100,000 pounds, for the same purpose. But We have had several considerable expences occasioned by the War, besides the charge of the regiment, such as providing quarters for the regulars, building barracks for 1500 men, buying 2000 stand of arms, to be ready in case of any sudden emergency, &c. Upon the whole, notwithstanding the great increase of the taxes, the Provincial Debt now exceeds 200,000; a large sum for so small a community, that has little or no foreign trade. I have thought it my duty to lay before you this state of the province, & to transmit to you a Copy of the Assemblys address, together with my speech as introductory to it: that this people may be placed in so favourable a light, as to seem to deserve a compensation from the Parliament, which you have been pleased to give them fresh assurances of. I am, with great respect, S' Your most Letter from Governor Bernard to the Lords of Trade informing them that the Assembly had passed a Bill for raising 1,000 men and a Bill for their support. [From P. R. O. B. T. New Jersey, Vol. 8, I. 82.] PERTH AMBOY Mar 21. 1759 The Rt Hon'ble Lords Com's of Trade &c My Lords Having received his Majesty's orders by M' Secretary Pitt to provide for the next campaign, I called the Assembly together with all possible expedition & laid before them M Pitts Letter: And they immediately proceeded to bring in a bill for raising 1000 men & passed it with a unanimity and dispatch scarce ever known before. The Quakers, instead of Voting against it, desired to be excused voting at all, except one, who Voted for it: This reduced the dissentients, who last year were 8, to 3 only: & even these gave no obstruction to the bill, but only, at the last reading, entered their negative to humour their constituents. The House also brought in the support bill & passed it unanimously in the same form as last years. For the supply for the troops there have been granted 50,000 pounds to be sunk in the years 1764, 5 6 & 7. If I had had the direction of this myself, I could not have saved more than the last of these years: And as I was pressed by Gen' Amherst to use the utmost dispatch, I did not care to run the risk of interrupting the good humour, that the house was in, for the sake of a single year. Upon the whole I may say that the public business was never transacted with more harmony and good understanding than It has been in this Sessions. The Acts of Council, Votes & Acts of Assembly I shall transmit to your Lordships, as soon as they can be got ready. I have nothing to add but that now We are three weeks earlier in the campaign business than they were last year. I am My Lords Your Lordships most obedient & most humble Servant FRA. BERNARD Letter from Governor Bernard to the Lords of Trade, containing his observations upon the Money Bills passed for extraordinary purposes. [From P. R. O. B. T., New Jersey, Vol. 8, I. 83.] PERTH AMBOY Mar 30. 1759 The Rt Honble Lords Comrs for Trade & Plant My Lords ations. I this day being informed that there was a packet order'd to sail from New York to England [have] this day sent away a packet for your Lordships office, by express, containing among other things a Letter to your Lordships of the date of the 21st inst, wherein I informed your Lordships of what had been done by the Assembly, pursuant to his Majestys orders signified to me, by M Secretary Pitt. In less than an hour after My Messenger was gone, I was honoured with Your Lordships Letter of the 8th of Febry, & as it is probable that the packet boat may be delayed till I can get this into it, I will trouble your Lordships with a few more lines. The objections made to the late Money bills of this province, for extraordinary purposes, have allways appeared to me in the same light as they have to your Lordships; I could not but think them as invasions of the prerogative, & dangerous in their consequences. But yet, considering the present necessities of his Majesties Service, I could not think this a proper time to endeavour to rectify these abuses. The form of the late Acts & that I have now passed for raising the forces of this province has been used all this War. On the present emergency, I was presst by Gen' Amherst to use the utmost dispatch in raising our Regiment; I know myself that upon many accounts, It would be raised with much more difficulty than it was last year; I therefore resolved to lose not a day (& I have not lost one) in this necessary business. With these Sentiments when I met the Assembly, I found them more unanimous & ready, than I could have expected, to contribute their utmost share to the common cause. And for the more expedition, they brought in the bill by a printed bill of the last years, to prevent all cause of altercation, & passed it without a word of debate. Under these circumstances, I apprehend that I should have shown more duty than discretion to have examined this bill too nicely, I therefore thought myself obliged, on account of the requisitions of his Majestys service to pass this bill as 'twas offered, & did not think it would be of Any service to give it any public brand. But I took an opportunity to tell allmost all the Members in private, that when the times were more settled, I should not think myself at liberty to pass a bill of this kind. I do assure your Lordships that what you have been pleased to direct to me concerning these bills, is perfectly consonant with what were my thoughts thereon & what I esteemed my Duty therein: And I had intended, when I should transmit these bills to your Lordships, to have represented the same. But, My Lords, in time of war & for the service (as we hope) of the last campaign, I thought the augmenting his Majestys forces my first duty &, if in so doing I only followed the steps of my predecessor, I trusted that I should be justified in it. And I can promise your Lordships that I shall take the first opportunity of enforcing the regulation that your Lordships direct, & doubt not but at a proper time I shall have credit enough with the Assembly to procure a dutiful submission to it. I am My Lords Your Lordships most FRA. BERNARD Letter from Colonel John Parker to Lewis Johnson, referring to the co-operation of the Indians in the campaign with which he was connected. [From Skinner and Parker Papers among the manuscripts of W. A. Dear Lewis SCHOHARY the 28th April 1759 The place where I am seems to have so little communication with the rest of the world that I can hardly say I am in it, however it will not be long before we shall appear on the Stage again as I hear the Campaign will open much sooner than it was imagined. The Indians are very hearty on our side, the Six nations have took up the protest against the French and several nations, formerly their Allies have refus'd to assist them this Campaign; there are now a good many of the Cocknowagoes at Sir W Johnsons, and its thought they'll come over to us. The French themselves give up their Country as lost, this is Indian news I have it from one of the heads of the nation here and I believe its true as I have seen a letter from Sir W which mentions most of it. The six Nations have given him Niagara for a trading house & will assist in taking it-I am just going to dinner, deliver the inclos'd JOHN PARKER. |