Another not lefs important, I pre- Your most obedient, GUY CARLETON. Robert R. Livingston, Efq New York, March 23, 1783. SIR, ex I Have received your letter inclofing me the refolve of congrefs, with a copy of a letter to his cellency Sir Guy Carleton; but as I have as yet received no official accounts from England, 1 muft wait till you on your fide relieve our prifoners, before I give that general relief to yours I fo much with. There can be no reafon for detain ing our prifoners one moment, as congrefs muft fuppofe the peace figned. 1 fhall take every precaution in my power, confiftent with my duty, to top any further mifchief upon the feas; but thould recommend the preventing any veffels failing, as I have not yet received fufficient authority to enable me to withdraw ny cruifers. I am, Sir, Your very obedient, humble fervant, ROBERT DIGBY To Robert Livingston2 Efq. &c. &.. The following is the Addrefs which was prefented by the Loyalifts, at Port Roferway. To his Excellency John Parr, Efq. Captain General and Governor in Chief in and over his Majefty's Province of Nova Scotia, in North America, Chancellor and ViceAdmiral of the fame, &c. &c. The Addrefs of the Affociated Loy alift fettled at Port Roleway. May it please your Excellency, O accept our cordial congra Τ rival in this port, and to exprefs the fense we entertain of the high honour you have conferred upon this infant fettlement, fo happily begun under your aufpices, and the un peakable fatisfaction which your prefence diffuses among all ranks of people here. Your excellency's penetrating eye will foon difcover the improvements we have made in this place; and we flatter ourselves that, when the difadvantages under which we have laboured are confidered, you will honour us with the appellation of an induftrious people, not unworthy of your patronage. The attention which your excellency has paid to the establishment, and the good intentions you have been pleafed to exprefs of exerting your endeavours to render it perma nent and flourishing, are highly flattering to our hopes and ambition, and it shall ever be our study to merit your countenance and protection. JAMES ROBERTSON, JAMES M'EWEN. Port Refeway, July 21, 1783. To which his Excellency was pleafed to return the following Anfwer. for the favourable fenfe you are pleased to entertain of my arrival at Shelburne. I confider the many and great improvements which have already taken place in this infant fettlement, as reflecting the highest honour on the industry and exertions of its inhabitants; and the commercial advantages to be derived from its fituation, having one of the best harbours in the world, muft render it permanent and flourishing. The intereft of thofe men who have fuffered from their loyalty to the king, and attachment to the British government, will be ever dear to me and affure you, gentlemen, 1 fhall have the highest fatisfaction in adopting fuch measures as fhall contribute to the establishment and profperity of the town of Shelburne. TO HENRY MOWAT, Efq. Commander of his Majefty's fhip la Sophée. The addrefs of the Affociated Loy alifts of the town of Shelburne. SIR, WE beg leave to congratulate you on your return to this fettlement, the true intereft of which, we are happy in having the prefent opportunity to testify, have fo greatly benefited by your prefence among us. That his excellency the governor of this province, has embarked in his majesty's hip under your command to vifit the town of Shelburne, we confider as a circumstance highly favourable to our hopes; and we are filled with the most perfect joy, to fee you in a fituation to give his excellency that full information as to our prefent ftate and wants, which your extenfive knowledge of us and our concerns, of our paft fervices and We beg your acceptance of our beft wishes for your honour and happiness, and we hope that his excellency the commander in chief on this station will be gracioufly pleased long to continue you in the direction of the naval concerns of the different fettlements of loyalifts in this province; an employment, which your perfect knowlege of the coast and country (the refult of your long and faithful fervices) and your zeal for the king's intereft, fo eminently qualify you to discharge, to your own honour, for the public good, and to our entire fatisfaction. We have the honour to be, with the utmost esteem, refpect, and gratitude, Sir, Your n:oft obedient, &c. Captain MoWAT's Anfwer, Nothing can be more fatisfactory to me, than to understand my conduct meets your approbation; and I can make no other return for the great honour you have done me by this addrefs, than to affure you, my utmost endeavours fhall ever be exerted to promote the interefts of the town of Shelburne. In affifting his majefty's loyal fubjects, who are now fettling in this province, I claim no other merit than that of a due execution of admiral Digby's orders, who has directed the utmost atten tion to be paid to that object. I am highly flattered by the dif tinction his excellency governor Parr, has honoured me with, in making choice of his majefty's fhip under my command, to carry him to vifit your fettlement; and I am happy to find you view that as 4 circumftance favourable to your hopes. I have the honour to be, with the fincereft fincereft wishes for the growth and Your moft obedient, La Sophée off Shelburne, Several Gentlemen, on the 8th of Au The Memorial of the Subfcribers bumbly HAT your memorialists havTing been deprived of very va ing been deprived of very va luable landed eftates, and confiderable perfonal properties without their lines, and being alío obliged to abandon their poffeffions in this city, on account of their loyalty to their fovereign, and attachment to the British conftitution, and feeing no profpect of their being reinstated, had determined to remove with their families, and fettle in his majesty's province of Nova Scotia, on the terms which they understood were held out equally to all his majesty's perfecuted fubjects. That your memorialists are much alarmed at an application which they are informed fifty-five perfons have joined in to your excellency, foliciting a recommendation for tracts of land in that province, amounting together to two hundred and feventy-five thousand acres; and that they have dispatched forward agents to furvey the unlocated lands, and felect the moft fertile spots, and defirable fitu ations. That, chagrined as your memorialifts are at the manner in which the late contest has been terminated, and difappointed as they find themfelves in being left to the lenity of their enemies, on the dubious recommendation of their leaders, they yet hope to find an afylum under Britifh protection, little fufpecting there fufferers, perfons ungenerous enough could be found amongst their fellow fo difproportionate a fhare of what to attempt engroffing to themfelves government allotted for their common benefit, and fo different from the original propofals. That your memorialifts apprehend fome mifreprefentations have been ufed to procure fuch extraordinary for which have been moft ftudioufly recommendations, the applications concealed, until now that they boait its being to late to prevent the effect. Nor does it leffen your memorialifes furprize to obferve, that the perfons concerned (feveral of whom are going to Britain) are most of them in eafy circumftances, and, with fome exceptions, more diftinguished by the repeated favours of government, than by either the greatnefs of their fufferings or the importance of their fervices. That your memorialists cannot but regard the grants in queftion, if carried into effect, as amounting nearly to a total exclufion of themfelves and families, who, if they be come fettlers, muft either content themselves and families with bar en or remote lands, or fubmit to be tenants of thofe, moft of whom they confider as their fuperiors in nothing but deeper art and keener policy Thus circumftanced, Your memorialifts humbly implore redrefs from your excellency, and that enquiry be made into their refpective loffes, fervices, fituations, and fufferings; and if your memo rialifts rialists shall be found equally entitled to the favour and protection of go vernment with the former applicants -that they may be all put on an equal footing; but should those who first applied, be found, on a fair and candid enquiry, more deferving than your memoralifts, then your memorialists humbly request, that the locating their extenfive grants may at least be poftponed, until your memorialists have taken up fuch fmall portions as may be allotted to them. And your memorialists, New York, Aug. 15, * * is extremely folicitous to do justice to every individual, having made a referve of a fufficient quantity of land there, for the accommodation of thofe loyalifts who still propose to embark for that place. Copy of a Letter from his Excellency Sir Guy Carleton, Baronet, &c. &c. &c. to the Prefident of the American Congress. SIR, TH New York, Aug. 17th, 1783. HE June packet lately arrived, has brought me final orders for the evacuation of this place; be The memorial was figned by pleafed, fir, to inform congrefs of fix hundred and thirty. this proof of the perfeverance of the court of Great Britain, in the pa His Excellency's Anfwer was to the cific fyftem expreffed by the provi following Effect. That his excellency, within thefe few days, has had reafon to believe, that no one perfon will obtain a larger grant of lands in Nova Scotia, than one thousand acres-That the power of iffuing patents for lands, there, refides folely in the governor, to whom his excellency will immediately forward the memorial; which, he apprehends, will arrive before patents can be made out for the tract of land mentioned in itAnd that it was his opinion, no perfons fhould be allowed to take up lands in that province but those who mean to refide there, till the loyal. ifts are first served; and that his excellency will do every thing in his power for the memorialists, and be lieves they will have no caufe to complain. The committee were alfo informed from the most refpectable authority, that the report of all the lands being occupied about Port Roseway, is groundless. Governor Parr, who fional article, and that I fhall lofe no time, as far as depends upon me, in fulfilling his majefty's commands. But notwithstanding my orders are urgent to accelerate the total evacuation, the difficulty of affigning the precife period for this event is of late greatly increased. My correfpondence with general Washington, governor Clinton, and Mr. Livingston (your late fecretary for foreign affairs) early fuggefted the impediments, tending to retard this fervice. A letter to Mr. Livington of 6th of April, two more to general Washington of the 10th of May and 10th of June, with several to governor Clinton, stating many hoftile proceedings within the sphere of his authority, are thofe to which I refer; copies of fome of these let ters I enclofe, though I am doubtless to prefume, the congrefs to be in formed of all tranfactions material to the general direction of their affairs. The violence in the Americans, which broke out foon after the ceffation of hoftilities, increafed the number of their countrymen to look to me for escape from threatened deftruction; but thefe terrors have of late been fo confiderably augmented, that almost all within thefe lines conceive the fafety both of their property and of their lives, depend upon their being removed by me, which renders it impoffible to fay. when the evacuation can be completed. ground to affert, that there is either no government within your limits for common protection, or that it fecretly favours the committee in the fovereignty they affume, and are actually exercifing, I fhall not pretend to determine; but as the daily gazettes and publications furnish repeated proofs, not only of a difregard to the articles of peace, but as barbarous menaces from committees formed in various towns, cities, and fmall part of my concern, that the congrefs have thought proper to fufpend to this late hour, recommendations ftipulated by the treaty, and in the punctual performance of which, the king and his ministers have expreffed fuch entire confidence. I am, fir, your excellency's GUY CARLETON, Whether they have juft His excellency Elias Boudinot, Efq. diftricts, and even at Philadelphia, the very place which the congrefs had chofen for their refidence, I fhould fhew an indifference to the feelings of humanity, as well as to the honour and intereft of the nation whom I ferve, to leave any of the loyalist that are defirous to quit the country, a prey to the violence they conceive they have fo much caufe to apprehend. The congrefs will hence difcern how much it will depend on them felves and the fubordinate legiflatures, to facilitate the fervice I am commanded to perform, by abating the fears they will hereby diminish the number of the emigrants. But fhould these fears continue and compel fuch multitudes to remove, I fhall hold myfelf acquitted from every delay in the fulfilling my orders, and the confequences which may refult therefrom; and I cannot avoid adding, that it makes no A circular Letter from his Excellency George Washington, Commander in chief of the Armies of the United States of America, dated June 18, 1783. Head Quarters, Newburgh June 18th, 1782. T SIR, HE great object for which I had the honour to hold an appointment in the fervice of my country, being accomplished, I am now preparing to refign it into the hands of congrefs, and return to that domeftic retirement, which, it is well known, I left with the greateft reluctance; a retirement for which I have never ceafed to figh through a long and painful abfence, in which (remote from the noile and trouble of the world) I meditate to pafs the remainder of life in a ftate of undisturbed repofe: but, before I carry this refolution into ef fect, I think it a duty incumbent on me to make this my laft official communication, to congratulate you on the glorious events which heaven has been pleased to produce in our favour, to offer my fentiments refpecting fome important fubjects, which appear to me to be intimatelyconnected with the tranquillity of the United States, to take my leave of your |