THE Quaker victory of May, 1672, prevented the Wil-
liams party from punishing William Harris for high trea-
son and civil revolt. Richard Smith and Francis Brinsley,
allies of Harris in defending the Connecticut claims, had
ably supported the Quaker government which in turn re-
leased Harris from the Newport jail that same month.
In the October following, Harris was elected a deputy
from Providence to the Assembly. As paid attorney of
Connecticut interests, he was the leader of the pro-Con-
necticut party in the Assembly; and when he became an
Assistant in May, 1673, the Connecticut men intrusted
him with the leading rôle in their boundary claims against
Rhode Island.

Although not re-elected to office in May, 1672, Roger
Williams had a seat in the Assembly as a counselor, and was
still a member of the General Court of Trials. The Quaker
party refused to co-operate with Harris in pushing the
Connecticut claims to the King's Province. Averse to dis-
membering the colony, they took up the policy of the Wil-
liams party, and made Williams chairman of the Commit-
tee on Instructions to draw up rules for the agents to settle
the Connecticut claims, and later one of the agents. His
demands of June, 1670, were repeated, but no treaty was
made. During the next few years, he kept a close watch

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