bond; he has made some alterations; if you agree to them I shall have no objection.

I am, gentlemen, your most obedient, humble servant,

CHARLES CARROLL.

To the Council of Safety of Maryland.

GOVERNOUR OF PENNSYLVANIA TO THE ASSEMBLY.

Thursday, February 22, 1776.

GENTLEMEN: In consequence of your message of the 25th of November last, founded on a letter addressed to you from the County of Northumberland, respecting the Connecticut settlers at Wyoming, I took the earliest opportunity of giving orders to the Magistrates of that County to put the laws of this Province in execution in their County. The letter I have since received from the Magistrates and Sheriff, which I have ordered the Secretary to lay before you, will inform you of the steps they look in pursuance of my order, and of the unfortunate event of their proceedings.

As a considerable expense must have arisen on this attempt to execute the laws of the Government, I doubt not you will readily make provision for defraying it.

JOHN PENN.

LETTER TO THE GOVERNOUR FROM NORTHUMBERLAND.

Sunday, December 30, 1775.

SIR: In pursuance of your Honour's letter of the 25th ult., the Magistrates of this County delivered into the hands of our Sheriff warrants and other legal processes against a number of persons residing at Wyoming, in this County, who have been charged on oath with the most illegal practices, and some of them with the greatest crimes. The Sheriff, apprehensive of resistance, judged it prudent to raise the Posse of the County; a body of near five hundred men accompanied him to the neighbourhood of Wyoming, where they were met by some people from Wyoming, (one of whom was said to be an officer;) to these men the intention of the Sheriff and his Posse was sufficiently explained, and the strongest assurances given that no violence or molestation should be offered to any person submitting to the laws. The Sheriff proceeded, however, but a little farther, when he was most unexpectedly fired upon—one man (Hugh McWilliams) killed, and three others dangerously wounded. It was soon found impossible to force a passage on that side of the river, as the Narrows, naturally strong, had been fortified with the greatest care, and were lined with numbers of men, to which ours bore no reasonable proportion. An attempt was made to cross the river, with design, if possible, to arrive at the settlement of the persons against whom process had issued, without further molestation. This attempt was, for greater secrecy, made in the night. When the boats had nearly reached the opposite shore, and were entangled in a margin of ice, too thin to bear the weight of a man, they were, without any previous challenge, fired upon repeatedly by a party from the top of the bank. Jesse Lukins received a mortal wound, of which he is since dead. Sundry others narrowly escaped. As a landing could not be effected, the boats returned. Baffled in this second attempt, the weather being intolerably severe, and receiving information that the persons we wished to arrest were the chief in command in their breastworks, it was thought advisable to desist from any further attempt. The boat with the wounded men was fired on, while within gunshot; a constant fire was kept up on our men from the opposite side, while they retreated through a long narrows; one man only, however, was wounded, in the arm.

We are sorry to inform your Honour that a very considerable expense is incurred in this unfortunate affair. We, however, hope that the other branch of the Legislature will show the same readiness, in properly resenting this dating insult on the Government of the Province, which we have ever experienced in your Honour.

We are, with great respect, your Honour's most obedient, and most humble servants,

WILLIAM SCULL, Sheriff,

SAMUEL HARRIS, Coroner,

WILLIAM PLUNKET,

SAMUEL HUNTER,

MICHAEL TROY,

JOHN WEITZEL.

To the Honourable the Representatives of the Freemen of the Province of PENNSYLVANIA, in General Assembly met. The Memorial of the Committee of Safety.

In Committee of Safety, Philadelphia, February 22, 1776.

The Committee have, ever since their appointment, applied themselves with the greatest zeal and fidelity to the important trust confided to them, in providing means for the defence of this Province; they were, however, such means only as were thought more immediately requisite for our security against the attempts made by a naval armament, and were, besides, necessarily confined within the limits of the funds allotted to them by your honourable House; but they beg leave to represent, that, as every day brings with it fresh proofs of the violence of the British Ministry, and of their fixed purpose to subdue the Tree spirit of America, that has yet given such obstruction to all their schemes of tyranny and despotism—a purpose assisted, too, by an obsequious Parliament, which may not speak the genuine sense of the nation, though it has, unhappily, the direction of its force, it truly becomes us to prepare seriously for the storm gathering over the Colonies, and which, in the uncertainty of its course, may, in a few weeks, fall upon this Province. This being the idea of the Committee, they have come to the following resolution, claiming the most earnest attention of your honourable House thereto:

"Resolved, That application be made to the honourable the House of Representatives, praying that they will take order for the raising of two thousand men to act in the defence of this Province; and this Board will represent it as their opinion, that they will be most for the publick service, that one Battalion of Regular Troops be formed out of that number, and the remainder be a body of Riflemen."

The Committee beg leave to solicit your attention to another object, also of extensive importance—the Military Association; the general sentiments concerning which, they have, in the recess of Assembly, had an opportunity of collecting, and though such numbers already have, and, we hope, will still engage in it, under its present form, as may-prove a considerable addition to our strength, yet, as there are material objections made to it, and, as they understand, are to be laid before your honourable House by divers respectable bodies of men, they submit to you, whether it will not be highly expedient, and consistent with good policy, immediately to remove every cause of discontent on this head from the minds of the Associators, who, under an apprehension of partial and unequal burdens imposed on them, have, nevertheless, had the virtue not to refuse their services to their country, in confidence that your honourable House will reconsider the several provisions and regulations complained of, and give them satisfaction-therein.

By order of the Committee:

ALEXANDER WILCOCKS, Chairman.

ORANGE COUNTY (NEW-YORK) COMMITTEE TO PROVINCIAL CONGRESS.

In Committee, February 22, 1776.

GENTLEMEN: Upon receiving blank warrants, the Committee are now met to acquiesce with the request of Congress to fill them; but debates ensuing which of the officers on nomination for raising two companies should have the preference and have the warrants made out, on motion, it was carried that the warrants be returned, and the Congress to use their discretion, as our doing otherwise would involve us in heated parties and precinct disputes; we, there fore, pray you will not impute this measure to want of zeal to do every thing in our power for the general good, and do earnestly desire the honourable Congress to fill up the warrants as may seem meet to you, or otherwise furnish us with one other set of warrants, as each of the parties in nomination have spent much time in making advances towards raising their respective companies, which will extricate us out of the difficulty we now labour under. We are, gentlemen, your humble servants,

DAVID PSYE,

Deputy Chairman of County Committee.

JOHN COLEMAN, Deputy Clerk.

To the President of the Provincial Congress, New-York.