The Connecticut courant and Hartford weekly intelligencer — Hartford, Conn., 1774-06-21 00:00:00, page 5

To the PubUJher of the Connecticut Courant.
At a general Meeting of the Committees for
the several Townships oh the Weft Side of the
Range of Green Mountains, grafted under the
Great Seal of the Province of Nev-Hampihire, le
gally warned, and held at the Hovfe of Mr. Eliakim
Wellers in Manchester, on the tft Day of March
A.D. 1774, and afterwards by adjournment, at the
House ofCapt. Jehiel Hawley in Arlington, on the
third We'dnefday of the fame Month ; at which fe
deral Times, and Places, the New-York Mercury
No. 1163 was produced, which contains an Extract
from the Votes and proceedings of the General Af
fenibly of the Colony of New-York, which is as
follows, viz.
“ Die Sabbdti 10 ha. AD. yb February 1774.
“ n /fR. Bmih (in behalf of Mr. Clinton, Chair-
IVjl man) from the Grand Committeeof Grie
vances, Reported, that he was directed by the fa-id
Committee to make the following Report to the
House, viz. That the said Committee having taken
into Confideratron /he petition of Benjamin Hough,
in Behalf of himielf and many of His Majesty’s
Subjeftsinhabiting the County of Charlottee, and
the North Eaftcrn Diftrift of the County of Albany,
complaining of many Aftsof Outrage and Cruelty,
and Oppreflion committed against their Persons and
Properties by the Bennington Mob, and the Dangers
And Injuries to which they are daily exposed, and
imploring that this House will take them under their
Protection, andfecure them against future Violence ;
and the said Committee having also duly cowfider
ed the several Proofs and Depositions presented in
Support of the Truth of the said Petition, do there
fore Refolve^
2. That it appears to this Committee, that there
at present prevails in part of the County of Charlot
te, and in the North Eastern Diftrift of the County
of Albany, a dangerous and deftruftive Spirit of Ri
ot and Licentiousness; subversive of all Order and
good Government, and that it is become an intoler
able Grievance, which requires immediate Redress.
z. Resolved, That it appears to this Commit
tee, that many Afts of Outrage, Cruelty and Op
prelfion have been there perpeptrated by a Number
of Lawless Persons, calling themselves the Benning
ton Mob, who have seized, insulted, and' terrified le
veral of the Magistrates and other Civil Officers, so
that they dare not exercise their refpe&ive Functi
ons, rifqued Prifoncri for Debt, afiumed to them
selves Military Commands, and Judicial Power,
burned and demolilhed the Houles and property;
and beat and abused the Persons of many of His Ma
jefty’sSubjects,expelled them from theirPo lie. Fons, &
‘put a Period to the Administration of Justice, and
spread Terror and Deftruftion thro’ that Part of the
Country, which is exposed to their Oppreflion.
3. Resolved, That it is the Opinion of this
Committee, that the Complaints before this House
& others who inhabit Part cf that Colony, fromßefpcft
to Government, will not countenance or be concern
ed in the said riotous Proceedings, are exposed from
the Violence of the Rioters to eminent Danger, both
in their Persons and Properties, and that they stand
in Need of immediate Piote&ion and Succour.
“ 4. Resolved, That it appeal's to this Commit
tee, that Ethan Allen, Seth Warner, Remember
Baker, Robert Cockran, Peleg Sunderland, Silvanus
Brown, James Breakenridge, and John Smith, are
principal Ringleaders of, and Afters in the Riots
and Diflurbances aforefaid, and that it is therefore
She Opinion es this Committee, that an humble
Addrefsbe presented to His Excellency, desiring
that he would be pleased to issue a Proclamation,
offering a Reward of FIFTY POUNDS for appre
hending and securing any, or either of the Persons
above named, in His Majesty’s Goal in Albany ;
and commanding the Magistrates, and other Civil
Officers of the Counties of Albany and Charlottee,
to be aftive and vigilant in fupprefling the said Ri
ots, and preserving the public Peace and good Or
der, as well as for bringing to Justice the Perpe
trators and Authors of the said Riots. . .
“ 5. Resolved. That it is the Opinion of this
Committee,that aßill be brought in more effectually
to suppress the said Riotous and disorderly Proceed
ings, maintain the free Course of Justice, and for
bringing the Offenders to condign Punifliment;
which Report he read in his Place; and afterward
delivered It in at the Table, where the said Resolu
tions were severally read a second Time, Resolved,
that this House doth agree with the Committee in
their said Resolutions. _
“ Ordered, That a Bill be brought in, pursuant
to the last Resolution, and that Mr. Brush and Col.
Ten Broeek prepare, and bring in the fame. Or
dered, That Ca.pt. Delaney and Mr. Walton, wait
.m his Excellency the Governor with the foregoing
Address and Resolutions of the House.”
Mr. Nathan Clark, Chairman of said Committee^
ordered the Clerk to read the Resolves and Voles
aforefaid, to the General Committed which was ac
cordingly read sundry Times, and me following
SUPPLE MEN Tto the CONNECTICUT COURANT. (No. 495.)
Draught being presented in Aniwer thereto, to the
public Meeting ; seven Perfor were ielefted and
chosen out of the said General Committee, to exa
mine the fame, and report them Opinion thereon,
which here follows. 1
“ When we cohfider the numberlefsTroubles, &
almost unsurmountable Difficukies which our infant
Settlements have been forced to struggle with, since
it’s firft Beginning, which have been occasioned by
an unequal and biafled Administration of Law, ever
since our unhappy Misfortune of being annexed to
a Government in Which the Interest of the greater
Part of the leading Gentlemen thereof, are in direst
Opposition to ours ; the tyrannical M’eafures they
take to enslaves us, (we hope.) will not fail to jufti
fy us in the following Arguments and Resolves
thereon ;.for we think it an intolerable Hardship, &
Piece of inhuman Cruelty, that we cannot be laid
to give fufficicnt Proof of our Loyalty and Obedi
ence to Government, but as the Resignation of cur
whole Fortunes, in the Purchase and Improvement
of which, we have fufFered on Iraiaity or Hardships ;
yet at the fame Time, imprefled with a Senfeof Gra
titude, we return 0.. r thankful acknowledgment to
those worthy Gentlemen, Gc/brnor Tryon, and
sundry of HiS Hajefty’s honorable Council for the
Province of New-York, for their signal Favours to
us feme Time past ; which has in fume Degree al
leviated and supported us under our heavy Trou
bles and Oppreflrbhs : But wh m we con'fider that
his Excellency is about to embark for Great-Bri
tain, and while wfe view the Spirit of the General-
Assembly in their Resolves ; we Cannot but reflect
with some Regret oil v/hat may of Consequence
prove the Result (without an A+teration) of their
present Opinion 5 but there are scarce any Circum
stances that entirely exclude Hope ; therefore we are
not yet ih total Despair; for thi. Momentnve hap
pily call to mind that the Genfiral-Aflembly of the
fame Province, about two Years dgo, 1 did annex all
that Part of the Bay Province Weft of Connedicut
River, to that Unlimited County of Albany;
but their a varicious graplihg not being a fufficient
strength for fueh an uareafonableßurthen', it failed ;
by Which Means they have loft their ideal Booty.”
The candid Reader wifj doubtlcfs observe, that
in the Refolvefuf the AiTembly aforefaid, there is
not a Angle Word mentioned in regard to the Title
cf the Land centred for,, h-.t that they level all
their Spleen, and point all taeir Malice against no
torious Rioters, as they call diem, and make a pre
tended shew & Figure, as though they were great
Sticklers for good Order and Govern me nt; although
at the fame Time every rerfon of common Sente;
who has had any Acquaintance and Knowledge
cf the Controveny.abfolutely kirows, that our good
ly Land,-With the Labour thereon, is the only Sub
jedt Matter, and grand Object of the whole Contro
versy ; and give New-Yorkers but that, and the
Matter vWtfoi be accomplifned to their eternal Sa
tisfadion ; and it is presumed the Words Riotous,
Disorderly, Licentious, &c. would not be printed
again, on account of the New-Hampshire Grantees,
and present Occupants, for the whole Course of the
fuuceedintr Century. .
For rhe’ Truth of the Case is, the Executors of
the Law, are Part (if not al!) of them the pretended
Claimants'to the Lands whereon the Ncw-Hamp
fhire Grantees and. Occupants dwell,and their Judg
ments on Writs of Ejeftment, brought by the New-
York Patentees, have not hitherto failed to corres
pond with their imagiitary Interest ; but were they
honest Men they Would not undertake to be Judges
in their own Case, or in any other wherein the Reso
lution thereof would make aPrefident for their own,
especially in Title of Land, wherein Judge and
Plaintiff are connected in one common Interest:
Such a Diftribudon of Law is contrary to the Laws
ofßeafon and Nations.
Therefore our Case Hands thus ; if we submit to
their Execution of Law, and become obedient and
fubmiflive Subjects to their crafty' and designing
Exercise of Government, we must soon yield to be
their Tenants and Slaves ; and we cannot fee reason
to conform to Law, or. such Branches thereof,as will
apparently bring us and our Posterity into Bondage,
or manifeftly deprive Us of our Property ; but inas
much as we boldly adhere to the Maintainance of
our Property, which to us is very precious, as it
would be to the New-Yorkers; were it in their
Hartls , we find it is immediately recomended to
the Governor of the Province, by the General-As
sembly thereof, to issue his Proclamation, Offering
therein large Sums of Money to apprehend & impri
son those notorious R.ioters (as they are pleased to
ftiie them) but any one who'has had an Opportunity
to read the Stipulation, and' particular Articles of
the public Faith, pledged by the Government of N.
York to the New-Hampshire Grantees and Settlers,
dated in July, A. D. 1772, will immediately find a
fufficient Reafoii for the Governor’s not fignmg such
a Proclamation ; for it must indeed be very Iho iking ■
to common Senie,when the Reader comes to obfei ve
what notorious Complaints, and most horridAccufa
tions are let forth in the Resolves of the General-
Afleinbly of New-York, mentioned in the fore part
of this Paper, against Thousands of hard-labouring,
in'duftrious, honest Peafants', who are in truth loyal
Subjects of the Crown of Great-Britain : fp? their
V iolations of Law and Government; when at the
fame Time, the following exjirefs Orders from his
molt facre'd Majesty, to that litigious Government of
New ; -York, will plainly Ihow that they do not make
the leak Hciitation to rebel, and aft in direst Op
pefition to the Authority of the Crown, when, (aS
in the present Case) they shew a Disposition to take
Advantage of the minor Part of thole under their
Government; and throw them into Contenfiort and
Disorder; and thereby build their Fortunes on the
Ruins of the pretended Aggressors ; and all under
the fpecioiU and unjuftifiable Pretence of gOodOrder,
'and Government 4 which is in Fast what they even
tually aim at,as will appear by the following Order.
At a Court at St. James’s, the 24th Day of Ju
ly, 1767. ,
PRESENT,
The KING ’s most excellent Majesty.
Archbifliop of Canterbury, Earl of Shelburne,
Lord Chancellor, Viscount Falmouth,
Duke of Queenfborough, Viscount Barrington,
Duke of Ancaftef, Viscount Clarke,
Lord Chamberlain, Bishop of London,
Earl of Litchfield, Mr. Sec’ry Conway,
Earl of Bristol, Hans Stanley, Esq;
The Petition and ißeport made thereon, by the
Lords of Trade and Plantation-Affairs, is too prolix
to be inserted in this Paper, the royal Order is there
fore only tranferibed, which is as follows.
<s His Majesty taking the said Report into Con
sideration, was pleased with the Advice of his privy
Council to approve thereof, and doth hereby ftriftly
charge, requite and command;'that the Governor
Or Commander in chief, of his Majesty’s Province of
New-York, for the Time being, do not upon Pain of
his Majesty’s higheftDifpleafure, presume to make
any Grant whdtlbever, of any Part of the Lands de
scribed in the laid Report, until his Majesty’s fur
ther Pleafare fnali be known concerning the fame.
A true Copy WILLIAM SHARPE.
Attest Go. BANYAR, Dep. Sec.
Notvvitljfta’nding this Prohibition and one or two
more of the fame general Import,<m'd from the fame
Authority, the Govsynwi^ot cf New. York havp lap
ped their Patents on the New-Hampshire Charters, '
and in consequence thereof demand at common Law
the Lands off which the New-Hampshire Grantees,
and Occupants dwell and from hence has arisen
the numerous Troubles, and Disturbances, between
the Government of New-York,and it’s difeontented
Subjefts, the Settlers-under New-H'ampfhii'e. This
has also been the Source of dll licentiousness and
Confufion, Riotousness, &c. complained of by that
Government,- against the fettles Aforefaid.
And whereas the true State of our Grants hath
been already laid before the worthy Lords of the
Board of Trade for Plantation Affairs,and they hav
ing duly considered; and wifely deliberated upon
the Circumstances thereof, did on the 3d Day of
December last past; make their Report in Favour of
the New-Hampshire Grantees', to his most sacred
Majesty, whbfe royal Confirmation we daily exp est,
and on the Credit afid good Faith of this Report,
many Hundreds ofinduftrious (and many of them
wealthy) Families, have purchased and moved upon
the New-Ham^fhirc Grants, nothing doubting of
that Title.
We therefore humbly report to the said general
Committee, of the New-Hampshire Grants, as our
Opinion, ift That as we ever have, so for the future
we will remain loyal & dutiful Subjefts to our most
gracious and rightful Sovereign, George the third,
and demean ourselves agreeable to the good and
wholesome Laws of the Realm, and fight for the
Honor and Dignity of his Majesty’s Crown and Go
vernment at all Times, When there may be a Call
for it, viewing him as our political Father, and re
lying on him to be protested in our Property. 2d
That as we purchaled our Lands of one of his Ma
jesty’s Governors, and on the Good Faith of the
Crown of Great-Britain we are determined to main
tain those Grants, against all opofition, until his
Majesty’s royal Pleasure shall be known in the P«e
mifes.
And whereas we have never made any further
Resistance to Government, than the Law of Self
prefervatioii, which the Lav/ of God and Nature en
joins on every intelligent wife and understanding
Being ; we therefore are fully of the Opinion to re
solve 3d. That such of the Magistrates and govern
mental Authority, of the Province of New-York, as
have purfued,and have been acceflary in theScheme
of indifting our Friends and Neighbours, asßioters,
and have by Intrigue and Stratagem, of various
Sorts, endeavoured to take them and punilh them,
as Criminals, thereby to diftiearten and terrify the
New-Hamplhire Settlers to,,that Degree, that they