" We received a letter of the 1st inst., from the "Sub-committee of your County, relative to the " conduct of the people of Rye ; and the Congress "have directed me to recommend to your Com- "mittee to make an immediate and strict inquiry "into the matters to which the letter refers, and "to take the examinations on oath of the wit- "nesses; and if you find satisfactory reasons to sup- " pose the persons threatened to be in danger, that " you take the proper means to protect them ; perhaj)s " the binding over to the peace such persons as may "be strongly suspected of a design to injure the per- "sons or estates of those gentlemen, may be a useful " expedient.* If anything afterwards shall be thought " necessary to be done, for their further protection, "the Committee will attend to it. If you should " find the County unable to give the necessary pro- "tection, you will transmit the examinations to us, " that the Congress may take such order therein, as " may be proper. The Committee may rest assured "that this Congress will support the friends of " Liberty, to the utmost of their power.
" We are. Gentlemen, your humble servants, "By order of the Provincial Congress,
"Abraham Y'ates, ,1r., Pres'l. "To Gilbert Drake, Esq., Chalninui
"of the ('(Diiuiittee of Wtatchestcr-couiitij"'-' The suggestion which was made in this letter, that those of the revolutionary faction, in Westchestercdunty, whose safety was imperiled by the threats of their conservative and law-abiding neighbors, should go before the King's Magistrates and ask that the latter should be put under bonds to keep the peace towards the former, vviis received witli disfavor by Isaac Sears, of New York, and Melancton Smith, of Diiche.ss-county, and Doctor Lewis Graham and John Thomas, Junior-- the latter a son of one of those who had been threatened with removal from the County -- and an attempt was made by them to strike out from the letter that portion " which refers them " [tlie Committee of Westchester-county'] "to the Civil Magis- " trate ; " but the Congress declined to make the