Mr. Nichs. Low, attending at the door, was admitted; he informed the Committee that he had received information that Lord Sterling had a design to use the vessel of Mr. Isaac Governeur, now at Elizabeth Town Point, to seize despatches from on board of the ship bound for London, and under the command of Capt. Cooper.

Thereupon a draft of a letter to Lord Sterling was read and approved of, and is in the words following, to wit:

In Committee of Safety for the Colony of New-York,
During the recess of Provincial Congress,
New York, 10th Jany. 1776.

My Lord ー While we entertain the highest sense of your zeal in the public service, permit us to inform you, that we have this moment received advice of your design to employ a sloop now loading at Elizabeth Town Point, under the protection of this Committee and the direction of Mr. Nich. Low, of this city, to seize the despatches now on board Capt. Cooper; though we do not altogether rely on this advice, yet, lest it should be well founded, we beg leave to inform you, that such an expedient will, in our opinion, be prejudicial to the common cause. You doubtless know, my lord, upon what errand she came to this Continent. Should any steps be taken on our part that may embarrass those of our friends abroad, who are running risks to serve us, we must necessarily lose their assistance in an article of the utmost importance to us. We can divine no reason why that sloop should be preferred to many others in New-Jersey equally fit for the service, unless it is that the few swivels she has mounted may denominate her an armed vessel; should this be the reason for preferring her to any other, the purpose may be effectually answered by borrowing those swivels and mounting them in some other vessel. If your design should be such as we have mentioned, we beg that the expedient proposed by us may be adopted in preference to the one which will naturally discourage our friends abroad from continuing their friendship towards us. ²

We are, with great respect, my lord [&c.]

By order of the Committee of Safety.

P.S. We beg leave to inform your lordship, that we have understood the ship will be convoyed to sea by a company of marines in a pilot boat.

Ordered, That a copy thereof be engrossed, and signed by the Chairman, and delivered to Mr. Low.

N.B. Mr. Low having discovered that the information he had received was without any foundation, and this letter unnecessary, returned it to the Committee of Safety on the 11th, and it was ordered to be destroyed.