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Thomas Willett, being brought here by a guard, was ordered in and examined.
The State of New-York agt.
Thomas Willett, Esq.
Examination before the Convention of the Representative of the said State, August 6, 1776.
That he did publish, according to the order of William Tryon, Esq˙, late Governour of the Colony of New-York, the Declaration of Richard Viscount Howe and General Howe, of which he acknowledges that paper shown to him, and attested under his own hand, to be a true copy; that his brother, Edward Willett, being requested by Edward Willett, Sen˙, to call at his house, he did so call, and then received the Declaration, of which the aforesaid paper is a copy, and delivered it to the examinant; that examinant received it last Monday fortnight; that he first published it last Friday week; that with the aforesaid Declaration he received a letter from the said William Tryon, purporting that the paper enclosed in the said letter was a true copy of the Declaration of Lord Howe and General Howe, his Majesty' s Commissioners, who had requested him, said William Tryon, to publish the same throughout his Government, and therefore desiring examinant to make the same known throughout his County; that examinant had not, previous to the said publication, seen or heard of the Declaration of the Congress proclaiming these States independent; that examinant doth not remember to have seen or heard of a resolution of the Provincial Congress of New-York prohibiting all intercourse between the inhabitants of this State and the King' s ships or the said William Tryon; that examinant conceives himself to owe a duty to the said William Tryon, because of the commission of Sheriff which examinant holds under the King of Great Britain; that he had heard of the Declaration of Independence; that examinant does not remember that he ever saw the Declaration of Independence aforesaid until very lately; that examinant did know, at the time of publishing Lord Howe and General Howe' s Proclamation aforesaid, that this State was at war with the King of Great Britain; that at the time of publishing the Proclamation last mentioned, examinant had good reason to believe that the Continental Congress had declared independency; that examinant did really believe the said Congress had made such Declaration; that examinant conceived that when the several Colonies in America had acceded to the Declaration of the Congress, the same would
THOS˙ WILLETT.
Interrogatories by W˙ Duer.
The State of New-York agt.
Thomas Willett, Esq.
Question, The superscription of the Letter expresses itself to be on His Majesty' s service. Did you conceive yourself in the service of the King of Great Britain when you complied with the order contained in it?
Answer. He does not choose to answer this question.
Question. The Declaration of Lord Howe and General Howe promises due consideration to the meritorious services of those who aid and assist in restoring the publick tranquillity. Do you think the publishing this Declaration a meritorious service?
Answer. He does not choose to answer.
Question. Did you ever see or hear of the Resolution of this Convention, July 16, requiring all Officers to issue Process, &c˙, in the name of the State of New-York?
Answer. I have seen it after I had published Lord Howe' s Declaration.
Question. How many of Lord Howe' s Declaration have you published?
Answer. Five; one in each Town of the County.
Question. Did you conceive, when you published this Declaration, that you was aiding and assisting the King of Great Britain or his adherents?
Answer. He did not.
Question. Do you conceive Governour Tryon an adherent of the King of Great Britain?
Answer. Declines answering.
Qu. Do you conceive Governour Tryon an enemy to the State of New-York?
Ansr. Declines answering.
Qu. Have you signed any of the Associations recommended by this Convention.
Answer. No.
Question. Do you at this day consider yourself as a subject of the State of New-York, and that you owe allegiance to said State?
Ansr. Declines answering.
Qu. Do you look up to the State of New-York for the protection of the laws, or do you look up to any other authority?
Declines answering.
Qu. As the Continental Congress have published a Declaration of Independency which has been acceded to by the other States, do you conceive that all the inhabitants of America are bound by such Declaration?
Declines answering.
Qu. Do you think Lord Howe' s Declaration implies that he has power to treat with the Colonies for an accommodation?
Answer. No.
THOS˙ WILLETT.
Question. Did you conceive the Declaration of Lord Howe favourable or unfavourable to the liberties of America?
Declines answering.
THOS˙ WILLETT.
The foregoing is the Examination of Thomas Willett, Esq˙, taken before the Convention of the State of New-York, on the 6th day of August, 1776.
Thomas Willett, by order, withdrew.
Resolved, That Edward Willett, brother of the said Thomas Willett, and Edward Willett, Sen˙, Lawson, a Schoolmaster at Flushing, and Thomas Hicks, Esq˙, Attorney at Law, be immediately apprehended and brought before this Convention; that they be apprehended by separate parties, and kept separate till brought before this Convention.
Resolved, That Brigadier-General Woodhull direct the Captain of the Troop of Horse in Queen' s County to apprehend the said persons separately, and bring them separately before this Convention.
Resolved, That Thomas Willett, late Sheriff of Queen' s County, be conveyed by his present Guard to the Jail of the City and County of New-York, and there confined until the further order of this Convention.
And Ordered, That Smith, Corporal of the Guard, having the care of the said Thomas Willett, be, and he hereby is, directed and requested to convey the said Thomas Willett to the Jail of the City of New-York, and there deliver him to Daniel Goldsmith, the Keeper of the said Jail, who is hereby required to receive the said Thomas Willett into his custody, and him safely keep until the further order of this Convention.
Examination of Thomas Willett
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so operate as to make them independent States; that he doth not know that the Committee of Queen' s County published the Declaration of Independence in the said County, nor hath he ever heard (hat they did; that shortly after the Declaration of Independence publickly made at the City Hall of the City of New-York, a report thereof prevailed, at which time, or about that time, examinant heard of the same from divers persons. The examinant being asked whether he did at that time consider himself Sheriff under the King of Great Britain, declines answering the same. Being asked whether he made the said publication in pursuance of any duty he owed to the said William Tryon, declines answering the same. Being asked whether he did consider himself as owing allegiance to the King of Great Britain, declines answering the same. Being asked whether, as Sheriff as aforesaid, he conceived himself bound to execute any process which he might receive in the name and by the authority of the State of New-York, declines answering the same. That at the time of publishing the said Declaration, he considered himself as acting in the character of a Sheriff, or of a private person; and being asked whether, upon the receipt of any Declaration from this Congress, he would publish the same, declines giving an answer. That the paper shown to him as aforesaid is in the handwriting of one Lawson, a schoolmaster in Flushing. That he doth not know of any person or persons in Queen' s County who have applied for or received any pardon or pardons from the aforesaid Commissioners; that the name of the Attorney with whom he conversed on the subject of the Declaration was Thomas Hicks, of Queen' s County, on Long-Island, who told him, that as it was published by the Congress, he did not think there was any harm in publishing it; that the more publick it was made the better.
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