The Public Advertiser from London, Greater London, England • Page 2

fititPrkatrifthtMM Advertiser, OUR Correipondent's Animadverfions on the Annual Fefl'vval of the SONS 6f the CLEX'OY, breathes fuch a Spirit of Zeal for Religion and Goodwill to the Charity, that they certainly merit the Thanks of the Corporation, and the Attention of the Public: But as "far as they are founded on Miftake, or undefigned Mifrepre- fentation, and may therefore tend to prejudice the Caufe, which they are meant to ferve, they as certainly demand a ferious Anfwer. That the Benevolence of Mankind fhould neceffarily be diverted from it's immediate Object; that the moftpleafihg Duty of Religion fhould want the Aid of Mufic and Fefti- vity; and that Charity ihould be constrained to put On the Garb of the Times, are melancholy Proofs of human Infirmity, and have long affordecf a fad Subject of Complaint to every ingenuous Mind! It is therefore hoped, that your Correfpondent cannot think fp poorly of thofe to whofe Care the Interefts ef this Corporation are by Royal Charter in- trufted, (in the Lift of whom he cannot but have-feen fomc Names truly refpectable) as to fuppofe, "that they have been either fo ignorant as not to perceive, or fo unfeelingas not to lament this obvious Imperfection. Thfi Truth is, evavy Year prefents it full in their View; but it is alfo true, that every Year prefents ttronger Obftacles to it's The in- creafing Rage of uninterrupted. Diffipation lenders it every Day lefs and lefs probable, that a mere Conviction of Utility lhould excite the Pity, or command the Attendance even of the moft Humane, without fome fuperadded Influence and Allurement! If any cnaritable Inilitution, from it's acknowledged and exten- five Effects on the Peace and Happineft of the Community, could be fuppofed intided to entertain fa pleafing an Expectation, the Corporation of the SONS of the CLERGY inftituted for the Relief of Objects every Hour more and mare diftreffed, might boldly affert it's undif- ted Claim to Pre-eminence, and would-rejoice to take the Lead in any prudent Inriova tion-: But if, after the moll mature Deliberation they have not yet dared to adopt an Opinion fo favourable to their Wifhes, or pre- fumed to defy the experienced Danger of Singularity, it is furely a Degree of Harfhnefs and Impropriety, which your Correfpondent him fell" will fcarce recollect without rain, to impute the Continuance of their Anniversary on it's prefent Plan, to a Principle of Pride and Luxury; and to attribute the numerous and refpectable" Aifembly at Merchant-Taylors Hall to no better Motive than a Defire of eating at bell a crouded Meal, with lefs Comfort and a greater Expence, than each Individual could dine at his refpcclive Home But though it is too true, that more than Four Hundred Pounds are annually expended to fupport the neceifary Refpect due to this Solemnity, it is by no Means true that this Sum is expended merely for the Purpofe of collecting a Thoufand. Great undoubtedly is the Acknowledgment due to thofe many pious and well-difpofed Perfons, who, whether as Stewards or.

Attendants, iland forth Year by Year the avowed Friends of this moft excellent Charity. By their benevolent Contributions a Sum is raifed, which, not being fub- ject to the Difpofal of the Governors, is the Stewards themfelves employed in the apprenticing poor Children of Clergymen, and thereby co-operates with, and very beneficially af- fills, the general Defigns of the Corporation and of the Application of this Money a ftrict and faithful Account is conftantly given to the Public. Bui if your Correfpondent does not know, I am happy to inform him (becaufe it afFords to Gratitude a pleafing Opportunity of expanding itfelf) that ufeful and meritorious as this Bounty is, it is far, very far from being the only Debt of Obligation, which this charitable Inllitution owes to a Chriftian Community. By a regular Dependance, which (blefs- ed be God) has never yet failed, on Teftamen- tary and other Difpofitions in its Favour, the Corporation is enabled to provide for many more Objects, than could poffibly be relieved by the mere Produce of its ftated Revenue. In eilimating therefore the good Effects of each Steward's Liberality, it is certainly not juft to confine the Account ftrictly to the Collection of the Day, and not take the Probability of future Benefactions into the Computation.

Can it be faid with any Appearance of Truth, that it is no Advantage to the Charity, or to the Public, to promote an annual Aifembly of the Clergy in their profeffional Character, attended by the moft ferious, and therefore the mofl fpectable Part of the Laity, and to join them together in one common Difcharge of the cha- raeteriflic Duty of their moft holy Religion Is it of no Ufe to themfelves, and to the Community to admonifh one another not to be weary in well-doing, to recount the DiftrefTes of the moft DiilrefsfuJ, to communicate many a bright Example of Benevolence, and, by a pleafing mutual Intercourfe of their own Hearts with fuitable Affections, and in- creafe the general Stock of National Humanity Your Correfpondent may think, if he leafes, that we afTemble only to eat and drink, ut happily for many a poor Creature, our Accounts fpeak a very different Language. To the. Tendernefs and Senfibility excited, and the Information communicated on fuch Occasions, the molt experienced Members of the Corporation have thought they had good Rea- fon to attribute many confiderable Benefactions, and efpecially one (with deep-felt Gratitude be it remembered) by an immediate Application of which they have been lately enabled toraife their Stipends to Ten Pounds per Annum a fubfidiary Relief, which may well be faid to caufe the Widow's Heart to leap for Joy." True fays your Correfpondent; your An niverfaries may be ufeful, may be necefiary but why expend 4 or exceed 100 Queftion publickly afked demands as public an Anfwer and may the following prove fatisfactory Governors have not thought themfelves at Liberty to propofe this parfimonibus Plan, becaufe by fo doing they think they fhould violate their Oath in not doing what they in their Judgements conceive to be moft benefieiaf to. the Charity hit JBandof Vocal attdlnftrumemalMufic, fatted to" the Place, is Awuooned to St. Paul's that Table at MerchanuTaylpra fpreadata Quarter Expence than they could wi(h, is not the Fault of the Clergy, or of the Laity, but the Misfortune of the Times! Afk any prudent, private Gendeman, why, at.a Seafon, in which the Pi ice of every Kind of Proviflon is hourly increaling, and he perhaps has many to feed, he can no, longer invite his Acquaintance to what ufed to be called a Family-Entertainment, but mull fet before them a Profufion of Luxury, of Which he feels himfelf almoft alhamed? He.

will tell you, (every fepJrate Individual will tell you) that independent of the Joys of Friendfhip, and the neceifary Intercourfe of Society, his daily Meal is to him a far more acceptable Repaft: But from Habit, and not from Depravity, each finds in his Turn, that without fome additional Indulgence, more or lefs proportionate to Cuftora, the End of a convivial Meeting is not anfwered, Mirth and Gobd -humour for- fake the fcanty Board, the Heart feels not the genial Warmth of Benevolence, and Companies meet and part, not like Friends, Who wifh to love and to ferve one another! This Evil in common Life will hardly be denied, and I lhould be forry to hurt the Reader by a need- lefs Application! It may, I trail, without Impropriety, be further anfwered, that the Governors are afraid to innovate, becaufe Innovation is particularly, dangerous in Matters of fee many new Charities (fprung up long fince their Eftablifhment) conducted on the fame Plan of Accommodation, which, at their Creation, might certainly have adopted, with far lefs Rilk, any Scheme of Reformation, if their pious Founders had thought the Times would bear it. They fee their own, Inftitution more and more upheld by Public Benevolence, and every Day riling higher in the Eftimarion of the World. They find Perfons of the firil Diftinctionevsr ready, I mould fay, ever pleafed to accept the Office of Steward; and therefore they prefume to fuppofe, that however forcibly the Objection of Expence. may have ftruck fome few Individuals on a flight and tranfient View, it has always been infiguiScant on a more liberal and attentive Contemplation of the Truth is, Men of lively Imaginations, and perhaps good Difpofitions, may-form to themfelves a Variety of Schemes, which, abftracted from the World and its Influences, appear extremely fpecious and practicable But the appointed Guardians of a Fund, on which the Subfiitence of Thoufands depends, muft not amufe themfelves with idle Speculation, or uncertain ExperimentThey muft be content to do Good, as Reafon, aided by Experience, tells them it can be done And whilft they continue to act on this Principle, I truft in God, that ('Spight of your Correfpon dent's Fears, which might have been communicated to the Corporation in a kinder Manner) the Charity will never, want the Friendfhip and Support of all thofe, who have not yet forgot to feel and to commiferate the DiftrefTes of their Fellow-Creatures! I am bound to repeat, that the Objection, which has called forth thfs Apology, is not new. The late Archbifhop of Canterbury (a Name to be ever founded with Gratitude by the Corporation, and with Honour by the Community) often mentioned and lamented And it is needlefs to fay, tha.t had he thought any Alteration then advifable, he wanted neither the Will to recommend, nor Authority to enforce it.

His Succellbr (no lefs eminent for public Virtue and private Benevolence, and who liltens with Affability to every well-meant Propofal) hasdoubtlefs con- fidered the Matter, without feeing as yet any Poffibility of Amendment: But as Times fluctuate, and Circumitances are ever changing, this and all otr.er-Regulations, which can affect the Intereft of the Charity, will be conftantly in his Thoughts, and command to the End of Life his moft ferious Attention. As the Time betwixt the Publication of your-Correfpondent 's Letter and the Feaff could afford no Opportunity of Conference with thofe who fheuld have been and as this Anfwer has probably Imperfections unknown to it's Author, he thinks it a Duty incumbent on him to declare, that it is not in the leaft Degree an Act of the Corporation, but only a poor Attempt of a fincere Well- wifher, and humble.Affiftant to the Charity; and of one, who, though full of Refpect for the venerable Body of the Clergy, is himfelf Mayq, 1777. A LAYMAN. To the Printer of the Public Advertifer. I HE Caufe of Humanity is an Object fo univerfaJ, as td addrefs itfelf at once to the Reafon, the Paffions, and the Interefts of every Man breathing.

On this fingle, folid Ground, I beg Leave to trouble you with a few Lines refpecting the Cafe of one MA THOMAS lately convicted at the Old Bailey for ufing the Name of the Rev. Mr. Tutte, of Oxford, or Kenfington-Gore. Upon hearing the vague Accounts of her fcattered about in Coffee-houfe Chat, and the general Concern expreffed for her Condition as a Foreigner, and ignorant of our Laws, my Heart wa touched, my Curiofity was excited, and made the ftricteft Inquiry into the Particular The Inquiry gave me little fatisfactory Infig'ht into her Cafe, till luckily Humbling on a if- fions Paper, the whole Narrative jprefen itfelf in the fimpleft (which are trueft) Colours. The Woman, it de rived no Emolument from the fhe was unfkilled even in the Eng'lifh Language; and much lefs (as is evident) the Letter and Spirit of Englifh Acts of Parliament.

She might have gone off, and vaded all Profecution fhe did not receive a rthing Wages for the Iniquity all edged again! her; fhe even ftaid for Hours together in the Houfe of the Profecutor with his Wife, and no Attempt to elude their Refentment; It is remarkable, that Mr. Tutte, the mtleman mofl immediately concerned, never appeared on the Trial. It is alfp remarkabi that a Mr. Strong, his Attorney, who as faid to have known Mr. Tutte's Hand-writ is not once prcdiiced on the Trial to pro that the Note A fictitious, though his 1 ipfe dixit is given, in open Court, by pother Per- fon as Evidence And it is alio I jrgularly remarkable, and what muft ftrike every Reader of the Seffiofts tW the feme aflbmell be utteY Ffanels, but Fr ends'.

Sugh ajMifjiQmer as jCan identify no Creature living 'C No Derivation whatfoever from any known- Language litde Similarity of Sound, can the.Application to the pofed'Drawer, in Prejudice of the arraigned Culprit. As to the Charge againll her, as to defraud 'Thomas Blades, it is not very credible how an Englifhman could be fo impofed on by fo a Nime as FR I nor can the Charge of intending to defraud FRANCIS Tutte be better fupported, fince in no Cafe, on legal Grounds, could the Act have affected him A Writ ferved on him, or an Arrefl, on the Orthography Frencis Tutte, might, I prefume, have been filenced, on the moll ftmple Plea of Abatement: It is, I apprehend, often done, and for good and wife Ends, favourable no lefs to Liberty than to common 'Juftice and Mercy. I am no Lawyer, my Langnage will "convince any Lawyer that I have DO juft Claim to that Character; 1 but Common-fenfe and fimple Reafon feem to be with me. I fpeak with Deference, and wifh to be heard, or rather read, with Can- dour; and above all Things I wifh, that no poor and we might add, no Female Foreigner, fhould iuffer the mofl horrible Severities of Law, without having every Circumftance duly confidered the real Accufers aggrieved brought forward; the Letter of Law attended to moll ftrictly and the Rule of Reafon and of Evidence clofely adhered to in every the minuteft Particular. Had I the Honour of being known to Mr.

Tutte, it might naturally occur to afk him, why, on fo lingular anOccahon, hedidnotftep forth in Pity to a wretched Female, an Alien to England, and our glorious Legiflature; a pitiable, helplefs Creature, who, it is afferted in Evidence, had formerly commercial Connections with him in' the Note Way, and not Iuffer Mr. Smart only to appear againft her, to prove Mr. Tutte 's Non-fgnature, and to declare, that the faid Mr. Tutte was, Why an appointed Committee of a Lunatic. So fays the beffions Paper; but I have feldom heard fuch Phrafenlogy before.

Achilles might be himfelf an Hof; but that Family is long fince extinct. Oh Mr. Printer, let us lay our Hands upon our Hearts, and, from a Review of thefe few crude Particulars, written in great Hafte, and with as great Zeal for a poor Wretch whom I never faw nor know let us learn to Ignorance, found tripping over the legal Threfhold, if undoubtedly fo found! I feel for Human Nature; for all my Fellow- Creatures and do moft heartily pray, that from fudden Death and hafty Decifions, the good Lord of Mercy may deliver us all! I am, SIR, Your very humble Servant, SIMPLEX. P. S.

In my next, with your indulgent Per- miffion, I purpofe to fpeak a more perfuafive Language, by a Addrefs to ONE whom Virtue's Self reveres, and the bell of Kings moil defervedly loves. An OLD and POLITICUS Tomorrow. DF.NTATUS Letter V. on Friday. Yefterday arrived a Mail from Flanders.

Gibraltar, April 4. A CCORDING to Letters from Barbary, dated the End of laft Month, the King of Morocco continued at Modagor, where he has given Orders for appeafing the Troubles of the bouthern Part of hjs Kingdom, and chaf- tijing the Authors of the Mutiny. Month hence, Prince will go to Salee, where fome of the Inhabitants, knowing the Tafte of their Sovereign, have offered to build, at their feveh Frigates. He hath given Orders to the Governors of Larrache, and Tetuan, to build as follow In the of thofe Ports two in the fecond Frigate, and in the third four Galliots. Admiral Pichot having been informed that the King is defirous of feeing at Mogador a Dutch Ship, in order to treat of Peace, he failed thither with the Divifion under his Command, in order to be informed of the Means of Accommodation.

Warfanv, April 23. Letters from the Frontiers of T-arkey advife, that although thdc were Hopos that the Difficulties arife between. Ruffia anci the Porte would be fettled, yet it appears by the Preparations for War that Peace will ncvt continue long; A Quadruple Alliance i alfo talked of, ky Virtue of which the King of Sweden will cede to the King of Pruffia Swedifh' Pomeria, and by way of Retaliation Ruffia will cede to Sweden the Part of inland which fhe pofFeffes. 0 From the LONDON GAZETTE. Eagle, off NeivYork, March 31, 1777.

ff 1ST of Veffels feized as Prizes, and of -J Recaptures made by the American Squadron, between the 10th of March and the 31ft of December, according to the Returns received by the Vice Admiral the Vifcount Howe. PRIZES. Taken by The Orpheus. Ranger, David Wran, Mailer; from Nantucket Fifhing; in Ballail. A Sloop, from the Weft Indies; driven on 'Shore, and burnt.

Betfey, Thomas Willy, Mafter; from Philadelphia to the Weil Indies; laden with Flour driven on Shore, and blown up. from the Weft Indies with Ammunition, Merchandize, Fidelity, William Willis, Mafter; from Philadelphia to the Weft Indies; with Flour. Polly, Philip Lacey, Mafter, belonging to the Congrefs; from Philadelphia to France wirh-Oil, Flour, and Spermacasti Candles. Peggy, Thomas Pattin, Mafter, belonging to the Congrefs; from Philadelphia to the Weil Indies; with Flour. Martin, James Neal, Mafter, from Philadelphia to the Weft Indies; with Flour.

Sarah and Elizabeth, John Conner, Mafter; from Philadelphia to the Weft Indies with Flour. Fancy, Jofeph Titcomb, Mafter; from Philadelphia to New England; with Flour. Delaware, James M'Knight, Mailer from Philadelphia to the Weil Indies; with Flour. Endeavour, A. Bartlett, Mailer; from Philadelphia to the Well with Flour.

Mary Abo, Guil. de Grave, Mailer; Philadelphia to the Wefi tidies; with Flour: Difpatch, Peter Mailer, belonging to the Congrefs from Philadelphia to France; with Flour. By the Orpheus and Daphne. Two Brothers, James Gilbert, Mafter, Mayne and Co. Owners; from Philadelphia to St, Euftatia; with Bread, Flour, and Spermaceti Candles.

Colonel Parry, Wm. Gamble, Mafter, Learning and Co. Owners from Philadelphia to South Carolina with Flour, Fanny, M'Kay, Mailer, William Bell, Owner from St. Euftatia to Philadelphia Ofnabrugs, Linen, Rum, Melaiies, Schylkill, Benjamin Camby, Mailer, Harbut- fon and Co. Owners; from Philadelphia to Cape NicholaMole; with Flour and Bread.

Greenwich Packet J.iines Glafcow, Mailer, James Young, Owner; from Philadelphia to Winyew, Carolina; with R'urn, Urcad, Flour and Porter. Nancy, James Kinney, Mafter, David Bevin, from Martinico to Philadelphia with Bale and Cafe Goods, Medicines and Claret. Samuel, John Hutchins, Mafter, Skinner and Co. Owners; from Bourdeaux to. New York; with Salt-petre, Salt, Can- vas, and Coarfe Linen.

St. Patrick, Frederick Lyhme, Mafter, Jof. Carfun, Owner from St. Euftatia to Philadelphia with Dry Goods. The Cargo taken out.

Royal Scob. Eber. Merrick, Mafter, S. Merrick, Owner; from Cape. Nichola Mole to Rhode Bland; with Melaiies.

Thomas, RobertStandley, Owner; from Beverley to Baltimore; with Sugar and Rum. Refource, Raymond Lafon, Mafter, Vidau and Co. Owners; from Philadelphia to Port au Prince; with Flour and Lumber. By the Orpheus and King's Fifher. Adrian, from Philadelphia to France; with Tobacco, Flour, Bread and Staves.

By the Perfeus. Viper, R.Wornwell, Mafter, Martin aad Co. Owners; from Bolion, on a Cruize; fitted as a Privateer. Betfey, Alexander WUfon, Mafter, John Pain, Owner from Bofton to Bourdeaux; with Dye-Wood, Pot-Afh, Roby, William Howland, Mafter, j. Howland and Co.

Owners; from Dartmouth, New England, to Surinam; with Fifh, Horfes, Spermaceti Candles, and Staves. Adventure, Job Prince, Mafter, Prince and Co. Owners; from Bofton to Hifpaniola with Fifh, Staves, Spermaceti Candles and Pine Plank. Hawke, S. Williams, Mafter, Ruffell and Co.

Owners; from Hii'paniok to Rhode Ifland; Harlequin, Nathaniel Phillips, Mailer, Jer. Ingram, Owner; from Hifpaniola to Rhode Ifiand; Loth with Melaifes; had been taken by the William and Mary Tranfport. Seahorle, Thomas Coffin, Mafter, Maifhali and Co. Owners; from Turks Ifland to Martha's Vineyard; with Salt. By the Solebay.

Hope, from Egg Harbour to Surinam with Flour, Tar, Pitch and Lumber. Nancy, from North Carolina to St. Euftatia; Peggy, from Ditto to Ditto; both with Tobacco, Tar, Turpentine, and Lumber. (To be continued.) The Right Hon. Lord North will have a Levee at the Cockpit, Whitehall, To-morrow at One o'Clock.

Yellerday the new Annuity Bill was read the fecond Time, and committed for this Day; feveral private Bills were likewife read in Courfe; and thea the Counfel, in a Caufe 'brought by Appeal from the Court of Exchequer, were called to the Bar. The Appellant is Pinckney Wilkinfon, Efq; the Re- fpondent the Rev. Bryan Allot. The QueiHon before the Lords is, whether the Court of Ex- fhall be ordered to direct a new Trial on a fuppofed Error of. Judgmental one of the Judges on a Trial between alreadj had, when a Verdict was given for the Re- fpondent.

A Claim of certain Lands in the Poffeffion of Mr. Wilkinfon by the Refaon- fpondent as Church Land is the Object of Litigation. Heard Counfel in Part, and adjourned the Caufe to this Day. Nothing but the common Orders of the Day on different private Bufinefs was difpatch- ed Yellerday in the Lower Houfe, The City of London, Mac Fadzean, and thrqe or four others, are loft on Memel Bar. The Hound Sloop Jias taken a Brig with 14 fix Pounders, with feventy French 'Offices and Seamen on board, and two other Prizes which fhe had fent for Jamaica.

Thetwolall are arrived but the Brig, 'tis feared, is and every Soul on board perifhed. The Betfey, Firth, which arrived a fewD2)'s ago from Lifbon, mentions, that twelve Leagues' weft of Cape Finiftre, Lat. 43. if he was chafed fix Hours by ah American Privateer, but through Favour of the Night, and his Ship being a prime Sailer, going then the Rate of twelve Knots an Hour, got clec of her. Genuine Extract of a Letter from America, Tit- ten the End of February.

1 The Character of General Lee is drawn a Perfon of great Eftimation in North Ame rica. He is judicious, penetrating, an unconquerable Spirit; a vva Friend to America but I think more if? a Love of Freedom, and a Regard to them herent Rights of Man, than from any At tachment or Difguft to Perfon 0 Country. Five Heflian Field Officers, and Colone Campbell of the Highland Regiment, hav been offered by General Wafhington in change for General Lee but Gen. refufed fince which they have been order ed by Congrefs into clofe Confinement. General Lec fhould fait a Sacrifice to Mihf and Refentment, their Bloods mull: atone fo his There is a Talk of fending the grcateft rJ of the few Forces that remain Enghnd ferve in Americi, and of embodying the litia for the D.fence of the Kingdom in Stead, Horfe and Foot-guards excepted.

A Letter from Dover, dated May.