of the Council of Safety, 1776. 99

the Direction I broke the seal. A number of Gentlemen were
present. However I discovered the mistake without knowing
the contents and enclosed it Immeaditly. I hope you will
pardon this blunder.
I am Gent Your very Hbble Serv^t
Tho^s Price.

[Barnes to Council.]

St. George's Neck 23^rd July 1776.
Gent. Inclosed you will receive the papers relative to our
permitting M^r Wolstenholme to go on board the Fleet here.
The first application received from M^r Wolstenholme was by
myself directed to the Commanding Officer of the Station
where I was. On perusing it I sent a message by the Gentle-
man that brought it, to inform M^r Wolstenholme that as I
understood Gen^l Dent was at the Station at the narrows, I
should consult him about it and send him an answer, which
answer was that it was not thought proper for him to depart
(as you will see by a paragraph in one of M^r Wolstenholme's
letters) on receiving of which he sent me his passport from
the Committee of the County, a copy of which you have
inclosed. Upon demanding of him that he would say nothing
to the prejudice of the Province, he answered, that he defied
his worst enemy to say that he had ever done or said any
thing inimical or that had a tendency that way, but that he
would not be bound to any thing, but that the same principle
which had ever been the rule of his actions, would govern his
future conduct. Well knowing from the knowledge I have of
M^r Wolstenholmes being a man of honour, and his word not
to be doubted, and that as he for several years has been very
anxious to go to England, and an opportunity now offered,
which in all probability would not again for some time, and
his passport from the Committee being unanimous, which
without very particular reasons in my opinion ought to be
adhered to, particularly by the military, were the reasons for
me to agree with Gen^l Dent that M^r Wolstenholme should
depart. By one of the letters wrote by M^r Wolstenholme to
Gov Eden with my surtificate to it which as sent with a Flag
on board one of the men of war, it was understood by all the
gentlemen here and must be by the Fleet, that M^r Wolsten-
holme was to depart, if they thought proper to send for him.
Whether it is consistent with the honor of the province to
detain M^r Wolstenholme, after what has passed, I leave you
to determine, but I must confess to you that I think the honour
of the Province together with Gen^l Dent's and mine are con-
cerned in it. I am really astonished at the slight rec'd from

Original.