CONNECTICUT ASSEMBLY.

At a General Assembly of the Governour and Company of the English Colony of Connecticut, in New-England, in America, holden at New-Haven, by adjournment and special order of the Governour of said Colony, on Thursday, the second day of March, Annoque Domini, 1775:

It being represented to this Assembly that Abraham Blackslee, of New-Haven, Captain of a Military Company in the Second Regiment in this Colony, is disaffected to this Government, and the privileges thereof, as established by Charter, and has frequently spoken contemptuously of the measure taken by this Assembly for maintaining the same, and threatened to act in his office in opposition to the lawful authority of the Colony contrary to the duty of his office:

Resolved, By this Assembly, that James A. Hilhouse and Samuel Bishop, Esquires, be, and they are hereby appointed a Committee to inquire into said matters, and make report of what they find, with their opinion thereon, to this Assembly at the next session.

It having been represented to this Assembly that Isaac Quintard, of Stamford, in the County of Fairfield, Captain of the Second Military Company in the Town of Stamford, in the Ninth Regiment in this Colony, and Filer Dibble, of said Stamford, Captain of the First Military Company in the Town of Stamford, in said Regiment, at said Stamford, in January last, in contempt of the authority in this Colony, did attempt and endeavour to prevent the introduction of certain barrels of Gunpowder into this Colony for the Government use, agreeable to the order and directions of legal authority, which conduct is inconsistent with the duty of their said office and of dangerous tendency:

Whereupon it is Resolved, By this Assembly, that Gold Sillick Silliman, and Jonathan Sturgess, Esquires, be, and they are hereby appointed Commissioners, and are fully authorized and empowered to notify said Quintard and Dibble to appear before them, at such time and place as shall be by them appointed, and to examine the witnesses relative to said conduct, and examine into the truth of said representation, and to report what they shall find to the General Assembly, at their session in May next.

It being represented to this House, that the Towns of Ridgfield and Newtown have come into and published certain Resolutions injurious to the rights of this Colony, in direct opposition to the repeated Resolves of this House, and of dangerous tendency:

Resolved, That Col. Joseph Platt Cook and Col. John Read, be a Committee to inquire into the truth of said representation, and how far any person or persons holding commissions under this Government have been any way active or concerned in promoting the measures taken by said Towns, and make report of what they shall find to the General Assembly, to be held at Hartford in May next.

Wednesday, March 8, 1775.

In the House of Representatives of the Colony of Connecticut, assembled at New-Haven:—

Whereas, our brethren of the Town of Boston have long suffered, and are yet suffering under the hand of oppression, grievous and unparalleled hardships and distresses, in consequence of their resolution to support the great principles of Constitutional Liberty; and having endured, and yet enduring those sufferings in the common cause of America, with most exemplary fortitude and magnanimity; the principles of humanity and justice to ourselves and them, require that they should not be left to sink under the weight of burdens which, without assistance, may become absolutely insupportable.

And although many donations have been made them by this and the other Colonies; yet, upon authentick intelligence, it appears they are inadequate to the real distresses in which thousands of their innocent and virtuous inhabitants are involved by means as aforesaid.

This House, taking the matters aforesaid into their serious consideration, do Resolve, That it be, and it is hereby earnestly recommended to the several Towns in this Colony, to continue cheerfully and liberally to contribute to the relief of their suffering brethren in said Town, according to the several abilities which Divine Providence has given them; esteeming it an incumbent duty, and an acceptable service in the sight of God and their Country.

By order of the House,

WILLIAM WILLIAMS, Speaker.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,

New-Haven, March, 1775.

Colony of Connecticut, ss.

Resolved, That the thanks of this House be given to the worthy and patriotick House of Assembly for the Island of Jamaica, for their kind and seasonable mediation in favour of the Colonies on this Continent, by their late humble Petition and Remonstrance to His Majesty. And that the Speaker of this House be, and he is hereby directed to write to the said Honourable Assembly, and enclose a copy of this Resolution; also of the Resolution of this House, at their session in May, 1773, appointing a Committee of Correspondence, and invite them to come into that, or a similar method of mutually communicating such intelligence, as may be of publick importance, and more immediately affecting the inhabitants of the British Colonies and Islands in America.

Test:

RICHARD LAW, Clerk.

Colony of Connecticut, Lebanon, March 14, 1775.

SIR: In pursuance of the direction of the Honourable House of Representatives for this Colony, I have the pleasure of transmitting the enclosed Resolutions, and at the same time to return you their unfeigned thanks for your late kind and seasonable, yet spirited and pertinent mediation, in their behalf, by your Remonstrance and Petition to His Most Gracious Majesty.

The clear knowledge you have of the inherent and unalienated rights of the Colonists, and the readiness you have shewn to assert them, with a temper and firmness worthy of such a cause, of Englishmen and Americans, at once reflects the highest honour on your worthy and patriotick Assembly, and merits the most grateful acknowledgments of this whole Continent.

The unnatural contest between the Parliament of Great Britain and these Colonies is at length, by the unwearied efforts of our enemies for a course of years, brought (to all human appearance) near to a most alarming crisis; in which, threatened as we are by the dreadful alternative of surrendering all for which our fathers suffered and bled, all that is deserving of men, Englishmen and Americans, in life; or suffer all the horrours of a military contention with the Parent State; the striking union of these Colonies, a consciousness of the justice of our cause, and the rectitude of our views, with the approbation of our fellow-men, seem, under Heaven, our greatest consolation and support.

The representations of so respectable a body as the Assembly of your large and important Island will, we flatter ourselves, meet with the most favourable attention of His Majesty and his Ministers, and have a happy tendency towards procuring for us and you, (and indeed the whole Nation, ultimately interested in this great common cause,) the redress of those grievances under which we labour, and the establishment of the liberties and privileges of the whole Empire, on the most sure and permanent basis.

We shall ever be happy in keeping up an intercourse with your Island, and shall, from time to time, with pleasure embrace every opportunity to give you the earliest intelligence, of whatever we shall judge of publick concern, or more immediately affecting the Colonies in general, or your Island in particular; and shall gratefully receive the like favours from you.

I am, by order, and in behalf of the House of Representatives for this Colony, Sir, your most obedient and very humble servant,

WM. WILLIAMS, Speaker.

Hon. Speaker of the House of Assembly, Jamaica.

LETTER FROM THE HONOURABLE J. TRUMBULL, GOVERNOUR OF CONNECTICUT, TO THE EARL OF DARTMOUTH, ONE OF HIS MAJESTY’S PRINCIPAL SECRETARIES OF STATE.

New-Haven, MARCH, 1775.

MY LORD: I duly received your Lordship’s Letter of the 10th of December last, enclosing His Most Gracious Majesty’s Speech to his Parliament, and the Addresses in