unmindful of you at last, and that some family events (since it is the wisdom of Providence so to order it) have turned to your advantage. May you enjoy health and spirits to possess these with satisfaction and many more.

Your friends here always remember you with regard, some have dropt, but not many. Old McGra is gone in spite of all his aversion to a change, and had lived quite long enough both for constitution and pocket.

Col! Robertson, Small, Mallet, gone to wait on Gen. Gage, who has been feasted immoderately. The Commissioners are removed to Plymouth, with the Custom House by this time, and the General to Salem. Shirreffe writes Gen! Haldimand is much esteemed here, and acts with great prudence and circumspection. Old Mr Allen, hearty and well, does not like the times at all, has resigned his office to Mr Chew. 'Tis an amazing Colony that, for increase and wealth. Of the discontented Irish, Scots, and emigrating Germans, they speak of having imported eighteen thousand in one year. Many Scots and Irish are come here and will find land sufficient already granted, but the new mode prescribed of granting will shut up the office, for some time at least and that is probably the effect intended, and to corroborate it, an instruction is sent out to forbid naturalization, an impolitic one I think. The Charter Governments will disregard it, and by that means increase in strength in proportion as the Royal Governments lose it, who dare not offend.

I beg you will be so good as to remember me to such of my friends as fall in your way, of which number poor Larry it seems is no longer to be one, and believe me with great truth and esteem

Dr Sir,

Yr most Obla Humb. Sert

JNO. WATTS.

I am verging to the state of a Patriarch, three daughters I have married, the eldest has born four children, the sec

ond three, and the third coming one. If I live till my sons get at it, there will be fine work. I hear frequently from our friend Napier. Col! Barré still the wrong side of the House; Mr Boone the right. Those loaves and fishes are a convenient diet.

LORD DARTMOUTH TO GOVERNOR GAGE.

(Separate & Secret.)

3 June 1774.

SIR,

You will observe that I have, in my separate letter to you of this day's date, mentioned in general terms the correspondence kept up by persons here with the leaders of the faction at Boston.

Some proofs of this dangerous and unwarrantable correspondence have come to my knowledge by a confidential communication of the copies of two letters, the one from Dr Franklin, dated 7 July 1773, the other from Mr Arthur Lee dated 25 Dec 1773.

Both these letters have I understand been publicly read in the Assembly and are expressed in such terms as makes it very much to be wished that such evidence could be obtained of the authenticity of them as might be the ground of a proper proceeding thereupon. You will therefore use your best endeavours with that secrecy and caution the nature of the case requires to procure either the originals or some regular attested copies of those letters and transmit them to me by the first opportunity.

D.

SAME TO THE SAME.

(Separate.)

3d June 1774.

We have received letters from Mr Hutchinson so late as the 2a day of May, at which time they had received at Boston an account of the proceedings down to the 15th of March, which I find had occasioned great alarm & apprehension, but had been attended with no other consequences; so that I am willing to suppose that the people will quietly submit to the correction their ill conduct has brought upon them and to lay a foundation by their future behaviour for a re-establishment of their commercial privileges.

As some doubt may possibly arise whether his Majesty's governor can act in any case in the capacity of an ordinary civil Magistrate, I think it fit to acquaint you that the King's chief Law-servants are clearly of opinion that the Governor by his Commission is Conservator of the peace in all cases whatsoever.

GENERAL GAGE TO LORD DARTMOUTH.

(Separate & Secret.)

SALEM 25 August 1774.

MY LORD,

Your Lordships letter, Separate & Secret of the 3a of June has been received, and I will endeavour to obtain either the originals or attested copies of those letters which your Lordship mentions to have been written to the leaders of the faction at Boston and which you understand have been publicly read in the Assembly. At the same

time I am to acquaint your Lordship, that I found upon making inquiries of the same nature soon after my arrival, it was very difficult to procure either the originals or copies from the precautions used. They are generally directed to the Speaker, who calls them private letters, and after reading them to the House, he puts them in his pocket as his own private correspondence.

I will acquaint your Lordship with the extract of a letter from the country, which you will receive by this opportu nity is from Coll: Williams and written to me to excuse his acceptance of the honor the King has conferred upon him, in nominating him a Counsellor. Colonel Worthington who lives in his neighborhood gave the same reasons for not accepting at present, who from the reputation of his abilities, firmness and influence is of more loss than all the rest who have refused. Royal's refusal is from timidity. Russel, who is a good man feared the loss of some post he enjoys. Vassal, Green & Hooper plead age, infirmities, but I believe choose to avoid the present disputes. M Irving, who has not yet decided, has connections with all sides, and would keep well with all, and I apprehend wants to see what turn affairs will take, before he gives a positive answer. (He did refuse) Mr Powell lives at a great distance, and I suppose has had no opportunity to send an answer, but it is of little consequence, whether he refuses or accepts.

Upon the whole, I can't apprehend that better men could have been chosen than those who have been sworn in; altho' I found a shyness, in several, towards giving an opinion about the adjournment of Town meetings, and a desire to throw the removal of the Sheriffs, now in office, entirely upon the Governor, by a construction of the act, which appears to me quite foreign to its intent and contrary to the plain words of it.

(Rec'd 1 Octo 1774.)

I have &c

THOS GAGE.

EXTRACT OF A LETTER FROM HAMPSHIRE COUNTY DATED 10TH OF AUGUST, 1774 [FROM COLONEL WILLIAMS WHEREIN COLONEL WORTHINGTON CONCURRED], TRANSMITTED IN GEN. GAGE'S SEPARATE LETTER OF 27TH OF AUGUST, 1774.

I sincerely congratulate your Excellency on your appointment and arrival to the chief seat in Government; and as heartily wish you may be the happy instrument, under God, of restoring peace, good order and subjection to government, now almost at an end. Never was a time, when such numbers of wise and good men, as well as others, were so infatuated, till the present. An enthusiastick frenzy and surprising madness obtain every where. Nothing said in the coolest manner avails, but rather irritates. Indeed, whoever proposes pacific measures is considered, as an enemy to his country and threatened with ruin. The source of all this, your Excellency will easily conceive, and from whence propagated. The fences of law are broken down; and without your Excellency's aid, our lives as well as property will be much endangered. We rely on your Excellency's wisdom and power to support and defend us against the fury of the mobs, which are rising in many places, abusing individuals, and as I am well informed, are determined, in case the royal assent be given. to the two last bills, to prevent the holding of the Courts, the ensuing term, in the county of Berkshire; and the same thing is threatened to be done in this county. Even the people of Connecticut have undertaken to reform the laws in their Province and chastise the King's subjects, within your Excellencys Jurisdiction. No attempts, that we hear, are made by the Magistrates of that Colony to prevent and suppress the disorders and insurrections. Every measure proposed and pursued seems to be with a