The Virginia gazette — Williamsburg [Va.], 1777-04-18 00:00:00, page 3

' Thin roposed [mendment wu entered on the books by my of a 'pros
W- lncfsigned bsi thectfollowin Lordes si
OCKLNGH , DE FERRERS,
RlCHMOND, ABINGDON,
EFFlNGHAM. KING .
PORTLAND, CRAVEN ,
MANCHES-TER, FlTZWlLl-IAM,
SCARBOROUGH, PONSONBY,
!n the above protelt the Lordt bare only ventured to say that the Ame
ricnns " werre [bra ed with r on but tun rolourablc jbr brmking off
their dependcrtss out Crofwu" thlt kingdom; but m the course' of
their debate: t ey entered fully into the justification of the Americnns on
their declarntion of indepenQence.* Both the Duke of Richmond nnd
Mzrquio of Rockinghnm rroposed, all the onl means of saving the nz
Lion, that Ameriez shou d immediately be echred independent, and
that : treaty of peace and commerce be concluded with her. This in
formation, with the above protesi, we hlve received from a Gentleman
who ettended during me! of the debntel.
ADMlRALTY OFFICE, Doc. 7. Advice was received yesterday
by exyrese, that a fire broke out in the rope house in his Majesty's yard
at Portsmouth, lbout half an hour after four o'clock, on Saturday in
the nsternoon. which burnt with teat violence and consumed the same,
except the outer walls which are andinffize but by the timely affisiance
and vigorouc efforts of the workmen of : yard, the seemen of hit Ma
jelty'l ship, the marinn umered at Portsmouth, and the men belong—
mg to the ord nance, with : eir respective officers, it wn happily prevented
from extending to any other of the buiidings in the gard, and wan totally
got under et ten o'clock laft night, nothing but t e embere being left
burning. The loss sulhined by thil accident. exceyt the damage done
to the rope house, it not considemble, eonsisting chtefly of part of the
Princest Amsiel'uft and Deal Caflle't rigging, the implementt belonging
to the rope makers and rigging house, a small quantity of cordage, and
some top ings of hemp. it is not yet discovered by what means the
accident Knppened.
Tbe SPEECH qf ", WILKESZ; the House qsConmoru, w: TburyZIay
Mr.. Syuxn,
HIS Honourable Gentleman who spoke last, endeavour: to minead
the House. it is certain that no refflng hat If this time been
carried on in the city of London, or in it etties. No press-gangs have
dared to make their appelrance in that jurisdiction. Those lawless hands
es ctuel banditti very prudently chose other scenes of_ horror andplood—
shed, of less dan et- to themselves. - The city has httherto remamed in
perfect safety an tranquility, in a most happy flateps seamty, _by the
vigilance, intrepidity, anssd noble love of lsherty, whtch are confptcuotrs
in its present worth Chief Magilt-rate.
The conduct of- dminishatlon, Sir, in the late issuing of .pre'ss war
tants, before the had tried the operation of the high bounty, is totally
unjuffifiable. The speech now in your hand, Sir, it so very pacific, that
the large bounty of five Found: for every able, and fifty shi] ings for every
ordinary seaman, promtsed in hfl Saturday's gazette, might safely, for
a short time at least, have been trusted to, the emergency not being thought
very ctkicnl. From the minister": own state of pubhc affairs there was
no danger in the experiment. Much cruelty and hloodshed had been
avoided, many valuable liven preserved.
The affair osLong lfland has been misrq-nsented, and greatly magni
fled to the House. The superiority of numbers was ve considerahle.
General Howesilanded za,ooo men. The provincinls lh'ad only Gooo
effeflive men on that ifland. They were ordeled to rett'eat, and 4000
did accordingly, without being attacked, embatk for the ifiand of New
York. There wu : rell mistake of orders as to the other aooo, but
they acted al brave men always will act under a mistake of orders; they
fought. The saw the enemy, lest their enttenchmenu, and attacked
w ct s'v-irit. rom the supenotity of numbers, and their flanko being
nrss—Z-zHcd and unguarded, they were totally defeated. They did not
hu-ct ssver remain inafiive, like cowardt, on an important day of battle.
ch !uCh imputation can be fixed on them. Nothing decisive can follow
from the late suceesisul affair on Lon Ifllnd, no more than from the
defent at Sullivan'e island. New ork will probably fall into your
hands, hot youectfituation will in that case be scarcely mended since the
[At vear, for you then possessed the capital of of North America, Boflon.
ls v'mt teat and important town advantageoufly exchanged for New
Y- ), ! forgot tlnt we hill pofles- the fishing hamlet of Halifax. But,
Sir, we ought to take : much Ilrssctzennd more eomprehensive view of thit
intctsiectding scene, which it now ully disclosed.
'H-c important dispute of Great Britain- with her colonies has for a
tot—s-derahle time fixed the attention, not only of this nation, but of
Flmosi all Euroye. The most esscntial interests of this country, and
indeed of the w t of the were on the eontint'nt, are :!
intetefled in ther;:ent.w'li'he sacri ce of so much blood and treasureefisitz
every [tate an object of the highest importance ; to us. whose empire seeme
mouldeiing away, of the nearest concern, and ] much feat- we are now
brought hy inetttricflble difficultiet to the very vetge of destruction.
Since our last meeting, Sir, the scene, with respect to Anierica, hat
total] changed. Instead of negociationt with coloniett, ot- provlncial
assemhlies, we have : war to carry on against the free and independu t
State: of America; a wicked war, which hat been occasiontd solely by :
spirit of violence, injuliice, and obiiinacy in our ministers, unparalleltd
in History. In the beginning of Se tember in the last year, a vety
humble and dutiful petition was sent tom the Congrcl's to his Majesty,
in which his Majefly wan sup heated to direct some mode, by which
the united hpplicationt of his aithful coionisit to the throne, in pu't'u.
ance of their common cottneile, may be improved into a hztppy antl per
manent reconciliatictt." There was not a word in the petition but what
hreathed submisiion and loyalty, and yet the official answer of Lend
Dartmouth, the Secretary for the American department, after long deli—
beration, was to the last degree irritating. It was " that no answe:
would be given," that it, we will not treat, we scorn to negotiate with
you, we exact unconditional submission, This answer, Sir, in m
oyininn, might justly be called indignity and insult. lt drove the Ame
rtcans to despair. and with the violation of the petfidious promises in
Lotd Hilltborou h'l famous offlcial circular letter, laid the real sounda
tion of their decfaration of independency. Mueh has been said, Sir, of
the prophecy of the miniders, that the Americane would in the end
declare themselves independent. I give the ministers no credit fu- such
a prophecy. They went on the surefi grounde. They might ver)- safely
promnlgate such a prediflion, when they knew that the unjnli And san
gttinz-ry measures, which they intended to tissue, must bring ;thout the
event. They drove_ the Americam into t eit' present state of iPCssLrth
dency. The Hesuits in Prince tisked nothing when they prt-pht—ctsstl in'
1610 the deat of the bed Prince that ever reigned in Europe. within
that year. Their's was the sure words of prophecy. They ensssiiu-ed
Ravillac to aflaffinate their sovereign. '
[The remainder in our met.]
Extract of :: lum- frm Dexnv, Noqubct 9. .
" On Wednesday-morning lash after the arrival us the Gazette Ex.
traordinary, with an account of New York being taken by his Majcfiy'c
forcet, the bells sswere sang in the several parish chutdtes in this town;
at night many bonsiret were made, and pattiettlarl a very large one he
fotsie the new assembly room in the market place, w ere many respect-sihlf
Gentlemen and tridesmen assembled, and drank success to his Majesty":
arms. They then paraded the town, preceded by torches, flags, dt-ums,
and a band of muttc; and were followed by a numerous and ordetly
populaee, who expressed their joy on the occasion by repeated shoucs of
applause for the late victory."
:
B () S T O N, March 20.
YESTERDAY arrived at a safe port, :! prize ship, lately cnpmflcd
by the privateer Lady Washington. She "is from Brifiol, bcund
to St. Kitt's, laden with dry oods, provisions, &c.
March :7. Last Friday amved at : safe port, the brig lndepcndence,
belonging this State, which was taken some time since b George Daw
son, in the brig Hope, and again lenktn by Willis-m rown, Esq; in
the Bosion privateer. She was smm (,umberland, bound to Haiisax.
A brig is arrived at a certain port, captured hy Capt. Brown in the
Boston private". She was from London to St. Kitt's, laden with lime
ind provislon.
Lafl Lord's day arrived in loven from France, the Hon. Knight
Pnsunxouun ma Bone, Knight of St. Louis, and ; Btigadier
General in the French service. Also the Knight MAUDUlT DUPLlssl,
Capm'n oflrtillesy in the French service.
PROVIDENCE, Marc/J 23.
15 learn that the enemy's force, in the neighbourhood of New
port, consifls at present of 2100 men, including five Compsinics
on Conanicut; the greater part of them are Hrffians, who are much
dissatisfied with the service. The whole ofthe enemy's Jtcttillery, except
one company, has been sent to New York.
HARTFORD, Marc/124.
!: hear, I few days : 0, 15 Tories on Long Ilhmd, landed Beans
Noxwzlk. ctand mare ed some ws into the: country; swv plm- .
dered ; Gentleman": house, and took : : owner, chw :m} w. si .
grudge. Prisoner. On their return they came across three ushucsi-s - .._
the Sawpm, whom they also took prisoners, and asm !ssnn wrksil g.". ;]
of eight men who were or) the. share, and vucm. on" with the whole;