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RIGHT HON'BLE:— In observance of o'r duty and allegiance to his dread Ma'tie o'r Gracious Soveraigne, and obedience to his commands, by his letters directed severalty to the Governors of his Ma'ties United Colonys in New England, given at his Royall Court in White Hall, Feb'y 12, 1678-9, perceiving by mutuall advice that his Ma'ties letters afore-said, to each of these colonys, are of the same importe containing like commands of an accot. of the contents of the lands of Mount Hope and Narriganset, &c. which in the late warrs with the barbarous natives, o'r neighbours were taken out of their hands, we crave leave to give your honor this followeing acco't as for the immediate and more apparent occasion of the sayd warr with the natives, the progresse and consequences thereof, the printed narrative which we herewith remit to your honor, although the labour of a private hand, yet for the substance thereof doth truly set forth the same, nevertheless we have, (as we apprehend) just ground not only to feare, but without breach of charity, to conclude that those malicious designess of the Jesuits, (those grand enemies tc his Ma'ties crown, as well as to the Protestant religion by us possessed,) have had their influence in the contrivement thereof, and of the certainty hereof, we have been credibly informed by both Indians and English, at home and abroad. And as for those lands of Mount Hope, although Philip, with the Indians over whom he was Sachem, possessed the same, yet they are not so properly to be called conquered lands, but such whose Indian clayme therein and title thereto is now forfeited into the hands of the English of said colony by his breach of covenant with them, and we thus apprehend for these reasons, 1. In that those lands are indubitably within the limits and bounds of his Ma'ties colony of New Plymouth contained within the express limits of his Royall Charter to them granted, and are within the bownds of an English town of that colony, planted by them nere forty yeares since, called Seaconck and Swansey. 2. Philip, Sachem and all those Indians under him were orderly subjects to his Ma'ties Government, there settled by authority of said Charter, as by sundry instruments under the hands and seals of said Philip, and by his chief men, may fully be made to appear. 3. The necessity as well as justice of said war on the part of the English, for the preservation of the lives and estates of his Ma'ties good subjects there settled, the printed narative above mentioned, doth fully declare, and we have no reason to doubt will be to satisfaction. As for the contents or value of said lands, called Mount Hope, they have formerly been estimated at seven thousand acres, but upon a late survay doe appeare to be of less quantity, and for value its advanced, the more considerable by reason of its scituation near the sea, and so may be some accommodation to the colony for a place of trade, otherwise the improvement and benefit thereof, would be very inconsiderable; and an invaluable sum towards New Plimouth parte of disbursments which in the whole hath been more then one hundred thousand pownds. As for that proposal made in behalf of Mr. William Crowne, we may truely inform your Honor, that neither his former losses which were rather imaginary then reall, nor his present demands seem such to us, as should highly deserve of his Ma'tie, being rather a burthen and disservice to such places where he hath been than otherwise, and particularly to one of our plantations setled before the unhappy warr, where himself as well as others had good accommodations freely granted him, but very unhappy disquiets attended that plantation dureing his residence there. As for those lands of Narragancet, they are included in his Ma'ties Charter granted to Connecticutt, and so regularly under the Government thereof, and before the war began were peaceably settled with inhabitants in severale paarts thereof in right of purchass from the indians, and were likely to have been a flouerishing plantation under the countenance of his Ma'ties government there settled by his Gracious Letters Pattents to that colony under the broad seal, and by his perticuler commands to other of the colonys, severally requiring their assistance of them, but since the war those parts are disturbed by sundry who doe intrude themselves upon them by countenance of the Government of Rhode Island as they alledg, and are an ungoverned people utterly uncapable to advance his Ma'ties interest or the peace and happiness of their neighbours, as for the acts of his Ma'ties Commissioners 1664-5, we hope that none of their conclusions were intended to contradict his Ma'ties Charter, granted to his good subjects here, especially considering the absence of Coll. Niccols, when such conclusions were drawn up by others of them, without whose concurrence their acts as theire own Commission exhibited, declared to us were invalid, we humbly crave leave to propose that it will be most difficult, if not impossible for the several claymors of right in that country now resident in those colonys to defend theire interest in England before his Ma'tie and Honowrable Councill, the whole estate of many of them being not able to transport them over seas, or supply the management of an easy defence at such distance whence they must inevitably sink under the burthen of the loss of all, if his Ma'tie be not pleased in his Royall wisdom, to order some other expedient to an issue; the English of these colonys having by his Ma'ties good leave under security of his Letters Pattents removed themselves into this remoat wilderaesse neer fifty years now past, they have confidence that the malice of their adversaries by their private insinuations and unjust reproaches shall not now prevayle to disturb them in theire so orderly setlement. We humbly offer to your Honours hands, these briefe intimations which we humbly intreat your Honours favour and candor
so far to communicate and lay before his Majestie, as in your wisdom you may judge a service to his Ma'ties interest and
benefit to his good subjects here, a more full and perticuler answer to his Ma'ties commands as the colonys may be
severally concerned, we shall refer to their Gen'11 Courts to present; Hon'ble Sir we take leave to subscribe o'r selves
your most humble servants the Commissioners of the United colonys in New England, viz, the Mattachusets, Plimouth and
Conecticutt, by the speciale order of their respective Governors and Councills of his Ma'ties colonys.
To the Right Hon'ble, the Earle of Sunderland, one of his Majesties principall Secret'rys of State, to be comunicated to his Ma'tie, these humbly present. In answer to his Ma'ties letter to the Governor and Magistrates of the severall colonys, a letter was drawn up and directed to the honourable the Earle of Sunderland one of his Ma'ties principle Secretarys of State to be communicated to his Ma'tie. Allowed in money to Capt. John Hull, for cattle eaten by the confederate army in the Narragancett in proposition from the severall colonys, twenty five pownds. To Capt. John Hull, and Wm. Crofts for ditto, in money twenty five pownds, from the severall colonys. Appeared the Reverend Mr. John Eliott and made a motion refering to the reprinting the Bible. Some demands of Mr. Smith and Mr. Sandford are refered to the next meeting of the Com'rs. Agreed upon the day and yeare above written by the Commissioners of the United Colonys. THO. DANFORTH, Press'd.J. DUDLEY,JOSIAH WINSLOW,THO. HINCHLEY,JOHN ALLYN,JAMES RICHARDS. |