informed by Captain John Peters, brother to the said Samuel, had reported that the said Samuel had, at sundry times before, wrote, and then had sundry letters prepared to be sent home by the way of New-York, big with reflections upon this Colony, on account of the measures they are taking to get a redress of the grievances they have, with the other Colonies, laboured under for a long time by (as we say) an arbitrary Ministry, did, with the advice of the principal inhabitants of the town of Bolton, with the assistance of a large number of people from the neighbouring towns, near three hundred, upon the 15th day of August last, wait upon the said Samuel Peters, before sunrise, civilly to inquire into the matters contained in said reports, we being, with sundry others, chosen a Committee to wait upon the said Peters.—Do report as followeth, viz: That, on said day, did wait upon the said Peters, at his own door, and informed him our business. He asked us to walk into his house; there he seemed to be frank and free to inform us into the matters contained in the said report, and produced a number of Resolves which we caused to be published in the New-London Gazette, No. 564, and solemnly declared, upon the faith of a Priest, that he never had nor never would write home to any person, during his natural life, touching said controversy; which engagement seemed satisfactory, and so left him without injuring his person or interest, with his thanks for our kind treatment.

Witness our hands this 29th day of November, A. D., 1774.

Honourable Jonathan Trumbull.

Hezekiah Huntington, Vine Elderkin, Ebenezer Gray, and John Ripley, all of Windham, in the County of Windham, and Colony of Connecticut, of lawful age, testify and say, that on the 6th day of September, A. D. 1774, we, with other persons of this and some of the neighbouring towns, went to Hebron to visit and deal with the Reverend Samuel Peters, of that place, for and on account of his making and publishing sentiments and principles incompatible with our civil liberties, subversive of our Constitution, and tending to make discord and dissension amongst the people at that critical time when an union was absolutely necessary. When we arrived at said Peters's house (which we found full of people, who were said to be armed) one Captain Mack came from the house and said that Peters desired the people to choose a Committee to converse with him, which the people then accordingly did, of which we were part. The Committee (consisting of about ten) accordingly went into his house and told him the business we were upon, and also asked him whether the Resolves published in the New-London Gazette, as the Resolves of the town of Hebron, made and formed by him, were his principles? to which, after some conversation and endeavours in vain to justify them, he answered in the affirmative; for which, and many other things, particularly his saying that the people of Farmington were guilty of treason, and that the town of Boston justly deserved to suffer what they were then suffering by reason of the late Acts of Parliament, and that the Port Bill was right, or words to that import, and such like, the people were offended, and were determined to have some publick retraction and satisfaction. Peters then undertook to justify his conduct and principles, which consisted principally in trying to shew that there was no duty laid without our consent, on the article of tea, because, he said, no man was obliged to buy, and when he did buy he consented to pay the duty, and so there could be no duty thereon if no man purchased it. The Committee, after hearing him awhile, told him that their principles were fixed, and that they did not come there to dispute principles with him, and advised him to go out to the people, and perhaps he could convince them that he was right, which, if he did, we would be satisfied, and assured him, on his request, that he should return into his house again safe, and without any abuse of any kind, (antecedent to this said Peters declared that he had no arms in the house, except one or two old guns out of repair.) Upon which said Peters went out to the people, and being placed in the centre of a large number, he began to harangue the people as he did to the Committee in the house; in a few minutes after a gun was discharged in the house, which much alarmed the people. Eight or ten people were immediately sent into the house to know the occasion of the firing, and to see if there were any arms or weapons of death therein, and found several guns and pistols loaded with powder and ball, some swords, and about two dozen large wooden clubs, concealed and hid in the house, and that the firing was accidental, in which two balls were discharged from the gun fired in the house; whereupon said eight or ten persons cleared the house of all the men that were therein, and set centinels at each door of the house, that no damage might ensue, and thereupon, said Peters having finished what he had to say to the people, which was in no way satisfactory, the Committee returned said Peters safely into the house, and were ordered by the people to draw up something in writing, which said Peters should subscribe and acknowledge, which was accordingly done; and Peters likewise drew another, and thereupon, on the like assurances as before, Peters and the Committee went out to the people again, and Peters, according to his desire, read what he wrote, which the people universally rejected; and then the one drawn by the Committee was read, (which was the same that was afterwards published to the words Holy Religion, the remainder being added afterward) was read to the people and approved so far as was then wrote, which Peters then absolutely refused to sign or acknowledge, although urged and desired to do it by the Committee, as they were afraid of the consequences, as many of the people were warm and high, and determined not to be delayed any longer, and thereupon the Committee safely conveyed him into his house again, and were persuading him to sign the paper drawn up by the Committee, as before said, when the people, impatient, weary, and hungry, would not be put off or delayed longer, rushed into the house, by the door and one window, (which was somewhat broken in the attempt) seized and brought Peters out of the house, and placed him on a horse, and carried him to the Meeting House Green, or Common Parade, about three-quarters of a mile, where, after some talking upon the premises, Peters agreed to, and did sign the paper, as was published, and read it to the people him self; on which, they, with one voice, (to appearance) accepted, and gave three cheers and dispersed. The number of people was about three hundred. The sash of one window of his house was broken, his gown and shirt somewhat torn, and it was said by some that a table was turned over, and a punch bowl and glass broken, which was all the damage that was done that we ever heard of; and through the whole the Committee endeavoured to calm and moderate the minds of the people, who were greatly exasperated by Mr. Peters's conduct, firing the gun, preparing arms, &c., &c., as much as lay in their power; and also frequently told him that it was not for his religious sentiments, or because he was a church-man, or professed the religion established in the English Nation, (before the Quebec Bill was passed) that we visited him, for some of the people were of that denomination, and that we were so far from hurting or injuring any one that did profess it, that we were ready to defend and protect them, when thereto called, with all our strength, but for the things and matters before mentioned we did visit him; and further these deponents say not.

Windham, December 6, 1774.

Colony of CONNECTICUT, SS., WINDHAM County:

Windham, December 6, 1774.

Then personally appeared Hezekiah Huntington, John Ripley, Vine Elderkin, and Ebenezer Gray, subscribers to the foregoing testimony, and made solemn oath to the truth of the same. Before me,

SAMUEL GRAY, Justice of the Peace.

TO THE PEOPLE OF PENNSYLVANIA.

Philadelphia, August 17, 1774.

Though truth and candour fundamentally characterize the real patriot, it is to be lamented that among the many publications on the reigning subject of political declamation, it has been in general disingenuously treated, and the pub-