The Pennsylvania journal, or, Weekly advertiser — Philadelphia, Pa., 1776-09-11 00:00:00, page 1

LONDO N. Ma, %.
H E Minffter, when he opened the budget, averted,
£ " That the nation was never in a more fiourifhing
Condition than at present." It is impoflible to suppose, that
Lord North could be serious. He was pleated to be j cular,
and therefore indulged himfeT in a facetious reverie. Private
luxury is no certain Ago of public wealth. The blandish
ments of fortunate individuals m^y dazzle vulgar eyes, but
they do not impose ort the judgment of the frufibie. We
are a commercial narich. In what plight is the trade of this
country ? Our American commerce is lo(L Is the loss of
commerce any proof of national profpefity ? If a faithful
detail of our imports and exports was laid before the public,
it would afford a melancholy proof of the decline of com
merce, and of couife of the diminution of real wealth. How
ftawds the tonnage of (hipping on a gross gruodot ? Even
that may be encreafed without extending the limits of bene
ficial trade, The transport nf forces, and of provisions to
America, will occasion the employment of a larger number
of vefiels. But surely the minister will not, from hence in
fer, the flotrifhing condition of trade. It is rather a drain
of wealth than a source of riches. How is the coutfe of
Exchange ? Whenever that is against us, it is a proof that
the whole balance of trade is not in our favour. In what
condition is our woollen mannfa&ory ? If that is on the de
cline, it is nonsense to talk of wealth. We know the ex
tentof our publicdebts. Are the profitsof our whole trade
Sufficient tor the difeharge of these debts ? Are we not afflu
ent in paper money, but deficient in specie ? Is paper credit
any proof of real wealth ? On the whole, it fhoi^d fecm
from the public debts, and the public burthens, that we are
net altogether in so flouridling a condition as the minister
would make us believe. No man in his sober senses can
imagine, that a lofi of the American commerce will not tend
to the impoverishment of the kingdom, the nation, soon
er or later, myft feel it most fevciely. A date empiric may
endeavour to conceal the public ^ifoders. He may talk of
health when death is at our elbow. Such political quacks
are not to be regarded. To borrow an observation ot Lord
Briingbroke, “ They are like the phyfiqiau who endea
vented to convince one of his patients, labouring .under .a
complication of diflempers, that be was in petted! health.
The poor man, on the doctor's asking hew he did, at last,
gave him this answer ; That be vas DYING Mb ibe Lord
R^TJS bow man, GOOD J,m, toms."
The following member of men of war are now lying at
the under mentioned ports of Spain, ready to put to tea,
viz. at Ferrol 16, at Cadiz 12, at Carthagena 4, at Alicant
6, arid at Malaga 6.
It is Did, that in fix weekstime there will not be 2 man of
war under fifty guns left in any of our ports; every one
that could be fitted for fca having been put under repair, and
is either failed or under failing orders for America.
Ma, 3. Lord North presented a message from his Ma
jesty, which .vas read and referred to the committee of sup-
P ] y.
When this bufimfs was over, the Lord Mayor moved,
that there be laid before the Koufe a proper and authenticat
ed account of all the exports, and imports into Great- Britain
since the retraining a&s took place. He' was seconded by
cue or two of the Members; and to the honour of that at
fembly, his Lordship's motion passed in the affirmative, ne
?nine c^tradicente.
By the nature of these accounts it drill appear, how highly
detrimental to the commerce and wealth,of this hation, a
reparation with America must be ; and we hope, the evil ef
fe^s, already so flagrantly conspicuous by the retraining
bills, will foften the obdu-ate hearts of the ministry, if they
are not totally callous to every Sentiment of national honour,
credit, and humanity. The Lord Mayor, 'by his Spirited in
terpofitioD, deserves the thanks of the whole kingdom, out
more immediately of his fellow citizens, the Livery of
London.
In a letter from a Hessian foWer, going to America, to his
friend in town, is fh® following remarkable pallkge: '' We
are all coming to England, and shall be happy if ljhav2 an
opportunity of coming to London to fee you; if not, you
will do me a particular pleafur,e if you will come down to
the port where we mail lay till we embark for America ; for
most probably I shall never have another opportunity of
feeing you again, as I intend torchde irr America ; and many
hundreds of my countrymen have resolved to do the fame,
having taken leave of their country and friends for ever."
By these refohitions our wife administration will pay dear for
their hired troops, as by stipulation, with the Landgrave of
Hesse and the other German princes, we are topay ^ol.for
every man who shall not return, and i§l. for every difabhd
man. Betides these forfeitures, the expence of transporting,
each man, to the continent, amounts to upwards of that sum.
We are happy in every opportunity of congratulating the
Premier on .the verity of his assertions, for the above extract
proves to a demonftraiiou that we niuft be in a moftflourifh
btg condition indeed!
The fecund division of the Hessians, which, with the re#
fonent of Hanau, will consist cf 5000 men, wait only for
transports, and it is more than probable that we shall not
fee them at Sphhead before the rirft ^ June, as several of
the vessels which are to fetch them over, are now only de-
Pvering their cargoes in the Thames.
All the transports in the above service are Dutch and Ham
burghers, and"it is well known that even danger ilfelf can
not put them out of their usual pace, or make them hurry.
Another battalion is ordered to be added to Colonel Alien
Maclean's corps of. Highland emigrants.
Ma, 4. It is a fundamental truth in commerce, that no
commodity is an increase of the national flock, but that which
THE
September % 1776; |fl&. ^ - >&4 Mirim 1762;
WEEKLY [ ) ADVERTISER.
e^^^^^s^ ^l lsW s^ssfos^s^^
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is exported. America formerly confuted imrtienfe quantities
of our manufactures. Hence ihe iocreafed our exports, and,
by increasing our exports, fire gave new life to commerce,
and enhanced the Wealth of the nation. The trade wih Ame
rica is now at an end. It was the mod valuable branch of
commerce we could boast. It remains to be seen, whether
deprived of the only profitable trade his country enj yed. we
tan support our credit, without which, it will be impoflible
to dife-harge the intcreH of th^t enormous debt this kingdom
labours under.,
Hint, relative to trade can never be unftafonable in a com
mercial country. The minister has a (Tu cd us, that the na
tion was never in a more " flourishing condition," than at
ptefent. This is a bold assertion. It requires something
more than the effrontery of Lord North to prove the fa&.
The preterit date of our commerce is such, that the balance
is Abs Mutely AGAINST this country. Either trade, there
fore, is not effentfal to our welfare, or, if i- is efrntial, we
are not in that flourishing condition the minister would make
us believe. To main ain the firft flection, is to advance ap
absurdity. The, lad being true, what besides^ public contempt
doth the man deftrve who has the assurance to rnifreprefent
the condition of the empire? The phvfician who would de
ceive a patient, at the point of dea-h, deserves an haltar.
The minister wh;, uffi-n we are on the brink of ruin, would
persuade us into 4 belief of our profperi ? y merits the fevered
punishment the pubic executioner can inflict.
Pro^edwgs in the HOUSE of COMMONS, Mondo, Ma, 6.
COL. BARRE arose, and h, Id nig a paper iu his hand,
which he informed the House he had cut out of the ,Lon
don Gazett^e, and which, he observed, was the only account,
or reafoh assigned, for the Britiih troops quitting Boston, fol- -
lowed this short exordium, with moving, " Tha copies of
the last dispatches received from the id of March last, from
Gen. Howe, and Vice Admiral Shu dham, be laid before the
House, before they proceeded to grant any further (applies
for carrying on the (aid war." The Colonel obs rved, that,
the only paper published by authority was become a disgrace
to the natjon ; that the most flhametui effuts had been made
to mislead-the people without doors; but. what wis infinite
ly of worse confemenc.e to the nati: u at l arge, that House
had been gfofs!, nulled in every (ingle communication which,
had come from his Majesty's servants, or. which amounted
to nearly the fame thing, every degree and species of infor
mation bad been refufed,,
Lord North asserted, that the troops were not compelled
to abandon Borton. He confirmed the contents of the L-o
---don Gazetteer; sa id, that as th^ British tr-ops met not with
the Icaft interruption from the Rebels; neither did the Gene
ral come into any compromise whatever. He said, the Bores,
ammunition, &c. were not abandoned ; that^he army fuff.r
ed no loss, either immediately before, or on its embarkation;
that the troops embarked with all possible coolness and re
gularity, and even, as he emphatically expressed it, " per
fe&ly at their case.”
Lord John Cavendish (poke warmly in defence of the
motion. Ha observed, that the nation had been infidroufly
led into a war, When once embarked, it was too late to re
cde ; and from the very firft day the sword was drawn, his
Majesty's ministers have retufed to impart a fing'e tittle rela
tive to the conduct of this war; and the Minister comes
down, day after day, to this House, and experts an implicit
obedience and afTent to whatever demand he pleases to make,
without any other pretentions to theii favour or confidence,
but what he can build on the information; that under his ad
nitfoiOration the whole Britiftiempire has near loft at the
national erpyoce of twenty millions of money, precisely in
eleven months from day to day, 'hat is, from the date of the
defeat at Lexington, to the celebrated embarkation, which
was the fubjea of the prefect debate.
Mr. Byog fp ke on the fame fide He laid the public ought
to be informed what was doing iu America, and to what pur
poses the money was to be applied which they were granting
orit of their own pockets.
'Sir George Young arraigned the condua of Admjniftration
in very pointed terms. He said it was impoflible but the
cqnhquen,ces of the prefentwar must he the deftruaion of
the nation, in any hands, the event would be doubtful, but
in such hands, the ruin and disgrace of the nation, and the
loss of America were inevitable.
Mr. Hartly (poke very full on the fubj^Q. He contend
ing, oßtwithftanding the Wo,d\ u^qu; * Xafy.tioQ,Qf the
noble Lord at the head of the leafpry, too-Gen. H r we was
driven from B don, and that nothing .but a dread of having
his whole army cut to pieces, or made prifpom, induced
him to make f> precipitate and unexpe&td a repeat.
Mr. Burke observed, that the noble Lord Lad disclaimed
any intention of giving fatfe colours to the account which ap
pealed in the London Gazette, but th r, w s no rnm left
for a peffibi'ity of misrepresentation; for th- ugh he B fbm
ex'faordinaiies for SOOO men, in the coutfe of twelve months,
had amounted to one million and a half, or nearly two
hundred pounds a man, for fait beef and four croup he
would be bold to affirm, a^d called upon the noble Lord
to contradict him, that the troops could not have remain
ed in that town ten days longer, if ihc Heavens had not
rained down manna aqd grails; and, in a similar expectati
on, he prefamed) the troops were embarked tor Halifax, a
land flowing with milk and honey.
Mr. Ellis and Mr. Littleton spoke against the motion.
They insisted that the communication would be exceedingly
improper in the prefect fixation of affairs.
General Conway was bold, animated, and persuasive.
He said the British Councils had fallen into .contempt, and
the honour of the nation was deeply wounded. He con
demned the conduct of Adrainiftration without reserve, and
hid; the army, which was destined for the conquer of Am r ° a
were now lying inactive and fluffed into transports w r 5
at Spithead ; that some of them were in Ge-m ny, fen £
them at Spithead, and none ot them where they thould lor g
fi ce have been ; that he always thought the measure of co
ercing America for the purpose of fading a revenue, an un
just one ; he always looked upon it ,0 by immaaicsDlc ; but
was certain it was to the lad degree cruel, oppreffiv, and
delhuaive; deftruave, in rith^r event, of the c» 01 -e>
importance and d. areft interests of his country, ta cab it
Should mifedtry; ddtru&ive of what .was fti, if possible,
in. re valuable, its liberties, if it sh uld fucce-d.- „
Lord Georg Gemtin said, by what lin'e of he corref
p< ndence he had ft e% he never upderftood that G r.cial
Howe intended to begin his op rati ns in B riloc. H- opi-j
nion was well known, it was the opmioh of he maj wity of
the Hrufe, as <ong there so eas the Hule -bought it proper 0
continue the war, or fuppott it, he t ought it would be r-ght
to furfur it, and no longer. V/h>tev r his own t litifnenfc
were, if th Hoif should change theirs, he was ready to ac
quiefee. When he came in o office, the ration was already
engaged in it, so that ou either hand, he remained perfe&l,
contented.
Col. Barre again (poke to his motion. He was, if possible;
stronger in his expteffions thau before." He observed, that
the embarkation, were ail made too late last year; that con
voys were neglected; that the provisions, ammunition, and
floras, by that means had fallen into the bands of the Pro
vincials. That the naval force was inadequate to the service,
andihat unequal as it was to the service it was Bill weriq
provided, ,ud more improperly dir.&^d. He ihould be
glad to know to whom thufe delays, m fmanageipents, if not
malverfatirns in office, were to be imputed. He th^n took
a view of the conduct of Administration (nice the com
mencement of the prefect year, ao'd desired to know, how it
comes to pass, that now, on the 6th ot M-y, the great.ft
part of the army sh >u)d be lying at Spithead, or what was
the reason that some of the Hessians, who mi ht to havs been
at the place of their destination in America, have not yet
left Germany.
Mr. Hopkins spoke against the motion ; 0d frerecy should
he observed, otherwise all . our plans would ffiotUy come to
the knowledge of our enemies.
A few minuses be ore nine o'clock, the question was put,
and the House divided, Ayes 54, No's 171.
Ma, 7. There never was a time when the public at large,
and the reprefentatiyes of the people, were treated by Miuif
ters with such contempt as at prefect. An immenfr fuin has
been expended in defending Bodop. Our troops Are driven
Out of it. Though the people of Engand' < money has been
thus wafted, the Ministry do not think hem worthy of having
an account of the siege; pot why General Howe took he
refolu imof abandoning the pace. The M iftry ..d^fe
his Majerty to aik for an unlimited sum of nouey. They
fay nothing as to the pu pole ; nor give a y hint as to the
quantity ; but modeft'y request the representatives of the
people to make good next year, whatever they fr hink pr per
to expend this year. They think the people of E^gia d are
ripe for Slavery, and theref* r< they treat them as ot co con
fcquence. They date not hereafter .teat America thus. She
has taught them better manners; while we 10 our shame,
are crouching under every burthenfume tally and submitting
to every scandalous insult.
General Howe has not received a line from England since
the twenty-1 cond of Oa>ber last. Every circumftauce
(hew, that Heaven itfeit has been agaiaft this war of cru
elty. vidainy, ^nd tyranny.
Ma- 8 A Gentleman acquainted whh the politics of the
court, alks.whether there is a face in the neighbourhood of
St. James's or Whitehall, how- -uch soever bronzed, a mind
however backward in the paths of delusion, a ,p'pithowever
daring or unfeeling, who will venture to seriously affirm,
that any commiffiou given to Loyd Howe, or any body else,
will enable him to treat with lebels proclaimed f by parlia
ment farther than to receive submissions? Or, if that be
what is really meant, that ,o,®©o men will fubmii unconditi
onally to three whom they have vanquished without Briking
a blow, and thr w down their aims ii the audit of victory,
to put halters round their owe peek'? The whole of the pic
fnt neg relation with America i-J u* the last ineffective (hag
gle of an expiring faction, determi ed to p:oh.g their poli
tical existence, till flagged from their unholy faaduary by
the Voice of a brave and genera us people.
A report L curr nt, tha ! Major Rodge 5 has at length
er &g'd to fight under the banners of Govetnment for which
purpose he has railed a numerous Indian Army in the back
folium nts, having been previ nifly turnifhed with money
and roefen's from England for that purp f.
May 9 ° ne °' °u r correfpondenis has favoured'ps with
the following intelligence: ever since authen ic accounts were
received of the riflemen in America, Gover mint has hern
carting about for some expedient to fuftrate their fk 3.
That of Mafuiletts made of raw hides hath be, adopted.
S'x (even, or more of these hides are nailed together, in an
oblong figure, of about four feet in length, and a'baut two
feet in breadth, fixed upon a fort of ax e tree which joins
two Small spokes, whereby the vh 4 e machine is effliv m v,d
by the man who fights from behind it. The Mantheit is
held ere& by two curved fleel rods, reaching fti m the top
of the Mantilett, to the wooden spokes. The ?gun is fixed 11
a moving Spring, so toat wh n difchargedV the fiddler turns
it about to charge again, without altering his situation.
The fame correspondent in a subsequent letter, informs
us, that government ordered §OO of these to be got ready wih
all possible dispatch, under the dre^ion of Col. C—lls
And that last Tuesday the firft too of them were proved at