William Johnson in the Letter with which he transmitted to us Copies of the Conferences held at this Treaty observes, that as Teedyuscung had refused his Mediation and made Choice of the Quakers for his Advocates and Agents he had not thought it adviseable to press his mediation upon these Indians any further. But he complains of the extraordinary Conduct of the Assembly in appointing Members of their own House to interfere, as Provin- .

SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON. 775

cial Commissioners, in Indian Treaties j in providing and giving Presents as from their own Body, distinct from those given by the Governor ; and in procuring by Management their Speaker and themselves to be appointed Agents, to sollicit Indian Complaints before His Majesty and his Ministers.

At a Treaty in October 1758, between the Government of Pennsylvania and the Delawars and thirteen other different Nations of Indians, Teedyuscung makes a farther declaration concerning the purchases complain'd of by the Delawars ; but this matter does not appear to have been much agitated at that treaty, the principal object and result of which was the Proprietaries of Pennsylvania relinquishing to the Six Nations that part of Lands purchased at Albany in 1754, which lyes to the Westward of the Mountains, and We cannot vv^ithout injustice to the Proprietaries omit acquainting your Lordships, that full satisfaction was given by them to the Indians, with respect to this purchase which had been the cause of great disgust and discontent.

Having thus Stated to your Lordships such facts as appeared to Us to be necessary for enablhig you to form an opinion of the matter in judgment before You, W^e must beg leave to Observe, that it is impossible to reflect, tho' but for a moment upon the imparralell'd distresses which have been suffered by His Majesty's Subjects in the back Settlements of the middle Colonies, from the cruel Hostilities and devastations of the Delawar and other Indians, without seeing the necessity there is of Steadily pursuing every measure, which may have a tendency to redress and remove those Grievances and complaints, which are alledged to have been the principal cause of such Hostilities ; it was with this Idea and for this purpose, that We referred it in 1757," to Sir William Johnson to examine into the Grievances complained of by the Delawar Indians ; and in pursubig this Method, We followed what we conceived to have been the view and Object of Government in appointing this Gentleman Sole Agent for Indian Affairs, who might manage and direct our concerns with them upon one uniform Plan, and thereby put a stop to the mischiefs so long complained of, arising from the irregular and unwarrantable interferings of particular provinces, and in many instances of particular persons.