cil are of opinion that the Governm of this Province be thereby devolved upon him, the Commission and Instrictions given by His Majesty to His Excellency Col Burges being not here nor any copy thereof yet arrived in this Province by which the Government is to be administered Pass'd in the Negative unanimously.

On November 9 Nathaniel By deid, who had been in England, reached Besten, bringing with him the Exemplification of Burges's Commission which Burges, in his letter of September 3, said had been sent. Thereupon, the same day,

An Exemplification 3 of His Majesty's most gracious Letters Parents constituting & appointing Elizeus Burges Esqf Capta General & Governour in chief in & over His Majesty's Province of the Massachusetts Bay in New England being presented was ordered to be forthwith read & published which was done accordingly

And the Hone William Taller Esq his Commission as Lieut Gov was again read & publish'd and he took the ath referring to the Colonies and Plantations as directed by Act of Parliament he having taken all the other oaths at the former publication of his Commission & the Councellors present were all duly sworn &

Advised & consented That a Prociamac for continuing all officers civi & military in their respective offices til further order should be forthwh printed & published which was signed in Council accordingly.

Thus the purpose of sending over the Exemplification of Burges's Commission was accomplished, and Dudley's long term of cffice came to an end.

Lieutenant-Governor Tier was acting Governor from November 9. 173. to October 5, 1715.

In spite of repeated rumors of his being about to sail, Colonel Barges resigned his Commission and never came to this country.

1 Council Recoris, vi. 379–380.

* Sewal's Diary, ii. 55, 3esten News Letter, November 24, 7. 2. 2.

* This Exemplification is in the library of the Massachusetts Estorical Society: see Purications of this Society i. 100 note L. C. p. 53 note 1. above. • Council Recorris, vi. 380-300.

* As late is May 31. 1715, in a speech to the House, Leutenant-Covernor Tailer sau le belleved that Burres would before this Time have happily Arrived among as. int I um vell i he may be inlly expeered House Journal, p. 3. The news of Shute's appointment, which was made in April, reached Boston June 3

SAMUEL SHUTE was commissioned Governor by George I on June 15, 1716.1 He reached Boston Harbor October 4,2 and was sworn

(Sewall's Diary, iii. 85). The following notice appeared in the Boston News Letter of June 11:

By Letters from London of April 12th we are informed that His Excellency Col. Elizeus Burges Esq; Governour of this Province had resign'd his Office.

And by Letters and Prints we are also inform'd that His Majesty has been pleased to appoint His Excellency Col. Samuel Shute, Esq; a very worthy Gentleman, and Brother to Mr. Barrington Shute Esq; Member of Parliament for Berwick, to be Governour of New-England (p. 2/1).

The following letter written by J. Dummer to J. White, but signed by Dummer and Belcher, is copied from the original in the Massachusetts Historical Society (161.J.16): DEAR SR

I am now Sitting on one Side of his Excelley Col° Shute, & Mr Belcher on the Other side with all the Principal Merchts & Traders to New England at the Table. We have din'd, & are now drinking a Sober glass to the Prosperity of New England, & the Worthy Gentlemen there, & you may be Sure you can't be forgot among them, especially when Mr Belcher & I are present. Every Merchant is pleas'd with your New Governour, & you'l certainly be the happyest people in the World under his Easy Administration I cant enlarge for the reason above. I am Y1 Very humble sert

London

30th Apr: 1716

JER DUMMER
JONA BELCHER

1 The original of Shute's Commission of June 15, 1716, is in the Harvard College Library (Cab.E.Dr.1). It is written on two sheets of parchment and has the seal appended, though this is now broken and a part missing, and is enclosed in a wooden box covered with stamped leather. It came to the College Library in 1862 as a bequest from Gen. William H. Sumner of the Class of 1799. A portion is reproduced in facsimile in the Memorial History of Boston, ii. 50. Cf. p. 53 note 1, above.

On the back of the Commission is the following entry:

Province of the
Massachusetts Bay

in New England)

Entred in the Secretary's

Office in Boston October
the 5th 1716.

P Jos: Marion Depty Secry

This entry confirms a statement made by the present writer that there was formerly a volume of Crown Commissions which was burned in 1747 (Publications of this Society, vol. ii. p. xviii and note 4; xiv. 397-398 note 1). See also p. 55, above, and pp. 70, 81 note 1, 101, below.

2 Under date of "Octob" 3," 1716, Sewall wrote: . . while they were here, just about Sunset, we hear a Gun which proves a Signal of the Governour's being come" (Diary, iii. 105). A careful examination of the entry under this date shows that it must have been written on "lecture-day "— that is, on Thursday, October 4. As Sewall is so often relied on for exact dates,

L

October 5. As the Council Records from September 11, 1716, to September 5, 1717, both included, are not extant,' the following account of the proceedings is taken from the Boston News Letter of October 8, 1716:

Boston,

ON Thursday last in the Evening (to the very great Joy

and Satisfaction of all His Majesty's Good Subjects here) Arrived His Excellency SAMUEL SHUTE Esq; Captain I have in several cases pointed out errors, some due (as in this case) to his own carelessness, some due to the fact that entries were actually written later than the dates assigned, and some due (as on p. 53 note, above) to the carelessness of his editors. See Publications of this Society, xiv. 361 note 2, for an instance where Sewall wrote "Feb. 13," 1716, when he meant to write April 13."

1 The original Council Records from 1692 to 1747 were practically all destroyed in the fire which devastated the Boston Town House on December 9, 1747 (see Publications of this Society, vol. ii. p. xix note 1), and the Records for those years now at the State House are copies obtained from London. But even in London there are no copies of the Records for the period specified in the text September 11, 1716, to September 5, 1717; Miss Drucker informing me that "32 pages are missing in the volume which should contain them at that date." A copy of the following letter is in the Council Records (xi. 765–766):

SIR

BOSTON November 1. 1748.

By William Shirley Jun' Esquire, who embarks for Great Britain on board one of the Mast ships now bound home, I send you Copies of the Proceedings of the General Court, from the beginning of March 1746, to the end of the Session begun and held May 25. 1748; with the Acts pass'd in those Sessions, certified under the Seal of the Province; as also Copies of the Minutes of Council from December 1747 to the end of August 1748. The Minutes of the Assembly, and the Laws, are a continuation of what were sent you home by his Majty's Ship the Mermaid in the Summer 1747, without any interruption, the General Court Book for that time being accidentally saved out of the Fire when the Court House was burnt; but the Council Book being then destroyed, the Minutes of Council, now sent you, begin after the time of that fire. You will please to lay these Papers before the Lords Commissioners as usual. I shall acknowledge it as a great favour if you will please to send me one line to let me know of your receiving these Papers when they come to your hands. I am, with due respect Sir

(Superscribed)

On His Majestys Service.

To Thomas Hill Esq

Secretary to the Right Honble

The Lords Commissioners for Trade

and Plantations.

Whitehall.

Your very humble Servant

(signed) JOSIAH WILLARD.

General and Governour in Chief, in and over His Majesties Provinces of the Massachusetts-Bay and New-Hampshire in New-England, &c. on Board the Lusitania, and was first met and welcomed by the Honourable William Dummer, Esq; with other Gentlemen in Company, and quickly afterwards waited on by the Representatives of the Town of Boston, and several other Gentlemen: but it being late at Night, and the Ship at some distance from the Town, His Excellency was pleas'd to defer his Landing till the next Morning; proving a pleasant fair Day, when His Excellency was early attended by a Committee of the General Assembly, consisting of several Members of His Majesties Council, and the House of Representatives, with several other Gentlemen & Officers. About Nine a Clock His Excellency in coming up to Town was first Saluted by His Majesties Castle William, and afterwards by His Majesty's Ship of War the Rose, the Batteries of the Town, the Ships and Vessels in the Harbour, by the Discharge of a great Number of Guns, and their Enseigns displayed. About Ten of the Clock His Excellency Landed at the End of the Pier or Wharff at King-Street, where the Hon. Col. William Tailer, Esq; the late Lieutenant Governour, &c. with a Number of His Majesty's Council, Justices of the Peace, and other Gentlemen and Merchants, received His Excellency, and attended him thro' a great Concourse of People, up to the End of King-Street, where His Excellency was received and Saluted by his own Troop of Guards, and after that by the Regiment of the Town, under their Arms, and at the Town-House Stairs the Honourable the late Governour Dudley, being attended by the President 1 of Harvard-Colledge in Cambridge, with the Ministers of the Town of Boston, and the Neighbouring Towns, Congratulated His Excellency's safe Arrival, and accompanied him up to the Council-Chamber, where His Majesty's Royal Commission to His Excellency for the Government of this Province, (As also a Commission to the Honourable William Dummer Esq; for Lieut. Governour) was Published and Solemnized with great Acclamations of Joy, and the Regiments Discharge of Three Volleys. Upon this happy Occasion, there came in also a Troop of Horse, and Five Companies of Foot, belonging to the South Regiment of Suffolk, and a greater Number had attended, but that His Excellency was pleased to signify his Pleasure against it. Between One and Two a Clock His Excellency was Publickly Entertained at Dinner, in Company with His Majesty's Council, with the Speaker 2 and many of the House of Representatives, and a great Number of other Gentlemen, Officers, &c. The Joy and Satisfaction of His Majesty's good People of this Country was so much the greater upon this Occasion, because of some Fears we had 1 John Leverett. 2 John Burrill.

been under; a Ship being Arrived Ten Days ago from London, that came out Sixteen Days after His Excellency: Besides some Advice from the Eastward of Wrecks upon the Coast. Soon after the Publishing His Excellency's Commission, a Proclamation as usual, was Issued for the Continuation of all Officers both Civil and Military, till further Order. His Excellency was pleased to take his Lodgings at Mr. Dudley's till the Province House could be fitted for his Reception, which will be in a few Days (p. 2/1).

Late in 1722 Shute determined to go to England. The following proceedings took place in the House on December 28:

A Message by Samuel Sewall, Penn Townsend, and Addington Davenport Esqrs; viz. His Honour the Lieut. Governour having by his Excellency's direction acquainted the Board, That His Excellency the Governour is Embarked on board His Majesty's Ship Sea-Horse Capt. Durell Commander at Nantasket, and designs to return early in the Fall. And the Board thinking it a Matter of Importance, have sent to inform the Honourable House thereof.1

Post Meridiem.

Ordered, That Mr. Remington, Mr. Fullam, and Mr. Dudley go up to the Board, and Desire of His Honour the Lieut Governour, that if he has any Advice from His Excellency, of his intended Voyage, he would be pleased to communicate it to the House.

A Message by Mr. Secretary, His Honour the Lieut. Governour has ordered me to acquaint this Honourable House, That he has no farther Advice of His Excellency's intended Voyage, than that he is embarked on Board His Majesty's Ship Sea-Horse, and that he designs, if GOD please, to return early in the Fall.2

The House being Informed this Morning in a Message by Samuel Sewall, Penn Townsend and Addington Davenport, Esqrs; That His Honour the Lieut. Governour having by His Excellency's Direction acquainted the Board, that His Excellency the Governour is embarked on Board His Majesty's Ship Sea-Horse, Capt. Durell Commander at Nantasket, and designs to return early in the Fall. And the Board thinking it a matter of Importance, sent to inform the Honourable House thereof. Which is a very great surprize, and gives this House just ground to suppose, That upon His Excellency's Arrival at the Court of GreatBritain, (if bound there) he may endeavour to Charge this House in 1 House Journal, p. 54.

2 P. 55.