The Massachusetts spy (Boston [Mass.]), 1770-10-27 00:00:00

The Massachusetts Spy.
VOL. I.] From THURSDAY, October 25, to SATURDAY, October 27, 1770. [N o . 37.
— R I D A Y, October 26.
LONDON, August 21.
PRI E hear from Tunbridge-Wells, that Mr. Alderman Wilkes and his daughter are arrived there; where they propose to continue some time, for the benefit of the waters.
We are informed that the emoluments of the Marquis of Granby's late high employments have been laid up ever since his resignation to the present time, for the benefit of the next that shall occupy them, which it is thought and hoped will be himself, and it is said that a great personage heartily wishes him to accept them again.
We hear that a great person, famous for his epistolary productions, has lately had an interview with a gentlewoman at Portsmouth, who has now a fine girl about 12 years old, whose hair, eyes and features, bare a most striking resemblance to the great person's deceased brother, who was her reputed father: and that he made the child a handsome present.
A Correspondent from Portsmouth acquaints us of the safe arrival of his Majesty's ship the Pomona Capt. Davis, from Cadiz, with eight tons of money, on the merchants account.
By a vessel arrived at Portsmouth, from the East Country, there is advice that the Russian fleet, consisting of five ships of the line, some frigates, and eighteen sail of transports, sailed out of the Sound about twelve days since, and were steering for the Humber.
We are assured, that in confidence of a free trade with the colonies, goods are now shipping for America by the merchants of this city.
They write from Algiers, that during the bombardment of the Danish fleet, the Dey had threatened, and, but for the interposition of the foreign Consuls, it was thought would have carried them into execution, to fasten such Danish subjects as were in his possession to the mouths of his cannon, and fire them on board the enemy's ships.
They write from Constantinople, that the French, Prussian, and Danish Ambassadors, had signified to the Grand Signior, that the licentiousness of the rabble rendered it no longer safe for their Excellencies to remain in a country where their liberties, and even lives, were hourly exposed to be sacrificed, and that they had therefore desired leave of their respective Courts to be recalled home.
August 22. Lord Camden is set out for Paris with his daughter, but his Lordship is expected in town before the expiration of this month.
The time now fixed for the return of her Royal
Highness the Princess Dowager of Wales to England is the latter end of October.
The Paoli, Hall, from Boston, is arrived off Hastings.
The defeat of the Ottoman fleet in the Archipelago seems now to be confirmed from all quarters. The Grand Signior, alarmed at the progress of the Russian arms, is taking every precaution possible for the defence of Constantinople. The late Grand Vizir Moldavangi Pacha has been restored, in order to take upon him the government of the Dardanelles, which are the chief security of that capital. He is to command an army of 15,000 men, furnished with heavy artillery, in order to frustrate any attempt which the Russians may make against those important castles, and to sink the Russian ships that may endeavour to pass them. On the contrary, it is said Admiral Elphinston, having accomplished the destruction of the Turkish fleet, has now in view the grand project of combating the enemy under the walls of Constantinople, and for the execution of this enterprize intends to force the passage of the Dardanelles at all hazards.
By a gentleman just arrived from Grenada, we learn, that the Dutch islands of Curacoa and St. Eustatia are full of European goods, intentionally sent there with a view of carrying on a very lucrative trade with the British American Colonies.
Letters from Lower Podolia say, "The Turkish manoeuvres are so altered for the better that we hardly know them again, for now they observe both order and art. They take the most happy precautions to deceive the Russians, both as to their force and their march, which General Panin has lately experienced.---This General had drawn a line of troops to guard his magazines and conceal his march towards Bender, where he expected to surprize a body of 4000 Tartars; but it seems this body of men were shewn him by way of allurements, for he found himself surprized by three numerous bodies of Turks and Tartars, who penetrated through his line, by which his cavalry was much hurt and part of his artillery taken, with the officer who commanded it. They took a great number of Cossacks prisoners, which are the only people to whom the Turks give quarter in the day of battle, for they massacre all others whom they think allied to the Russians."
B O S T O N.
On Tuesday last the Honourable House of Representatives sent the following MESSAGE to his Honour the Lieutenant Governor, at Cambridge, viz.
"May it please your Honour, "IN our Message to your Honour of the 13th inst.

we desired you would be pleased to inform the House, whether you still hold the command of Castle-William. In answer to which you say, that in withdrawing a garrison from his Majesty's castle which was paid by the province, and placing a garrison there to be paid by the King, in pursuance of instructions from him, you have not given up any part of our charter rights.
"This answer appears to the House to be somewhat equivocal: for your Honour may possibly differ with the House in your construction of the clause in the charter which we have recited. By this clause, the Governor of the province is undoubtedly vested with the command of that fortress: your Honour may have been instructed to transfer that command to his Majesty's chief military officer in America or any other person. If that be the case, the power which is vested in you by the charter, is superceded by instructions.
"A doubt in the House respecting a matter of so very interesting a nature to the province, is the occasion of this repeated message to your Honour, to request that you would, in an explicit manner assure us, Whether you still hold the command of his Majesty's Castle-William."
His HONOUR'S ANSWER.
"Gentlemen of the House of Representatives, "IN my answer to your message of the 13th instant, I have told you, that by withdrawing the garrison from Castle-William which was paid by the province, and placing a garrison there to be paid by the King, in pursuance of instructions received from him, you had no grounds to infer that I have divested myself of the right given me by charter over this fort in common with the other forts in the province.
"I had no latent meaning in this nor any other expression in my answer. I intended it should convey this idea that I was not, by the exchange of the garrison, divested of the right, and, consequently, that I still retain it, for it has never been suggested that I have parted with it in any other way, nor do I know of any colour for such suggestion.
"I know of no ambiguity in that clause of the charter which you have recited in your first message to me. I shall be sorry if the House put any construction upon it different from what appears to me to be the plain sense of the words, but I must govern myself by my own understanding, and chuse to avoid any altercation concerning it.
"The authority given me over the castle by his Majesty's commission I have exercised and continue to exercise without any infringement of the rights of the people by charter or otherwise, and without any extension of the prerogative of the crown beyond its just limits, and I doubt not I shall be able to vindicate my conduct if ever I shall be called to account for it.
T. HUTCHINSON."
S A T U R D A Y, October 27.
SALEM, October 23.
LAST Friday night came on a N.E. storm of wind and rain; which the ensuing day increased to a degree of violence scarcely known before by the oldest persons. A minute or particular description of the general
devastation among the shipping, shores, wharfs, lumber, &c. on both rivers, is not easily given. On the south shore of the north river, for a mile or more in length, we had presented to our view, fire, wood, timber, boards, shingles, plank, staves, barrels, hogheads, canoes, boats, &c. &c. the property of great numbers of persons, so promiscuously thrown together as not to be easily distinguished by the respective owners.---About fifty cords of wood, and 1500 or 1600 bushels of floor-sand, were tied off Mr. Barr's wharf at the north bridge: a vessel of considerable burthen, having broke her moorings, was thrown so high as successively to beat against the side of the bridge, and it was with difficulty she was kept off the top of it: The bridge itself was considerably damaged: Another schooner, just below it, broke her fasts, drove away from the wharf on to a beech, and at length quite over it on to the grass: A third schooner, not far from this last, and near eighty tons burthen, late from the West-Indies, was drove up in much the same manner, and now lies so high as that her keel is considerably above common high-water mark. On the south side of the town, being the principal seat of business, the confusion and destruction was much greater than that above related: Great quantities of boards, shingles, timber, &c. with many boats, were drove with the utmost violence and disorder to the shore opposite the town: The wharfs all overflowed; and the perishable articles, such as salt, sugar, &c. in stores, to a great amount, destroyed by the tide's rising to a most extraordinary height, so high, it is said, as not to have been equaled within the memory of the oldest persons among us. Nine vessels, among which were a ship, a snow, and a brigantine, were drove from their anchors, and forced up the river towards Capt. Gardner's mills; several of them laden for the Straights and the West-Indies: The brigantine, commanded by Capt. Warren, was considerably damaged; a schooner, Capt. Mottey's, was thrown an incredible way on to the land, and much injured; Capt. Water's schooner was also much damaged; Capt. Samuel Webb's schooner was forced from a wharf on to the land the opposite side; and it was with difficulty the other vessels were prevented driving from the wharfs.
Twenty-one sail of brigantines, sloops and schooners, were drove ashore in Marblehead harbour, but happily not any of them very materially injured.
The bridges between this place and Marblehead, are so much damaged as to be rendered impassable.
Yesterday morning was towed in here by a sloop from the Eastward, a small schooner, with four men on board, belonging to the Isle-of-Shoals, Richard Randall, skipper, who informs, that on Friday night last he was fishing off that island in company with thirteen other small schooners, three of them belonging to Piscataqua, and the other to the Isle-of-Shoals: that the next day he came to an anchor, and cut away his mainmast; but losing his anchor, was drove at the mercy of the seas, till meeting with the sloop abovementioned he was brought in here. He informs, that two of the schooners in company with him were drove ashore at Cape-Ann, and the men saved; but there is no account of the others.