I shall conclude by again assuring you yt I myself have nothing so much in view nor any thing more at heart, than to see you a flourishing and prosperous people. Adjourned to 9 o'clock tomorrow, A. M. SAML. SHUTE. Pro: N. Hamp'. At a General Assembly held at Portsmo by adjournm', May ye 14th, 1717. Present, in Councill, His Excellency, Sam' Shute, Esq., Gov', His Hon' George Vaughan, Esq., Lt. GovTM, Rich Gerrish, Sam' Penhallow, Esq., laid a letter before this board wch he had received from Mr. Newman, bearing date Feb. 23, 1716-7, for the encouragem of raising Naval stores in this Goverm', weh being read, the same was sent down to the house of representatives by Sam' Penhallow and Mark Hunking, Esqs., to be recommended to their consideration. Adjorn to 3 o'clock, P. M. [P. 59.] Pro: N. IIamp'. Mett again according to adjourn. Present, as before. Capt. Matthews, of ye Parish of Oyster river, in Dover, p'ferred a petition to this board abt nuling [annulling?] a vote of the Gen Assembly relating to that Parish, weh Petition was read. Adjorned to tomorrow, 10 o'clock, A. M. Pro: N. Hamp'. At a Gen' Assembly held at Portsm by adjornm', May 15th, 1717. Present in Councill, His Excellency Sam. Shute, Esq., Gov', Elisha Cook, of Boston,* Esq., appeared at this board and prayed that (whereas himself was a creditor to ye estate of Sr. Charles Hobby, deceased, and had made application in Jan last to have letters of administration wch was suspended for a time) that he might now have administration on sd estate: whereupon ye clerk was sent down to ye house of representatives with a vote for suspending that affair two months longer; also, wth a vote for a committee to supervise ye laws of this Prov: not yet printed in order to their being so. Benja Gambling, Esq., having received a commission for sheriff, and Mr. Rich Waldron, jun., for Clerk of ye Councill, they both took the oaths instead of the oaths of allegiance & supremacy, and the abjuration oath, and the sheriff the office oath. Mr. Rich Gerrish, jun', was this day in Councill appointed Clerk of the Inferiour Court of Common Pleas. The Petition that was yesterday p'ferred by Capt. Matthews being read a second time, it was in Councill voted, That Capt. Nath Hill and Capt. Stephen Jones be notifyed of sa petition; also, to give their attendance at ye Councill board on Fryday next, to shew cause why the pray in said Petition may not be granted. The Clerk of the Councill was sent down to the representatives wth a vote for notifying Capt. Hill & Capt. Jones to attend at y Councill board on Fryday next, 10 o'clock, &c., also a vote for a Committee of Auditt. [P. 60.] Mr. Dam brought up the following votes of concurrence to this board. In Councill. Whereas Mess Oliver Noyes and Elisha Cook, of Boston, did in Jany last make application to ye Judge of Probate for letters of administration on ye estate of Charles Hobby, deceased, as they were creditors to said estate; and whereas the s Judge of Pro Elisha Cooke, of Boston, was an open opposer of Gov. Shute through the whole of his administration. He was a man of ability, of plausible manners, and of much influence in Mass.-See Hutchinson, Vol. II, pp. 200, 211, 273, 288. Bost. 1795. bate did suspend ye granting any letters of administration for that time, it was confirmed by the Gov' and Councill, ye Supream Probate of this Province, wth ye advice of the house of representatives; and whereas ye aforesd Mr. Elisha Cook has again made application as above:— Voted, That the s affair be suspended for two months longTM. Voted, That a Committee be appointed to collect & revise the Laws of this Province, that those Wanting may be supplyed, and all printed as soon as possible. May 15, 1717. Rich Waldron, Cler. Con. May 15th, 1717. Read and concurred wth pr. the house of representatives. Joseph Smith, Cler. The Clerk of ye Councill was sent down to the house of Representatives with a vote appointing who the Committee to supervise the laws, &c., are. Mr. Geo. Peirce p'ferred a Petition to this board agst Capt. John Pickerin & Mr. Wm. Cotton: Whereupon it was in Councill ordered, That ye clerk summon ye sd Cotton and Pickerin to appear at ye Councill board on Fryday next, at 10 o'clock forenoon. Rich Gerrish, Esq., was sent down to the house of Representatives to desire ye speedy dispatch of affairs; who answered by him yy [they] would proceed as fast as possible. Adjorned to to-morrow, 10 o'clock, A. M. [P. 61.] One of the members of the House of representatives brought up ye following vote to this board, concurred with: In Councill. The Petition p'ferred yesterday by Capt. Fran3 Matthews, being read a second time at ye Councill board, it was In Councill Voted, That Capt. Nath' Hill and Capt. Stephen Jones and others, be notifyed of sd Petition; also to give y' attendance at yo Councill board on Fryday next, at 10 o'clock A. M., to show cause why ye prayer in said Petition may not be granted. May 15, 1717. Rich Waldron, Cler. Con. Joseph Smith, Cler. of ye representatives. Capt. Odiorne brought up a vote to this board from ye house of representatives about a committee of auditt, wch was sent back by Theo. Atkinson, Esq., for amendmt. Also, ye vote of Councill abt a committee to supervise ye Laws-not concurred wth. The Clerk was sent down to ye house of representatives wth another vote of Councill abt a committee to supervise ye Laws, &c. Adjorned to 3 o'clock, P. M. Pro: N. Hamp: Mett again according to adjornm*. Present as before. Thoms Peirce p'ferred a Petition* to this board signed by sundry ye inhabitants of Portsmo, concerning the divisions in s town, directed to the Gen' Assembly; wch Petition being twice read at ye councill board, was ordered to be sent down to ye house of Representatives, & accordingly was, pr. ye clerk. Adjourned to to-morrow, 9 o'clock, A. M. [Copy of sd. Petition as on file.] To his Excellency Saml. Shute, Governor & Commander-in-chief in and over his Majestie's Province of New Hampshire, and to ye Hon'ble the Councill and representatives convened in Genl. Assembly: The humble Petition of severall of the Inhabitants of ye town of Portsmouth in behalf of themselves & others; most humbly sheweth: That, whereas upon ye removal of the Revd. Mr. Rogers unto ye new Meetinghouse, we, being disposed for one year and no longer to support a minister at the old, untill matters of ye town were amicably accommodate, did inadvertently sign unto a certain instrument without reading or considering ye contents thereof; and being since informed that ye import of ye sd, instrument was without any limitation of time whereby we and our successors are greatly insnared to our unspeakable hurt and prejudice: Doe humbly pray that ye said instrument may be produced, whereby the false insinuations of those that insnared us may be detected, and that we may be released therefrom: and yor Petitioners shall ever pray. [Endorsed" Petition p'ferred by Mr. Geo. Peirce, May 15th, 1717.") [P. 62.] Mr. John Tuck brought up three votes to this board: ye first abt ye committee to supervise ye Laws; ye 2d is abt ye Gent" y' took ye 1500£ out of ye treasury; & ye last abt continuing ye excise, weh last was sent back for amendment: ye two former are as follows: In Councill. Voted, That ye committee appointed to supervise ye Laws, &c., be Sam Penhallow & Theo. Atkinson, Esqs., from this house; and ye sheriff and clerk attend on s committee. Rich. Waldron, Cler. Con. May 16, 1717. Voted, That Lt. Colonel Smith, Col. Packer & Capt. James Davis, be a committee to joyn ye upper house for ye ends aboves. Josh Peirce, Clerk, pro temp. Whereas most of ye Gent" who took mony upon interest of ye Province in Oct 1714, as appear by their several bonds executed, wch bonds terminated in Octob 1716 past, and ye several Gent" as above, through the scarcity of mony being unprovided to comply with ye several obligations, desiring long time: Voted, That the several Gent" have ye liberty of paying in their several sums to ye house of Representatives at any time between this and Oct wch will be in ye year 1718, provided they give new bonds payable wth interest after ye rate of six pounds pr annum, to the Speaker of this house for ye time being, and yt yy pay in ye same in bills of creditt of this Prov: already emitted, & yt ye new bonds commence from ye 27th 8br, 1716. Ordered, that this vote be sent up by Mr. Tuck for concurrence Josh Peirce, Cler. pro tem. In Councill. Voted a concurrence, wth ye above vote. May 17, 1717. Rich Waldron, Cler. Con. Capt. Langdon and others of Portsm° appeared at this board, as also Capt. Pickerin & Mr. Cotton; ye two latter desired a copy of |