No 123.

Sir

Your Letter
² enclosing the Resolves of Congress was this Day delivered to us: we were furnished with the intercepted Letters some Time before the Receipt of yours, & had taken such Measures, as in our Judgment were competent to the Occasion. To dissolve the Government & subvert the Constitution by the Seizure & Imprisonment of the Governor, we conceived to be a Measure of too much Delicacy and Magnitude to be adopted without calling & consulting the Convention of the Province: we saw no Necessity urging us to such an Extreme, and were therefore determined not to expose the Province to immediate Anarchy and Convulsion, if an Assurance could be obtained from the Governor, that he would not depart before our Convention met to decide upon this important Business ー He cheerfully gave us this Assurance and that we feel no apprehensions of Danger from him. Under those Circumstances we cannot comply with the Request of Congress in any other Manner than we have done, and flatter ourselves they will rest satisfied and consider us excusable.

We have apprehended Mr. Ross and shall keep him in Custody and examine him fully.
³

Permit us, Sir, to assure you that we are determined to maintain the Rights and Liberties of this Country at every Hazard of Life and Property, and will vigorously pursue every Measure which the defence of America shall require.