one of the most combuftible fubftances, in the great hemp houfe at Portsmouth. He, however, fuc Dec. 7th. ceeded, in fetting fire to the rope houfe in that yard, and had an opportunity, for feveral miles in his flight to London, to feaft the malignity of his nature, in the contemplation of that dreadful conflagration which he had excited, and which fro.n its prodigious appearance, he imagined had spread to all the magazin s, buildings, and docks. The fire was happily fubdued, with no other is than that of the rope house and its contents. with a prodigious number of veffels, all lying fo close together, and fo free from water in that fea fon, that the first thing which strikes the attention of a tranger, is a furprize how they could be fo lodged, and the fecond, a conviction of the fatal and irremediable confequences both to the shipping and the city, which a fire must inevitabiy produce. The incendiary failing in his attempt to fet two or three of thofe veffels on fire, found fo ftrict a watch kept afterwards, that he was obliged to change his mode of operation, and to fecure the deftruction of the fhips by beginning with the houses. After fome failures in his attempts this way, in which, as in all others, the finding of his ineffective apparatus afforded full evidence of the atrocioufnefs of the defign, he at length fucceeded fo far as to fet fire to fome warehoufes in the vicinity of the quay, fix or feven of which were confumed. The incendiary ftill purfued his defign, but failed in his attempts upon the royal docks, and narrowly efcaped being taken at Plymouth. The city of Bristol was at that time greatly divided between the two numerous parties of Tories and Whigs, as they were called, the former of which eagerly fupported, and the latter as highly detested, the prefent court meatures agaiaft America. The former carried op Thefe facts and circumftances an addrets of congratulation upon afforded a full scope to all the the late fucceffes of his Majefty's rage and virulence of party to arms, which the latter condemned blaze out in their utmost violence. in the ftronged terms, reprefenting The moft bigoted and furious, it as an act highly indecent, un- and confequeatly the moft ignochriftian, and impious. to exhibit rant, on the one fide, attributed any marks of triumph and rejoic- them to the difaffection, the repubing in the flaughter and destruction lican and American principles, of their fellow-fubjects. of the other; whilt thofe on an equal feale of understanding and prejudice on that, were fully convinced, that they were malicious acts or inventions of the Tories, merely for the purpose of calumniating and blackening their advers iaries. In this ftate of party and political disunion among the inhabitants, Jhu the Painter, in the month of January, 1, attempt ed first to burn the hipping, and afterwards the city itfelt. A deep and narrow chain, which is nearly dry when the tide is out, fronts a great part of the quay in Brif tol, which is generally crowded Bristol, upon fome fufpicious circumftances, and behaved with great boldness, art, and an uncommon government in point of fpeech, upon his feveral examinations, refaling peremptorily to answer any queftions, which admitted even of a doubt in the remotest tendency, that the answer could by any conftruction be wrefted to his own crimination; nor was he at all difconcerted or embarraffed by the appearance, or the questions propofed to him, by fome of the Lords, and other principal officers of the admiralty. He was, however, with all his art and caution, circumvented by the means of another painter, who being either an American, or having lived on that continent, found means thereby, and by pretending to fympathize in his misfortunes, and to hold principles fimilar to his own, to obtain his confidence in prifon; until at length, being inftructed and aflifted for the purpofe, he fulfilled his intent, by drawing from him the whole history of his crimes. Upon his trial at Portsmouth, notwithflanding the fhock which the appearance and evidence of his pretended friend must have given him, he behaved with the fame boldnefs and address which he had hitherto manifested; made a good defence, fhrewd obfervations upon the nature of the evidence, and the acknowledged bafenefs of the witnefs, and received fentence of death with the most perfect indifference. He fent for one of the principal naval officers of Portmouth, either going to, or at the place of execution, to whom be acknowledged his crime, and allo gave fome cautions, with re fpect to the future preservation of the royal yards from fimilar dangers. 1776. Such was in general the state of public affairs, during the recefs, and for fome time after the meeting of parliament. The oa. 31st, fpeech from the throne feemed to breathe indignation and refentment. would have afforded much fatisfaction that the troubles which had fo long diftracted the colonies had been at an end; and that the unhappy people, recovered from their delufion, had delivered themselves from the oppreffion of their leaders, and returned to their duty; but fo daring and defperate (it was faid) was the fpirit of thofe leaders, whofe object had always been dominion and power, that they had openly renounced all allegiance to the crown, and all political connection with this country; that they had rejected, with circumftances of indignity and infult, the means of conciliation held out to them under the authority of the royal commiffion; and had prefumed to fet up their rebellious confederacies for independent ftates. Much mifchief was foreseen from the growth of this rebellion, if it was fuffered to take root, not only with refpect to the fafety of the loyal colonies, and to the commerce of thefe kingdoms, but to the general fyftem of Europe. One great advantage would, however, be derived, from the object of the rebels being openly avowed, and clearly understood; it would produce unanimity at home, founded on a general conviction of the juftice and neceffity of our meafures. The two houfes were informed of the recovery of Canada, and of the fucceffes on the fide of New York, which, notwithstanding the unavoidable delays that retarded the commencement of the operations, were of fuch importance, as to afford the ftrongeft hopes of the most decifive good confequences; but that, notwithftanding this fair profpect, another campaign must, at all events, he prepared for. Amicible affurances were received from other courts; endeavours were used to conciliate the differences between Spain and Portugal; and though a continuance of the general tranquillity was hoped, it was, however, thought expedient, in the prefent fituation or affairs, that we should be in a respectable ftate of defence at home. The great confequent expence was regretted; but no doubt was entertained, that the importance of the objects under confideration, would procure chearful grant of the necefiary fupplies. a It declared, that his Majefty could have no other object in this arduous conteft than the true interefts of all his fubjects; and it afferted, that no people ever enjoyed more happineis, or lived under a milder government, than the revolted provinces; that their boafled improvements in every art, their numbers, their wealth, their ftrength by fea and land, were irrefragable proofs of it. The fpeech concluded with a declaration, that his Majelty's defire was to restore to them the bleffings of law and liberty, equally enjoyed by every British fubject, which they had fatally and defpe rately exchanged for all the calamities of war, and the arbitrary tyranny of their chiefs. The addreffes were framed in the ufual manner, and, according to the practice of late years, produced great debates, and propofed amendments, of a clear contrary nature, in both houses." That of the Commons, befides confirming, repeating, and adopting, all the pofitions in the fpeech, attributes the circumftances of infult and indignity, which accompanied the rejection, by the American leaders, of the means of reconciliation graciously held out to them by his Majefty, to their refentment of his firm and conftant adherence to the maintenance of the conftitutional rights of parliament, divefted of every poffible view of any feparate interefts of the crown; and expreffes the ftrongeft fentiments of gratitude for that attachment to the parliamentary authority of Great Britain, which had thus provoked the infolence of the chiefs of the rebellion. Lord John Cavendish moved an amendment, which was of greater length than the original address. In this picce, (which included a comprehenfive view of the minifterial conduct with respect to America,) after a declaration of the most earneft zeal for his Majedy's true inte eft, and he real glory of his reign, and the deepeit concern, at beholding the minds of a very large, and lately loyal and affectionate part of his people, entirely alienated from his government; it was inferred, that fuch an event, as the ditaffection and revolt of a whole people, could not have taken place, with out out fome confiderable errors in the conduct obferved towards them. These errors were imputed, to the want of a fufficient information being laid before parliament, and to the repofing of too great a degree of confidence in Minifters; who, though by duty obliged, and by office enabled, to ftudy and to know the temper and difpofition of his Majesty's American fubjects, and to purfue the moft falutary meafures, had totally failed in all. To this mifplaced confidence, and want of parliamentary information, was attributed, the purfuit of schemes formed for the reduction and chastisement of a supposed inconfiderable party of factious men, and which had driven thirteen large provinces to defpair. That every Act of Parliament which had been propofed as a means of procuring peace and fubmiffion, had become a new caufe of hoftility and revolt; until we are almost inextricably involved in a bloody and expenfive civil war; which, befides exhausting at prefent the ftrength of all his Majefty's dominions, expofing our allies to the defigns of their and our enemies, and leaving this kingdom in a most perilous fituation, threatens, in its iffue, the moft deplorable calamities to the whole British race. It lamented, that in confequence of the credit given to the reprefentation of Minifters, no hearing had been afforded to the reiterated complaints and petitions of the colonies, nor any ground laid for removing the original caufe of thofe unhappy differences, which took their rife from queftions relative to parliamentary proceedings, and can be fettled only by parliamentary authority. That, VOL. XX. by this fatal omiffion, the Commiffioners nominated for the apparent purpose of making peace, were furnished with no legal powers, but that of giving or with holding pardons at their pleafure, and that for relaxing the feverities of a fingle penal Act of Parliament; leaving the whole foundation of this unhappy controverfy just as it flood in the beginning. It reprefented in ftrong colours, the fatal confequence of not fending out the Commiffioners for feven months after the time, that their speedy departure had been announced by the fpeech from the throne; by which neglect, it fays, the inhabitants of the colonies, apprized that they were put out of the protection of government, and feeing no means provided for their entering into it, were furnished with reafons but too colourable for breaking off their dependency on the crown of this kingdom. It gave an affurance, that the Houfe, by removing their confidence from thofe who had in fo many inftances grofly abused it, would endeavour to restore to parliament the confidence of all the people. To answer this end, it was propofed to make enquiries into the grievances of the colonies, into the conduct of Ministers with regard to them, the causes, that the commerce of this kingdom had been left expofed to the reprifals of the colonies, at the very time when their feamen and fishermen, being indifcriminately prohibited from the peaceful exercife of their occupations, and declared open enemies, must have been expected, with a certain affurance, to betake themselves to plunder, and to [C] wreak wreak their revenge on the commerce of Great Britain. It obferved, that a wife, moderate, and provident ufe of the late advantages gained in arms, might be productive of happy effects and gave an affurance, that nothing fhould be wanting on their part, to enable his majefty to take full advantage of any difpofition to reconciliation, which might be the confequence of the miseries of war, by laying down real permanent grounds of connection between Great Britain and her colonies, on principles of liberty and terms of mutual advantage. It concluded with the following declaration, which contained high and liberal fentiments. co We fhould look with the utmost fhame and horror, on any events that should tend to break the fpirit of any large part of the British nation to bow them to an abject unconditional fubmiflion to any power whatfoever; to annihilate their liberties, and to fubdue them to fervile principles and paffive habits, by the mere force of foreign mercenary arms; becaufe, amidft the exceffes and abufes which have happened, we muft refpect the spirit and principles operating in thefe commotions. Our with is to regulate, not to destroy them; for though differing in fome circumftances, thofe very principles evidently bear fo exact an analogy with thofe which fupport the most valuable part of our own conftitution, that it is impoffible, with any appearance of juftice, to think of wholly extirpating them by the fword, in any part of his Majefty's dominiors, without admitting confequences, and establishing pre cedents, the most dangerous to the liberties of this kingdom." A fimilar amendment to the addrefs of the Lords was moved for by the Marquis of Rockingham, and both were fupported with great force and animation, and the debates in both Houses, long, various, and interefting. In thefe, the fpeech from the throne, which was confidered merely as the act of the Minifter, was taken to pieces without ceremony, treated in all its parts with unufual afperity. and It was afked, where thofe mighty leaders were found, whom the Americans obeyed fo implicitly, and who governed them with fo defpotic a rule? They had no grandees amongst them; their foil is not productive of nobility. No people upon earth, in an equal ftate of improvement, with fo great an extent of country, fo diffufive a commerce with mankind, and in poffeffion of fo large a fhare of fubitantial perfonal property, were fo nearly in a ftate of equality. There were not many large, and there were no over-grown fortunes among them. Mr. Hancock, was a plain merchant, of fair character, and confiderable fubftance in Bofton; he poffeffed no fupereminence over his brethren, nor authority over the people, till the prefent troubles called him into both. Mr. Washington poffeffed fuch a landed eftate, as feveral very private gentlemen in every county in England poffefs, which enables them to exhibit fuch a degree of hofpitality, as procures them refpect and regard in their own districts, without their being heard of or known beyond thofe limits. |