626 PARLIAMENTARY HISTORY. were fent to his affiftance, though his deftruction, had it been effected, would have probably decided the affair against us, during the latter part of the fummer and the autumn. The Southern Provinces were left to chance, and the crazy perfonal valour of Lord Dunmore. Canada was loft all to the fingle town of Quebec, where the few troops we had were fuffering an actual fiege; and now General Howe had been nearly fix months, without receiving fo much as a fingle line from adminiftration. Such a general ftate of things, and the General's own feelings, expreffed in the honeft language of a foldier, who thought both the honour and interefts of the nation, as well as his own perfonal reputation fhamefully neglected, if not deeply wounded, might have preffed clofely on thofe in office. They would, indeed, have been attacked in front and rear. The King's friends grumbled, nay one of them ventured to speak out, and had any of the material paffages of the dispatches been published, we have Arong reafon to believe, that the Minifter and his colleagues in office, would have found themselves compelled to fhare fome part of the blame, which it was confidently faid they employed their underftrappers and varnishers to divide in certain portions, between General Carleton, General Howe, and Sir Peter Parker †. We thought it neceffary to clear up, what on a curfory view bore every mark of either fheer folly, or of a wanton, obftinate, unprovoked contempt for the opinion of their friends, as well as their adverfaries. Befides, we perform it as a very material part of our duty; for fhould defeat, difappointment, or a foreign war overtake as in the further profecution of this unnatural, and, we do not hesitate to pronounce, impolitic war, we have not the least doubt but the firft leading inquiry will be, why hoftilities Dec. were commenced in America, till a proper force was collected on the spot, at least prepared in Europe, to give them effect, and a reasonable affurance of fuccefs? or why, when our weaknefs was difcovered in the first and fecond efforts, a fuitable reinforcement was not sent out early in the autumn, 1775, which would have either crushed the infurrection in its birth, or if conqueft was the expected issue of the conteft, would have faved the enormous expences of a whole campaign. The Houfe went into a committee of fupply the fame day, and voted a million by way of a vote of credit, to be iffued by exchequer bills to that amount for the fervice of the year 1776. May 8. This day the House refolved itself into a committee on the Lord Mayor's motion, relative to the admiralty li cences, granted for the exportation of various kinds of goods and merchandize to North America, under the denomination of flores and provifions, by virtue of a claufe in the Capture Act, more generally known by the name of the Prohibitory Bill. To give a minute account of an inquiry, which kept the House up till near five o'clock in the morning, and which from its vaft variety and extent was not half difcuffed, will hardly be expected in an abstract of this nature; but as the attempt to throw a monopoly of the whole American trade into the hands of a few individuals, acting as the tools of perfons in high office, and countenanced by almost every individual member of administration, gave birth to feveral fevere and pointed ftrictures, it may not be improper to point out a few of the leading facts that came out in the course of that curious examination. It must be first obferved, that by the Prohibitory Act, which received the royal affent a few days before the Chriftmas recefs, all trade and intercourfe Mr. Welbore Ellis affirmed, that the evacuation of Boston was a diminution of credit, and a very great calamity. It was an event, that would give great eclat to the American caufe; for though a part of the plan for future operations, it was at that time a meajure of harth necefity. It was a reflexion upon General Howe, to fay it was any thing else but harth neceffity. + Thofe reflexions here hinted at, were, that Carleton was mad; that Herve bad fpent all his native fire at Bunker's-bill; and that Sir Peter Parker had delayed in port, on purpose to be blown away to the Weft Indies. 1776. PARLIAMENTARY HISTORY. courfe was prohibited between Great Britain and Ireland and the Thirteen United Colonies. There was a clause however in the act, which if it had been as well obferved, as it was feemingly well intended, was extremely necellary, as it was oftenfibly held out for the ufe of the army, and for the Inhabitants of thofe towns or places, where the army in the courfe of its future operations might happen to be ftationed; becaufe in the latter inftance, though the prohibition was general, it was evident that the inhabitants of fuch towns or districts under our protection, if cut off from the inland refources, whence they drew their fupplies of provifions, ought not to be likewife cut off from procuring them from Great Britain. It was accordingly enacted, that flores and provifions for the ufe of the army, and provifions for the ufe of the inhabitants of any town or place, garrifoned or poffeffed by his Majesty's troops, fhould be permitted to be exported from any port in Great Britain and Ireland for America, under these reftrictions. Let us then fee how this claufe was conftrued by its noble framers. They granted licences from the ift of February to the 12th of March, to the following veffels from 150 to upwards of 300 tons burden, to trade to America, under the pretence of carrying nothing but fores and provifions for the army, and provisions for the inhabitants of Bolton, according to the above mentioned claufe: to the Induftry, Renown, Endeavour, Providence, Katty, Christian, Le Soye Planter, City of London, Mentor, Sukey, Jean and Sally, Friendship, Friendfip (2), Adventure, Jean, Juno, Pallas, Lord Rochford, Jame. fon and Peggy, Refolution, Friendhip (3), and Jean (2). The fpecification of the feveral cargoes fhipped at the out-ports in Scotland and Ireland, were not received on the 22d of May at the Custom houfe. The following cleared out from London, which both in refpect of the amount of the goods ihipped, and the nature and qualities of them, will convey fome tolerable idea of this iniquitous tranfaction - The Renown, Le Soye Planter, Mentor, City of London, Pallas, Jamefon and Peggy, Refolu 627 tion, Adventure, and Lord Rochford. The amount of the cargoes of these nine veffels, were computed at the lowest estimate to be worth at least one hundred and fifty thousand pounds, They confifted of grocery, gold and filver lace, woollen and linen clothes, teas, muflins, mercery, haberdashery, glass, tin plates, French and Portuguefe wines, fallad oil, olives, capers, anchovies, millinery, pewter, cottons, ftationary, filk ftockings, fome thousand packs of playing cards, calli coes, chintzes, India filks, &c. &c. We have omitted in this account, a variety of other denominations and fpecies of merchandize, which as well as thofe mentioned, not the whole junto, nor the cabinet ministers united, could hardly perfuade us, come within the defcription of flores and provifions for the army, or provisions for the inhabitants of Bofton, for which place they were all deftined. It will be needlefs to enter into any proofs of the cargoes, because they are all taken from the papers laid before the Houfe of Lords, the day before the Parliament was prorogued, and thofe prefented to the Houle of Commons previous to the inquiry. The following witneffes were examined: Mr. Stanley, Secretary to the Board of Cuftoms; Mr. Bates, Deputy Collector; Mr. Hume, Deputy Comptroller; Mr. Matthifon, Mr. Whitlock, Mr. Withers, Mr. Hudfon, Mr. Forfer, Mr. Alderman Wooldridge, and Lord Barrington in his place. The Gentlemen from the Customhoufe threw very little light on the fubject; they justified their conduct, by their orders from the Treafury and Admiralty Boards; not looking upon themfelves, they faid, either anfwerable for the confequences, or at all entitled to controvert the legality of the licences. The next class of witnees were perfons in trade that furnifed Merry, who was the principal actor in this bufinefs, with goods; and two or three others concerned in hipping part of the cargoes. The latter faid very little more, than that they applied for licences in fome inftances, and olained them: the former, that Merry obtained credit with them folely on the ftrength of a letter of credit he produced from Sir Grey 4L 2 Cooper, 628 PARLIAMENTARY HISTORY. Cooper, Secretary of the Treafury, to the amount of feveral thoufand pounds. Dec. ries and callicoes, 8000 of Portugal, Spanish, and French wines, playing cards 864 packs, 152 hundred of green glafs, might be fairly deemed neceffaries, according to the true purport of General Howe's letter, and the obvious meaning of the a7, his Lordip replied, not one of them His Lordthip was asked, whether 8000l. worth of linen cloth was not too great a proportion of linen for the number of troops then at Bofton: he replied, he had made no calculation; and whether Anderfon entered into a bond to deliver the goods fpecified in General Howe's order, according to the tenor of that order. His Lordship's anfwer was laconic and derfon gave fuch a bond to any "other perfon, he could not tell.” Mr. Alderman Wooldridge proved, that the fpring affortment for the whole province of Maffachufet's Bay, confifted of the very fame articles, now fent out under the name of flores and provisions; that it feldom exceeded 120 000/. though the amount of the prefent intended export was nearly double that amount; that none of the licences were granted to the merchants fablijbed in that business, but to mere obfcure adventurers, fcarcely known at the Cuftom-house, much lefs in that particular branch of trade; and that Merry's cargoes were relanded, be-pointed-"not to bim, whether Ancause he was not able to ftand the event of an uncertain market, dealing folely on the credit of the Treasury, that being, as it were, compelled to withdraw its fupport; but fuch as were in circumftances to rifque on their own bottom, had altered the deftination of their refpective voyages from Boston to Halifax. The licences it is true, when the matter took wind, were recalled by the Admiralty, but in fact, the evasion of the act continued the fame in every inftance almoft, except in Merry's cargoes, which were all relanded for the reafon before affigned, and the contents returned to their respective owners. as Lord Barrington was, with his own confent, examined in his place. He gave a long account of the part he took in procuring a licence for the Jamefon and Peggy transport. He faid it was in confequence of an application by letter from General Howe, in order that the officers and private men under his command, might be fupplied with neceffaries, fuch fheeting, fhirts, fhoes, ftockings, &c. at a reasonable price, or, as was the cafe laft year with General Gage, who fent one Coffin over, who was to fell different articles at prime colt. On this application, he wrote a letter by Anderfon, the perfon recommended by General Howe, to Lord George Germaine, for a tranfport for that purpose, with which his Lordship complied, and which transport, he understood, was the Jamefon and Peggy. That was all he knew of the On being asked whether Goool, worth of teas, 3000 of merce matter. We think it proper to give Mr. Paine's evidence, becaufe he is Governor of the Bank, is not a professed Patriot, ftands well with adminiftration, and is a man of independent fortune, and we hope independent principles. Queftion. Did Mr. Paine make any application to Lord North, relative to the licences? Anfwer. He was defired by fome of the gentlemen concerned in the linen and Eaft India piece trade, who met on other business, to mention to Lord North, when he fhould wait on him refpecting that bufinefs, the affair of the licences, the trade being much alarmed when they heard of the great quantities of goods preparing for exportation to America, by gentlemen not ufually concerned in that trade; while they (the merchants who had the meeting) who had traded to that country for many years, were loaded with immenfe quantities of goods, which, fince the paffing of the Prohibitory Act, they could not find a market for, the American affortments being thereby, as it were, locked up in their warehouses. He then ftated the grounds of this alarm to Lord North, who replied, that orders had been already given to withdraw thofe licences; which he believed to be true, because on his return into the city, he faw feveral carts unloading goods, which had been shipped in confequence of thofe licences, and were, on their being recalled, relanded. 2 Did " 1776. PARLIAMENTARY HISTORY. 2. Did he remember any other particulars of the converfation he had with Lord North ? A. He might mention fome of the perfons names who had obtained the icences; but the material part of what paffed on the above occasion, was what he just now related. 2. Did the measure in general give offence to the merchants concerned in The American trade? A. They thought it a fingular hardflip, that fuch licences hould be granted under an act, which they understood prohibited all commerce with North America. 2. Did that uneafinefs arife from factious motives? A. Not on his part, or those with whom he was concerned; but merely from the apprehenfion of the confequences. 2. Did Lord North make any excue or apology, or thew any reafon why thofe licences had been granted? A. Lord North read the claufe in the Act of Parliament, and confeffed the affair had gone too far. 629 mination was finished, when the committee again divided, ayes 32, noes 110. At five o'clock the like motion was repeated, which paffing in the negative without a divifion, the following refolution was moved: "That it is the opinion of this committee, that feveral licences have been granted by the Admiralty, to hips bound for Boston and other parts of North America, fince the paffing of the act to prohibit all trade and intercourfe with the colonies therein mentioned, which were too general, and were not warranted by the provifa in the faid act of parliament, giving the power to grant fuch licences, but were contrary thereto.". But the question being moved, that the chairman do now leave the chair, in the way of a previous queftion, the motion was defeated, without the embarraffing circumftance of being compelled to give it a negative, contrary at leaft to the exterior appearance of every degree of truth, decency, and common fenfe; for it was carried, ayes 105, noes 31; confequently the 2. Was there any mention of the committee was diffolved, without nails exported? A. He believed he obferved to his Lordship, that iron ware could not be exported under the article of provifions, We have given this account more in detail than we ufually do; but as the papers at large relative to this extraordinary tranfaction, in all its parts, are now before the Houfe of Lords, for the purpose of future confideration, we have paid an attention it would not have been entitled to, were it finally decided upon. The friends of the inquiry en leavoured to carry an adjournment three times during the examination, as neither the papers neceflary for fuch an inquiry could be procured, or were purpofely with held; and because Merry and another material witness kept out of the way, they affirmed, with an intention of avoiding to give evidence. At half after eleven o'clock, Mr. T. Townthend moved, that the chairman do report fome progrefs, and afk leave to fit again. The committee divided, ayes 38, noes 115. This was at the conclufion of Mr. Wooldridge's evidence. Mr. Turner made a similar motion, as foon as Mr. Paine's exa coming to any refolution whatever. We shall fufpend any obfervations on this extraordinary affair, till the whole hali be ultimately decided upon, which we prefume it will in the courfe of the prefent Seffions. May 9 This day the House went into a committee on the Felons Bill, which produced a long and warm debate; but as the bill was defended merely as a bill of experiment in one light, and of neceffity in another, being no more than a temporary expedient during the prefent troubles in America, we thall forbear recounting any of the arguments ufed on either hand, particularly as we understand the act is to undergo feveral material and important alterations, fhould it be thought proper to render it perpetual. HOUSE OF LORDS. The Duke of Manchester this day moved, ་་ That an humble address be prefented to his Majefty, that he will be graciously pleafed to order the proper officer to lay before this Houfe, copies of all difpatches received from General Howe, and Admiral Shuldham, fince the first day of March laft." This gave birth to a debate main 630 PARLIAMENTARY HISTORY. tained on both fides, by arguments exactly of a fize and complexion with thofe reforted to in the other Houfe, on a fimilar motion made by Colonel Barre on the 6th instant, of which we have already taken notice. The only new turn this debate took, and in which it differed from that on the fame fubject in the Heufe of Commons, was an amendment moved by Lord Ravenfworth, and acquiefced in by the Duke of Manchester, by adding the following words: "fo far as do "not relate to the intended opera❝tions of the prefent campaign. The question however in its amended ftate, continued to be as ftrongly refifted by the first* Lord of the Admiralty, and the two Secretaries of State, under the colour of the impoffibility of complying with it, without caufing the very inconvenience the amendment was intended to obviate in the original motion, that of difclofing the plan of future measures, by which the operations of the campaign were to be principally governed; the mere detail of the evacuation, and the meatures of policy being fo entangled and interwoven in the difpatches now looked for, that both must be laid open and naked before the public, or neither. Another circumstance happened in the courfe of the debate, which a good deal embarraffed adminiftration; that was, the unexpected attack of a noble Duket, who had hitherto voted with them on American measures. As it was no lefs fingular in point of matter, than unexpected from the quarter it happened to come, with the additional circumstance, that it was the cenfure of a profeffional man I, we have thought proper to give it to our readers at large. "Since the beginning of the prefent unhappy difpute with America, I avoided as much as poffible to take any decided part on either fide; becaufe there are strong fubfifting, and I may add, almoft irremoveable objections in my mind, again't going the lengths maintained by the contending parties in this Houfe. I cannot fay I approve of the war, nor am 1 fatisfied with the oftenfive principles on which it is maintained. If I dislike the war, I most certainly fill difapprove much inore of the manner in which it has Dec. been hitherto conducted. I have nevertheless remained filent, except in the inftance of the Refraining Bill, which I looked upon the only safe measure to be purfued at the time, because it carried with it an appearance of equity, of moderation, and national good temper. America, faid the fupporters of it, will not trade with us; it is therefore but fair and reafonable, to prevent them from trading elsewhere. Policy left us no other alternative, but measures of coercion, or thofe of retaliation; the latter in the instance alluded to was adopted; happy, I fear, for this country it would have been, had the fame moderate measures been continued. Such were my motives for fupporting the Reftraining Bill, and fuch my general reafons for difapproving thofe of a more violent and fanguinary complexion which have fucceeded. I do not approve of the motion now before your Lordships, either in its original or amended tate. It was at firit much too general; nor does it yet come up to my ideas. It should certainly have been confined to the mere evacuation of Boston. There may be feveral other matters mingled in a journal of feventeen days, that might not be proper to be divulged; but had the motion referred to the evacuation fimply, I cannot fee how administration, with the leaft colour of decency or propriety, could have denied the communications thus fought. It would indeed have furnished the jufteft grounds of fufpicion, if they had. "While I am up, I find myself compelled to lament moft fincerely, the conduct of our naval affairs refpecting America; particularly when I reflect, that the very mortar which drove his Majesty's forces out of Bos ton, was fuffered to fall into the hands of the Provincials, through the moit difgraceful inattention, or inexcufa ble neglect. I do not fee the noble Lord in his place, (Lord Townshend) who prefides at the Ordnance Board; but I am well informed, that if he had complied with the application made to him, this fatal lofs would have never happened. If I remember right the name of the tranfport, aboard which the mortar was thipped, was the Nancy or the Peggy, the Duke of Bolton. Lords Sandwich, Suffolk, and Weymouth. mafter |