Under the said confidence a number of Gentlemen have advanced money to a very considerable amount hoping to benefit themselves as well as their Country thereby. Your petitioner therefore humbly prays that the grant made to him, may not be permitted to be violated or invaded by a subsequent pretender, and considering the very great and expensive journey, and my inabilities to perform it, not only on account of the great expense but the infirmities of body occasioned by Rheumatick pains, and the great confidence reposed in your honourable Legislature of keeping inviolate the solemnitys of their Laws. However convenient it might be for me to attend, I am of opinion that it would be altogether unnecessary.

But should your honorable House think proper to take up the business, I humbly pray that I may be seasonably notified by your honourable House for the defence of my just and Legal Rights, and that they may not be taken from, me without the opportunity of being heard in my own defence.

Your Petitioner humbly begs leave to refer your honourable House to the annexed Papers and Pamphlets, accompanying this

And your Petitioner as in duty bound will ever pray

JOHN FITCH.

To the Honorable Legislature of the State of New- York in Senate and Assembly convened.

The Petition of James Rumsey of Berkely County, in THE State of Virginia,

Most Respectfully Sheweth,

That your petitioner has been several years employed, with unremitted attention, and at a great expense, in inventing, and bringing to perfection, sundry machines and engines ; namely, one for propelling boats on the vrater, by the power of steam, which has been already accomplished in experiments, on a boat of about six tons burthen ; another machine, constructed on similar principles, for raising water at a small expence, to be applied to the working of mills of different kinds, as well as to various useful purposes in agriculture; a new invented boiler for generating steam ; and also other machines, by means of which Grist and Saw Mills may l^e so improved in their construction, by a very