Their disposition by the legislature can be traced in the printed Votes of both senate and assembly.

6o State of New York

duly pleaded their cause. 1 Thomas Cummings, convicted of treason, was pardoned by a special act of October 8, 1779. 2 The relations of the commissioners for conspiracies to phases of felony and treason have been shown under former topical headings. The Albany board summoned persons to give testimony which might convict others of high treason, 3 and even required enlarged persons to make known all

treasonable acts and deeds that might come to their knowledge at any time. 4 The temper of one loyalist, who refused to take the oath, is revealed by his open declarations. He said that if he took the oath, " he would perjure himself and that none but Rogues and Fools would or could take it." He was declared guilty of " a high Contempt and Insult upon the Authority of this State in General and this Board in particular," and was sent to jail to await the pleasure of the commissioners. 5 The board sought to ferret out spies from the British lines, as well as secret emissaries at home, and ordered the examination of witnesses against them. An item of more than passing interest came up before the board, on October 5, 1780. Philip Van Rensselaer had received a letter from Colonel Richard Varick, who had been aide-decamp to Benedict Arnold at the time of the treason of the latter.As this letter was reported to contain " Expressions which would tend to discover some of the persons concerned with Arnold in his Villanous Plot," the board requested