Message of Governor Belcher to the Council and General Assembly of New Jersey. [From a copy among the Belcher Papers in Library of N. J. Hist. Soc.] Gentlemen of the Council & of the General As sembly Since the opening of this Session by my Speech of the first Ins'. I have a Letter from L. Gov' Delancey of N. York with several Papers of great Importance to this and all the English Colonies in North America and these things the Secretary shall deliver you. As the Province of the Massachusetts are raising with all expedition five hundred fresh Recruits and N. York four hundred I am fully of Opinion the best aid and assistance we of this Province can give will be in the raising of as many men as we possibly can and to send them with the greatest Dispatch to join Coll Schuyler's Regiment under the Command of General Shirley. We must not sink under the Gloom of the late unhappy event but as becomes true English men our Spirits must rise with our Difficulties and we must make them more strong and vigorous Push to emerge out of them. Upon reading the Gov' of Nova Scotia Letter to the Gov' of the Massachusett's I think it my Duty to repeat & press upon you the Passing a Law without delay in strict Prohibition of the Exportation of Provisions of any kind from this Province for three Months to come, the Act to be so restricted and qualified as may be the least detrimental to our selves or Neighbours for altho' the Gov' may issue a Proclamation of Embargo yet it is the Legislature only that can impose mulcts & Fines on such Offenders as shail presume contrary to Nature & Reason to supply our Enemies with Provisions and thereby prevent their falling a Prey into our hands. Altho' I have once and again recommended to you the revising and amending the Militia Bill yet I must now again recommend it to your serious Consideration as a thing absolutely necessary to defend and save the Poor People of this Province on the Frontiers from the merciless depredations and Cruelties of the French and Indians, for as we have no regular Troops we have (under God) no force or hope but what we may expect from the Militia of the Province and it ought therefore to be put under a better regulation than it might be on common Occasion. Gentlemen, as any thing new comes to my Hands I shall be communicating it to you and I pray God to direct your Deliberations into the best measures for lengthning out the welfare and Prosperity of the good People under our Care. J. BELCHER ELIZ: TOWN COUNCIL CHAMBER Aug 9. 1755. Letter from the Lords of Trade to Governor Sir Charles Hardy, of New York-recommending the appointment of a Commissioner to arrange the boundary difficulties with New Jersey. [From N. Y. Col. Docts., Vol. VI, p. 960.] [Tho. Centaur, Hardwicke, C. Granville, T. Marlborough, C. P. S.] Additional Instruction to Sir Charles Hardy Knight Captain Gen! and Gov" in Chief in & over His Majty's provce of New York and the territories depending thereon in America; or in his absence to the Lieut Gov', President of the Council, or Commander in Chief of the said province for the time being. Given at Whitehall the 12th day of August 1755, in the 29th year of His Majtys Reign Whereas it has been represented unto us, that a controversy has for many Years subsisted between his Majesty's Provinces of New York & New Jersey concerning the true line of partition between the said provinces, on account of which great outrages have from time to time been committed on the frontiers of the said provinces, to the prejudice of His Majty's service and the disturbance of the public peace, and whereas it is of the greatest importance to the tranquility and welfare of the said provinces that a line of property and Jurisdiction should be speedily settled between them, which can only be done by a Commission to be issued by His Majesty for that purpose, with liberty to all parties who shall think themselves aggrieved by the Judgment of the Commissioners thereby to be appointed, to appeal from such Judgment to His Majesty in his privy Council; and whereas the Agent for the Proprietors of New Jersey, has declared himself willing to concurr on their behalf in this measure, as the only proper and effectual means of determining the matter in dispute, and has offered to give ample security that the said proprietors shall and will defray one half of the expence of obtaining and executing such a Commission: You are therefore hereby authorized and required earnestly to recommend it, in His Majesty's name, to the Assembly of the Province of New York, under your Govern', that they do make speedy and effectual provision for defraying the other moiety of the expence of obtaining and executing such commission, as aforesaid, whenever His Majesty shall be graciously pleased to issue the same. Letter from Governor Belcher to his nephew, Mr. Oliver-about the condition of the forces on the frontier. Sir [From Belcher Papers in Library of N. J. Hist. Soc.] MR. OLIVER Aug 21 1755 * * I think a Gloom at Present hangs over his Majestys Colonies on this Continent nor do I conceive any great hopes about Crown Point or Niagara but rather think the Kings Troops for both those Attempts are too short in Numbers and too late to do anything this Year. The Colonies this way have made strict Prohibitions of the Exportation of Provisions of any kind yet I have but a lean hope of thats bringing forth so great an Event as we wou'd fain feed our selves with especially if what we have by a Vessel at Phil of 20: of June from Lisbon be true that a fleet of 24 Sail of French Ships was ready to sail for America and that S Edward Hawk was to follow them with a strong Squadron. The present Complexion of Affairs seems to forbode this Continents being the Seat of War. Deus avertat! I am Honoble & dear Sir Your affectionate Uncle. Representation from the Lords of Trade to the Lords Justices, with an account of the number of white inhabitants in the Colonies. [From P. R. O. B. T. Plantations General, No. 39, Ent. Book K, p. 423.] An Account of the Number of White Inhabitants in His Majesty's Colonies in Augst 29, 1755 Georgia South Carolina North Carolina Virginia Maryland Pennsylvania Connecticut Rhode Island. *N. B. Of these 100,000 are Germans, & other foreign Protestants. |