The Pennsylvania journal, or, Weekly advertiser — Philadelphia, Pa., 1776-10-02 00:00:00, page 2

To the PEOPLE of PENNSYLVANIA. ~
I Do not mean to take up your time in pointing out the
injuitice, tyranny and cruelty of several of the or-
Chances of rhe late Convention of this Rate, much less
fha'l I dwell upon the absurdities and danger of their
visionary conftitutidh. I beg your attention only tothe
oath which thev have prhfcribed for us in their last or
dinance, for appointing a day for the election of an Af
femhly. It is as follows; "I, A B. swear or affirm,
“ that 1 nevet will do any a&, or thing, prejudicial or
<< injurious to the confutation or government of Fenn
-6' fylvania, As established by the Convention."
In the Commonwealth of Virginia, the Convention
adjourned after publilhing a plan of their government,
gad did hot ordain it to be final, till they found, by
. consulting their constituents in every county of the Gate,
that it <sls,Agreeable to them. Even by the new con
ffitution of Pennfylvanta ho law can be proposed and
paftd in th'e fame feffiori, altho' that law is afterwards
liable td be repealed in &s than a year. But by the
foregoing teff a frame of government is forced upon
fob L A correspondent bis favoured us with the follow
ing accurate lift of vhe tim s f failing and Nations of the
different regiments in 'he Brofh fervee#
Sailed for America.„
In :„, the gad. i* r? 66, the 14th. in 1767, the 10&
jfh, x6vhl in 17'68, the Bch, %th.
In 777 t, the 6<h
JETTY,; the , h 23d., 4,th.
In 1774, the 4 h sh, 38th, all. .11
in x„§, th° ~h 49 b 63d, aad,4oth, 44'h, 4§lb, 17th,
~th, xß'h. 46 i s,h
In r,fa Hr xs h, 33d 3,th, 54 h, srh gth, 40th 24th.
34th 53d 6xd ax% ajth. 3 xft 421, 71st, two battalions.
The pfeftrit Ration of all the Biitilh cr ops.
44 Regiments ip America, viz. the 4 h, §ih, 6th. ,th, 8&
sh, xo ? x<% xfh, xdh, y%b 36th, attt, xxd, x 3 d, x 4 th,
36th, 27th i@ h 49th. gift, fld, 34h. 35h, 37^, 38th,40th,
gad 43J 44 W , 4st', 46 h, 4,tn, 49th, sad 53d, 54th, 55th,
j,th 64d 63d, 6§h, ,xft, two battalions
4 bntaliousiu Jamaca, viz. the xft and 4 hbat. ofthe deg,
X battalion in Antigua, viz the ad ba., of the 60th.
3 battalion in Grenades, viz. the 3d bat. of the doth.
> Regimen s in Minorca, viz. thesis and 61st.
5 R # g. in G bialtar, viz. the rath, 39 h. ^h, and 58th.
, Regimes , in freland. rig. the 3a, uth, 19th, joth, 3%d,
26th 46 h, &,:h, and 63'h.
'! Regiments ip Britain, viz the xft of xft, the ad of rd,
ad x 3 tl^ 18 h, as h, 48 h, go h, 59th, 65th, 69th, 70th,
gift, or Inva ids Ina 76 „ .
Admiralty Office, June 49. Vice-Admiral Shuldham, in his
letter dated the 40% of May last, gives an account, that the
cto zers of his squadron hau intercepted and ^ken 34 drips
and vessels belonging to or trading wrh h.s Majesty s rebel
lious fubjeas in North America. in addition to thofc men
tioned in ins letter of the M h of April; among which v^s
the Lyon fchoiner, bound from Cape-Francois to Xnodc
jilted, laden with arms ad ammunition.
La# Saturday's gzet/e gives an account, that the Parlia
ment of Ireland me< on the 18th @f June, when the Lord
Lieutenant feat for the Commons, and dir aed them to
ehufe a Speaker; a d they having elected he RigAt Hon.
Edmund Sexton Pery, Esq; into that office, he was by them
prefen ed, and approved by his Excellency, who then made
a speech to both Hcufes of Parliament: in which he ac
quaints them, that his Majeffy has beta pleafcd to call 'hem
thus early together, to give them an opportunity^ of dis-
Hatching fitch parliamentary matter, as they fliall judge to
^immediately naceffa y for the public service. On the loth
of Junethe Lord Lieutenant went again to the House of
Pvers, and gave the royal aflent to the bill for allowing fur
ther time to pe<fo ufr in offices or employments to qurify
thcmfelves, and then prorogued the Parliament to the zoth
of August n xt,
fotrad of 0 letter from Bergen rp Zom, to 4 gentleman in
us without our content, and without the interval or an
adjournment to' confidcr of it. Every man of sense in
the state" complains of its imperfections, and yet in or
der to entitle Kimfelf to the priviledge of an elector, he
mrift swear or affirm that he will never “ directly" or
“ indirealy" ptyofe these imperfedions, or propbfe ad
Amendment of them. The present situation of our af
fairs req&ef union and vigor in all our proceedings,
and an uncommon degree of tenderness to th'e antient
prejudices and habits ofthp people of Pennsylvania But,
alas! the conftitutionof Pennsylvania excludes them ail.
Th 6 ritifh parliament held up slavery to us, but it ne
ver enabled a law to forbid our complaining of it. We
are now bound to submit to a government hid of dan
gerous exp^rieerfs, wholly unlike our former conftitu
oon, for seven years, or forfeit the greatest priviledge
of a freeman,—the priviledge of chuting his rulers. I
Qope the virtue and good sense of Pennsylvania will be
roused by fucli proceedings. The honour of the cause
in which we have embarked with our filler dates is as
(take. The Voice of the People can abrogate ty
rannical frames of government; as well as tyrannical
laws'. Remember, my countrymen, that Slavery is a
potion equally bitten whether it comes to us thro' the
Stands of Lord North, Lord ^owe, OY My ^ords the
Members of the Conversion. BRJTUS.,
^^^XMX^W^M^
LONDON-
Edinburgh, 'June 16, 1776.
“ Sir, I am an officer id one of the Scots regiments in the
service of the Sates General, and it is with regret that we
&e our brigade remain in a foreign service while our .Ki^g
and country want troops. The Scots brigade have been in
this service fine? the year 1750, and always behaved them
selves with the bravery o f British troops. At the Lft fege
of this garrison, our regiment marched in fco frong, and
only came out 4,3 ; this is well known to all Europe. Since
the States have refofed to give the brigade, but upon condi
tions, which his Britannic Majesty mo# justly rejected, we
jope the officers will be called to the fcrvice of their coun
try. Were we to get liberty to go to Hanover, or any placf
in Germany, our brigade would be ecraplcat in fix months,
ft for American service : And as all our officers speak the
German language, and know thsir discipline, we should be
yeadyto go to any place before the month of February^ We
will furnish a corps of officers as good as any in Europe, ei
ther in discipline or courage. If we cannot be employed in
Qe Service of our soanuy, we may reckon ourfclvcs exiled
Monday and Tuesday last the British tyrant's frigate Mil
ford, was seen in our bay, and to have two fehooners anti a
sloop as prizes: She has taken the Continental privateer
Warrens Capt Burk, and is, continually cruizing between
Cape Cod and .Cape Ann, iliat we apprehend die will inter
cept all our trade. 'Tis hoped that home of the American
frigates "will come this way, and rid our coast of this irhu
nian plunderet.
S.pt. rx. Capt. Gill in a small privateer schooner from this
port has taken aud lent into' Plymouth, a bpgantipe from Anti
gua b@ad.to Europe, laden with rum and fug4r>, She wr.s
firft taken by a Connecticut Privateer, but the people tore
and r took her, and had her in podtrihoa three days bctoie
Capr. Gill came up with her.
We learn ftom ^doubted authority, that the schooner
Sally, Capt. R ach, which lately went from Pifeatacua to
Halifax, as a flag with Pome prisoners, was on her arrival
there made a p/ise of, and all the haudsput on board a man
of war,.
- Au authentic Lift of 'he Naval and Military force in the pro
vince of Nova Scaia, August r 3 ,n, ^776, collected from
the belt authorities in fard province.
In he harbour of Halifax, the Milford and Liverpool
frigates, of a 8 guns, the brig hop of ra guns, the new
hoop of war fitting out, called the A ban (late the Ritten
huufe belonging to Philadelphia) to carry 16 guus, Mowatt,
swivels, and 7$ men each
WATERTOWN, September 16.
Thursday la# the General Assembly of this State passed a
resolve for railing every fifth man in the fame, (a few sea
port tonlo excepted) to march for New-York, for the imme
diate affiftauce of our brethren there.
Se , 1? Yesterday fe'anight arrived at Newbury Port,
the brigantine Georgia Diana, Peter Rigan, Matter, bound
from Grenada to London, taken by the Wafhingtou priva
teer, Nathaniel Odime, having on board x§o hogsheads of
rum' and sugar, and abou zo Chaldron of coal, &c. &c^
Monday last returned to Plymouth, Capt. Samplon, after a
shot cruize, in which he Ras taken five prizes; three or
tour of which are arrived fafc into port.
On Monday evening 'aft, was sent into Cape-Ann, by Capt.
Coas es the Warren privateer, a brig of about no tons,
mounting eig^r carriage guns and to swivels :fr was from
the Ceaft of Guinea, but last ftom Tobago, with some e'e
phant< teeth and gold dust. When she left Capt. Coas he
was in chace of a firip.
The ihip which the Warrell sent in last Saturday, was from
Tobago bound to London, called the Picarry, Capt. Break
hob Cleveland fera^der, having on board 315 hoofheads
of fagar, go hogsheads of rum, r6i bates of Cotton, nf pipets
&9 hogsheads and to quarter calks Madeira wine, and some
to be commander.„
Aug 16. Since writing thi, lift, the Milford and Liverpool
frigates failed, and the 17th toe brig Hope will fail for
Louffbourg.
In the town of Halifax two battalions of marines, the
whole 900 rank and file,—near too invalids, re artillery
men, one company of the 14th regiment, 47 ^nk and til§;
one company of the royal Highland emigrants, 3, rank and
file; fix brass Grid pieces, 6 and 3 pounders..
Fortifications in the town and luburbs—a § tided redoubt
about too paces weft of the dock-y,rd—a redoubt on a htil,
galled Pedky's-Hill, about one a@ half mile N. W. of the
d ck-yard—aredjubt, 4 fedes, about gee paces S. W. of the
dockyard a frecall broftwoik on a bill called Still-House-
Hill, about 40 pzfecs N. of the duck yard, fmallbloek-houfa
to be built in cueh of the above redoubts—a block-houfo 30
feet by 3'o at the N. W. corner of the, dock-yard, and ano
ther of the fame tiimenfi/ ns at th S. W. corner—a small
bloek-houfe ^s feet by 8 c lid^ of the dock-yard gate.
The foregoing works had no can.n £ mounted August 16th.
A large square bre^ftwor^jor cannon (almost finifhed) on
the top" of Citadel-Hili . mourning ra 24 pounders, three
each way, viz. N.ES W. the eastern fide fronts the har?
boor ; a block-house, 40 feet by 60, eroding ra said works.
In the county of King's Cou< y—part of the ro,al Hig& e
land emigrants, consist ng of 237 tank aid file.
In the county of Camber and, the regiment of Royal Fen
cible Americans, commanded by Col. Gorham, cohfifting of
%7i ra k and file (when the last accounts came away) but
frequent defections leffi n their number.
The dock yard is fituare upon low land, a Mile N. by W.
of the middle of the town of Halifax, surrounded by a
strong wall. 10 feet high but is not strong enough to resist
th force of a three pound ball.
Last Sunday was taken and carried into Gouldlootough,
by two small boats, a brig from Ireland, bound for Halifax,
laden with beef, butter &s. She parted company with
twelve other provision vessels the day on which flic was
taken, all bound for the above port.
Sept. 19. Yefterdq arrived ifithis harb iur from Swanzey,
(where they were lately built) two artfeed sloops, in the service
df this state, having twelve carriage guns, fix pounders, twenty
horn it, and meet with aothtag but mortification. Our bri
gade confilb of three regiments ; each regiment, two bat
talions ; each battalion, fix companies mufquc(ccrs, and one
company grenadiers; each regiment has one Colonel-Com
mandant, a Colonel, and two Lieutenant-Colonels, two
Majors, ten Captains, 18 Subalterns, and two Surgeons, all
of whom are born British fubje&s except three." , <
The overtures offered by the Court of Versailles, for an ex
ciulive bargain with the Swi:zers for SO,OOO of their troops to
be conftanfy employed in their service, is said to have been
rejected by the Cantons. It is further added, that the people
or that country, in general, are too jealous of the defigus
which they hive long supposed the Fic.ic(ito cute tain
againft.their lib,,ties, to admit of such ^a measure being tak,
cn —a confideratibn which klbne muR be fufficient to render
such a u^afyablrovte. ; „
E X L T E R, ,ra Ne^Ham^re, Sept. 7.
We have certain ' intelligent^ from Onion River, (which is
about 70 miles from Haverhill, Cowafs) that a party ot the
king of Great Britain's ,troops, so or ra days ago, burnt 9
hou'es, ;ind destroyed every thing in their way, except one
small fort, and carried off a tony family —On the door of a
building they left wrote the following notification "We
did not destroy this because we luppoft it belongs to a friend,
and if we have deftioyed any effects belonging to a friend
of the King's troops —fend a bill and it dial! be paid
on fight." j ,
BOSTON, September
indigo. . .
Thursday afternoon arrived in Boston harbour, V, ait
Ratchburn, prize mailer to the Grip Venus, from Honduras, of
near 400 teas taken by Elijah Freeman Paine, in the fchote
ner Eagle, from Providence, on the 33d, August at night, in
lat. 3 r, long. $,, W. her cargo confine of c6o tons of chip
logwood, 4®v logs of mahogany, and rso weight of turtle
fhell. The next day Capt. Paine espied a brigantine, gave
ehace, and took her ; ftie was from Virginia bound to Ham
burgh, laden with tobacco, belonging to one Smith of that
place ; but by the papers and letters found nn board, 1< ap
peared Sit was debgued for London.
PBILADE L P H I A.
txtraß f a letter from Gmlford, Carolina, September ~ 17,5.,
" Since my last out public affairs are in da^u quo, excep
our Indian affairs.—General Rutherford from the difbiac
Salisbury, hath gone over the mountain with a ccufiderabb.
army, to the middle towns, where the southern array and on?
arc to join the ninth of this inttant, by whom we hope to
have a good account of the Indians.—The Virginia troop
arc forming at Long Illand, and expert 10 be ready to vine
tie tipper towns by the middle es this month.—The fouthere
array hath destroyed facial of the lower ^owns, got a gieai
deal of old corn, and destroyed the new.—The Indians teem
sick of their Undertaking, and threaten to ^ll all the w.te.
in the nation.— The Tories who fled to them, and perhaps
inched them to take up the hatchet, arc flying firm th< m am
Surrendering 10 the friends of liberty, among whom is rt
famous ROBINSON."
&xtta of a Letter from Case NicboU Mob, A gust rg, 1776
“ From the bed authority, I am informed, that four Ercuct
frigates ate ordered to cruize about this inland to protest the.
American trade,' and two Spanish Ihips aic to do the fax.
about Porto Rico for the like purpose. There are a bout 8c:
X3,00^ troops in this Island.—Twenty nine ships of the ii^
ire getting ready at Brett, and 14 at Toulon, and ao,QCc
land forces, to put to fia, but where bound is not known.-
Twelve Spanish ships of the line and 6 frigates, with man
land forces, went by here some weeks part tor the Havaunab,
bit for whit end is a fecfet/'
Since our lift were sent iu here, the fllip William, Capiat
Bond, from Jamaica for Liverpool, With zsg Lds.ofJugar
9 hds. of rum, and 1 bales of cotton, taken by the private
sloop Chance, and a brig from Barbados for London, wiu
goo hds. rum, taken by the Continental stoop Providence.
By the Grip from Jamaica we learn, that provisions had be
Sonic very scarce there, that the negroes had actually rose and
cut off federal plantations in that island, and that ILO Gov&r
nor had proclaimed martial law. We also Lain, that th/
humane Butchers of Britain had ordered the Mattered remaps
of the 6oih regiment, ftartened there lince the year 177% tc
this continent to cut our throats, initead of letting them re
main there to prote& the island.
Extraß of a letter from Old Harbour in Jamaica, dated Ju', 16
1,76, found on board th:prize ship William, brought in here.
" Martini law is proclaimed in this island. The negroc
have r&fe io different parts Qf the island, ir is foppofed to th.
number of 3000, and their humbe. iucreafing daily. 41
embargo is this day laid on all Gripping."
Extrad of a inter from St. Eiffiatta, September 10.
" Last week a terrible conflagration happened at Basseterre.
St. Kites, by which the maj*a part of the town was deGreyed,
fay,ah the trading part; and as it happened at night the pro
gress was Very rapid; the people bad very little time to lave
their goods and effect; that the lofi isimmeofe, supposed 0
be half a million currency. On Friday night iart we had a
violent gale of wind, or rather hurricane, and imagine much
damage is done to the fauchward. The principal that we have
hoard of is the ground provisions, which are much hurt by ih^
violence of the rain and wain."
Exiraß of a letter from St. Euflatia, September 11.
“ Ou the §ih inftaat at two o'clock in the morning, a fir
broke out in Basseterre, St. Kitts, and confirmed a g.eat par
of the town; and the day after, a gale of wind came on, at
tended with a deluge of rain, which has done them aimoft a.
much damageasthe fire; many haufes that escaped the flaoc.
were carried into the fca, so they muff have burn in a terrib
condition; the provision all burnt, and what goods were lav
ed from the fire was loft by the bad weather, and no lumber
to re-build their houses. lam told the ifinad is in a wraic fi
tuation than it was after the great huricane. A good deal 0:
provision has gone up from this island fiace this happened.
we fuffered but little by the gale of wind, only our paths ar
as much washed as they were by the hurricane."
Major General LEE is daily expeaed in town from th
fou;hward, on his way to the American carap near Ncw-Yoi
Monday last arrived in this city, from the American Cam?
at Haerlem, Brigadier General MIFFLIN.
Last Saturday a number of officers and privates, b c longi%
to the American army, and who had been taken prifoncis i;
Canada, arrived in this city agreeable to the proclamation c
Gen. Carlton. They were font in four tranfpoits, u &
convoy of the Pearl frigate of thirty-two guns, from Queue
to New-York, where Gen. Howe detained them on board;
fortnight. Amongst thofc now arrived, arc General Thump
fan, Col. Irvine, Capt. Wilson, Capt, Duncan, Licuu.Cu
A letter from New-York mentions, that when the tories on
Long Island went to congratulate General Howe, on his suc
cess in driving the rebels from thence, he replied, " That he
thought they ought rather condole with him on the loss of
EIGHTEEN HUNDRED brave men and three Generals."
N E.W A R K, September 18.
In our last we informed our readers, that the city of New-
York was in flaracs on Saturday moruiug, the 21st instant,
tince which, we ha had man yaa different reports concerning
that melancholy affair, the most authen ic of which, we be
lieve is as follows, viz. That the fire originated at or near
Whitehall, fooa extended to the Exchange, took its eoprfe
up the well fide of Kroad-ftreet, as far as Verlattenberg H4i,
confirming all the blocks from the Whitehall up. The flames
extended across the Broadway from the house of Mr. David
Johnfoa to Bezver Lane, or Fincher's Ailey, on the well,
and carried all before i.t, a few buildings accepted, to the
house at the earner of Bercley-ftrect, wherein the late Mr>
Adam Vandenberg lived, sweeping all the cross streets in the
way. The buddings left (landing on the weft-fide of the
Broadway, are supposed to be Capta a Thomas Rendall's,
Capt Kennedy's, Dr. Mallat's, Mr. John Co> Handl's sugar
house and dwelling hopfe, Dr. Jones's, Hub's tavern, St.
PauCs, M. # . Axtell's and Mr, ; Rutherford's. The cause of
the fire is not known, We imagine about a €th part of the
whole city is de#roycd, and many families have loft their all.
Wednesday last Brigadier General Sullivan, who was 'ately
taken by the King's.troops on Long Idland, was exchanged
for Go. Prefcot, who comraaaded at Chamblee. General
M'Dina'd would not be accepted for Lord Stirling.
Sunday bit a number of the , regulars embarked in boats
from New-York inland, near Greenwich, and it was fuppof
cd intended to attack Fowles Hook, but in the afternoon
they disembarked, and gave over the attempt for that time.
Monday the Roebuck witt? .three other drips came too oppo
site out battery Mt that port, and after discharging about 100
Gannon, landed,near foo men, opr people having evacuated
the place some hours before, and carried off their artillery, &e.
- They are now advantageously ported on the heights at the
Mill, about one miie from the one ay, and are busy throwing
up entrenchments, having bcaa remfoteed with about 4000
men. „
La# Saturday morning departed this Life at Elizabeth
town in this state, in the 70th yur of his age, Mr. Garret
Noel, many years an eminent 'Bookfeller, in the city of New-
York. He was a kind husband and tender parent, and jurtly
eitecmed and beloved oy art that knew him.