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The New Hampshire Gazette And General Advertiser
Portsmouth, Exeter, Rockingham County, New Hampshire
What is this article about?
On January 4, the president and deputies of the committee of planters and merchants concerned with West India islands presented a petition to King George III at St. James's, requesting urgent naval and military reinforcements to protect remaining British possessions from threats amid the American Revolutionary War and alliances with France and Spain, following losses of several islands.
Merged-components note: Continuation of the petition from West India planters and merchants to the King, split across pages; relabeling the notice portion to foreign_news as it is part of the news report.
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To the King's most excellent Majesty
The humble address of the underwritten planters and merchants, as well in behalf of themselves as others, concerned in the trade and territorial possession of the West India islands.
Most gracious Sovereign,
We your Majesty's most humble and faithful subjects, the planters and merchants, &c. beg leave to appear in your royal presence, with hearts penetrated with the most inviolable attachment to your person and family, and the constitution of this kingdom.
The unhappy disunion which happened between Great-Britain and the colonies of North-America, had no sooner broken out, than that the planters of the West India islands, and the merchants humbly represented to your Majesty and to both Houses of Parliament, how greatly they apprehended distress and danger would be the probable consequence thereof.
When the colonies of North-America entered into an alliance with the ancient enemies of this kingdom, the fears of your petitioners considerably increased; and they would have failed of their duty to your Majesty, as well as in regard to the interest of this kingdom, if they had not laid before your Majesty's Ministers the additional dangers to which the British West India Islands were exposed by so powerful a league.
Hence it appears, that your petitioners have early and constantly endeavoured to impress your Majesty's Ministers with the necessity of providing the most efficacious reinforcements for their protection, and above all to engage them to maintain a superiority of force among the W. India islands, as the proper security, alone suited to protect these possessions.
The loss of divers of those islands, is a fatal proof of the necessity of these solicitations, made seasonably, and repeated without intermission.
Hoping, however, that the islands which yet remain, must be considered as objects of the most serious attention, your petitioners, not despairing, flatter themselves that the fatal experience of past losses, would dispose your Ministers to adopt measures which might efficaciously protect the islands which are left.
But it is with the deepest sorrow that your petitioners are obliged to declare, that the islands we still possess, are so unfortunately left without protection, that, since the commencement of hostilities, they have not been exposed to more eminent dangers, than they are at the threatening conjuncture of the present moment.
Your petitioners, alarmed at the inefficacious steps which your Majesty's Ministers have taken, humbly implore your Majesty, that your Majesty would be pleased to hasten the execution of the assurances which have been given to your petitioners, and that reinforcements, naval and military, proportioned to the defence of your Majesty's West-India Islands, may be dispatched without delay, in such manner, as by the Divine help,
the valuable possessions may be preserved to the British empire; and your petitioners shall ever pray. &c. &c.
The foregoing was signed by 108 planters and merchants.
What sub-type of article is it?
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Where did it happen?
Foreign News Details
Primary Location
West India Islands
Event Date
Jan. 4
Key Persons
Outcome
the petition was very affably received, and they had all the room imaginable to flatter themselves that it would be successful. the loss of divers of those islands.
Event Details
Last Wednesday the president of the committee of planters and merchants, concerned in the trade and territorial possessions of the West-India islands, accompanied by the deputies, presented a petition to the King at St. James's levee. The petition expressed fears from the disunion with North-American colonies and their alliance with ancient enemies, highlighting past losses of islands and current lack of protection, imploring for naval and military reinforcements to secure the remaining British West India islands. Signed by 108 planters and merchants.