with twenty thousand five hundred staves, for Lisbon, where she did not go, but arrived at Dunkirk, and delivered her cargo, with about ninety hogsheads of tobacco, which were covered with the staves; also, it is now discovered, that two other ships have arrived with like cargoes, and more are expected at the same port. Quere, Do these ships bring their return in tea, brandy, claret, &c, to be smuggled into the Colony? What will be the consequence of this pernicious practice, time will discover.

CAPTAINS GRAYSON AND LEE TO COLONEL WASHINGTON.

Dumfries, April 26, 1775,

SIR: We have just received a letter from the Officers of the Independent Company of Spottsylvania, which I have herewith enclosed. We immediately called together this Company, and had the vote put, whether they would march to Williamsburgh for the purpose mentioned in that Letter, which was carried unanimously.

We have nothing more to add, but that we are well assured you may depend on them, either for that or any other service, which respects the liberties of America. We expect your answer and determination by Mr. Davess.

We have the honour to be your most obedient servants.

By order of the Company:

HUGH MERCER, ETC., TO CAPTAIN WILLIAM GRAYSON.

Fredericksburgh, Virginia, April 24, 1775.

SIR: From undoubted authority, we received here this day, morning, the very disagreeable intelligence, that in the night of Thursday last, Captain Collins, Commander of one of His Majesty’s Sloops of War, by command of his Excellency the Governour, assisted by a Company of Marines, carried off all the Powder from the Magazine in the City of Williamsburgh, and deposited it on board his vessel, which lay at Burwell’s Ferry, about five miles below the City.

The said authority informs us that the Corporation of the City of Williamsburgh addressed the Governour on that occasion. The people have received no satisfaction; nor are they likely to recover the Powder, though it is so very necessary for the security of the Country.

This being a day of meeting of the Independent Company of this Town, they considered it necessary to take the matter into serious consideration, and are come to a unanimous resolution, that a submission to so arbitrary an exertion of Government, may not only prejudice the common cause, by introducing a suspicion of a defection of this Colony from the noble pursuit, but will encourage the tools of despotism to commit further acts of violence in this Colony, and more especially subject the Arms in the Magazine to the same fate as the Powder.

In these sentiments, this Company could but determine that a number of publick spirited gentlemen should embrace this opportunity of showing their zeal in the grand cause, by marching to Williamsburgh to inquire into this affair, and there to take such steps as may best answer the purpose of recovering the Powder, and securing the Arms now in the Magazine. To this end, they have determined to hold themselves in readiness to march from this place as Light-Horse, on Saturday morning; and, in the mean time, to submit the matter to the determination of yours and the neighbouring Counties, to whom expresses are purposely forwarded,. We address you in the name of our Company, as its Officers, and are, Sir, your very humble servants,

To Captain Wm. Grayson.

HENRICO COUNTY (VIRGINIA) COMMITTEE.

In Committee, Wednesday, April 26, 1775.

It appearing from the Virginia Gazette, of the 21st instant, that the Powder in the publick Magazine, in the City of Williamsburgh, deposited there at the expense of the Country, and for the use of the people, in case of invasion; or insurrection, had been secretly removed, under the clouds of the night, by Captain Collins, of the Magdalen Sloop-of-War, and by order of the Governour; and the Committee having taken into their consideration the Address of the Corporation of the City of Williamsburgh, as also his Excellency’s Answer thereunto, came to the following Resolutions

Resolved, That if is the opinion of this Committee, that the removing of the said Gunpowder in the manner, at the time, and for the reasons given for so doing, is an insult to every freeman in this Country, a high reflection upon the respectable Corporation of the City of Williamsburgh, and to the last degree cruel, under their circumstances, being then threatened with an insurrection; that we consider the act itself as a determined step, tending towards establishing that tyranny we so much dread, and which the British Ministry, with unrelenting fury, have so long and are still endeavouring to effect. And further, that we consider it as injurious to the fame, and tending to destroy the pleasing idea we had entertained of his Excellency’s regard for the happiness and true interests of this Colony.

Resolved, That we think it incumbent upon us to avow our sentiments upon this occasion; and while we declare our detestation and abhorrence of the act, we will use our best endeavours to procure an immediate restitution of the said Powder to the Magazine, from whence it was taken.

Resolved, That as we cannot rest satisfied with his Excellency’s Answer to the Address of the Corporation of the City of Williamsburgh, that it be an instruction to the Committee of Correspondence to write to the Committee of the City of Williamsburgh, or to the Committee of York or James City Counties, and procure the most authentick intelligence respecting the same, and report to this Committee at their next meeting.

By order of the Committee:

JOHN. BECKLEY, Clerk.

TO THE PUBLICK.

I find in Messieurs Bradfords Journal, “A Plan of an union of the several Colonies, &c., proposed by Benjamin Franklin, Esquire, and unanimously agreed to by all the Commissioners of the several Colonies, met, by order of the Crown, at Albany, in July, 1754,” with the following introduction:

“The following Plan bears so strong a resemblance to that introduced into the late Congress by a Delegate from this Province, as his own, that I cannot but think it right to take the child from its putative, and restore it to real parents. Had it been produced, as undoubtedly it ought to have been, as perfect and complete as this, it is possible it would have met with a more favourable reception; but this, perhaps, would not have so entirely corresponded with the views of this gentleman, as it would have lessened his title to it, and rendered his claim to be more doubtful or liable to detection.”

Having perused this introduction, I slightly ran my eye over the plan, expecting to find after it, some strictures, proving the alleged “strong resemblance” between it and the one proposed in the late Congress, but not a remark followed; the reader is left to believe the similitude upon the futile and false asseveration of an anonymous scribbler. This is a practice, of late, grown too common with a number of men, who mean to mislead and deceive, and have not even the appearance of facts or arguments to support that deception. It certainly calls for a publick reprehension, because whenever it is done, it is an insult offered to the publick, an affront to the understandings of men of sense and integrity, and, could the authors be Known, they must become the objects of publick contempt.

The plan proposed in the late Congress, though offered to their consideration with the most beneficent intentions towards America, has unfortunately produced very mischievous effects with some folks. It has, given them infinite anxiety, disgust, and distress. Why the mere proposal of a plan of union between the subjects of the same state, in order to the establishment of a permanent harmony between them, and to prevent the dreadful effects of a civil war, should produce these effects, is difficult to determine, unless it be because the plan is so replete with American liberty, and consequently so opposite to their frantick scheme of independency, and yet founded on such solid principles, that they know not what to do with it. It was declared