sent out for the future in ships-of-war, without their lower deck-guns, or in vessels of sufficient force to defend themselves against these Pirates. One of them, a brigantine, with seventy-three men, has been brought in by His Majesty's ship Fowey; and I enclose to your Lordship a copy of the Captain's instructions, from Mr. Washington, commanding the Rebel army. The prisoners are sent to England in the Tartar.

The troops entered into quarters here yesterday, leaving a detachment intrenched upon the heights of Charlestown, for the defence of that post.

Six companies of the Sixty-fifth are embarked, and will sail for Halifax, under convoy of the Cerberus frigate. The 18th and 59th Regiments, being drafted into other corps, their commissioned and non-commissioned officers, with the invalids and recruiting parlies, go from hence on board of transports, in company with the Tartar.

By advice received from the head-quarters of the Rebels, I learn that General Carleton embarked at Montreal for Quebeck, on the 12th of November, with one hundred soldiers, and as many Canadians, carrying with him all the military stores he could convey; and that the Rebels took possession of the town the next day.

I am, &c.,

W. HOWE

ADDRESS OF THE FREEHOLDERS ETC., OF THE COUNTY OF PEEBLES.

Address of the Justices of the Peace, Freeholders, and Commissioners of the Land Tax of the County of Peebles, presented to His Majesty by Sir Robert Murray Keith, Knight of the Bath, their Representative in Parliament.

To the King's most Excellent Majesty.

The humble Address of the Justices of the Peace, Free-holders, and Commissioners of the Land Tax of the County of Peebles.

We, your Majesty's most loyal and dutiful subjects, the Justices of the Peace, Freeholders, and Commissioners of the Land Tax, of the County of Peebles, beg leave, upon the present very serious and alarming occasion, to express, with perfect unanimity, that warm affection and gratitude which we have and owe to your Royal person, under whose auspicious Government we feel, in common with all your Majesty's subjects, every blessing that the best laws, executed by the best of Kings, can possibly produce.

We lament the situation of those of your Majesty's subjects, in America, who, by the artifices and false suggestions of designing men, have been induced to go into rebellion, from the groundless apprehensions of their property being rendered precarious, and their liberties destroyed, by their submitting to be taxed by the British Legislature.

We detest all the illegal and disloyal artifices that have been used for seducing your Majesty's American subjects, not only to violate the law, in the destruction of private property, but also to resist and destroy all legal authority, and at last, by open rebellion, even to dispute the sovereignty of the British Legislature.

We likewise beg leave to testify our disapprobation and dislike of all the licentious, seditious, and poisonous doctrines which have of late been maintained and published, either by speaking or writing, that have a tendency, at this critical juncture, to add to the deception of the deluded people of America, by making them believe that their rebellion is lawful, and approved of by the subjects of Britain.

We confide in the wisdom of your Majesty's Councils, aided and supported by your Parliament, and in the valour of your Majesty's arms, that every proper means will be used successfully, under the kind protection of Heaven, for bringing our deluded fellow-subjects of America to a just sense of their duty of obedience to the Supreme Legislative authority of these Kingdoms, and to eradicate those groundless apprehensions that seem to have inflamed their minds; that the reconciliation may be sincere and permanent; and we beg leave to assure your Majesty of our wish and most earnest desire to exert every means we can to strengthen the power of your Government.

We pray God, that your Majesty may long reign over us; and that the British Dominions, united in your reign, may be transmitted, in that state, to your Majesty's latest posterity.

Signed in our name, and by our appointment, at Peebles, the 14th of December, 1775.

JAMES MONTGOMERY.

In Massachusetts House of Representatives, February 14, 1776.

Mr. Speaker communicated to the House a letter from St. Eustalia, signed Yankoo, dated December 14th, enclosing a number of newspapers.

TO ANY PROVINCIAL COMMITTEE OR CONGRESS ON THE CONTINENT OF CONTINENT OF AMERICA.

St. Euatatia, December 14, 1775.

GENTLEMEN: My last, via Salem, was intended via Rhode-Island, but lost the opportunity, and am fearful if the letter reached you, as I must suppose captures have commenced in America, as well as in the West-Indies. Several vessels inwards from America, and bound thither, among the islands, have been detained and sent into port, particularly Antigua and Dominica; and, notwithstanding their clearances, will be condemned, as reprisals are made without distinction, of all vessels going to or coming from America. Various are the reports from England, respecting America; which proves it is little known what is intended; but if we were to judge from circumstances, in particular that of reprisals, taking in pay foreign forces, and the enumerating their transports, with every kind of stores, ammunition, &c.,&c., it certainly carries appearances very different from an accommodation. I saw a letter from Bristol, to a gentleman here, dated 23d October; part says, no prospect of a reconciliation, the Ministry being determined to push measures. Another, from Scotland, this very day received, and two days later, says: Matters between Great Britain and America will certainly be settled on the meeting of the Parliament. Letters anterior to these, and differently received, bear near the same import. Some say an accommodation will take place, others not. I fancy no true judgment can be formed but from the result of the Parliament. God send the agreeable tidings of peace to each other. May Heaven inspire their souls with just ideas of duty, each to the other, that justice may be sealed in mercy, and so enlighten the minds of that great tribunal as to remove every oppressive measure from before the throne, that the subjects of Britain, wherever dispersed, may know no grievance, but, in every part of their wide extended empire, be able, with honest truth, to sing aloud in anthems of joy: Justice, justice runs down our streets like a stream; all evils are now removed from before us; and one and all adore the God of justice, as the King of our King, and the Supreme of the Universe. May brotherly love be mutually renewed, under the banners of justice, and Britain and America join in grateful songs of praise for a happy deliverance from destruction, and be inseparably united to their glory, and the glory of God the giver; is the fervent wish of your obedient and affectionate,

YANKOO.

P. S. A brig here will sail for Boston, in ten days, with molasses for the troops. I shall write.

DECLARATION BY VIRGINIA CONVENTION

By the Representatives of the People of the Colony and Dominion of Virginia, assembled in General Convention.

A DECLARATION.

Whereas, Lord Dunmore, by his Proclamation, dated on board the ship William, off Norfolk, the 7th day of November, 1775, hath offered freedom to such able-bodied slaves as are willing to join him, and take up arms against the good people of this Colony, giving thereby encouragement to a general insurrection, which may induce a necessity of inflicting the severest punishments upon those unhappy people, already deluded by his base and insidious arts; and whereas, by an act of the General Assembly, now in force in this Colony, it is enacted, that all negro or other slaves, conspiring to rebel or make insurrection, shall suffer death, and be excluded all benefit of Clergy: We think it proper to declare, that all slaves, who have been, or shall be, seduced by his Lordship's proclamation, or other arts,