500 Proceedings of the Council of Maryland, 1750/51.

Lib. C. B.

him, who have been Guilty of Infractions of the Treaties of
Peace Subsisting between Great Britain and France, and

p. 433

Particularly of the 15^th Article of the Treaty of Utrecht, es-
pecially if it is done with such a Concurrence upon good Proofs,
which I hope all who know of any such, will come furnished
with or with the means of Procuring them
Some other Governments I send this Letter to, may possibly
think they have no concern with Indian Affairs, because other
Provinces lye between them and the Indians. But if our In-
dians should be gained by the French, they may soon be in-
duced to harras the Colonies lying between such other Govern-
ments and the Indians, so as to oblige the Inhabitants to desert
them, as lately happened to the greatest Part of the County
of Albany in this Province In this Case (which God avert)
they will find, when too late, that they had an Interest in In-
dian Affairs, to which if they had duly attended, these dread-
ful Consequences might for ever have been prevented; And
as the very news of such an Union of Councils must on the
one hand greatly encourage the Indians to be Steady to the
British Interest; so on the other, it may tend to discourage
the French from continuing their endeavours to draw over
Our Indians from us.
I am with great Regard
S^r
Your Honours Obedient humble Serv^t
The Hon^ble Governor Ogle. G: Clinton

Which Letter being read It is the humble Advice of this
Board that his Excellency be pleased to Send the following
Answer thereto

20 feb^ry 1750
Sir
Your favour of the 18^th of last December did not reach my
hands before the 18^th Instant
I am very Sensible of the Consequences which you mention
may be Apprehended from a Neglect to Preserve the Indians
in a good Disposition towards us, And that nothing could
Contribute more to this Purpose than a Resolution of all the

p. 434

British Plantations on this Continent to Act in Conjunction ;
What is in my Power shall not be wanting for Establishing
such an Union, But as you very rightly observe, some Gov-
ernments (or rather Assemblys) may think, from their Scitua-
tion, they have little or no concern with Indian Affairs, And I
am Sorry to own this mistaken Notion has too much weight
with our Provincial Assembly, who, from their little or no
Interest in any Branch of Indian Trade, And this Province be-