To the honorable the Council & the honorable the House of Representatives of the State of Massachusetts Bay in General Court assembled at Boston Sep^r. 1777—
Mathew Sleight most humbly sheweth

That he sailed from New York the latter End of August last Commander of the Sloop Union as a flag of Truce having on board a Number of Prisoners belonging to this State & here to be exchang^d. by Permission from & by Order of Commodore Hotham & General Jones¹ Officers in the Service of the King of Great Britain: That said Sloop was strictly search'd before she sail'd, whether she had any Goods on board, but had none, & arriv'd at the Port of Nantucket with nothing more than nec­essary Stores, & the Baggage of the Prisoners sent in her: That the day after his Ar­rival at Nantucket (the 3^d. of Sep^r. Instant) one Captain Estick Commander of a pri­vate armed Vessel called the Ranger,² came on board, seized all the Papers belonging to said Vessel, carried the said Vessel into Bedford, stript the Vessel of her Sails, took out all the Stores & other Things belonging to the s^d Sloop, & has since libelled the said Sloop in a Maritime Court for the Southern District of this State: all which Facts your Petitioner stands ready to verefy; He therefore prays this honorable Court to take the Premisses into their Consideration, to order all Process in said Maritime Court to surcease & to restore him the said Vessel with her Appurtenances & Stores, as she came into this State under every Circumstance of a Flag of Truce, depending on the Honour of the Government to secure to the Master & Vessel that Protection which the Laws of Nations give to Flaggs in like Cases, & which this Government have hitherto ratify'd & considered sacred. And your Petitioner shall pray.—

In Council Oct^r. 10^th. 1777

Read & Concurred and Moses Gill Eq^r is joined

Jn^o. Avery D^y Sec^y—