The Virginia Gazette

Extract of a Letter from Putney (in New York Government) dated December 11, 1771, 12 O'Clock at Night, to a Gentleman in this Town.

"I would (in great Haste) inform you that a certain Gentleman, one Howard by Name, who it is said is Lieutenant Colonel of the King's Lifeguard, is arrived here from England, vid New York, and has brought a Mandamus from the King, in Consequence of which Mandamus he has obtained a Charter of the ancient Town of Hinsdale, signed by Governour Tryon, and warned all the People off their Settlements. Several other Mandamuses he has also, one for General Amherst of twenty Thousand Acres, with sundry others; all which, according to the Mandamuses, are to be laid out in this County, in such Places, or Towns, as have not been granted by New York. I am afraid of your Interest this Way, except, Sir, you use some Precaution about the same.

"The People of Hinsdale are in great Perplexity, not knowing what to do, though many of them are the wealthiet Men on the River, many of their Farms estimated at ten, fifteen, and twenty Thousand Pounds old Tenour each."

Extract of a Letter from Putney, December 14.

"Last Wednesday I wrote to you in great Haste, informing you, as well as I was then able, of a very extraordinary Affair, namely, the ancient Town of Hinsdale being chartered by New York to one Howard, in Consequence of a Mandamus from his Majesty; the Particulars of which Affair I will relate to you, as far as I am able. Yesterday, being at Judge Wells's, upon some particular Business of my own, I saw this Gentleman, and had some Conversation, which is the Means of my Information. He (Lieutenant Colonel Howard) had a Mandamus from the King for ten Thousand Acres of Land, to be laid out in the Province of New York, which had not been granted before by said Province. He, upon Information at York of the Value of the Town of Hinsdale, made a Pitch of said Place by Plan, obtained a Charter under the Province Seal of the same, signed by Governour Tryon; immediately upon which he comes here, with two Livery Servants, his Attendants, tells Hinsdale People of it, makes them one Offer, namely, to lease the Lands to them they now enjoy, for five Years, at one Penny Sterling an Acre, another five Years for one Shilling an Acre, and at the Expiration of said Term to come to a new Agreement. Hinsdale People have got the same under Consideration, and are in great Perplexity, not knowing what to do; many of them are wealthy Men, but Persons of no liberal Education, and I am afraid they will do Something prejudicial to themselves on that Account. These, Sir, are real Facts, and deserve to be put in the publick Prints.

One Nathan, living there, has revealed a Secret, namely, a New York Gentleman being up here, whom you have heard of, but whose Name I forbear mentioning, sent a Letter to him last Thursday, desiring him and Sons to sign a Power of Attorney, which he sent enclosed in the Letter from Brattleborough, assuring them that their Patent should be signed for Fullam immediately upon his Arrival at York, which Place he sets out for next Wednesday; which Power was by Nathan and Sons signed, and who are now full of the most consummate Assurances that they shall shortly have the Charter. And I must give you my Opinion, that, according to the Complexion of Things, and knowing so many artful designing Tricks managed about these Lands, if you are not speedy, and use your utmost Vigilance in farther securing your Interest up here, you will lose it, or at least it will be so embarrassed that to remove the Evils these bad Men may involve you in will cost more than Half your Lands will be worth. I am not intimidated, Gentlemen, by these Persons Conduct, as in the least to suspect the Justice of your Cause; but when Men are corrupt, and Affairs carried on by designing Villains, what must be the Consequence! I believe you will, upon cool sober Thought, join with me in Sentiment. Your Settlers are very uneasy, and upon my Word I cannot blame them: for if they lose what they have here, they lose their All."
Extract of another Letter from Putney, December 14.

One Mr. Howard, a Lieutenant Colonel in the King's Guards, has obtained a Patent, under the Great Seal of the Province of New York, of all the Land that is in Hinsdale on the west Side of Connecticut River, and to extend three Quarters of a Mile into Guildford.

This Patent was obtained in Consequence of a Mandamus from the King, &c. to Governour Tryon, wherein he was directed to lay out to Lieutenant Colonel Howard ten Thousand Acres of Land within the Province of New York, in some Place that never before had been patented, and so as not to interfere with any Lands possessed or claimed by the Indians. The Land that is within the Town of Hinsdale near one hundred Years ago was granted by the Province of the Massachusetts Bay to the Proprietors of Northfield; these Proprietors ninety five Years ago purchased of the Indians their Right to these Lands, and the Deeds which were obtained from the Indians are now in Being. About eighty Years ago the Proprietors above mentioned went into Possession of this Land, and have improved a considerable Part of the same for about eighty Years successively.

Soon after the Settlement of the Line between the Massachusetts and New Hampshire, this Land was confirmed to the Heirs and Assigns of the original Proprietors above mentioned, by a Patent under the Great Seal of New Hampshire.

If these Letters are to be depended upon (and we have no Reason to think the contrary) and the honest Freeholders of Hinsdale should "LOSE THEIR ALL."

we ought to remember that it will be by Virtue of an Instruction to a Governour, who no Doubt has reconciled it (he being the Judge) with the Constitution of the Province of New York. We are informed, in Mr. Draper's last Gazette, that " it may be proper to commit the Exercise of such Part of the supreme Authority as consists in the Imposition of Taxes upon the Subjects of America to the Colony Assemblies. but the Right to controul. them in the Exercise of that Power, or to exercise it without their Interposition, must remain with the Parliament of Great Britain." And why may not the Right of ORDERING the Hinsdale Proprietors to give up their Lands to Colonel Howard as well be inherent in the British Administration, when it shall be thought they have enjoyed it long enough ? Eighty or ninety Years Possession is a great While ; and if the same Instruction, or Mandamus, should be sent to the Governour of this Province in Favour of Captain PRESTON, or any other Gentleman, to compensate for Services and Sufferings, and one or two of the fertillest and well cultivated Townships in the Counties of Hampshire or Berkshire should be pitched upon, what will the present Owners of them have to do but quietly to submit to GOVERNMENT? To pretend that they have a Right to hold the Lands which they have honestly purchased will be as great a Piece of Folly as it was for the Merchants vainly to pretend that they had a Right to keep their own Money, which they had fairly gained after many a Risk in their Trade. Why should these LANDHOLDERS THWART THE SCHEMES OF Men In Power? " What Advantage, my Fellow Citizens and Countrymen, has been obtained by Opposition to GovErnM ENT?" It will only give Occasion to "pretended Patriots, and wrong-headed Politicians," to " stir up the People to Wrath and Clamour, to an unsocial, unfriendly Temper and Conduct towards each other, by inflammatory Writings," whereby "the publick Peace will be greatly wounded." I ask again, what Advantage, in Possession or in Prospect, can they propose," by foolishly insisting upon their RiGHT to their LanDs, though they have cost them much Labour and Toil, with the Sweat of their Brows ?. The best Way for the Men of Hinsdale, and other FrEEHoLDeRs, is to deliver up their Lands whenever they are demanded by Force of ministerial Instructions; and after they have so done, in Submission to GoV ERNM ENT, there will then be a hopeful Prospect that " much may be done by Way of petitioning and humbly representing the Hardship of it." I insist upon it, the only Way for them to Secure their Lands is by all Means to deliver them up. The worst that can befal them, and their Children after them, when they have thus quietly submitted to GovernM EnT, will be to become BeGGARs: and, like the good Lazarus, to sTARVE AT THe GaTes of those who are made rich at their Toil and Expense. Take the Advice of

CHRONUS.