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matter, was visible in the heavens, for fome time. It was feen at various places, and, as we have reafon to think, from the accounts already received, over the whole island. Hitherto we have been able to trace its course over the following places only. Exactly at nine, it feemed near Chelmsford in Effex, to break from a cloud, in the N. W. quarter, in appearance, about the fize of a full moon, and took its direction horizontally towards the S. E., feveral fmaller meteors, of different colours, fhooting from it, in its courfe, and the whole hemifphere to illuminated by a blue irradiation, that objects were visible at many miles diftance. It paffed over Ingatestone, Brentwood, and Rumford, a few minutes after, and over the metropolis about a quarter after nine, having the fame appearance; and was feen a few minutes after on Sunbury Common. The evening was remarkably ferene, immediately before and after, without thunder, lightening, or rain.

Any further account of this luminous body, or the natural caufes to which it may be afcribed, from any of our philofophical correfpondents, will be peculiarly acceptable.

Upwards of 60 prifoners, convicted for tranfportation at the feveral county aflizes, were brought to town, and put on board a ship at Deptford, for Africa.

TUESDAY, 19.

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FRIDAY, 22.

The report was made to his Majesty in council, by Mr. Deputy Recorder, of the capital convicts under fentence of death in Newgate, when the following were ordered for execution on Friday next, the 29th inftant, viz. William Wynne Ryland, John Ferdinando Lloyd, John Edwards, James Brown, alias Oatley, James Rivers alias Davis, Jacob Ringrofe Atkins, Thomas Burgefs, and William Spong. James Bowen, William Smith alias Loveridge, and George Gahagan were pardoned.-William Harper, ordered to the hulks for three years, and Edward Edfon for four.

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merchants refiding in that city and Leith, fetting forth in fubftance, "That the order of Council in the Gazette, for a quarantine of forty days being obferved by all veffels from Dantzick, Royal and Ducal Pruffia, and Pomerania, while it evinced the attention of government to prevent the dreadful confequences of peftilence, at the fame time would be productive of direful effects, relative to cargoes of foreign grain; that fuch was the fituation of the city of Edinburgh and neighbourhood, that there was not a fufficient fupply of corn in granaries to ferve three weeks; that all dependence was laid on the expected arrivals, the utility of which would be defeated, if the quarantine was rigidly enforced." Thefe facts were fubmitted, and left with his lordship.

Aug. 4. The Lord Provost, the Lord Advocate, and a numerous and respectable meeting, convened at the Goldfmith's-hall. Dr. Cullen and Dr. Black attended, and gave it as their opinion, that there was very little danger of the peftilence being conveyed in grain. A very ample opinion was afterwards fubfcribed by these phyficians. A letter was immediately prepared, to be figned by the Lord Provolt, ftating the facts already mentioned, and accompanying the memorial from the merchants, and opinion of the Profeffors, to be tranfmitted by exprefs to the Right Hon. Lord North, Secretary of State for the home department, to be by him prefented to his Majefty and Privy Council, praying that fuch relaxation might be allowed in the dif charge of all cargoes of foreign grain, as the diftreffed fituation of the country fo loudly called for.

Edinburgh, Aug. 6. A charter has paffed the Great Seal in favour of the Royal Bank of Scotland, to increafe their capital to 300,000l.

Aug: 13. An exprefs arrived here from London, with orders to allow all fhips laden with grain to difpenfe with performing quarantine. In confequence of this, a number of fhips with corn, which were lying in Inverkeithing Bay, performing quarantine, arrived on Thursday and Friday at Leith.

Aug. 14. The Hon. Keith Elphinstone was unanimously re-elected Member of Parliament for the county of Dumbarton; having vacated his feat on his late appointment to be Chamberlain to the Prince of Wales for Scotland.

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WEST-INDIES.
Kingston, Jamaica, May 31.

HE following is a letter written from his Royal Highness Prince William Henry, and his Royal Highnefs's anfwer thereto :

SIR, Cape Francois, April 6, 1783. "THE Spanish troops cantoned throughout the country have not, as the French, had the happiness to take up their arms to falute your Royal Highness, nor that of paying you thofe marks of refpect and confideration which are your due; it is what they will ever regret.

"I have in confinement, in Louisiana, the principal perfon concerned in the revolt of the Natchez, with fome of his accomplices. They have forfeited their parole and oath of fidelity. A Council of War, founded on equitable laws, has condemned them to death, and the execution of their sentence waits only my confirmation, as Governor of the colony. They are all English. Will you be pleafed, Sir, to accept their pardon and their lives, in the name of the Spanish army, and of my King? It is, I truft, the best present that can be offered to one Prince in the name of another. Mine is generous, and will approve my conduct.

"In cafe your Royal Highness deigns to intereft yourself for thofe unfortunate men, I have the honour to fend inclofed an order for their being delivered the moment any veffel arrives at Louifiana, communicating your pleasure. We fhall confider ourselves happy if this can be agreeable to you.

"I have the honour to be, &c.

(Signed) "B. D. GALVEZ." The following is the answer of his Royal Highness Prince William Henry, to General Galvez, fent by Captain Manly Dixon, of his Majefty's fhip Tobago, which failed from hence the 25th of April laft.

Port-Royal, Jamaica, April 13, 1780.

"SIR,

"I Want words to express to your Excellency my juft fenfe of your polite letter, of the delicate manner in which you made it be delivered, and your generous conduct towards the LOND. MAG. Aug. 1783.

unfortunate. Their pardon, which you have been pleafed to grant on my account, is the most agreeable prefent you could have offered me, and is ftrongly characteristic of the bravery and gallantry of the Spanish nation. This inftance increafes, if pollible, my opinion of your Excellency's humanity, which has appeared on fo many occafions in the courfe of the late war.

"Admiral Rowley is to difpatch a veffel to Louifiana for the prifoners; I am convinced they will ever think of your Excellency's clemency with gratitude; and I have fent a copy of your letter to the King, my father, who will be fully fenfible of your Excellency's attention to me

"I requeft my compliments to Mrs. Galvez; and that you will be affured, that actions fo noble as thofe of your Excellency will ever be remembered by

(Signed)

"WILLIAM HENRY." Aug. 23. By the Grantham packet, which failed from Jamaica the 1ft of Auguft, we have an account of every thing there being returned into its proper channel, and that business then went on as smoothly as before the war.

T

EAST. INDIE S.

THE Grofvenor, Capt. Coxen, was loft on the 12th of August, 1782, on the Caffre coait, about 29 deg. S. to the eastward of the Cape of Good Hope, about 550 miles diftant. Four of the crew arrived at Cape-Town, after feveral months travelling, and gave information that 15 people were loft when the ship ftruck; that they four, with feveral others, who perished on the journey through hunger and fatigue, left the captain, the paffengers, and the greater part of the crew, in all about 80 perfons, where the fhip was lost.

The mifery that encompaffed thefe unhappy people, the moft gloomy imagination cannot aggravate. Behind them was the ocean, from which they had just escaped, and the fhore ftrewed with the dead bodies of the more fortunate companions of their difaftrous voyage: before them was a journey of 550 miles, without water or provifions, expofed to the rays of an African fun, through inhofpitable and tracklefs deferts, untrodden, fave by the fierce Barbarian, or the prowling favage. Some dropped down through inanition and fatigue; fome were devoured by wild beafts; and, ftrange to tell, the women, in all feven or eight, were not among the first who fell! At the end of ten days, four common failors only furvived, and they continuing along the coaft,

"Per various cafus, per tot difcrimina rerum," furmounted every obftacle, and arrived at the Cape.

The hip was returning from a Bengal voyage, and the cargo was valued at 300,000l. No blame is imputed to the captain; his conduct after the fatal accident was collected, patient, and brave. He fell on the 8th day of the march.

Aug. 6. This morning, about feven o'clock, the purfer of the Tartar Eaft-indiaman, Capt. Fiott, arrived at the Eaft-India house, with an account of the fafe arrival, off Eaft-Bourn, of the above ship, from Coaft and Bay. She failed from St. Helena, in company with the following

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ships,

fhips, the 8th of June, for Europe, and parted
with them the 23d of the fame month under the
line, viz. the Neptune, Capt. Scott; the Royal
Admiral, Capt. Huddart; the Rochford, Capt.
Tod;
the Lord Mulgrave, Capt. Urmiton; the
Deptford, Capt. Elkington; and the Locko,
Capt, Lawfon, which ships are all fince arrived.
They left at St. Helena, the Saville, Capt.
; the Walpole, Capt. Churchill; and the
Raymond, Capt. Hall, who all arrived there
from England in May.

T

AMERICA.

HE American newspapers ftill continue to be filled with refolutions against the Loyalifts. When the winds are laid, the waves do not immediately fubfide into a calm, and thus, though the object of contention is now no more, and all acts of hoftility have ceased for fome time, the minds of men, in America, are still agitated by the baleful paffions of private enmity and revenge, which civil war never fails to engender.

As every collective or separate refolution of the American States is, at prefent, of importance, we mean to lay their tate papers before our readers, as faft as the bounds of our political department will admit. What we have felected for our prefent Number, are clearly entitled to the preference. From the PENNSYLVANIA PACKET.

Philadelphia, June 26, 1783.

HIS Excellency Elias Boudinot, Efq. Prefident of the United States in Congrefs, has itfued the following proclamation by their order:

"Whereas a body of armed foldiers in the fervice of the United States, and quartered in the barracks of this city, having mutinously renounced their obedience to their officers, did on Saturday the 21st day of this inftant proceed, under the direction of their ferjeants, in a hostile and threatening manner, to the place in which Congrefs were affumbled, and did furround the fame with, guards: and whereas Congrefs, in confequence thereof, did on the fame day refolve

That the prefident and fupreme executive council of this fate fhould be informed, that the authority of the United States having been that day grofly infulted, by the diforderly and menacing appearance of, a body of armed foldiers about the place within which Congress were affembled; and that the peace of this city being endangered by the mutinous difpofition of the faid troops then in the barracks, it was, in the opinion of Congrefs, neceffary that effectual meatures thould be immediately taken for fupporting the publick authority:And alfa, whereas Congrels did, at the fame time, appoint a committee to confer with the faid prefident and fupreme executive council, an: the practicability of carrying the faid refolution into due effect; and alfo, whereas the faid commitee have reported to me, that they have not received fatisfactory aifurances for expecting adequate and prompt exertions of this State for fupporting the dignity of the federal government; and allo, whereas the faid foldiers. ftill continue in a state of open mutiny and revolt, fo that the dignity and authority of the United States, would be conftantly expofed to a repetition of infult, while Congrefs hall continue to fit in this city: I do, therefore, by and with the advice of the faid committee, and according to the powers and authorities in me vefted

for this purpose, hereby fummon the honourable the Delegates compofing the Congrefs of the United States, and every of them, to meet in Congrefs, on Thursday the 26th Day of June inft. at Princeton, in the State of New Jersey, in order that further and more effectual measures may be taken for fuppreffing the present revolt, and maintaining the dignity and authority of the United States, of which all officers of the United States, civil and military, and all others whom it may concern, are defired to take notice and govern themselves accordingly.

"Given under my hand and feal at Phila delphia, in the State of Pennsylvania, this 24th of June, in the year of our Lord, 1783, and of our Sovereignty and Independence the feventh.

"ELIAS BOUDINOT."

THE ROYAL GAZETTE EXTRA
ORDINARY,

New-York, July 12, 1783.

A CIRCULAR LETTER from his EXCEL-
LENCY GEORGE WASHINGTON, Com-
mander in Chief of the Armies of the UNITED
STATES of AMERICA, dated June the
18th, 1783.

Head-Quarters, Newburgh, June 18, 1783.
SIR,

THE great object, for which I had the honour to hold an appointment in the fervice of my country, being accomplished, I am now preparing to refign it into the hands of Congress, and return to that domeftic retirement, which, it is well known, I left with the greatest reluctance-a reurement for which I have never ceafed to high through a long and painful abfence, in which (remote from the noife and trouble of the world) I meditate to pass the remainder of my life in a state of undisturbed repofe; but, before I carry this refolution into effect, I think it a duty incumbent on me to make this my last official communication, to congratulate you on the glorious events, which Heaven has been pleafed to produce in our favour, to offer my fentiments, refpecting fome important fubjects, which appear to me to be intimately connected with the tranquillity of the United States, to take my leave of your Excellency as a public character, and to give my final bleffing to that country, in whofe fervice I have spent the prime of my life, for whofe fake I have confumed fo many anxious days and watchful nights, and whofe happiness, being extremely dear to me. will always.conititute no inconfiderable part of my

own.

Impreffed with the livelieft fenfibility on this pleafing occafion, I will claim the indulgence of dilating the more copiously on the fubject of our mutual felicitation. When we confider the magnitude of the prize we contended for, the doubt ful nature of the content, and the favourable manner in which it has terminated, we shall find the greateft pofiible reafon for gratitude and rejoicing: this is a theme that will afford infinite delight to every benevolent and liberal mind, whether the event in contemplation be confidered as the fource of prefent enjoyment, or the parent of future happiness; and we fhall have equal occa fion to felicitate ourselves on the lot which Provi

dence

dence has affigned us, whether we view it in a natural, a political, or moral point of light.

The citizens of America, placed in the moft enviable condition, as the fole lords and proprietors of a vast tract of continent, comprehending all the various foils and climates of the world, and abounding with all the neceffaries and conveniencies of life, are now, by the late fatisfactory pacification, acknowledged to be poffeffed of abfolute Freedom and Independency; they are, from this period, to be considered as the actors on a molt confpicuous theatre, which feems to be peculiarly defigned by Providence for the difplay of human greatnefs and felicity: here they are not only furrounded with every thing that can contribute to the completion of private and domeftic enjoyment, but Heaven has crowned all its other bleflings, by giving a furer opportunity for political happiness than any other nation has ever been favoured with. Nothing can illuftrate thefe obfervations more forcibly than a recoltection of the happy conjuncture of times and circumstances, under which our Republic affumed its rank among the nations.-The foundation of our empire was not laid in the gloomy age of ignorance and fuperftition, but at an epocha when the rights of mankind were better understood, and more clearly defined, than at any former period: researches of the human mind after focial happiness have been carried to a great extent; the treasures of knowledge acquired by the labours of philofophers, fages, and legiflators, through a long fucceffion of years, are laid open for ufe, and their collected wifdom may be happily applied in the establishment of our forms of government: the free cultivation of letters, the unbounded extenfion of commerce, the progreffive refinement of manners, the growing liberadity of fentiment, and, above all, the pure and benign light of revelation, have had a meliorating influence on mankind, and increafed the bleffings of fociety. At this aufpicious period the United States came into exiftence as a nation, and if their citizens should not be completely free and happy, the fault will be entirely their own.

Such is our fituation, and fuch are our profpects; but notwithstanding the cup of blefling is thus reached out to us, notwithstanding happiness is our's, if we have a disposition to feife the occafion, and make it our own, yet it appears to me, there is an option ftill left to the United States of America, whether they will be refpectable and profperous, or contemptible and miferable as a nation; this is the time of their political probation; this is the moment, when the eyes of the whole world are turned upon them; this is the moment to establish or ruin their national character for ever; this is the favourable moment to give fuch a tone to the federal government, as will enable it to anfwer the ends of its inftitution-or this may be the ill-fated moment for relaxing the powers of the Union, annihilating the cement of the Confederation, and expofing us to become the fport of European politics, which may play one ftate against another, to prevent their growing importance, and to ferve their own interefted purpofes; for, according to the system of policy the States shall adopt at this moment, they will stand or fail-and, by their confirmation or lapfe, it is yet to be decided, whether the revolution must

ultimately be confidered as a bleffing or a curfe ; --a bleffing or a curfe, not to the prefent age alone, for with our fate will the destiny of unborn millions be involved.

With this conviction of the importance of the prefent crifis, filence in me would be a crime; I will therefore fpeak to your Excellency the language of freedom and of fincerity, without difguife. I am aware, however, those who differ from me in political fentiments may, perhaps, remark, I am stepping out of the proper line of my duty; and they may pothibly afcribe to arrogance or oftentation what I know is alone the refult of the pureft intention: but the rectitude of my own heart, which difdains fuch unworthy motives; the part I have hitherto acted in life; the determination I have formed of not taking any fhare in public bufinefs hereafter; the ardent defire I feel, and thall continue to manifeft, of quietly enjoying in private life, after all the toils of war, the benefits of a wife and liberal government, will; I flatter myself, fooner or later, convince my countrymen, that I could have no finifter views in delivering, with fo little referve, the opinions contained in this addrefs.

There are four things, which, I humbly conceive, are effential to the well-being, I may even venture to fay, to the existence of the United States, as an independent power.

Ilt. An indiffoluble union of the States under one federal head.

2dly. A facred regard to public justice. 3dly. The adoption of a proper peace eftablifhment. And,

4thly, The prevalence of that pacific and friendly difpofition among the people of the United States, which will induce them to forget their local prejudices and policies, to make thofe mutual conceffions which are requifite to the general profperity, and, in fome inftances, to facrifice their individual advantages to the intereft of the community.

Thefe are the pillars on which the glorious fabric of our independency and national character must be fupported.-Liberty is the bafis-and whoever would dare to fap the foundation, or overturn the structure, under whatever specious pretexts he may attempt it, will merit the bittereft execration, and the feverett punishment, which can be inflicted by his injured country.

On the three firft articles I will make a few obfervations, leaving the laft to the good fenfe and ferious confideration of thofe immediately concerned.

Under the first head, although it may not be neceffary or proper for me, in this place, to enter into a particular difquifition of the principles of the union, and to take up the great question which has been frequently agitated, whether it be expedient and requifite for the States to delegate a larger proportion of power to Congrefs, or not; yet it will be a part of my duty, and that of every true patriot, to affert, without referve, and to infift upon the following pofitions. That unless the States will fufter Congress to exercise those prerogatives they are undoubtedly invested with by the conftitution, every thing muft very rapidly tend to anarchy and confusion. That it is indifpenfible to the happiness of the individual States, that there fhould be lodged, somewhere, a supreme power to regulate and A 2 2

govern

govern the general concerns of the confederated republic, without which the union cannot be of long duration.

That there must be a faithful and pointed compliance, on the part of every State, with the late proposals and demands of Congrefs, or the moft fatal confequences will enfue. That whatever measures have a tendency to diffolve the union, or contribute to violate or leffen the fovereign authority, ought to be confidered as hoftile to the liberty and independency of America, and the authors of them treated accordingly-And laftly, that unless we can be enabled, by the concurrence of the States, to participate of the fruits of the revolution, and enjoy the effential benefits of civil fociety, under a form of government fo free and uncorrupted, fo happily guarded against the danger of oppreffion, as has been devifed and adopted by the articles of confederation, it will be a fubject of regret, that fo much blood and treasure have been lavished for no purpose; that, fo many fufferings have been encountered without a compenfation, and that fo many facrifices have been made in vain. Many other confiderations might here be adduced to prove, that, without an entire conformity to the spirit of the union, we cannot exiit as an independent .power. It will be fufficient for my purpose to mention but one or two, which feem to me of the greatest importance.-It is only in our united character as an empire, that our independence is acknowledged, that our power can be regarded, or our credit fupported among foreign nations. The treaties of the European powers with the United States of America will have no validity on a difiolution of the union. We fhall be left nearly in a state of nature, or we may find, by our own unhappy experience, that there is a natural and neceffary progreflion from the extreme of anarchy to the extreme of tyranny; and that arbitrary power is molt eafily eitablithed on the ruins of liberty abufed to licentioufnels.

As to the fecond article, which refpects the performance of public justice, Congrefs have, in their late addreis to the United States, alinoft exhausted the fubject; they have explained their ideas fo fully, and have enforced the obligations the States are under to render complete justice to all the public creditors with fo much dignity and energy, that, in my opinion, no real friend to the honour and independency of America can hefitate a single moment refpecting the propriety of complying with the jutt and honourable meafures propofed; if their arguments do not produce conviction, I know of nothing that will have greater influence, especially when we recollect that the fyftem referred to, being the refult of the collected wildom of the continent, muit be efteemed, if not perfect, certainly the least objectionable of any that could be deviled; and that, if it fhall not be carried into immediate execution,, a national bankruptcy, with all its deplorable confequences, will take place before any different plan can poílibly be propofed or adopted; fo preling are the prefent circumftances, and fuch is the alternative now offered to the States.

The ability of the country to discharge the debts which have been incurred in its defence is not to be doubted. An inclination, I flatter myfelf, will not be wanting; the path of our

duty is plain before us; honefty will be found, on every experiment, to be the best and only true policy. Let us, then, as a nation be just; let us fulfil the public contracts which Congrefs had undoubtedly a right to make for the purpose of carrying on the war, with the fame good faith we fuppofe ourselves bound to perforin our private engagements. In the mean time, let an attention to the chearful performances of their proper bufinefs as individuals, and as members of fociety, be earnestly inculcated on the citizens of America; then will they strengthen the hands of government, and be happy under its protection. Every one will reap the fruit of his labours; every one will enjoy his own acquifitions, without moleftation and without danger.

In this state of abfolute freedom and perfect fecurity, who will grudge to yield a very little of his property to fupport the common interests of fociety, and enfure the protection of government? Who does not remember the frequent declarations at the commencement of the warthat we should be completely fatisfied, if at the expence of one half we could defend the remainder of our poffeffions? Where is the man to be found, who withes to remain indebted for the defence of his own perfon and property to the exertions, the bravery, and the blood of others, without making one generous effort to repay the debt of honour and of gratitude? In what part of the Continent shall we find any man, or body of men, who would not blush to stand up, and propofe meafures purpofely calculated to rob the fol dier of his ftipend, and the publick creditor of his due? And were it poilible that such a flagrant inftance of injuftice could ever happen, would it not excite the general indignation, and tend to bring down, upon the authors of fuch measures, the aggravated vengeance of heaven? If, after all, a fpirit of difunion, or a temper of obstinacy and perverfeness thould manitett ittelf in any of the States; if fuch an ungracious difpofition should attempt to fruitrate all the happy effects that might be expected to flow from the union; if there fhould be a refufai to comply with requifitions for funds to difcharge the annual interest of the public debts, and if that refufal should revive all those jealoufies, and produce all thofe evils which are now happily removed, Congrefs, who have in all their tranfactions thewn a great degree of magnanimity and justice, will itaud juttified in the fight of God and man! And that State alone, which puts itself in oppofition to the aggregate wifdom of the Continent, and follows fuch mistaken and pernicious councils, will be refponfible for all the confequences.

For my own part, confcious of having acted, while a fervant of the public, in the manner I conceived beit fuited to promote the real interests of my country; having, in confequence of my fixed belief, in fome meafure, pledged myself to the army, that their country would finally do them complete and ample juftice, and not wifhing to conceal any inftance of my official conduct from the eyes of the world, I have thought proper to tranfmit to your Excellency the inclofed collection of papers, relative to the half-pay and commutation granted by Congrefs to the officers of the army: from thefe communications, my decided fentiments will be clearly comprehended, together with the conclufive reafons which in

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