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AMERICAN REVOLUTION.

401

for the prefent, called out for a fhort money bill of six 1779€
months only, and it became the general cry of Ireland.
The representatives at length found, that it was indif-
penfably requifite for them to comply, and the fhort
money bill was accordingly paffed. A neceffity equally
convincing, fecured the paffage of that humiliating and
mortifying act in Great Britain. on the 17th of Decem→
ber. Six days after, the king gave his affent to a bill
for granting a free trade to Ireland. The golden op-
portunity admitting of it, the people of that kingdom
have proceeded fo far as abfolutely to deny the right of
the British parliament to bind that country in any case
whatever.

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Government received advice on the 18th of December, that the fort of St. Ferdinando de Omoa, the key to the bay of Honduras, had been taken about the 20th of October, by the troops under the command of capt. William Dalrymple, who had been sent by the governor of Jamaica to the Mufquito fhore. The men by the help of ladders fcaled the walls, though 28 feet high, and thus made themselves mafters of the fort. Two register ships, with the cargoes of other veffels of note, worth three millions of dollars, were alfo taken. All was gained with the lofs only of about 20 killed and wounded on the British fide, and very few more on the fide of the Spaniards.

Intelligence having been tranfmitted to the British 1780. administration, [by fome, it is thought, whofe duty: bound them to keep the fecrets of the Dutch councils] that a number of Dutch fhips, laden with timber and. naval ftores for the French fervice, in order to escape the danger of British cruifers, accompanied count By

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1780. land, who was to escort a convoy to the Mediterranean, capt. Fielding was fent out with a proper force to examine the convoy, and to feize any veffels containing thofe articles, which the British deemed contraband. On the meeting of the fleets, capt. Fielding defired permiffion to vifit the merchant fhips; being refused, he dispatched his boats for that purpofe, which were fired at the captain then fired a fhot ahead of the Dutch admiral, who answered it by a broadfide. Count Byland having received another in return, and being in no condition to purfue the conteft further, immediately ftruck his colours. Moft of the fhips which occafioned the conteft, had already, through the length and darkness of the night, and by keeping in with the fhore, escaped the danger, and proceeded without interruption to the French ports. The few that remained with naval ftores. on board were stopped; and the Dutch admiral was then informed, that he might hoift his colours and profecute his voyage: he did the firft, but declined the other, and accompanied the British fquadron to Spithead the fourth of January; where he remained till he received fresh inftructions from his mafters.

Jan

4.

The right (whether fupported by actual treaties or not) which the British claimed and exercifed over the veffels of foreign powers, though not at war with them, when they fufpected or found that they were laden either with naval ftores, and bound to the ports of their enemies, or with the property of the latter, fuggefted the idea of an armed neutrality. One of the diplomatic body affured my friend at Paris, that the fagacious king of Sweden communicated the firft hint of it to count Panin, with whom it flept for fome time before it was

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mentioned to the emprefs of Ruffia. At length it was 1780. imatured; and on the 26th of February, the court of Petersburgh iffued a manifefto or declaration, which has been the mean of forming, under the name of an armed neutrality, a naval and military alliance and confederacy between Ruffia and other neutral powers. The great principle of the piece, and of the confederacy to which it has given birth, is, that free bottoms make free goods; and is thus particularized-" Neutral ships fhall enjoy a free navigation even from port to port, and on the coafts 1 of the belligerent powers:-All effects belonging to the fubjects of the faid belligerent powers fhall be looked upon as free, on board fuch neutral fhips, except only fuch goods as are ftipulated contraband :-In order to determine what characterizes a port blocked up [into which neutral ships are not to have free ingrefs] that de-. nomination shall not be granted, but to fuch places, before which there are actually a number of enemy's ships ftationed near enough, fo as to make its entry dangerous." Great Britain is not in a fituation directly to contravene this grand principle, fo that it will probably # be henceforth fettled as a part of the law of nations, in many respects effentially differing from what has, for feveral hundred years, been established among commercial kingdoms.

The courts of France and Spain have expreffed the utmost approbation of the Ruffian fyftem contained in the emprefs's declaration, fo exactly calculated, and immediately fuited to their own views. The court of London being obliged to fupprefs her indignation at an injury, which fhe was neither able to refent nor remedy, worded the answer to the declaration, fent to the British

1780. land, who was to escort a convoy to the Mediterranean, capt. Fielding was fent out with a proper force to examine the convoy, and to feize any veffels containing thofe articles, which the British deemed contraband. On the meeting of the fleets, capt. Fielding defired permiffion to vifit the merchant ships; being refused, he dispatched his boats for that purpofe, which were fired at the captain then fired a fhot ahead of the Dutch admiral, who answered it by a broadfide. Count Byland having received another in return, and being in no condition to purfue the conteft further, immediately ftruck his colours. Moft of the fhips which occafioned the conteft, had already, through the length and darkness of the night, and by keeping in with the fhore, escaped the danger, and proceeded without interruption to the French ports. The few that remained with naval ftores. on board were stopped; and the Dutch admiral was then informed, that he might hoift his colours and profecute his voyage: he did the firft, but declined the other, and accompanied the British fquadron to Spithead the fourth of January; where he remained till he received fresh inftructions from his mafters.

Jan

4.

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The right (whether fupported by actual treaties or not) which the British claimed and exercifed over the veffels of foreign powers, though not at war with them, when they fufpected or found that they were laden either with naval ftores, and bound to the ports of their enemies, or with the property of the latter, suggested the idea of an armed neutrality. One of the diplomatic body affured my friend at Paris, that the fagacious king of Sweden communicated the first hint of it to count Panin, with whom it flept for fome time before it was

mentioned to the emprefs of Ruffia. At length it was 1780. matured; and on the 26th of February, the court of Petersburgh iffued a manifefto or declaration, which has been the mean of forming, under the name of an armed neutrality, a naval and military alliance and confederacy between Ruffia and other neutral powers. The great principle of the piece, and of the confederacy to which it has given birth, is, that free bottoms make free goods; and is thus particularized-" Neutral ships fhall enjoy a free navigation even from port to port, and on the coafts of the belligerent powers:-All effects belonging to the fubjects of the faid belligerent powers fhall be looked upon as free, on board fuch neutral fhips, except only fuch goods as are ftipulated contraband :-In order to determine what characterizes a port blocked up [into which neutral fhips are not to have free ingress] that denomination shall not be granted, but to fuch places, before which there are actually a number of enemy's ships ftationed near enough, fo as to make its entry dangerous." Great Britain is not in a fituation directly to contravene this grand principle, fo that it will probably, be henceforth fettled as a part of the law of nations, in many respects effentially differing from what has, for feveral hundred years, been established among commercial kingdoms.

The courts of France and Spain have expreffed the utmost approbation of the Ruffian fyftem contained in the emprefs's declaration, so exactly calculated, and immediately fuited to their own views. The court of London being obliged to fupprefs her indignation at an injury, which fhe was neither able to refent nor remedy, worded the answer to the declaration, fent to the British

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