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Besides the hundred men dispatched to the eastward, four hundred were raised for the defence of this colony, and of the county of Hampshire. They were required to be always ready. That they might be completely ready, both in summer and winter, to march immediately, upon any emergency, it was ordered, that they should be furnished with snow shoes, that they might travel and run upon the snow. A number of men in every town were obliged to prepare themselves in this manner.1

For the maintenance of good morals, the suppression of vicious and disorderly practices, and the preservation of the common peace, the assembly ordered, that a sober, religious man, be appointed by the county court, in each of the counties, to be an attorney for her majesty, to prosecute all criminal offenders.

The colony, at this time, was in the most critical situation. It was not only in danger, and put to great expense, by reason of the war, to defend itself, but to still greater, to defend the neighbouring colonies of Massachusetts and New-York. It was continually harassed by the demands of Joseph Dudley, Esq. governor of Massachusetts, and of lord Cornbury, governor of NewYork and the Jerseys, for men and money, as they pretended for the defence of their respective governments.

At the same time, the colony had a number of powerful enemies, who, by misrepresentation and every other artifice in their power, were seeking to deprive them both of their lands and all their chartered rights and privileges. Governor Dudley, lord Cornbury, and their instruments, combined together to despoil the colony of its charter, and subject it entirely to their government. It appears, from the letters and acts on file, that Dudley wished to unite all New-England under his own government. At the same time, it seems, he flattered lord Cornbury, that, if they could effect the re-union of all the charter governments to the crown, he should not only have the government of the southern colonies; but of Connecticut. Dudley was a man of great intrigue and duplicity, well versed in court affairs, and had powerful connections in England. He had been connected with Sir Edmund Andross in the government of New-England, and was an enemy to all the chartered rights of the colonies. While he was soliciting the government of Massachusetts, he had a view to the government of all New-England. As he had conceived this plan as early as the latter part of the reign of king William, he opposed whatever he suspected would operate against it, and prevent the suspension of all government by charter. When he found, therefore, that Sir Henry Ashurst was appointed agent for Connecticut, about the beginning of the present century, he opposed his undertaking the agency with all his influence, because he knew his friendship to the colonies, and that he was a powerful man. He 1 Records of the colony.

united all his influence with the court party, and the enemies to the liberties of the colonies, to vacate all the charters in America. He so far succeeded, that, in the latter part of the reign of king William, a bill was prepared for re-uniting all the charter governments to the crown. Early in the reign of queen Anne, it was brought into parliament. It imported, that the charters given to the several colonies in New-England, to East and West NewJersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Carolina, the Bahama and Lucay islands, were prejudicial and repugnant to the trade of the kingdom, and the welfare of his majesty's subjects in the other plantations, and to his majesty's revenue arising from the customs. It also further alleged, that irregularities, piracies, and unlawful trade, were countenanced and encouraged by the authority in the chartered colonies. It therefore enacted, "That all and singular, the clauses, matters, and things, contained in any charters, or letters patents, granted by the great seal of England, by any of his royal predecessors, by his present majesty, or the late queen, to any of the said plantations, or to any persons in them, should be utterly void, and of none effect. It further enacted, that all such power, authority, privileges, and jurisdictions, should be, and were re-united, annexed to, and vested in his majesty, his heirs and successors, in right of the crown of England, to all intents and purposes, as though no such charters or letters patent had been had or made." 1

Sir Henry Ashurst, viewing the act as unjust, and subversive of the civil and religious rights of the colony, preferred a petition to the lords spiritual and temporal in parliament assembled, representing that said bill would do great injustice to the inhabitants of Connecticut: That it would make void the charter granted to the colony by king Charles the second: That the government was, by said charter, granted to them, and was so interwoven with their property, that it could not be taken away, without exposing them to the utmost confusion, if not to utter ruin: That the inhabitants had never been accused of mal-administration, piratical or unlawful trade; and that their case was different from his majesty's other plantations in America. He, therefore, humbly prayed to be heard, by his council, at the bar of the house, in their behalf. In consequence of this, it was granted, May 3d, 1701, that the petitioner should be heard against the bill. Sir Henry was a faithful man, had honourable connections, and his influence at court was very considerable. He raised all the opposition to the passing of the bill in his power. Representations were made, not only of the ample rights and privileges granted to Connecticut, by charter, but that they were granted for important considerations, and particular services performed: That the inhabitants, at great expense and danger, had purchased, 1 Copy of the bill on file. ? Petition on file.

subdued, and planted an extensive country; had defended it against the Dutch, French, and other enemies of the nation; had enlarged his majesty's dominions, and increased commerce: That the charter not only gave the inhabitants powers of government, but secured the title of their lands and tenements; and that, in these views, the passing of the bill would be an act of great injustice; would be ruinous to the colony, and prejudicial to the general interest. It was insisted, that it would be still more arbitrary and unjust, as the colony had not been even accused of maladministration, piratical or illegal practices, or so much as heard on the subject. It was pleaded, that the colony had ever been loyal and obedient, and if any irregularities, or inadvertences should finally be found in the government, it would, on the first notice of it, undoubtedly be reformed. At the same time, the taking away of so many charters, was, at once, calculated to destroy all confidence in the crown, in royal patents and promises; to discourage all further enterprise, in settling and defending the country; to create universal discontent and disaffection in the colonies; and to produce effects much more prejudicial to the nation, than any of those which were then matter of complaint. It would, also, afford a precedent most alarming to all the chartered corporations in England. These various considerations operated so powerfully against the bill, that it could not be carried through the houses.

Governor Dudley and lord Cornbury, however, were not discouraged. They determined to make a more open and powerful opposition to the charter rights of Connecticut. And they determined, as much had been made of this argument, that Connecticut had never been accused of mal-administration, piracy, or any illegal trade, to remove it out of the way, by a direct impeachment of the colony of high misdemeanors. They were both powerful enemies. Governor Dudley was not only a man of great intrigue, but had a party at court, who were men of art and influence. Lord Cornbury was nearly related to her majesty, queen Anne, and had many noble connections, whose weight with her royal person and the court, was not inconsiderable. Exclusive of these, the colony had enemies among themselves. Nicholas Hallam, major Palms, captain Mason, Daniel Clark, and others, had either appealed to England against the colony, or were scheming to possess themselves of large tracts of land, and, for that purpose, were encouraging the Moheagan controversy. Hallam had appealed to England against the colony, and lost his case. The king, in council, had established the judgment given against him in the courts of Connecticut. Major Palms, who had married the daughter of John Winthrop, Esq. the first governor of Connecticut, under the charter, had imagined himself injured by the administrators on the governor's estate, and had brought an action against

them. Losing his case before the courts in this colony, he had appealed to England. He was particularly irritated against the colony, and against his brother in law, Fitz John Winthrop, Esq. then governor of the colony. These malcontents all united their influence, by the grossest misrepresentations, and all other means in their power, to injure the colony in its most essential interests. Lord Cornbury was poor, and not unwilling, by any means, to get money. He had made a demand of four hundred and fifty pounds upon the colony, for the defence of New-York. Connecticut judged, that it was not their duty to comply with his demand, as their expenses already were as great as the colony was able to bear.

Dudley and Cornbury, therefore, proceeded to draw up articles of complaint against the colony. Dudley employed one Bulkley to write against the government. He drew up a large folio book, which he termed the Doom or MISERIES of Connecticut. In this, he not only exceedingly misrepresented and criminated the colonly, but expatiated on the advantages of a general governor of New-England, and highly recommended the government of Sir Edmund Andross.1

Among other complaints, the principal articles particularly charged, were, summarily, these: That the governor did not observe the acts of trade and navigation, but encouraged illegal commerce and piracy: That the colony was a receptacle of pirates, encouraged and harboured by the government: That the government harboured and protected soldiers, seamen, servants, and malefactors, who made their escape from other parts, and would not deliver them up, when demanded. It was, also, charged against the colony, that it harboured great numbers of young men, from Massachusetts and New-York, where they were obliged to pay taxes for the expenses of the war, and induced them to settle there, principally, because it imposed no taxes for that purpose: That the colony would not furnish their quota for the fortification of Albany and New-York, and the assistance of Massachusetts Bay, against the French and Indians: And that, if any of her majesty's subjects, of the other colonies, sued for debt, in any of the courts of the colony, no justice could be done them, if the debt were against any of its inhabitants. It was also charged, that Connecticut, under the colour of their charter, made capital laws; tried murders, robberies, and other crimes, and punished with death and banishment; and that their courts of judicature were arbitrary and unjust: That the legislature would not suffer the laws of England to be pleaded in their courts, unless it were to serve a turn for themselves: That they had refused to grant appeals to her majesty, in council, and had given great vexation to those who had demanded them: That the govern

1 Letter of Sir Henry Ashurst, on file.

ment had refused to submit to her majesty, and to his royal highness's commission of vice admiralty, and for commanding its militia; and had defeated the powers which had been given to the governors of her majesty's neighbouring colonies, for that purpose. Finally, it was charged, that the legislature had made a law, that christians, who were not of their communion, should not meet to worship God, without license from their assembly, which law extended even to the church of England, as well as to christians of other denominations tolerated in England.

While governor Dudley was thus attempting the ruin of the colony, in the court of England, he kept up the appearance of the most entire friendship towards it, in this country; and in a letter, of about the same date with his complaints, thanked the legislature for the great supplies which they had given him and the colony.

The general assembly had appointed the most respectable committees, and taken great pains to compromise all difficulties with Owaneco and the Moheagans; and though they had made repeated purchases and obtained ample deeds of their lands, yet, rather than have any uneasiness among the Indians, they offered Owaneco such a sum of money, to make him easy, as was entirely satisfactory to him; but Mason and the other malcontents, who wished to possess the Indian lands, would not suffer him to accept it, and frustrated all attempts for an accommodation.

While Mason and other enemies were practising their arts, in Connecticut, Hallam, assisted by Dudley and his party, with other malcontents, on both sides of the water, was making grievous complaints, in England, of the injustice and cruelty of the colony towards Owaneco, in driving him from his lands, and depriving the Moheagans even of their planting grounds. It was pretended, that, in the late grant and patent to the town of NewLondon, the legislature had conveyed away all his lands in that quarter, whereas particular care was taken, both in the grant and patent, to secure all the property and privileges of the Moheagans. The assembly had taken the most faithful and tender care of them, from the first settlement of the colony to that time. According to their agreement with major Mason, then deputy governor of the colony, when he resigned the Moheagan land to the assembly, they granted him a farm of five hundred acres, and it was laid out to him at a place called, by the Indians, Pomakuk. They had also reserved a fine tract of land, of between four and five thousand acres, to the Moheagans to plant on, which was much more than sufficient for that purpose. But the representations, which these evil minded men were constantly making to Owaneco and his people, at some times, made them uneasy, and some of them probably imagined, that they were really injured. At the same time, the affair was so represented in England, as made impressions on the minds of many very unfavorable to the colony.

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