ance; and, indeed, it often happens, that what is of little or no consequence to one Colony, is of the last to another.

We have thus hinted to your Honour our general situation, which we hope will account for our being delayed here beyond the time which either the Colony or we ourselves expected.

Though our private concerns and connections, as well as the publick expectation and interest of the Colony, urge us to make all possible despatch, yet, as we find it would not only be of dangerous consequence, but perhaps impracticable to attempt pushing matters to a decision faster than they now come to it in the course they now are, we find it most prudent patiently to wait the issue. We shall be able to write you more particularly in a few days, but could not omit this opportunity of writing thus far on the subject of our Delegation here.

We take the liberty to enclose a copy of Lord Dunmore's Proclamation, [dated Fort Dunmore, September 17,] on which we shall only say it appears in some parts of it very extraordinary, and would occasion much greater speculation here than it does, were it not that few or none, save the Proprietors, consider themselves interested in the controversy; and the whole attention of the publick is taken up on more important subjects.

Laurel Hill is about forty miles on this side of Fort Du Quesne, alias Fort Pitt, and is a range of mountains running northerly nearly in a line with the west boundary of the Province of Maryland, and cuts off from this Province one whole County lately erected, by the name of West moreland. His Lordship is now in those parts near the Ohio, with an Army of fifteen hundred Virginians, reducing the Indian Tribes to subjection, or driving them off the land.

We cannot be positive as to the time of our return, but hope to be at New-Haven before the rising of the Assembly, and may probably be able to write with greater certainty in our next. We are, with the greatest respect, your Honour's most obedient and most humble servants,

ELIPHALET DYER,
ROGER SHERMAN,
SILAS DEANE.

P.S. Since writing the above, we see the Resolutions of the Congress, Suffolk County, &c., are printed in the Commissioners' papers, therefore judge it unnecessary to enclose them.

Newport (Rhode Island) October 17, 1774.

On Tuesday the 11th instant, arrived here the ship Charlotte, Captain Rogers, from London, which he left the 15th of August, and brought with him Mr. Samuel Dyre of Boston who gives this account of himself: That, on the 6th of July last, early in the morning, he was kidnapped by the soldiers in Boston in consequence of orders from Colonel Maddison, and carried into the camp, confined in irons, and kept so till early the next morning, when he was conveyed on board the Captain Admiral Montagu still in chains. When he was first confined in the camp, Colonel Maddison asked him who gave him orders to destroy the tea; to which he replied, nobody. The Colonel said he was a damned liar, it was King Hancock and the damned Sons of Liberty; and if he did not tell be should be sent home in the ship Captain, where he should be hung like a dog; then told him to prepare a good story, as General Gage would come to examine him, &c., but General Gage never did come. He was kept on board the Admiral's ship three or four days, in irons, before she sailed. When the ship arrived at Portsmouth Dyre was sent up to London in irons, and examined three times before Lord North Lord Sandwich and the Earl of Dartmouth respecting the destruction of the tea; but finding nothing against him, they sent him back to the ship in irons; and when he got on board again he was discharged, without receiving one farthing of wages. He then travelled up to London seventy miles, having but six coppers in his pocket, and made his complaint to the Lord Mayor, who treated him with great humanity, as did the Sheriffs of London and many other gentlemen; who will supply him with any sum of money to carry on a suit against those Governmental kidnappers in Boston in case he can prove his charge, for which purpose he set out for Boston the day he arrived here. Dyre farther said, he was offered purses of guineas in England to accuse certain gentlemen in Boston with ordering him to help to destroy the tea. Mr. Lee one of the Sheriffs of London wrote several letters by Dyre in his favour, to some gentlemen in Boston.

By the Honourable JOHN PENN, Esquire, Governour and Commander-in-chief of the Province of PENNSYLVANIA, and Counties of NEW-CASTLE, KENT, and SUSSEX, on DELAWARE:

A PROCLAMATION.

Whereas, I have received information that his Excellency the Earl of Dunmore Governour-General in and over his Majesty's Colony of Virginia hath lately issued a very extraordinary Proclamation, setting forth, "that the rapid settlement made on the West of the Alleghany Mountains, by his Majesty's subjects, within the course of these few years, had become an object of real concern to his Majesty's interest in that quarter; that the Province of Pennsylvania had unduly laid claim to a very valuable and extensive quantity of his Majesty's territory; and the Executive part of that Government, in consequence thereof, had most arbitrarily and unwarrantably proceeded to abuse the laudable adventurers in that part of his Majesty's Dominions, by many oppressive and illegal measures, in discharge of their imaginary authority; and that the ancient claim laid to that country by the Colony of Virginia founded in reason, upon pre-occupancy, and the general acquiescence of all persons, together with the Instruction he had lately received from his Majesty's servants, ordering him to take that country under his administration; and as the evident injustice manifestly offered to his Majesty, by the immoderate strides taken by the Proprietaries of Pennsylvania in prosecution of their wild claim to that country, demanded an immediate remedy, he did thereby, in his Majesty's name, require and command all his Majesty's subjects west of the Laurel Hill, to pay a due respect to his said Proclamation, there by strictly prohibiting the execution of any act of authority on behalf of the Province of Pennsylvania at their peril, in that country; but, on the contrary, that a due regard and entire obedience to the laws of his Majesty's Colony of Virginia under his administration, should be observed, to the end that regularity might ensue, and a just regard to the interest of his Majesty in that quarter, as well as to his Majesty's subjects, might be the consequence."

And whereas, although the Western Limits of the Province of Pennsylvania have not been settled by any authority from the Crown, yet it has been sufficiently demonstrated by lines accurately run by the most skilful artists, that not only a great tract of country West of the Laurel Hill, but Fort Pitt also, are comprehended within the Charter bounds of this Province, a great part of which country has been actually settled, and is now held under grants from the Proprietaries of Pennsylvania; and the jurisdiction of this Government has been peaceably exercised in that quarter of the country, till the late strange claim set up by the Earl of Dunmore in behalf of his Majesty's Colony of Virginia founded, as his Lordship is above pleased to say, "in reason, pre-occupancy, and the general acquiescence of all persons;" which claim to lands within the said Charter limits, must appear still the more extraordinary, as his most gracious Majesty, in an Act passed the very last session of Parliament, "for making more effectual provision for the government of the Province of Quebec," has been pleased, in the fullest manner, to recognise the Charter of the Province of Pennsylvania by expressly referring to the same, and binding the said Province of Quebec by the Northern and Western bounds thereof. Wherefore, there is the greatest reason to conclude, that any instructions the Governour of Virginia may have received from his Majesty's servants, to take that country under his administration, must be founded on some misrepresentation to them respecting the Western extent of this Province. In justice, therefore, to the Proprietaries of the Province of Pennsylvania who are only desirous to secure their own undoubted property from the encroachment of others, I have thought fit, with the advice of the