The Sun.
London, England, 1839-03-13 00:00:00

force on the Aroostook, and that they had employed 25
Indians, who joined them on their march.
The force which Sheriff Strickland had under his com-
mand had fallen back upon No. 10, where they are secure
against any encroachments, their position rendering it im-
possible to dislodge them without a strong force. They
have a brass field piece under their control, in addition to
small arms. It is said that Captain Rines has been chosen
to the command.
On the 15th inst., immediately after the arrival of the
express at Augusta, with intelligence of the capture of the
land agent by the trespassers, Governor Fairfield sent the
following message to the Legislature, announcing the fact;
and stating that he had advised the sending of a reinforce-
ment of 300 men. Also that he had dispatched a special
messenger to the Lieut.-Governor of New Brunswick :
" To the House of Representatives,
" In compliance with the request of the House of Re-
presentatives, I hereby communicate such information as I
have in relation to the reported abduction of the land agent.
" Under the resolve of the 24th of January last, entitled
' Resolve relating to trespasses upon the public lands,' the
land agent repaired with about 200 chosen men to the
scene of operations on the Aroostock river. Prier to his
reaching there, it is understood that the trespassers,
amounting to about 300 in number, all well-armed, had
combined, and were determined to resist every effort that
should be made to break them up. Finding, however,
that the land agent had prepared himself with a six-
pounder, they chose to retire from the ground, passing
down the river.

" The land agent with his company also passed down the
Aroostook to near its mouth, finding the several places of
operation abandoned by the trespassers. Oil Monday last,
they captured a gang of about 26, who bad been operating fur-
ther up the river, and sent several wbo were considered the
ringleaders to Bangor, where it is supposed they are now
in gaol.
On Monday the land agent sent a letter to Mr.
M'Laughlin, the land agent,for the province of New Bruns-
wick, inviting a meeting with him at the house of a Mr.
Fitz Herbert, about four miles from where the company
were then stationed ; and on the same evening, with four
others, Mr. M'lntyre repaired to the house of Mr. Fitz
Herbert, intending to pass the night there. The tres-
passers, however, became possessed of the facts, and de-
tached a company of about 50, who seized the agent, and
those accompanying him, and transported them, it is be-
lieved, beyond the bounds of the State.
" One company is now at No. 10, on the Aroostook,
fortified, and anticipating an attack, in case any attempt
should be made on our part to execute the resolve' of the
24th of January, by destroying the timber which has already
been cut.

" I have advised the sending of a reinforcement of 300
men, as it is probable the number of trespassers will be
constantly augmented ; and if a resolve to that effect be
passed, shall appoint an agent to supply temporarily the
place of Mr. M'lnt3 re, and lead on the expedition.
" I have also despatched a special messenger to Sir J.
Harvey, Lieutenant-Governor of New Brunswick, for the
purpose, among other things, of ascertaining whether
these high-handed proceedings of the trespassers are au-
thorised, or in any way countenanced by the Provincial
Government, and to procure the release of the agent and
those taken with him. The messenger was also charged
with other matters pertaining to this most extraordinary
and outrageous proceeding.
" The facts above stated, except in relation to my own
doings, have been communicated to me personally by the
Sheriff of Penobscot, who formed one of the company of
the land agent.
" This is the only communication from the land agent or
his company, which I have verbally or otherwise, that
could be relied upon. " JOHN FAIRFIELD.
" Council Chamber, Feb. 15, 1839."

After the reading of this message, the Legislature passed
a resolution authorising the appointment of a temporary
land agent. Charles Jarvis, Esq., was thereupon ap-
pointed, who is said to be a man of judgment and expe-
rience. The proceedings of Mr. M'lntyre and Sheriff
Strickland are severally commented on by the Maine
papers.
The following is the communication from Sir John Har-
vey to Governor Fairfield:—
" Government-house, Frederickton,
New Brunswick, Feb. 13.

" Sir—l have just heard with the utmost surprise and
regret, that without the courtesy of any previous intima-
tion whatever to this Government, an armed force from
the State of Maine has entered the territory, the claim to
which is in dispute betwixt Great Britain and the United
States, and which it has been agreed betwixt the two
Governments shall remain in the exclusive possession and
jurisdiction of England until that claim be determined.
" It has been my duty on more than one occasion to
apprize the Executive Government of Maine that my in-
structions do not permit me to suffer any interference with
that possession and jurisdiction until the question of right
shall have been finally decided in discussion betwixt the
two Governments.

" With the knowledge of those instructions, thus expli-
citly made known, I:cannot but repeat the expression of the
deep regret which I feel, that instead of seeking their
recall or modification through the Presidential Govern-
ment, the %tate of Maine should thus have forced upon a
subordinate officer the alternative of either failing in his
duty, by abstaining from the fulfilment of the commands of
his Sovereign, or, by acting up to them, placing the two
countries in a state of border collision, if not the two na-
tions in immediate and active hostility.
Such, nevertheless, is the position in which I find
myself placed by this overt act on the part of the State
of Maine, one from which I do not hesitate in entreating
your Excellery to relieve me, by ordering the imme-
diate of a force whose presence within the precincts
of the territory as claimed by England, it is contrary to
my instructions to permit ; and it is proper that I should
acquaint your Excellency, that I have directed a strong
force of her Majesty's troops to be in readiness to sup-
port her Majesty's authority, and to protect her Majesty's
subjects, in the disputed territory, in the event of this request
not being immediately complied with. With regard to any
other plea for these proceedings on the part of the State
of Maine, connected with timber spoliation& in that terri-
tory, I have to inform your Excellency that I have given
directions for a boom to be placed across the mouth of the
Aroostook, where the seizing officer, protected by a suffi-
cient guard, will be able to prevent the passage of any
timber into the St. John's in the spring, or to seize it and
expose it to public sale, for the benefit of the 4 Disputed
Territory Fund.'
" Similar precautions will be adopted in regard to any
timber cut upon the Upper St. John's, or the tributary
streams falling into it.
" Awaiting anxiously your Excellency's reply to this
communication,

" I have the honour to be your Excellency's most obedient
humbe servant, " J. HARVEY."

The following proclamation on this subject has been
issued by Sir John Harvey, and perhaps gives the best in-
sight we could have into the views of the colonial autho-
rities on this troublesome question :