The Virginia gazette — Williamsburg, Va., 1776-03-15 00:00:00, page 1

MARCH 15,*x776:si " T H ]: si NUMBER 59.si
VssRGLthgsi
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sGAZETTE,
;
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HDUSE of LORDS, Suturdny, Nuv. 11.
HE Lu'rda were )clterdcty :sscmblcd
for the purpose: of exwmining gover
nour Pcn'n, and of discusiing : motion
which the dctuke of Richmond prupOscd to
ground on such information as that gen
tleman should afford the House. Provious
to the cu'lling 'ofmr. Pcnn to the bar, the
duke of Riclsi-mbnd announccd the medc
he had mlopted prcpmfatory to the gover
nour's exmnination. His grace cunfcfled,
" that he had appxssisetl mr. Penn of the
questions which would be propounded to
him; but the noble duke discluimcsl hav
ingr entered into any sum of conversation
with the governour. le-st l'uch conVersation
should be malcvulc-n'tly consh'ned into a
delign of anticiwting the answers mr.
Psictctnn might. think proper to return."
'l'he duke of RFchmcmcl having finished
,h'u m'climinary remarks, mr. Pelm was
cctdi -d to the her, and interrogated nearly
to the following purport: _
Q. How lsioug had he rcsided in Anteri
ca ?
A. siFour years, two of those car: in
the capacity osgnvcrnour of Pennszsh'ania.
2. Wn he acquainted With any ofthe
member: of the Contincnta] Cohgrcsi?
A. He was perflmally acquainted with
all the members of the Congrcss
Qss. In what eshmation was the Con
el's held ? _
-\. in the highest veneration imagin
Ihlo by all ranks and order: of men. -
Q. Was an imsinsihcir obedience paid to
the resolution: of that Congxesi throng]!
out all th:- provinces? _
A. He believed thin to be the case.
. How many men had been raised
throughout the pn'ovince of Pennsylvaniu?
A. 'l'wz-ntv thousmd effectivc men
had sivdumsrisv enroljed themselves to en-,
leanto actual service, ifneccsiity required.
_ Ot'what rank, quzlity, and condi
tion, were these persons?
A. Men of the most respectable cha
racters in the prov'mce. si
Q. Was not :: consi lerable number of
them entirely deffiturc ospropercy ?
A. It was presumerl thsilt, substracted
from so large : nu nber as 20 ooo, there
Were snur- ueceflitnus, but the msiljor part
Were in fluurishing litudtious.
. Beside: chose 20,ooo who volunta
rfly onrolled themsi-Ivks to act as exigen
ties might require, what other sorces— had
the provincials us Pennsvlvania raised ?
A. Fuurthnusand minuce-mcn, whose
duty was pointed out by theirdesignatiun ;
they were to be ready for service at a
minute'si warning. '
Q; Dicl the province of Pennsylvania
grow corn sufficient for the suppIssy of" its
inhsslbitnnrs? 5!
A. Much more than sufficient; there
was :: surphu t'ur expurta'siiun, is required.
, W'er-e thev capable osmakinggun
powder i'n Pennsylvsmia?
A . They persectlv well understood the
art, and lud effected it.
Q Could sallpetrc be madein the pro
vince ?
A. [! could; milk, and other instru—
ments for essccting such an nndcrtaking,
had been erected with success.
Qss. Could "cannou he cast in Pcrmsyl
Vania? _
A. The art of casting 'cannon had been
carried to great perfection; they va ere
amply Furnishtd with iron for the purpose.
Q', Cuuld small-arms be mldc to any
degree of perfection ? ; _ _
A. 'l'u act great a deg'fctee ot perlecuon
as could be imagined; the workmanship
omphwed in fiuilhing' the smaii-arnu waa
universally admired for its exceilcnce.
Were the Amcricam expert in ship
building?
A. More so than the Ettropeans.
. 'l'o what extent nt'tunnzsspe did the
largene ostheir shipping amount ?
A. 'A ship of about goo tum was the
latsizest they were known to buiid.
Q Circumstanced as things at present
were, did the witness think that the lan
guage of the 'Cnngres- expressed the sense
ofthe people of Amctctica in general ?
Aa As far as the question applied to
Pennsylvmin, he was sure this was the cnsc ;
for the other provincea, he replicd in the
affirma'tive, srominsormation only.
(l. Did he suppose that the Congress
contained deicgates fairly nominated by
the choice ot'the people! '
A.. He had no doubt but that the Con
gress did contain delegates chosen under
this descriptionz
, By what mode were the delegates
in Congresi appointed ?
' A. By the vote: os assemblies in some
places, by ballot in others.
(L. ]n what light had the etition,
which the witness had presentec to the
king, been considered by the Americuns?
A. The petition hch been considered
as an olivo branch, and the witnesn had
been complimented by his friends, as the
messenger ospeace.
94 ssOn the supposition that the prayer
of this petition should be rejected, whnt
did the witnesi imaginge would be the
consequence ! '
A. That the Americans, who placed
much reliance on the petition, would be
driven to desperation by its non-success.
Q. DH the witnessimagine, that, soon
er than yield to what Were supposed to be
the unjust claims of'Great Britain, the Ame
ricans would take the desperatc resolution
of calling in the aid of soreign asiishmce ?
A. 'l'he witness was apprehensive that
this would be the case. "
Q. What did the'witness recollect of
the stamp act ?
A. That it caused great uneasiness
throughout America.
Qss. \\ hnt did the witnesl recollect
concerning the repeal ofthat act ?
A . 'l'he annivcrfii'y of that memorable
day is kept throughout Americn, bv every
testimony of publick rejoicing, such as
boncfires, illuminations, and other chi
b'slions os gladness. '
Would not the neglect with which '
the last petition wan treated induce the
Americam to resigu all hopes of pacifick
negotiations? .
A. ln the opinion of the witness, it
would? " si;
Qsi When the witnefi resented the -
pct'um to the lecretary of ate, was he 1
aikcd any questions relative to the flat: of \
Amcricu? 1.
A. Not a single question.
Craji-examined by the Lord: Dneueu
and Snssnv/tcn. ss
..Querie: from Lord DEN BlGH.
As the witness hat ucted in cap city of
governour, was he well lcquainted with
the churtcr of Pennfylvaniai '
A'. He had read the charter, and was
Wt'" acquainted with it: contents.
9.- Dtd he know that there was a clause
whtch specisically subjected the coluny to
taxatiun by the British legislature?
A. He Was well appr'tsed that there
was such : clause.
Were the people of Pctennsylvania '
content with the-"tr charter?
A. Perfectly content.
Q. Then did they not acquiesce in the
right of the British parliament to enforce
taxation? .
A . They acquiefeed in : declnration of
the right so long as they experienced no "
inconvenience from the declaratiun.
QUERIES fi'om Lord sANowtcB.
Had the witness ever heard of an act
entitled the Declarutooy Act? - -
A. He had heard of such an actsi.
Q Did he ever peruse, and was he'.
sufliciently acquamted with the contents
of—that 4ct? . -
A. He never had pernsed it. lt n-ve
had been much discussed whilst he rcsided
in America ?
LL. um tne wuneu apprenend that me
Congrcss acquieseed in an and which main
tained the anthmity of the British palli
i
ment in all cases whatsoever?
Ohjsi ded to, and the witnesi was desired ,
to withdraw; but being called in again, .;
the question w-n put, and he replied, that, T
except in the case of taxatiun. he appre— !
bended the Ameticsims m-uld hzwe no oh- ,
jection to acknowledge the sovereignty of:!
Great Britain, >
Had the witnes-z any knowledge of
eert tin resolutions passed by the county of 4.
Suffolk. !,
A. He had not attended to them. ]
ss Had the witness any knowledge of
an answer given by the Continental Con
gress to what had been commonly called?
lord North's conciliatory motion! '
A. 'l'he witnesn knew notbsmg of tho'
proceedingq of the Congress; they were'
generally transucted under "che seal of' se
crecy.
. ssQ. VV as the wits) ess personally acquaint
ed with mr. HA).KIKON , amember ofthc
Congresl ?
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