24 NATURAL AND CIVIL 



country, inviting them to h\y before him the 

 causes of their illegal proceedings ; assuring 

 them, that both he and the council were dis- 

 posed to afford them such relief,^as the situation: 

 and circumstances of the people would justify ; 

 and engaging full security and protection, to 

 <myj3ersons they might choose to send to New 

 York on the business, except Allen, Warner, 

 and three others. Letters were written on this 

 occasion to governor Tryon by the inhabitants,, 

 and by the excepted persons, in explanation of 

 their conduct and jM'inciples ; and Capt. Stephen 

 Fay, and Mr. Jonas Fay, were chosen to wait 

 upon the governor at New York, to negotiate 

 the business. Upon their return, they reported 

 that the governor received them with expres- 

 sions of kindjiess, and laid the state of their 

 grievances before the council ; who made re- 

 port, thcit they were desirous that his excellency 

 should afford the inhabitants of those townships, 

 all the relief in his power, by suspending until 

 his jVIajesty's pleasure should be known, all 

 prosecutions in behalf of the crown, on account 

 of crimes with which they stood charged ; and 

 should recommend it to the owners of the con- 

 tested lands, under grants from New York to 

 put a stop, during the same period, to all civil 

 suits concerning those lands. -■^'^ But no meas- 

 ures or attempts of this kind, could avail, or be 

 attended with any permanently good effects,' 

 while the original cause of contention remained. 

 The whole property of the settlers, was the mat-' 

 ter in contest. Their attempts to preserve this, 

 appeared to them, not only justifiable, but- 



•^ Allan's Narrative, p. 4q— 68. 



^ 



