Your case has been already laid fully before the Governors, and I can assure you that the Governor of this Province, and those of the other Colonies that are concerned in the Regulations for the Indian Trade are heartily disposed to promote every thing in your favor—The General who commands the army, is also much your friend, and as he is shortly to go over the Great Lake, he will I persuade myself, recommend these points to the Great King who is heartily disposed to protect and favor all faithfull Indians

I thank you for renewing & brightening the ancient chain of Friendship, and particularly in that the Senecas are so wise as to take a firm hold of it—Whilst they value themselves and their confederates, I hope they will retain it firmly, and I expect that as they are the western Door they will henceforth take care that they admit nothing among them, that may give offence to those in the middle or at the East end of the Chain, but hearken to good advice and follow it To promote all this, I do now on behalf of the Great King and his subjects Renew, strengthen and brighten this Chain assuring you that it shall be held fast and kept bright on the part of the English and that it shall last for ever, if you do your parts to preserve it. I hope you have too much sense of its value to expose it to any danger and that you will treasure up my advice as essential to your happiness. Gave a large Covenant Chain Belt 13 Rows Black with White Squares

To which after a little consultation the Indians answered by their Speaker

Brother

We thank you for what you have done and for acquainting us with the good inclination of the Governor of this, and the other Provinces. We are sorry that the General, who has been Bo long known, and so kind to us is going away, as we have a great friendship for him. At the same time we think it will be a good opportunity for laying our Greivances before the Great King, and we hope the General will continue his friendship to us when he gets over the Great Lake, from the Success of which we have much expectat

Saturday April 10 The Indians being all assembled. Seriohana Cheif of the Senecas of Chenussio then addressed Sir William Johnson

Brother Warraghiyagey

If we were not sufficiently explicit regarding the bad Belts, it was really because we thought it needless, as they are no longer of Force, nor shall they ever rise to disturb the peace. It is very true that after having made repeated complaints ineffectually concerning the murder of several of our friends to the Southward, as well as at Juniata we were so exasperated, and alarmed lest the English had a general design against us, that some of our People sent Belts thro' the Nations, adviseing them to have the Hatchet in readiness in case of an attack on notice from us—These Belts were sent far South, and one is now in the Cherokee country, but our bad advisers are now dead, and our Resolutions now changed, as a Proof of which we shall immediately send for that Belt, and bring it in case it is not taken up by Kayashuta, as he was directed, and have now entered heartily into the measures recommended by you, and the confederacy, and assure you by this Belt, that we shall faithfully observe the same

A Belt.

Sir William then told the Chenussios, that they were right in making a plain declaration respecting the Belts especially as it was accompanied by assurances of fetching them away and acting a different part in future all which he expected to see fully performd as an atonement for the offence.

He then acquainted them with the intelligence he had just received from the General respecting the Conduct of the Powtawatamies, six of whom, and three Squaws, last December had wounded and attempted to murder Mr Van Slyck a considerable Trader at St Joseph's killed one of his People, and dangerously wounded an other and that one Indian was killed, and two wounded. That Van Slyck was obliged to fly leaving goods of his and Mr McComb's of above £1500 value behind them [Note. The French were in fault on the occasion, & particularly that Lauison Chaville a very bad man who was married to a Squaw, encourages these murders]-Sir William observed that the unparallelled ill conduct of those Powtawatamies would no longer pass unresented, and asked them what they thought of it

After some consultation among themselves, they returned their answer declaring their detestation of such proceedings which they said were much owing to the French who ought to be removed out of that country. At the same time, as a proof of their aversion for the Powtawatamies on account of their repeated ill behaviour, they the Six Nations, were ready to resent it, to which end they delivered Sir William a Belt from them to the Powtawatamies to be sent by his express to the Commanding officer at Detroit acquainting these Indians that their conduct towards the English reflected on all the Nations That they advised them immediately to desist and repent heartily of what they had done, otherwise that they the Six Nations would think themselves under the necessity of compelling them thereto by force and that without delay, they therefore desired to have an answer soon.

Sir William told them that he would forward their Belt, as they desired, and after acquainting them that he intended meeting the Shawanees Delawares, and Hurons in May put an end to the Congress, and on Monday following delivered them out the Present.

A true Copy Exd

G Johnson Dy Agent as Secretary

in the absence of Mr Shuckburgh who returned home at the close of the Congress

My Lord

Sir William Johnson to the Earl of Dartmouth.

[Plantations General (8. P. 0., No. 5) CCLIX.]

Johnson Hall April 30. 1773.

After finishing the dispatches which accompany this I was honored with your Lordships letter (No 3) of Feb last, from which I am concerned to find that the copy of the Proceedings referred to in my letter of last Novr was omitted to be sent, a circumstance which never before happened to me & which can only be attributed to the peculiar hurry and trouble in which I am involved at the close of every Congress, a Degree of trouble which can not be conceived by those who are not spectators of it

As the general scope of that congress was given in my letter, and as the proceedings of the late one which accompany this are in some measure a recapitulation of the former, but more especially as the Packet will sail by the time this can reach New York, I think it best

to forward these without waiting till a copy can be made of the former Transactions, and as it appears necessary immediately to answer your Lordships last Dispatch.

With regard to the acquiescence of the Six Nations on the subject of His Matys Intentions to establish a Government on the Ohio, I am to assure your Ldp that after having (agreeable to my orders) fully acquainted them therewith, they unanimously expressed their satisfaction at the same, and their inclination to support their Grant at the same time I beg leave to observe that the Lands comprised within that proposed Government have never been claimed with any colour of right, and are not more especially in the Southern Parts occupied by any Indians claiming the same and scarcely by any Indians whatsoever.

The advice which I gave the Six Nations to draw their People from the Branches of Ohio, and bring them nearer the Capital residences of their confederacy was cheifly in consequence of the repeated complaints to me that these emigrants were thro' the practices of others perpetually acting contrary to Treaty, and the Maximes of their own people, and who therefore declared that they could be no longer answerable for their conduct, but as my not having been sufficiently particular in describing the actual residence of these Emigrants, has naturally induced your Lordship to consider the scheme for their removal as in some measure affecting the new Government, it is my duty to assure your Lordship that it was not founded on any principle relative thereto, neither can it in any manner affect the same, for the place of Residence of the Emigrants proposed to be removed is far to the Northward of the New Governm upon the upper forks & Branches of Ohio, towards its Head, and on the Northern side thereof, but still too far from the cheif Residence of the rest, & the object is purely to weaken the factious of disaffected Tribes, and make the 6 Nations accountable for the conduct of all their own People whose depredations joined to those of their associates have long threatned us with a war, a few Ineians were formerly scattered about the Neighbourhood of Fort Pitt, but all these removed some years ago, and tis on the North side of the Ohio, and for the most part far to the Northward of that River that these Indians reside who have created us any trouble or are likely to do so.

I flatter myself that on due consideration of the foregoing, the design of withdrawing the Six Nations Emigrants will appear in a more favorable point of view but if it should not, I must request to receive the honor of your Lordships farther commands respecting the same. I have the Honor to be with perfect esteem—My Lord

I have the honor to transmit to your Lorde two acts I rejected last Session of Assembly. My reasons for rejecting the Act entitled "An Act for the more easy recovery of the possession

of Lands" I viewed as dangerous to the property of the poorer Inhabitants, by extending the right of ejectments so far back as sixty years. This I conceived would place the meaner settlers (who may perhaps have set down on their possessions under very colourable Titles) too much in the power of the proprietors of the exorbitant grants in this Provce, as the doubtful bounds to many of them would give the owners a plea to eject all those settlers, that should come within their computed claims.

The Act entitled "an Act more effectually to call in the Bills of Credit of this Colony, and for Cancelling the same" was objectionable, as coming in my estimation, within the Terms of the second Clause of the Act of Parliament, passed in the fourth year of His Maj'*' Reign to prevent the Emission of paper Bills of Credit ettc. in America, as the object of the Bill was to sink all the paper money remaining of the different emissions before the passing of the Act of Parliament, and which has no other credit at present, but the common consent of the Country. I should wish to be honored by Your Lord by any expedient to call in and destroy the old Bills, as the public faith seems pledged to redeem them, tho' the Laws for that purpose have expired. If my construction of the present act is found to be too rigid, as is the opinion of many Gentlemen here, I hope I may have leave to assent to the passing of the Bill next Session.

I have been honored with your Lord Dispatch N° 5. and agreable to your Commands have communicated to General Bradstreet the paragraph that related to his Petition for part of the Lands claimed by the Proprietors of the Hardenburg patent.

I esteem myself unfortunate in differing with your Lord in the mode of defending the Crown's right against the exorbitant claims of that and other large grants. There is but little doubt, but the original proprietors of many of the large Patents within this Govern' left their boundaries oftentimes purposely dubious, in order to have the better plea of encroachment on the Indians by setting up extravagant claims to their grants. Encroachments, that in many instances operates now against the Crown where the Indians have ceded their titles to the Sovereign.

I am peculiarly thankful to your Lord for your earnest recommendation to My Lord president, to obtain a speedy decision to the important disputes respecting the property of Lands within this Govern'

I am with all possible respect,

My Lord, ettc.

WTM TRYON

N° 32.

My Lord.

Governor Tryon to the Earl of Dartmouth.

[New-York Papers (8. P. 0.) CLXT.]

New York. 5. May 1773.

I was this morning informed by His Excels General Gage, that about a fortnight ago, the wind being very boisterous, a Chimney at Crown Point took fire, which communicating itself to the Neighbouring buildings, afterwards to the Ramparts, and at length to the Magazine, blew up one hundred barrels of Gunpowder, and totally destroyed all the Fortification and other buildings in that Garrison. I presume that your Lord will be furnished, by the General, with a particular account of this accident, but it being a principal post on the Frontiers of this Province, I esteemed it incumbent on me to make some mention to your Lord of a circumstance of this nature, when happening within the limits of my Govern', altho' I have had no official notice of that unfortunate affair.

I returned to this City from Connecticut the 22d inst:, and have the pleasure to inform your Lord that the Commissaries who met at Hartford have amicably and unanimously agreed upon a line of partition between the Govern" of New York and Massachusetts Bay, and the Gov Hutchinson and myself assented to and approved of the same; one of the originals of this agreement with an actual survey of that Part of Hudson's River, which lies opposite, upon a medium course, to the dividing line, I have the honor herewith to transmit to your Lordp. As the earlier the Royal decision is had upon this matter, the happier for both Govern". I am satisfied that single reflection will be a sufficient motive with your Lord to press forward this business. It is very probable the parties may not agree to run the line until the Royal confirmation is obtained. I laid the above agreement before the Council Board the 26tb when it was unanimously approved.

My journey through Connecticut was made very agreeable by the hospitable attention I received from the Gentlemen of that Country and particularly from Govr Trumbull.1

1 JONATHAN TRUMBULL, son of Joseph Trumbull, of Lebanon, Connecticut, was born in 1710, and was graduated at Harvard College in 1727. He was chosen Governor of Connecticut in 1789, and was annually elected till 1783, when he resigned, having been occupied for fifty years without interruption in public employments, and having rendered, during the eight years war, the most important services to his country. At the termination of the contest and on the establishment of the independence of America, he withdrew from public labors that he might devote himself to the concerns of religion and to a better preparation for his future existence. He died August 17, 1785, aged 74. Washington, in a letter of condolence on his death to one of his sons, placed Governor Trumbull among the first of patriots. Allen. — ED.