The Providence journal, and town and country advertiser (Providence [R.I.]), 1799-05-01 00:00:00

The Providence Journal AND TOWN AND COUNTRY ADVERTISER.
Published on WEDNESDAYS, by JOHN CARTER, JUN. Printer of the LAWS of the UNITED STATES for the State of RHODE-ISLAND, &c. At the NEW PRINTING-OFFICE, West Side of the great Bridge, PROVIDENCE.
[ No. 18. ]
WEDNESDAY, May 1, 1799.
[ Vol. I. ]
HERDS GRASS SEED. A QUANTITY of Herds Grass Seed, of an excellent quality, this day received from Troy, and for sale by GREENE & BARKER.
LOST. A GOLD BROACH, set round with large Pearls, with hair work, inclosed by a crystal. Any person finding the same, who will deliver it to the subscriber, shall be handsomely rewarded, and no questions asked. ESEK ALDRICH.
FOR VIRGINIA & MARYLAND. THE Schooner ZERVIAH, will sail in ten days. For freight or passage, apply to BUTLER & WHEATON; Who have for Sale, Fresh superfine Flour, Ship Bread, Buns and Swedish IRON, Feather BEDS, MOLASSES, New-England RUM, NAILS of various sizes, Spermaceti CANDLES, ANCHORS, CORDAGE after d. BEEF, STONE LIME, &c. Also, to 3, 4 and 6 pound Cannon, of a superior quality; Bar and round SHOT.
TAKE NOTICE. THE subscribers inform the public they have entered into co-partnership under the firm of John Mason & Sons. They wish to contract with some person for three hundred cords of stone, to build a wharf, and with a person to lay them; also to fill a wharf 170 by 34 feet. Any person willing to undertake, will please to apply at their store, west side of the bridge, where they offer for sale, four Puncheons of excellent flavoured ANTIGUA RUM, very low for cash in purchase. JOHN MASON, JAMES B. MASON, AMASA MASON.
TAKE NOTICE. ALL those who are indebted to the subscriber, are requested to call and settle with him; otherwise, should they neglect this notice, he will be under the necessity of lodging their notes and accounts with an attorney, to be sued, without distinction, at the May court. JAMES ABORN, jun. He has for Sale, as usual, All kinds of LUMBER, at wholesale and retail.
TO LET. A HOUSE suitable for a small family, with a shop in front; together with a lot for a garden; near to Col. Joseph Moyses. For particulars, enquire of JAMES RHODES.
Final Notice. THE Hon. Court of Probate having allowed the further time of six months, from the fourth day of December last, for closing the administration on the estate of the late Dr. EPHRAIM COMSTOCK; all persons interested are requested to avail themselves of this information, as no claim will be received or allowed after the expiration of that time. EDWARD DEXTER, Administrator. N. B. The administrator to the above estate takes this last and public method to acquaint all persons whom it may concern, that the unsettled notes, and all book accounts relative to said estate, will be lodged in the hands of George R. Burrill, Esq.; as fast as the accounts can be drawn off, without any reserve, as he is determined to close the business by the above time. Said DEXTER also requests all persons who have unsettled accounts with him in his private business, to call and settle the same.
FOR SALE, by Isaac Boorum and Co. 20 Hhds. of prime Georgia Tobacco 100 Barrels of Tar 70 ditto of Turpentine.
John Harwood, jun. Offers for Sale. A LIQUID, prepared by himself, which, from long experience, has been proved to be a complete and radical cure for that loathsome disorder, the ITCH. This liquid is simple in its composition, perfectly innocent in its operation, and is attended with no inconvenience whatever. It is sold directly opposite the Turk's-Head, Market-street, and is warranted by said Harwood to be infallible, the directions being attended to, at 4s. 6d. per bottle, with printed directions. Providence, March 27.
FOR THE PROVIDENCE JOURNAL. The Adelphian.
PLAGIARISM is undoubtedly a crime; but, like many other crimes, it may admit of palliation. Our capacities are so confined; and every subject of investigation has been so much exhausted, that it is almost impossible to write without using the sentiments of other writers. A man of extensive reading may likewise use the sentiments or even expressions of others, without being conscious of it. No one can call this plagiarism. I should define plagiarism to be the using of either the sentiments or expressions of others, knowing them to be such; this constitutes an offence in the forum of literature. I have the pleasure to inform the public, that an effectual remedy is devised. We have a court constituted, composed of three learned men, who have original jurisdiction over all literary crimes whatever. A man must be found guilty by a verdict of twelve of his peers; that is, of twelve authors, before judgment can be passed upon him. The punishment is very severe. He is obliged to stand in the pillory of public indignation four weeks successively, attended by a species of literary catchpoles, called critics, who see the sentence executed. When the circumstances are not peculiarly aggravating, the criminal is sentenced merely to a restoration of the property stolen. Besides the crime of literary theft, there is the crime of clipping the good current English language; and likewise the crime of passing false, feigned and counterfeit words as and for true current English, and many other crimes which I have not time specially to mention. I will now confine my attention particularly to the crime of literary theft, and shew the decisions of the court upon it. James was indicted for stealing the literary property of Thomas; it was proved that the property was stolen by James, but afterwards that Thomas had no title to it, he having stolen it from John: in other words, one thief stole it from another. The court referred this imposition to highly, that they ordered Thomas immediately to be taken into custody, and James to be discharged from his indictment. I will now shew what the court have decided does not amount to plagiarism. Ann Seward was indicted for stealing the property of James Thompson, poet. The indictment stated that the said Ann did give currency to, and pass as her own property, the following words and expressions—she the said Ann well knowing the same to be the property of the said James, to wit:
While from those eyes, in spite of frowning wiles, The tender spots foul looks out and fumes. The following was incontestibly proved to be the property of the said James:— While from the tender chambers of the youth Look'd out the joyous spring, look'd out and full'd.
The council for the prosecutor contended, the property charged in the indictment was beyond all dispute in James Thompson. They observed that Mrs. Seward's altering the property, was rather a circumstance of aggravation than mitigation of damages. They further stated that Mrs. Seward was as criminal as he, who, having stolen a piece of cloth, makes it up into a garment. The court however held that similarity of property was not a sufficient proof of its identity; that here there were sufficient ear-marks to note the deversity, consequently that the crime did not amount to plagiarism in the eye of the law, and the defendant was honourably acquitted. Many cases were cited on the part of the defendant which the court pronounced to be good law, one in particular, where Dr. Young uses this expression—
"Man wants but little, nor that little long." Dr. Goldsmith has it— "Man wants but little here below, Nor wants that little long." Another—Dr. Goldsmith says, "Like that fair bow that bends the earth and skies, Which lures from far, but, as I follow, flies." Edmund Burke says—"Their humanity is as their horizon, and, like their horizon, always flies before them."—When the court had rendered their judgment, an author who thinks himself, if nobody else thinks him so, "The American Oracle," rose up, and with infinite gravity was proceeding to say that the decision of the court gave him great satisfaction, and perfectly accorded with the sentiments of the most learned men in France and in England; and was then going on to give an account of his travels through Spain, Italy, France, &c. observing that he had conversed with the most learned men in each of those countries, from whom he derived his notions of literature—when at the mention of the word literature, the judges could contain their gravity no longer, but bursting into a loud horse-laugh, adjourned the court.
PHILADELPHIA, March 12. For the following interesting letter from a young gentleman of this city, belonging to the frigate United States, commodore BARRY, we are indebted to the politeness of an obliging correspondent.
"St. Pierre, Martinique, Ship Cicero, March 9. I HAVE been here in this ship about ten days, as prize-master. She belongs to Liverpool, was captured by the French privateer schooner Democrat, and recaptured by the United States frigate, and sent to here. Her cargo consists principally of live stock, such as oxen, jack-asses, horses, &c. and is valued at 30,000 dollars, of which I suppose one eighth will fall to us. She is a fine ship of 450 tons, mounts 20 nine-pounders, and carries 50 men, or rather 35 men, and 15 boys. The privateer mounts 12 nine-pounders, and had 100 men. They fought two hours and an half, and after the French had boarded her, fought on deck three-quarters. Out of 50 hands, the captain and three hands were killed, and 26 wounded.—Could I but give you a description of the scene this ship presented, when we first took possession of her, it would make your heart shudder. Never were men more inhumanly mangled, and much of it done too after they had given up. A little boy who was a favourite of the captain, was ordered by the Frenchmen to go aloft, and hand down the colours—he cried, and said he could not, which was the fact. A Frenchman immediately up with his cutlass and cut his arm almost off, and otherwise wounded him in several places. The Englishmen, there can be no doubt, fought like men; every thing on board proves it. The French had been in possession of her about 36 hours before we recaptured her, during which time not one of the poor fellows who had been wounded, had been dressed, nor a single bucket of water thrown on the deck. They were in a perfect gore of blood; inasmuch, that when the ship would roll with the heave of the sea, the blood in the cabin run from side to side in a perfect current.
"The capture of this ship ought to be a serious lesson to our merchants how they fit out their vessels. They put on board ten or a dozen guns, with twice the number of men, at the utmost, and then think she is able to cope with any thing she may possibly meet. This is a great mistake. It is incredible how these Frenchmen fight when driven to desperation. Having nothing to lose, and every thing to gain, whenever they see any thing that looks like plunder, nothing will deter them from attempting the most daring enterprise. The Democrat has taken two or three other ships of equal force, and carried them into Guadaloupe. We found 30 Frenchmen on board the ship, who were put on board the frigate."
"March 10. Yesterday I was informed of war having been declared against America, by Guadaloupe, Eustatia and St. Martin's. This news came here in a letter from St. Thomas. If it is the case, there can be no doubt but their respective governors have their orders from France, as they would not dare to go so far without such orders—of course, the declaration of war will be general."
"Some time since we sent our boat into Guadaloupe, as a flag of truce, to exchange prisoners—there were no Americans there; but Commodore Barry thought it better to leave the Frenchmen, and take a receipt for them, than to keep them on board long enough to eat more than they were worth. Desfourneaux's secretary came on board—assured the Commodore that Americans were not made prisoners—that the trade was open to them, and advised the returning of the insurgents, as he feared very much it might be the cause of a war between the two nations, than which nothing could be more disagreeable to him!"
"Since I have been here, I have had the satisfaction of seeing the celebrated Berthelmi. He resides here, and is a very fine-looking man."
NEW-YORK, April 22. DREADFUL CONFLAGRATION!
A Fire broke out yesterday between twelve and one o'clock, in the shop occupied by Mr. West, Builder, on the west side of Washington-street, between Cortlandt and Dey-strips, which consumed the whole block, except 3 houses—two of them belonging to Mr. Michael Price, and the other to Mr. Anthony Trepau, corner of Cortlandt and Greenwich-streets.
It is said to have been communicated by a boy's imprudently placing a pot just taken from the fire among someavings—and so furious was this devouring element, that notwithstanding the extraordinary exertions of the citizens, the whole block (except the three houses abovementioned) was levelled to the ground in the course of an hour and a quarter. Several buildings at a considerable distance from the conflagration, were frequently set on fire from the sparks carried by the strong westerly wind, one of them reached even to the people
of St. Paul's Church, and in a few moments the base of the Northwest Urn was in a blaze. One of the workmen employed about the Church was immediately let down by a rope from one of the upper apertures, and cut it away, when the fire was soon extinguished.
The following are the names of the unfortunate occupants and owners of houses which were destroyed—in Greenwich-street, two elegant 3 story houses, belonging to John Rogers, Esq. one occupied by Lady Temple, the other by Gov. Crawford; one owned and occupied by Mr. T. Arden; one owned by Mr. Beakly, and occupied by Mr. Peter Elting; three houses in Dey-street, owned by Mr. Coddington, occupied by Mr. Laney, Mr. Seymour, and Mr. McLeod; one owned and occupied by Mr. Post; a Blacksmith's shop; a house owned and occupied by Mr. Barton; one owned and occupied by Mr. Bonsal; a corner house and one adjoining, in Washington and Cortlandt-streets, owned by Mr. D. Trembly, and occupied by Mr. D. Demarest and J. Sharp; one owned and occupied by Mr. Campbell; one owned by W. Barton, and occupied by Dr. Lyon; one owned by Mr. M. Hoffman, and occupied by Mr. West; and Lady Temple's stable.
Mr. Rogers had materials for a country seat prepared at Mr. West's, to the value of 1,000, which were also lost. The property consumed is estimated at about 200,000 dollars.
We are sorry to observe, that 3 or 4 men were dangerously wounded—one of whom, we are told, has since died of his wounds.
LONDON, February 16.
LAST night we received, by an express from Dover, regular sets of Paris gazettes from the 27th ult. to the 9th inst. with the exception of the dates of the 4th and 5th inst. They were brought in by a cartel from Calais.
While the court of Vienna has been continuing the idle farce of negotiations at Rastadt, at the same time that it made appearances of preparations for war, the executive directory has obtained, by an artful management and hypocrisy, every thing it wanted. Having gained the necessary time required to assemble its new levies, to overthrow the monarchies of Piedmont and Naples, and to get possession of the fortress of Ehrenbreitstein, which has been starved into a surrender, the directory now assumes a very menacing and peremptory tone towards the emperor. On the 1st inst. the French plenipotentiaries at Rastadt signified to Count Lehrbach, his minister, in the quality of king of Hungary and Bohemia, that if within 15 days his majesty did not make the Russian troops evacuate Austria, the directory would order its troops to recommence hostilities.
The fortress of Ehrenbreitstein has at length surrendered. Modern history scarcely furnishes an example of a blockade of such long duration, having lasted from April 1797, to January 1799. This noble constancy of the garrison, and its brave commander Col. Faber, must render its services forever memorable.
By the reduction of this place, the French become masters of the two banks of the Rhine, from Scaffhausen to Dusseldorf. The possession of Mayence, Ehrenbreitstein and Dusseldorf, opens to them the provinces of Franconia, Hesse, and Westphalia; and the king of Prussia is the sovereign most exposed to the danger of being in the hands of the enemy.
At length the unfortunate king of Sardinia has been permitted to set out for Tuscany, whence he is to go to Cagliari, in the island of Sardinia. The French commissioner pushed his severity so far as not to allow his majesty to see the Pope, but in his presence.
The republic of Lucca, supported for some time by the influence of the late king of Prussia's favourite, Lucchesini, has also been overthrown. Such is the general torpor of the continent of Europe, that the destruction of a state is now considered an event scarcely worth recording.
The whole continent of Africa, from Morocco to Egypt, has at length taken up arms against the French, at the instance of the Grand Seignior.
The states of Barbary and the emperor of Morocco are not satisfied with sitting out affairs, but have sent large bodies of troops to attack Buonaparte in Egypt, of whom the French papers scarcely speak. The two courts of the Porte and Russia continue their preparations of war with a bold perseverance, which cannot be too much admired.
Yesterday two mails arrived from Dublin, those of the 15th and 16th inst. They bring us the proceedings of the Irish house of Commons on Friday last, on the motion of Lord Carry for the house to resolve itself into a committee to consider of the state of the nation, a motion the issue of which we consider materially interesting, as not only involving a re-discussion of the great question

of the union under another shape; but as evincing, in the clearest manner, that the more the question is considered in that country, the more will the arguments in its favour prevail over the heat and intemperance of the first introduction. Lord Corry's motion was rejected by a majority of 20, which proves that by that number the strength of the union party had increased.
On this occasion the anti-unionists expected to have mustered, according to all the accounts of their friends, a majority of at least thirty, instead of which they were left in a minority of 20; the opponents of the motion, the object of which was to pledge the house against receiving the British propositions, being in number an hundred and twenty-three; this may be considered as a complete triumph of the minister; such an one as must have been the more mortifying to the anti-unionists, as the gallery of the house was crowded with their friends, against whom Sir Henry Cavendish had moved the doors should be shut, but for whose indulgence even Lord Castlereagh strongly pleaded.
General Malfena has sent engineers to Little-Belle, in Switzerland, for the purpose of fortifying that place, and the French troops have been considerably augmented in the canton of Uri, and towards the country of the Grisons.
The march of the Russian troops engaging the attention of Europe, as the most certain sign of the prolongation or rupture of the armistice which has been improperly called the peace of Campo Formio, every information relative to that march necessarily becomes interesting. A letter from the banks of the Mein, dated the 20th of Jan. contains the following article on this subject:
"The first column of the auxiliary Russian troops arrived on the 23d of Jan. at Lintz, and was to have continued its march to Passau, where it was expected to arrive on the 20th. The 2d column was expected here on the 3d and 4th of Feb. the 3d on the 5th, and the 4th on the 7th and 8th."
FRENCH FINANCE.
A message sent to the council of five hundred on the 2d inst. states, "that the expenses of the public service are considerably beyond the receipts of the revenue; that there has been a deficit of 43,778,262 livres in the receipts of the first quarter: that the beginning of the second quarter (the present one) is equally alarming, and that instead of receiving 14,972,222 livres every decade, the commissioners of the national treasury could not even obtain 10,000,000." The message concludes in the following manner: "the subsistence of the armies is no longer certain: the navy has very few provisions, or is entirely without them; the salaries of the servants of the public are four months in arrear; the hospitals are in a state of the greatest distress for want of relief; the most urgent payments are suspended; the public credit is every day diminishing, and the public service exposed to a fatal and approaching catastrophe."
March 2.
The gallant Lord Nelson has obtained permission to return to England, and is expected to arrive about the beginning of next month.
Letters from Dublin by yesterday's mail, mention that the government of Ireland daily expected another visit from the enemy, and in very formidable numbers. Accordingly all officers absent on leave are ordered to their different stations; and no absence is in future to be allowed.
Nothing appears more proper or necessary than this regulation. The armament that has been for some time preparing at Brest, and which is now ready for sea, is known to be destined for Ireland. Several thousand troops have recently marched to the coast to be ready for embarkation; and among these is a whole regiment of United Irishmen, who have escaped to France at different times during and since the late rebellion, altho' most of them came in under the king's pardon and took the oaths of allegiance, from which they got absolved by their priests. It is under the expectation of another visit from the enemy, that the rebels still in the country are agitating it anew, in order to keep the deluded multitude in a state of preparation for mischief. And hence originates the bill just bro't into Parliament by the Attorney-General, and which appears most highly necessary.
It cannot be denied that the affairs of the sister kingdom wear very unprofitable appearances, nor can we hope for better times in that country, until the people appear more willing to accept the Union offered to them by Great Britain.
Letters from Hull and all the ports in the North Seas, give a dreadful account of shipwrecks; numbers of bodies are washed on shore daily. The narratives from Dublin also, of a similar description, are very melancholy; and what greatly adds to the distress, in the cases of vessels thrown ashore on the Irish coast, it is with difficulty that rapine is prevented from seizing all that the ocean spares.
On account of the preparations made at Brest for the sailing of the fleet now ready for sea at that port, the Board of Admiralty has taken due precautions. Three sail of the line, from Plymouth, have joined Sir C. Thompson, at Torbay; and Vice-Admiral Lord Hugh Seymour, with three sail more, is ready at St. Helen's to put to sea. These make a force, when joined to the squadron under Sir Charles Thompson, in Torbay, equal in number to the whole ships in Brest Road.
Wednesday being the day appointed to be observed as a general fast, it was kept with great decorum; the shops were closely shut up, and the places of divine worship were fully attended.
It is reported that the King of Prussia has consented to allow the Russian troops a free passage through his dominions.
FOR THE PROVIDENCE JOURNAL.
On the Constitution of the SUPREME JUDICIAL COURT.
IN the reign of King James, a fifth Judge was added to each of the three great courts of the Realm; not only to give a casting vote in full court, but the better to supply the circuits. From the disuse of a fifth judge afterwards, we are to conclude that experience evinced the impropriety of the innovation.
The civil law confides great concerns to a single judge; but the stern and unyielding yeomanry of England have, in all cases, very reluctantly and sparingly permitted that kind of law to take place of the ancient and safe common law of the land. We will not change the laws of England , has been honoured like an oracular response: hence twelve jurors must all agree—a majority will not avail. It is clear that in courts consisting of the odd numbers three, five or seven judges, on a division, one man's umpirage decides the cause as fatally, as a single judge does in causes of admiralty and maritime jurisdiction, under the civil law.
The number four is the only number to be found, of which a bare majority is three to one; a majority of three, or of six, is only two to one; of eight, ten, or any other number, is a less proportion.
Establishing a court, therefore, of four judges, to decide causes by a majority, is the nearest possible approach to unanimity. It is a check and balance introduced into the judiciary system, in the nature of a fly in mechanics, to preserve an equable motion, by securing time for full consideration in important causes, rather than subjecting them to the hasty and capricious opinion of one man, formed, perhaps, on the impulse of the moment.
Some half learned witslings, and pedantic novices in politic law, affected to ridicule the doctrine of checks and balances, in the concerns of legislation, so elaborately explained in Adams' Defence of the Constitutions of the United States ; but since we have seen a great nation legislating without checks or balances, and experiencing all the evils of despotism, in consequence of it, the author of that book stands acknowledged the greatest political character which any country has ever produced.
After a cause should have been fully heard by court of five or seven judges, and the court divided two against two, or three against three, it should seem, that one side is exactly as right as the other; in such case, to submit to a decision by lot, would certainly be fair and play, and would be more equal and just, as to the parties, than leaving the cause to be decided by the single unsupported voice of one man; at any rate, such a court, in such a case, is no more likely to do justice, than a court consisting only of one judge.
The chief reason, it is to be presumed, which ever induced the people of New-England to permit causes to be decided in this novel way, was, that their presiding magistrate has always been one of their most eminent characters, and generally the man who has been thought to know more than all the rest; when he is of a different character, it is clearly a solecism to make him sole judge.
I am clear for staying on my farm, and holding it as my own, till at least three judges out of four shall be of opinion that it belongs to somebody else; and I am willing that all my neighbours and friends should have the same advantage.
To complete the absurdity of the French misrule, their supreme executive consists of five, and the reason assigned, is the danger of trusting one man with such great power—yet one man has a casting vote in the most critical and important concerns.
Our supreme executive is judiciously placed in the hands of one man. Whatever checks and balances may be expedient in making laws or in judging of them, it is a clear principle, that there ought to be no checks or balancing about their execution. The supreme executive should be as irresistible, in the execution of that duty, as the thunderbolts of heaven.
A FARMER.
P. S. The annual sum of 350 dollars, liable to be paid to a fifth judge, and compound interest thereon, for less than half a century, would furnish an income to defray perhaps nearly all the expenses of the state government: But if such rigid economy does not consist with the honor of government, let it be divided among the four judges, if they merit it—or be laid out in ammunition to fire off at the Jacobins.
FOR THE PROVIDENCE JOURNAL.
OBSERVING in all the Almanacs, which I have seen for the present year, the erroneous calculations of the transit of Mercury over the sun's disk, on the 7th day of next month, it induced me to make the following calculations of the same, viz.—The true conjunction of the sun and Mercury will be in 18 16° 51' 39" 8, when the geocentric latitude of the planet will be 5° 20' 8 south, hourly motion of the sun, 1° 24' 9", and the hourly motion of Mercury from the sun in the ecliptic, 3° 56' 04"; but in her relative orbit, 3° 59' 84"; the angle of the visible way of Mercury, from the sun, 10° 25' 19"; semi-diameter of the sun, 15' 53" 05", and of Mercury 5" 1. From these elements it may be expected the central ingress of Mercury will be at 3h 15' 6" in the morning of the seventh day, and that the middle of the transit will be at 7h 0' 6" when mercury will be 5° 13' 51" from the sun's center; the true conjunction will be at 7h 14' 37", and the central egress at 10h 45' 6" in the morning, all apparent time. I have been the calculation of this transit made by Mr. Trebuchet, and agreeably to him, it will begin one minute sooner than the above calculation, but the duration agrees exactly with the above. Mr. Trebuchet's calculation is in mean time; therefore, in order to make the comparison, his calculation should be reduced to apparent time. B. W.
Rhode-Island Coll. Geog. April 26, 1799.
The Journal.
Providence,
WEDNESDAY, MAY 1.
We learn with pleasure that the insurrection in the state of Pennsylvania is at length completely quelled. The army was disbanded at Reading, and Capt. Morrel's troops returned to Philadelphia on Monday afternoon the 22d ult. in high health and spirits. The rest of the Philadelphia troops were expected the 23d.
The Grand Jury of the Circuit Court of the United States, now sitting at Philadelphia, have found Bills against three of the Northampton Insurgents for High Treason; of this number, Fries is one. The other presentments are delayed for evidence.
The news of Loring's insulting treatment of our flag had been received in London, and had excited much sensibility—and it was confidently said he would be broke.
A new species of fraud has lately been practised in N. York. Some trunks of muslin, while deposited in the public store, were opened, the muslins taken out, and old wrappers, ropes, wood, straw, &c. deposited in their stead, and the packages left in such exact order, that they were exported, and the trick not discovered until the goods arrived in a foreign market. 500 dollars are offered for a detection.
OF HAMBURG.
By a broken series of Paris papers, it appears that on the first of February, citizen Marra-gon, the French minister at Hamburg, declared to the Senate that his public functions in their city had ceased. Such intimations, when given by the agents of the haughty French directory, have seldom failed to be followed by hostilities. It would not then be very surprising, if the French, recollecting the benefits they derived from the frost in Holland, which chained the Dutch ships to their ports, should have availed themselves of a like favourable occasion to seize upon Hamburg, and the immense mass of merchandise that lay weather bound within its walls. The north-eastern province of Holland, Groningen, and Friesland, which are adjacent, not to say contiguous, to Hamburg, would afford them the means of striking with promptitude a blow as favourable to their schemes of plunder, as it would be ruinous to that object of their inveterate envy, the British commerce—a blow that would be felt throughout this whole island, and that would produce particular distress and consternation in this great trading city.
That such an event is not altogether out of the contemplation of government, seems to be strongly implied by the orders given to detain the packets at Yarmouth, till there shall be some arrival from the continent.
It has long been matter of surprise to many, that so tempting a bait to republican rapacity as Hamburg, should so long have escaped their fangs; and indeed their abstinence is not to be easily accounted for, unless we suppose that they wanted a pretence, or the consent of the Cabinet of Berlin. We have seen too much of their address in negotiation; and too much of the vigour of their councils and of their arms, to be able to say that they may not have obtained the acquiescence of the king of Prussia, or have disdained to ask it; and as to a pretence, they have certainly found one in the obstinate detention of Irishmen bearing commissions in the service of the republic.
London paper, March 3d.
The French Directory have issued orders for the requisition of new levies of men, and enjoined that all citizens, excepting those of corporeal infirmities, and those concerned in administrative employments, from the age of 20 to 30, shall serve in person in the armies, for the present year.
The ship Connecticut, arrived at Philadelphia, and the Fair American, at New-York, have brought from England between 2 and 300 tons of Cannon for Government; from 9 to 32 pounders.
Citoyen Gerbier is arrested at C. Francois, charge not stated. He was an Admiralty Judge, and has condemned much American property.
GREENFIELD, April 22.
On Tuesday night last, the seat of Thomas Chapman, Esq. of this town, was entirely consumed by fire. On this melancholy occasion, the exertions of the inhabitants were eminently successful in confining it to the house (a barn being almost contiguous) and in preserving much valuable property.
NORWICH, April 24.
Preparations are making in this place, for building a sloop of war for the Federal Government, under the agency of Mr. Joseph Howland;—she will mount 18 guns, and is to be commanded by Capt. David Jewett.
MARRIED.
At Philadelphia, James Alexander Count de Tilly, to Miss Maria Matilda Bingham, Daughter of W. Bingham, Esq.
Mr. I. Ulmsted, merchant, to Miss K. Hornig, of Montgomery county.
DIED.
In London, Thomas Boylston, Esq. merchant, formerly of Boston.
At Newport, Major John Breeze, British Consul, a gentleman of reputable character.
At Boston, Mr. Joseph Snelling, aged 25.
PORT OF PROVIDENCE. ENTERED.
Sloop Juno , Trowbridge, New-York. Schooner Lucretia , Weeden, Charleston. Sloop Hancock , Crappan, New-York. Sloop Betsy , Rhodes, Alexandria. Brig Sally , Spooner, Surinam. Schooner Nancy Wright , Brown, Wilmington. Schooner Dorcas , Weeks, Washington. Sloop Lydia , Tallman, Savannah. Schooner Phebe , Smith, Middle-ton.
CLEARED.
Schooner Chloe , Slocum, Newport. Brig Alfred , Thornton, Berbice. Sloop Victory , Luce, New-York. Sloop Pitch-Pipe , Starbuck, Nantucket. Sloop Warren , Randall, Hartford. Sloop Sally , Crandall, New-York. Sloop General Greene , Walden, Newport. Sloop Leopard , Farnum, ditto.
The Schooner Ranger , Capt. John Brown from the Havanna, belonging to Warren has arrived at Norfolk.
Arrived on Monday last, the brig Sally , Charles Spooner, in 34 days from Surinam, sailed from thence under convoy of the United States ship Portsmouth , Daniel M'Neal master, in company with seventy sail of American vessels, among the number were the following. Ship Nancy , Davis, Briggs Integrity, Gillelander, and Eliza Star , of New-York. Ships Sarah , Hopkins, Mary , Cushing, Brigs Orlando , Henderson, George , Catwell, Abigail , Schooners Mermiad , Truent, Sabia , Harding, Roebuck , Davis, Ginny Miller , Wyman, and Barque Columbia , of Boston. Brig Katy , Brown, Neptune , Burr, Sea Flower , Rider, and Schooner Cynthia , Ramsdell, of Salem. Ship Harmony , Forester, Brigs Unanimity , Ear, of Charleston. Schooners Tabath , Green, Mary , Borden, Carolina , Brig Samuel , M'Bride, of Baltimore, Brig Nancy , Cook of Providence, and Sloop Sally , Smith, Warren.
There had been an embargo at Surinam from the 3d Feb. to 25th March, during which time several vessels sailed for Holland.
The convoy separated in lat. 24—when Capt. Spooner thinks the Portsmouth frigate returned back to Surinam, as Capt. M'Neal had taken a statement of the American vessels and cargoes at Surinam, and forwarded the same to the Secretary of the navy, recommending that another American sloop of war be ordered on that station.
Capt. Spooner left at Surinam the brig Fanny , Alger of this port, together with about 30 sail of vessels belonging to different parts of the continent—Markets very low for the sale of goods.
Seamen Wanted,
For the armed ship JOHN JAY , bound to the EAST-INDIES.
A Number of able bodied seamen, and a few stout raw hands, will meet with great encouragement, by immediately applying to BROWN and IVES. May 1.
Plainfield Academy.
THE public are informed that this institution will continue under the care and instruction of Mr. BENJAMIN ALLEN. —The Summer term will commence on Monday the 20th of May. May 1.
THE creditors to the estate of RICHARD FENNER , of Johnston, yeoman, are hereby notified to exhibit their claims against said estate to the subscribers, administrators thereon, within twelve months from the 20th of April, 1799: otherwise they will be excluded according to law: And all those indebted to said estate, are requested to settle their accounts immediately.
JAMES FENNER, RICHARD FENNER, ISAAC FISK.
Johnston, May 1, 1799.
NOTICE.
ALL those who may be indebted to the late company of DICKENS and SOWLE , are requested to call and settle their notes or book accounts before Tuesday next; otherwise they will be sued at May court, without any reserve or any other call from me E. DICKENS surviving partner.
For Sale by said DICKENS,
15 hogheads of tobacco 60 barrels of prime beef 50 ditto pork 6000 bushels of salt 20 hogheads molasses 2000 weight of cheese 10 Kegs of lard April 23.
RAN AWAY from the subscriber, on the night of the 14th ult. an indentured NEGRO BOY, named Fortune Dennis ; about 18 years of age, 5 feet 3 or 4 inches high, straight and well built; had a mole or spot under one of his eyes, rather blacker than the rest of his face. Carried with him sundry articles of wearing apparel viz. 1 dark coloured great coat, 1 fine broadcloth straight-bodied coat, 1 black ditto, 1 short thick cotton jacket, 1 pair of light coloured overalls of the same, 1 short cotton jacket spotted yellow and blue, 1 dark cassimere waistcoat, 3 shirts, 1 cotton and 1 linen; a number of pairs of stockings, 1 pair of half boots, and 1 pair of new shoes.—Whoever will secure said apprentice in any jail in New-England, or deliver him to the subscriber, in Providence, shall receive a reward of 50 Cents, and all necessary charges. All masters of vessels, and others, are forbid harbouring or concealing said boy, as they would avoid the penalty of the law.
KNIGHT DEXTER.
May 1.