on a legiflature, in which you have no fhare, and over which you have no controul, and your Priests are exposed to expulfion, banishment and ruin, when ever their wealth and poffeffions furnish fufficient temptation. They cannot be fure that a virtuous Prince will always fill the Throne, and fhould a wicked or a carelefs King concur with a wicked Miniftry in extracting the treasure and ftrength of your country, it is impoffible to conceive to what variety and to what extremes of wretchednefs you may, under the prefent eftablishment, be reduced.

We are informed you have already been called upon to waste your lives in a contest with us. Should you, by complying in this inftance, affent to your new eftablishment, and a war break out with France, your wealth and your fons may be fent to perish in expeditions against their islands in the Weft-Indies.

It cannot be prefumed that thofe confiderations will have no weight with you, or that you are fo loft to all fenfe of honour. We can never believe that the prefent race of Canadians are fo degenerated as to profess neither the fpirit, the gallantry, or the courage of their ancestors. of their ancestors. You certainly will not permit the infamy and disgrace of such pufillanimity to reft on your own heads, and the confequences of it on your children forever.

We for our parts are determined to live free or not at all, and are refolved that pofterity fhall never reproach us with having brought flaves into the world.

Permit us again to repeat that we are your friends, not your enemies, and be not impofed upon by thofe, who may endeavour to create animofities. The taking of the fort and military

ftores

ftores at Ticonderoga and Crown-Point, and the armed veffels on the lake, was dictated by the great law of felf-prefervation. They were intended to annoy us, and to cut off that friendly intercourse and communication, which has hitherto fubfifted between you and us. We hope it has given you no uneafinefs, and you may rely on our affurance, that thefe Colonies will purfue no meafures whatever, but fuch as friendship and a regard for our mutual fafety and intereft may suggest.

As our concern for your welfare entitles us to your friendship, we prefume you will not, by doing us injury, reduce us to the disagreeable neceffity of treating you as enemies.

We yet entertain hopes of your uniting with us in the defence of our common liberty, and there is yet reason to believe, that should we join in imploring the attention of our Sovereign, to the unmerited and unparalleled oppreffions of his American fubjects, he will at length be undeceived, and forbid a licentious Miniftry any longer to riot in the ruins of the Rights of mankind.'

Ordered, That the above letter be figned by the Prefident.

Ordered, That Mr. Dickinfon and Mr. Mufflin be a Committee to get the letter tranflated into the French language, and to have one thousand copies of it, so tranflated, printed, in order to be fent to Canada and difperfed among the inhabitants there.

Upon motion, Refolved, That no provifions or neceffaries of any kind be exported to the Island of Nantucket, except from the Colony of Maffachusetts-Bay, the Convention of which Colony is defired to take measures for effectually providing the faid ifland, upon their application to pur

chase

chafe the fame, with as much provifion, as fhall be neceffary for its internal use and no more.

The Congress deeming it of great importance to North-America, that the British fishery should not be furnished with provifions from the Continent through Nantucket, earnestly recommend a vigilant execution of this refolve to all Committees.

Ordered, That the above refolve be immediately published.

As the present critical fituation of the Colonies renders it highly neceffary that ways and means fhould be devised for the speedy and fecure conveyance of intelligence from one end of the Continent to the other,

Refolved, That Mr. Franklin, Mr. Lynch, Mr. Lee, Mr. Willing, Mr. S. Adams, and Mr. P. Livingston, be a Committee to confider the best means of establishing posts for conveying letters and intelligence through this continent.

Refolved, That the order of the day be postponed till to-morrow.

Adjourned till to-morrow at 9 o'clock.

TUESDAY, MAY 30, 1775.

The Congrefs met according to adjournment.

A Member informed the Congrefs, that a Gentleman just arrived from London, had brought with him a paper, which he fays he received from Lord North, and which was written, at the defire of his Lordship, by Mr. Gray Cooper, Under-Secretary to the Treafury, and as the Gentleman understood it to be his Lordship's defire that it should be communicated to the Congress, for

that

that purpose he had put it into his hands. The Member farther obferved, that he had fhewn the paper to a Member near him, who was well acquainted with the hand-writing of Mr. Cooper, and that he verily believes the paper was written by Mr. Cooper.

The paper being read, is as follows:

That it is earneftly hoped by all the real friends of the Americans, that the terms expreffed in the Refolution of the 20th of Feb. laft, will be accepted by all the Colonies, who have the least affection for their King and country, or a just sense of their own intereft.

That these terms are honourable for GreatBritain, and fafe for the Colonies.

That if the Colonies are not blinded by faction, these terms will remove every grievance relative to taxation, and be the basis of a compact between the Colonies and the Mother Country.

That the people in America ought, on every confideration, to be fatisfied with them.

That no further relaxation can be admitted. The temper and spirit of the nation are fo much against conceffions, that if it were the intention of Administration, they could not carry the question.

But Administration have no fuch intention, as they are fully and firmly perfuaded, that further conceffions would be injurious to the Colonies as well as to Great-Britain.

That there is not the leaft probability of a change of Administration.

That they are perfectly united in opinion, and determined to pursue the most effectual measures, and to use the whole force of the kingdom, if it

be

be found neceffary, to reduce the rebellious and refractory Provinces and Colonies.

There is fo great a fpirit in the nation against the Congrefs, that the people will bear the temporary diftreffes of aftoppage of the American trade. They may depend on this to be true.

Ordered, To lie on the table.

Agreeable to the order of the day, the Congrefs refolved itself into a Committee of the whole, to take into confideration the state of America, and continued fo to do the day following, when after fome time, the Prefident resumed the Chair, and Mr. Ward reported from the Committee, that they had proceeded in the bufinefs, but not having come to a conclufion, defired him to move for leave to fit again.

Refolved, That this Congrefs will to-morrow again refolve itself into a Committee of the whole, to take into their farther confideration the state of America.

A letter from Col. Arnold, dated Crown-Point, May 23, 1775, was laid before the Congrefs, informning, that he had certain intelligence, that "on the 19th there were then 400 regulars at St. John's, making all poffible preparation to cross the lake, and expected to be joined by a number of Indians, with a design of retaking Crown-Point and Ticonderoga," and earnestly calling for a reinforcement and supplies. This letter being

taken into confideration.

Refolved, That the governor of Connecticut be requested immediately to fend a strong reinforcement to the garrifons of Crown-Point and Ticonderoga, and that fo many of the cannon and other ftores be retained, as may be neceffary for the immediate defence of thofe pofts, until further order

from