My Dear Brother,

Capn [Nathaniel] Falconer delivered me safely your favour of May the 10 from Phila ー The insurances you ordered are made. The uncertainty of this reaching you at Philadelphia, or indeed at all, will prevent me from being so full as I shd otherwise be. Our Br A[rthur] has wrote I believe pretty largely. Notwithstanding the base & wicked attempts of our Ministry & Genl. [Thomas] Gage to disguise the truth 9 tenths of the People here are fully convinced that the Civil War was commenced by Genl Gage. ー I can with truth & pleasure assure you that the repeated success of the Provincials since the 19th of April gives almost universal pleasure here, but still you are not to expect any really spirited exertions on the part of the people untill they feel, which they do not at present, because large remittances have been made to the Merchts in generall & unfortunately chiefly to the most ministerial ones; who besides it is said, have privately negotiated with the minister to prevail on the Bank to lend them £300,000 ー part of which a Tobo Mercht is to share, who has made a great parade to his correspondents of his services last winter. ー Indeed if things are ever settled a reform must be made respecting the American Merchts for half the present mischeif has arisen from their Villainy & Treachery to you.ー

The Governor of Virginias conduct in robing you of yr powder & the Proclamation agt [Patrick] Henry, with the Councils contemptible & stupid address to the people, makes a fair opening for a reform in your constitution & Government which is founded on as arbitrary & tyranical a system as can well be contrived; the mode of summoning Juries is open to ten thousand objections & in process of time will be a dreadful engine of oppression in the hands of a Tyrant.

The late constitution of Massachusetts or the present of Connecticut & Rhode Island seem the most eligible.ー

Now is the time to form a proper mode of internal Government which may last for many Centuries, & if 'tis lost or disregarded, the opty may never occur again.

We have various reports of what the Congress is about but nothing shall I believe that is not authenticated with the name of Charles Thomson. Capn Falconer has all the papers, there are no publications worth sending which you have not already had. The Corporation of London has at last agreed to Petition the King in your behalf a copy of which I inclose, it is to be delivered on Friday [July 14] & perhaps you will get the answer with this. The Ministers have however sent orders to Genl Gage to persevere & to go out of Boston to dispossess the Provincials of their strong places, Genl [Guy] Carlton is orderd to send down on the back Country the 3,000 Canadians, which he has wrote he can spare for Gages assistance (blessed fruit of the Quebec Act) & a highland regiment is to be compleated to 1000 with highlanders under a Ld John Murray, to be sent as soon as compleated to America. From Quebec they expect to be able to get fresh provisions sufficient for the Army & fleet at Boston.

If they get men at all, it must be from Scotland or among the Irish Roman Catholics, for the American War is really so odious & disgusting to the Common people in England that no Soldiers or Sailors will inlist, for without pressing they cannot in two months man two twenty gun ships, nor have they for 3 Months past inlisted 20 Soldiers in all England, tho' recruiting parties are all over the Country. Added to this the Shipwrights at Plymouth, Portsmouth, Gosport, Chatham & Sheerness to amt of 3000, have all left off work, on Acct of their ill usage, when they have not 3 ships in all the yards fit to put to sea. These Men call'd on me yesterday with their petition which they are to present to the K--g tomorrow. 'tis spirited & bold. to compleat the affaire two daies ago an express arrived from Gibralter, by a Man of Wars cutter  the Capts. brother I have seen, who says, they expected the same wind which bro't him to England wd bring the Spanish fleet & Army from Carthagena to Giberalter, that the works on the Sea side were quite in ruins & that he does not doubt the place surrendering if attacked.

Europe has not seen such an Armament, since the famous Armada in Queen Elizabeths time, 60 Sail of the line, besides smaller vessels & transports, with 30,000 land forces all collected within a days sail of Giberalter.

Under these difficulties with every thing in confusion in the East Indias, our Mule & his Drivers B[u]te & M[a]nsf[iel]d are determined to ruin America, if they can ー Things look very well ー You have nothing to do but to persevere, as we are told you are proceeding ー prepare for a vigorous defence at the same time hold out your plan of accomodation in the form of an American bill of rights in which you shd not forget to new model the several arbitrary Colonial constitutions, such as Virginia, New York &c. ー the people shd choose all their own Officers annually (unless the appointment of the Commander in chief remaining in the Crown) as in the New England Provinces. Canada shd be reduced to its Antient boundaries where religions shd be tolerated as in Pennsylvania but none established. Assemblies shd of right be held every year & a Genl Congress annually or once in two years at least to consider & settle the common interest of all the Colonies. Tis reported, the Genl Congress are about publishing a Manifesto to all the World & to open yr ports to all nations; shd this prove true the maritime powers of Europe must fight in yr cause for the benefit of yr commerce. Shd Spain attack Giberalter, you may immediately settle yr own terms ー if they do not, the Ministers are determined to try the issue of this campaign, if they are unsuccessful, they must yield the contest; if successful they will go on, but even then, I am satisfied they will not be able to add 2000 Men more Next year to the present force they have in America ー You know whether that will be sufficient to subdue you. ー The public prints you will see if in Phila if you are not they will be too bulky to forward with this.

We are all wellー