Your Majesty is the rightful sovereign of the most important empire in the universe.

rope.

The blessings of Providence on your arms have put a country under you of greater importance and extent than several kingdoms in EuIn this large extent of territory, by some late acts, popery is not only tolerated (which we conceive would have been an act of justice), but an indulgence has been granted, little short of a full establishment, to a religion which is equally injurious to the rights of sovereign and of mankind. French and arbitrary laws have there by authority taken place of the just and mild British Constitution, and all this has been done with a professed and avowed design to overawe your Majesty's Ancient Protestant and loyal subjects, some of whom had no small share in the merit of that conquest. Acts to raise a perpetual revenue on the Americans without their consent have been enacted, which, at one stroke, turn all your American subjects into slaves, and deprive them of that right which the most oppressive taskmaster does not deny to the servant bought with his money. Experience must now have shown, as it will clearer, should these acts be enforced, that instead of increasing the revenue, or lessening the burden of your European subjects, they can only serve to increase their taxation. Laws which we conceive fraught with so much injustice have been attempted to be enforced by equal cruelty, and whenever we thought ourselves at the height of our troubles, your Majesty's ministers have stretched their unhappy ingenuity to find out new methods of distress, and, it is believed, methods have been more than thought of, too shocking to human nature, to be even named in the list of grievances suffered under a British king.

The goodness of God hath made your Majesty the father of a very numerous issue, on whom we place the pleasing hopes of a Protestant succession; but your Majesty's arms in America now every day make mothers childless, and children fatherless. The blood of your sub jects has been shed with pleasure rather than with pity. For an act which amounted to no more, even under the worst construction, than an irregular zeal for constitutional liberty, and without any step taken to find out the supposed guilty persons, the capital of your American dominions has been blocked up, deprived of its trade, and its poor of subsistence. Thousands, confessedly innocent, have been starved, ruined, driven from, or kept like prisoners, in their own habitations; their cries and blood innocently shed have undoubtedly, and daily, reached to His ears who hateth injustice and oppression.

Believe us, great sir, America is not divided; all men (crown officers not excepted) speak of these acts and measures with disapprobation, and if there has been some difference of opinion as to the mode of relief, the rigorous experiments which your ministry thought fit to try on the Americans have been the most effectual means to convince these of the iniquitous designs of your ministry, and to unite them all as in a common cause. Your Majesty's ministers, after introducing the demon of discord into your empire, and driving America to the brink of despair, place all their dignity in measures obstinately

pursued, because they were once wantonly taken. They hearkened to no information but what represented Americans as rebels or cowards. Time will every day make it clearer how much they were infatuated and mistaken. Too long, we must lament, have these men imposed on your paternal affection. Deign now, most gracious Prince, in their room, to hearken to the cries of your loyal and affectionate subjects of this extensive Continent; let the goodness of your heart interpose between weak or wicked ministers, and millions of loyal and affectionate subjects. No longer let the sword be stained with the blood of your own children; recall your troops and fleets; and if any misunderstanding remains, let the Americans be heard, and justice and equity take place. Let us be ruled according to the known principles of our excellent Constitution, and command the last shilling of our property, and the last drop of our blood in your service.

Uncertain as to the event of this our humble representation, it affords us a relief that we may, unrestrained, apply to the great and merciful Sovereign of the whole earth, who will not despise the prayer of the oppressed; and to Him we most ardently pray that, the wicked being removed from before the king, the king's throne may be established in righteousness.

By order of the Congress, at Savannah, this 14th day of July.

A. BULLOCH, President.

In June, 1775, a Council of Safety was appointed at Savannah, consisting of William Ewen, William Le Conte, Bazil Cowper, Samuel Elbert, William Young, Elisha Butler, Edward Telfair, John Glen, George Houstoun, George Walton, Joseph Habersham, F. H. Harris, John Smith, and John Morel. William Ewen was chosen President, and Seth John Cuthbert, Secretary.

We can give our readers only a portion of the proceedings of the Council of Safety, not having been able to find any regular journal kept by them.

PROCEEDINGS OF THE COUNCIL OF SAFETY.

Mr. Rutledge laid the following draught of a letter to the Congress or Council of Safety in Georgia :

GENTLEMEN

CHARLESTOWN, Dec. 14, 1775.

The Council of Safety have heard with astonishment and concern that several vessels are loading at Savannah for Great Britain, some with rice, and others, one in particular of Mr. T's, with indigo. It is true the General Association did not prohibit the exportation of rice to Europe, or of other American produce, except to Great Britain, Ireland or the West Indies, after the 10th of last September, so that shipping rice to Great Britain, before the resolutions of Congress of the 1st ult., a copy of which is enclosed, were known, was allowable. It is to be wished, however, that Georgia had pursued the conduct of the northern colonies, all of whom, we are assured, in consequence of the late restricting acts, suspended exportation, as this Colony did, after the 10th of September, except for purchasing the means of defence, till the sense of the Continental Congress should be declared on that subject; but with respect to shipping indigo to Great Britain after that period, they are without excuse. For the honour of your Colony and the interest of America, we shall rejoice to know, that a report so disgraceful to the former, and inju rious to the latter, is void of foundation; we cannot yet be persuaded to think it otherwise, for we hope that the Continental resolutions will be inviolably preserved in your Colony, as in any other, and doubt not that the disaffected in Georgia are so few, and the friends of liberty so numerous and powerful, that all attempts of the former to hurt the American cause will ever prove abortive. We have therefore thought it expedient to address you on the subject, being desirous of obtaining a true account of the matter, from the best authority. We therefore hope that you will favour us with it by return of bearer, and hope it will enable us to remove all impressions which may have been made. But if, unfortu nately, the fact should be reported to us, we earnestly entreat that your Congress, Council of Safety, or General Committee, will take the most effectual means for preventing so flagrant a breach of the Continental Association and resolutions. We have been applied to for leave to clear our vessels with the produce of this Colony for Great Britain, as a cover of safety, where it was pretended that such vessel should nevertheless proceed directly to a foreign port, and for the express purpose, also, of procuring ammunition; but we have refused our assent, and have

ordered the Committee at the outposts to be watchful against such attempts, which though specious at first view, are full of danger to the common cause, and might give great encouragement to designing men to commit frauds. The Congress at Philadelphia refused such indulgence even to those whom they had given special license to export.

By order of the Council of Safety.

The Provincial Congress or Council of Safety in Georgia.

This letter was sent by express.

(Answer to the above.)

SAVANNAH, December 19, 1775. GENTLEMEN,-We received your letter of the 14th instant, respecting exportation, and as two of our Continental delegates had just arrived, we thought proper to defer giving you an answer until we had consulted them in Council. This we have done, and have deemed it expedient to send Stephen Drayton and William Ewen, Esqrs., two of this Board, to explain those things to you, in order that all unfavourable mistakes, jealousies and animosities may be removed.

For the safety of the Province, and the good of the United Colonies, it is unanimously

Resolved, That the houses in the town of Savannah, and the hamlets thereunto belonging, together with the shipping now in the port of Savannah, the property of, or appertaining to the friends of America, who have associated and appeared, or who shall appear in the present alarm to defend the same, and also the houses of widows and orphans, and none others, be forthwith valued and appraised. Ordered, That Messrs. Joseph Clay, Joseph Reynolds, John McLuer, Joseph Dunlap, and John Glen, or any three of them, be a Committee for that purpose, and that they make a return of such value and appraisement, to the Council of Safety to-morrow morning, 9 o'clock, or as soon after as possible.

Resolved, That the delegates for this Province shall be instructed to apply to the Continental Congress for an indemnification to such persons who shall suffer in the defence of this town or shipping.

Resolved, That it shall be considered as a defection from the cause of America, and a desertion of property in such persons who have and shall leave the town of Savannah, or the hamlets thereunto belonging, during the present alarm, and such persons shall be precluded from any support or countenance towards obtain ing an indemnification.

Resolved, That it be incumbent upon the friends of America in this Province to defend the metropolis as long as the same shall be tenable.

Resolved, That rather than the same shall be held and occupied by our enemies, or the shipping now in the port of Savannah taken and employed by them, that the same shall be burnt and destroyed.

Resolved, That orders shall be issued to the commanding officer, directing him to have the foregoing resolutions put into execution.

Copy of a Letter from the Council of Safety in Georgia to the Hon. Council of Safety for South Carolina.

SAVANNAH, GEORGIA, March 4th, 1776. GENTLEMEN,—Our dispositions on the evening of the 2d were such as appeared to our officers the most likely to prevent the landing of our enemy; and so as, if they should make their landing good, either above or below the town, to prevent their getting in; however, notwithstanding our vigilance, they, by collusion with the masters and others on board the merchant ships which hauled near the shore of Hutchison's Island, in the night-time got on board these ships, about four o'clock yesterday morning, to the number, as far as we are competent to judge from the observations we made, and the intelligence we received, of between 200 and 300, where they affected to conceal themselves. We had our fears respecting these shipping, and therefore kept a good watch upon them; but it was impossible for sentinels on shore to descry them in boarding from the other, the vessels being betwixt. Captain Rice, who commanded a boat of observation, was sent on board the shipping about nine o'clock, to order the rigging on shore, and was, without any noise, or the smallest knowledge of us, kidnapped. This we did not know till about half an hour afterwards. Two sailors, under pretence of coming on shore for clothes, gave information of the troops being on board the shipping, and of Rice's being taken. About 300 men were then immedi ately marched to Yamacraw, opposite the shipping, with three four-pounders, and threw up a breastwork. The armed schooner Hinchinbrook, of guns, with a number of men on board, which, with others, went up the Back river in the afternoon of the day preceding, about this time set sail down the South river, with intent, no doubt, of covering the landing of the troops from on board the merchant shipping, but being continually fired at by two companies of riflemen, who were placed in ambuscade, she was obliged to come very slowly and often came to, and returned a very smart fire at every place where the riflemen fired from, until the tide was spent, and she could not go down. During the course of this firing, only one of our men got wounded, and that slightly, in the thigh; but on board several were seen to fall. In town, we had exhibited a still more interesting scene. We found the men and officers clamorous about the capture and detention of Rice; and two gentlemen, Lieut. Daniel Roberts, of the St. John Rangers, and Mr. Raymond Demere, of St. Andrew's Parish, solicited and were permitted to go on board to demand a surrender of Rice and his people. They accordingly divested themselves of arms, and were rowed by a negro on board a vessel in which were Captain Barclay, the Commo dore, and Major Grant, and these officers, contrary to all principles which cement society and govern mankind, immediately arrested our deputies, and yet detain them as prisoners. We waited with anxious expectation for near half an hour, when we demanded our deputies, by the help of a trumpet, without getting any other but insulting answers. Whereupon we fired two four-pounders