MAJOR FRENCH TO T. PAINE.

Hartford, October 10, 1775.

Major French’s compliments to Mr. Paine, requests he will apply to the Governour, in the name of the Commitee, to inform him that he conceives (from the law of nations to prisoners of war) he has a right to demand his subsistence, and that of the gentlemen with him, amounting to seventeen shillings and six pence sterling per clay; but he does not mean to draw for that sum, though he claims it as a right, and therefore requests that some determination may be come to, as they are at present, and have been for some time, destitute of money. As he and these gentlemen do not receive the allowance of the Province, at their own desire, they are willing to give such security, for the payment of what they draw for, as may be thought necessary.

To T. Paine, Esq., Hartford..

GOVERNOUR COOKE TO GENERAL WASHINGTON.

Providence, October 10, 1775.

SIR: I have this moment received, by express, orders from the honourable Continental Congress to despatch the two armed vessels, belonging to the Colony, on a cruise after two brigs that sailed from England on the 11th of August last, for Quebeck, with six thousand stand of arms, powder, &c. I think it my duty to inform your Excellency, that the large sloop hath not yet returned from her Bermuda expedition, and that the small one is unfit for service, unless it be in our rivers; so that it is not in my power to take any measures for intercepting those vessels. I also give the same information to Governour Trumbull.

I am, Sir, your Excellency’s most humble servant,

NICHOLAS COOKE.

To General Washington.

Cambridge, October 12, 1775.

Last Tuesday, one of our privateers from Beverly, having been on a cruise in the bay, was followed on her return into port by the Nautilus, man-of-war. The privateer run aground in a cove a little without Beverly harbour, where the people speedily assembled, stripped her, and carried her guns, &c, ashore. The man-of-war was soon within gun-shot, when she also got aground; she, however, let go an anchor, and bringing her broadside to bear, began to fire upon the privateer. The people of Salem and Beverly soon returned the compliment from a number of cannon on shore, keeping up a warm and well-directed fire on the man-of-war for two or three hours, and, it is supposed, did her considerable damage, and probably killed and wounded some of her men; but before they could board her, which they were preparing to do, the tide arose about eight in the evening, when she cut her cable and got off. Some of her shot struck one or two buildings in Beverly, but no lives were lost on our side, and the privateer damaged very little, if any.

No express is yet arrived here, with an account of the taking of Montreal.

NEW-HAMPSHIRE COMMITTEE OF SAFETY TO GENERAL SULLIVAN.

Exeter, October 10, 1775.

SIR: We received yours of the 29th ultimo, enclosing a petition of the Field-Officers to have blanks sent down for commissions, to fill up vacancies, &c.; and if we were authorized by the Congress, would comply without delay. But this Committee were particularly instructed to make out commissions for the Troops, and no liberty to delegate that power. We are sensible that the officers of the Army are more capable of judging of fit persons to be promoted to offices, than the Committee, who have not had the opportunity of knowing how they have behaved in other stations. But, as they are not authorized to do otherwise, must desire a list of the vacancies, with the time that they became vacant, and the names of those persons pitched upon to fill them, sent up; and the Committee will endeavour to send down commissions as soon as possible.

Please to communicate this to the several New-Hampshire Colonels.

NEW-HAMPSHIRE COMMITTEE OF SAFETY TO THE HON. MESHECH WEARE AND NATHANIEL FOLSOM.

GENTLEMEN: Whereas the Hon. M. Thornton, Esq., President of the Congress of this Colony, has represented to us that he had been requested by the honourable Continental Congress, and gentlemen from the other New-England. Colonies, to confer on matters for the publick safety, and has further represented, that the circumstances of his family are such as will probably prevent his attendance, you are desired to attend said Conference, in behalf of this Colony, and join with them in consulting upon such measures as may be proposed for the publick weal.

By order of the Committee.

To the Honourable Meshech Weare and Nathaniel Fol-som, Esquires.

ADDRESS OF NOBLEMEN, ETC., OF COUNTY OF AYR.

Address of the Noblemen and Gentlemen, Justices of the Peace, Freeholders, and Commissioners of Supply of the County of Ayr, presented to His Majesty by Sir Adam Fergusson, Baronet, their Representative in Parliament.

To the King’s Most Excellent Majesty.

The humble Address of the Noblemen and Gentlemen, Justices of the Peace, Freeholders, and Commissioners of Supply of the County of AYR.

We, your Majesty’s most loyal and dutiful subjects, the Noblemen and Gentlemen, Justices of the Peace, Freeholders, and Commissioners of Supply of the County of Ayr, called together by publick advertisement, think ourselves bound in duty, in the present situation of publick affairs, most humbly to approach your Majesty with this our unanimous address, and to express our gratitude for those manifold blessings which we enjoy, in common with all our fellow-subjects, under your mild, just, and legal Government.

While we thankfully acknowledge these blessings, we observe, with the most sincere regret, that the spirit of disaffection which has for some time past unhappily prevailed in several of your Majesty’s Colonies in America, has now broke out into a daring and open rebellion; a rebellion the more unjustifiable, that your Majesty’s declarations from the throne, and the resolutions of Parliament, must have convinced every impartial man, that so far from a wish being entertained to oppress your subjects in America, they might, with certainty, have depended upon every indulgence, if applied for in a proper manner, consistent with the dignity and just authority of the Sovereign and Legislature of both Countries to bestow.

At the same time that we lament that infatuation which has led those deluded men to act in a manner so subversive of the peace and quiet of this great Empire, and so ruinous to themselves, we have such confidence in your Majesty as not to doubt that you will take the most effectual measures to support and maintain the constitutional rights of Great Britain.

In expressing our hopes of seeing the most efficacious means pursued for restoring good order and a due submission to Government, we have no object in view but the common happiness and prosperity of the whole State. As we are certain, from your Majesty’s known clemency, that the punishment of your rebellious subjects will not be carried further than the prevention of such evils for the future, and the necessary maintenance of good government may require; so we hope from your Majesty’s wisdom, and that of your Parliament, that, after peace and good order shall be re-established, those defects in the Constitution of the Colonies, which have, in part, been the occasion of these unhappy disorders, may be corrected, and such a plan of government, with regard to them, adopted, as may be effectual to ensure their obedience in time to come. In this hope, we would gladly flatter ourselves that even those events which appear most adverse to the prosperity of this great State, may, by being the means of establishing it upon a more solid foundation, tend, in the final result, to render it more permanent and secure.

In the mean time, Sire, a vigorous exertion of the power and authority of Great Britain appears clearly to us to be