hereby and Will allow Ratify & Confirm In Witness whereof We have hereunto Set our hands & Seals the twentieth Day of April Anno Domini 1754. Signed Sealed & Deliverd In Presence of us [See Vol. VI., p. 273. — ED.] [4-120] [Resolve of the New York Assembly concerning Indian Affairs.] Assembly Chamber the 17th April 1754 Resolved that in as much as the Securing the five Indian Nations and those in alliance with them in the British Interest is of the utmost Consequence to all his Majestys Colonys on the Continent; and as they have requested to have Forts Built among them to Secure their wives and children when they go out to War in behalf of the British Nation and as the Building Such Forts and Some others on the Northern Parts of this Colony will cover; and in a Great Measure Secure the Settlements of Severall other of his Majesty Colonys against the Incursions of the French, and their Indians; His Honour the Lieutenant Governor be humbly addresd to use his Endeavours with the Neighbouring Governments to Joyn with this Colony in the Expence of Erecting and Maintaining Such Forts and to assure him that this House will readily come into any well concerted Scheme for that purpose orderd that Mr Thomas and Mr Miller wait on his Honour with the sd Address By order of the Gen1 assembly New York 20th April 1754 A true Copy Examd A true Copy Examd [4-121] Abm Lott Jun' Cl Geo Banyan D. Secr1y [Petition for a Division of the Province into Two Counties, 1754] To His Excellency Benning Wentworth Esq Gov' &c. The Hon1 his Majestys Councill & House of Represves In Gen" Assembly Convened at Ports° ye 9th of Apl 1754 Wee the Subscribers Inhabitants of the Province of New Hamp on the west side of Merimack River Would most Humbly Remonstrate That the Extent of the Settlements in this Province is upwards of One Hundred miles Westward from Portsmouth the place where all the Courts are held That the Difficulties of travil & expence to & from Portsmouth on all County Emergencyes Lays the Western Inhabitants under Insuperable Disadvantages As well As the Occasion of great delay to the Partys & Jurors who Necesarily Attend the Courts of Judicature, by Which the Province is Greatly Impoverished That we Humbly Apprehend these Greivances might be in some Good Measure Redress'd by Dividing the Province into two Countys which also wou'd be Ameans of a Great Increase of Inhabitants & Improvements in the Western parts of this Goverment. Wherefore we Humbly pray that Your Excellency & Hon's would take the premises into Consideration & Divide the Province into two Countys by Such Dividing line & with Such Powers And Authoritys As in Your Wisdome shall be tho' Best, and as in Duty Bound Shall pray Hugh McGunis Samuel Killpatrick William Petterson James Walker [See Vol. VI., pp. 342, 346.- ED.] [Sheriff Thomas Packer, relative to the Rescue of Anthony Bowen, and a Prisoner at Gosport, 1754] [From Hibbard Collection, Vol. III., p. 174.] To His Excellency Benning Wentworth Esq' Capt General Governor & Commander in Chief in & over his Majestys Province of New Hamp' the Honble His Majesty's Council & House of Representatives for said Province In General Assembly Conven'd Novemb 26th 1754 - The Humble Petition of Thomas Packer Esq Sheriff of said Province Shews. That your Petitioner Immediately upon the Rescous & Escape of Anthony Bowen out of his Majesty's Goal (a fact well known) gave orders to all his under officers with a Promise of a suitable Reward to apprehend and secure him that he might be bro't to Justice Pursuant to which three of said officers in October last at Londonderry took the said Bowen (he walking openly in the streets there) and had him in their custody at Sam' Rankins a Public House in said Town and while one of said officers came to your Petitioner then in said Town at about Miles Distance to inform him what was done there came into the Room near twenty armed men & with menaces & Imprecations violently Rescued the said Bowen out of the keepers hands & carried him off in a very few minutes after the Messenger to your Petitioner was departed to inform him as aforesaid - and as these Rescuers were unknown to the said keepers your Petitioner could not as yet take any steps toward bringing them to Justice. That your Petitioner having lately had an Execution for a large Sum on a Judgment obtained at the last Super Court by Jona Moulton jun' of Hampton against Zach' Foss and Edmund Grouard both of Portsmouth Committed to him to serve the said Foss kept close while in Town and lately sailed for [the name is partly gone; it is Ch ck] and the said Grouard Residing at Gosport your Petitioner supposing he would not be seen by him made a Deputation to Mr Joses Philbrick of Rye to serve the said Execution upon said Grouard and accordingly the said Joses on the 25th Instant took the said Grouard at said Gosport and was bringing him away from thence when a number near fifty men & many of the Principal Inhabitants there arose & Rescued him out of the said officers hands whereby he has Escaped. That it appears there is a very Mobbish tumultuous Spirit prevailing in the Common People in many Places in this Province & especially Inclining them to Resist & Oppose all the Officers of Justice for several Instances of this nature have lately happened Notwithstanding the late good Law for duly Punishing such offences which is little regarded as none have yet suffered by it. — That your Petitioner concieves he need not say much to Represent of what Importance it is to the Public Weal that he and his officers should be duly supported Protected & Encourged in the Execution of his Office it being the end of the law without which all Preceeding Process will be only a Burden- And as the apprehending & bringing these offendrs at Gosport to Justice will be attended with great Expence your Petitioner humbly prays that he may have the Countenance of the Government so far as to be aided with a Competent Sum of Bills of Credit out of the Public Treasury or other ways at the charge of the Government that he may be able to Provide that assistance which shall be found necessary to this end and without which it cannot be done — And as in Duty Bound yor Petitioner shall pray &c Thos Packer Sheriff Province of New Hamp In Council December 12th 1754 - read & ordered to be sent to the Honble House Theod' Atkinson Sec❜ry [4-122] } [Robert Hale relative to an Expedition against the French, 1755.] Province of To the honorable the House of Representatives New Hampshire in General Court now assembled March 19, 1755The Memorial of Robert Hale humbly shews That ye Memorialist being commission'd by the Gov' of the Mass Bay to repair to this Province to sollicit this Governm' to unite with that & some neighbouring ones in an Expedition (the particulars relating to which have been laid before this House by his Excellency Gov. Wentworth) & this having join'd with the upper House by a Comtee to consider sd Expedition, the sd Comtee made report to raise 600 men as the Quota of this Province in s Expedition which report your Mem° is informed by the Secretary was only so far accepted as to raise only 400 men, which ye Memo is apprehensive may tend very much to the Disadvantage of all the Govts Concerned & may probably be attended with fatal Consequences, wherefore ye Mem° not only in faithfulness to his Trust. but from a real concern for the Good of the community of New England as a Member of the same, desires to be heard before this honorable house on the Subject of sd Report, hoping he may be able to throw such a light on the affair as will readily show the Expediency & even necessity of reconsidering their Vote on Sd Report & of accepting the report as it at first stood & as in Duty bound shall ever pray Rob Hale [See Vol. VI., pp. 356, 362. — Ed.] [4-123] [Proclamation against some Indians, 1755.] By his Excellency Benning Wentworth Esq' Captain General Governour and Commander in Chief in and Over his Majestys Province of New Hampshire in New England & Vice Admiral of the Same A Proclamation Whereas the Indians of the Norridgwock, Arresaguntacook, Wewenock And Saint John's tribe And the Indians of the other tribes Inhabiting in the Eastern and Northern Parts of his Majestys Territories of New England, the Penobscot Tribe only Excepted Have, Contrary to their Solemn Submission Unto his Majesty, Long Since Made and frequently Renewed, been Guilty of the Most Perfidious Barbarous And Inhumane Murders of Divers of his Majestys Subjects I have Therefore tho't fit to Issue this Proclamation and to Declare the Indians of the Norridgewock, Arresaguntacook Weweenock And St John's Tribes And the Indians of the other tribes now or Late Inhabiting in the Eastern and Northern parts of his Majestys Territories of New England And in alliance and Confederacy with the Above Recited Tribes, The Penobscots only Excepted to be Enemies Rebels and Traitors to his most Sacred Majesty And I do hereby Require his Majestys Subjects of this Province to Embrace All oppertunities of Pursuing, Captivating, Killing And Destroying All and Any of the aforesaid Indians, the Penobscots Excepted Given at the Council Chamber in Portsmouth the 3d Day of July 1755 In the 29th Year of the Reign of Our Sovereign Lord George the Second by the Grace of God of Great Brittain, France and Ireland King Defender of the faith &ca B Wentworth By his Excellencys Command with Advice of Councill God Save the King A true Copy from the original Examd Matthew Livermore clerk of the House of Representatives [See Vol. VI., p. 410. — ED.] [4-124] [Memorial of Kneeland & Russell, Printers.] To His Excellency Benning Wentworth Esq' Governor and Commander in Chief in & Over His Majesty's Province of New Hampshire the Honble His Majesty's Council & House of Representatives for Said Province in General Assembly Convened the 3rd Day of July 1755 Humbly Shews Daniel Kneeland & Joseph Russell both of Boston in the County of Suffolk Printers That they upon a Prospect that their Business would meet with Encouragement here have taken a Journey to Inquire into that Matter and find many Gentlemen Disposd to promote the Same But as their Removal with their Tools & Implements together with the Loss of time before they can in that Case be Re-Settled |