Lordships observe it is of great Importance that all matters of Dispute shou'd fully subside among the King's Provinces in this time of General Danger when their united Strength is so necessary to be exerted in vindication and defence of His Majestys Rights and Territories. * * * * * I have the Honour to be with great Respect My Lords, Your Lordships most obedient & most humble Serv J BELCHER Letter from Governor Belcher to Lord Hardwicke— about the necessity for capturing Canada. LORD HARDWICKE My Lord ELIZA TOWN Dec 8 1755 (Extract.) * * * As to this little Province where I have the honour (thro' Your Lordship' Favour and Kindness) to preside they are alert and have exerted in good Proportion for the King's honour and Service and for the Safety and Welfare of themselves and their Neighbours, and as to myself I am much obliged to Your Lordship for the Confidence You express of my real disposition & Zeal for His Majesty's Interest and Honour and for the good of His N. American Colonies and this I am sure I shall go on to practice as long as God holds me in life and Reason. And now will your Lordships forgive me and give me Your Patience while I say I think unless Quebeck and the whole Canadian Country be reduced to His Britannick Majesty's Obedience the French will in the Course of a few Years be masters of all N. America (and make it a fine Empire) and if this be the Case to prevent it in time why should not the English Provinces from Nova Scotia to Georgia (thirteen) raise thirty thousand effective men and seasonably apply to His Majesty to send six thousand British Regulars to be incorporated with them & so to make the whole Body thirty six thousand men and also to send a sufficient Squadron of Ships to the Gulph of St. Lawrence to assist in the Reduction of Quebeck & this whole Armament to be ready by all the month of June next to proceed upon the Business Carthago est delenda and which will be doing the thing effectually & the Provinces can with Ease raise and spare the number of men I have mentioned-but I believe this thing will not be effected without the Aid and Assistance of the British Parliament to mark out and ascertain the several Quotas or Proportions of men and Money to be raised by each several Colony or Province and besides the six thous Regulars Artillery, Small arms & Amunition must come from Great Britain for they are not to be had here. I wou'd say it my Lord with great Deference to the King's Ministers, that I think we are but playing at small Game (at a vast Expence of Blood & Treasure) while we are attempting to attack the Number of the Enemy's small Forts, therefore wou'd it not be better at once to be at the necessary (and smallest) Charge of attacking the Metropolis of Canada; and this Matter I ventured to hint to the Secry of State some Weeks ago-the People of the Provinces seem so well spirited to raise the Troops I have mentioned that I think there wou'd be little Difficulty in it, and, my Lord, if we wou'd hew the tree down effectually the sacred Pages tell us we must lay the Ax to the Rootthe present Complexion of Affairs in N. America seem to say the coming Year will be the Criterion whereby we shall be able to conclude whether the French shall drive us into the Sea or whether King George shall be Emperour of N. America which is of so great Use and Importance to the Mother Country it self as well as to all the British Islands. The Troops being raised on this side the Water will save the vast Expence of Transportation, delay, Sickness of the Passage and many other difficulties & Dangers. May the omniscient all wise Governour of the Universe constantly inspire Your Lordship with the Greatest Degrees of Wisdom and Knowledge to the best advantage of your King and Country-with my highest Compliments of Respect to good and Excellent Lady Hardwicke and with the greatest duty, Deference & Gratitude I am My Lord Your Lordships Most obliged &c. Letter from Governor Belcher to Richard Partridge, London-appointment of Chief Justice Aisleby. [From Belcher Papers in Library of N. J. Hist. Soc.] Dec 10 1755 Brother Partridge * * * (Extract.) I observe Mr Wm Ailesby is appointed Chief Justice of this Province whither he may be coming in the Spring and I hope he has a good Salary from the Crown for the Assembly voted but about £25 Str. a Year in their last Allowance to the Chief Justice of this Province. r I would have you very vigilant with the Lord Cand at the Publick Offices that nothing may be done to my Prejudice for I am apprehensive & not without Reason that my Second in this Government' wont 1 Lieutenant-Governor Pownall.-ED. scruple to attempt anything he may think for his Service and Interest. Yesterday my Son the Chief Justice of Nova Scotia gave me the great Pleasure of imbracing him here where he intends to spend the Winter-he is in good health & Spirits God be thanked & I hear discharges himself in his Station with Reputation and Honour. Sir, Your Lo: Bro * * * * J BELCHER Letter from Governor Belcher to Mr. Secretary Read -about the imprisonment of some Pennsylvania Indians. Sir [From a copy among the Belcher Papers in Library of N. J. Hist. Soc.] MR SEC'RY READ ELIZA TOWN Dec 12 1755 (Extract.) * * * I thank you for the Copy of the Letter you wrote to Mr Salter and Morris respecting the Indians taken up and confined in the Gaol at Trenton which was a wrong Step as they were belonging to the Province of Pennsylvania not but that under our Present Difficulty with the Indians it wou'd have been prudent enough to have taken them up & sent them under a Safeguard to the Gov' of Pennsylvania who call'd on me two days ago in his Way to N. York & talkt with me relating to those Indians & for which he desired my Order of Releasement and Delivery to him self which I told him he shou'd have on his return But as the time of his Honours Coming from N. York is all together uncertain and that it may be of ill consequence to hold the Indians in Goal at Trenton inclosed you have my Order to M' Salter and Mr Morris to deliver them to the Government of Pennsylvania, & say to the chief Magistrate in Phil & to treat them kindly in all Respects-what ever the Charge may be till their getting into Pennsylvania Province will doubtless be paid by our Assembly-the Order to Mr Salter & Morris you must send Express as soon as it gets to hand. I have signed an Adjournment for Gloucester Court on the very good Reasons you give therefor & Mr Ogden forwards it to you this Express. I hope the Assembly will come together full of Inclination to the Relief of the Poor distrest People on the Frontiers of this Province otherwise they will all desert their Habitations and thereby make every Town a Frontier. I am well pleased at the Accounts you give me of your having two hundred men of your Regiment in Readiness to march upon my First Orders & that if necessary, you will go and Comand them yourself, but I think the present Face of Affairs does not require the putting the Scheme in Practice wherein they were to assist. Mr. Ogden orders the Express to ride Night & day that these Matters of so great Importance may the sooner reach you and give you time to be at the Assembly the first day of their Meeting. I am with kind respects Honoble Sir Your very good Friend, J BELCHER |