foot can be sent under arms more than twenty-hours, or perform remote marches, unless they are paid & subsisted. I have not been wanting in my duty in a point so essential to the wellbeing of all Governments, to press the Assembly from time to time to make this salutary provision for the defence & safety of the frontiers, by placing requisite sums of money in the Treasury to be used only on Emergencys & unforeseen exigencys, but hitherto I have not succeeded therein, which makes a great defect in the administrations of Govern ment. In this season, I am now under a necessity of convening the members of the General Assembly at this unseasonable time and to call upon you for your advice and assistance, in what manner I shall afford protection to the exposed frontiers, both with respect to the number of troops and the method of paying and subsisting them. After you have deliberated on the important occasion of your Convention, and have agreed upon your advice, I hope you will think it proper to have it signed by the Secretary in behalf of his Majesty's Council & by the Speaker in behalf of the Assembly, engaging to perfect what is wanting, at the next meeting of the General Assembly, which will give weight to your advice. Portsmouth, 21st Augt 1754. B. WENTWORTH. Governor's Letter. [Copied from MS. Goy's Messages, p. 141.] Little Harbour, 21st Augt 1754. SIR-It was my intention to have been at the Convention this day, but upon the method I have put the business to be transacted at this Convention I shall have no part to bear in it, so shall only rely on the advice I receive & I think it will be safest to have it done in the manner I have mentioned in the enclosed message. One hundred men with pay & subsistance is the lest they can advise to, for two months if needfull. I have desir'd Mr. Livermore to call on you to whom you are to shew my message & if you & he agree on any alteration or addition for the public service you are to make it. I must see the Speaker on account of the Court before he goes out of Town. I am, Sir, your humble serv1. B. WENTWORTH. I have mentioned to Mr. Livermore the propriety of Councils sitting together on this occasion, as it will certainly shorten the work & possibly may be the cause of making better work. B. W. As you are to read my message to the Council & Assembly it will not be improper to remain together on this occasion. [Probably written to Secy Atkinson.] The House sent a message by Doct March to the Council to advise y that they were ready to confer with them. Upon which there was a Conference between the Council and the members of the House, after which the members adjourned till to morrow morning nine of the Clock.(a) (a) Jour. of C. Assm. Aug. 21 & 224 1754. A conference was held in the Assembly Chamber and the method of Proceeding Discoursed of, and agreed to meet again on the morrow. Accordingly the Council met again on Thursday the 224 Instant as Entered yesterday and proposed that a member of Each house wait upon his Excellency & confer with him about the premises, P. M. Thursday, Augt 22d 1754. The members met agreeable to adjournm Memo. John Macmurphy Esq. came to Town yesterday after the Convention broke up. [The following Paper was copied from MS. Papers in Secys office, labeled "Towns," Vol. VI. p. 195.] Province of At a special Convention of the members of the Gen' Assembly at Portsmouth on ye 22a day of Augt 1754 in Pursuance of an order from his Excellency the Governor to the Sheriff of sd Prov ince to summon the members to meet, as on file: Whereas his Excellency the Governor by his message of the twenty-first Instant takes notice of sundry Hostilitys committed on sundry of his Majestys subjects at a place called Stevens-Town within this Province by Indians (supposed to be of the St. Francis Indians) and that the Inhabitants on the Frontiers are much exposed and so put in fear that they stand in need of protection and helpTherefore it is agreed upon by the members of the House of Representatives that there be the number of sixty men enlisted or Impressed (and his Excellency is hereby desired to give orders for the enlists or Impress yt number) for the protection and defence of the Frontiers, not exceeding the space of two months, and that the allowance for their pay, subsistence and ammunition be the same as at the latter end of the last Indian war, and in order for a fund, therefor, it is further agreed that there be so much of the Bills of Credit of ye Interest of the Twenty five Thousand Pounds Loan in the hands of the Treasurer, borrowed as will be sufficient for the same; and that for the replacing the same in the Treasury it is further agreed, that there be a tax laid on the Polls and estates within this Province agreeable to the last proportion, to be paid by the 30th day of Decemb' 1755, and that there shall be a tax Bill for that end as soon as the Gen'. Assembly shall be in a condition to act in a legislative capacity. (a) Meshech Weare, Speaker. (a) Joun. Coun. Aug. 224. Mr. Macmurphy from the House bro't up to the board an agreement made by the members of Assembly, and acquainted the Board that ye members desired the Council would Peruse the same and if approved of to send it back to the members that the speaker might sign the same in behalf of the members-which was read and approved of & sent down & returned by Mr. Macmurphy again, signed by the Speaker, which being read again at the board was concurred, and the Secretary ordered to sign the same. Then the Convention broke up. The House having considered of the matters laid before them by his Excellency the Convention broke up. (1) NOTE. [A second special Convention was called and held at Portsmouth on the 6th day of September 1754.-ED.] [Copied from MS. Corr. Vol. II, p. 137.] Province of New Hamp'. At a Special Convention of the Gen' Assembly at Portsmouth in the Province of New Hampshire on Fryday ye 6th day of Sept 1754, in pursuance of an order from his Excellency to the Secretary, and from him to the Sheriff to Notify the members of Assembly to convene at Portsmouth at twelve o'clock this day upon extraordinary affairs as pr Certificate from the Secretary, as on file: Present The Honble Meshech Weare, Esq. John Page Esq'. Capt. Thos. Millet, Esq. Maj. Thos. Davis John Macmurphy Esq. Mr. Jno. Knight Thos. Bell, Esq. Rich Jennes Esq. Henry Sherburne, jun. Esq. (1) The three letters referred to in his Excellency's message have not been found; but the facts embraced in them are contained, probably, in Council Records, pp. 25-28 of this volume; (also see Journal of the House.) The reader is also referred to Belknap's History of N. H., (Farm. Ed.) Vol. I., p. 311. Message of the Governor. [Copied from MS. Gov's Messages, Vol. II. p. 145.] Gentlemen of the Council & Assembly At a Special Convention at It was advised, at the late Special Convention of the members of the General Assembly that provision should be made for Sixty men for the safety & protection of the Frontiers, & I was then hoping that provision would have answered all occasions, but the depredations & hostilitys committed by the Indians since on the Western frontiers of this Government on & near Connecticut river & in the western frontier of the Massachusetts Bay, as you will be fully informed by the Papers which the Secretary will deliver to you, together with the applications from diverse parts of the Government for succor & protection, which the Secretary likewise will lay before you, makes it necessary for me to convene you at this time, for your further advice & assistance, more especially as his Majesty's Council has advised to it, in a particular manner, as the only expedient to enable me to afford such assistance as the distress'd & exposed situation of the frontiers at present calls for. The hostile appearance of the Indians in so many of his Majesty's Governments, and in such numerous partys, is unusual even in time of war & the revenge they pretended to seek for the loss of two of the St. Francis tribe plainly show the artfull design of the French, and that these repeated hostilities did not arise from that supposed murther, but from the views the French have in setting Boundarys to all his Majesty's Governments & that the Indians are to be the Instruments to carry this design into execution unless they can be restrained. Upon these heads I have wrote pressingly to Governor Shirley setting forth the necessity of adviseing together in a matter of such importance to the crown-not doubting of your support & assistance, when I meet you in General Assembly to enable me to Execute effectually any measures that we shall agree upon to render the designs of the French abortive. B. WENTWORTH. Council Chamber in Portsmouth, Sept. 6th 1754. Saturday, Sept. 7th, 1754. Present, [as before, except Peter Gilman, Esq.] Whereas his Excellency the Governor by his message of the sixth Instant mentions the appearance of a great number of Indians in sundry places within this Government as well as in some of his Majesty's other Governmts in a hostile manner and that sundry Hostilitys and depredations have lately been committed by them in the western parts, and laid before the House sundry let ters from Diverse places relative thereto, and it appearing that there is a necessity of a further supply of men for the protection and Defence of the Frontiers, Therefore it is agreed upon by the members of this House of Representatives, that there be the number of Fifty men enlisted or Impressed (and his Excellency is hereby desired to give orders for the enlisting or Impressing that number for the Protection and Defence of the Frontiers if he shall judge it necessary) not exceeding the space of six weeks from this day and that the allowance for their Pay, subsistance and amunition be the same as at the latter end of the last Indian war; and for a fund for the Same It is further agreed that there be so much of the Interest of the Bills of Credit of ye Twenty-five Thousand Pounds Loan in the hands of the Treasurer borrowed, as will be sufficient therefor, and that for the Replacing the same in the Treasury, it is further agreed, That there be a Tax layd on the Polls and Estates within this Province agreeably to the last proportion to be paid by the thirtyeth day of Decemb' 1756, and that there shall be a Tax Bill for that end as soon as the General Assembly shall be in a condition to act in a Legislative capacity. Meshech Weare, Speaker. Province of New Hampshire In Council September 7th 1754 The foregoing agreement of the members of Assembly being read in Council was agreed to & ordered that the Sec sign the same in their behalf. Theodore Atkinson, Sec. The House having consider'd the matter laid before them by his Excellency, the Convention broke up. NOTE. [The extent of Indian hostilities about this time will appear from the following Documents & letters.-ED.] Indian Troubles at Stevens-Town and Vicinity. [Copied from MS. Vol. in Sec's office, labeled "Province and Revolutionary Papers," pp. 15-19.] James Lindsey of Canterbury in the Province of New Hampshire of Lawful age Testifies & says-That in May 1752 Sabbattis & Cristo two Canada Indians came to Canterbury aforesaid and after about eight Days Tarry went off That the same evening after his Negro man Tom (of the value of six hundred Pounds old Tenor at the least) was captivated with a negro man belonging to Josiah Miles of Canterbury named Peer That about three Days after Peer made his escape and Return'd, who said That Sabbattis & Cristo took them-The Depont afterwards was Informed That Sabbattis had sold the said Tom at Crown Point to the French-That some time in May 1753 said Sabbattis came to Canterbury aforesaid and after the Depout had some conversation with him about his Robbing him of his negro, |