A fecond thing which must haften this reduction, and even of itfelf nearly effect it, is the want of warlike flores. They want almoft every thing. Another object is, they are in want of both linen and woollen cloths, leather, cordage, falt, fpirituous liquors, fugars, &c. Thefe laft articles are more important than at firft might be inagined. Before the war, the Americans, though defpifing luxury, had in abundance every thing that is neceffary to an eafy and agreeable life. To have no great matters to do; to pass the greatest part of their time in fmoking or drinking fpirituous liquors or tea, was the tafte of thefe countries. It is then very little with their inclinations that they find theinfelves transformed at a ftroke into a warlike people, and reduced to the neceffity of leading a hard and frugal life. So much do they in general deteft the war, that it is eafy to fee, if their wants are but increased to a certain point, they would prefer the yoke of the Englifh to a liberty which cofts them the comforts of life. This language aftonishes you, Monfeigneur; but in truth, fuch is the people. They are foft with out refort, without vigour, without paffion, for a caufe which they fuftain only, because it is natural to them to follow the movement with which they have been impreffed. "There is an hundred times more enthufiafin for this revolution in a coffee-house at Paris than in all the colonies united." It is neceffary therefore for France, if the wishes to fupport this revolution, to furnish the people with every neceflary, nor fuffer them to fuftain any confider; able want. It will coft France a great fum, even fome millions; but he will be amply repaid by the annihilation of the marine power of England, which, having no longer any colonies, can in a little time have no marine. Commerce will of confequence pals over to France, which can in that cafe have no rival among the powers of Europe. Some perfons have pretended that France has no intereft in feeing the English colonies form a free ftate, and that we might thereby run the hazard of lofing cur own colonies; but whoever knows this country, fees that it will be fome ages before they could fend forth a fquadron to make conquefts, and long before that the jealoufies which one province entertains of another (the appearances of which are already difcernible) will have divided them into different ftates, none of which will be to be feared. I may be asked, whether France had not better make a treaty with the United States, and fend twelve or fifteen thousand men hither, to effect more readilythis revolution? This would be the moft effectual method method of spoiling all. This people, though at war with the Englifh, hate the French more than them: we prove this every day; and notwithstanding every thing that France has done, or can do for them, they will prefer a recon ciliation with their ancient brethren. Should they for the moment confent to the coming of the French troops, their natural antipathy would foon fhew itself, and produce the moft fatal quarrels. There is yet another object to examine. May not France, forced to make open war on England, feek to poffefs herself of Canada, in concert with Congress? After the obfervations in the preceding article, it appears that Congrefs would utterly reject fuch an arrangement. They would not feek freedom in the neighbourhood of the French, for they would not expect to retain it long. If they muft needs be dependent, they had rather be fo on England. If France does not declare war against England, flie muft by every means that policy can fuggeft, prevent the English from having more than from twenty-five to thirty thousand men here at moft. The American states will not have more this campaign. General Washington has never had more than 15,000, General Gates 10,000 men, and General Putnam from 5 to 6,000. Perhaps they would not be able to augment the whole by one quarter in cafe of neceffity. You have here, perhaps, Monfeigneur, more than you have afked of me; but forgive me thefe differtations, through a defire of fulfilling, at least, your intentions, and of rendering my abode To the Honourable the Commons of Great Britain in Parliament affembled. The bumble Petition of the freeholders of the county of York, SHEWETH, T HAT your petitioners, fenfible of the original excellency of the conftitution of this country, moft ardently with to have it maintained upon the genu ine principles on which it was founded. Your petitioners further fhew, that it is neceffary to the welfare of the people, that the Commons Houfe of parliament fhould have a common intereft with the nation; and that in the present state of the reprefentation of the pcople in parliament, the Houfe of Commons do not fufficiently fpeak the voice of the people. Your petitioners therefore hun bly pray this honourable House to take into their most serious confideration the prefent state of the reprefentation of the people in parliament, and to apply fuch remedy to this great and alarming evil as to this honourable Houfe feem meet. may And your petitioners fhall ever pray, &c. [U] 2 Heads Heads of two principal Acts of Parliament paffed during the prefent feffion. An act for better fecuring the free- ROM Auguft 1, 1782, no FRO The penalty on perfons voting who are difqualified by this act, is 1001. and rendered incapable of executing any office or place of truft, &c. Claufe, not to extend to commiflioners of the land tax, or perfons acting under them; nor to offices held by letters patent for any eftate of inheritance; nor to perions who fhall refign their offices before Aug. 1, 1782. Limitations of actions, viz., 12 months after the penalty is incurred. contract after the commencement of the next feffion, his feat fhall be void. Not to extend to incorporated trading companies. Not to extend to contracts al. ready made for one year. Clause relative to contracts which are not to expire until a year's notice be given, viz. that when any contract, agreement, or commiffion, has been made, entered into, or accepted, with a provifion that the fame fhall continue until a year's notice be given of the intended diffolution thereof, the intended diffolution thereof, the fame fhall not difable any perparliament until one year after fon from fitting and voting in the faid notice fhall be actually given for the determination of the faid contract, agreement, or commiffion, or till after twelve calendar months, to be computed from the time of paffing this act. 1 Not to extend to contracts by defcent, &c. until after twelve months poffeffion. Members holding contracts may be difcharged therefrom on giving twelve months notice. Claufe relative to patentees for new inventions, viz. that if any perfon actually poffeffed of a patent for a new invention, or a prolongation thereof by act of parlia ment, and having contracted with government concerning the object of the faid patent before the paffing of this act, fhall give notice of his intention to diffolve the faid contract, the fame fhall be null and void from the time of giving fuch notice. If any perfon hereby difquali fied fhall be elected, fuch election fhall be void. Difabled perfons who fhall fit in the Houte of Commons after this fellion, feffion, hall forfeit 5001. for cach day. A condition to be inferted in all public contracts, that no mem ber of the Houfe of Commons fhall have any share thereof. Penalty on contractors who fhall admit any member of the House of Commons to any share of their contracts. Limitation of actions, viz. twelve months. The Fourth Report of the Commiffioners appointed to examine, take, and fate the Public Accounts of the Kingdom. years. PROCEEDING in our inquiries into balances in the hands of thofe accountants who appear upon the certificate of accounts depending in the office of the auditor of the impreft, we find therein, next to the treafurers of the navy, the names of feveral perfons whofe accounts have not been profecuted for upwards of feventy We could have no expectation of profiting by a pursuit of claims arifing at fo remote a period; and therefore paffing on to the next clafs, namely, the paymafters of the forces, we fee ftanding first in that clafs the name of Henry Earl of Lincoln; whofe final account of the forces for fix months to the 24th of June 1720, is therein defcribed "to have been "delivered into auditor Aiflabie's "office; but being very imperfect, to have been long fince “withdrawn, and not returned." We iffuted our precept to his grace the Duke of Newcastle, for an account of the public money in his hands, cuftody, or power, as reprefentative of Henry Earl of Lin coln, late paymafter general of the forces. The Duke of Newcastle, in a letter dated the 24th of Auguft laft, informed us, that " he never had in his hands, cuf"tody, or power, any of the "public money which was pof"feffed by his late father as pay"mafter of the forces, nor any of "his accounts or vouchers rela"tive thereto; nor could he in"form us what balance, if any, 66 was due from him on thất ac"count; that his late father died "inteftate, leaving him and fe"veral other children then in"fants; and that Lucy Countefs "of Lincoln, his widow, admi"niftered to him, and poffeffed "what effects he left, which the "applied towards the discharge of his debts." And in a fubfequent letter, dated the 23d of November laft, the duke informed us that he took administration de bonis non to his late father in May 1748. In confequence of these letters from the Duke of Newcastle, we proceeded no further in this inquiry. Having iffued our precepts to John Powell, Efq. the only acting executor of Henry Lord Holland; to Lady Greenwich, adminiftratrix to the Right Hon. Charles Townfhend, late paymafter of the forces; to Lord North, and to the Right Hon. Thomas Townfhend, late paymafter of the forces, each jointly with George Cooke, Efq. deceased, for an account of the public money in their respective hands, cuftody, or power; the total of which amounts to 377,7831. 5s. 7d. Having thus obtained a knowledge of the balances, pur next ftep was to examine whether they were liable to any fuch fervices, [U] 3 or balance remaining in the hands of that paymaffer. The fums now in the hands of these late paymatters of the forces, or of the reprefentatives of those who are dead, are still liable to claims that may be made upon them, under various heads of fervices, and fubject likewife to the payment of fundry fees, and of the cuftomary gratuities; but neither thefe claims, fees, or gratuities, do, in our opinion, furnish any objection to the payment of thefe balances into the exchequer. or fubject to any fuch payments, their trouble, payable out of the in the hands of these accountants, as rendered it neceflary to permit them, or any part of them, to remain longer in their poffeffion. For this purpofe we examined John Powel, Efq. the cafhier, and Charles Bembridge, Efq. the ac countant to the paymafter-general of the forces; by whom we are informed that the money in the hands of the paymafters-general of the forces, after they are out of office, continues as long as their accounts are kept open, liable to the payment of any claims of the ftaff or hofpital officers, or of any warrants for contingencies and extraordinaries, which were voted during the time they were refpectively in office, and have not been claimed after the final accounts are clofed, fuch claimants must apply for payment either to the treafury or the war-office, according to the nature of the claim. Thefe fums remaining in their hands are likewife fubject to the payment of fees of divers natures, and of fees for paffing their accounts and obtaining their quietus, together with the payment of a gratuity to the officers and clerks of the pay-office; who, at the fame time that they tranfact the bufinefs of the paymafter in office, carry on alfo, máke up, and finally clofe the accounts of the paymafters after they are out of office; but having no falary or reward whatever for this extra bufinefs, it has been cuftomary for them when the final account is ready to be paffed, to prefent a memorial to the lords of the treafury, praying them to procure the King's war rant to the auditors of the impreft, to allow them a certain fum for Lord Holland refigned this office in 1765, Mr. Charles Townfhend in 1766; Lord North and Mr. Cocke in 1767; Mr. Cooke and Mr. Thomas Townshend in 1768; fince which fufficient time has elapfed for all the claimants upon thefe paymafters to have made their applications for payment. The public are not to be kept out of poffeffion of large fums of their own money, nor public accounts to be kept open because perfons may have for fo long a time neglected their own business; not that thefe claimants are without remedy after thefe accounts are closed: by applying either to the treafury or to the war-office, as the cafe may require, their demands may be inquired into and fatisfied, by proper warrants upon the paymafter in office. The fees and gratuities become payable when the final accounts are ready to be paffed in the office of the auditor of the impreft: how long it will be before the final ac counts of these late paymasters will be in that fituation, it is not easy to ascertain. John Lloyd, Efq. deputy auditor of the impreft |