Since Sunday last [February 11] the Intercourse to all who had not the Congress's Permit was interdicted by General Lee but Mr. Mayor having yesterday adjusted all Obstacles we proceeded to the Dock apprehending no Difficulties from the Guards ー A centinel forbid the Clerk of the Council to set his Foot in the Boat upon which we retired & I went Home ー The Congress took the Alarm apprehending that if we did not meet the Governor there would be no Prorogation & a Dissolution would follow ー Within Half an Hour their Clerks sought for the dispersed Members & assured us there would be no further Obstruction & importuned us to repair again to our Boat urging it as an Apology that due Care had been taken to facilitate our Intercourse but that the Officer of the Guard had expected an Application to him from the Centinel upon our Approach ー We met at the Coffee House Bridge & found at the Wharf with the Soldiers one of the Clerks of the Congress and no words were spoken to us on the second Attempt, of all which we informed the Governor.

At this Council there were present ー [Charles Ward] Apthorpe [William] Smith [John Harris] Cruger [William] Axtel & [James] Jauncey.

The Govr. proposed us to return from the Hall after the Prorogation & dine with him.

He told me that he would have revealed General Clinton's Intention of sailing Southward if the Citizens had not injuriously suspected his Veracity in the Message by the Mayor, so that he was not apprized ー what every Body supposed, ー Mr. Clinton was gone to Virginia.

After Dinner we had much Conversation & the Colonies were charged by [John Tabor] Kempe & [Cortlancl] Skinner the two Attorney Generals with a fixed Resolution to set up Independency. I grew warm in the Debates upon this Subject. I charged the parliamentary Vote of the 20 F eby was a studied concealment of a Design to give up the Claim of taxing the Colonies as a great Fault on the Side of Administration dangerous to the general Interest of both Countries. Tryon who had not interfered before catchd Fire at this and said he was sorry to hear an Officer of the Governmt say so. I turn'd to him and insisted upon my Remark I appealed to himself whether the Minister had not informed him that the Taxing Power was given up. To which he answered, yes. I demanded the Evidence of it in any written explicit Declaration & he confessed that he would have declared the surrender with more Liberality ー [Hyde] Parker and [George] Vandeput were present and the latter who sat by my Side declared that if he believed the Colonies intent only upon an Exemption from Parliamentary Taxation he thought them on the right Side in the present Controversy and seemed pleased with the Resistance I made to the Intemperate Partialities of the two Attorney Generals, occasionally supported (tho' with good sense & more Decency) by Mr. Paymaster Barrow who also betook himself to the Packet on the 10 of October. The Train I took was a Defence of the Continent from the Charge of aiming ab Initia at severing the Empire, admitting that the Congress had countenanced the imputation in 1774 & faulting Administration in listning to Misrepresentations & concealing the ultimate Terms to which they would yield for preserving the Union & thro' the whole Debates I indulged now and then a little Asperity at the Refugees to abate the Governor's Confidence in their Suggestions ー The Rest of the Council said nothing but in the Boat after we had left the Ship at Night signified their Approbation of the Part I had acted and bore patiently some Censure for their Silence. ²