"I can have no other objet, but to preferve the true principles of our free and happy conftitution, and to employ the power, intrufled to me by law, for the only end for which they were given, the good of my people." Then the Earl of Mansfield, Lord Chief Juftice of the Court of King's Bench, Speaker of the Houfe of Lords, by his Majefty's command, faid: "My Lords and Gentlemen, "It is his Majefty's royal will and pleafure, that this Parliament be pro rogued to Tuesday, the fixth day of April next, to be then here holden, and thisParliament is accordingly prorogued to Tuesday, the fixth day of April next." Extract of a Letter from Naples, Feb. 3. "The vast quantity of foow, that has fallen detained the courier expe&ed from Calabria a whole week, however he is at laft arrived, and has brought very melancholy accounts from those parts; the earthquakes have returned again. Near Palermo, the fea has inundated upwards of fix miles of country. Several warehouses,. full of merchandizes have been ruined; and it is reported, that after a violent fhock of an earthquake, Catania was covered by the fea." American News. PHILADELPHIA, APRIL 24. As many erroneous opinions and ideas have been adopted refpecting the TREATY OF PEACE, and a falfe, and tortured conftruction put thereon by defigning and feifth men, we are happy in having it in our power to prefent our readers with the following extract of an official letter, dated Princeton, Oct. 16, 1783, from the delegation of a filler flate, to the Governor thereof; which will, no doubt, fatisfy every candid mind as to the true intent and meaning of the Preliminary and Definitive Articles of Peace. "WE fhould before this time have tranfmitted to your Excellency the material parts of the communications Congrefs have lately received from the Minifters of the United States at Paris, had they not been under an injunction of fecrecy, till lately, on account of their being under a commitment. In in their joint letter of the 18th of July, the preliminary articles and their reafons for concluding them are explained. They obferve that the British were very unwilling to make ufe of any terms that might give uneafiness to the Refugee Tories, and that the words for refloring the property of real British fubje&s' were well underfood and afcertained between them, not to mean or comprehend American Refugees. Mr. Fitzherbert and Mr. Ofwald, they fay, know this to have been the cafe, and will readily confels and admit it. "They obferve it was a more delicate mode of excluding the Refugees, and making a proper diftinction between them and the fubjects of Britain, whofe only particular intereft in America confifted in holding lands and property. "They think the 6th article, declaring that no future confifcations fhould be made, &c. ought to have axed the time with greater certainty, and the more fair conftruction is, that it relates to the date of the ceffation of hoftilities, as they fay that it is the time when peace in fact took place, in confequence of prior, unformal, tho' binding contracts, to terminate the war.' "They confider the definitive treaty as only giving the drefs of form to thofe contracts, and not as conftituting the obligations of them; they obferve, that had the ceffation of hoftilities been the effects of a truce, and confequently nothing more than a temporary fufpenfion of war, another confruction would have been the right one. "They fay, Mr.Heartly had officially affured them, that pofitive orders for the evacuation of New-York had been difpatched, and that no avoidable delay would retard that event; that had they propofed to fix a time for it, the British Miniftry would have contended that it fhould be a time posterior to the date of the definitive trea ty, and would probably have been more difadvantageous to us, than as that article now ftands. "They are furpri fed to hear that any doubts have arifen in America respecting refpeating the time when the ceffation of hoftilities took place there, and say, it moft certainly took place at the expiration of one month after the dite of that declaration, in all parts of the world, whether land or fea, that lay north of the latitude of the Canaries.? The fhips afterwards taken from us in the more northern latitudes ought to be reclaimed and given up, and fay they fhall apply to M.Heartly on this fubject, and alfo on that of the tranfportation of Negroes from New-York, contrary to the words, and intention of the provisional articles.", Extract from the Journal of Congrefs, Wednesday, February 11, 1784. The committee confifting of Mr' Ellery, Mr. Jefferfon and Mr. Lee, to whom was referred a note from the Hon. Minifter of France, dated the 30th of January, informing, that his Moft Chriftian Majefty, from a defire to favour the progrefs of commerce between his realm and the United States, has nominated four Confuls, and five Vice-Confuls, to refide in the towns of the continent, where he has judged their prefence ne ceffary; and that he has appointed Mr. Barbe de Marbois, Conful General for the Thirteen United States, report, that they conferred with Mr. Barbe de Marbois, who produced to them four commiffions for the faid Confuls, and five brevets for the Vice-Confuls; whereby it appears that the Sieur Barbe de Marbois is appointed Conful General of France for the Thirteen States of America ; the S.eur de l'Etombe,Conful of France for the States of New Hampshire, Maffachufetts, and Rhode-land; the Steur de St. Jeande Creveneur, Conful of France for the States of Connecticut, N. York & N. Jerfey; the faid Sieur Barbe de Marbois, conful of France for the States of Pennfylvania and the Delaware; and the Chevalier d'Annemours Conful of France for Maryland and Virginia; alfo that the Seur Tofcain is appointed Vice Conful at Portsmouth, in New Hampshire; the Sieur Barbe de Marbois, jun. Vice Conful at Rhode Island the Seur Ofter, Vice Conful at Richmond, in Virginia; the Sieur Petry, Vice Conful at Wilmington, in N. Carolina; and the Sieur de la Foreft, Vice Conful at Savannah, in Georgia: whereupon, RESOLVED, That the commiffions and brevets of the faid officers be regiftered in the fecretary's office; and that thereupon acts of recognition in due form be immediately iffied to the States concerned in order that they may furnish them refpectively with their exequatur or notification of their quality, that the fame may be made known and published. WYOMING, on SUSQUEHANNAH, Susqehannah, (on the 15th inf) has "The uncommon feverity of the cold congealing the ice to fuch an incredible thickness, and depth of the fnow, together with the fudden thaws and rain, with a variety of other caufes contributed to the late uncommon inandation, and fwell of the fream, which came down in mountains of ice, and overwhelmed almoft the whole country. The confternation of the inhabitants was not more amazing than their falvation furprizing, of which we cannot give a particular account, only obferve to the publick, that their houfes, most of them (where the food came) were driven, fome of them one mile, fome two, others five and (even miles, and fome heard of no more. "In one fettlement (within a mile fquare) containing 27 houfes, and one hundred and 72 inhabitants, there were loft (by the flood) 90 head of horned cattle (moft of them oxen and Cows) 27 horfes, 63 fheep, and 108 (wine, with almoft all their other effects. Five other fettlements fuffered much the fame excepting live flock. And although the inhabitants were in the utmost danger of being fwallowed up, fome being in, and fome on their houfes, fome climbing the trees, fome on floating islands of ice, and fome faved the Lord knows how, yet none of them were loft, neither man, woman nor child, and one only maffing, viz. Frederick Jackfon. Thai no unlike St. Paul's flipwrecked compi ny, fome on boards, and fome on broken pieces of their houses. all came fafe to land: A falvation never to be forgotten! But alas! for the foffering inhabitants, the ruin of their houfes, and Jofs of all their move.ble fubftance, and fupport of life for themfeives and families, for this and the current year; for that the flats (their chief improvement) are covered with ice to an incredible depth, that to appearance. will forbid a former, if not even prevent a latter harveit. The fate of the inhabitants is very deplorable (at leaft a very confiderable part of them). and calls for the help of all who can afford them any. "The narrator was prefent, and an eye witness of this amazing catal trophe, which is, in very deed, be yond defcription: It bears no faint refemblance of Noah's flood, or of the appearance of the frozen feas of Greenland. The ice went mountains high, and bore down all before it.. "The aboriginal natives tells us, once in about 70 years there is fuch a flood, that the mountains and hills onJy are feen. "The above certified per JOHN JENKINS Inhabitants of Wyoming, on Suf- A late London paper has the following article:-Mr. Herfchel, the celebrated aftronomer, whofe difcoveries in opticks have been wonderful, bas tried a new ipecula, fo powerful, that the objects in the moon are twice as diflinct as ever they were. He is decidedly of opinion that there is a burning mountain in the moon, as be fees fuch irregular vapours on the point of que of the mountains in her, that no other fuppofition wil fufficiently acCount for them. BOSTON, MAY 10. The General A Temly of S Carolina, have poffed an A& dividing the Refugees reiurned there into the following Claffey C.2. Lif No. 1, of Persons who are taken off the Confifcation, and banished Lift, and amerced 12 per Ceut. 62 in Number. Lift No. 2, of Perfens who are taken off the Confication and Banifhment Lift, 30 Lift No. 3. of Perfons who are taken off the Lift of Confifcation and Banithment, and are now amerced 12 per Cent, and difqualified 33. By the United States in Congrefs affembled, April 26, 1784. RESOLVED, That the Prefident be, and he hereby is authorized and dielled, to adjourn Congrefs on the third day of June next, to meet on the thirtieth day of Oft. next, at Trenton, for the difpatch of public bufinefs; and that a Committee of the States fhall be appointed to fit in the recess of Congress. May 27. Yefterday began the firft feffion of the General Court for this year, when the votes of the electors through the Commonwealth being returned, they were examined, and it appeared, that HIS EXCELLENCY John Hancock, Efq; Was chofen GOVERNOR. Thomas Cuthing, Eiq; L'eutenant Governor. COUNSELLORS. County of DUKES -COUNTY and NANTUCKET. Hon. Beriah Norton, Efq; County of WORCESTER, Hon. Mofes Gill, Samuel Baker, Seth Washburne, Ifrael Nichols, Jonathan Warner, Efquires.. County of CUMBERLAND. Hon. John Lewis, County of LINCOLN. Hon. William Lithgow, jun. Efquire County of BERKSHIRE. Jahleel Woodbridge, Theodore Sedgwick, Efquire. REPRESENTATIVES. County of SUFFOLK, Bofton, H. William Phillips, Efq; Hon. James Sullivan, Efq; Milton, Edward H. Robbins, Efq; Braintree, Col.Ebenezer Thayer, jun. Weymouth, Nathaniel Bayley, Efq; Hingham, Col. Charles Cufhing, Cohaffet, Thomas Lathrop, Efa, Mr.Nathaniel Kingsbury. Daniel Perry, Efq; Dedham, Medfield, Wrentham, Capt. Oliver Pond. Brookline, Mr. John Goddard, Stoughton, + Capt, James Endicott, Medway, † Capt. Jofeph Lovell, Walpole, Major Seth Bullard, Franklin, †M. Samuel Lethbridge, Foxborough, Mr. John Evrett, County of ESSEX. Salem, William Vans, Efq; + Mr. Miles Greenwood, Newbury,+Ebenezer March, Efq; + Mr. Joshua Ordway, Newbury Port, Hon. T. Dalton, Efq; Marblehead, † Samuel Sewall, Efq; Salisbury, Benja. Evans, Efq; Haverhill, † Samuel White, Efq; Topsfield, Mr. Abraham Hobbs, Almbury, Mr. John Barnard, Bradford, Daniel Thurftor, Efq; Boxford, Capt. Ifaac Adams. County of MIDDLESEX. Cambridge, Samuel Thatcher, Efq; * Medford, Aaron Hall, Weftford, Mr. Francis Laighton, Waltham, Mr. Abner Sanderfor, Groton * Groton, Dr. Benja. Morfe, County of HAMPSHIRE. Springfield, Mr. Thomas Dwight, Weft Springfield, Abraham Burbank, Juftin Ely, Efq'rs. Wilbraham, Capt. Phineas Stebbins, County of PLYMOUTH. Plymouth, Joshua Thomas, Efq; Mr. Thomas Davis, jun. Scituate, Ifrael Vinal, Efq. Duxborough, Mr Zedekiah Sanger, Marfhfield, *Samuel Oakman, Eiq; Bridgewater, Cast. Nathan Mitchel, Middleboro', Mr. Zebadee Sprout, Mr. Ifiac Thomion, Rochefter, Col. Ebenezer Wirte, Plimpton, Capt. Francis Shurtuff, Pembroke, *Capt John Turner, Kington, Capt. Ebenezer Washburn, Abington, Mr. Samuel Browu, Hanover, Mr. Melzar Curtis, Halifax, Ebenezer Thomfon, Efq; Wareham, Capt. David Nye. County of BARNSTABLE. Barnftable, Nymphas Mirfton, Shearjob Bourne, Efq's. Sandwich, Jofeph Nye, Efq; Harwich, Capt. Kimbal Clark, County of BRISTOL. Taunton, Job Smith #George Godfrey, Efq'rs. Rehoboth, Stephen Bullock, Efq; Swanzey. *Col. Simeon Potter, Dartmouth, Capt, Wm. Clagham, Norton, Capt. Ifrael Trow, Attleborough, Elitha May, Efq; Lighton, Mr. Tho. B. R.chinond, * Freetown. Capt. Levi Rounfevell, Raynham, Capt. Noah Hall, County of YORK. York, Col. Edward Grow, County of DUKES-COUNTY. County of NANTUCKET. Sherburne, Alexander Coffin, Efq; Mr. Peleg Coffin, jun. * Mr. Stephen Paddock. County of WORCESTER. Princeton, Hon. Mofes Gill, Efq; County of CUMBERLAND. Scarboro', William Thomfon, Efq; |