he entered on the Minutes of Council, and follows in these Words, Viz':

"Sir:

PHILADELPHIA, 18th May, 1774.

"I am desired by the Governor to give you an Account of what I know with respect to an Indian Deed, under which some private People, calling themselves the Susquehanna Company, Inhabitants of the Colony of Connecticut, claim all the Lands in Pennsylvania between the 41st and 42d Degree of Latitude. This, then, that follows, will give a true Notion of the whole Transaction, as far as my Remembrance will enable me to recollect Matters.

"In the Year 1741, The Proprietor, Thomas Penn, went from here for England, and from that Time to this, I have been well acquainted with all sorts of Indian Negotiations, and have had a great Share in the management of them, either as Proprietary Secretary, or as a Member of Council, or as Provincial Secretary, so that I can speak from the best Grounds of every Matter relating to Indians for above thirty Years; and I can with Truth declare, that before the Year 1753, I never, that I can remember, heard of any Claim set up by the Government, or any of the Inhabitants of the Colony of Connecticut, to any Lands within this Province.

"In the Year 1753, I received Information of a Claim set up by some Connecticut People, to a Degree of Longitude within this Province, in virtue of the Connecticut Charter, and that there was a party gone into the Indian Country to make a Purchase of Lands, between Susquehanna and Delaware, to begin at or near Wyomink. Mr. Hamilton and several others were alarmed at this wicked attempt, and Conrad Weiser, the Indian Intrepreter, was ordered to give the Six Nation Indians an account of this Intelligence, and to put them upon their Guard. Colonel Johnson, the Indian Agent for His Majesty in the New York Government, was likewise made acquainted with this new Project, and desired likewise to apprise the Indians of it. The Intelligence was likewise communicated to the Governor and Deputy Governor of Connecticut, who both disavowed the Thing, and declared that the Government had no Concern in it; and the Letters which passed between Mr. Hamilton and the Government of Connecticut were put into the Council Books, and a Copy of those Minutes of Council are exemplified under the Great Seal and sent to you.

"The Year following, namely: in the year 1754, there was a Congress, by Order of the Crown, at Albany, between the whole Body of the Six Nations and the King's Agent, together with the Governments of all the Northern Colonies. Four Commissioners were sent on the part of Pennsylvania, Mr. John Penn and myself on the Part of the Governor, and Mr. Isaac Norris and Mr. Benja min Franklin, on the part of the Assembly, were the four Commissioners for this Province, at that Congress. This being deemed VOL. X.-12.

a proper Time to get a Purchase from the Indians of more Lands, and which was become absolutely necessary by the Numbers of People that had come into the Province and could not be kept within the Bounds of the purchased Lands, Mr. John Penn and myself were instructed and empowered to make as extensive a Purchase as the Indians could be prevailed on to make, and Belts were sent to the Onondago Council by the Governor, to signify to them his Desire to make another Purchase of them when they should be all together at this Public Treaty at Albany. Accordingly, as both sides were before hand prepared for a new Indian Purchase, the Matter was gone upon, and a large Extent of Country, even as far as the Western Boundary of the Province, was treated for and agreed to in open Council, and a Deed executed by the Indians; and likewise another Deed was executed by them, confirming to the Proprietaries a former Deed, wherein the Indians bound themselves not to sell to any Persons whatever any of the Lands comprized within the Bounds of His Majesty's Charter to the Proprietaries. The Connecticut attempt was likewise made known by the Indians to us, and they, in their Speeches, declared their absolute refusal to make any Grant to them of any Lands they were solliciting for; and, indeed, in their Public Treaty, they over and over declared that they would sell none of the Wyoming Country either to them or to us, it being what they had reserved for their own use, and for the reception of such other Indians as would want to come and reside amongst them. These, and further Particulars, are to be seen in the exemplied Copy of the Report of that Treaty, made by Mr. John Penn and myself to Governor Hamilton, as the same is entered in the Minutes of Council.

"This will serve to shew that at that Time there was no Indian Deed made to the Connecticut People by the Onondago Council, and that if any Deed is set up it must have been obtained in a clandestine Manner from private Indians. Indeed it was then currently reported that one Lydins, of the City of Albany, had undertaken this Matter for the Connecticut People, and as he lived (and I think kept a Public House) at Albany, he made it his Business to get the Indians, as they came to Trade there, into his House, and by Liquor or private Bribes, by twos or threes, as he could find Opportunity, to prevail with them to execute a Deed, which was lodged with him for this infamous Purpose.

"I have further to observe, that the Persons to whom this pretended Indian Deed was made were private People, and acting in direct Opposition to their own Laws, and in open Violation of the Right if any, of the Colony of Connecticut to those Lands. The Indians themselves in public Treaties, made mention that these very Lands were formerly given by them to Colonel Dungan by Deeds regularly and duly executed, but in Trust for them as they said, and that Colonel Dungan sold those Lands to the late Proprietor, Mr. Penn who, notwithstanding this Purchase from Colonel

Dungan, did not hesitate to buy them over again of the Indians, and to give them the full Consideration for them.

"Let it be further observed that, in the General Treaty held at Fort Stanwix by Sir William Johnson, His Majesty's Indian Agent with all the six Nation Indians, in 1768, for the King's Purchase of Lands from them, and to settle a General Boundary between the Indians and the King's Subjects, at which The Governor of Jersey and Commissioners from the other Provinces, and from Pennsylvania in particular, were present, and assisting the Indians, executed a Deed to the Proprietors of Pennsylvania for all the Lands within the Bounds of this Province, so far as they had then settled the General Boundary with His Majesty. That this Purchase contains all or most of the Lands claimed by Connecticut, and that the Consideration Money, together with the Expences attending that Treaty, amounted to the Sum of eight thousand Pounds, or some Sum near that, and in that very Treaty, this Attempt of the Connecticut People was solemnly mentioned and as Solemnly condemned by all the Indians.

"As this Great Treaty is deservedly esteemed the Basis and Foundation of all Matters relating to Lands between the Indian Nations and His Majesty, it was transmitted by Sir William Johnson to the King's Ministers, and lies among the Public Papers in the Privy Council, and may be consulted for the Truth of what is here set down by the Proprietarie's Sollicitors at any future Time.

"As it is supposed that the Susquehanna Company have assigned over their Right under this Deed to the Government of Connecticut, I have been thus particular, and this Detail of the Circumstances that attended the obtainment of the Indian Deed may be kept among the Proprietary Papers, together with the exemplified Minutes of Council that have been sent to you, and may be made use of in order to furnish ample Proofs for the invalidating of this pretended Indian Deed, if it should ever be set up by the Connecticut Government.

"I am, Sir,

"Your most humble Servant,
"RICHARD PETERS.

"To HENRY WILMOT, Esquire, in Bloomsbury Square, London."

At a Council held at Philadelphia, on Thursday 7th June, 1774.

PRESENT:

The Honourable JOHN PENN, Esquire, Governor.

James Hamilton,

James Tilghman,

Andrew Allen,

Esquires.

The Governor laid before the Board the Copy of a Petition from sundry Inhabitants of the Province, to call the Assembly on occa

A

sion of the late Act of Parliament respecting the Port of Boston, which is to be presented to-morrow, and requested their Advice as to a proper answer to be given to the same, upon which the following answer was drawn up and approved :

"Gentlemen:

"Upon all Occasions when the Peace, Order and Tranquility of the Province require it, I shall be ready to convene the Assembly, but as that does not appear to me to be the Caso at present, I cannot think such a Step would be expedient or consistent with my Duty."

At a Council held at Philadelphia, on Monday 27th June, 1774.

The Governor laid before the Board several Letters he received by different Expresses from Westmoreland, all informing him of Sundry Murders, committed on the Frontiers of this Province by the Indians, and representing the great Distress and Confusion of the Inhabitants of that Country, from the Apprehensions of an Indian War; which being read and duly considered, it was the opinion and Advice of the Board that Writs be issued for convening the Assembly on the 18th of July next, which was done accordingly; that a Letter be wrote by the Governor to Sir William Johnson, acquainting him with the Intelligence receivel of these hostile Transactions and Troubles, and to request his Interposition with the Six Nations to use their Influence and Endeavours, with the Shawanese and Delawares, to prevent further Hostilities on their Part, and to assure them of the sincere Intentions of this Government to continue their pacific Dispositions towards all our Indian Brethren; that a Letter be wrote to Lord Dunmore on this Subject, to complain of Dr. Conolly's oppressive and tyrannical Conduct at Pittsburg, and the dangerous tendency his Military Operations, &c have to involve the Colonies in a general Indian War; that a Letter he wrote to Captain St. Clair, advising him of the above Measures, that the Governor approves of wat has been done by him and the Inhabitants, for preventing the Desertion of the People, and requesting him to use his Endeavors to encourage the People to stand their Ground, and Mr. Tilghman, Mr. Allen, and Mr. Shippen, are appointed a Commiitee to prepare Draughts of the said Letters.

It appearing by the Letters received, that the People in Westmoreland were in great Necessity of Ammunition, the Board advised the Governor to order a further Supply immediately to be sent to them.

The Chief Justice presented to the Governor Records of the Conviction of two Criminals at the last Court of Oyer and Terminer held at Carlisle, for the County of Cumberland, on the eighth day of June Instant, by which it appears that James Anderson was convicted of the Murder of William Barnet, his Son-in-Law, and that Peter Gillespie was convicted of the Murder of Bridget Gillespie, his Wife, and had each received Sentence of Death. The Chief Justice at the same Time, in his Report to the Governor, observed that no Circumstances appeared on the Trials in favor of either of the said Criminals which could induce him to recommend them for Mercy. It was therefore ordered that Warrants be issued for their Execution on Saturday the 15th of July next.

Mr. Tilghan and Mr. Allen laid before the Board a Report of their Proceedings in Virginia, pursuant to the Commission and Instructions of the 7th of May last, given to them to treat with the Earl of Dunmere, Governor of that Province, concerning the several Matters therein contained, together with Copies of their several Letters to his Lordship, and his Original Letters to them, which passed in the Course of their Negotiation at Williamsburg, all which were ordered to be entered on the Minutes of Council, and follow in these Words, Viz":

"The Report of James Tilghman and Andrew Allen, Commissioners appointed by the Honorable JOHN PENN, Esquire, Governor of Penn yonala, to treat with the Right Honorable the Earl of Dunmore, Governor of Virginia, on Sundry Public Matters mentioned in the Commission, and the Governor's Instructions, bearing equal date therewith.

"May it please your Honour:

"In Pursuance of Your Honor's Commission, and Your Instructions attending it, we set out on our Journey on Thursday the 12th of May, 1771, and on Thursday the 19th, we arrived at Williamsburgh, and went to Lord Dunmore's. He was not then at Home. We waited on him next Morning to pay our Respects, and to know when it would be agreeable to him to have our Business laid before him. Saturday Morning at ten O'Clock, was appointed to wait upon him on the Occasion. We met him at his House, and informed him our Business was to apply to him to join the Proprietaries of Pennsylvania in a Petition to the Crown to appoint Commissioners to Settle and run the Lines of Pennsylvania to the Westward, and in the meen Time to agree with his Lordship upon some Line of Jurisdiction to remedy the inconveniences of the present clashing jurisdictions between Virginia and Pennsylvania, and to prevent them for the future. To the first he readily agreed, and said he had.