Page images
PDF
EPUB

P. M

[P. 172.] [The House met and was adjourned or Prorogued from time to time, without doing any business, till]

[P. 173.]

Thursday, Nov 30, 1749, P. M. The House, being inform'd that his Ex had something to lay before them sent Coll° Gilman & Mr March to ye Council Board to give information that there was a Quorum of the House met & Ready to proceed to business-who Return'd & said that they.had been to the Councill Board but that neither his Ex nor any of ye Councill were there.

Mr. See came & by his Ex Direction adjourned ya Gen1 Ass till to morrow ten o'clock.

[P. 174]

Saturday, Dec 2d 1749.

Met according to adjournm. Mr. Sec" Bro't down the follow ing written message from his Ex ye Governour, viz.

Province of To the members convened to sit in General Assembly in N. Hamp vertue of the

King's writ

Gentlemen-That no further impediment may be Given ye Publick Concerns of the Province, I think it necessary to appraise you that whenever you Resolve to proceed to the choice of a Speaker in conformity to my repeated Commands which hitherto you have Refused to comply with, I shall expect previous to such choice to be acquainted with your Resolution thereon, that I may have an opportunity to adjourn or Prorogue the General Assembly in order to assemble six members called by the same authority that you were & in all Respects equally Qualified with your selves to vote in said choice, which members you have hitherto Refused either to sit or vote tho' in Direct opposition to his Majesty's commands to me, & gracious Intentions to the People they Represent.

The two points now in Controversy, Unfortunate for the Gentlemen that led you into ye Dispute by calling them the Priviledges of ye People, are Prerogatives of the highest order, and too delicate in their nature for me to dispense with; therefore you must excuse me, when I tell you they are and must be sacred to me.

Councill Chamber in

Portsmouth, Nov 29, 1749.

B. WENTWORTH.

[P. 175.] Mr. Sec' came into the House and by his Ex Direction adjourn'd ye Gen' Ass to Tuesday next at ten o'clock in ye forenoon.

Tuesday Dec 5th 1749.

Met and adjourn'd, [again and again, till]

Thursday Dec 7, 1749.

Met according to adjournm'

A. M.

Voted, That the following message be sent his Ex3 y Gover

nour.

May it please your Excellency

Your message of the 29 of last month was bro't us by Mr. Secretary on Saturday last just before we were adjourn'd. To which we Reply that when we Resolve to choose another Speaker we will then take under consideration the propriety of giving your Excellency previous notice thereof, as by your message you Expect, but with that we are determin'd not to proceed to another choice as we have Repeatedly told your Exy till you shew us your power to Negative or Disallow that which we have already made. As to ye two points in Controversy which your Exy says are unfortunate for ye Gentleman or Gentlemen that led us into ye Dispute, we say that we know of no other leader than your self, and how unfortunate it may be to you time doubtless will Discover. As your Exy began the Dispute so it is with you to end it if you please either by a Retraction or shewing your Authority.

[P. 176.] We have indeed seen a copy of a piece of an Instruction Relating to calling members from new places, which was lent us, But as it appear'd maim'd and not ye whole & came in such a manner too, and besides as your Ex had exceeded the powers therein given you, we could not think it wise or safe to Act thereon till his Majesties pleasure should be farther known. But as to the Negativing or Disapproving the choice of a Speaker we have not had a Glimpse of Evidence to prove your Authority in that case, neither from your Exy nor any other way.

Your Exy says the points in controversy are Prerogatives of the highest order & Delicate in their nature: What if they are? Does ye height or Delicacy of them prove that his Majesty has vested you with a power to Exercise them which is what your Exy has to do if you would do any thing to purpose in Regard to us.

Sent up by Tho' Millet & Meshech Weare Esqrs.

Mr. Sec' came into ye House and said he was Directed by his Ex to acquaint us that he had Prorogued the Gen' Ass to Wednesday ye third day of Jan' next at ten o'clock in ye forenoon, and then in his Majesty's name Declared it Prorogued accordingly.

Wednesday Jan 3 1749.

A number of the members met according to Prorogation.

Mr. See by his Ex Direction adjourn'd ye Gen1 Ass till to morrow ten o'clock.

8

Thursday, Jan 4, 1749-A. M.

[P. 177.] Met [and adjourned, till]

Fryday, Jan 5, 1749, p. m.

Met according to adjournment. Mr. Sec' came into the House and said, "I am directed by his Ex to acquaint you that he has 'Prorogued the Gen Ass of this Province to Wednesday the "seventh day of Feb next at ten o'clock, and accordingly in his "Majesty's name you are Prorogued."

Wednesday, Feb 7, 1749

A number of ye members met according to Prorogation. Mr. Sec' by his Ex** Direction adjourn'd ye Gen' Ass till tomorrow ten o'clock.

Thursday, Feb 8, 1749. A. M.

Met according to adjournment, [and without doing any business [P. 178] were adjourned from day to day, till]

Fryday, Feb 16, 1749, P. M.

[P. 179.] Mr. Sec' came into the House & by his Ex Direction Progued the Gen' Ass to Wednesday the 14th Day of March

next.

[ocr errors]

Before the meeting of the Ass" on the fourteenth of March the members were Inform'd by Letter from the See" that the Gen' AssTM was to be further Prorogued to the twenty first day of March.

[P. 180.]

Wednesday March 21st 1749.

The members met according to the Letters sent them.

Mr. Sec' came into the House and by his Ex Direction adjourn'd the Gen1 Ass" till to morrow 12 o'clock.

adjournm1.

Thursday, March 22, 1749. Met according to

Mr. See Bro't Down a written message from his Ex" which is on file. (a)

(a) Journ. Coun. & Assem. March 22, 1749. His Excellency sent by the Secy to the returnd members a written message of this Days date setting forth that their behaviour had made it necessary for him to keep them under short adjournments & Prorogations for more than a year Past in order to have a due obedience Paid to his Majesties commands and that he hoped they would in the present Assemblance think it both their duty & Interest to comply therewith and mentioned the Massachusetts Petition to his Majesty for a reimbursement of their charg in garrisoning fort Dummer, &c.

Mr. See came into the House and by his Ex Direction adjourn'd y Gen' Assm to three o'clock.

P. M. [Met and were adjournd till]

adjournm'.

Saturday, March 24th 1749. Met according to

Voted, that the following message be sent his Ex the Gov

ernour.

May it please your Excellency

In answer to your message of the 22d Inst. we take leave to say that your Excellencys keeping us under Short Prorogations & Adjournments is not with propriety chargable to us nor ever would there have been any [P. 181] such short adjournments & Prorogations as we conceive, had your Excellency laid before us the full of his Majesty's Instructions Relating to the matter in controversy when we were first Assembled; and it was your Excellency's not doing that which was the whole foundation of the controversy as it now stands touching the admission of the Persons from the new Places; and the same were not only kept from us at our first convening But we were kept intirely Ignorant thereof 'till Mr. Blanchard bro't a part of one into the House which was thirty-five days after our first meeting: But waving many things which might be said touching your Excellencys part in the controversy & in Justification of ourselves, and to speak once more full to the point in a few words-If you will show us your Power we will shew you our compliance. If you will lay before us the whole of his Majestys Instruction Relating to this affair we will soon convince your Exy of our Readiness to Do what appears to be our Duty. If your Exy is Resolved not to shew us the whole of the Instruction the Dispute must Remain as it is 'till his Majesty shall be pleas'd to order them to us in some other way, or till his Majesty's Pleasure is further known. Here let us add that the Dispute is not neither has it been whether we will obey his Majesty's Instruction, nor can it be as we do not know it, But whether your Exy will make it known to us or not-this is the Point in controversy Between us.

Before the foregoing message was sent Mr. Sec' came into the House & by his Ex Direction adjourn'd the Gen' Ass till Tuesday next twelve o'clock.

Tuesday March 27, 1750.

A number of the members met according to adjournm', [and without doing any business adjourn'd from time to time,] till [P. 182, 183.] Saturday 5 of May 1750.

Met according to adjournment. Mr. Sec' came into the House

and said he was directed by his Ex' to acquaint us That he was hoping in consideration of the Paragrafs of a Letter from the Right Honble the Lords Commissioners for trade and Plantation of the 14th of Dembr last which the Sec Delivered to Maj' Davis to communicate to the members That they would have admitted the new members and proceeded to the choice of another Speaker, and if we Desired any further time to consider of that matter he would be glad to know it. Otherwise he had orders to Prorogue— The members present viz. Richard Waldron Esq. James Clarkson Esq. Eleazer Russell Esq. Mr. Henry Sherburne Jun' Maj' Tho' Davis, Meshech Weare Esq. Mr. John Knight, Capt Jonathan Thompson, sent the following message which was Delivered Orally, viz.

May it please your Excellency,

In answer to your oral Message of this Day by Mr. Secy we Reply that whenever your Excellency shall be pleased to Lay before us his Majesty's additional Instruction with the Letter Referred to in said message from the Right Honble Lords Commissioners for Trade and Plantation we shall immediately take the same under consideration and with the utmost cheerfulness pay the Readiest Obedience to what appears to be his Majestys pleasure in the matters in controversy.

[P. 184.] Mr. Sec' came into the House and by his Exy Direction Prorogued the Gen' Ass" to the third Wednesday being the twentieth day of June next.

Wednesday June yo 20, 1750.

A number of the members met

according to Prorogation and by adjournment met again

Thursday, June 21, 1750. P. M.

The Sec Bro't Down the following written Message from his Ex', viz.

To the members called by the Kings Writ to sit in General Assembly, Gentlemen

Upon my meeting you on this Prorogation I am in expectation that you will comply with my former messages in proceeding to the choice of a Speaker, and in sending in for the new members duly Qualified and called by the Kings Writ to have a voice in the Election which will be agreeable to his Majesty's commands to me in support of their Election. Councill Chamber

Portsmouth 21st June 1750.

B. WENTWORTH.

[P. 185.] Mr. Sec' came into the House and by his Ex's Direc

« PreviousContinue »