accursed tyrants who want to corrupt you and deprive you of both liberty and property. There are two hundred and eighty-five Members of Parliament, who are all paid with the people’s money to vote whatever Lord North proposes, and he has his lesson from eight more who compose a club, that meets in the most private manner in the night at Mrs. Keen’s, near the Palace, where they have a box, which contains the papers that pass between His Majesty and them. The King overlooks the schemes, and corrects them; as well as gives orders how to proceed for the future. Hutchinson is consulted, and to the shame of Governours Colden, Penn, and Martin, who have written such letters to Lord Dartmouth, that the King has appointed them to meet at New-York, in order to join with your other lying spirits in betraying the Colonies: to complete which villany Lord North has made a motion in Parliament, as if he intended to promote peace with the Colonies; but it is to deceive them, and the people of England too. It is intended to defeat the salutary advice of the Congress, which does credit to British America. Set the Press immediately to work, and publish to the world the wicked designs of the King and his Counsellors, that you despise their slavish schemes, and are determined to preserve your laws and religion. Encourage the brave people of Massachusetts-Bay to act worthy of their noble ancestors! I have the pleasure to assure you, that the noble Lords with whom. I have conversed, all join you in contempt of the junto here. You are desired to let the. Colonies know that there is a deep plot formed to divide them and deceive the people into a compliance. But tell them that you want not their trade nor protection at the expense of your liberty. You’ll see by the papers the treatment Lord Chatham’s plan met with. Those Lords who advised the King to declare you rebels, and apprehend Messrs. Hancock, Adams, &c., &c., have gone so far as to say that Chatham shall fall a sacrifice to their designs, &c. I know there is publick virtue among you; I know your fondness for England will not let you believe the wicked designs that are meditating against you; but I do now, in the presence of God, warn you that the King has no good intentions toward you, but what you oblige him by your own wisdom and virtue to have. Take care of yourselves, and act as the wise and brave have done in all ages when oppressed by tyrants. Resist unto blood all who attempt to betray you. The Parliament have registered Colden’s and Penn’s letters; look to them, and see for yourselves. Believe the Court your worst enemies. Be much on your guard. Yesterday Doctor Fothergill and Mr. Barclay were so pressed in spirit that they went to see Lord North, and told him that the Bill for prohibiting the Fisheries was so horrid and inhuman that the whole Nation would rise and oppose it; and that if it did pass into a law, it would be a scandal to humanity, and, perhaps, occasion a revolt. They plead two hours with him, but to no purpose. The Bill is to be read a third time on Tuesday; so that in five days this horrid Bill passes into a law without any further consideration, Oh, America! Oh, England! The Ministry, in order to quiet the mob, ordered an inflammatory pamphlet to be burnt at Guildhall, which drew off the people while the Bill passed in Parliament, &c. A report is sent into the City that the Transports are stopped. This is to quiet the Merchants; but the Officers are gone down in private coaches of other people, and America is to be divided and driven into compliance before England is apprized of it. Lord North has just given out that he will resign, and at the same time says, that he fears nothing from the people, unless it be the breaking of his coach doors, or some such trifle; no resistance of importance from the City, only a clamour, which he has often experienced. He expects that this manœuvre will quiet the people on both sides of the water.

“Goods are shipped in the Transports with the Officers’ Baggage, marked Rex, and under the protection of the King’s Troops, who are to land them and protect the trade, &c. North-Carolina is to be a store-house, it is said. Support the Committee, and watch the Officers of the Customs, &c. Your friends are afraid that you will be surprised into a compliance. The offers of peace were only to raise the Stocks, which had fallen; they are four per cent, higher on account of the report. The Council sat up all night, in order to find out ways and means to conquer Virginia and procure Tobacco; great offers will be made to those who will raise it, &c. Men of large fortunes are afraid to oppose Government, lest the Bank should fail, which is said to be in danger. The interest on the year ’74 is not paid. Many of the people are your most hearty friends, but the King is your greatest enemy. Be not deceived by his low cunning; act wisely, and the wicked and cursed plot will break on the heads of those who want to destroy you. The King is his own Secretary; he gets up at six o’clock every morning, sends off his box with remarks on a bit of paper tied round each order; four of the ablest lawyers are constantly with him, whose business it is to advise and search for precedents, to screen his head and throw the blame on the Parliament. Two millions have been squandered in bribery and corruption. The Crown has nothing to fear but the hunger of the poor. A steady adherence to the proceedings of the Congress will save England and America. Beware of Governour Penn, who has had offers made him to comply with the designs of the Court. Send this to Boston immediately. Mr. Hancock’s lands are already divided among the Officers, &c. Lord Dartmouth is your bitter enemy, and determined to destroy the liberties of America. Lord Chatham, Lord Camden, the Duke of Richmond, and all the wise wish that you may attend to the advice of the Congress.”

Extract from a different person, dated MARCH 2d: —

“Part of the Troops now ordered for embarkation here and Ireland, are to rendezvous at New-York, to make it a place of Arms, securing the defection of that Province from the general alliance in the cause of freedom and every thing that is dear to man; and to prevent the communication between Virginia, Maryland, and the other Southern Colonies, with New-England, when General Gage, with such assistance as he may get from New-York, is to subdue these Colonies by a Garrison-Town and place of Arms, with the assistance of Quebeck, to rule with a rod of iron all the slaves of America. Without the concurrence of New-York this scheme can never be carried into execution, of which every gentleman and man of knowledge in this Kingdom is fully convinced; therefore, on your virtue, in a great measure, it depends whether. America shall be free, or be reduced to the most abject and oppressive servitude, worse than that of Egyptian bondage; in which you must inevitably be involved, if you lend your aid to enslave your brethren in the other Colonies. I have to inform you that the Bill for preventing the four Colonies of New-England from Fishing, getting Provisions from the other Colonies, or carrying on any Commerce whatever to any part of the world except Great Britain, Ireland, or the British West-Indies, will finally pass the House of Commons to-morrow, and is to take place the first of next July. You may also depend that in a few days another Bill will be brought in to prohibit any of the other Colonies from carrying on any Trade whatever with each other, or to any other part of the world, except to Great Britain, Ireland, or the British West-Indies, which will probably take place in July also; therefore you will act accordingly, and let this be publickly known.”

Extract of another Letter, dated LONDON, MARCH 1:

“The measures of the Ministry will, I hope, do more towards uniting the Colonies, than any efforts of America itself. You will easily perceive their wicked intentions to divide, as well as their designs after that hoped-for division. They have high hopes of success from the last accounts from New-York. I trust the people of that Province will soon displace those rascally and treacherous Tories in your Assembly, who dare thus negatively encourage the system of despotism now adopted for your Government. The wisdom of the Congress and the firmness of the people give the strongest assurances of future conduct. Several names are made use of here as authorities to warrant the defection of America. (I can give you such as I have heard; their conduct will best determine whether the idea is well founded: The De....ys, J......, W...., Smith, J..... G..... y, J.... R........, &c., &c. They most assuredly correspond with some ministerial people here, and though great care is taken to conceal, yet the men are too evidently marked to be totally unknown.) Pray print