Tibbets, his assistant, I have advised that they be released upon the
_same terms_ upon which the Hon. Rufus McIntire and his assistants were
released, to wit, upon their _parole of honor_ to return to Bangor
whenever they should be thereto required by the executive government of
this State, to answer to any charges that may be brought against them
for their acts and proceedings upon what your excellency is pleased to
call "the disputed territory."

For a reply to the remainder of your excellency's communication I must
refer you to my letter of the 18th instant, which you will receive by
the hand of R. English, esq.

I have the honor to be, with high respect, your excellency's obedient
servant,

JOHN FAIRFIELD,

_Governor of Maine_.

AT THE MOUTH OF THE ARESTOOK, RIVER ST. JOHN,

_Province of New Brunswick, February 17, 1839_.

The OFFICER COMMANDING THE ARMED FORCE ON THE DISPUTED TERRITORY.

SIR: I am directed by His Excellency Major-General Sir John Harvey,
lieutenant-governor and commander in chief of this Province, to express
to you his great surprise at the very extraordinary occurrence of an
armed force of the description now with you having entered upon the
disputed territory (so called) and attempted to exercise a jurisdiction
there foreign to the British Government, seizing upon and maltreating
British subjects and retaining many of them prisoners without having in
the first instance given any notice or made any communication whatever
to the government authorities of this Province of such your intention,
or the causes which have led to these acts of aggression. If you are
acting under any authority from your own government, the proceedings are
still more unjustifiable, being in direct defiance and breach of the
existing treaties between the Central Government of the United States
and England. If you have not any such authority, you and those with you
have placed yourselves in a situation to be treated by both Governments
as persons rebelling against the laws of either country. But be that as
it may, I am directed by his excellency to give you notice that unless
you immediately remove with the force you have with you from any part of
the disputed territory (so called) and discharge all British subjects
whom you have taken prisoners and at once cease attempting to exercise
any authority in the said territory not authorized by the British
Government every person of your party that can be found or la