Gambar halaman
PDF
ePub

No. 4.

Petition to the King for a Charter.

"The humble Petition of the General Court at Hartford, upon Connecticut in New England, to the high and mighty Prince Charles the Second,

[ocr errors]

· Humbly Sheweth,--

"That whereas your Petitioners have not had for many years past, since their Possession and inhabiting these western 1661. and inland Parts of this Wilderness, any Opportunity, by reason of the Calamities of the late Times, to seek for, and obtain such Grants and Letters Patents from your excellent Majesty their sovereign Lord and King, as might assure them of such Liberties and Privileges, and sufficient Powers, as might encourage them to go on through all Difficulties, Hazards and Expenses, in so great a Work of Plantation, in a Place so remote from the Christian World; and a Desart so difficultly subdued in a Way, improveable for Substance but by great Cost and hard Labour, with much Patience and Care, And whereas besides the great Charge that hath been expended by our Fathers and some of their Associates yet surviving, about the Purchase, building and fortifying, and other Matters of culturing and improving, to a condition of safety and subsistance, in the Places of our present Abode among the Heathen, whereby there is considerable and real Addition, to the Honour and Inlargement of his Majesty's Dominion, by the sole Disbursements of his Majesty's Subjects there, of their own proper Estates, they have laid out a very great Sum for the purchasing a jurisdiction Right of Mr. George Fenwick which they were given to understand was derived from true royal Authority, by Letters Patent to certain Lords and Gentlemen therein nominated, a Copy whereof was produced before the Commissioners of the Colonies and approved by them as appears by their Records. A Copy whereof is ready to be presented at your Majesty's Command, though, either by Fire at a House where it had been some time kept, or some other Accident, is now lost, with which your poor Subjects were rather willing to have contented themselves, than to seek for Power or Privilege, from any other than their lawful Prince and Sovereign.

May it therefore please your most excellent and gracious

The four Colonies, Massachusets Bay and Plymouth, and the old Connecticut and New Haven, both voluntary Governments, May 19th, 1643, formed a Plan of managing their general Affairs by Commissioners appointed by themselves, who kept Records of their Proceed

Majesty, to confer upon your humble Petitioners, who unanimously do implore your Highness's Favour and Grace therein, those Liberties, Rights and Authorities and Privileges, which were granted by the aforementioned Letters Patent, to certain Lords and Gentlemen so purchased as aforesail, or which were enjoyed from those Letters Patent, granted to the Massachusetts Plantation, by our Fathers and some of us yet surviving, when there in our beginning inhabiting, and upon which those large Encouragements, Liberties and Privileges ; so great a Transplantation from our dear England was undertaken, and supposed to be yet our Inheritance, until the running of that western Line, the bounded Limits of those Letters Patent, did since our Removal thence, determine our Lot to be fallen without the Limits of that so bounded Authority.

"May it please your Majesty graciously to bestow upon your humble Supplicants, such royal Munificence, according to the Tenor of a Draft or Instrument, which is ready here to be tendered at your gracous Order.

"And whereas besides those Monies and other Disbursements as aforesaid, in Prosecution of this wilderness Work, your poor Petitioners were forced to maintain a War against one Nation of the Heathen that did much interrupt the Beginnings of your Servants, by many bloody and hostile Acts, whereby divers of our dear Countrymen were treacherously destroyed, and have also been ever since, and are still, at much charge in keeping such a Correspondence of Peace and Amity with divers Sorts of the Heathen Nations, that are round about our Plantations thus far extent into the Bowels of the Country, besides the Maintenance of all publick Charges for Church and Civil Affairs, which are very great in respect of our great Poverty.

"May it please your most excellent Majesty, out of your princely Wisdom, to grant such an Immunity from Customs, as may encourage the Merchants to supply our Necessities in such Commodities as may be wanting here, for which we have neither Silver nor Gold to pay, but the Supply in that Kind may enable, in due Time, to search the Bowels of the Earth for some Gold Minerals, whereof there seems to be a fair Probability, or produce some such Staple Commodities, as may in future Time appear to be good Effects of your Majesty's Goodness and Bounty; if your poor Colony may find this gracious Acceptance with your Majesty as to grant their humble Desire, whereby they may be encouraged to go on cheerfully and strenuously in their plantation Business, in hope of a comfortable Settlement for themselves and their Posterity, that under your royal Protection they may prosper in this Desart;

they shall, as in their acknowledged Duty, ever pray for your great Tranquility and perpetual Happiness; and humbly craving Leave they subscribe themselves your Majesty's loyal Subjects and Servants the General Court for the Colony of Connecticut in New-England, -per their Order signed

DANIEL CLARK, SECRETARY."

The before mentioned Mr. Winthrop, at that time Governor of the antient Connecticut or Hartford Colony, went to England with this Petition; and, it is said, so far varied the same, as to inform the King that he had not been able to obtain a Deed from Lord Say and Seal and Company, as he expected. — The following is a Letter which Lord Say and Seal wrote to him, when in England, upon the Subject.

"Mr. WINTHROP,

No. 5.

"I Received your Letter by Mr. Richards, and I would have been glad to have had an Opportunity of being at London myself, to have done you and my good Friends in New-England the best Service I could; but my Weakness hath been such, and my old Disease of the Gout falling upon me, I did desire Leave not to come up this Winter, but I have wrote to the Earl of Manchester, Lord Chamberlain of his Majesty's Household, to give you the best Assistance he may; and indeed he is a noble, and a worthy Lord, and one that loves those that are godly.—And he and I did join together, that our godly Friends of New-England might enjoy their just Rights and Liberties; and this Colonel Crowne, who, I hear, is still in London, can fully inform you.

"Concerning that of Connecticut, I am not able to remember all the Particulars; but I have written to my Lord Chamberlain, that when you shall attend him, (which I think will be best for you to do, and therefore I have inclosed a Letter to him, in yours) that you may deliver it, and I have desired him to acquaint you where you may speak with Mr. Jesup, who, when we had the Patent, was our Clerk, and he, I believe, is able to inform you best about it and I have desired my Lord to wish him so to do.-I do think he is now in London..My Love remembered unto you,' I shall remain,

your very loving Friend,

December 11, 1661.

W. SAY and SEAL."
Thus directed,

"For my very loving Friend Mr. John Winthrop, living in Coleman Street, at one Mrs. Whitings House, near the Church."

No. 6.

Abstract of the Charter of Connecticut from King Charles II. “Charles the Second by the Grace of God King of England, Scotland, France and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, 1662. &c. To all to whom these Presents shall come Greeting.

Whereas by the several Navigations, Discoveries and successful plantations of divers of our loving Subjects of this our Realm of England, several Lands, Islands, Places, Colonies and Plantations, have been obtained and settled in that Part of the Continent of America called New-England, and thereby the Trade and Commerce there, hath been of late Years much increased; and whereas we have been informed, by the humble Petition of our trusty and well beloved John Winthrop, John Mason, Samuel Wyllis, &c. being Persons principally interested in our Colony or Plantation of Connecticut, in New-England, that the same Colony, or the greatest Part thereof, was purchased and obtained for great and valuable Considerations; and some other Part thereof gained by Conquest, and with much Difficulty, and at the only Endeavours, Expence, and Charges of them and their Associates, and those under whom they claim, subdued and improved, and thereby become a considerable inlargement and Addition of our Dominions and Interest there. Now know ye, that in Consideration thereof, and in Regard the said Colony is remote from other the English Plantations in the Places aforesaid, and to the End the affairs and Business, which shall from Time happen or arise, concerning the same, may be duly ordered and managed, we have thought fit, and, at the humble Petition of the Persons aforesaid, are graciously pleased to create and make them a Body Politic and Corporate, &c.

"And for the better Execution of our Royal Will and Pleasure herein, we do, for us, our Heirs, and Successors, assign, name, constitute, and appoint, the aforesaid John Winthrop, to be the first and present Governor of the said Company, and the said John Mason to be the Deputy Governor, &c.

And know ye further that we, of our abundant Grace, certain Knowledge and meer Motion, have given, granted and confirmed, and by these Presents, for us, our Heirs, and Successors, do give, grant and confirm, unto the said Governor and Company, and their Successors, all that Part of our Dominions in New-England, in America, bounden on the East by Naraganset River, commonly called Narraganset Bay, where the said River falleth into the Sea; and on the North by the Line of the Massachusets Plantation, and on the South by the Sea; and in Longitude as the Line of the Massachusets Colony,

running from East to West, that is to say, from the said Narraganset Bay on the East, to the South Sea, on the West Part, with the Islands thereunto adjoining, &c.

"And lastly, we do for us, our Heirs and Successors, grant to the said Governor and Company, and their Successors, by these Presents, that these our Letters Patents shall be firm, good, and effectual in the Law, to all Intents, Constructions, and Purposes whatsoever, according to our true Intent and Meaning herein before declared, as shall be construed, reputed, and adjudged most favourable on the Behalf, and for the best Benefit and Behoof of the said Governor and Company, and their Successors, although express Mention of the true yearly Value, or Certainty of the Premisses, or of any of them, or of any other Gifts or Grants by us, or by any of our Progenitors, or Predecessors, heretofore made to the said Governor and Company of the English Colony of Connecticut, in New-England, in America, in these Presents is not made; or any Statute, Act, Ordinance, Provision, Proclamation, or Restriction heretofore had, made, enacted, ordained or provided, or any other Matter, Cause, or Thing whatsoever, to the contrary thereof in any wise, notwithstanding.

"In Witness &c. the three and twentieth Day of April, in the fourteenth of our Reign.

"By Writ of Privy Seal,

HOWARD."

No. 7.

Commission to Colonel Nichols and others, to Settle the Bounds of the New England Colonies, &c.

"Charles the Second, &c. Whereas we have received several Addresses from our Subjects of several Colonies in New 1664. England, all full of Duty and Affection, and Expressions

of Loyalty and Allegiance to us, with their humble Desires, that we would renew their several Charters, and receive them into our favourable Opinion and Protection; and several of our Colonies there, and other our loving Subjects, have likewise complained of Differences and Disputes, arisen upon the Limits and Bounds of their several Charters and Jurisdictions, whereby unneighbourly and unbrotherly Contentions have and may arise, to the Damage and Discredit of the English Interest, &c."

-See the Commission at large in the Appendix of Hutchinson's History of the Massachusetts Bay, page 537.

« SebelumnyaLanjutkan »