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By Richard Viscount Howe, of the Kingdom of Ireland, and William Howe, Esq; General of his Majesty’s Forces in America, the King’s Commissioners for restoring Peace to his Majesty’s Colonies and Plantations in North-America, &c. &c. &c.

DECLARATION.

Whereas by an Act passed in the last Session of Parliament to prohibit all Trade and intercourse with the Colonies of New-Hampshire, Massachuset’s-Bay, Rhode-Island, Connecticut, New-York, New-Jersey, Pennsylvania, The three lower Counties on Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North-Carolina, South-Carolina, and Georgia, and for other Purposes therein mentioned, It is enacted, That “It shall and may be lawful to and for any Person or Persons, appointed and authorized by his Majesty to grant a Pardon or Pardons to any Number or Description of Persons, by Proclamation, in his Majesty’s Name, to declare any Colony or Province, Colonies or Provinces, or any County, Town, Port, District, or Place, in any Colony or Province, to be at the Peace of his Majesty;” and that, “from and after the issuing of any such Proclamation in any of the aforesaid Colonies or Provinces, or if his Majesty shall be graciously pleased to signify the same by his Royal Proclamation, then, from and after the issuing of such Proclamation, the said Act, with Respect to such Colony or Province, Colonies or Provinces, County, Town, Port, District or Place, shall cease, determine, and be utterly void.”—AND WHEREAS the King, desirous to deliver all his Subjects from the Calamities of War, and other Oppressions from which they now undergo, and to restore the said Colonies to his Protection and Peace, as soon as the constitutional Authority of Government therein may be replaced, hath been graciously pleased, by Letters Patent, under the Great Seal, dated the 6th Day of May, in the 16th Year of his Majesty’s Reign, to nominate and appoint us Richard Viscount Howe, of the Kingdom of Ireland, and William Howe, Esq; General of his Forces in North-America, and each of us, jointly and severally to be his Majesty’s Commissioner and Commissioners, for granting his free and general Pardons to all those, who, in the Tumult and Disorder of the Times, may have deviated from their just Allegiance, and who are willing, by a speedy Return to their Duty, to reap the Benefits of the Royal Favor ; and also for declaring, in his Majesty’s Name, any Colony, Province, County, Town, Port, District, or Place, to be at the Peace of his Majesty ; We do therefore, hereby declare, that due Consideration shall be had to the meritorious Services of all Persons, who shall aid and assist in restoring the public Tranquility in the said Colonies, or in any Part or Parts thereof ; that Pardons shall be granted, dutiful Representations received, and every suitable Encouragement given, for promoting such Measures as shall be conducive to the Establishment of legal Government and Peace, in Pursuance of his Majesty’s most gracious Purposes aforesaid.

Given at Staten-Island, the 14th Day of

July, 1776.

Howe,

W. Howe.

By Richard Viscount Howe, of the Kingdom of Ireland, and William Howe, Esq; General of his Majesty’s Forces in America, the King’s Commissioners for restoring Peace to his Majesty’s Colonies and Plantations in North-America, &c. &c. &c.

DECLARATION.

Although the Congress, whom the misguided Americans suffer to direct their Opposition to a Re-establishment of the constitutional Government of these Provinces, have disavowed every Purpose of Reconciliation, not consonant with their extravagant and inadmissable Claim of Independency, the King’s Commissioners think fit to declare, that they are equally desirous to confer with his Majesty’s well-affected Subjects, upon the Means of restoring the public Tranquility, and establishing a permanent Union with every Colony, as a part of the British Empire.

The King being most graciously disposed to direct a Revision of such of his Royal Instructions as may be construed to lay an improper Restraint upon the Freedom of Legislation, in any of his Colonies, and to concur in the Revisal of all Acts by which his Subjects there may think themselves aggrieved, it is recommended to the Inhabitants at large, to reflect seriously upon their present Condition, and Expectations, and to judge for themselves whether it be more consistent with their Honor and Happiness to offer up their Lives as a Sacrifice to the unjust and precarious Cause in which they are engaged, or to return to their Allegiance, accept the Blessings of Peace, and be secured in a free Enjoyment of their Liberty and Prosperities, upon the true principles of the Constitution.

Given at New-York, the 19th Day of

September, 1776.

Howe.

W. Howe.

By command of their Excellencies,

Henry Strachey.

The following voluntary Declarations from the late Committee of the County of Suffolk, and from all the Town Committees in that County, were delivered to his Excellency Governor Tryon on Thursday last, by Major Richard Floyd and Mr. Thomas Fanning, who were deputed by the Inhabitants of the County to present the same to his Excellency.

Brook Haven, October 24, 1776.

WE the Committee of the County of Suffolk, being assembled by Permission of his Excellency the Honorable William Tryon, Esq; Governor of New-York, and the Territories depending thereon in America, do hereby dissolve Ourselves, and do disclaim and reject the Orders of Congress and Committees, and totally refusing Obedience to them, revoking all our Proceedings under the Congress, and being desirous to obey the legal Authority of Government rely upon your Excellency’s Clemency, hoping that you will pass by our former Conduct, and be graciously pleased to protect us agreeable to the Laws of this Province.

Signed by Order of Committee,

JOHN BRUSH, Chairman.

The Declaration from Brook-Haven Township of the 23d October, is expressed in the same Form of Words as the Above, and signed by

The Declaration from the Township of Islip, is very similar to the former, and signed by

The declaration from the Township of Huntington is dated the 21st of October, 1776, and is as follows, viz.

“WE the Committee of Huntington in the County of Suffolk, being thoroughly convinced of the injurious and criminal Tendency of our former Meetings and Resolutions, and willing to manifest our hearty Disapprobation of all such illegal Measures, do hereby dissolve this Committee, and as far as in us lies revoke and disannul all former Orders and Resolutions of this Committee ; and we do further hereby renounce and disavow the Orders and Resolutions of all Committees and Congressess whatsoever, as being undutiful to our lawful Sovereign, repugnant to the Principles of the British Constitution, and ruinous in the extreme to the Happiness and Prosperity of this Country, signed by

The Declaration from Smithtown Townshup is dated the 19th October, and in the same Words, and is signed by

The Declaration from the Township of Southhold is dated the 25th Otober, 1776, and is in the same Words as the former Two, and is signed by

The Declaration from Southampton Township is also the same as the former Three, dated 21st October, 17766, and signed by

The Declaration from Easthampton is dated the 21st October, 1776, and expressed in the same Words as the Four last, and signed by