the good Agreement that will subsist between Us will be of service to both Goverments. "I am sorry that so soon I am obliged to complain to You of the insiduous behaviour, as I am informed, of some traders from your Province, tending to disturb the Peace of this Colony and to alienate the Affections of the Indians from Us. "His Majesty has been graciously pleased to grant to some Gentlemen and Merchants of London and some of both sorts Inhabitants of this Colony, a large Quantity of Land West of the Mountains, the design of this Grant and one condition of it is to Erect and Garrison a Fort to protect our trade (from the French) and that of any of the neighbouring Colonies, and by fair open Trade to engage the Indians in Affection to his Majestie's Subjects to supply them with what they want so that they will be under no necessity to apply to the French, and to make a very strong Settlement on the Frontiers of this Colony, all which his Majesty has approved and directed the Governor here to assist the said Company in carrying their laudable Design into Execution; but your Traders have prevailed with the Indians on the Ohio to believe that the Fort is to be a bridle for them, and that the roads which the Company are to make is to let in the Catawbas upon them to destroy them, and the Indians naturally jealous are so possessed with the truth of these Insinuations that they threaten our Agents if they survey or make those Roads that they had given leave to make, and by this the carrying the King's Grant into execution is at present impracticable, Yet these are the Lands purchased of the Six Nations by the Treaty of Lancaster. "I need not say any more to prevail with you to take the necessary means to put a stop to these mischievous Practices of those Traders. We are informed that there is Measures designed by the Court of France that will be mischievous to these Colonys which will in Prudence oblige Us to unite and not divide the Interest of the King's Subjects on the Continent. I am with Esteem and Respect, "Sir, Your obedient humble Servant Another Letter from the President of Virginia to Governor Hamilton: "Sir: "STRATFORD, December 20th, 1749. "Since the Letter I had the Pleasure to write You I have found it necessary to write to the Lords of the Treasury, desiring their Lordships to obtain the King's Order for running the dividing Line betwixt this Colony and Yours, else many difficultys, will arise upon seating the Large Grants to the Westward of the Mountains. "In the case of the Earl of Granville and the Lord Fairfax this method was taken, and Commissioners appointed by his Majesty and those noble Lords. "I thought it proper to acquaint you with this Step, that there may be no Surprize, and that a matter of such Consequence may meet with as little Delay as the Nature of it will admit of. "I am, with all possible Esteem, Sir, "Your most obedient and humble Servant, A Letter from Governor Hamilton to the President of Virginia. "Sir: "I am honour'd with your Letter of 22d of November, acquainting me with your succeeding, upon the Departure of Sr. William Gooch, to the Command of his Majestie's Colony of Virginia, upon which I very heartily congratulate both You and the Colony, wishing you much Happinness in your Administration, as I doubt not the People will receive much Ease and Prosperity under it; I am at the same time to pay you my Acknowledgements for the favourable Opinion you are pleas'd to conceive of me. "It gives me great Concern that you should have Cause of Complaint against any of the Inhabitants of this Province; you may depend that nothing in my Power shall be wanting to detect the Authors of the dangerous Insinuations you are pleas'd to mention, and make them sensible they are not to act such a Part with Impunity. At present there happens to be none of the Traders in this City to whom I can apply for information, but as soon as they return from the Indian Countries I shall take care that they be strictly examin'd, and endeavour by all possible methods to put an end to so vile a Practice. it may "As you have mentioned the large Grant his Majesty has lately been pleased to make to some Gentlemen in Virginia of Lands on the Branches of the Ohio, I am induced to desire your opinion whether not be of use that the Western Bounds of this Province be run by Commissioners to be appointed by both Governments, in order to assure Ourselves that none of the Lands contained in that` Grant are within the Limits of this Province. If you should join with me in Sentiment that the work is necessary to be done, I shall at all times be ready to appoint Commissioners and Surveyors to run the Lines in Conjunction with Persons to be commissioned by You for that Purpose. "I am with great Regard, Sir, "Your most obedient and most humble Servant, Philadelphia, January 2d, 1749." Then the Governor inform'd the Council that three several Letters of an extraordinary nature, in French, sign'd Celeron, were deliver'd to him by the Indian Traders who came from Allegheny, informing him that this Cap' Celeron was a French Officer, and had the Command of three hundred French and some Indians sent this Summer to Ohio and the Owabach, from Canada, to reprove the Indians there for their Friendship to the English, and for suffering the English to trade with them. The Governor sent one of these Letters to the Proprietaries in London & another to the Governor of New York, that the same might be laid before the Ministry if they thought it proper. A Letter from Cap Celeron to Governor Hamilton. "Monsieur : } "Ayant ete envoye avec un Detachement dans ces Quartiers par Monsieur le Marquise de la Gallissoniere, Commandant General de la nouvelle France, pour reconcilier entre elles quelques Nations Savages qui s'etoient Brouillees a l'occasion de la Guerre qui vient de finir, J'ai ete tres surpris de trouver des Negocians de votre Government dans un Pais sur lequel l'Angleterre n'a jamais aucunne Pretention, il paroit meme quon ne pense pas autrement dans la nouvelle Angleterre, puisque dans plusieurs Villages ou j'ai passe les Anglois qui y etorient en Commerce ont pris pour le plus Part la fuitte, Ceux que Je viens de rencontrer et par les quels je vous ecris. Je les ai traite avec toute la douceur possible quoy que Je fusse endroit de les regarder comme des Interlopes et des Gens Sansaveu, leur Entreprise etant Contraire aux Preliminaires de la Paix Signee depuis plus de quinze Mois. "J'espere, Monsieur, que vous vondrez bien defendre pour la venir ce Commerce qui est contre les Traites; et faire avertir vos Negociants qui'ls sexposent beaucoup, s'ils reviennent dans ces contrees et qu'ils ne doivent imputer qu'a eux les malheurs qui pourroat leur arriver. Je scais que notre Commandant General seroit tres foche d'en venir a quelque Violence; mais il a des ordres tres precis de ne point soufrir de Negociants etrangers dans son Sou-/ government. "J'ai l'Honneur des tre avec Respect, Monsieur, "Votre tres humble et tres obeissant Servitur, "CELERON." Two Bills, One Entitled "An Act for Erecting Part of the Province of Pennsylvania, Westward of Sasquehannah and Northward and Westward of the County of York, into a County," and the Other Entitled "A Bill for amending the Laws of this Province against Killing of Deer out of Season," were presented to the Governor for his Concurrence, were read twice and approv'd, and return'd to the House with a Message that the Governor wou'd pass them when offered to him for that Purpose. At a Council held at Philadelphia, Monday, the 22d January, 1749. PRESENT: The Honourable JAMES HAMILTON, Esquire, Lieutenaut Governor. Samuel Hassell, Robert Strettell, Joseph Turner, Abraham Taylor, Benjamin Shoemaker, Esquires. The Minutes of the preceding Council were read & approv'd. Three Bills presented to the Governor for his Concurrence were read, viz.: One Entitled "An Act for the Continuance of an Act for the more easy Recovery of Legacies within this Province." Another Entitled "An Act for Barring Estates Tail.” The Third Entitled "An Act for amending of the Act Entitled 'An Act to encourage the Killing of Squirrels within this Province."" To every one of which some Amendments were proposed and sent to the House along with the Bills. At a Council held at Philadelphia, Saturday, the 27th January, 1749. PRESENT: The Honourable JAMES HAMILTON, Esquire, Lieutenant Governor. Benjamin Shoemaker, Richard Peters. Robert Strettell, The Minutes of the preceding Council were read and approved. The Governor inform'd'the Board that on the 25th the House had presented for his Concurrence a Bill entitled "A Bill for amending the Laws relating to the Probate of Wills," by two Members, with a Message that the House had agreed to the Amendments pro posed to the Bills returned to them, and that in Pursuance of the Expectations given him at the last Sitting they had resumed the Consideration of the Demand from the Government of the Massachusetts Bay relating to the Expence of bringing home the English Prisoners, and though they found no Mention in their Minutes of any Engagement entered into by the late Governor to that Purpose, yet they were willing to pay the Proportion demanded according to the Value of Livres. As to the Bill, it appeared to him to be of too much Consequence to be taken into Consideration so near the End of a Sitting, and, therefore, he would not give them the Trouble of reading it now, but keep it till the next Sessions. The Governor said further, that he had last Night received another Bill from the House, entitled "A Bill for prohibiting the Importation of Germans or other Passengers in too great Numbers in any one Vessel," and that he was inclinable this should likewise go over to the next Sessions, but in Regard that the Vessels which should come in this Summer might prove sickly, and that the Members at the time the Bill was presented had inform'd him that the House was inclinable to adjourn, he wou'd now lay it before them, and it was read first entirely and then by Paragraphs, and on considering it the Council thought it wanted much Amendment and that some Clauses might be added which would more effectually prevent the Evils intended to be remedied by it, but as the House had signified an Inclination to adjourn to-day it was amended in such Parts as wanted it most, and the Secretary was ordered to transcribe the Amendments and deliver the Bill with them forthwith to the House with this further Message, that the Governor wou'd detain the Bill for the Probate of Wills till the next Sessions. A Message from the House by two Members while the Council was sitting that the House had agreed to the Amendments proposed to the Bill relating to the Importation of Germanus, & and desired that the Governor would appoint some Members of his Council to join a Committee of that House in comparing the Bills that had had his Concurrence with the engross'd Copies, and desired farther to know when he would be pleased to receive the House in order to their presenting those Bills for his Assent, together with an Address which they had prepared. The Governor ordered the House to wait upon him at four o'clock in the Afternoon, and Mr. Taylor and Mr. Peters were appointed to compare such Bills as had received his Concurrence. P. M. Present as before and Abraham Taylor, Esquire. The Speaker and the House waited on the Governor in the Council |