in the breasts of seditious and ill-designing men, who, under the specious mask of liberty, attempt to deceive and seduce the minds of your faithful subjects. We are justly and sensibly thankful for the real enjoyment of that inestimable blessing, in its most pure and rational form, under the mild and auspicious Government of your Majesty. Deeply impressed with these sentiments of gratitude, and the innumerable advantages we reap from our happy Constitution, under your Majesty’s paternal care, we, with all due respect, present this our tribute of allegiance and fidelity to the best of Princes; and that the Crown of these Realms may forever flourish upon you, Sire, and your royal posterity, is the earnest prayer of us, your most dutiful and loyal subjects.

EARL OF DARTMOUTH TO GENERAL HOWE.,

Whitehall, September 22, 1775.

SIR: It having been thought expedient, with a view of providing more effectually for the security of Canada and of Halifax, to change the destination of the five Regiments now ready to sail from Ireland, enclosed I send you a copy of Lord Rochford’s letter to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, containing the directions that have been given on this occasion, which will point out to you the whole of that arrangement. I also enclose to you a copy of the state of the ships taking in stores and provisions for the use of the Army, together with a copy of my letter to the Lords of Admiralty thereupon. And I am to signify to you His Majesty’s pleasure, that if, when these ships arrive and are unloaded, you may have occasion for them, in any operations you have in view, you do detain them in His Majesty’s service, such only excepted as are chartered for the West-Indies, after delivery of their loading at Boston.

The last advices from North-America are the fullest evidence of an open and declared war, on the part of the twelve associated Colonies; and there is no room left for any other consideration but that of proceeding against them in all respects with the utmost rigour, as the open and avowed enemies of the State.

I am, &c.,

DARTMOUTH.

Newborn, North-Carolina, September 22, 1775.

This week will ever be remembered as the most remarkable epoch in the annals of this Country, for the discovery of the grand repository and dark depositum of Governour Martin’s infernal magazine, which, with cool deliberation, he intended to deal out, in missive weapons of death, to the good people of this Province. In the Palace garden, and under a fine bed of cabbages, was discovered and dug up a barrel containing about three bushels of gunpowder; in the Palace cellar was also dug up two quarter-casks of the same commodity—the casks quite new, and marked R. B. In the Palace garden was also dug up about one thousand weight of musket balls, lately cast; about five hundred weight of iron swivel balls; a large quantity of small shot, lead, iron, worms for the cannon, with swabs, rammers, artillery boxes, matches, and the whole apparatus for his park of artillery, which he would have certainly mounted at the Palace, had not the appearance of the people of the Town of Newbern, on his attempting to move the Palace guns, driven him from the trenches before he had made them quite tenable. It is said his Excellency, the night before he took his precipitate flight from the Palace, buried these engines of death, as they might remain in places of safety till he or his creatures might have an opportunity to use them. The Palace cannon, it is said, were spiked up after his Excellency left the Palace, by a person who, no doubt, will be obliged to answer for his conduct. As it is improbable the Governour could procure these deadly weapons without assistance, the Committee of this Town and County are using their utmost diligence to discover the authors of so black a treachery.

WILLIAM MACLAY TO SECRETARY SHIPPEN.

Sunbury, September 22, 1775.

SIR: I enclose to you an estreat of the fines adjudged in our Quarter Sessions, as far back as February Sessions, 1774. Before that time there are none worth attention, save the fines of one Williams, alias Adams, who broke jail and escaped. I am not certain whether I ever sent any account of fines heretofore, but rather think I did not. I believe it is a generally received opinion, that the Governour remits the fine of the woman, in cases of fornication. I mention this circumstance, as it is likely the Sheriff, under the influence of this opinion, may have omitted taking the fines from them; if the Sheriff has heretofore paid any of the fines now estreated, it will be easy to let him have the necessary credit.

The Congress, at the last meeting, ordered the memorials respecting the Connecticut intrusion to lie on their table to the next meeting, on the 5th of September. In the mean time, their Delegates were directed to enjoin a peaceable behaviour on their people. The 5th of September is come and past; the injunction, therefore, is no longer binding, according to their mode of reasoning. We never had more rumours about them and their designs: Samuel Wallis has just now been with me, respecting the conduct of one Vincent, who lives near Mr. Modie. This man was some time ago appointed a Connecticut Magistrate, and is now at Wyoming, in order to pilot down three hundred of them to the West Branch; his son was with him, and is returned, and gives out that his father only waited until the armament would be ready. Wallis says he has taken some pains to examine into the story, and for his part verily believes it to be true; if so, we shall soon hear of them. They have lately been at great pains to enlist their adherents among . . . . . . . into the twenty-fourth or Butler’s Regiment. It is highly probable that every motion of the people at Wyoming is in consequence of orders from the Colony of Connecticut; if so, it is incontrovertible that they intend, per fas et nefas, to possess themselves of the country. It seems mysterious that they should be so intent upon pushing their encroachments so far southward into the Susquehannah settlement, while the lands west of Wyoming are quite unoccupied, and quite disregarded. Perhaps a west line from the most southern settlement they can effect, by art or force, may be contemplated by them, as the boundary of their future empire; that is, in case they intend to leave Pennsylvania a name or place at all among the Colonies.

I am, Sir, with great respect, your most obedient and most humble servant,

WILLIAM MACLAY.

Mr. Shippen.

RETURN OF MINUTE-OFFICERS IN SOUTHEAST TRECINCT, DUTCHESS COUNTY, NEW-YORK.

Dutchess County, Southeast Precinct Committee, Sept. 22, 1775.

Ordered, That those persons who have arranged themselves in the character of Minute-Men in this Precinct do assemble themselves on the 26th instant, in order to choose out of their Company the several Officers which, agreeable to directions of our Congress, are to command such Companies; and that Thomas Baldwin, Esq., and Mr. Nathaniel Foster, Members of this Committee, do attend and inspect said choice, and make return thereof to the Chairman of this Committee.

JOSEPH CRANE, Chairman.

Southeast Precinct, September 26, 1775.

We hereby certify that, agreeable to the foregoing order, the Company of Minute-Men therein referred to did, on the 26th instant, assemble, and, under our inspection, made choice of Joshua Barnum, Jr., as Captain; William Marsh, First Lieutenant; Eliakim Barnum, Second Lieutenant; and Jonathan Crane, Ensign.

THOMAS BALDWIN,
NATHANIEL FOSTER.

CONNECTICUT COMMITTEE OF SAFETY.

Friday, September 22, 1775.

At a meeting of the Governour and Council of Safety of Connecticut, holden at Lebanon, present: His Honour the Governour, Hon. Deputy Governour Griswold, Samuel Huntington, Jedediah Elderkin, and Joshua West, Esqrs.

On motion from Colonel Saltonstall, Ordered, Colonel Huntington, or Mr. Nathaniel Shaw, Jr., to deliver him, for the use of the men raised for defence of New-London, thirty Muskets, imported by Mr. Shaw, for the Colony; to Dr. Lee Lay, for Lyme, five of the same; and before ordered by the Governour for Stonington, fifteen of the same Muskets.