and Influence of Massachusetts Bay, embraced the dangerous resolution of shutting up the Courts of Justice. With this design they took possession of the Court House immediately before the Courts of General Sessions of the Peace, and common Pleas, were to be opened there in March last. They persisted with so much obstinacy to resist the Sheriff and his Posse that he was obliged to have recourse to fire Arms, by which one of the Rioters were killed and several were wounded upon which they quitted the House and the Courts were opened. But by the next day such numbers had joined the Rioters from New Hampshire & Massachusetts Bay, as made them too powerfull for the Majistrates: they took one of the Judges the Sheriffs Clerk of the Court and several other persons prisoners, and after confining them for several days in the Goal of their own County carried them into Massachusetts Bay, and put them into the Goal of North Hampton where they remaind when the last accounts came from them It was necessary for me, my Lord, to call upon the Assembly for aid, to reinstate the authority of Government in that county and to bring the atrocious offenders to Punishment. They have given but one thousand Pounds for this Purpose which is much too small a sum, but the party in the Assembly who have opposed every measure that has a tendency to strengthen or support Government by working on the parcemonious disposition of some of the Country Members had too much influence on this occasion I am now waiting for an answer from General Gage to whom I have wrote on this affair in Cumberland: by his Assistance I hope we shall soon be able to hold a Court of Oyer and Terminer in that County, where I am assured there are some hundreds of the inhabitants well affected to Government; and that if the Debts of the people who have been concerned in this outrage, were all paid, there would not be a six pence of property left among them It is proper your Lordship should be informed, that the inhabitants of Cumberland County have not been made uneasy by any dispute about the Title of their Lands; those who have not obtained Grants under this Governm', live in quiet possesssion under the Grants formerly made by New Hampshire The Rioters have not pretended any such pretext for their conduct: the example of Massachusetts Bay is the only reason they have assigned. Yet I make no doubt they will be joined by the Bennington Rioters, who will endeavor to make one common cause of it, tho' they have no connection but in their violence to Government Some weeks before I received His Majestys commands for locating Coll Ords Land, I had sealed a Patent granting 5000 Acres of Land to him upon his mandamus, in another part of the Country, where his agent had petitioned to have it granted before Governor Tryon went from hence. It was now therefore out of my Power to comply with his Majestys directions I am with entire submission & respect My Lord Your most obedient and faithfull Servant Cadwallader Colden The Printer has not compleated the Journals of Assembly, but those I send contain all that is material. Sir Secretary Pownall to Mr. James Rivington. [New-York Papers (B. P. O.) CXLVII. ] Whitehall 5th April 1775 I am directed by the Earl of Dartmouth to transmitt to you the enclosed Commission, under His Matys sign manual, containing His Matys appointment of you to be His Matys Printer within the Province of N York and I am further to acquaint you that the King has been graciously pleased to signify His Matys Commands to the Lords Commissioners of his Treasury, that they do make an allowance to you, out of such Fund as their Lordships shall think proper, of one hundred pounds Pr Annum, to commence from the 1st of January last past I congratulate you upon this mark of His Majestys Grace and favour & am &c &c &c. Mr James Rivington 1 J Pownall 1 James ErvTNGTON was born in England in the year 1724, and was bred a bookseller in London and as such went extensively into business in that city. He becaine fond of amusements and regularly attended the horse races at Newmarket; at one of which he lost eo much money as to conceive himself to be ruined. He was therefore induced to persuade one of his principal creditors to take out a commission of bankruptcy against him. After due examination into his affairs, his creditor assured him that it was unnecessary, as he possessed property more than sufficient to pay all demands against him. Rivington, however, persisted in his request, and went through the process required by the bankrupt act; he eventually paid twenty shillings in the pound and had something left. This event determined Rivington to remove to America, where he arrived in 1760 and settled as a bookseller in Philadelphia. The year following he left his business in Philadelphia with a partner by the name of Brown, and came to New-York; opened a book store at the lower end of Wall-street and made that city his place of business. After some years he failed; but very speedily settling his affairs, he recommenced business. He eventu ally adopted printing; and, in April, 1773, published a newspaper, entitled Rivington's New-York Gazetteer; or The Connecticut, New Jersey, Hudson's River and Quebec Weekly Advertiser. This paper commenced its career April 22, 1773, on a large medium sheet, folio. He also printed several books for his own sales, among which was Cook's Voyage, in two volumes, 12mo. and dealt largely as a bookseller and stationer. In the beginning of 1775 the Gazetteer contained a number of attacks against Congress and the leading Patriots, whereby Rivington became very obnoxious to the popular party, and as early as March of that year was denounced in Rhode Island, New Jersey and Ulster county, N. Y. On the 10th of May the storm burst over his head. The mob which had paid a visit to President Cooper (supra, p. 297, note) attacked Rivington, who was fortunately rescued by one or two friends and subsequently sought refuge on board the Man of War. His conduct was taken up by the Provincial Congress, which referred his case to the Continental Congress, then in session in Philadelphia. Rivington thought it best to make his peace and sent an apologetic letter, promising to avoid giving any further offence; he afterwards signed the General Association. But his appointment as King's Printer and his intimate connection with the pensioned writers on the Royalist side, brought him again into collision with the popular sentiment and his press and printing office were destroyed in November, 1776 ( supra, p. 219, note), when a stop was effectually put to his Gazetteer. Soon after this event Rivington went to England, where he supplied himself with a new printing apparatus After the British gained possession of the city, he returned; and, October 4, 1777, recommenced the publication of his Gazette under the original title, but in two weeks exchanged that title for the following, Rivington's New-York Loyal Gazette, and on the 13th of December following he called his paper The Royal Gazette. "Published by James Rivington, Printer to the King's Most Excellent Majesty." While Rivington entertained the supposition that the Americans would be subjected by the British arms, he continued his hostility to their cause; but when he despaired of their subjection and believed that Great Britain would, herself, acknowledge the Independence of the United States, he deemed it prudent to conciliate the minds of some of the leading American characters. To this end, it is said, he sent out of New-York such communications as he knew would be interesting to the commanders of the American army. In consequence of these peace offerings he was protected when the war ended, and remained in the city, having discarded from his paper the appendages of royalty. It was no more the Royal or Loyal Gazette, but a plain republican newspaper, entitled Rivington's New-York Gazette and Universal Advertiter. It was, however, considered as a wolf in sheep's clothing, and not meeting with support, the publication of it terminated and the editorial labors of Rivington ended in the year 1783. He continued his trade in Books and Stationery, but failed a third time, and died in July, 1802, at the advanced age of seventy-eight years. Thomas' History of Printing, II., 141, 812. ED. Secretary Pownall to the Reverend Drs. Cooper and Chandler. [New-York Pmpera (8. P. 0.) CLXVII.] Whitehall 5,h April 1775 I am directed by the Earl of Dartmouth to acquaint you that His Majesty has been graciously pleased from a consideration of your merit & Services to signify His Commands to the Lords Commissioners of the Treary that they do make and allowance to you out of such Funds as their Lordships shall think proper of two hundred Pounds per annum, the said allowance to commence from the first of January last. I beg leave to congratulate you upon this mark of His Majestys favour and am with great truth Yours &c I am commanded by the King to acquaint You, that it is His Majesty's pleasure that the orders of the Commander in Chief of his Majty' forces in North America, and under him of the Major Generals and Brigadier Generals shall be supreme in all cases relative to the operations of the said Troops, and be obeyed accordingly. In consequence of the conversation I had with you yesterday, respecting the proposition of making grants to Mess" Totten, Crossfeild, Van Renslaer, Low, Jessup & others, His Majestys subjects in New York, of lands purchased by them of the Indians in 1772, I think fit to acquaint you, that, fully sensible of how much importance it is in the present moment, that His Majestys faithfull and well disposed subjects in New York should be gratified in every reasonable request, as far as may be consistent with the Kings Justice and dignity, I shall submit to His Majesty my humble opinion that whenever the persons really, and bona fide interested and concerned in those purchases shall make humble application to His Majesty for such grants accompanied with a disavowal of all association to obstruct the Importation or Exportation of goods to and from Great Britain it may be adviseable for His Majesty to comply with their request and to confirm to them the possession of the said Lands by letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain & not otherwise With regard to the other matters stated in your letter to me of the 12th Instant, and which you think are objects of importance to Government in the present Situation, I shall not fail, at a proper time, before your return to New York, to receive and to communicate to you His Majestys commands upon such of them, as are not in train of consideration before the privy council & Board of Trade and upon which therefore I am precluded from giving any Instructions, untill those Boards shall have submitted their opinions to the King I have received and laid before the King your Dispatch of the 13,k February N° 6. It is to be expected, that the Enemies to the restoration of the public tranquility will pursue every indirect measure, and propagate every falsehood that may answer their wicked purpose of exciting jealousy and apprehension in the minds of the Indians; but the King trusts that, through your influence and attention, their evil designs will be defeated. His Majesty has at all times being desirous of complying with every just and reasonable request of his faithful subjects and Allies the Six Nations of Indians, and if you are of opinion that, in the present moment, any particular instructions from hence are wanting for the accommodation of their Disputes, or upon any other matters necessary to their welfare and satisfaction, it will be your duty to make an immediate and particular representation home of the different heads upon which you wish to be instructed and your opinion of the means by which His Majw may manifest his gracious purpose of exerting his Royal authority in every case in which their peace and security may require it I am ettc DARTMOUTH. My Lord Lieutenant-Governor Colden to the Earl of Dartmouth. [Now-Tork P«p«rs (8. P. O. ) CLXVII., No. 1«. ] New York May 3d 1775 I have received your Lordships Despatches of the 23d of February and 3d of March, both circular and one private of the last date. Likewise your letter No 28. In all my correspondence I have studied to give your Lordship an exact Idea of the real situation of the Province, and of the most material transactions of the People. The Accounts which I am now to give will almost entirely destroy the expectations you have had reason to entertain of the conduct which this Province would pursue: yet I am persuaded the Proceedings of our Assembly and other information which I doubt not your Lordship has received, will justify the representations I have made The disunion of the Colonies being held up in America and by many in Britain likewise as the only thing which could defeat the measures of the congress, the moment that the legislative Body of this Province, deviated from the General Association of the Colonies, and pointed out a different conduct, a design was evidently formed in the other Colonies, to drive the people from acquiescing in the measures of their Assembly, and to force them into the General Plan of Association and Resistance. This design was heartily seconded by many among ourselves. Every species of public and private Resentment was threatened to terrify the Inhabitants of this Province if they continued disunited from the others. The certainty of losing all the Debts due from the other Colonies, which are very considerable and every other argument of private Interest that could influence the Merchants, or any one was industriously circulated The minds of the people in the city were kept in constant agitation, by Riots and attempts to prevent the Transports from loading here, with stores, Provisions &c for the army. The want of any degree of Resolution in the Magistrates to support the authority of Government in opposition to popular measures, rendered the leaders of the People insolently bold and daring —The friends of order and Government saw no power either in the exertion of the Magistrates, or the feeble aid that could be afforded by the very small body of Troops quartered in the city to protect their persons and property from violence and destruction. Several Incidents combined to depress all legal Authority; and to increase the Terror of the Inhabitants, which seemed to vanquish every thought of Resistance to popular Rage. In this unfortunate situation of the City, the first accounts of an action between the Kings Troops and People, near Boston, was published with horrid and aggravating circumstances. The moment of consternation and anxiety was seized. The people were assembled, and that scene of disorder and violence begun, which has entirely prostrated the Powers of Government, and produced an association by which this Province has solemnly united with the others in resisting the Acts of Parliament. The Gentlemen of His Majestys council, in support of their advice for prorogueing the Assembly to the 7"1 day of June having gone into a particular detail of the most material Transactions of the People from the 23d of last month to the present time, I beg your Lordships leave to refer to the extracts of their Minutes. It contains a full description of the present state of the Province, which at this time I think will be most properly laid before you in their own words. Two of the Council have this moment informed me that a copy of the minutes has been shewn to the City Committee and that they have sent to request that it may be transmitted Home. |