The Newport Gazette

When Lord Stormont received the late audacious memorial from Dr. Franklin and Silas Deane respecting the rebel prisoners, he waited immediately on Mons. Maurepas, and asked him, with the becoming spirit of a British Ambassador, whether such a memorial had been laid before the French Court, and received their concurrence? Being answered in the negative, immediately on his return home, he sent them the seasonable answer which appeared in our last week's paper.

Last night dispatches arrived at St. James's from Lord Stormont, at Paris, which are said to contain the following categorical answer from the French Court, viz. that they would neither directly nor indirectly give the insurgent colonies any military or naval assistance, while they were in rebellion against the parent State of Great-Britain, nor suffer any of their Subjects to do so in the way of merchandize, under the several pains and penalties.