The house in a committee (Mr. Chapman in the chair) on the bill for the better fecuring the liberty of the fubject, by means of tabeas corpus, went through the fame, and are to report to-morrow. Mr. Chapman moved, that the proper officer do lay before the houfe the names of all perfons appointed to any offices in the revenue, or any charges induced on the establishment, as far as the fame can be ascertained, in confequence of feparating the boards of customs and excife, fo far as the fame have been carried into execution as alfo the particulars of the retrenchments in confequence of the reuniting them. Colonel Brown opposed the motion, as it was fhewing ingratitude to the King, who had given up part of his preroga tive. Mr. Prime Serjeant propofed to add as an amendment," and whether any farther retrenchments are likely to be the confe quence of the faid measure." This amendment was oppofed by Mr. Barry, Mr. Ponfonby, Captain Wilfon, Mr. Chapman, Mr. Ogle, and General Gilborn; and maintained by Mr. Prime Serjeant, Mr. Langrifhe, Mr. Mason, and Col Blaquiere. On the question being put, the amendment was firft carried, and then the motion as amended, without any divifion. Colonel Blaquiere faid he should tomorrow move for leave to bring in heads of a bill to explain and amend the annuibill, juft paffed into a law; he faid the intent was to put the English fubfcribers on an exact footing with those of Ireland, by permitting them to pay in their money to, and receive their annuities from fome perfons to be appointed in England, without the expence and trouble of remittances; at length he made the motion, which was feconded by Mr. Prime Serjeant, but being oppofed by Sir Lucius O'Brien, Mr. Barry, and Mr. Ponfonby, defiring farther time, the Colonel withdrew his motion till to-morrow; and the houfe adjourned. Tuesday, Feb. 8.] The habeas corpus bill was reported and agreed to, and fent up to his Excellency. Mr. Maunfell, fen. prefented heads of a bill to enable papitis to take leafes for lives. Mr. John Burke, jun, opposed the receiving, reading, and committing of the faid bill, but it was carried for each. Mr. Scott prefented the revenue bill; which was ordered to be committed. Petitions from feveral non freemen of Dublin, Drogheda, Carrickfergus and A petition was prefented from Sir Edward Crosbie, Bart. begging to be recommended by the houfe to his Majeftv, which was referred to a committee. Thursday, Feb. 10.] Mr. Adderley, and Mr Redmond Morris, were ordered to bring in heads of a bill to enable John Prefton, Efq; (a Member) to sell part of his estate. A petition was prefented from the corporation of Clonmell, praying to be included in the quarterage bill; which was granted. A report was made (by Mr. Robert French) of the election bill, which was fent to the lord lieutenant. Colonel Blaquiere prefented heads of a bill to amend the tontine a&; which were read and committed. [To be continued] Account of the Proceedings of the American Gelmifts, fince the paffing the Bofton Port Bill. (Continued from p. 107.) PARTSH of a worth to Gen. Gage, dated New Hampshire, Dec. 16. "On Wednesday laft an infurrection fuddenly took place in this town, and the rioters proceeded to his Majefty's caftle, attacked, overpowered, woun ied and confined the Captain, and thence took away all the King's powder. Yefterday numbers were aflembled, and laft night brought off many cannon, and about 60 mullers. This day the town is full of armed men, who refufe to difperfe, but appear determined to complete the difuaniling of the fortrefs entirely. letter from Gov. Went Capt. Cochran, who commanded the above fort, fays, in his letter to General Gage, dated Dec. 14. "This day, at one o'clock, I was informed there were a number of people coming to take poteffion of the fort; upon which, having only five effective men with me, I prepared to make the beft defence I could, and point ed fome guns to those places where I expected they would enter. About three o'clock the fort was befet on all fides by upwards of 400 men. I told them at their peril to enter; they replied they would. I immediately ordered three 4 pounders to be fired on them, and then the small arms; and before we could be ready to fire again, we were ftormed on all quarters, and they immediately fecured both me and my men, and kept us prisoners about an hour and an half; during which time they broke open the powder-house, and took all the powder away except one barrel; and having put it in boats, and fent it off, they releafed me from my confine ment." A letter from Salem, dated Dec. 20, applands this gallant action, and it is with pleafure, fays the writer, that we can add, that the colony of Connecticut merits our highest regard, for their affiduity in difciplining their militia, which conlifts of 30 regiments. Reports were current at Newport, in Rhode-Inland, on the 26th of December, that the troops at Bofton were very fickly; that feven out of one regiment were buried in a day; that Gen. Gage's private Secretary, and another officer, were both dead; and that the contagion was increafing. Other accounts fay, that many of the troops are embarked on board the fhips, probably to preferve them from the inclemency of the weather, which is generally very fevere there during the win ter months. At a town-meeting at Marble-Head, legally convened, Refolved, that, as a great part of the inhabitants of this town may foon be called forth to affift in de fending the charter and conftitution of the province, their pay per diem be as follows: Private, 2s; ferjeant, clerk, drummer, and fife, 5s; first lieutenant, 4s. 8d; fecond, 4s; captain, 6s; to attend three days in a week, four hours each day. Refolved, that the sum of Sool. be immediately raised, and paid into the hands of Captain James Mugford, receiver and paymaster of the militia. The following are the two Protefts entered HE previous queftion was mov conference with the Commons, but in order to prefent the petitions of the North American merchants, and of the WeftIndia merchants and planters, which petitions the Houfe might reject if frivolous, or poftpone if not urgent, as might feem fit to their wifdom; but to hurry on the business to which those petitions fo materially and directly related, the express prayer of which was, that they might be heard before" any refolution may be taken by this Right Honourable House refpecting America," to refufe so much as to fuffer them to be prefented, is a proceeding of the moft unwarrantable nature, and directly fubverfive of the most facred rights of the fubject. It is the more particularly exceptionable, as a Lord in his place, at the express defire of the Weft-India merchants, informed the Houfe, that if neceflitated fo to do, they were ready, without counfel, or farther preparation, infiantly to offer evidence to prove, that feveral islands of the Weft Indies could not be able to fubfift after the operations of the propofed addrefs in America. Juftice in regard to individuals, policy with regard to the public, and decorum with regard to ourfelves, required that we should admit this petition to be prefented. By refufing it, juftice is denied. 2dly, Because the papers laid upon our table by Minifters are fo manifestly defective, and fo avowedly curtailed, that we can derive from them nothing like information of the true ftate of the object on which we are going to act, or of the confequences of the refolutions which we may take. We ought (as we conceive) with gladnefs, to have accepted that information from the merchants, which, if it had not been voluntarily offered, it was our duty to feek. There is no information concerning the ftate of our Colonies, (taken in any point of view,) which the merchants are not far more competent to give, than Governors or Officers, who often know far lefs of the temper and difpofition, or may be more difpofed to mifreprefent it, than the merchants. Of this we have a full and melancholy experience, in the miftaken ideas on which the. fatal Acts of the last Parliament were formed. in entering into a war, in which mischief 3dly, Because we are of opinion, that, and inconvenience are great and certain (but the utmost extent of which it is impoffible to forefee), true policy requires, that thofe who are most likely to be im proceed-mediately affected, should thoroughly 1, ing in the addrefs, communicated at the fatisfied of the deliberation with which it was was undertaken. And we apprehend, that the planters, merchants, and manufacturers, will not bear their loffes and burthens, brought on them by the propofed civil war, the better for our refusing so much as to hear them, previous to our engaging in that war; nor will our precipitation in refolving add much to the fuccefs in executing any plan that may be pursued. We proteft therefore against the refufal to fuffer fuch petitions to be prefented; and we thus clear ourselves to our country of the difgrace and mischief which must attend this unconftitutional, indecent, and unprovident proceeding. RICHMOND, PONSONBY, ARCHER, ROCKINGHAM, WYCOMBE, EFFINGHAM, TORRINGTON, STANHOPE, PORTLAND, ABINGTON, CRAVEN, ftructive treafon, under that branch of 25th of Edward the Third, which defcribes the crime of rebellion, have been already fo far extended by the Judges, and the distinctions thereupon so nice and subtle, that no prudent man ought to declare any fingle perfon in that fituation, without the cleareft evidence of uncontrovertible overt acts to warrant fuch a declaration. Much less ought fo high an authority as both Houfes of Parliament, to denounce fo fevere a judgment against a confiderable part of his Majesty's fubjects, by which his forces may think themfelves juftified in commencing a war, without any further order or commiffion. 3dly, Because we think that feveral Acts of the last Parliament, and several late proceedings of Adminiflration with regard to the Colonies, are real grievanABERGAVENNY, ces, and just causes of complaint; and we cannot, in honour, or in confcience, confent to an addrefs which commends the temper by which proceedings, so very intemperate, have been carried on; nor can we perfuade ourselves to authorize violent courfes against persons in the Colonies who have refifted authority, without, at the fame time, redreffing the grievances which have given but too much provocation for their behaviour. COURTNEY, CHOLMONDELEY, TANKERVILLE. ift, Because the violent manner of this dangerous addrefs was highly aggravated by the violent manner in which it was precipitately hurried through the Houfe. Lords were not allowed the interpofition of a moment's time for deliberation, before they were driven headlong into a declaration of civil war. A conference was held with the Commons, an addrefs of this importance prefented, all extraneous information, although offered, politively refufed, all petitions arbitrarily rejected, and the whole of this molt awful business received, debated, and concluded, in a fingle day. 2dly, Because no legal grounds were laid in argument or in fact, to thew that a rebellion, properly fo called, did exist in Maflachulett's- Bay, when the papers of the latest date, and from whence alone we derive our information, were written. The overt acts to which the fpecies of treafon affirmed in the addrefs ought to be applied, were not established, nor any offenders marked out; but a general mass of the acts of turbulence, faid to be done at various times and places, and of various natures, were all thrown together to make out one general conftructive treafon. Neither was there any fort of proof of the continuance of any unlawful force, from whence we could infer that a rebellion does now exift. And we are the more cautious of pronouncing any part of his Majefty's dominions to be in actual rebellion, because the cafes of con 4thly, Becaufe we think the loose and general affurances given by the addrefs, of future redrefs of grievances, in cafe of fubmiffion, is far from fatisfactory, or at all likely to produce their end, whilst the acts complained of continue unrepealed, or unamended, and their authors remain in authority here; because these advisers of all the meafures which have brought on the calamities of this empire, will not be trusted, whilft they defend as juft, neceffary, and even indulgent, all the Acts complained of as grievances hv the Americans; and muft, therefore, on their own principles, be bound in future to govern the Colonies in the manner which has already produced fuch fatal effects. And we fear that the refufal of this Houfe fo much as to receive, previous to deter mination (which is the moft offenfive mode of rejection), petitions from the unoffending natives of Great Britain, and the Weft India islands, affords but a very difcouraging profpect of our obtaining hereafter any petitions at all, from thote whom we have declared actors in rebellion, or abettors of that crime. Lafly, Becaufe the means of enforcing the authority of the British legifla ture, is confined to perions of whole capacity, for that purpose, from abundant exp.rience, we have reafon to doubt; and who have hitherto ufed no effectual means of conciliating or of reducing those who oppofe that authority. This appears in the conftant failure of all their projects, the infufficiency of all their information, and the difappointment of all the hopes, which they have for several years held out to the public. Parliament has never refufed any of their propofals, and yet our affairs have proceeded daily from bad to worfe, until we have been brought, ftep by step, to that flate of confufion, and even civil violence, which was the natural refult of thefe defperate measures. We therefore protest against an addrefs amounting to a declaras on of war, which is founded on no proper parliamentary information; which was introduced by refufing to fuffer the prefentation of petitions against it (although it be the undoubted right of the fubject to prefent the fame); which followed the rejection of every mode of conciliation; which holds out no fubftantial offer of redrefs of grievances; and which promifes fupport to thofe Ministers who have inflamed America, and groffly mifconducted the affairs of Great Britain. [Signed by the above Peers.] Platonic Love Letters from Yorick to Eliza, extracted from a genuine Work, just published, written by Mr. Sterne. I Cannot rell, Eliza, though I fall call on you at half paft twelve, till I know how you do---may thy dear face fmile as thou rifeft, like the fun of this morning! I was much grieved to hear of your alarming indifpofition yesterday, and difappointment too at not being let in-"Remember, my dear, that a friend has the fame right as a phyfician ;"-the etiquettes of this town (you will fay) fay otherwife; no matter, delicacy and propriety do not always confiit in obferving their frigid doctrines-I am going out to breakfast, but thall be at my lodgings by eleven, when I hope to read a tingle life under thy own hand, that thou art better, and wilt be glad to fee thy Nine o'clock, BRAMIN. I Got thy letter last night, Eliza, on my return from Lord Bathurst's, where I dined, and where I was heard (as I talked of thee for an hour without intermiffion) with fo much pleafure and attent on, that the good old Lord toafted your health three feveral times; and though he is now in his eighty-fifth year, fays he hopes to live long enough to be introduced as a friend, to my fair Indian difciple; and to fee her eclipfe all other Nabobelfes as much in wealth, as fue already does in exterior, and (what is far better) in interior merit-I hope fo too. This nobleman is an old friend of mine. You know he was always the protector of men of wit and genius, and had thofe of the last century, Addison, Steel, Pope, Swift, Prior, &c. &c, always at his table.— The manner in which his notice of me began was as fingular, as it was polite : he came up to me one day, as I was at the Princess of Wales's court-"I want to know you, Mr. St--ne: but it is fit you fhould alfo know who it is that withes this pleasure. You have heard," continued he, "of an old Lord Bathurit, of whom your Pope's and Swift's have fung and f,ken fo much: I have lived my life with geniufes of that cat, but have furvived them; and defpairing ever to find their equals, 'tis fome years fince I clofed my accounts, and fhut up my books with thoughts of never opening them again; but you have kindled a defire in me to open them once more I die, which I now do-fo go home and dine with me?" This nobleman, I fay, is a prodigy! for at eighty five he has all the wit and promptnefs of a man of thirty-a difpo-fition to be pleafed, and a power to please others, beyond whatever I knew; added to which, a man of learning, courtefy and feeling He heard me talk of thee, Eliza, with uncommon fatisfaction; for there was only a third perfon, and of fenfibility, with us-and a molt fentimental afternoon till nine o'clock, have we paffed! But thou, Eliza, wert the flar that conducted and enlightened the difcourfe! and when I talked not of thee, fill didft thou fill my mind, and warm every thought I uttered! for I am not afhamed to acknowledge, I greatly mifs thee-best of all good girls! the fufferings I have sustained all night on account of thine, Eliza, are beyond my power of words-affuredly does heaven give Irength proportioned to the weight it lays upon us-Thou haft been bowed down, my child, with every burden that forrow of heart and pain of body could inflict on a poor beingand still thou telleft me thou art begin. ning to get eafe, thy fever gone-thy fickness, the pain in thy fide vanifhing alfo May every evil fo vanish, that thwarts Eliza's happiness, or but awakens her fears fears for a moment.-Fear nothing, my dear; hope every thing, and the balm of this paffion will fhed its influence on thy health, and make the enjoy a fpring of youth and chearfulness, more than thou haft hardly yet tafted— And fo thou haft fixed thy Bramin's portrait over thy writing-desk, and, wilt confult it in all doubts and difficulties; grateful good girl! Yorick fmiles contentedly over all thou doft; his picture does not do justice to his own complacency Thy fweet little plan and distribution of thy time, how worthy of thee ! Indeed, Eliza, thou leaveft me nothing to direct thee in; thou leaveft me nothing to require, nothing to ask, but a continuance of that conduct which won my effeem, and has made me thy friend for ever. May the rofes come quick back to thy check, and the rubies to thy lips! but truft my declaration, Eliza, that thy bufband (if he is the good feeling man I with him) will prefs thee to him with more honeft warmth and affection, and Lifs thy pale poor dejected face, with more tranfport than he would be able to do in the best bloom of all thy beauty and fo he ought. I pity him-he muft have firange feelings if he knows not the value of fuch a creature as thou artI am glad Mifs Light goes with you, the may relieve you from many anxious Boments- I am glad too, that your fhipmates are friendly beings you could leaft difpenfe with what is contrary to thy own nature, which is foft and gentle.-Eliza would Cvilize favages; though pity wear it, to fhouldeft be tainted with the of fice How canst thou make appologies for thy last letter! 'tis most delicious to me, for the very reafons you excufe it. Write to me, my child, only fuch; let them fpeak the eafy chearfulness of a beart that opens itself any how, and every how, to a man you ought to eftcem and truft Such, Eliza, I write to thee, and fo I should ever live with thee, molt artleffly, most affectionately, if Providence Permitted thy refidence in the fame fection of the globe; for I am all that honour and inclination can make me, thy BRAMIN. TO whom thould Eliza apply in her diftrefs, but to the friend that loves her: why then, my dear, do you apologize for employing me? Yorick would be offended, and with reafon, if you ever fent commiffions to another, which he could execute I have been with Zumps-and faft your pianoforte must be turned from the bass middle ftring of your guitar, which is C.— have got you a hammer too, and a pair of pliars to twill your wire with; and may every one of them, my dear, vibrate sweet comfort to thy hopes! I have bought you ten handsome brass fcrews to hang your neceffaries upon. I purchased twelve, buthole a coupie from you to put up in my own cabin at Coywauld-I fhall never bang or take my hat off one of them but I fhall think of you I have bought thee moreover a couple of iron fcrews, which are more to be depended upon than brafs for the globe. I have wrote alfo to Mr. Abraham Walker, pilot at Deal, to acquaint him that I had difpatched these in a packet directed to his care, which I defired he would feek after the moment the Deal machine arrives-I have moreover given directions to him, what fort of an arm chair you would want, and have directed him to purchase the belt that Deal could afford, and to take it with the parcel in the firft boat that went off.Would I could, Eliza, thus fupply all thy wants,, and all thy wishes! it would be a ftate of happiness to me The journal is as it fhould be, all but its contents.- Poor dear patient being! I do more than pity you; for I think I lofe both firmness and philofophy, as I figure to myfelf your diftreffes;-I do not think I spoke last night with too much afperity of *, there was a cause, and befides, a good heart ought not to love a bad one, and indeed cannot; but adieu to the ungrateful fubject- I have been this morning to fee Mrs. James; fhe loves thee tenderly and unfeignedly; fhe is alarmed for thee; fe fays thou lookeft moft ill and melancholy on going away;-fhe pities thee-I fail visit her every Sunday while I am in town As this may be my last letter, I earneftly bid thee farewell! may the God of kindnefs, be kind to thee, and approve himfelf thy protector, now thou art de fencelefs; and for thy daily comfort bear in thy mind this truth," that whatever measure of forrow and dulnefs is thy portion, it will be repaid to thee in a full meafure of happiness, by the Being thou haft wifely chofen for thy eternal friend -Farewell, |