The Pennsylvania gazette — Philadelphia, Pa., 1776-03-27 00:00:00, page 2

Your most obedient and humble Servant,
G. W ASHINGTO N.”
The courier, who was hinrfelf in Boston, reports, we
hear, that the enemy left there about forty horses almost
starved, and that before they went off, they difmafted all
the vessels in the harbour. General Putnam was arrived
at New-Haven, on his wayto New-York.
By an EXPRESS just arrived, ^e have the following
intelligence.
Eafi-Hampton, March 22. This day about 10 o'clock
in the forenoon, our guard Rationed at Montock saw 20
fail of square rigged vessels, 5 of them appeared to be
large, and two lloops, bearing about S. S. E. from the
point of Montock, about 9 or 10 miles to sea, the wind
s..s. E. the weather something thick and hazy, fleering
about N. E. by N. and failed to, the east end of Long-
Island, and supposed by the course they fleered, they
were going into Rhode-Bland ; this is all the information
we can give you concerning them, as at about 1 o'clock
they disappeared behind Block-Island, and they fawthem
no more.
PHILADELPHI A, March 27.
An ACT to encreafe the Number of Representatives in
Assembly for the City of Philadelphia, and in the several
Counties therein named.
WHEREAS it is cffential to the good Government
of every free Bate, that all its component Parts
Should have a just and adequate Share in the Legiflaturc.
AND WHEREAS the City of Philadelphia, and the
several Counties herein after particularly named, have not
at this Time such Share ' in the Legislature of this Pro
vince: For Remedy whereof, BE IT ENACTED
by the Honourable 7'o "^ PENN, Esq; Governor and
Commander in Chief of the Province of Pcwfylvania, by
and with the Consent and Advice of the Representatives
of the Freemen <^l^l Province, in General Aflem
bly met, and by UOTorfhority of the fame. That the
Freeholders and Mnabitints of the refpe&ive Wards,
Townships and DißriHs, in the said City and Counties
refpcriively, qualified by the Laws of this Province to e
-1, Members of ABtmbiv, shall meet at some convenient
Place within their refpe&ive Townfllips, Wards and Di-
Brifts, on the Twenty-fifth,Day of April next, and pro
ceed to choose InfpeTors, as is directed by the Laws of
this Province in such Cases, having had due and legal No
tice of such Meeting by the Person or Perlons appointed
by Law for that Purpose, which they are hereby enjoined
and required to give, under the fame Pains and-Penalties
as arc inflicted for Neglect of'Duty in the like Cases by„
Law. And that the Freeholders and Inhabitants of the
WAT ERTO W N, March ^
A large ship of goo tons burthen, laden with Coal,
porter,- cheese, &c. which had been out from White-
Hwen ^oout 16 weeks, after having received considerable
damage, and been repaired at New-York, was last Fri
day icnnght taken by a small fhallop of about 26 tons,
end between 20 and 30 hands, with only small arms, after
about one hour's refinance, and carried into Dartmouth.
Yoe Captain of the blip, before he struck, received a
ball, which went through his thigh. She had on board a
Very valuable tox of jewels, and is supposed to be worth
at idaft 25001. sterling. This, it is said, is the seventh
prize from White-Haven, and the last, it is currently
imported, and believed to be true. Capt. Manly drove on
lh re, the beginning of last week, a Squ«m near Salem.
We allo bear a lloop laden with firovilions for the
miuihcrial troops at Bolton, was taken and carried into
Dartmouth the fame day. —,We have not yet heard where
Hhe was from.
Lift Friday night, about 10 o'clock, part of a barrack,
belonging to fort No. 2, at Cambridge, by some accident
took fire, and was consumed.
N E WP O R T, March 18.
In the late ftofm, a large sloop loaded with naval stores,
fee. from Virginia, for New-York, which had been taken
by the Asia, and ordered to Bolton, was call away at the
Vineyard.
N E W - Y O R K, March 25.
.Extract of a letter from Cambridge, March 14.
" Captain Manly has taken another transport, 400
tons burthen, laden with peas, potatoes, pork, four
grout, ten packages of medicine, fix carriage guns, four
swivels, three barrels of powder, &c. and carried her
into Newberry.''
A great number of letters for officers in Boston were
taken in the above ship, many of which mention great
difficulty in railing recruits for the American service, and
that it was apprehended the British army would be very
little superior, the ensuing campaign, to what it was the
last.
On Saturday last an express arrived from Boston, which
he left the Tuesday before, with a letter from his Ex
.ceildncy General Washington to Brigadier General Lord
Sterling, at New-York, of which the following is d copy.
Gmabridge, 19th March, 1776.
My Lord,
"JAM now to acknowledge the receipt of yourfavour
X of he iith instant, to give you my congratulations
upon your appointment by the Honourable Congress.
If the intelligence is true, and to be depended on, which
was brought by the Gentleman to New-York, I think
with you, that we (halt have an opportunity of securing,
and putting the continent in a tolerable posture of de
fence ; and that the operations of the summer's campaign,
will hot be so terrible as we were taught to expert from the
accounts and denunciations which the ministry have
held forth to the public.
“ I have the pleasure to inform you, that on the morn
ing of t|ie 17th instant, General Howe, with his army,
abandoned the town of cotton without destroying it; an
; event of much importance, which mutt be heard witli
©cat fafsfadion; and that we are now in full pdffeffion.
Their embarkation and retreat were hurried and preci
pitate, and they have left behind them stores, of one
thing and another, to a pretty considerable amount,
among which are several pieces of heavy cannon, andone
or two mortars, which are spiked. The town is in a
much better situation, and less injured than I expected,
from the reports I have received ; though to be fore, it
is nyuch damaged, and many houses despoiled of their
valuable Furniture.
'• The fleet is dill in King and Nantalket roads, and
where they intend to make a defeent next is altogether
unknown; but, fappofing New-York to be an object of
great importance, and to be in their view, I must recom
mend your mod strenuous and active exertions in pre
paring, to prevent any defigbs or attempts they may have
formed or make against it. I have detached the rifle-men,
and five battalions from hence to your affidance, which
will be followed by others, as circumstances will allow. —
These, with what forces you have,,nd can assemble, if
there fhoudl be any occasion, I trust, will be fufficient to
hinder the enemy from possessing the city, or making a
lodgment, till the main body of this army can arrive.
lam, my Lord, witli great cfteem,
said City of Philatap&f and the Freeholders and Inha
bitants of the Counties bf Lducajler, York, Cumberland,
Berks, Northampton, Bedford, Northumberland and IVeft
morelanf, refpe&ively, qualified by the Charter and Laws
of this Province to vote at the General Elections for
said City and Counties refpedtively, shall, on the First
Day of May next, meet in the said City and Counties re
fpc&ively, at the usual Places for holding General Elec
tions in the said City and Counties refpedively, and elect
an additional Number of Burgelßs, Representatives or
Delegates, to serve them in General Assembly; for the
City of Philadelphia Four, for the County of Lancafer
"Two, for the County of York Two, for the County of
Cumberland Two, for the County of Berks Two, for the
County of Northampton Two, for the County of Bedford
One, for the County of Northumberland One, and for the
County of Wefmoreland Owe, in the fame Manner as by
the Charter and Laws of this Province is directed in re
fpea to the Choice of other Members for the said City
and Counties refpedivtly; which said Burgesses, Repre
sentatives or Delegates, so chosen, and returned as the
Laws of this Province in such Cases direct, shall be Mem
bers of the General Assembly of this Province of Penn
fylwania, and fit and act as inch, as fully and freely as
any of the Burgesses or Representatives for the said City
and Counties refpedively, or the other Counties within
this Province, do, may, can, or ought to do.
And be it further enabled, That on the Day following
the holding the General Election for the County of Phi
ladelphia yearly, for ever hereafter, unless it happen on
Sunday, and then the Day after, the Freeholders and In
habitants of the said City, qualified as aforefaid, ihall
meet at the State-House in the said City, and eleH for the
said City Six Burgesses, Representatives or Delegates, to
serve them in Assembly: And that the Freeholders and
Inhabitants of the said Counties of Lancaster, York, Cum
berland, Berks, Northampton, Bedford, Northumberland
and Weflmoreland, shall meet on the First Day of October
next, and yearly for ever hereafter, unless it happen on a
Sunday, and then the Day following, at the Court-Houses
in the laid refpe&ive Counties, where Court-Houses are
already erected, and in such Counties as have not erected
Court-Houses, then, until Court-Houses shall be built, at
the Places where General Elections for such Counties
have been usually held, and eledtfor the County of Lan
cafier Six, for the County of York Four, for the County
of Cumberland Powe, for the County of Berks Four, for
the County of Northampton Four, for the County of Bed
ford Two, for the County of Northumberland Two, and
for the County of WeJlmoreland Two Representatives or
Delegates, to serve them in Assembly, in the fame Man
ner as by the Charter and Laws of this Province is di
rected in refpea to the Representatives or Delegates of
the other Counties of this Province; which said Repre
sentatives, .when'll chosen in the said City and refpe&ve
Counties aforefaid, shall be Members of the General
Assembly of this Province of Pennfvlvania, and shall fit
and aft as such, as fully and freely as any of the Repre
sentatives for the other Counties within this province do,
may, can, or ought to do.
And be it further enabled, That Notice shall be given in
Writing, and shall be proclaimed in the most public Places
of the said City, and of the capital Town or Place where
such Election is to be, of the Time and Place of such
Election, by the Sheriffs of the Counties refpe&ively;
and the said Sheriffs shall cause Copies of such Notice or
Advertisement to be posted upon some House, in the
Way leading frona every Township or Precinct to the
Town or Place where the said Election is to be, as also
upon the Court-Houses and most public Places in every
Townfllip in the said refpeCtive Counties, at least Fifteen
Days before the Time of such Election.
And be it further enabled by the Authority aforefaid, That
so much of the several ACts of General Assembly of this
Province, as relates to the allowing the said City, and
the several and refpe&ive Counties aforefaid, a less Num
ber of Representatives or Delegates, to serve in General
Assembly for the said City and Counties refpeftively,
than is hereby directed, shall be, and is hereby declared
to be, repealed.
Provided nevertheless, That the Members of Assembly
already chosen under the fame,- shall be and continue to
act until the First Day of Oblober next, as fully and freely
as if this Act had never been made.
Passed March 23, 1776.
In CO N GRESS, March 20, 1776.
WHEREAS, in the execution of the resolve of
Congress of the fourteenth of March refpe&ing
the disarming difeffected persons, many fire arms may be
taken which may not be fit for use, to arm any of the
troops mentioned therein, therefore Refolded, That all the
fire arms so taken, being appraised according to said re
solve, none of them shall be paid for but those that are,
fit for the use of such troops, or that may conveniently
be so made, and the remainder shall be fafely kept by the
Affeniblics, Conversions, Councils or Committees of
Safety for the owners, to be delivered to them when the
Congress shall direct.
March 21,1776.
Refolded. That it be recommended to the several As
semblies, Conventions and Councils, or Committees of
Safety, and Committees of Correspondence and Inspec
tion, that they exert their utmost endeavours to promote ,
the culture of HEMP, FLAX and COTTON, and
t e growth of WOOL, in these. United Colonies.
Refolded, That it be recommended to the said Assem
blies, Conventions and Councils, or Committees of Safe
ty, that they take the earliest measures for erecting and
eflablifhing, in each and every colony, a Society for the
improvement of agriculture, arts, manufactures and
commerce; and to maintain a correspondence. between
such Societies, that the rich and numerous natural ad
vantages of this country, for supporting its inhabitants,
may rrt be neglected.
Refolded, That it be recommended to'the said Assem
blies, Conventions and Councils, or Cbmmittees>of Safe
ty, that they forthwith confider of ways and means of
introducing the manufactures of DUCK and SAIL
CI,OTH, and STEEL, into such colonies where they
are ' not now understood ; and of encouraging, increasing
and improving them where they are.
Extracts' from the, minutes,
CHARLES THOMSON, Secretary.
Tn CONG R E S -S, March 23, 1776.
’T^'' HEREAS the Petitions of these United Colonies
v to the King for the Redress of great and manifeft
Grievances have not only been rejected, but treated with
scorn and contempt, and the opposition to designs evi
dentiy formed to reduce them to a date of servile subjec
tion, and their neceflary defence against hostile forces ac
tually employed to subdue them, declared rebellion : And
whereas an unjust war hath been commenced against
them, which the Commanders of the British fleets and
armies have prosecuted, and still continue to prosecute,
with their utmost vigour, and in a cruel manner, wafting,
Refolded, That all Blips or Vessels with their tackle, ap
parel and furniture, goods, wares and merchandizes, be
longing to any inhabitant of Great-Britain as aforefaid,
which shall be taken by any vessel of war fitted out by,
and at the expence of any of the United Colonies, shall
be deemed forfeited, and divided, after deducting and
paying the wages of seamen and mariners as aforefaid, in
such manner and proportions as the Assembly or Con
vention of such Colony shall direct.
Refolded, That all vessels, their tackle, apparel and fur
niture, and cargoes belonging to inhabitants of Great-
Britain as aforefaid, and all vessels which may be employ,
ed in carrying supplies to the ministerial armies, which
shall happen to be taken near the Thores of any of these
colonies, by the people of the country, or detachments
from the army, shall be deemed lawful prize, and the court
of admiralty, within the said colony, is required, on con
demnation thereof, to adjudge, that all charges and ex
pences which may attend the capture and trial be firft
paid out of she monies arising from the sales of the prize,
and the remainder equally divided among all those who
shall have been actually engaged and employed in taking
the said prize : Provided, that where any detachments of
the army shall have been employed as aforefaid, their part
of the prize-money shall be distributed among them, in
proportion to the pay of the officers and soldiers so em
ployed. Extract from the Minutes,
CHARLES THOMSON, Secretary.
Extrabl of a letter, received by express, from the best au
thority, dated Head Quarters, Cambridge, 19th Mareh,
1776.
"STR,
“ It is with the greatest pleasure I inform you, that on
Sunday last the 1 7th inst. about. 9 o'clock in the forenoon,
the ministerial army evacuated the town of Boston, and
that the forces of the United Colonies are in actual pos
session thereof. I beg leave to congratulate you, Sir, and
the Honourable Congress on this happy event; and par
ticularly as it was effected without endangering the lives
and property of the remaining unhappy inhabitants.
“ I have great reason to imagine their flight was preci
pitated by the appearance of a work which'l had ordered
to be thrown up last Saturday night on an eminence at
Dorchester, which lay nearest to Boston Neck, called
Newk's Hill. The town, though it has fuffered greatly,
is not in so bad a date as I expected to find it.
“ As soon as the ministerial troops had quitted the
town, I ordered a thousand men (who had had the small
pox) under the command of General Putnam, to take
poffeflion of the heights, which I shall endeavour to for
tify in such a manner as to prevent their return, should
they attempt it; but as they are still in the harbour, I
thought it not prudent to march off with the main body
of the army, until 1 should be fully fatisfied they had quit
ted the coast. I have therefore only detached five regi
ments, besides the rifle-battalion, to New-York, and shall.
keep the remainder here, till all suspicion of their return
ceases.
" The situation in which I found their works evidently
difeqvered that their retreat was made with the greatest
precipitation. They have left their barracks and other
works of wood at Bunker's Hill, &c. all standing, and have
destroyed but a small part of their lines. They have also
left a number of fine pieces of cannon, which they spiked
up, also a very large iron mortar, and (as I am informed)
they have thrown another over the end of your wharff.
" I have employed proper persons to drill the cannon,
and doubt not I shall save the most of them. lam not
able to procure an exa& lift of all the stores they have
left; as soon as it can be done, I Biall take care to trans
mit it to you :—From an estimate of what the Quarter
Matter-General pas already 'difeovered, the amount wi^r
be 25 or £. 30,00 c."
Spoiling and destroying the country, burning houses and
defencelefs towns, and expoling the helpless inhabitants
to every misery from the inclemency uffthe winter, and
not only urging savages to invade the country, but insti
gating negroes to murder their matters : And whereas the
parliament of Great-Britain hath lately passed an act, af
firming these colonies to be in open rebellion; forbidding
all trade and commerce with the inhabitants thereof, un
til they shall accept pardons, and fub^it to despotic rule;
declaring their property, wherever, found upon the water,
liable to seizure and confifeation; and enacting, that what
had been done there, by virtue of the roval authority,
were just and lawful ads, and shall be so deemed: From
all which itis manifeft, that the iniquitous scheme con
certed to deprive them of the liberty they have a right to
by the laws of nature and the English cordtiiution, will
be pertinaciously pursued. It being, thereioie, necessary
to provide for their defence and security, and juftifiable
to make reprifah upon their enemies, and otherwise to
annoy them, according to the laws mid ufiges of nations;
the Congress, trusting that such of their friends in Great-
Britain (of whom it is confided there are many entitled
to applause, and gratitude for their patriotifin and benevo
lence, and in whole favour a diferimination of property
cannot be made) as shall fuffer by captures, will impute
it to the authors of our common calamities, DO DE
CLARE AND RESOLVE as followeth, viz.
Refolded, That the inhabitants of these Colonies be
permitted to fit out armed vessels, to cr,ife on the ene
mies of these United Colonies.
Refilled, That all Blips and other vessels, their tackle,
apparel and furniture, and all goods, wares and mer
chandizt s, belonging to any inhabitant or inhabitants of
Great-Britain, taken on the high seas, or between high
and lew water mark, by any armed vessel fitted out by
any private person or persons, and co w^cm commissions
shall be granted, and being libelled and prosecuted in any
court erected for the trial of nar time affair^ in any of
these colonies, shall be deemed and adjudged to be Lawful
prize; and, after deducting and paying the wages the
seamen and mariners on board of such captures as are
merchant ships and vessels shall be entitled to, according
to the terms of their contrasts, until the time of the ad
judication, shall be condemned to and for the use of the
owner or owners, and the officers, marines and mariners
of such armed vessel, according to such rules and propor
tions as they rihall agree on. Provided alwavs, that this
resolution shall not extend, or be construed to extend, to
any vessel bringing settlers, arms, ammunition or warlike
stores, to and for the use of these colonies, or any of the
inhabitants thereof, who are friends to the American
Cause, or to such warlike stores, or to the effects of such
settlers.
Refolded, That all ships or vessels with their tackle, ap
parel and furniture, goods, wares and merchandizes, be
longing to any inhabitant of Great-Britain as aforefaid,
which shall be taken by any of the vessels of war of these
United Colonies, shall be deemed forfeited, one third,
after deducting and paying the wages of seamen and ma
riners as aforefaid, to the officers and men on board, and
two thirds to the use of the United Colonies.