Letter from the Earl of Dartmouth to Governour Penn

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Whitehall, September 7, 1774.

SIR: I have received your letters of the 5th and 30th of July, and am very much obliged to you for the early intelligence they contain of publick occurrences within your Province; upon which I have only to observe that it has given the King great concern to find that his subjects in the different Colonies in North America have been induced, upon the grounds stated in their different Resolutions, to nominate Deputies to meet in general Congress at Philadelphia.

If the object of this Congress be humbly to represent to the King any grievances they may have to complain of, or any propositions they may have to make on the present state of America, such representation would certainly have come from each Colony with greater weight in its separate capacity, than in a channel of the propriety and legality of which there may be much doubt.

I fear however the measure is gone too far to encourage any hope that it has been retracted, and I can only express my wishes that the result of their proceedings may be such as not to cut off all hope of that union with the mother country which is so essential to the happiness of both.

The enclosed copy of my letter of this day' s date to Lord Dunmore, (which I send you for your information) will inform you of the light in which the conduct of the people of Virginia towards the Indians upon the Ohiois considered by the King.

I am, sir, your most obedient humble servant,

DARTMOUTH.

Deputy Governour Penn.