being now in the dock in Georgetown; when it was unanimously voted that it was inexpedient to remove them.

That on the fourth day of May instant, a meeting of the Committees of Inspection for a number of Towns in the County of Lincoln, was held in Georgetown, and after duly considering of all matters respecting the King’s masts, were of opinion that all persons be forbid to work upon said masts, or aid in any manner in fitting them for the King’s use.

That Edward Parry, Esquire, who had procured those masts more than a year since, had promised the Committee that no person should ship those masts for him, but there they should remain in the dock in Georgetown. The Committees of Inspection were then of opinion, that it was inexpedient to remove the masts from the Dock.

That while the Committees of Inspection were met, Colonel Samuel Thompson, of Brunswick, in the County of Cumberland, appeared with twenty armed men, and when he had heard of the result of the Committees, he seized upon the body of Edward Parry, Esquire, and kept him in custody till he gave bonds in two thousand Pounds to tarry in this Town till the pleasure of Congress shall be known respecting him, and also obliged the said Edward to pay for the victuals and drink of him the said Thompson and his men, amounting to the sum of forty-two Shillings, lawful money.

That the said Edward Parry has ever behaved himself as a peaceable member of society, and he declared to the Committees, that had he known there was any order of Congress respecting the masts, he would not have concerned himself with them. Wherefore, your petitioner, at the request of, and as Clerk to the Committee of Inspection, humbly prays the honourable Congress that they would take the matters of fact above stated under consideration, and that orders be sent to Messrs. Dummer Sewall and Jordan Parker, the bondmen for said Parry, that he the said Parry may be released from his confinement, and they the said Dummer and Jordan released from their bonds; and your petitioner, as in duty bound, shall ever pray, &c.

TIM. LANGDON.

JAMES GOWEN AND OTHERS TO GENERAL WARD,

Kittery, May 5, 1775.

SIR: Captain Johnson Moulton, the bearer hereof, who has been a number of years in the service of this Province the last war, and performed to general satisfaction of all parties, and it appearing by the disposition of our men, who are acquainted with him in the service, that he will be the most likely to raise a regiment of good effective men, therefore do recommend him to your Honour (if you think proper) for a Colonel’s commission.

And are your Honour’s assured friends and humble servants,

N. B. There is a considerable number of good men enlisted already, with a view of said Moulton’s being their Colonel.

The Hon. Artemas Ward, Esquire.

THOMAS CHASE TO THE COMMITTEE OF SAFETY.

Roxbury Camp, May 5, 1775.

GENTLEMEN: General Thomas desires you would send a Committee to examine the trunks of Thomas Hutchinson, as they have sent for them, and the General has directions from you not to permit them to go to Boston till your Committee had examined them. I am, in behalf of his Excellency the General, your most obedient servant,

THOS. CHASE, Major Brig.

To the Honourable the Committee of Safety.

COMMITTEE OF SAFETY TO GENERAL THOMAS.

Boston, May 6, 1775.

SIR: This Committee are of opinion, that it is the order of the Provincial Congress that the effects of all persons whatsoever should be permitted to go into Boston without search or detention, and therefore the trunks of Governour Hutchinson are not to be detained or injured.

We are, &c.

PROCLAMATION BY LORD DUNMORE.

By His Excellency the Right Honourable JOHN Earl of DUNMORE, His Majesty’s Lieutenant and Governour General of the Colony and Dominion of VIRGINIA, and Vice-Admiral of the same.

A PROCLAMATION.

VIRGINIA, to wit:

Whereas I have been informed, from undoubted authority, that a certain Patrick Henry, of the County of Hanover, and a number of deluded followers, have taken up arms, chosen their Officers, and, styling themselves an Independent Company, have marched out of their County, encamped, and put themselves in a posture of war, and have written and despatched letters to divers parts of the Country, exciting the people to join in these outrageous and rebellious practices, to the great terrour of all His Majesty’s faithful subjects, and in open defiance of law and Government; and have committed other acts of violence, particularly in extorting from His Majesty’s Receiver General the sum of Three Hundred and Thirty Pounds, under pretence of replacing the Powder I thought proper to order from the Magazine; whence it undeniably appears that there is no longer the least security for the life or property of any man: Wherefore, I have thought proper, with the advice of His Majesty’s Council, and in His Majesty’s name, to issue this my Proclamation, strictly charging all persons, upon their allegiance, not to aid, abet, or give countenance to the said Patrick Henry, or any other persons concerned in such unwarrantable combinations, but on the contrary to oppose them and their designs by every means; which designs must, otherwise, inevitably involve the whole Country in the most direful calamity, as they will call for the vengeance of offended majesty and the insulted laws to be exerted here, to vindicate the constitutional authority of Government.

Given under my hand and the seal of the Colony, at Williamsburgh, this 6th day of May, 1775, and in the fifteenth year of His Majesty’s reign.

DUNMORE.

GOD save the King.

EXTRACT OF A LETTER FROM CARLISLE, PENNSYLVANIA, DATED MAY 6, 1775.

Yesterday the County Committee met from nineteen Townships, on the short notice they had. About three thousand men have already associated. The arms returned amount to about fifteen hundred. The Committee have voted five hundred effective men, besides commissioned officers, to he immediately drafted, taken into pay, armed and disciplined, to march on the first emergency; to be paid and supported as long as necessary, by a tax on all estates, real and personal, in the County; the returns to be taken by the Township Committees, and the tax laid by the Commissioners and Assessors; the pay of the officers and men nearly as usual in times past. This morning we meet again at eight o’clock: among other subjects of inquiry this day, the mode of drafting, or taking into pay, arming, and victualing immediately the men, and the choice of field and other officers, will, among other important matters, be the subject of deliberation., The strength or spirit of this County perhaps may appear small, if judged of by the number of men proposed; but when it is considered that we are ready to raise fifteen hundred or two thousand, should we have support from the Province; and that independent, and in uncertain expectation of such support, we have voluntarily drawn upon this County a debt of about Twenty-Seven Thousand Pounds per annum, I hope we shall not appear contemptible. We make great improvement in military discipline; if is yet uncertain who may go.

New-York, May 6, 1775.

Many printed copies of a letter to the regular soldiers of Great Britain, now on service in America, were, on the 4th instant, distributed among the soldiers in the barracks in this City. The purport of this letter was to prove that soldiers of Great Britain could not legally be sent to America, without the consent of the Legislature of the Colony where they were sent; that in the Colonies soldiers were not subject to the military laws of England, nor could be