hero Privateer
being taken by the Lively Fr ate, since rhich we are in
formed it was the Milford Fr ^ate, of T guns, just dou
ble force of the Yankey Here -And 0: Tuesday last Mr,
SamuT White, and Martin Brimmer, obtained leave of
Gen. Ward for a flag to go on board Captain Esukc and
if poflible to make an exchange of prifonere of the Yan
key Hero. They were very politely received by Captain
Banks, and had his assurance that he would do all in his
power to effect an exchange; that he would Lac to Hali
fax to his commanding officer immediately, and as founas
he heard his answer, would fend up a flag to town. Capt,
Tracy received a wound in his thigh, but no ways dan
gerous; Mr. Mains, the Lieutenant, was badly wounded,
one Rowe of Cape Ann loft his arm, four killed in the
engagement, one died of his wounds removing from the
Yankey Hero, and 14 wounded. —Captain Tracy in
formed them that Captain Banks treated h m and his crew
with the greatest civility; that they were in want of eq
one thing ; that the Surgeon bad taken.the greatest care of
the wounded. Captain Banks hadheard of the ch trader
he had on shore for his ill treatment to his prisoners,
which he said was absolutely filfe, and appealed to all his
officers and to his prisoners, who assured them that they
were well treated.
Yesterday fe nnight the Highlanders taken in the
Scotchman mentioned in our last were conducted to the
Provost prison in Boston, by a ftrong'guard from Colohel
Glover's at Marblehead.—The officers are lent to Con
cord, and we hear the Soldiers are going to Worcester.
N E WP O R T, June 17.
Last Friday arrived here from a cruize the brig Andrew
Doria, Captain 3idd:e, who about 14 days before took
two transport ships from Greenock in Scctnmu, having
on board each 100 Scotch troops ; Capt. Biddle took cut
the officers,, navigators and faiiors, to the number of 40,
with all the small arms and baggage of value, manned
the ships with his own men, and kept company with them
13 days; when, being a little without Nantafket thois,
they were chaced by five vessels, cue a pretty large man
of war, upon which he ordered the prizes to freer differ
ent courses, and though the man of war chaced him,
night coming on he soon loft light of them. We hope
soon to hear of the prizes being arrived at some f::fe port.
The prisoners brought in were landed here on Friday
evening, who report that they were part of 33 Lil of
tranfoorts which left Greenock in company, having 3000
troops on board, bound to Boston.
Lail Saturday arrived here the brig Charming Peggy,
Capt. Joseph Jauncey, in 21 days from Coracoa, having
12 carriage and 12 swivel guns, and 35 men ; the has
brought in about 15 tons of powder, and a comfiderab
quantity of dry goods.—On Thursday Capt. Jaime,
spoke with Capt. Munro, in a sloop belonging to Provi
dence, from Hispaniola, who on his paffkge had retaken
two (loops, which had been taken by the Action frigate,
and ordered for Jamaica; these sloops were from Cape-
Fear, bound to Hispaniola, to which place Capt. Munro
feat them. On Friday Capt. Jauncey was chaced by two
sloops, with which he exchanged a few shot, and the
next morning, jult as it was light, with a fa.r wind, he
palled within about 3 miles of a man of war, which lay
at anchor under the east fide of Block-Inland; who, as
soon as they difeovered. the brig, made all the fail they
could after her, and followed her within a few miles of
our harbour. Those veflels being seen at some dikance
off, from the heights about this town, the Columbus,
Capt. Whipple, the Andrew Doria, Capt. Biddle, and
the Providence, Capt. Jones, put out as fall as poffibiG;
but as soon as they got within about 2 leagues of the GQ,
luppofed to be the Cerberus, the made ail the fail ihe
could from them, and Rood up the western found; thev
whe:- the weather corn;
up thick, they loft figl t of her and returned.
Capt. Munro, mentioned above, we are told, is fate
arrived at Stonington; and it is reported that the two
transports taken by Capt. Biddle are arrived at the Daft,
ward.
N E W-YO R K, June 24.
We hear that one of our cruizers has taken a large
fliip on the south fide of Long-Island, ard carried her
fife into port. It is said the is a very valuable prize.
Last Friday Morning the two Philadelphia Battalions,
commanded by the Colonels Shee and Magaw, marched
from this city for King's-bridge, where, we hear, they
are to be encamped.
Sand,-Hook, ^une 21, 1776.
This Morning about 4 o'clock we attacked the light
house with about 3.00 men; they were firongly reinforced
being (as I saw a boat go on board from Long island) pre
vi&ully informed of cur design. I continued the attack
for two hours with field peices and small arms, being alj
that time between two smart fires from the (hipping and
the light-house, but could make no impression on the
walls. I then returned to my camp at the south end cf
the Cedars, which I have occupied two days and nights,
and after refreshing my men, sent out 50 to fee for
Game; they have this minute attacked them with fmaU
arms, and seven boats are making from the land to the
ships. My men are all well, and in high Spirits, not one
of them being either killed or wounded.
PHILADELPHIA, June 26.
Extras of a Letter from Boston, dated June 17.
" I have the pleasure to acquaint you of the piratical
fleet being drove from this harbour a few days ago by
our people. They placed a number of cannon on tne
heights below, and had prepared a number of flat bot
tomed boats, &c. but the cannon only did the business,
and they pushed off with great precipitation both men of
^^a nd transports.—Last evening came into harbour two
tianipor^, a imp and a brig, from the enemy's land, fay
England, &c. in expectation of finding the fleet that had
been so lately driven away, and to their great disappoint
ment were followed in by several privateers, amon^it
which was the Connecticut brig, and on their coming up
with Point Alderton, they were fired on by the cjuhen
there when they both struck, and sent on Shore a boat
load of their men. Night coming on soon, they attempt
ed their escape by going cut through Broad Sound, when
the privateers attacked them again, and a very Severe en
gagement ensued tor three quarters of an hour. Ihe
cneniy had a Major and seven men killed, and several
wounded ; all the rest, consisting of 210 Highland regu
lar rebels, with all their equipments, were taken priso
ners, amungft whom is a Colonel Campbell. They are
now on their way up from Nantafket to this town, all in
' o f u ft°dy- The transports were loaded with provisions
and baggage; the Ship mounted fix 6 pounders, and the
, While I am writing this they are ail in fiot.
We had three men wounded in the engagement, one
mortally, which is all the loss we sustained."
^xlrad o, a Letter from Neiv-Eork, June 24.
"ri ? a " to y° u V as by Friday's post, fiqce which a
most barbarous and infernal plot has been difcover.ee
among our Tories, the particulars of which I cannot
give you, as the Committee of Examination consists of
but th^ee, who are sworn to secrecy. Two of Wash
ington's guards are concerned, the third they t^mi7d
to join them made the firft difcov Gr „— A he ^erJrJ