The Virginia gazette — Williamsburg, Va., 1776-04-19 00:00:00, page 2

to have mercy shewn them; concluding,
from Virgil, with parcere subjecti: et de
bellare superbas. si
Sir ADAM Fnouson. What remain
ed-, but that theyshould exert every nerVe
to reduce their rebellious subjects to obe
dience? After they had reduced them, and
convinced them of their inability to relist
the power of this country, then, and not
till then, "would be time to show them all
possible indulgence. _
Lord Norru. That if the scheme of
repealing evefy American' act passed since
1763 wa's gdopted, there Was certainly an
end t'o the dispute; for, from that moment,
America would be independent os England .
That many of' the acts were framed for
the necessary support of the superiority of
the mother country, on points in which
her right of superiority had never been
uestioned till America was resractory;
that all the acts were.:ather acts osjustice
than of cruelty. ct ,
- That the mea/Zctres adming'slration meant
now to pursue were, to send a powerful sea
and land force to America ,- and, at the
" same time, to accompany them with offZ-r:
,of mercy, upon a proper fitbmzjfflnn.
Every exertion of force was justifiable,
till such time as they should again become
obedient to this government ; that nothing
lhuuldss be wanting on his part to bring
them back to a just subordinatiun;' that
ww it was impnffible tositreat with them,
until once brought back to a due obedience.
'A'heir'ctfi'iends have said, that they only
.wished to be put on the same footing on
which they were in 1763. He wished to
God it were poffible to put the colunies on
si - the samcssrsooting they were in 1763.
T hat before the year 1763 the authority
of the British legislature was not denied in
America. He said, the repealing 13 acts
siof parliament would not consequently
place as in the same situation in which we
Zhen were. He wished, as ardemly as
any person, to stop the effusion osblood
ct on both sides; but thought it could only
be effected bystmding over a fonnidable army
early in the jpringq and appointing proper
person: on the s ot to give pardom, as men
ti'oned in the ]fiech. Thcfi' were the only
methods, he said, which could, in his opi
nion, restore matters to that desired foot
in : and when that period should arrive,
he did not doubt but his conciliatory plan
would give permancncy to the reconcilia
tion, by our accepting a quantum annually,
in lieu oftaxesi
He declared, he was himself averse to
the employment of forei n troops; but
that sswhere ;! rea} con itutional point
was to be carrie , and which could not be
carried without them, he saw no Objection
to their being made use of . He thought
they might be applied to as a resource,
though it would be impolitick to use them
in the firjfl instance; that as we had more
.money than men, it was a natural and
a-justifiable resource in cases of necessity;
put that at Present administration meant
-ssto leave the "defence of this country to the
gentlemen of'it, which was surely the mea
sure most likely to prove agreeable to
every Englishman.
Lolo onocn'z OF SCOTLAND. ]:
would' be ridiculous in administrasion to
recede, or to listen, at present, to cond,
measures, whilst America was
-liatory
making so effectual a resistance; that all
'Europe would say we had felt our inabiliry
to enforce our rights, and therefore were
glad to accommoda'te matters on any
terms:, that when we had regained and re
eflablished our authority sithere, he uuuld
bc happy- tojoin in any plan for the better
'and more happy government of that part
of the" empire.
Mr. RlGBY. He said he was firmly nF
opinion that America must be conquered.
m .,
'fissfis' Ready money is expecte (] with all
adverti/Z-ments, it being impossible, at this
time, to purchase any thing wuhuuc cash.
_WILLIAMSBUR G, April 19.
E hear from Gloucester coumy, that
arlhe sheriff was-opening the court
of commiflions in that county, to try a
TORY, as usual, he Was- going to con
clude with God [lawe the King, when, just
as he was about pronouncing the words,
a five": bull, struck by a shldier of the 7th
regiment ,_ entered the window , and knock—
ed him in .the mouth, which prevented
him from being guilty osso much impicty .
Extract 'of a letter from Philadelphia,
_ March 11, 1776. ,
" Yesterday was brought up here a
man of wer's tender mountiug 8 gunssi,
belonging to Diinmore's fleet, taken by
capt. Berry of one of our provincial priva
teers; and this day we have an account of
the Glasgow man of war, of 20 guns,
turning tail to admiral Hopkins, off
Montaug point, the eastermost end of
Long- ](land . The admiral mak a bomb
brig and three renders from her, and sent
them into New London."
Death.] Rev. WlLLlAM WlLLlE,ct
rector osAlbcmm-le parish, Sussex county .
Doctor NICHOLAS FLooD, of Efl'cx
county, for many years an eminent practi—
tioner in physick.
_-————————
[n COIWA/IITTEE UfSAFETT, at
VVilliamshm'g, April 18, 1776.
RDERED, that the circular letter
from the sccretary of state, lately
intercepted, together with the clause of
the acsst of parliament therein referred to,
be published. (A copy)
jom-x BECKLEY, affistant clerk.
(c 1 R (: U L A R)
VVHlTEHALL, Dec. 23, 1776.
S I R,
' "um. ng oemg Geternlmcu, m cuncur-_
_l_ rente with his parliament, to pursue
the most vigorous measures for reducing
his rebellious subjects in NorthAmerica
to obedience, and for restoring legal go
vernment, has given the royal assent to
the enclosed act, which ] am commanded
by his majesty to transmit to you, and at
the same time to signify to you his ma
jesty's pleasure that you do exhort all per
suns, upon whom the execution of this
law shall depend, to pay & due attention
thereto, and to use their best endeavours
for carrying the provisiuns ufit into effect ;
and l trust that when his majesty's delud
ed subjects in the associated culonies are
better apprised of the fatal consequences
of the conduct they have adopted, and see
the determined spirit of the nation to
maintain its consiitutional rights, the
will avail themselves of the means which
thejuffice and benevolcnce of the supreme
]egiflature have held out to thsim, of be
ing restored to the king's grace and peace,
and that a happy and lasting reconciliation
and union will be effected. And I have
the satisfaction to acquaint you, that, in
order to accelerate this delirable object,
the proper steps haVe been taken for pas
sing a commissmn, under the great sea], in
conformity to the last section but one of
that act; and that the commisiioner, or
commisiioners, to be appointed for that
purpose, will have full power to inquire
into the state and conditionsios the colo
nies, and to conser with proper persons
upon such points as may be necessary for
effi cting; a restoration of the publick tran
quillity. ] am, sir,
Your most obedient humble servant,
GEO. GERNIAIN.
Deputy governour ED E N .
—*
T he claujss'z in the act of parliament. paffZ-d
on the 19th of Dec [all, which ascertain:
tht ]) "war; (gflhe cummjffioners, i.: in these
'U'UrUJsi .
.\()VIDFD, that in order to encourage
. P all well affected persom, in my of the
*' s litl'ClllslIIit'I. to exert tlzmz/clvcs in sit};
" jn-(si/stusiz thrreln-[lirmt/tercin, and to (lffbrd
" (( sperm! ['rntcc'linn to thr- L' who are dis
" po/ud to return to their duty, it shall and
" may be !a-zqfu! to and for any person 1 .r
" perjbm, appomted mcta unthw [led by In:
" majesty, to grant a pardon or pardon: 10
"mny number of description o] perjum,
" with such excc-j-tiuu: thefeji'om a: shut!
" fi'emfit and reujbnable, by proclamatlon
" in his maje/{y's name, to declare any
" eolony or provinee, colom'e: or provinees,
"_ or arty county, town, port, dg/met, or'
" place, in any co/ony or j-roviuce, to be
" at the peace of/n': majesty,- aud from an!
" after the issuing of uuyjuch proc/ummwn
" in my! oft/ze afbre/hid ealonies or prazsiin—
u ces,, or i/lu': majesty shall be grueinz/jly
" pleased to ]igm'jy the same lzy hu royal
" proclamatiun, then. jrom and after the
"' iffiting of such pruelumation, t/m uct,
" 'witlz respect to such caluny or pmvime,
" colonie: or lin'ovinces, ea:n:;'ct; , tun 71, port,
" df/irict, or plaee, ]hm'lseq/e, detrsmnct,
" and be utterly void. And ijsitmy eajtures
" shall be made after the date and Issss/jlllsilzsi'sisss cf
" such proclamutiom, oj'azg'j/ssssiju or my}; [:
" and their cargoectc, belongmg to the inha
" bitant: of any fictch colouy or- ]!raviuse,
" colonie: or pravinces, eamzty, town,
" port, dZ/Irict, or place, or of any ship:
" trading to or fl-om ficch colony or pravmce,
" colom'e: or provinces, rcsspcairehg the
" same shall be fjestored to the mumn nf
" such ship: or vessels, upan claim [ming
" entered and due proof made of their.
* '* property therein ,- and the czrptor: shall not
" be liable to any action: for jcsi'zing or de
" taining the said ships .or vel/Lsilx, or their
" cargoes, without proof being made that
" they had actual notice ofsuch proclumati
" on having been ('[fitedJ'=
Msir. PRINTLI,
HERE has been much speeulation cenct
cerm'ng the power; of commiffiouert,
who are said to have been appointed to treat ct
with the colonies. It is thought to be easily
determined what their power: are., is-we look
into the king's flzeech, and the late act of
parliament; which, at one stroke, has put
13 colom'e: out of his protectiim, and cmfisi
quently laid prqflrate all government and
authority in those colonie: under him.
Thus we see the whole power of the]?
boasted commisiioners is to tempt town:,
counties, and colonies; into a da-fectian ji'om
the American union, by the !mbe: of trade
and pardon.--Lead us not into temptatiou!
But mark well, ye town:, counties, parts,
di/lricts, places, and colanies! FIRE and
SWORD is the portion qf the first of ye
which take: the bribe. \ ,
Some QUERlES offered to the FREEHOL
DEKS and PEOPLE of VlRGlNL-Y at
large, which they are earnestly desired to
consider and digz-st.
18 it your intention to be freemen or
flaves? If it is your intention to be
free, should you not adosipt the sure means
of being so, whilst these means are in your
hands, and not put it in the power of fur
tune to wrest. them out of your hands?
Are not these means obvious to every
common understanding ?' Is it not mani
fest that you have already sinned be) ond
forgiveness in the eye of the accursed mi
nish'y of Great Britain, and of that more
accursed tyrant, who will employ no mi
nistry unless they previoully siipulale to
work your ruin ? Is there any circumstances:
in'the \\ hole 'lise or character ofssthis tyrant
which gives you reason to think that he
virill reh-m ? Was he ever known to sor—
ive those that he had once oppressed or
injured? Is there any symptom ofvirtue
in either House of Parliament which Cun
flatter you that they will check the dispo
sition of their masters? ls there any asp
zearance ofvigour and spirit in the people
of Great Brituin which can open a pros—
pect of relics? Isit probable that a people
who have suffered their own most sacred
laws to be baffled, violated, and trumpied
upon with impunity, should muse them
selves in the cause ()thcrs, who are re—
moved three thousand miles distant from