The New America Times

Convention of New-York

Fish-Kill, October 17

"A Letter from Richard Varick, Esq., Secretary to General Schuyler, dated October 14th, 1776, enclosing copy of a Letter from General Arnold to General Schuyler," was read in the Committee of Safety of this State this morning.

In the afternoon the Committee took up the matter of the Bohea Tea. The Continental Congress, on the petition of the Tea-holders of New-York, who alleged that they were "fast friends to the American cause," and would be ruined by the prohibition of an article so perishable, having allowed the sale of the Tea on hand, and limited the price of Bohea at three-fourths of a dollar, divers of the said Tea-holders, as the Committee sets forth, have since refused to sell, "designing to postpone the sale thereof until such time as an artificial scarcity shall induce the good women of this State to tempt them to vend it, by offering exorbitant prices," while others "have already, in various and manifold instances, sold Tea for double the price allowed by the Congress"; whereby the resentment of the people has been raised, and "many riotous proceedings have thereby been occasioned, to the great disturbance of the quiet and breach of the peace and good order of the community." It was

"Resolved, therefore, That the Committees of the several Counties within this State do forthwith take into their custody, from every Tea-merchant, Shopkeeper, or other person or persons whatsoever in this State, all the Bohea Tea which shall be found in their possession over and above the quantity of twenty-five pounds respectively, and appoint some respectable person or persons to retail the same in small quantities to any person that may apply to purchase the same, at the rate of six shillings per pound; and that the money arising by such sale be paid to the said Committee, and by them kept for and delivered to the proprietor of such Tea, on his application in person, or by order from the same."

The retailers are to have three pence a pound for their trouble, and are not to "sell more than twelve pounds to any one person for the use of any one family"; and publick notice is to be given ten days before any Tea is opened for sale. "The same was agreed to by the House."

The Committee to whom was referred a conference with the Rev. Chauncey Graham, who by "a resolve of this House of the 13th instant" was ordered to move out of the publick Academy in this town in one week's time, reported, and it was

"Resolved, That whereas it appears to this Committee to be exceedingly inconvenient for the Rev. Chauncey Graham to remove his family out of the publick Academy in this town on so short a notice, at this difficult season, as hath been allowed him by a former Resolve of this House, he is therefore hereby permitted to occupy the easternmost room on the lower story of said Academy one fortnight from this day, provided he permit the soldiers to have the use of the necessary."

Fish-Kill, October 18

Mr. Duer brought into the Committee an affidavit sworn to by William B. Alger, Lieutenant in Captain Durlin's Company, in Colonel Humphrey's Regiment, setting forth that a certain Jacob Deane, in Charlotte Precinct, has refused to receive the Paper emission of the Continental Congress in payment for a parcel of Deer's Leather which the said Alger had bought from him; "Thereupon Ordered, That the Committee appointed for inquiring into and defeating Conspiracies, &c., be requested to cause the said Jacob Deane to be apprehended and brought before them, to be examined and dealt with as to them shall seem meet."

The Committee appointed to establish and employ Riders between this place and Head-Quarters, "for the purpose of obtaining daily intelligence," having reported the persons and the terms on which they agreed with them to ride, the Auditor-General was directed to allow the three Riders "each sixteen Shillings per day for performing the services of Post-Riders," from the time of their first riding, the 17th, 18th and 19th of September last.

In Congress

Philadelphia, October 21

"Congress took into consideration the form of the oath to be taken by the officers in the service of the continent, which was agreed to as follows:"

I ———, do acknowledge the Thirteen United States of America, namely, New Hampshire, Massachusetts Bay, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia, to be free, independent, and sovereign states, and declare, that the people thereof owe no allegiance or obedience to George the third, king of Great Britain; and I renounce, refuse and abjure any allegiance or obedience to him; and I do swear, that I will, to the utmost of my power, support, maintain, and defend the said United States against the said king, George the third, and his heirs and successors, and his and their abettors, assistants and adherents; and will serve the said United States in the office of ———, which I now hold, and in any other office which I may hereafter hold by their appointment, or under their authority, with fidelity and honour, and according to the best of my skill and understanding. So help me God.

"Resolved, That every officer who holds, or shall hereafter hold, a commission or office from Congress, shall subscribe the above declaration, and take the foregoing oath."

Letters were read from General Washington, of the 18th, "with copy of a letter from General Arnold, and sundry papers"; from the General's secretary, of the 14th, 17th and 20th; from Generals Schuyler, Mercer and Greene; from the Convention of New York, of the 19th; from Colonel James Easton and Mr. R. Dallam; and from Kenneth Hankanson, "captain of a vessel stranded on the Jersey shore"; and all save those of Colonel Easton and Mr. Dallam were referred to the Board of War.

On Mr. Dallam's letter 19,740 dollars were ordered paid to Gustavus Risberg, assistant to the deputy quarter master general for the flying camp, and charged to Mr. Dallam's account; 500,000 dollars are to be sent to the deputy pay master general for the northern department, and 100,000 to the deputy pay master general in Virginia; and 2,000 dollars are advanced to the delegates of North Carolina, to be charged to that state.

Among the accounts reported by the Committee of Treasury, and ordered to be paid, is one of 1,622 22/90 dollars to the late Captain William Hendricks his company, to be paid to Lieutenant Francis Nichols, "for the ballance of an account for their pay, arms lost at the storm of Quebec, hunting shirts, &c."

In Council of Safety

Philadelphia, October 21

Mr. Nesbitt was this day directed to pay Captain James Cochran 1082l. 12s. 6d. for one thousand four hundred and forty-three and a half bushels of Salt delivered to Robert Eastburn; and the Council of Safety "Resolved, That Captain Francis Gurney be appointed to receive of Robert Eastburn all the money now in his hands for Salt sold by him by order of this Council, and all other moneys which may be received by the said Eastburn, for any future cargoes; the said Francis Gurney to be accountable for such sums to this Board." Mr. Eastburn was directed to deliver Carpenter Wharton, Esq., five hundred bushels of Salt, "he paying at the rate of 15s. per bushel for the same."

Mr. Nesbitt is to pay Ebenezer Lundy 137l. 10s. for two hundred Cartouch-Boxes and two hundred Bayonet-Belts; and William Kinnard is to have a piece of Russia Duck, for making Sails for the armed boat Delaware.

From the Southward

Annapolis, October 17

"Whereas this Convention hath been informed that William Sluby, Merchant, of Chestertown, in Kent County, hath lately, in a publick manner, delivered sentiments and opinions with an intention to disunite and disaffect the good people of this State in their present opposition to the hostile attempts of Great Britain against the United States: therefore,

"Resolved, That the Committee of Observation of the said County summon James Claypole, of the said Town, to appear before them as a witness against said Sluby, and make inquiry into the truth of the said information, and report the facts arising thereon to this Convention, or, in their recess, to the Council of Safety; and if they shall judge it necessary, take the said Sluby into custody, and send him, under a guard of four of the Militia, to this Convention or the Council of Safety as aforesaid, to be dealt with as the nature of his offence may require."

On the petition of John White, of Dorchester County, whose Sloop, taken by a certain Joseph Whyland and carried to Lord Dunmore's fleet, was there "stripped of her sails and rigging, and burned," and whose sails and rigging, since taken in a vessel of the enemy, are now with a certain Major Follin, it was "Resolved, That the said Major Follin deliver to the said John White the sails and rigging of his Sloop, he first ascertaining, by oath or other sufficient proof, that the sails and rigging in the possession of Major Follin are the same which were taken from his Sloop."

The Convention again sat in a Committee of the Whole on the form of Government, and is to sit again.

Foreign Intelligence

London, May 22

The Debate in the House of Commons, on General Conway's Motion, continued from our last.

Mr. FOX was uncommonly violent. He doubted much if the Commissioners were at all impowered to treat, or even to sound; but were rather instructed to carry fire, sword and devastation, wherever they were to go. He dwelt a considerable time on the wanton cruelties exercised in the course of our naval operations, such as burning the towns of Norfolk in Virginia, and of Falmouth. He said it was a barbarous disposition to do mischief for mischief's sake; it was unmanly, base, and would for ever remain a disgrace to the British arms. He spoke much of a certain pamphlet (Dr. Price's) and observed that it had opened the eyes of the people, who saw plainly that this country was brought to the brink of ruin and destruction, and that the first great event would probably be an account of Gen. Howe's total defeat, followed by a national bankruptcy; and concluded with observing that one general system of power had of late years been adopted, which was uniformly directed to annihilate and overturn the liberties of this country; that this plan had been unremittingly pursued by the Minister; that slavery was the ultimate object of all his measures, and that it mattered very little who was the deviser of this unnatural conspiracy, for it was plain that the Minister, by the whole tenor of his conduct, had made himself responsible to the nation; he pursued with ardor, and without remorse, whatever desperate scheme his traiterous and concealed employers chalked out for him.

Mr. ADAMS disapproved of the motion, because it was unusual to call for instructions till something had been done in the business; and that, however, he formed little or no expectation from the commission which was the subject of the present motion. He believed it would meet with a similar fate to that of the Noble Lord's conciliatory proposition: That was, in his opinion, surrendering the dignity of Parliament to answer no purpose. He begged that such gentlemen, as did him the honour to remember any thing he said, would recollect that he foretold the fate of that proposition the very instant it was made, and he was inclined to think that the commission and instructions would meet with the same fate. He was always of opinion that no middle path could be struck out; that either America must be abandoned, or the legislative controul of this country be maintained without diminution; for as soon as the authority of this country came to be a conditional authority, unless the conditions were prescribed by Great-Britain, we should from that instant cease to have substantial or beneficial authority over America at all.

Mr. T. TOWNSHEND observed, that Parliament had talked in a high strain against America, but what Parliament thought or resolved, one way or the other, was of very little consequence, for Administration would act just as they liked. Parliament, instead of taking the lead, was at length degraded into a mere engine of government, one day to bully, another to conciliate, and the next he foresaw would be to sue for terms to America. Such was the case a few years back, in the case of Lord Hillsborough's circulatory letter to the colonies; while Parliament was asserting the supremacy of this country, and the unlimited, unconditional right of taxation over America, this letter contained the most specific declaration that no tax whatever should be ever laid on that country. He said, however, that that letter was productive of much worse consequences than barely contradicting the sense of Parliament; a British administration was no longer to be relied on, for the solemn engagement made for his Majesty to three millions of his subjects was no sooner made than it was shamefully violated. What dependence then could America have on any future promise? How could they trust to the sincerity of our professions, when all Administration had to do would be, to get Parliament to overrule them, or remove the Minister under whose immediate directions the faith of the nation had been pledged. This was precisely the case with the letter in question; America rested satisfied with the assurances it contained, and when the system was to be changed, the Minister was removed, and his engagement on the part of this nation set at naught, as a mere unauthorised act of office.

LORD GEORGE GERMAINE said the Commissioners had no power to enter into any treaty whatever with our rebellious subjects in America, farther than to receive the submissions of such as were disposed to return to their duty, and acknowledge the authority of the British Parliament; and as the Parliament had agreed to send Commissioners, he had no doubt but those named by his Majesty were the fittest for effecting the objects of the commission. It was proper to make the experiment; none of the operations on sea or land would be suspended; and though the matter should not be brought to maturity, nor the objects of the commission succeed, it was necessary that the intentions of Parliament should be complied with.

To be continued.

Advertisements

THOMAS LEIPER,

TOBACCONIST,

TAKES this opportunity of informing the public in general, and his friends in particular, that the partnership of HAMILTON and LEIPER is dissolved, and that he (in the house occupied by the company, the corner of Spruce and Water streets, below the Drawbridge, Philadelphia) manufactures in the best manner Snuff and Tobacco of the first quality, equal, if not superior, to any heretofore imported from Europe, which he will be enabled to dispose of on as reasonable terms as any Manufacturer in America, and execute all orders on the shortest notice; as the works he has lately formed are by far the most complete, not only for expediting the business of manufacturing Snuff and Tobacco, but also doing it in the greatest perfection of any works ever yet erected on the continent.

N. B. Two Tobacco Spinners will meet with encouragement by applying as above.

Philadelphia Barracks, August 27, 1776.

LOST, yesterday, a flowered paper Pocket-Book, with a considerable sum of money, chiefly continental, one thirty dollar bill, one four dollar bill, and other money, in all upwards of thirteen pounds, and several letters directed to the camp, receipts and other papers. Whoever has found the same, and will deliver it to the subscriber, now in Philadelphia, on his way to the camp, or to Mr. Greentree, at the sign of the Waggon, in Market-street, Philadelphia, or Ruth Bonsall, in Darby, shall be intitled to a handsome reward, and no questions asked.

Lieut. JESSE BONSALL, in the Third Battalion, belonging to Chester county, commanded by Col. HUGH LLOYD.

TEN DOLLARS Reward.

RUN from the subscriber, living near Talbot Court-house, the 15th of last April, a dark Mulattoe Slave, named HARRY, about 26 years old; he is about 5 feet 8 or 9 inches high, stout and strong made; he is of a mild temper, plausible in speech, and deceptive in conversation. It is supposed that he will endeavour to pass for a freeman; he was lately seen in Kent county; had on, when seen, a country cloth jacket, tow linen shirt and trowsers, and a beaver hat with one corner burnt.--- The above reward will be paid if taken out of the province, or 50 miles from home, and secured in any goal so that I may get him; Forty Shillings, if 30 miles; Thirty Shillings, if 20 miles; with reasonable travelling expences, if brought home.

ALEXANDER M'CALLUM.

Salem, August 12, 1776.

WAS committed to my custody, on Thursday last, a lad, about sixteen years of age, who says he belongs to one William Cawhorn, living in Chester county. His master is desired to come, pay charges, and take him away, otherwise he will be sold out for the same, in three weeks from this date.

JOSEPH HAYNES, Goaler.

TWELVE DOLLARS Reward.

RUN away from the subscriber, living on Bullskin, Berkeley county, Virginia, the two following convict servant men, viz. Richard Delany, about 25 years of age, fair complexion, and short brown hair, 5 feet 9 inches high; the middle finger of his right or left hand crooked, so that he cannot straight it, a large scar on his forehead, not to be seen when he has his hat on; by trade a Carver and Gilder; had on, when he went away, a coarse home made shirt, old nankeen breeches, old light blue coat, and an old inside jacket, an old beaver hat without a loop, and an old pair of pumps. John Lad, about 40 years of age, 5 feet 8 inches high, dark complexion, black hair and beard; had on a home made shirt, an old white woollen jacket, and an old felt hat: It is supposed they have stolen clothes, and may pass for freemen. Whoever takes up said servants, and secures them, so that their master may get them again, shall have the above reward, paid by

MARQUIS STEPHENSON.

N. B. There is a woman that served her time at the same house, named Catharine Rorke, and has got a pass with her; she is gone from here lately, and has a son with her about eighteen months old; it is supposed that Delany may follow her and pass for man and wife, but she has no husband. June 7, 1776.

TWELVE DOLLARS Reward.

RUN away the 13th inst. from the subscriber, living in Blockley township, near Philadelphia, a Scotch servant lad, named ANDREW URQUHART, about 20 years of age, understands something of weaving, full faced, dark hair, somewhat curled, near 5 feet 7 inches high, well set, has something of the Scotch dialect, and can speak Erse tongue; had on, and took with him, an old grey cloth coattee, with fall down collar, a double breasted silk and linen jacket, with red and yellow stripes surrounding his body, a felt hat, almost new, buckskin breeches, with brass buttons, two pair of trowsers, one a cotton and linen stripe, the other tow, more than half worn, a good flax linen shirt, neat leather shoes about half worn, with plain square steel buckles, and an old flag silk handkerchief. He came in with Captain Brown in the brig Clementina from Scotland, in October last, and is supposed to be now in or near Philadelphia. Whoever takes up said servant, and secures him so that his master gets him again, shall have the above reward and reasonable charges.

August 14. JONAS SUPPLEE.