the King's Name, and as an Officer of the Customs, to assist me in holding this Vessel. He went into his House and left me. Mr. Montgomery, the Collector, then said he could not go himself, but would get me a pair of Pistols, which he did. I went on board again. As soon as they found I could not get help, they said it was all their own. They then weighed Anchor, and carried us about five Miles from the Cape, when Captain Ritchie ordered us into the Boat, and that without Delay, or he would put us to Death; so, was obliged to get into the Boat, and they cast off, which was about one or two o'Clock in the Morning, although I begged them for God's sake, to let us stay 'till Daylight. After about three Hours' rowing, we got on Shore, and was taken up the next Day about three o'Clock in the Afternoon by Captain Allen, and brought up to town.

"I am, Gentlemen,

"Your most Obedient humble Servant,
"FRANCIS WELSH.

"[Copy of the Register]:

"Schooner Isabella, John Ritchey Master, 30 Tons, built at Boston, 1773, David Campbell sole owner, Dated London, October, 1774."

The Governor having thereupon desired the Opinion and advice of the Board, the Council, on due Consideration of the Matter, gave it as their Opinion that the River Delaware not being included within the Body of any County of this Province, The Jurisdiction of the County of Chester does not extend into the River Delaware, and consequently that the Magistrates and Sheriff of that County could not legally afford them any such Assistance as was required of them, and that therefore it would be improper to call those Magistrates and Sheriff to Account for any Misbehaviour; and further, that as the Vessel and her Crew were gone to Sea, the issuing of any Proclamation upon this Occasion would be useless and improper.

At a Council held at Philadelphia, on Monday 20th February, 1775.

The Governor having requested the Opinion of the Council whether it would not be advisable for him to recommend it to the Assembly, in the present critical Situation of American Affairs, humbly to apply to the King by way of Petition, for redress of any

Grievances which they conceived their Constituents were subject to by any of the late Acts of Parliament, and the Board having duly considered the Matter, and being of Opinion that such a Measure would be very proper to be taken by the Government, a Committee was appointed to prepare a Draft of a Message for that Purpose, to be laid before the Board for their Consideration, at ten o'clock toMorrow Morning.

At a Council held at Philadelphia, on Tuesday 21st February,

1775.

The Governor acquainted the Board that a Committee of the Assembly had waited on him last Night, to inform him that the House had met pursuant to adjournment, and desired to know if he had any Business to lay before them, to which he had answered that he had nothing in readiness to lay before them, but that as soon as he had any Matter to propose for their Consideration, he should send them a Message.

A Draft of a Message to the Assembly, prepared by a Committee of Council, was then laid before the Board, and being considered, amended and approved, was fairly transcribed at the Table, and sent to the Assembly by the Secretary. The Message follows in these words, Viz":

A Message from the Governor to the Assembly.

"Gentlemen:

"At a Time when the Disputes between Great Britain and her Colonies are drawing towards an alarming Crisis, I cannot consistent my Duty to His Majesty, or a proper attention to the true Interests of the People over whom I preside, avoid recommending to you any Measure which occurs to me as proper for the Representatives of the Province to pursue, or which in my Opinion, may have a Tendency to compose those unhappy Differences.

"You will agree with me, Gentlemen, that in all Cases, Wisdom dictates the use of such Means as are most likely to attain the end proposed; On the present Occasion it is conceived that any Grievances which his Majesty's Subjects in America apprehend they have reason to complain of, should be humbly represented to His Majes ty by the several Assemblies, as the only proper and constitutional mode of obtaining Redress, and I have the best Reason to believe /

that a proper attention will be paid to such Representations, and to any Propositions that may be made through that Channel, on the present State of American Affairs.

"This Mode therefore, I earnestly recommend to you to adopt, and I most ardently wish that the proceedings of this, as well as the other Colonies, may be of such a temperate and dutiful Nature as to afford a Foundation for a Re establishment of that Harmony with the Mother Country which is so essential to the Happiness of both. "JOHN PENN.

"February 21st, 1775."

At a Council held at Philadelphia, on Saturday 25th February, 1775.

The Governor laid before the Board several Letters he had this Day received by Expresses from the Magistrates of Westmoreland County, complaining of further Violences in breaking open the Gaol of that County and discharging the Prisoners, and other outrages lately committed by the Militia and People of Virginia, and inclosing sundry Depositions to support these Complaints, which were severally read, and one of those Letters and Depositions follows in these words, the others being much of the same Purpose, Viz:

"May it Please your Hoǹor:

"Sir:

"Our Difficulties on account of the Conolly Party is now grown to an Extream; all we can do or say in favour of our Priviledges, from Pennsylvania, will not do; the Depositions sent down or transmitted to you will, we hope, give you a sense of their very irregu lar Proceedings. Ws are sorry to have occasion to repeat our Complaints so often, but William Crawford Esquire, and Dorsey Pentecost, hath each opened a Land Office, and assumed the Title of Deputy Surveyors to execute their Entries. Several surveys they have already made. The People in general hath already given up, and what can we do to support Government, there now being Writs granted for almost every acting Officer in this County, and we are every Day expecting Confinement. In short, any Person applying for Justice to us, may be assured to be arrested by them. James Smith, Capt was taken and bound over to the Virginia Court, for only applying to the Laws of Pennsylvania for to have a Bandite

of Villians punished for pulling down his House. Our Gaol is of no use, the worst Raskel is set at Liberty; so we rest with patience waiting for the opinion of your Honour, with such Instructions as you may think adequate to our present Difficulties. This from St. "your Honors most Obedient,

" and most humble Servants,
"ROBT. HANNA,
"W. LOCHRY,

"JOHN CARNAHAN,
"DEVEREUX SMITH.

"Hanna's Town in Westmoreland County, the 13th Feb'‍1775.”

Here follows the Sheriff's Deposition, Viz1:

"Westmoreland County, ss.

"Personally appeared beforo me the Subscriber, one of His Majesty's of the Peace for the County aforesaid, John Carnahan, Esquire, high Sheriff for the County aforesaid, being duly sworn upon the Holy Evangelists of Almighty God, doth depose and say, that yesterday Morning, he hearing that there were a number of armed Men breaking the Gaol, he went to see whether it was so, and coming up to the Gaol he saw a number of armed Men, (by name as the Party themselves gave them in,) Benjamin Harrison, David Vance, Samuel Newel, Robert Newel, James Peopel, Thomas Bays, Joseph Marshall, Charles Clark, Isaac Justice, David McKaw, John McKaw, William Bays, Charles Kyle, Hugh Newel, (Samuel Warden, Samuel Wilson, John Neil, the three Prisoners,) George Watt, who having broke two of the Gaol Doors, (both being locked,) upon which he the said Carnahan demanded to know by what Authority they broke those Doors; they made answers and told him that they had their Authority; upon which he demanded to see it, when one Benjaman Harrison, who appeared to be their Commander, told him they had their orders from Major William Crawford, and that he could show them if he pleased; upon which he told him, (the said Harrison,) that a civil Question deserved a civil Answer; upon which he, the said Harrison, showed him the said Carnachan, a Paper, and read to this Effect, or near to this substance, for them the Party aforesaid, to press Horses, and what was necessary, and to go to Hanna's Town and to open the Gaol and let the Prisoners go out, and signed by William Crawford; And the said John Carnahan further saith, that the Party aforesaid shewed a Warrant signed by one Dorsey Penticost, as they told him, who acts as a Magistrate under the Colony of Virginia, to take one Captain James Smith, and one Edward Murray, for executing Warrants and takeing one of the People which the Party aforesaid took out of Gaol, (for committing a Riot, and throwing down a Man's House, and almost killing

a Woman), and acting as Constables under the Province of Pennsylvania, and upon which warrant, signed by Dorsey Pentecost, (as they said,) they took the aforesaid James Smith and Edward Murray along with them to answer for the Crime aforesaid, (as they called it,) And the said John Carnachan further saith, that one of the aforesaid Party (David Vance by name) told him that he would be taken soon, and that he, the said Vance, had positive Orders that if any Pennsylvania Officer would offer to take him or any of them, with Precepts under the Government of Pennsylvania, to shoot them, and that he would do it, And further this Deponent saith.

not.

"JOHN CARNAHAN. "Sworn and Subscribed before me this 8th day of February, 1775. "ROBERT HANNA."

1st March, 1775.

The Governor this Day wrote a Letter to His Excellency the Earl of Dunmore, Governor of Virginia, inclosing Copies of several Depositions which he lately received, relative to the Disturbances. in Westmoreland County, and dispatched the same by Express, which Letter follows in these words, Viz":

"My Lord:

"PHILADELPHIA, 1st March, 1775.

"When you reflect how many of my Letters to your Lordship, on public affairs, remain unanswered, you must be sensible it cannot be very agreeable to me to write to You on the present Occasion, yet I find myself under the necessity of troubling you once more on the Subject of the Disturbances in the Western Parts of this Province.

"The inclosed Copies of several Depositions will inform your Lordship what recent Outrages have been committed in the County of Westmoreland, under the sanction of your Government, as those who have been active in them publickly declare; and my Intelligence informs me that your Lordship has set up an Office for granting Lands far within the Limits of this Province, and that Lands already patented by me have been granted by your Lordship, which cannot fail to produce the utmost Confusion.

"The Justice due to myself and the other Proprietor, and the Protection I owe to the People who have taken up Lands under this Province, and settled them long before your Lordship thought fit to disturb its Peace by extending the Government of Virginia within our Charter Bounds, oblige me to apply to your Lordship to know if these violent proceedings are the effect of your Orders, or