That t'.ey are of Oj'inion, tlie same is most falsi", niMlicious & scandalous Paper, reflecting upon the Governor and Government and tSe ul.ole Constitution of this Colony and of PiM-nicious C )nsequence, and hu:nhly Conceive, that tlic Thanks of t' is It-, us;^, ought to be returned his Excellency for Communicating th:e same, and tl:at he be addressed tf use his Interest at tlie Court of Great Eritain, to find tlie Author in order to be brought to Justice, and in the Meantime his Excellency Avould please to acquaint t'le Indians of the five Nations, Tiuit we utterly ab'or and dtt( st that Suggestion in the Said paper or Libel, of reducing tlie Indians by Force, and possessing their Lands, for the Steadiness of those Indians to the Interest of Great Britain, all the last War with France, it is that we owe in a great mea-iMre, orr present Security : whicli was read & agreed to by the House.

•, • For (he Addross to Gov. Hunter Toiinileil on (he above Vofe, see Journals of«en: Assembly of New YorU, I. Am, Oct. 4, 1717. On the 20th Nov. the House passcil a Resolution to instruct their Agent how to proceed, and to consider Mulford s Paper entitled An Infohmation.

384 PAPERS RELATING TO SUFFOLK COUNTY.

EXTRACT OF LETTER

FROM THE LORDS JUSTICES TO GOV. HUNTER.

Whitehall, ffeby 25th, 1717-18.

You intimate in Your letter to our Secry of 22«i Nov. last that the Whale ffishery is reservd to tlie Crown by Your Patents. As we can find no sucli thing in Your Commission, We desire you will explain Wliat you mean by it. In the meantime We have receivd another Petition from Mulford, praying Dispatch in our Report upon tlie Papers our Secretary sent you the 19th of Septemb last : We must desire therefore from You a full Answer to those Papers ; and particularly as to the Right of the Crown ; and that you would inform us what Quantitysof Whales are Caught in your Government Comunibus annis ; In what Condition that ffishery is, & has been for some yeurs past, especially since your being in this Government, whetlier other persons have paid & continue to pay tlie Dues you demanded & which Mulford Complains of; What these Dues may Amount to one Year with Another, & how the profit arising by them is Apply 'd.