plays, operas, and has given fifteen hundred pounds to an Italian singer. The young Prince is to go to housekeeping this spring, and the men appointed to attend his levee are of such a complexion as forebodes evil.

Four thousand of the new Army, with Colonel Howe, are to hoist the flag at New-York, and stop all communication with New-England. If the Fleet sails, you must fight or be destroyed; for the Ministry are determined to destroy your trade, to ruin the growth of the Colonies, and to stop all the blessings Heaven has given you. Get ready to fight, for nothing can save you but the power of the Colonies and their own strength, and to America will England owe their liberty or be ruined. Several gentlemen called on me, and desired me to write to you to arm immediately. Get ready to receive ten thousand men and four hundred sail, and you are to find provisions and pay them yourselves. New charters are ready now; for your money, the soldiers have orders to fight; new cannon, guns, powder, and ball, for war and blood! The cry of blood is gone out against you.

Your fate now depends on the brave and spirited conduct of yourselves. You see the diabolical plot is deep laid against you; and by bribes and undue influence, has obtained the late and the present Acts for blocking up your Trade, and taking those unwarrantable measures against the Colonies and the sense of the people.

This day will be remembered in history; for John Wilkes and the King to meet on such a solemn occasion, no less than the lives and property of all America and the whole English Nation. Great will be the event of this day. The Lord Mayor, Aldermen, Liverymen, Recorder, Remembrancer, and City Officers, all went in procession. A copy of the King’s answer is to be sent to you. This answer will rouse up the blood of the English, and all America will see that they must fight, and that they have no hopes left. The glory of old England is no more! All is lost! God is about to move the Kingdom; and soon, very soon, the King will see his counsellors have deceived him, and the people of England will not bear their insults. The Bank and the Stocks will fail, as no trade is carried on with spirit until the spring; and now all begins to stop; all things are in an uproar; the City is affronted; the people insulted; the Island of Great Britain exposed to the French and the Spaniards; no remittances from the merchants as usual; the great expense to keep up the war, together with fighting against their own people, (and in the most unjust cause that ever disgraced a Kingdom.) All men of sense are astonished and tremble. England has taken her last legal steps, and done all they lawfully can do, and now depend on the Americans to help themselves, and on their own feelings; that the Americans will act like men of virtue and wisdom, and that, all will oppose the greatest tyrant that ever yet was seen, who now is hardened Pharaoh like.

The Quakers in England have petitioned the King themselves, as a people, and now attended the City Petition, all in one voice against the Ministry, and are all faithful to the people in America. The Quakers are the most hearty in the cause, and see the dreadful consequences of a civil war. Our fore fathers did not think that ever a King of England would break his oath, and murder his subjects in cold blood, and take their money, or rob his people, without giving them any opportunity to defend themselves but by the sword. This is dreadful, and dreadfully true. May the God of our fore fathers direct you so to defend your rights and property, as will teach us to depend on the justice of our cause, and the hearty love of our country, in full confidence of a complete victory. This is the hearty prayer of thousands.

The continual inquiries are, how will the Colonies behave? Will they act like men? Or are they such poltrons as Lord Sandwich said they were? In his speech in the House of Lords, he said that the Americans are cowards; will not fight; are men of a mean spirit; dastardly poltrons; all noise and bully; that a few soldiers, would soon make them submit. But God forbid that my worthy friends in America should add disgrace to ruin, and make the cause of God and man of no effect. The Fleet is sailed or sailing. General Gage has drawn bills on, the Treasury, £2400, for secret services, to pay the tools of Government in all the different Colonies. Such bad policy must bring on ruin. Many of the hungry dependants on the king have asked for places; and you will not only have taxes pay, and a Standing Army set over you, but you will have all those vile cattle to maintain. You will have all your blessings taken away if you submit. But if you stand firmly out, and demand your rights, and are determined to fight, the Ministry will be obliged to send you offers of peace, and make satisfaction for all the damage you have already sustained, and be glad of a reconciliation, for England cannot possibly live without you. The silence of the people was occasioned by fear of the Bank, as the National debt is so great; but now, the Tobacco and Oil, and other revenues from America, bring to England two millions. This is proved from the Custom-House books, which the Chamberlain of London has been at the expense and trouble to collect and lay before the King. Yet his heart is hardened like iron, and, as Pharaoh, he will drive his chariot into the German Sea, not without a host of his Nobles to attend him.

PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY (MARYLAND) COMMITTEE.

At a meeting of the Committee of Observation for Prince George’s County, at the house of Richard Carnes, in Piscataway, on Monday, the 10th day of April, 1775, were present thirteen Members.

By a letter from the Committee at Baltimore, of the 15th, ult., it appears that a Brig, called the Sally, William Moat master, from Bristol, having four thousand bushels of Salt on board, imported since the first of February last, arrived there lately, consigned to Doctor John Stephenson. That part of the said Salt was put on board three or four crafts, supposed to be intended for sale in the different Rivers in this Province, and that one Bailey, in a Sloop, took part of said Salt. And it appearing to this Committee, from the information of Messrs. William Lyles, Jr., George Fraser Hawkins, and Hezekiah Wheeler, that they had, on or about the 15th of March, purchased of one Thomas Bailey a parcel of fine Salt, since suspected to be part of the above, the aforesaid Thomas Bailey appears, and being informed of the above, declares his concern that he should have been unguardedly led into a step that he now finds to have been wrong; and that, to shew the sincerity of such declaration, voluntarily consents and requests that the Salt sold as above be destroyed; on which he fully gives up all claim against the persons to whom he had sold the same, and requests the determination of the Committee be postponed, as he can furnish evidence from Baltimore to prove his innocence: on which it is referred to this day fortnight. Mr. Carnes, Mr. Thomas Dent, Mr Richard Dent, Mr. Edward Edelen, and Mr. George Diggs, or any two of them, are appointed to see the Salt destroyed.

At a meeting of the Committee of Observation, for Prince George’s County, at the house of Mr. Richard Carnes, in Piscataway, on Saturday, the 27th day of May, 1775, were present nineteen Members.

The said Thomas Bailey failing to appear, according to the former reference, with the evidence proposed from Baltimore, the Committee proceeded to consider the charge against him; and as it appeared from the said Bailey’s own declaration, that he was informed at Alexandria, before he landed the aforesaid Salt, that the ship load of Salt which arrived at Baltimore, consigned to Doctor John Stephenson, was declared to be illegally imported, and ordered to be destroyed,

They do Resolve, That the said Thomas Bailey has committed a wilful violation of the Continental Association, by selling and landing Salt imported in the Sally, Captain Moat.

The Committee being informed that Mr. John Baynes; of Piscataway, had killed a Lamb, contrary to the Resolve of the Provincial Convention, held, at Annapolis in December last, Messrs. Luke Marbury and George Diggs were sent to in form him that the Committee desired his immediate attendance. Mr. Baynes appeared, and being informed as above, acknowledged that he had killed a Lamb, and conceived that he had not thereby violated the Continental Association, which he purposed to adhere to, and thought it superiour to the Provincial Convention, which, he conceived, was only intended to carry the Resolves of the Continental Congress into execution.

Resolved, That the said Mr. Baynes, in killing the said