Papers Relating to an Act of the Assembly of the Province of New-York / For encouragement of the Indian trade, &c. and for prohibiting the selling of Indian goods to the French, viz. of Canada

by Cadwallader Colden; Great Britain. Board of Trade; Great Britain. Privy Council; New York . Council

Thomas Lawrence

, Esq;

Mr.

Peters

.

The Governor informed the Board, that the Indian Chiefs dining with him Yesterday, after Dinner delivered their Answer to two Affairs of Consequence:

The first related to the violent Battery committed on William Webb, in the Forks of Delaware, whereby his Jaw-bone was broke, and his Life greatly endangered, by an unknown Indian. Canassatego repeating the Message delivered to the Six Nations by Shickcalamy, in the Year 1740, with a String of Wampum, said in Answer: 'The Six Nations had made diligent Enquiry into the Affair, and had found out the Indian who had committed the Fact; he lived near Asopus, and had been examined and severely reprov'd: And they hoped, as William Webb was recovered, the Governor would not expect any further Punishment; and therefore they returned the String of Wampum received from their Brethren, by the Hand of Shickcalamy, in Token that they had fully complied with their Request.'

I thank'd them, said he, for their Care; but reminded them, that though the Man did not die, yet he lay a long Time in extreme Misery, and would never recover the free Use of his Speech, and was rendered less able to get his Livelihood; and in such Cases the English Laws obliged the Assailant to make good all Damages, besides paying for the Pain endured.—But as the Indian was, in all Probability, poor and unable to make Satisfaction, I told them, that for their Sake I would forgive him; adding, had Webb died, I make no Doubt but you would have put the Indian to Death, just as we did two of our People who had killed an Indian; we caused them to be hung on a Gallows, in the Presence of many Hundreds of our People, to deter all others from doing the like. Canassatego made me this Reply: 'The Indians know no Punishment but Death; they have no such Thing as pecuniary Mulcts; if a Man be guilty of a Crime, he is either put to Death, or the Fault is overlook'd. We have often heard of your Hanging-up those two Persons; but as none of our Indians saw the Men die, many believe they were not hanged, but transported to some other Colony: And it would be satisfactory to the Indians, if, for the future, some of them be sent for, to be Witnesses of such Executions.' I assured them, that whoever gave them that Information, abused them; for the Persons certainly suffered Death, and in the Presence of all the People.

Canassatego then proceeded to give an Answer to what was said to them the 2d Instant, relating to Le Tort's Letter: 'That they had, in Council, considered in what Manner the Matter recommended to them ought to be conducted; and they were of Opinion, that as the Shawanese, not the Twightwys (for they knew so much of it, that the People were of the Twightwy Nation in whose Bags the Scalps were found) had sent me a Present of Skins, I should in return, send them a Blanket or a Kettle, and with it a very sharp Message, that tho' they had done well in sweeping the Road from Blood, yet that was but a small Part of their Duty; they ought not to have suffered the Twightwys, after their Lye and the Discovery of the Scalps, to have left them, 'till they had given a full and true Account how they came by them, whose Scalps they were, and in what Place, and for what Reason the Men were kill'd; and when they had been fully satisfied of all these Particulars, then it was their Duty to have given Information to the Government where the white People lived, that the Murderers might be complained against, and punished by the Nation they belonged to: And as the Shawanese had omitted to perform the Part of Brethren, that I should reprove them for it, and charge them to make Amends for their Neglect, by using all possible Expedition to come at the Knowledge of these Things, and to aid their Brethren the white People in obtaining Justice.'

The Minutes of the preceding Council being read, Mr. Logan, in pursuance of the Board's Direction of Yesterday, reported, on behalf of himself, and the other Gentlemen to whom it was recommended, that they had confer'd with Mr. Kinsey, and requested him to consult the other Members of the Assembly concerning the making a Present to the Indians; and that Mr. Kinsey having collected the Sentiments of several Members of the Assembly in Town, whom he had confer'd with on that Subject, found them generally of Opinion, that a Present should at this Time be made; but that they had declined nominating any Sum: However, that Mr. Kinsey had given it as his own Opinion, that the Governor and Council might go as far as three hundred Pounds.