which, if not seasonably prevented, would deluge the whole land in ruin. In such a situation as this we should think ourselves inexcusable if we were either insensible of your Majesty's kindness, or unwilling to contribute our mite towards repelling the common danger. Being bound then by the double ties of duty and gratitude to your Majesty, and by that regard to the dignity of your Crown, to our country, our posterity, and our holy religion, that ought to fill the breasts of every friend to liberty and the Protestant cause, we are now come, with the deepest humility, to offer our service in such a way as we verily believe will (if your Majesty is pleased to accept thereof,) promote the interest of your Crown and Kingdoms, and contribute to the safety of your American Plantations in the most effectual manner within the compass of our power. The service that we humbly offer, and of which we pray your Majesty's acceptance, is that of laying (as far as in us lies) a foundation for preventing the encroachments of the French and for extending your Dominions in America by removing with our families and fortunes to the new Colony beyond the Alleghany Mountains, which the scheme that is now laid at your Majesty's feet proposes, if it shall be found agreeable to your Royal pleasure to order such settlement, and graciously to grant such aid to the design as will be necessary for carrying it into execution.

And as the wise and seasonable measures which your Majesty, at a vast expense, has been pleased to take for the security of your American Dominions, affords the most unquestionable proofs of your Majesty's regard for their safety, so we doubt not your Royal wisdom and penetration has discovered the necessity and importance of settling strong and numerous Colonies in the neighbourhood of the Ohio and Mississippi as well for the securing those important parts of your Dominions, as for doing it in a manner the least burdensome and the most advantageous to your good subjects of Great Britain and America. Our most humble prayer therefore is, that your Majesty will graciously be pleased to grant such countenance and assistance to the present scheme for settling a new Colony, as will be necessary for the encouragement of a people on whose fidelity your Majesty may with the utmost confidence rely, and who, at the same time, esteem themselves bound by the most sacred and indissoluble ties, to hand down the blessings of civil and religious liberty inviolate to their posterity. And will our gracious Sovereign be pleased to permit us to hope for that favour from his Royal benignity which our zeal for his service and our country's cause inclines us with? Having cheerfully made a tender of our best service, what, now remains is, to offer up our humble fervent prayers to Almighty God the Sovereign Ruler of the universe, by whom Kings reign and Princes decree judgment, that he would be pleased to crown your Majesty's arms with success, that your enemies may flee away and return no more; that your Majesty's life may long be continued a blessing to your people, and full of happiness to yourself; that when death puts a period to your reign on earth, your Majesty may receive a crown of immortal glory, and that there never may be wanting one of your illustrious race to sway the British scepter in righteousness. These then may it please your Majesty are our wishes, and these shall be our prayers.

Dated at Philadelphia July 24, 1755.

That the said Samuel Hazard sensible of the claim of the Colony of Connecticut to the lands upon which we proposed settling a new Colony, made humble application to the Honourable the General Assembly of the said Colony of Connecticut for a release of their claim to the said lands. His Memorial, containing the application aforesaid, bears date May 8th, 1755, and is in the words following, viz:

To the Honourable General Assembly of the English Colony of Connecticut in New England in America now sitting at Hartford viz: Thursday May 2, 1755:

The Memorial of Samuel Hazard of the City of Philadelphia in the Province of Pennsylvania in America Merchant: Humbly showeth,

That your Memorialist hath projected a scheme for the settlement of a new Colony to the Westward of Pennsylvania a copy of which is hereunto annexed.

That he hath already engaged three thousand five hundred and eight persons, able to bear arms, to remove to the said new Colony, on the footing of said scheme, and does not in the least doubt of being able to procure ten thousand if it takes effect.

That among those already engaged are nine Reverend Ministers of the Gospel; a considerable number of persons who are in publick offices under the Governments of Pennsylvania and New-Jersey as well as great numbers of persons of good estates, of the best characters for sobriety and religion in said Provinces, but more especially in the Province of Pennsylvania. That it must be manifest to your Honours, and to every thinking person who has the slightest acquaintance with the state of the American Colonies, that it is of the last importance to their safety to have a new Colony settled in the country, which the present scheme proposes; and that such a, settlement in the hands of a sober, prudent, and industrious people, who would treat the Indians in such a manner as both the rules of the Gospel, and good policy require, would (with the ordinary smiles of Providence) be attended with the happiest consequences to Great Britain and all the American Plantations.

That whoever will be at the pains to inform himself of the state and situation of that country, must be convinced, that if it be not seasonably settled, it will be impossible to secure it to the Crown of Great Britain without running into an expense that would be an intolerable burden to the Nation or ruinous to the Plantations.

That as the designs of the French have long been obvious to every intelligent inquirer, so the fatal consequences of their destructive schemes are too horrid to be disregarded by any whose breasts are capable of those impressions which ought naturally to flow from a well-guided affection to their God their King, their country, and the human species. Were your Memorialist to pursue the consequences of those schemes through all the scenes of blood, of rapine, and of violence, and through all the mazes of Popish errour and superstition, that they would naturally lead him, it would take up too much of your Honours' time, and be as disagreeable, as it would be tedious. Your Memorialist however, begs leave just to remind your Honours, that it is easy to demonstrate by rational arguments, that if the French are suffered to establish themselves in the country about the Ohio and Mississippi that all America and Great Britain too must in the end fall a sacrifice to France unless some remarkable interposition of Divine Providence prevent it.

That as these consequences can by no means be prevented, without prodigious expense, and vast as well as numerous inconveniences, but by the settlement of a new Colony, so it is absolutely necessary to have such settlement made by a sober, prudent, and orderly people, who would treat the Indians in such a manner as would gain their affections, as well as of those whose fidelity to the King could safely be relied on; for that the great and important ends which ought principally to be regarded in settling a new Colony about the Ohio and Mississippi will not be answered either by a herd of banditti, or a Colony of foreigners, is obvious at first view. Your Memorialist therefore persuades himself that such schemes as would engage persons of the above character, will not be suffered to drop, and become abortive for want of that assistance which your Honourable Assembly alone can give.

That as this Colony cannot be supposed to have people enough to spare to settle such vast Territories as are included within the limits of their Charter, as your Memorialist conceives, that when your Honours have considered the character and dispositions of the various Southern Provinces, it will manifestly appear, that any considerable numbers of persons fit to be depended upon for their fidelity to the King, cannot be found among any of the various religious denominations which inhabit those Provinces, except the Church of England the Presbyterians, the Quakers, and the Baptists.

That as the members of the Church of England in those Provinces have not shown a disposition to remove into the wilderness to settle new Colonies, but are principally obliged to Presbyterians to the Northward for any settlements that are made on the frontiers, even of their own Provinces, it will be in vain to expect them to settle the proposed Colony. Nor would it be more reasonable to expect the Quakers, who are principled against war, to remove and defend the country; and since the Baptists are but few in number, and by no means sufficient for the purpose, it remains that Presbyterians must settle that country, or it must be left exposed to the French. That as your Memorialist has already engaged so great a number of Presbyterians to remove, if this scheme takes effect, so he humbly conceives, that if they, and such others as he can still engage, are not suitably and seasonably encouraged, it will be in vain to attempt to settle Colonies from among them.

That as this Colony cannot settle those lands themselves, so your Memorialist is far from supposing that they will suffer their claims to hinder the settlement of that country by others, at a time when the safety and wellbeing of all the British Plantations in America and even of Great Britain itself, is so highly interested in such settlements, and this he apprehends there is great reason to fear will in fact be the case if this Assembly does not at this present session transfer or relinquish their right to that country, in such a manner as will remove all obstacles to their claim out of the way of the present scheme; for as your Memorialist has already been at great expense of money and time to bring the scheme thus far to maturity, he shall (notwithstanding the success he has had in engaging three thousand five hundred and eight persons to remove,) hardly judge it consistent with the duties he owes either to them or his own family, to proceed any further in the affair, if he does not now succeed in his petition to this Honourable Assembly; and as he must spend the remainder of his days in this important service if the scheme goes on, so the thoughts of leaving his children, with many thousands of others, liable to disputes about every inch of ground that they possess, after having purchased it with the peril of their lives, would be such an objection both to them and him, as will hardly be got over. Nor will it be amiss to inform your Honours, that if those who are now willing to settle that country are once discouraged, and the spirit which at this time prevails among them is lost, it will be no easy task to revive it again.

That however arguments of a religious nature are esteemed in some places, your Memorialist presumes it will be no transgression to lay some stress upon them before this Honourable Assembly. He therefore begs leave to say, that as the Charter of this Colony expressly declares, that his Majesty's principal design in the Grant made to them, was the conversion of the Indians to Christianity, so your Honours will easily see that this scheme duly executed, would have a happy tendency to answer that important end; nor can your Memorialist help entertaining some distant hopes that it would be one mean at least (however small) of preparing the way for carrying the pure Religion of the Gospel, free from Popish superstition and Pagan idolatry, to the ends of the American Earth; for, surely the time will come, when God's name shall be great among the Heathen, from the rising of the sun to the going down thereof.

That as the mightiest arguments, both of a religions and political nature, might with the greatest truth and justice be urged in favour of the present scheme, so your Memorialist persuades himself that the inclinations of this Honourable Assembly to serve the real and important interests of their King and country, and to promote the best good of mankind, will be instead of a thousand arguments to excite them to it.

That as your Memorialist really means to do an important service to King and country, and to posterity by his scheme, so he is cheerfully willing that your Honours should take any measure they please to guard against the abuse of any right that they may grant to the country proposed to be settled, so as it does not prevent or hinder the important designs which the scheme proposes; nor does he desire that right on any other terms than that of his bona fide procuring the actual settlement of at least three thousand persons, able to bear arms, (or even a greater number) in that country, within any reasonable term that shall be limited and appointed for that purpose.

Your Memorialist therefore humbly prays that this Honourable Assembly will be pleased to transfer or relinquish their right to the lands mentioned in the scheme hereunto annexed, in such manner as shall be necessary for carrying said scheme into execution, or to so much of it as shall be absolutely necessary for answering the ends proposed by said scheme. And your Memorialist, as in duty bound, shall ever pray.

Dated at Hartford May 8, 1755.

SAMUEL HAZARD.

That the said General Assembly of the Colony of Connecticut having taken the matter into their serious consid-