The Virginia Gazette

not certain; but wherever they turn their arms Spain is to act in concert
with them, and is preparing for that purpose.

The following PAPERS are published by order of CONGRESS.

Extract of a letter from General WASHINGTON to the PRESIDENT of
the CONGRESS, dated NEW YORK, August 18, 1776.

I HAVE the honour to enclose you, for the perusal and consideration of
Congress, sundry papers, the whole of which, except No. 2 and 7,
I received yesterday evening by a flag, and to which I beg leave to refer
Congress.

"SIR,
August 17, 1776.

Being deeply interested in the welfare of America, I think it my
duty to communicate a matter of intelligence, which I flatter myself may
be rendered conducive to the restoration of a desirable peace. And in
this view I request your Excellency's permission to land at New York, to
go directly to Philadelphia, in order to lay the same before the General
Congress.

In the course of a conversation I have had with Lord Howe, I perceive that the powers he is vested with, as well as his disposition for establishing an equitable and permanent peace, are altogether misunderstood
by the colonies.

For in consequence of a sketch of some propositions being offered for
his consideration, he very frankly assured me he was willing to confer
upon those grounds with any Gentlemen of the greatest influence in his
country,

As I am at liberty to declare his sentiments, I have the honour to
enclose for your Excellency's information a copy of my correspondence
with his Lordship, and of the propositions referred to in his letter,
which are the motives of my present request.

Attending in the boat to be indulged with your answer, I have the
honour to be, your Excellency's most humble servant,
DRUMMOND."

General WASHINGTON, &c. &c. &c.

"MY LORD,
New York, Aug. 17. 1776.

I have your Lordship's favour of this day, accompanied by papers
on subjects of the greatest moment, and deserving the most deliberate con-
sideration.

I can allow much for your Lordship's well meant zeal on such an
occasion, but fear it has transported you beyond that attention to your
parole, which comprehends the character of a man of strict honour. How
your Lordship can reconcile your past or present conduct, with your en-
gagement, so as to satisfy your mind, I must submit to your own feel-
ings, but I find myself under the disagreeable necessity of objecting to
the mode of negotiating proposed, while your Lordship's line of conduct
appears so exceptionable.

I shall, by express, forward to Congress your Lordship's letter, and
the papers which accompanied it.
The result will be communicated as
soon as possible. I am sorry to have detained your Lordship so long, but
the unavoidable necessity must be my apology. I am, my Lord, your
Lordship's most obedient and very humble servant,
G. WASHINGTON."

To Lord Drummond.

"My Lord,
Sloop POLLY, Aug. 12, 1775.

I take the liberty of sending enclosed the sketch of propositions re-
ferred to in my late conversation with your Lordship, which propositions,
I have understood, the colonies were disposed, not many months ago, to
make the basis of, a reconciliation with Great Britain. I have the ho-
nour to be, with great respect, your Lordship's most obedient humble
servant,
DRUMMOND."

To Lord Howe.

SKETCH of PROPOSITIONS communicated to Lord HOWE, on the
12th of August, 1776.

1.

That it shall be ascertained, as far as can be determined by
calculation, what supply towards the general exigency of the State each
separate colony can furnish, consistent with its ability.

2.

When such supply is thus ascertained, that each colony shall,
by Acts of its own Assembly, impose such taxes as they shall find expe-
dient for the raising of the said supply.

3.

In consideration of the fluctuating state of all young countries, that
such stages may not, in their operations, become partially or accidentally
burthensome on the one hand, nor on the other hand gradually become
deficient in producing the aid intended by the colonies towards the ge-
neral exigency of the State, such articles shall be chosen, as the objects
of imposition, as they shall deem the most likely to keep pace with the
growth or decline of the said colonies.

That these taxes, so imposed, shall, as in the customs, be levied
by officers of the appointment of the King; and that a perpetual grant,
of the produce of these taxes, shall be made by the respective Assemblies
to the Crown of Great Britain.

5.

-As the direct means of removing the fatal grounds of this con-
tention, by establishing a security against the apprehended invasion of
property by Parliament, a formal relinquishment shall be made, on the
part of Great Britain, of all future claim of taxation over these her
colonies.

6.

To remove all future suspicions from the minds of the colonists,
that under the appearance of regulating commerce, duties may be im-
posed for the further purposes of revenue, an application of the produce
of all duties imposed on articles of trade by the British legislature, shall
be made towards defraying the expenses of collection, and the surpluses
in each colony to be paid into their separate treasuries, and be subject to
the disposal of the respective Houses of Assembly.
DRUMMOND.

"EAGLE, off STATEN ISLAND, August 15, 1776.

My Lord,

I have received the honour of your Lordship's letter of the 12th,
enclosing a sketch of some propositions mentioned in your late conversation, which I return herewith.

As I think they contain matter that, upon a conference and cool
discussion, might be wrought into a plan of permanent union, I shall,
with great satisfaction, embrace the first opportunity that may be offered
upon those grounds, to promote so desirable an event. I have the honour
to be, my Lord, your Lordship's most obedient servant,
M. HOWE."

Right Hon. the Lord Drummond.

The following is the purport of the message sent from Lord Howe to
Congress, by General Sullivan.

That though he could not at present treat with Congress as such,
yet he was very desirous of having a conference with some of the mem-
bers, whom he would consider for the present only as private Gentlemen,
and meet them himself as such, at such place as they should appoint.

That he, in conjunction with General Howe, had full powers to
compromise the dispute between Great Britain and America, upon terms
advantageous to both, the obtaining of which delayed him near two
months in England, and prevented his arrival at this place before the de-
claration of independency took place.

That he wished a compact might be settled at this time, when no
decisive blow was struck, and neither party could say that they were com-
pelled to enter into such agreement.

That in case Congress were disposed to treat, many things, which
they had not yet asked, might and ought to be granted them; and that,
if, upon the conference, they found any probable ground of an accom-
modation, the authority of Congress must be afterwards acknowledged,
otherwise the compact could not be complete.

Extract from the minutes.
CHARLES THOMSON, Sec'ry.

In CONGRESS, September 5, 1776.

Resolved, that General Sullivan be requested to inform Lord Howe,
that this Congress, being the representatives of the Free and Independent
States of America, cannot, with propriety, send any of its members to
confer with his Lordship in their private characters, but that, ever de-
sirous of establishing peace on reasonable terms, they will send a Com-
mittee of their Body, to know whether he has any authority to treat with
persons authorised by Congress for that purpose, in behalf of America,
and what that authority is, and to hear such propositions as he shall think
fit to make respecting the same.

Resolved, that to-morrow be assigned for electing the committee.

SEPTEMBER 6, 1776.

Resolved, that the committee to be sent "to know whether Lord Howe
has any authority to treat with persons authorised by Congress for that
purpose, in behalf of America, and what that authority is, and to hear
such propositions as he shall think fit to make respecting the same," con-
sist of three.

The members chosen, Mr. Franklin, Mr. John Adams, and Mr. E.
Rutledge.

Extract from the minutes,
CHARLES THOMSON, Secretary.

The committee, who were appointed to wait on Lord Howe, having
returned to Congress, made their report in the following words

In obedience to the order of Congress, we have had a meeting with
Lord Howe. It was on Wednesday last, upon Staten Island, opposite
to Amboy, where his Lordship received and entertained us with the utmost
politeness

His Lordship opened the conversation by acquainting us, that though
he could not treat with us as a Committee of Congress, yet as his powers enabled him to confer and consult with any private Gentlemen of influence in the colonies, on the means of restoring peace between the two countries, he was glad of this opportunity of conferring with us on that subject, if we thought ourselves at liberty to enter into a conference with him in that character. We observed to his Lordship, that as our business was to hear, he might consider us in what light he pleased, and communicate to us any propositions he might be authorized to make for the purpose mentioned; but that we could consider ourselves in no other character than that in which we were placed by the order of Congress.

His Lordship then entered into a discourse of considerable length, which contained no explicit proposition of peace except one, viz. That the colonies should return to their allegiance and obedience to the government of Great Britain. The rest consisted principally of assurances that there was an exceeding good disposition in the King and his Ministers to make that government easy to us; with intimations that in case of our submission they would cause the offensive acts of Parliament to be revised, and the instructions to Governors to be reconsidered, that if any just causes of complaint were found in the acts, or any errors in Government were perceived to have crept into the instructions, they might be amended or withdrawn.

We gave it as our opinion to his Lordship, that a return to the domination of Great Britain was not now to be expected. We mentioned the repeated humble petitions of the colonies to the King and Parliament, which had been treated with contempt, and answered only by additional injuries; the unexampled patience we had shown under their tyrannical government, and that it was not till the last act of Parliament which denounced war against us, and put us out of the King's protection, that we declared our independence. That this declaration had been called for by the people of the colonies in general, that every colony had approved of it when made, and all now considered themselves as Independent States, and were settling or had settled their governments accordingly; so that it was not in the power of Congress to agree for them that they should return to their former dependent state. That there was no doubt of their inclination to peace, and their willingness to enter into a treaty with Britain, that might be advantageous to both countries. That though his Lordship had at present no power to treat with them as Independent States, he might, if there was the same good disposition in Britain, much sooner obtain fresh powers from thence for that purpose than powers could be obtained by Congress from the several colonies, to consent to a submission. His Lordship then, saying that he was sorry to find that no accommodation was like to take place, put an end to the conference.

Upon the whole, it did not appear to your committee, that his Lordship's commission contained any other authority of importance, than what is expressed in the act of Parliament, viz. that of granting pardons with such exceptions as the commissioners shall think proper to make, and of declaring America or any part of it to be in the King's peace upon submission. For as to the power of inquiring into the state of America, which his Lordship mentioned to us, and of conferring and consulting with any persons the commissioners might think proper, and representing the result of such conversations to the Ministry, who (provided the colonies would subject themselves) might after all, or might not, at their pleasure, make any alterations in the former instructions to Governors, or propose in Parliament any amendment of the acts complained of, we apprehended any expectation from the effect of such a power would have been too uncertain and precarious to be relied on by America, had he still continued in her state of dependence.