and enable us to answer Complaints and remove Prejudices. If there is any Law by which her Property is forfeited, or her Rights of Citizenship taken away, it will have its Operation: but if she is evicted by Violence and entitled to Protection, we have no doubt but her grievances will be heard and as far as possible redressed. Can it be thought a Crime deriving the Penalties of Confiscation, or any high Degree of publick Indignation, that a Widow in the Decline of Life retired from the midst of the most active scenes of War to a place of Safety. In this Light is Mrs. DeLancey's Case represented and this she insists is her only offence.

We have no Account of the definite Treaty. No Intelligence of any kind from our ministers or private Letters which embarresses all our measures more than words can express. As soon as anything transpires worthy of attention we shall not fail to communicate it to your Excellency.

With the utmost Respect we remain Sir Your Excellencys most Obedient and most humble Servants.

His Excellency Governor Clinton.

Jas. Duane.

When these dispatches were made up Mr. L'Hommedieu was abroad which prevented his Signature.

[No. 5154.]

Governor Guerard of South Carolina to Governor Clinton Asking for a List of the Persons Who Have Been Banished, etc., by the Laws of New York.

Government House, Ch's-town, South Carolina, 13th August, Circular. Sir, The Legislature of this State, having desired me to write to the several Governors of the United States, requesting

that they wou'd be pleased to furnish me with a list of the names of those Persons, who, have been proscribed or banished from their respective States; I, therefore, to that End, now do myself the Honor of addressing this my Circular to you, and will be much obliged to you for your Answer of Compliance with the said Request, as soon as may be convenient, that I might lay the same. before them at their next Sitting.

I have the Honor to be with the greatest Respect:-Sir, Your most Obedient & very Hble. Servant.

Ben: Guerard.

His Excellency The Governor of the State of New-York.

[No. 5156.]

Mysterious Information of a Conspiracy to Plunder the City of New York.

Information upon Oath by Mr.

Thursday, 14th August, 1783.

Copy. He has good reason to apprehend that a combination is formed, to seize the first opportunity to turn the Goods of the Inhabitants of this City into the Streets for the purpose of a general Riot and Plunder.

A person told him that there were four hundred persons in the combination, and that he was himself a Signer to it; and that it was the intention of the party here, to engage four or five hundred persons more in the project from New England, and that he believed some of his own acquaintances of the City, would fall on the accomplishment of it.

The same person added, that Expresses were now going backwards & forwards on this business.

The informant knows the name of the person from whom he had this intelligence. He was a Captain in the Continental Service,

and the informant will name him to the Commander in Chief, as soon as it shall consist with his own safety. The person has large Connections and is a native of this City. He intimated his wish that the Informant was a Mason; by which he imagined that he would have revealed more, if he had more confidence in the Informants Secrecy.

Sworn 14th August 1783 before me

What Mr.

(Signed)

had from the person not named was on Friday

last, and he has hesitated ever since about revealing it with great anxiety of Mind.

[No. 5157.]

Ezra l'Hommedieu Informs the Governor that Philadelphia Desires Congress to Return There for Political Purposes.

PrinceTown, August 15, 1783.

Dear Sir, Upon the Receipt of your Excellency's Letter, I left Home as soon as I could, with any convenience; which was the first of this Month, and arrived here the sixth, a few Days after Colo. Hambleton was gone. Having been informed before I left Middletown that you was in Company with General Washington to the Northward, I came the most direct road by Kings Ferry, otherwise I should not have omitted calling on your Excellency at Poughkeepsie. Mr. Duane informs me that General Scott has received a sum of Money to enable him to attend Congress, tho' there is no probability of his coming on. I hope this will not put it out of your Power to supply me with a small sum; if it should, you will be so kind as to let me know it soon, that I may have oppertunity to procure it elsewhere. I have now a Ballance due to me from the State, for my Attendance in Congress, to the amount of £121.10.0. I have had no oppertunity since the passing

of the act for the paying and auditing the accounts of the Delegates, to lay this Account before the Auditor of the State; and it is not likely, if I must be present at the auditing, that I shall be able to present it for payment till after we get into New York: it would much oblige me if your Excellency will retain in your Hand, Out of the Monies directed to be loaned for the payment of such Accounts, a Sum sufficient to discharge this demand, when the Account shall be produced properly audited.

We have as yet no Account of the signing of the definitive Treaty or of the Time the British expect to leave New York. It is a long Time since advices have been received from our Commissioners at Paris. Congress do not seem at present to be hurried with Business. A Peace Establishment, which has been reported and on which General Washington is to be consulted (who will be here in a few Days) is a Business of much Consequence and ought soon to be perfected; but I fear delays will be made & some of the eastern States, if I am not much mistaken, will oppose the keeping of any Troops on the Frontiers especially those of New York.

It is ordered that an equestrian Statue of General Washington be made by the best artist in Europe under the direction of the Commissioner of the United States at Paris, and erected at the Place where the Residence of Congress shall be established.* Where that Place will be is very uncertain. Pennsylvania and especially Philadelphia are now exceeding anxious for the Return of Congress to that City. "Tis no wonder: they now see that it makes an Add'n of 100,000 Dollars at least to the State P. Annum. 'Tis said if Congress do not goe back, the Union will be dissolved; the State of Pensylvania will be so convulsed that they will not

This statue never was erected.-STATE HISTORIAN.

be in a Capacity of Contributing to the Necessities of the United States; they say if Congress would remove there but six weeks, to shew that there was no misunderstanding, all would be Peace & Quiet; & if they then removed, there would be no blame or uneasiness. 'Tis very doubtful to me if Congress ever return to Philadelphia and it is as doubtful where they will agree to have their Place of residence. I believe they will remove from this Place before winter, as tis thought they cannot be accommodated in that Season of the Year.

I shall do myself the honor of writing to your Excellency frequently during my residence here and am with great Respect & Esteem Your Excellencys most Obed't and very Humb. Ser't. Ezra L'Hommedieu.

His Excellency Governor Clinton.

[Nos. 5159-5160.]

Sir Guy Carleton Answers Governor Clinton's Charges of Abuses in Westchester County-The Governor Refuses to Recede from His Position.

New York, 25 July, 1783.

Sir, On the 13th I rec'd. your Excellency's Letter of the 1st Inst. The assurances you give me, that the Outrages committed in West Chester County on the 16th of May were neither authorised nor contenanced by Government, have a Claim to intire Credit with me. I suppose that the Report of Mr. Honeywell's having acted on that occasion in Consequence of Instructions proceeded from the Parties being conducted by civil Magistrates, and espe cially from Mr. Honeywell's having soon after, in his official Character of a Commissioner of Sequestration, with his Colleagues in Office, aided and supported by the civil Magistrates,