My dear Sir I received your favors of the 3d ultimo inclosing [struck: y] [inserted: a] [struck: yr] copy of your answer to the board of Treasury - I feel the greatest satisfaction, at your [compliance] and that of Colonel Wadsworth, with the proposals transmitted you [struck: by the board of treasury -] By [inserted: yr assistance in] [inserted: strikeout] the [mode] [struck: and this only could] [inserted: proposed] the objects of the public will I hope be [inserted: completely] effected - But I cannot conceive of any other in which the business could be [struck: accomplished] [inserted: executed], and I believe the board of treasury are unanimously of the same opinion Notwithstanding the probability [struck: that you may] [inserted: of your] having transmitted [struck: a copy of your letter to [illegible] treasury] [inserted & struck: treasury board], to [struck: the board of treasury] [inserted: Colonel Wadsworth], yet they have also [inserted: a copy of your letter to the treasury board] [inserted and struck: to prevent delays] transmitted a copy [struck: to him] [strikeout] [inserted: to prevent delays] and requested him to come on to [struck: New York] [inserted: this city] as soon as possible and [struck: thence] [inserted: hence] to Philadelphia in order to put a finishing hand to the business - Indeed [struck: every] [inserted: the] motives which originated the measures [inserted: of Congress], press most forcibly, that [struck: be th] [inserted: they] be [2] put in a train of accomplishment - The insurgents of Massachusetts, are still proceeding in their desperate designs notwithstanding [struck: some] [inserted: the] attempts of the legislature to conciliate them, [inserted: which in some [strikeout] instances, have been] at the expense of Justice which ought to be a vital principal in all societies - This business must have all the extensive consequences which have been predicted The claims of the insurgents are undefined, and therefore [strikeout] difficult if not impracticable to redress - salaries taxes, [inserted: the] public debt &c are the ostensible grievances, and yet they strike at private debts first - The [inserted: County] courts of common pleas in which actions originate [inserted: and which assemble four times a year are to them the abominable thing - [struck: These courts are local, and qu] to [struck: the counties & set quantity] In the counties of [struck: Hamps] Berkshire Hampshire & Worcester the common pleas have been [prevented] for one or two terms past, - and also in Bristol The three former are the three Western Counties of the state, [populous] and [hardy] [3] On the 29th ultimo, the common pleas [commanded] their session [strikeout] [struck: Cambridge for the] the County of Middlesex at Cambridge within four miles of Boston - [struck: However] The insurgents intended to prevent its sitting, and government were determined at all hazards to protect it - The excessive cold weather, and deep snows probably [struck: operated] to prevented the insurgents appearance - a party of them assembled at Concord about sixteen miles distance, but dispersed on the 30th with orders to be in readiness to turn out at the shortest notice - A number of horse [inserted: for government] were collected from Boston and its vicinity who made a forwd march, and seized three of the ringleaders, [inserted: of the insurgents] [and conveyed them to] Boston [yard] - On the 5th instant the [text loss]ssemble at [text loss]ils from Boston. [text loss]ntiled from [text loss] Counties in [text loss] in defiance of [disastrous] [inserted: and [illegible [text loss] members [4] compelled the Justices to adjourn to a distant day - The last intelligences which I have received is of the 7th from Worcester, when the Insurgents [amounted] to about 1000 men, and were increasing fast - It [struck: is [uncertain was said that they intended to proceed to Boston and liberate their [brothers] who were seized in Middlesex - But I think they will hardly venture to execute their project - But it is probable that they will seize some friends of government and hold them, as a security for the treatment of their friends - The insurgents have plenty of provisions accompanying them, and only ask shelter from the weather - These circumstances are not the crisis of this business, but [strikeout] - but they irritate and [inserted: rapidly] accelerate [struck: the crisis] civil war [strikeout] which appears to be inevitable and what may be m[text loss] [docket written in left margin of first page] To R Morris Esqr Decr 1786 -