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THE

POLITICAL REGISTER,

For SEPTEMBER, 1768.

NUMBER XVIII.

For the POLITICAL REGISTER.

The following is the Account given of the late Tranfaction refpecting Sir Jeffery Amherst by the friends of the Adminiftration.

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INCE the death of lieutenant governor Fauquier the affembly of Virginia has prefented to the prefident of the council. to be tranfmitted to England two papers, the one a petition to the king, and the other a remonftrance to the parliament, in which they as good as tell the latter, not to trouble their heads about them, for they fhall for the future take care of themselves. When these very extraordinary papers were received by the fy of fte, he laid them before the other fervants of the c-who all agreed, it was highly expedient that the governor in chief of that province fhould refide there. This refolution was approved of by the k-, and his m- y gave directions to the fy of fe to fignify. it to Sir Jeffery Amherft; but at the fame time not to prefs him to go if it was dif agreeable to him, but to acquaint him that the k-would make up to him the emoluments he received out of that VOL. III. government

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government in another way. L-d H- accordingly called at general Amherft's houfe, but being told he was in the Country, he wrote to him, and in terms of the utmoft politenefs and regard, acquainted him with the k-'s intentions. His Ip told him, that however the k- might wish to avail himfelf of his abilities at this time in America, yet his my did not forget that the government of Virginia was given to him as a reward for the great fervices he had done his country in America, and that therefore his orders were, not to prefs him to refide in that province; but if from any reafon he disliked going thither, his my had commanded him to inform him it was his gracious intention to make good to him the emoluments of the office in the moft ample manner. Jeffery Amherst came to town, and waited on 1- H— he expreffed his difinclination to go to Virginia, and faid, that having been commander in chief in America he could not ferve under general Gage as governor of a fingle province. L-H-replied, that if that was his only objection, he thought it might eafily be anfwered, for that a governor was always the fuperior perfon in his own province, and that his office, being a civil one, had no relation to the command of the king's troops. However as his orders were not to prefs Sir Jeffery to go, and he found it was difagreeable to him, he had nothing to fay, and therefore only begged to know what were the emoluments which he received out of that government, that he might acquaint the k-, and receive his commands for making out a grant for an annuity accordingly. The general faid fifteen hundred guineas a year, but told his 1p, that by an annuity, he hoped he did not mean a penfion. Yes, replied L- H—, I do mean a penfion, and although a penfion may carry with it a difagreeable idea, when it is given merely for the fake of a penfion, yet when it is given as a reward for fervices done the public, it becomes a mark of public approbation, witnefs - C-m's penfion, which was given him as a reward for directing thofe fervices you fo ably executed, witnefs too Sir E—— H H- his penfion for faving Ireland, and why not yours for adding Canada to the British dominions. Befides, is not your prefent falary a penfion out of the revenue of Virginia, and where can be the difference to you, whether you receive it out of the four and half per cent duty upon fugar, or the duty upon tobacco, but the difference will be material to the crown and the public, for that fund which was given for the fupport of a governor will be properly applied, and the crown and the people will have the advantage of the governor in chief of the province of Virginia refiding in his government. The general replyed,

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he fhould diflike a penfion, but faid he muft fubmit to the k-'s pleasure, and bowed off. When L- H reported what had paffed to the k-, his my was moft graciously pleafed to order a grant of fifteen hundred guineas a year free of all deductions, and for life, to be charged in the four and half per cent for the ufe of Sir Jeffery Amherst in confideration of his great fervices, but before the grant could be made out, Sir Jeffery fignified his intention to refign his regiments.

The counter ftory is as follows:

IN confequence of the difagreeable advices lately received from Virginia, it was determined by the Scottish thane to fend thither lord B. the laft of his friends that remained unprovided for. But, to prevent this ftrong mark of his influence from being difcovered by the public eye, a c-t

-I was held, in which it is faid to have been resolved, that it was highly neceffary the governor of Virginia should refide in his province. This refolution answered all purposes at once it difmiffed Sir J. A. and it appointed lord B; for Sir J. A. was the only perfon in England who could not go to America in that capacity. He had been commander in chief there; therefore, by the rules of the army, and confiftent with his own character, he could not go to serve under general Gage (the prefent commander in chief there) who is an inferior officer, and who had ferved under Sir J. in America. When the c1 broke up, lord H. directly went to Sir J. A's to acquaint him with their refolution, but was informed Sir J. was in the country: upon which lord H. returned, and wrote to him. But before the letter was delivered at Sir J's houfe in the country, he was fet off for London; and finding that lord H. had been at his houfe, he went directly to his lordship's.

Lord H. after reciting fome of the above particulars, faid, that as he (Sir J. A.) was lately married, he poffibly might not chufe to go to America. Though this feeined like fuggefting to Sir J. a reafon for refufing; yet the brave and worthy officer, whofe amiable difpofition and gentleman-like deportment did not fuffer him to reply in a ftrain beft adapted to the compliment, frankly and candidly answered, That, as genral Gage (for whom he expreffed a very great regard, and of whofe abilities as an officer he spoke in terms of the highest veneration) was commander in chief in America, he could not go to ferve under that officer, who was not only inferior to him in his rank in the army, but had ferved under him in America. That if the affairs of his colony required his going to America, he hoped the matter refpeding general

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Gage would be accommodated, Lord H. faid, that could not be; general Gage must remain in his prefent fituation : but added, that he fhould not prefs him (Sir J. A.) to go; and then offered him a pention of 1500l. per annum, as an equivalent for his government. Sir J. A. refufed to accept the offer, faying, the government of Virginia was given him exprefsly as a reward for fervices during the late war, and as a mark of the royal approbation of his conduct in America; that, when it was given him, it was confidered as a finecure, without any requifition of refidence, which was never thought of or intended at the time; for that the business and whole government of the province were to be entirely managed by the lieutenant-governor. Yet, there is no doubt but he would have gone upon terms confiftent with his honour, and his rank in the army.

They parted. And the next news that Sir J. A. received, was, that lord B. had kiffed hands for his government of Virginia. Upon which Sir J. who received this account in the country, by a letter from his brother, came again to town, and finding it to be true, he refigned his two regiments, viz. the 15th and the 60th, to his Mat St. James's, on the 18th of Auguft, 1768.

Obfervations on thefe Accounts.

FROM comparing these two accounts together, the truth feems to be, that the fy of f-e did not with general Amherst to go to America, nor expect that he would, otherwife he would furely have offered him the fame command which he before had there, and in which ftation it was that he had rendered his country thofe fervices the minister pretended to be fo fenfible of. But his friend and brother kfman being a little embarraffed by his connections with the W--y company, and having been difappointed in getting a patent, by which he might have transferred the lofs upon ignorant purchafers of fhares, he thought, by giving Sir Jeffery a penfion of 1500 guineas, to accommodate his friend with an income of near 4000, and a convenient abfence from this country. He might indeed have imagined the general would have readily made the exchange, having found his fervices fo long flighted, and no attention paid him by any minifter fince his arrival in England and now, that his former patron, the great duke of Č-d was dead, and I-C-m become incapable, he had nothing to expect. The m -r has found however that he reckoned without his hoft, and his failure, in this manoeuvre, is but a bad fymptom of his future fuccefs in his new office; at least it may induce his lordship to fhew a lit

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the more refpect to his colleagues, and not venture fo boldly, as it is faid he does, upon the most important measures, without confulting any of them.

These obfervations are clear and ftrong, not to fay any thing of the infult that is offered the army through Sir J. A. the contempt, nay even abufe, with which merit and long fervice are treated; all which are so obvious as to strike every individual of the public with amazement; who may now fee what encouragement is meant to be held out, in case of another war; what rewards, the ftricteft fidelity and innumerable hardships are likely of receiving at home.

For the POLITICAL REGISTER.

POLITICAL MANOEUVRES.

IN your laft number you gave your readers what you called a letter from Bofton, containing an apology for the late riots in that town, and the resolution taken up by fome of the colonies to oppose the execution of the duty acts, and indeed every other law impofed upon them by the British parliament. I make no doubt but the fubjects in the colonies reafon in fome fuch manner as your correspondent reasons for them, and that they encourage one another in expreffing their contempt for parliament, and the fovereignty of Great Britain, by the hopes of finding abettors near their f

m- -rs to screen them from the refentment of parliament. It is indeed natural enough for them to imagine, that his My himself does not disapprove of their struggles to throw off their allegiance to the fovereign authority in these realms, and they may have been led to believe they have foothed his r- ear with the flattering expreffions of loyalty to his person, while they were meditating rebellion against his power; from feeing him put his government into the hands of men who had fet up the ftandard of difunion on the part of the colonies, and founded the trumpet for their triumph over Great Britain. To disabuse my fellow-fubjects, and at the fame time to vindicate the conduct of my f -n in this particular, I muft beg you will give a place in your ufeful compilation to the following hiftory of the acceffion of 1 Cm and l -n to their prefent high offices. When the late D-of C had alarmed the with the apprehenfions of his my becoming too powerful, and holding him in the fame thraldom in which the old whigs, as they call themfelves, had held the late

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