the Proclamation issued at Philadelphia the 4th instant, by the Continental. Congress, declaring the Thirteen United Colonies to be free and independent States, was read and published at the City-Hall, when a number of true friends to the rights and liberties of America attended, and signified their approbation by loud acclamations. After which, the British arms from over the seat of justice in the Court-House was taken down, exposed, torn to pieces, and burnt. Another British arms, wrought in stone, in the front of the pediment without, was thrown to the ground and broken to pieces, and the picture of King George III, which had been placed in the Council-Chamber, was thrown out, broken, torn to pieces, and burnt, of all which the people testified their approbation by repeated huzzas. The same clay, we hear, the British arms from all the Churches in the city were ordered to be removed and destroyed.

New-York, July 18, 1776.

Under a tyrannical Government it generally happens that the officers in Administration, from the highest to the lowest, are a set of villains, who countenance and support each other in every species of oppression, injury, and abuse of the unhappy people who fall into their clutches. The laws, even those that were well intended, in the hands of such officers, are only instruments of oppression, but afford no protection from it. Of this, the following Narrative of Captain Robert Campbell affords a remarkable instance, and is a slight specimen of what every American might expect, if ever these Colonies should again fall under subjection to the tyrannical power of Great Britain or any other State or person.

Narrative of the case of Captain ROBERT CAMPBELL, of NEW-YORK.

On the 24th of October, 1775, Captain Robert Campbell, master of the sloop America, having on board sixty-five hogsheads of sugar, a mare, and a chariot, shipped by and belonging to inhabitants of St. Croix, sailed from that place, bound to New-York, where he intended to pay the duties, having refused other freight offered, on condition of his attempting to run it at New-York. Meeting with bad weather soon after he sailed, his vessel and rigging received some damage. On the 24th November, latitude 35°, longitude 68°, he was brought to by the Viper sloop-of-war, Captain Graves, who sent for and examined him, looked over his papers, and returned them, saying he would put an officer on board to keep the sloop by him, as he was going to New-York; but soon after took the papers again, saying he would enclose and send them to Boston, where sugars bore a better price than at New-York. However, he assured Captain Campbell that if his vessel had no powder on board she should not be condemned. Some time after Captain Campbell was returned to his sloop, the man-of-war's boat came again, with a message from Captain Graves, demanding Captain Campbell's sword and pistols, which the officer having received, took of his own accord a small box, containing six bottles of castor oil and a small cup of jelly; meanwhile the men were not idle, but, like their officer, took many little things that lay in their way, and broke open a cask of sugar, from which they stole as much as they could conveniently hide from their superior thief. Captain Graves, as he proceeded in villany, growing more callous, now demanded and took away Captain Campbell's mate and people, putting five of his own men on board in their stead, with orders to steer N. N. E. for Boston. Soon after setting sail, Captain Campbell perceived that neither of Graves's men understood working the vessel nor taking an observation, and told them that as they proceeded they would never reach Boston. On the 30th of November, all the provisions the Viper's men had brought being expended, and having only ninety pounds of bread on board the sloop, which he observed the men used very lavishly, he proposed dividing it among them, which was done, and amounted to about ten pounds each man. The sun not having appeared for five days, they now stood south, and continued so three days, to latitude 35° 11'; then put it to vote whether to go on the coast or to the nearest port. The bad condition of the vessel and shortness of bread and water induced Captain Campbell to vote for the nearest port; which being agreed to, they sailed for Bermuda three days, but not being able to reach it, the officer ordered his second to sail for Antigua, where, with Captain Campbell's best assistance, they arrived in St. John's harbour the 21st day of December last. On the day of his arrival, the vessel was seized by a customhouse officer, on suspicion of having on board foreign rum and sugar. Captain Campbell then entered his protest against Graves and the custom-house for all losses, &c., occasioned by the detention, seizure, &c. Captain Campbell perceiving his vessel detained, and no likelihood of any redress, applied for advice to a lawyer, one Philip Hicks, who, on his behalf, drew up and presented a petition to the Honourable Robert Christian, Esq., Judge of the Court of Vice Admiralty for the Island of Antigua, reciting the foregoing particulars, and setting forth the great injury he had sustained in his property, and the many personal insults he had suffered by opprobrious language, &c.; that though Captain Graves was arrived, and pretended the sloop America and her cargo were lawful prize, yet he had instituted no process, nor taken any step towards her condemnation; the petition, therefore, prayed that the Judge would issue a monition against him and all other persons concerned in the seizure and detention, &c., citing them to appear at a certain day, and answer to the complaint against their conduct respecting the said sloop. The Judge granted the petition, and appointed the 26th day of January for holding a Court of Admiralty, for the purposes mentioned in the petition. After this monition, Graves found it necessary to bestir himself, in order to secure the plunder (which, by an act of piracy, he had violently taken from an innocent man, and the right owner,) from being wrested out of his rapacious hands. He therefore applies first to the officers of the custom-house, who had, as well as himself, seized the vessel, and as they no doubt agreed to share the plunder between them, they jointly concurred in a letter to the Attorney-General, who was also a Justice of the Peace and the King's Proctor, of which Letter the following is the substance, viz:

"To Thomas Warner, Esq.:

"What can or shall we do with the vessel we have taken, brought into port, and seized? Though her papers are good, and she has not broken any of the acts of trade, neither is there anything on board that will confiscate her, but her owners are in a state of rebellion against the King and his Parliament."

The Attorney had as yet come upon no terms with them, and therefore it was necessary he should let them know his importance, in order to enhance his share in the plunder. The following is a copy of his Answer:

"Though you have the vessel in port, and you actually know that her owners are in a state of rebellion against the King and Parliament and his troops, yet their goods and effects cannot be forfeited nor confiscated before they are convicted or fled."

What secret measures were taken after this to induce the Attorney-General to become an accomplice in the villany, we know not; but that he did become an accomplice, appears from the part he afterwards acted in the business. In order to embarrass Captain Campbell, and put it out of his power to prosecute his suit, two of his sailors, Thomas Pacey and John Lawrence, were tampered with, treated, and intoxicated, when they were suborned to swear, on the 23d January last, before the same most conscientious Attorney, Proctor, Justice, &c., Thomas Warner, Esq., (at least so he certifies,) that Captain Campbell had to each of them acknowledged, that since the rebellion in North America he had served as an artillery soldier in the Rebel Army, and that when he was at New-York and St. Croix he wore a cockade in his hat. Therefore, he (the illustrious Thomas Warner, Esq.) issued a warrant to John Jackson, Constable, requiring him to take up and keep in safe custody the said Captain Campbell, till he should be dealt with as the law directs. After this warrant was served on Captain Camp-bell, he was not immediately put under close confinement, as might have been expected from the tenour of the warrant, but suffered to go at large for several days, no doubt to give him an opportunity to go off, if he chose to do so, because, in that case, by the new act, the vessel and cargo becomes forfeited. But Captain Campbell, aware of the snare, made no effort to go off, but, on the contrary, urged on his suit. Finding this plan ineffectual, it was dropped, and recourse had to another. Ho was now taken up, and closely confined in a jail with felons, at a short allowance of raw provisions,