NORFOLK, January £1. COMMUNICATION. The Herald of yesterday has the following para graph, viz. " Yesterday a fracas of a serious nature took piste in PortfmoHth, between the crews of the French frigates and feme of the inhabitants of the town, in which we are confidently informed a very adtive Magistrate and a few of the most refpe&able inhabitants'were severely wounded. How this un fortunate altercation took place, we cannot at pte fert Rate." The occurrence which gave rife to the above pa ragraph was (imply as follows : Sundry persons belonging to the Medusa frigate being somewhat intoxicated on Sunday lad, came into the town of Portsmouth, and there were guilt/ of a breach of the "peace, by fighting with each other.—A magistrate of the town chancing to pass at that time thought it his duty to interpose his authority and accordingly had one of the greatest offenders taken into ctiftody, whom he ordered to be sent to jaiU All further riotous proceedings were thus quelled for the time, by this measure, as well as through the exertions of an officer oftbe frigate who hap pened to be present. But whilst the constables were about to conduit their prisoners to the coun ty jail, they were overtaken by a boat with several men belonging to the Medusa, who rescued the pri soner-—they were however immediately hailed and ordered to come on shore by the officer above men tioned ; they obeyed the summons, when the pri soners were again delivered to the Magistrate. A; number of the Medufa'screw, however hearing the disturbance aod not knowing what had given rife thereto, came forward armed, and a second time j took the prisoners out of the hands of the officers of the peace—Some refinance was made, and it was here that the magistrate received, what he himfelf "calls a flight scratch, in the thigh fronT a bayonet. Thus ended this " serious fraeas," iti which it han been said a " Magiftratea few of ik* tnaft rgf. " peCtable inhabitants were severely wounded." The Consul of the French Republic has done e very thing in his power to make fatisfa£lion—he lias ordered the man to be given Bp to the law, and eight of the most culpable are now in confinement. Uncommon industry has however been used to give this affair the word afpeft—and such were the re ports current that we believe {he Editors oftUe He rald, cannot with justice be charged with adefign to raifreprefentj ( Am. Gaz.) NEW-YORK, Feb. 9. At a meeting of theJ)emocratic Society of Phila delphia, held en Thursday the 9th January, 1794, the following refutations [among others] were unanimously agreed to. 6th. " Resolved that the conduct of the mari time powers at war with the French republic, in prohibiting the exportation of our produce to France and her colonies, and in ieizing our vessels laden with provisions for that country, is a daring infringement of the established law ewf nations, and ought to be resented with a proper spirit.'' 7th. " Resolved, that we conceive we oaght to resent the outrageous tonduS of Great Britain in im pressing our seamen, in leizing our vessels on the high seas and detaining them in their ports on the most frivolous pretences—and in short, in carrying on against this country a covert of insidious war fare, which evinces her fear of our power, at the fame time that it Can leave us no doubt tf her hatred and enmity." [Signed] , JOHN SMITH, Sec'ry As the French afe now outrageously seizing our vessels on the high seas and detaining and condemn ing them when bound to-their enemies ports in vio lation of their treaty, as well as the law of nations ; the foregoing resolutions are recommended to the notice of the republicans, who celebrate the anni versary of onr treaty with France, From the Minerva. I \ * [From a Cbrrefpenderit>.] THE democrats call the federalifts the Briti/h party, who in turn retort upon the democrats the appellation of French party. Time, the great friend of truth, (las at length decided these crofs-adtions in his high court of ap peal. For we have had British spoliations on our trade ; and French fpolintions. The conduit of the two parties on these two oecafions forms a faith ful ted of their real principles. Words are but ■wind, and arc most lavishly used when th. The champions of ibcfe honefiand wife meafure# are now mute. Nay, because it.p FederaliKs speak of rfs tional faith and juitice, the DementschargAthcm %mh a defiento make war on France. The>'; Ga ieties proclaim that the firft gun fired ag aloft Franc* will be our ruin, Tn a word, th 1 " Mnfefl en Federal *n<3 De mocra'ic conduit in the cafe of Briti/h a»d Frdnc! fpoliaiiwni, completely prove that the former ate not the British party ; they are truly the Americans. If the Democrats are not in French pay, it is e qtially established by facts, they are degenerate A mericans. These ideasaretoo obvious to escape the ptsblic difcernmcnt. To connteraft them, the Democrats already begin to attack ana accuse the Federalists of ince:>fiftency. Latest Foreign Intelligence. [By the Magnet, Choate, arrived at Bollon, in 50 days from Liverpool.] ARMY OF ITALY. From 1 Paris paper of Dec. r- Until we (hall leceive the reports of the command er in chief Buonaparte, the adtivity of the operations of the army of Italy not having y(t allowed him to give an account of the fucceflea he has obtained, we publish here a letter from general Berthier, command er of the general ftaff, containing an analysis of his glorious victories. 4 The divisionary general commander of the slate, to general Baraguay d'Hilliers, commandant of Lom bardy. " Head-quarters at Verona, " Nov. 19, sixth year. " At length, my dear general, after the boldest ma noeuvres, the most obflinate confliits, and eight days spent without taking off our boon, w> have just de feated general Alvinzy and his array, which we have pursued to'Vincenza. Five thousand prisoners, three tiioufand men killed and wounded, four flags and twelve guns are the fruits of these vidtories. Alvinzy is about rto rally behind the Brenta. —Davidovich, who is ig norant of what i« become of Alvinzy, Is on the right bank of the Adige, after having forced Vaubois' di vision, and having advanced to the other fide of'Ki voli. We are fearful that h« is retreating , if he is flill at this time in his positions, to-morrow he will be ours, with the fix thousand men he commands. Five I'armee d'ltalie .' Mantua will soon be in the hands of the Republicans. " Never were anions fought with so muth ebftina ~cy. We have had two generals mortatly wounded, & five others of whose recovery hopes are entertained. Amotig the killed we reckon two of the commander in chief's aids-de camps, and an adjutait-gencral. " I have not time to fay any more. We have still to fight. There will be no repose until the enemy (ball be destroyed. (Signed) « ALEX. BERTHIER." Message from the Executive Directory to the Councils, dated 10 Fritaaire, Nov. 30, fifth year. " Citizens Legislators, " We wait impatiently for the official difpatchcs of the commander in chief, Buonaparte, to communi cate to you the decisive viflory which hasjuft been ob tained under his command, by the army of Italy. Ne ver was that brave army placed in so critical a pofitien. The enemy had made the greatcft tftey had brought from the interior of the states all that they had left of dilpofable forces. These troops they had marched to their deftinalion with the utmost lpeed, and had eontrived 10 form in Italy a new army, more considerable than the two former, already exterminst ed, before the fuccorsfent from the interior of France, to the commander in chief Buonaparte, could form a junction with the army of Italy. It required nothing less than the genius of that intrepid warrior, the ta lents of the general officers and of the individuals who seconded them at the price of their blood, and the zeal and constancy of all our brave brethren in arms, to triumph over so many obstacles which the despair of our enemies had opposed to us. " The refalt of the bloody conflidls, which were fought for eight successive days, is the loss «n the part of the enemy of twelve thousand men in killed, wound ed and prisoners, four flags and eighteen guns. The present petition of the armies promises new fuccefles, and the capture of Mantua, on which the fate of Ita ly depends. (Signed) " BARRAS, Prefldent. " LEGARDE, Sec'ry (Sen.' %, ' ' Letter of General Berthier, Chief of the Staff of the army of Italy. " Head quarters at Verona, Nov. 19th fifth year. " The activity in wßich we have been for this fortnight pad would not permit me to write to you as often as 1 could have wished, but the command ant of Lombardy, te whom I sent a summary ac count of our movements, mull have transmitted yon a copy of the fame " Since onr last affair at Caldero, which toek place on the 22d (N*vembei 12) and wherein, after an obflinate eombat, the two armies remained in their positions, general Alvinzy had effetfted his junction with a column from Tyrol, and had an army of upwards »f 40,000 men. " On the 24th (Novembei 14) the hostile ar my was in prelence, and preparing to give a pitch, ed battle. General Buonaparte, apprised of the enemy's jnteations, immediately made moneeuvreS to fruftrate them. " I" night between the 24th and 2 jth (November 14th and 15th) he ardered the division of general Vaabois t® gaard the position of Rivo. li, to keep in check the column of the enemy's right wing, commanded by general Davidovich. The caftleand citadel of Brescia, Verons, the polls of Pefchiera and Legnago were in a refpeftable state of defence. The commander iu etiief sta tioned some corps of light troops and flying artil lery to defend the passages of the Adige ; in the fame night he had a boat-bridge raised at Ronco ;o pass the Adige, to fall unexpefttdly übon gene' ral Alvmzy's off his communication, feixe his magazines and his pa r k of artillery, deprive him of ail means of fiibfiftence, and at last to attack him from the rear. Before day-break the divisions of MaUei«a and Angereau had already crossed the Adige, and advanced on two roads, which erofcan impassable marfli of several miles. " JjV ol "™ left, commanded by irc neral Mafftna, was the firft to fall in with the enemy 3 out posts, which it worsted; that of the right, commanded by general Angereau, having alforepulfed several hostile posts was (lopped .t tl,e village Areole, occupied by the Auftrians, whose fire flanked the dyke on which it was necessary to pass to penetrate thnher. Arcania, whieh bordered ttiis dyke on the tide of the village, prevented its bein s turned ; u wa, therefore neeeffary, i„ order 10 become rnaft m of it> to fs th £ and cross a small bridge defended by several I. | attled houies, from whi#h th? enemy dircfled a -teirlbli fire. Our troops ptifhci federal ' iirtes For wards with charge ftcps, to carry the bridge, but not having in the fi r # isftance displayed the f«me boldness as they did at the bridge Lodi, they were repuifed in their repeated attempts; in vain Ka»! general Angereau, with a Itandard in his hand, advanced at the head of tjie c«lumn to take Ar cole. " The commander in c(iief, wha was informed of the difficulties which the diviEons of general Angereau had to sustain, gave orders to general Guieux to march down the Adige, .with a corps of 2000 .men, and to pass the river under cover of our light artillery, at a ferry which was at thedif tance of two miles below Renco, facing Alberedo ; he had ordete to march to the village of Arcole to tarn it : but that was a long march, the day was far gone ; and it was of the higWeft importp.sce to cap ture Arcole, in order to get into the enemy's rear before they were able to learn our movement. " The commander i* chief advanced with his whole ftaff at the head of the division of Angereau; he reminded oar brothers in arms of their being the fame men that had forced the bridge of Lodi. He faemed to perceive a fentimant ofenthufiafm, and was determined tfl profit by it. He leap;a off his harfe, seized a standard, rushed forwaid at the head of the grenadiers, and ran tcf the head of the bridge, crying, " Fallow your General !" The culumn instantly moved on, and we were at the distance of 30 yards from the bridge, wheH the ter rible fire of the enemy aiTailed the column, and made it fall back the very moment when the enemy were going to take Sight. It was at the fame in stant that generals Vignollcand Lafne were wound ed, and that Muiron, aid-de-camp to the commander in chief, was killed. " The commander in chief and his ftaff were overwhelmed ; the commandei in chief himfelf was thrown from his horse into a marsh, from whence, under tKf enemy's fire, he extiicated himfelf with difficulty ; lit mounted again, the celumn rallied, and the enemy durst oat come forth from their en trenchments. •*' Night began, when general Guieux arrived cou rageously at the village of Arcole, and finally tarried I it; but he retired in the night, after having made ma ny prisoners, and carried off four pieces of cannon. I he eneipy had had time to be aware of our movement; they had begun to fend off all their bag gage and magazines to Vincenza, and concentrated al most their whole force towards Konco, to give batt.le ; and before day break they occupied the village of Ar cole with considerable force. " On the i6th (Nov. 16.) at day break, the enemy attacked us on all points ; the column of general Maf fena, after an obllinate confiiel, worsted the enemy, took 1500 prisoners, and carried off fix pieces of can . non and four stand of colours. " The column of general Angereau likewise repui fed the enemy, but could not succeed in forcing the vil lage cf Arcole, which was again attacked several times, You will judge of the obstinacy of the different attacks upon this village, where seven generals were wounded. " The fame evening the commander in chief him felf marched to the canal on the right of the Adige, with a column who carried fafcines, with a view of ef tablifhiug a pafTage, which could not be dome on ac count of the current ; then the adjutant general Vial, who was at the. head of the column, forded the canal, up to his neck in water, but he was obliged to repafs It : it was at that moment and that the other has Boat with one which has forced ito retreat to \Venza | h ut th is nofitic, >«.- ntral «.lrinxy ha .gain made a sensible proerefs fft .B probable that General DaviJovid , who hi no, re! treated, will a , ali even!)> trj , the lame movement that Wurmfcr did, and that he will throw hirafclf into Vl a i will 171VLZ?\ m Th » block.de wi be, without doubt, one of the greatest events of £e war. The zeal of Wurmfer will fee equally "onfi ••y.l ruDflion. ~f » general, to t*c„ mc ,t, c comniiorfsat' „f a place, and he has g:vcn proofs of the utrnoft aC* f. i <-ouia artillery horses ready, we taken tte^ off ten pieces. We have made f rom f lx J hundred pr.foners,- amongst whome arf '<«« ficers, including a Colonel and a M ; ar I u was the result of this sally. ' As soon as it was «h OUght corps de reserve was ready to attack m> r i Defaix taufed the ttoops to return to their'e'n. trcnchmenu. To attempt'to maintain ourfeWt, in tKMe oi the enemy, was an operation which was not amoriglt cfur preje&s. « The battle was one of themoft obstinate of the war, and mult have occ&fiosed a confiderahle lofi ©f the enemy. They cannot deny?hat the advan tage was entirely ours. I lie loth, 109 h,'and 84.1b, demi brigades per formed prodifces of valor. It was impossible f nr me to ascertain all the details ef the instances of in dividual courage which were displayed on this oc casion. I hate promised te appoint provifionallr to the rank of sub lieutenant a ferjeant of the 160 th who gave proofs of uncommon courage. The General Officers who conduded the attack merit the highest culogium. General Delaix had his horse killed under him, and was slightly wounded. General Lacombe had his horse wounded in two places. Several Officers equally diftingnifhed themfelvei. rerion and Quefard, chiefs of brigade of the 106 th, and 84th, were wounded. Mcfliro, chief ef bat talion of the loth, was araongft the foremoft in forcing the entrenchments. The good condi£t of the troops.upon this occa fien ought to persuade the enemy, that if be is de termined to attack Kehl, he will not carry it so ealily as he may have been led to believe. (Signed) MMEAU." Private letters transmitted to the Direftoiy an neußce, that general in chief Mpresu was fliglitly wounded in the head with a ball. He had the modefly not to mention this cir, umfiaice, proba. fely fjora a desire to avoid all appearance of ostenta tion.—One of his Aids de Camps had the lower part of his leg carried away. In the midlt oftfce preparations on the Rhine theie are fereral pa.leys for the purpose yf co.k hid ing an armistice. The Austrian general Krny, and the republican Bernadotte, have had a new conference on the suspension of arms, which was proposed by the F.ench Generals. At the end oF th" conference general Wetneck, who commands on the Lower Rhine, dilpatched a courier to the Archduke Charlei ; and general Boumnnv/lle sent M. Luyt, the commiflary at war, to Paris, with lecret inftru&ions. The Auftrians, who where forty or fifty thousand men, are now reduced to half thai "number gen eral Kilmaine has not discontinued the siege of Mantua, and has repulsed the (ame time several forties of the besieged, who reckon to much, upon the fucc«fs of Austrian arms, that they light ed large fires ai ligns of rejoicing, but it was foot* necefljiry to extinguish them. BRUSSELS, Nov. 34. The Austrian corps, commanded by general Neu, has again advanced from its entrenched posi tion before Menft, and taken post on the banks of the Seltz. The enemy have puttied their advanced posts even across that river, whlift the French con. fined themfttlves to concentrate their force within the line, which extends from Bingen to Kaifetflau tern. This movement of the Anftrians has btongiit en feveial smart engagements between the light troops of both parties, wherein the French and lir.penalifts have alternately ptnved victorious. In one of these affairs the republican general Kleiit surprised the whole chain of the enemy's advanfed posts, put thern to the rout, took a great number ol men and Iforfes, and forced the Autlrians to re crofs the Selt2 in the utmolt csnfuiion. From the Lower Rhine we learn, that on the firll of this month fsilt of November) a very brisk adlion took place' on the bauk of the Siey. The Republicans attaek the advanced posts if the Aultrians, who defended themselves id so vigorous a manner, that the forra«f were obliged to fall back. 6 The army of the North, encamped in the front of Mulheim, is under marching orders. Philadelphia and Lancaster Turnpike ' Company, January 6, 1797. At a meeting of the President and Managers, a di vidend of five dolkrs per fha re, was declared for the aft half year, which will be paid to the Stockholders, or their representatives any time after the lift ®f this south. TENCH FRANCIS, Treaurer. JIA. &. ' U Ja*. t.