The New York Journal, And Weekly Register

MR. PRINTER,

In the ordinary course of events it fell out, that I spend the late summer in goodly fellowship with our beloved brethren, the Nova-Scotians: and it came to pass in those days, that the greater part of the American refugees uniformly studied, in billingsgate dialect, to belch forth their dastardly vociferations, whenever an American came within a porte du voix. These parricides, I should not, formerly, have blushed to stile my com. freres, but now, no more; they bend the supplicant knee to the servile minions of British royalty, humbly imploring rewards of fratricide and treason, committed upon the country that gave them birth! The pulse of humanity beats high at the shocking recollection! and every heart, susceptible of a single social virtue, must hold them in the highest detestation.

An established maxim says, "traitors and parricides are equally despised by those whose offers of reward purchased them:"

"Curs'd

Being possessed of no inconsiderable share of the philosophic art of restraining anger, and of soaring above retort, I was patient—until I beheld British-born subjects (holding honorary ranks in the army, and others) adopting a similar mode of conduct. Here, for a while, astonishment over-ruled; but, when this trait became a principal characteristic of all the British inhabiting that place, with very few exceptions, with regret I resigned every favorable idea of the nation, which hitherto had not been entirely effaced from a, would be, friendly mind.

Evading further animadversions upon a subject, which has become notorious, by lately discussions, I will now relate a risible anecdote respecting our compatriot Captain Patrick Phelon, with an impertinent British citizen of Halifax, and a Halifax civil magistrate, which took place in the month of September last.—This citizen, with hat awry, and indignant air, passing Phelon's quarters, stopped and gave full scope to his Scotian abuses, directed to Phelon, his mother and brother: after many precautions to walk off, Mr. Phelon stepped forward and administered to him a quantum sufficit of the oil of walnut, which caused him to stagger away with a broken head. This was conceived a meritorious reward for his insolence, because no other mode to obtain justice could be had by an ALIEN, in that "highly favored and benignant?" land. Mr. P. sensible that he had made a breach upon the peace law, anticipated a trial. In this anticipation he was not deceived, for in a few days he was arraigned before a Halifax judiciary tribunal, with all the parade of capital criminality. The crime alledged, was, "FOR WHIPPING A BRITON!" Mr. Phelon's plea was made by two gentlemen of the law, unrequested, and the final issue was, he had to pay one pound, twelve shillings and six-pence, for the satisfaction of having WHIPPED an Audacious Briton!--The curious receipt for the bill of costs, or guilt wits, is as follows:

"Halifax, Province of Nova-Scotia,

September 18, 1786.

THEN received of Captain Patrick Phelon,

a citizen of America, the sum of one pound, twelve shillings and sixpence, currency, costs of the court of quarter sessions, proceeding from a prosecution, by the KING, against said Patrick, at the instance of Charles Connell, a British subject.

J. TOLER, D. Sheriff."

It is worthy remark, and really a subject of laughter, that one shilling of this penalty only, went to the poor KING; the residue to the clerk and jury.

OBSERVATOR.

New-York, Feb. 1, 1787.