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An Address to the Rev. Dr. Alison - 41

It will therefore be agreeable to us, that your Honour would be pleased to order the Sheriff and Coroner of Lancaster County, and the Magistrates of that Borough, to come down, and give you the best Information that can be obtained of the Persons concerned in these Violences; that they being discovered and apprehended, due Punishment may be inflicted on such daring Disturbers of the public Peace.

Signed by Order of the House, ISAAC NORRIS, Speaker.

Upon the Return of the Indians to this City, they remained under the Protection of the King's Troops; and the brave Citizens of Philadelphia of all Denominations (save the English, Scotch and Irish Presbyterians) formed themselves into Companies, to support the Government and defend its Laws.

The Governor soon after sent another Message to the House, in these Words, viz.

"GENTLEMEN,

"I Find great Difficulty in settling, on the Footing of Law, and on the Principles of the English Constitution, the Orders proper to be given to the Commanding Officer of the three Companies of Royal Americans, sent here by General Gage, to support the civil Power, as Rules for his own Conduct and Government of the Soldiers, in Case the Indians, now under their Protection, should be attacked, and an Attempt made to murder them. At the same Time that I wish to preserve these poor Creatures, by all the Means in my Power, I would not, in the Orders I give for that End, be guilty of the least Infraction of the Laws. A Doubt has arisen whether any Orders I can give to the regular Troops to make Use of Force and Violence against His Majesty's Subjects, though riotously assembled, with an Intent to kill the Indians, will be a legal Justification for their shedding of Blood in opposing and preventing the Design, till the civil Power has first been

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