The Committee of West Chester County hav- "ing seen in the public prints that many of the " Inhabitants of Queens County are thrown out of the " Protection of the Provincial Congress ; and having " been informed that they are Arming in their De- " fence, are greatly alarmed at their Conduct, and beg " leave to assure your honorable House, that the "Friends of Liberty in this County are willing stren- " uously to exert themselves to reduce the Enemies to "their Country before they are supported by the " Regular Troops If it shall be thought most advisa- " ble by the Committee of Safety, or the Provincial " or Continental Congress. We are Sir Your most " Humble Servants

" By Order of y e Committee

" Wm. Miller, D. Chairman. " To Mr. Pierre Van Cortlandt, President of the " Committee of Safety." '

As the original letter remained among the papers of the Military Committee of the Provincial Congress and has been preserved, to this day, among the multitude of other inedited and unexplained manuscripts, in the office of the Secretary of State, at Albany, it is very evident that it was duly referred to that Committee; that the unholy desires of the " pat- " riots " of Westchester-county, to join in the spoliation of fellow-colonists, in a neighboring County, without lawful reason, without any process in law, and in time of Peace, were not reciprocated by the members of that Committee ; and that the application was filed, without having received any other attention whatever. In short, very appropriately, the Committee of Westchester-county was told, by that inattention, either to attend to its own business, at home, or to play the parts of freebooters, if it should continue to hanker after the spoils to be acquired in such an occupation, on its own responsibility.