EXTRACT OP A LETTER PROM DEPUTY GOVERNOUR PENN TO THE EARL OF DARTMOUTH, DATED PHILADELPHIA, SEPTEMBER 5, 1774.

In my several letters of the 31st May, and the 4th July, I gave your Lordship an account of the temper and disposition of the people of America with respect to the several Boston Acts of Parliament, and of the measures which I then understood were intended to be pursued. And I am now to inform your Lordship that Deputies from the Colonies of Massachusetts Bay, New-Hampshire, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New-York, New-Jersey, Pennsylvania, the three Lower Counties, Maryland, Virginia, and South Carolina, have met, by appointment, in this city, as the most central place, and assembled this morning, for the first time, in general Congress, as it is called, to consult on the proper means of obtaining relief from hard ships which they suppose to be entailed on the Colonies by those Acts of Parliament. It is said that Deputies are also expected from the Colonies of North Carolina and Georgia, but they have not yet made their appearance.

It is impossible to say what the result of their deliberations may be, but I shall not fail to inform your Lordship of them by the very first opportunity that offer? After they are known. I think it, however, my indispensable duty to his Majesty to acquaint your Lordship that, from the best intelligence I have been able to procure, the resolution of opposing the Boston Acts, and the Parliamentary power of raising taxes in America for the purpose of raising a revenue, is, in a great measure, universal throughout the Colonies, and possesses all ranks and conditions of people. They persuade themselves there is a formed design to enslave America, and although the Act for regulating the Government of Canada does not immediately affect the other Provinces, it is nevertheless held up as an irrefragable argument of that intention. General, however, as the resolution is to oppose, there is great diversity of opinions as to the proper modes of opposition. Some are said to be for remonstrance alone upon a state of grievances and claims. Others are for a general, and others again for a partial non-exportation and non-importation, without any remonstrance. This perhaps may be the source of divisions which will not be easily got over.

EXTRACT OF A LETTER FROM GEORGIA, TO A GENTLEMAN IN NEW-YORK, DATED SEPTEMBER 7, 1774.

Some people here would suddenly enter into a non-importation agreement, but they are by far the minority; and indeed it would be highly imprudent and ungenerous for us to meddle at any rate with the disputes in which the rest of the Colonies are engaged, considering the pecuniary aid of Parliament we annually have, and do continue to receive; also our present situation with the Creek Indians, who refusing to give satisfaction for the depredations already committed on the back settlements, daily threaten us with fresh hostilities to the center, which we are by no means able to resist, as they can muster four thousand gun-men.

EXTRACT OF A LETTER FROM LIEUTENANT GOVERNOUR COLDEN TO THE EARL OF DARTMOUTH, DATED NEW-YORK, SEPTEMBER 7, 1774.

The destruction of Captain Chambers's tea, was so un expected and sudden that no measures could be previously thought of to prevent it.

Afterwards the gentlemen of property and principal merchants attended the meetings of the populace, when called together by their former demagogues, who thereby have lost their influence, and are neglected. The populace are now directed by men of different principles, and who have much at stake. Many papers have been published in this" city to expose the measures which had been proposed by the former demagogues in opposition to Government. Men now speak and publish sentiments in favour of Government, and argue upon the political subjects of the times, with much greater freedom and security than has been known here for some years past, which I hope is a sign that the licentious spirit which has governed the people to their great disgrace is checked. We have no more burning of effigies or putting cut-throat papers under people's doors.

I hope I am not deceived in thinking that the people of this Province will cautiously avoid giving any new offence to the Parliament, but great numbers are so fluctuating, that some unexpected incident may produce bad effects.

The five gentlemen whom I formerly informed your Lordship were appointed by this city to be their Delegates at the general Congress, went to Philadelphia, the place of meeting, last week. Seven counties of this Province neither appointed Delegates for themselves, nor concurred in the choice made by the city; and two counties have sent Delegates of their own. I found the city Delegates were embarrassed by this dissension of the people.

EARL OF DARTMOUTH TO GOVERNOUR PENN.

Whitehall, September 7, 1774.

SIR: I have received your letters of the 5th and 30th of July, and am very much obliged to you for the early intelligence they contain of publick occurrences within your Province; upon which I have only to observe that it has given the King great concern to find that his subjects in the different Colonies in North America have been induced, upon the grounds stated in their different Resolutions, to nominate Deputies to meet in general Congress at Philadelphia.

If the object of this Congress be humbly to represent to the King any grievances they may have to complain of, or any propositions they may have to make on the present state of America, such representation would certainly have come from each Colony with greater weight in its separate capacity, than in a channel of the propriety and legality of which there may be much doubt.

If fear however the measure is gone too far to encourage any hope that it has been retracted, and I can only express my wishes that the result of their proceedings may be such as not to cut off all hope of that union with the mother country which is so essential to the happiness of both.

The enclosed copy of my letter of this day's date to Lord Dunmore, (which I send you for your information) will inform you of the light in which the conduct of the people of Virginia towards the Indians upon the Ohio is considered by the King.

I am, sir, your most obedient humble servant,

DARTMOUTH,

Deputy Governour Penn.

EARL OF DARTMOUTH TO THE EARL OF DUNMORE.

Whitehall, September 8, 1774.

MY LORD: The Deputy Governour of Pennsylvania in his message to the House of Representatives, on the 18th of July last, asserts that the hostility of the Indians upon the River Ohio, which has spread such general alarm and distress throughout the back settlements, was occasion ed by the unprovoked ill treatment of those Indians by the people of Virginia, who had barbarously murdered about eleven of the Delawares and Shawanese tribes, and that many friendly Indians, who had generously afforded protection to the persons and goods of Indian traders from the violence of some of their young warriors, and who were, at the risk of their own lives, escorting those traders to their friends near Pittsburgh, were, contrary to all faith, attacked, and some of them wounded by a party of Virginians sent out for the purpose by one Comity, a militia captain, having a commission from the Government of Virginia.

My intelligence through a variety of other channels confirms these facts, and adds further that this Conolly, using your Lordship's name, and pleading your authority, has presumed to re-establish the Fort at Pittsburgh, which was demolished by the King's express orders; that he has destroyed the King's boats, which were kept there for the purpose of a communication with the Illinois country; and that parties were sent out by his authority, or under his direction, for the purpose of building forts lower down the River Ohio.

The duty I owe the King, and the regard I entertain for your Lordship, induce me to take the earliest opportunity of acquainting your Lordship with this information, to the end that the facts asserted, if not true, may be contradicted