ROBT LIVINGSTON TO L^ GOV. DE LANCEY.

May it Please Your Honour.

Inclosed, I transmit to your Honour, a Letter from Messrs Livingston and Smith, Containing a Narrative of what passed

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803 PAPERS RELATING TO THE

last week upon the Borders, relating to the Dispute Between us and the Massachusets Bay -- A Regard to the Province in General, the County of Albany in particular, My own Interest, and Compassion to the Distressed state of the Poor people, who live on the Eastern parts of this Province, Adjoining to the Massachuset's Bay Government, induce me to Intreat Your Honour, to consult some method or other for the Protection, Peace, k Safety of those, who claim under this Colony. -- It is Impossible for the Tenants in my Manor, the people of Claverack, Kinderhook and parts adjacent, who are poor and Live on scattered Farms, to Maintain their Possessions, against an Armed Body of Men, Who are easily collected and sent out, from the Western Towns & settlements of the Massachusets Government ; and unless a Speedy stop is put to their Encroachments, we have great Reason to expect, that they will in a Sliort time, extend their Possessions as far as Hudson's River -- Your Honour will find by the Inclosed Letter, that above one Hundred Armed men, were Last Aveek Laying out Townships in mine, and the Manor of Renslaerwick ; The Account ol Such a Body, so alarmed the Inhabitants, that upwards of Forty of them, betook themselves for Protection, to a small Inclosure, and Lived together Armed, from the IQ^^ till the 24*^ instant, when they were Informed, that the New England men were returned home. During their absence from Sober, a place where I have erected a Forge, about five Hundred Weight of Bar Iron, was pilfered and Carried off; and Whether any other of the Inhabitants had suffered by tills Invasion, I have not yet been informed.