EXTRACT OF A LETTER FROM LONDON TO A GENTLEMAN IN PHILADELPHIA.

London, May 12, 1775.

I did not, until this day, receive your kind favour of March 17, which confirmed the agreeable intelligence of the decisive victory of the sons of liberty in New-York, over the pitiful and mercenary supporters of despotism.

The Remonstrance of their Assembly to the House of Commons, Mr. Burke, the agent, is to present next Monday, the 15th instant. I fancy you may take it for granted, the Ministry are determined it shall not be received; but if their minds should change before that time, it will be received only to be condemned, by ordering it to lay on the table, which is almost as slighting a mode of procedure as refusing to receive it. Thus are applications treated, when made in the very manner the Ministers themselves have pointed out. In short, nothing will please, but an absolute and total submission, at the shrine of despotism, of the lives, liberties, and property, of yourselves and posterity to end less generations.

Whether these things are not worthy of contending for, even unto death, I leave you to judge, who may enjoy the blessings of them, or feel the curse of wanting them forever. The advantages of commerce are now, for the first time in this Kingdom, held at naught by our wicked Ministers; as they suppose commerce enlarges the ideas of men in general, and gives more aversion to tyranny than confined employment; therefore, the trade of poor old England is to be buried in the same grave with American liberty.

The merchants and manufacturers you well know, however, before this, have bestirred themselves in the American cause; but as they did not really feel, their exertions were not earnest enough to command success. For my own part, I am convinced this business can never be settled without bloodshed, unless you are tame enough to give up every thing that can be held dear in this world, viz: civil and religious liberty, to absolute tyranny; because I know the Ministers, or, in plain words, their master, Lord Bute, has ordained it shall be. In my mind, there should not be one moment’s hesitation about the choice: we can die but once, and never on a better occasion than in the cause of God, and the rights of mankind. The friends of liberty in this Country, who are really numerous, look to you with wonderful attention. They expect much good from your virtue; and, in my judgment, when the first engagement happens in America, a flame will burst out here that must overwhelm the contrivers of all this mischief. The eyes of all Europe are upon you; and I believe we should have had a foreign war before this, but France and Spain wait to see the business first fairly begun in America. However, this day the foreign mail brings certain intelligence of twelve Spanish Men-of-War arriving at Cadiz from the Mediterranean, which has occasioned much speculation among the politicians, and horrible grimaces among the ministerial gentry. I am no enthusiast; but still I am convinced that this American business is in the hand of Providence, to make you a great and wonderful Empire. Every circumstance is in your favour, and I have no doubt of your sagacity and virtue in taking advantage thereof.

We suppose, by this time, all the Troops for Boston have left Ireland —seven Regiments of Infantry and one of Horse; the Foot may be about three thousand effective men, and the Horse from two to four hundred. The Cavalry, if they arrive (for probably many will die on the passage) cannot be fit for service this summer. Next week Sir George Savile in the House of Commons, and Lord Camden in the House of Lords, are each of them to present a Petition from the inhabitants of Quebeck, praying for the repeal of the Quebeck Government Act, when each of them, in their several Houses, will make a motion for that purpose.

From what knowledge I have of America, it appears to me an absolute certainty that the ministerial plan of slavery that is formed for you can never succeed, if you continue unanimous, and determine to resist, even unto death, rather than resign your liberties. Depend on your own efforts, and leave the issue to Providence, which, as the guardians of virtue, will certainly make your efforts successful.

RICHMOND COUNTY (VIRGINIA) COMMITTEE.

At a Committee elected for the County of Richmond, meeting by an adjournment from the 10th of this instant, at the Court-House of this County, on the 12th of May, 1775, present Landon Carter, Esquire, Chairman, and a very full bench of the Members:

The Committee appointed on the 10th instant, having brought in their Report, according to the order of that day, the same was received and read, and is as follows:

Your Committee, taking into consideration, according to order, the late Address of his Excellency the Governour to the Council, on the 2d of this instant, and the Proclamation issued in consequence of their advice on the 3d instant, think themselves indispensably bound to their constituents to vindicate them from the groundless aspersions, and very unjust accusations with which a part of this community are therein charged, and which are only calculated to induce a belief that the people of this Country are meditating a plan to change the present form of Government. They have, therefore,

Resolved, 1st. That the late commotions in some parts of this Country, alluded to in the Address and Proclamation, arose from a full conviction of a cruel and determined plan of Administration to enslave these Colonies, which has been manifested in various instances, and of which the late proceedings of his Excellency, in removing the Powder from the Magazine, with the several circumstances attending the same, appear evidently to be a part.

2d. That our repeated and dutiful applications for redress of grievances, our patient endurance under a long course of irritating and oppressive measures, and our most solemn declarations “that our utmost wish was a restitution of the rights which we enjoyed until the year 1763,” are convincing proofs of our attachment to the Constitution, our loyalty to our Sovereign, and our love of order.

3d. That the whole of his Excellency’s conduct respecting the unhappy disputes between the Colonies and the British Ministry, especially the groundless and injurious charges alleged against the people of this Colony, in his Address to the Council, and in his Proclamation of the 3d of this instant. (May,) are unjustifiable and inimical, and therefore he has justly forfeited the confidence of the people of this Colony.

4th. That the Members of His Majesty’s Council who advised the above-mentioned Proclamation, acted inconsistently with that wisdom, justice, and generosity which ought to characterize them as legislators, judges, and natives of the most distinguished in the Colony; and we do declare, that we find ourselves deeply affected that those who should be mediators between the executive power and the people, should concur in fixing a stigma on their fellow-subjects, so unjust and so undeserved.

5th. That in order to remove these atrocious aspersions, and to convince the world of our firm attachment to the Constitution as it existed before the year 1763, we hereby solemnly pledge ourselves to support it at the hazard of our lives and fortunes.

Every Resolve contained in the foregoing being distinctly read, and separately considered, was passed nemine contradicente.

Ordered, That these proceedings of this day, as soon as may be convenient, be transmitted to the Press for the satisfaction of the publick.

WILLIAM SMITH, Clerk pro tem.

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 the General Assembly stands prorogued to the first Thursday in September next, but it is judged expedient and necessary that they should be sooner convened: I have therefore thought proper, by this Proclamation, in His Majesty’s name, to appoint the first Thursday in the next month for that purpose; at which time their attendance