little Danger of our making any Encroachments on their Hunting Grounds, for many years to come, whereby a considerable Cause of Discontent will be avoided; And, in the next Place, the Establishing a Precedent for the Indians making Satisfaction for Injuries done our Traders, will make them much more cautious of committing the like hereafter. At present we have got them in the Temper to do it, & it will be unpardonable, if we suffer the opportunity to slip. Indeed, in my Opinion, no Time should be lost in bringing this Affair to a Termination & I hope the Ministry will give orders to Sir William to push it with the utmost Expedition. If it is much longer delay'd there will be Danger that the present good Disposition of the Indians may cool, or that they may be persuaded to act otherwise by the artfull Insinuations of the French, or by the Suggestions of evil disposed Persons among ourselves.

What makes it more immediately the Interest of the Crown to accept of this Grant from the Indians, & to confirm it to the Sufferers, is, that the Indians will of course expect to be paid for all the Lands which they are to grant within the Boundary they have now agreed to make between them and the English, unless their offer of Part of those Lands to the Sufferers be accepted. But the greater the Tract within the Boundary which they can be persuaded to grant to the Sufferers, the less the Crown will be under a Necessity of purchasing. And the Crown may notwithstanding receive the same Advantages in Point of Revenue from these Lands, tho' they cost the Crown Nothing, as it does from the Lands heretofore bought of the Indians. For the Sufferers would consent (if required) to pay the usual Quit rent reserved by the Crown, at the expiration of 20 or 25 years. And an Exemption from Quit rent for that term has been common in Several of His Majesty's Colonies.

I wrote you a few lines in haste on this Subject by Cap Budden; but as it is a Matter of great Importance, not only to the sufferers (some of whom are our particular Friends) but to the Interest of the Crown, & the Publick Welfare, I doubt not but you will excuse this further Trouble, & that you will on these Considerations lose no Time in representing the Affair in its proper Light to the Ministry, & forward it all that may be in your Power.

Enclosed is a Copy of a Letter Col. Croghan sent you by Budden.

I am, Honoured Sir, Your ever dutiful Son
W FRANKLIN

Letter from Governor Franklin to the Lords of Trade, respecting the difficulties the Province of New Jersey labors under with regard to the Stamp Act.

[From P. R. O. B. T. New Jersey, Vol. 9, K. 53.]

BURLINGTON Dec 18, 1765

To the Lords of Trade

My Lords,

I did myself the Honour of writing to your Lordships the 13th of last Month, by a Ship bound to Liverpool. In that Letter I enclosed a Copy of the Minutes of Council of the 6th & 7th of November.

Notwithstanding the Assembly in their Sessions in June, unanimously determined not to send a Committee to the Congress at New York, yet the Speaker of the Assembly of this Province, upon finding the People of East Jersey in general displeased with the House on that Account, did of his own Authority summon a Meeting of the Representatives at Amboy.

About 12 of them accordingly met, & were prevailed upon to appoint Three of their Members a Committee to go to New-York. The Speaker' was one of the Number; but not consenting to sign the Addresses agreed upon by the Congress, he was burnt in Effigy in almost all the Towns of East Jersey, & has been since obliged to resign his Seat in the Assembly.

I should have thought it my Duty, on Account of this irregular & unconstitutional Meeting of the Representatives at Amboy, to have immediately dissolved the House, but that there was great Reason to apprehend that I should thereby have thrown the Province into the utmost Confusion. However at the late Meeting of the General Assembly, I took an Opportunity of declaring my Disapprobation of their Conduct in pretty strong Terms, lest they should hereafter make it a Precedent for such kind of Meetings. For the Particulars of what passed at the last Sessions, I must beg leave to refer you to the Minutes of Council & the Votes of Assembly enclosed; which will make your Lordships acquainted with the Difficulties we still labour under with regard to the Stamp Act. At present there is almost a total Stagnation of Business at the publick Offices, none of the Officers chusing to venture to go on with Business as formerly, lest if the Act should at last be carried into Execution they should be made liable to the Penalties inflicted by it. And yet there is Danger, if they much longer persist in this Resolution that they will be torn to Pieces by the Mob. The Person who was appointed to be Stamp Distributor still refuses to endeavour to execute the Act, tho' he has now receiv'd his Commission & Instructions for the Purpose. And the Stamps still remain on Board His Majestys Ship Sardoine, there

1 Robert Ogden. See note page 451. He was burned in effigy in several places in New Jersey. Sabine's American Loyalists, p. 488,

being no Place of Security for them in this Province. In short our Situation is at present extremely critical, but we are daily in hopes of receiving Instructions. from His Majesty's Ministers, directing the Conduct they would have us observe on this extraordinary Occasion. In the mean Time I shall continue to use my utmost Endeavours to preserve the Peace & Quiet of the Province, and to prevent the People going into those Excesses & Acts of Violence which have too much prevailed in the neighbouring Colonies.

I have the Honour to be, with the greatest Respect, My Lords, Your Lordships Most obedient

& most humble Servant

W FRANKLIN

Letter from the Lords of Trade to Secretary the Duke of Grafton, transmitting copies of all papers containing information of the riots in America against the Stamp Act.

[From P. R. O. B. T. Plantations General, Vol. 41, Page 481.]

WHITEHALL, Janry 7, 1766

To his Grace the Duke of Grafton, one of His Majesty's principal Secretaries of State.

My Lord,

In obedience to His Majesty's Commands signified to Us in Your Grace's Letter of the 19th of last Month, we have prepared, and herewith transmit to You Copies of all the Letters and Papers received by, or communicated to us, so far as they relate to, or contain any Information of the Riots, that have happn'd in America in opposition to the putting in Execution the Stamp Act, since the passing thereof to the present

time; Upon which Letters and Advices no Orders have been issued by Us; but we have, pursuant to what we conceive to have been our Duty, and the Course of Proceeding in this Office, from time to time humbly laid before His Majesty in Council such of the said Letters and Papers, as appeared to us to be of such a Nature, as to require His Majesty's Directions there

upon.

We are, My Lord, Your Grace's most

obedient and most humble Servants,
DARTMOUTH SOAME JENYNS
W FITZHERBERT

J. DYSON

List of Papers received by, or communicated to the Lords Commissioners for Trade and Plantations, so far as they relate to, or Contain any Information of the Riots, that have happen'd in America in opposition to the putting in Execution the Stamp Act, since the passing thereof to the present time.

No. 1

Extract of a Letter from Francis Fauquier Esq' Lieutenant Governor of Virginia, to the Lords Commissioners for Trade and Plantations, dated Williamsburgh June 5th 1765. Rec July 27th 1765

No. 2.

Copy of the Resolutions of the House of Burgesses of Virginia. Rec do

No. 3

Extract of a Letter from Francis Bernard Esq' Governor of Massachusets Bay, to the Lords Commissioners for Trade and Plantations, dated Boston July 8th 1765. Rec Sept: 20th