threatens to remove Lord D. for countenancing the settlements on the Ohio signifies the Kings displeasure. [Other dispatches in 1774 about the Jurisdiction on Ohio - Walpoles intended grant - the settlements-Ind" War &c.

20 June 1774 Lord Dunmore wrote to Lord Dartmouth that a petition had been presented to him by the Council to prevail on him to issue Writs for a New Assembly, which tho' averse to I did, in order to remove the pretence of not calling the assembly to impute the disorder which is continually increasing.

The writs are issuing. But unless, the incursions of the Indians, the distress arising from the expiration of many of our essential laws & other urgent reasons compel me, I shall defer the Meeting the Assembly till I receive orders. The Councillors excuse any apparent inconsistency of first advising a dissolution & afterwards advising a new assembly so soon afterwards.

Extract of a Letter from Lord Dartmouth to Lord Dunmore, dated 3rd August, 1774.

[VIRG: SOC. OFF. 1774.]

It still remains to be seen whether the measures adopted by Parliament will or will not have the effect to restore peace and harmony between Great Britain and her Colonies. The proceedings of the Burgesses of Virginia do not encourage me to hope for a speedy issue to the present disunion, and we have seen too much of the prevalence of the example they have set to the other Colonies, not to be justly alarmed at what may be the result of the unconstitutional Meeting they are endeavouring to promote.

The prudence and spirit which your lordship has already shown, will, I am persuaded, be exerted to counteract such dangerous Measures and every power of government made use of to prevent Unlawful assemblies of the people for

factious purposes; and I cannot too strongly exhort you to endeavour by every means in your power to encourage those who you say have publicly declared that they are in principle averse to such Proceedings, to exert themselves and by their example and authority to endeavour to convince the people of the fatal consequence of listening to propositions that lead to inevitable destruction.

5 Oct. 1774. Lord D. signified the Kings pleasure not to meet the assembly except urged by the last necessity, till further orders.

14 Aug 1774. Lord Dunmore wrote from Frederick county, of the Indian incursions even to the East of the Mountains of his purpose to March a body of Men to the Ohio & down that river to the Mouth of the Scioto & if he can only penetrate to the Indian lower towns undiscovered - hopes to put an End to this Most horrid War in which there is neither honour, pleasure, nor profit.

Instructions to their Delegates to attend Congress. 1stly To express their faith & allegiance to Geo. 3. as their lawful & rightful Sovereign, whom they are determined to support in the legal exercise of his just Prerogatives. However Misrepresented, they sincerely Approved of a constitutional Connexion with G. B. & ardently wish for a return of that intercourse of affection & Commercial Connexion that formerly United both Countries.- British Subjects in America Entitled to all the rights of British Subjects in Britain.

The end of Government would be defeated by the Parliaments exercising a power over the lives, property & the liberty of the American Subjects. The Original Constitution of the American Colonies gave their assemblies the sole right of directing their internal Policy — wanting the protection of Britain they had long acquiesced in her acts of Navigation: But, as those acts derive their efficacy alone from that foundation, we expect that they will be so restrained as to produce the reasonable purposes of Britain

without injuring them-express a desire to pay their Debts to Britain - Vehement declaration against Gen! Gage's (this despotic Viceroy) proclamation, declaring it treason for the people of Massachusetts to meet to Consider of grievances.

[2 Nov. 1775. Lord Dartmouth wrote Lord D. that he had laid his Dispatch of 14 Augt. before the King. approves of his Marching against the Indians.]

1 Dec. 1774. Lord Dartmouth wrote to Lord D. that he might declare the Copper half pence (formerly Cent) to be the lawful Current money of Virg

MY LORD,

DARTMOUTH TO DUNMORE.

WHITEHALL 8th September 1774.

The Deputy Governor of Pensylvania, in his Message to the House of Representatives on the 18th of July last, asserts that the Hostility of the Indians upon the Ohio River, which had spread such general alarm and distress throughout the Back Settlements, was occasioned by the unprovoked ill treatment of those Indians by the people of Virginia, who had barbarously murdered about eleven of the Delaware and Shawanes Tribes; and that many friendly Indians who had generously afforded protection to the persons and goods of Indian Traders, from the violence of some of their young Warriors; and who were at the risk of their own Lives, escorting those Traders to their friends near Pittsburg, were, contrary to all faith, attacked, and some of them wounded by a party of Virginians sent out for the purpose by one Conolly a Militia Captain, having a Commission from the Government of Virginia.

My Intelligence through a variety of other Channels confirms these facts, and adds further that this Conolly, using your Lordships name, and pleading your authority has presumed to re-establish the Fort at Pittsburg, which was demolished by the King's express Orders; - that he has destroyed the King's Boats which were kept there for the purpose of a Communication with the Illinois Country; and that parties were sent out by his authority, or under his direction, for the purpose of building other Forts lower down the River Ohio.

The duty I owe the King, and the regard I entertain for your Lordship, induce me to take the earliest opportunity of acquainting your Lordship with this Information, to the end that the facts asserted, if not true, may be contradicted by your Lordship's authority; but if otherwise (which I cannot suppose to be the case) such steps may be taken as the King's Dignity and Justice shall Dictate.

I have not before me any Letters from your Lordship the receipt of which has not been already acknowledged. But I must not omit the first opportunity of acquainting you that the contents of your Dispatch of the 16th May (No. 16) have had the fullest Consideration.

Upon this occasion the Measures that have been pursued by Government respecting the Country lying between the

Ohio River and the Northern boundary of North Carolina and the grounds of policy of those Measures from the Royal Proclamation of 1763, down to the present Time, have been examined with due attention.

Your Lordship cannot have been ignorant of those Measures and must have seen that it has been the invariable Policy of this Country to prevent, by every possible means, any Settlement of the King's Subjects in situations where they could not fail of exciting the Jealousy of and giving Dissatisfaction to the Indians, and where at the same time the Settlers would be out of the reach either of the controul or protection of the King's Government.

It was upon this Policy and upon these motives that the King, by the Royal Proclamation of 1763, forbad settlements beyond the Heads of the Rivers that fall into the Atlantic Ocean; and altho' His Majesty was graciously pleased to accept from the Six Nations a Surrender of their Title to the Lands on the South of the Ohio, as low down as its confluence with the Cherokee River, yet such acceptance was accompanied with an order to Sir William Johnson to assure those Nations of His Majesty's firm Resolution not to suffer any Settlement to be made below the Kanawa River.

That assurance gave the greatest satisfaction to those Indians, and that no Nation might entertain jealousy of encroachment upon their hunting Grounds, His Majesty was further graciously pleased, at the request of the Colony of Virginia, to consent to a Treaty being held with the Cherokees for ascertaining the Limits of Settlement on the side of the Country claimed by them.

By that Treaty, which was concluded at Lockhaber on the 18th of October 1770, it was expressly stipulated that the settlement of The King's Subjects under the Government of Virginia, should be bounded by a Line drawn in a certain direction from the Mouth of the Kanawa River to the Boundary Line of North Carolina.