Letter from Governour Penn to the Earl of Dartmouth

v1:815

Philadelphia, October 3, 1774.

MY LORD: Since I had the honour to write to your Lordship on the 6th of last month, the Congress of Deputies from the several Colonies have continued sitting in this city; but as they have agreed to keep all their proceedings secret, I have it not as yet in my power to transmit to your Lordship any account thereof, except what they themselves have published in the newspapers, which is comprised in three resolves. One of them is a request to the merchants in the several Colonies not to send any orders to Great Britain for goods, and to direct the execution of all orders already sent to be suspended until the sense of the Congress, on the means to be taken for the preservation of the liberties of America be made publick. The other two are expressive of their feelings for the sufferings of the people of Massachusetts Bay; their approbation of a set of resolves entered into by the Delegates of the County of Suffolk, in that Province, and their opinion that the contributions from all the Colonies for supplying the necessities of the people of Boston, ought to be continued as long as their occasions may require. But as these resolves, as well as those of the County of Suffolk, are inserted at large in the public newspapers, I beg leave to enclose two of the papers which contain them, and as soon as any further transactions of the Congress are made known, I shall not fail to communicate them to your Lordship by the first opportunity.

I have the honour to be, &c˙,

JOHN PENN.