66

66

66

66

"for the Residence of Your Majesty's Governor and "the meetings of the Legislature of which the Governor says there is a shameful want in that prov"ince-That such an Appropriation of the Interest of the Loan is certainly no more than what they owe "to the Dignity of their own Government, and Your "Majesty's just expectations; And they Trust that if "Your Majesty shall be graciously pleased to direct Your Governor to make a Requisition to the Effect "of what is above suggested the Legislature of New Jersey will not make such an ill return to Your Maj"esty's Grace and Favor in the Confirmation of the "Law, as not to comply with it-An Act for lower"ing the Interest of Money to six per Cent within this Colony'-That Mr Jackson One of Your Majesty's "Counsel at Law, whom the said Lords Commission"ers have consulted upon this Act, observes, that it is "either useless or mischievous, for, if Money abounds "sufficiently in the province to induce possessors of it "to lend at Six per Cent, it will be lent at that rate, "in case it does not, the only Effect of the Law will "be a prohibition on the lending at all, to the manifest "injury of the Trade of the Colony and the Improve"ment of its Lands; In this Objection they agree "with M Jackson, and are moreover of Opinion that "this Confirmation of the Act for issuing paper Bills "of Credit, which are to be Lent out on Land Security "at five per Cent, renders this Law at least unnecessary, if not Improper, and they therefore lay it be"fore Your Majesty for Your Majesty's Disallowance. - An Act for the relief of Abner Hatfield an Insolv"ent Debtor'-That this Act which has been very "properly passed with a Clause suspending its Execu"tion until Your Majesty's pleasure can be known, "appears upon Examination not to be liable to any Ob"jection and therefore lay it before Your Majesty for "Your Majesty's Royal Confirmation'—The Lords of

66

66

"the Committee in obedience to Your Majesty's said "Order of Reference, this Day took the said Represen"tation and Acts into Consideration, and concurring "in opinion with the Lords Commissioners for Trade "and plantations, do agree humbly to Report to your "Majesty that the Act for Striking £100,000 in Bills of Credit is proper for your Majesty's Royal Confirmation, and that if your Majesty shall be graciously "pleased to confirm the same, it may be adviseable "that the Right Honourable the Earl of Dartmouth "One of Your Majesty's principal Secretaries of State "should give Directions to the Governor of New Jersey "to require of the Legislature of that province to make a Settlement during the Existence of the Loan upon "the Civil Officers of Government of Salaries more

66

suitable to their several Stations than what they now "receive, and to appropriate a Specific portion of the "Interest Money to the purpose of Building Houses "for the residence of Your Majesty's Governor and "for the Meetings of the Legislature.-As to the Act "for lowering the Interest of Money to six per Cent "within the Colony of New Jersey, the Lords of the "Committee are of Opinion that the same ought to be "Disallowed; And as to the Act for the Relief of "Abner Hatfield an Insolvent Debtor, their Lordships "do agree humbly to Report that the same is proper "for Your Majesty's Royal Confirmation."

His Majesty having taken the said Report into Consideration, was pleased with the Advice of His Privy Council to Approve of what was therein proposed. And doth hereby Order that the Right Honourable the Earl of Dartmouth One of His Majesty's principal Secretaries of State do give Directions to the Governor of New Jersey to make a requisition accordingly to the Legislature of that province.

G. CHETWYND

Circular Letter from the Earl of Dartmouth, enclosing papers and expressing hopes of a restoration of the public tranquility.

[From P. R. O. America and West Indies, Vol. 261 (279).]

WHITEHALL 22d Feb 1775

Circular to the Governors of New York. New Jersey New Hampshire. Deputy Governor of Pennsylvania.

Inclosed I send you, by The King's Command, a joint Address' of both Houses of Parliament to His Majesty upon a Consideration of the Papers which had been communicated to them relative to the state of the American Colonies; together with His Majesty's most gracious Answer to the said Address.

I likewise send you a printed Copy of a Bill brought into the House of Commons for restraining the Trade and Fisheries of the Four New England Governments for a limited time; together with a Copy of a Resolu

1 The joint address was presented to His Majesty on Thursday, February 9, 1775, as follows: "Most Gracious Sovereign: We, your Majesty's most dutiful and loyal subjects, the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in Parliament assembled, return Your Majesty our most humble thanks for having been graciously pleased to communicate to us the several papers relating to the present state of the British Colonies in America, which, by Your Majesty's commands, have been laid before us: We have taken them into our most serious consideration; and we find, that a part of Your Majesty's subjects, in the province of Massachusett's-Bay, have proceeded so far as to resist the authority of the supreme legislature; that rebellion at this time actually exists within the said province; and we see, with the utmost concern, that they have been countenanced and encouraged by unlawful combinations and engagements, entered into by Your Majesty's subjects in several of the other colonies, to the injury and oppression of many of their innocent fellow-subjects, resident within the kingdom of Great-Britain, and the rest of Your Majesty's dominions: This conduct, on their part, appears to us the more inexcusable, when we consider with how much temper Your Majesty, and the two Houses of Parliament, have acted in support of the laws and constitution of Great Britain. We can never so far desert the trust reposed in us, as to relinquish any part of the sovereign authority over all Your Majesty's dominions, which, by the law, is vested in Your Majesty and the two Houses of Parliament; and the conduct of many persons, in several of the colonies, during the late disturbances, is alone

tion declaratory of the sense of Parliament upon the subject of Taxation, which Resolution was moved in the Committee on Monday last, and carried by a majority of 274 to 88.

As these two Measures are as yet in the first stages only of Consideration, and as the Bill may possibly admit, in its farther progress, of some alteration, I shall only say upon them, that I flatter myself that the firm determination of Parliament to preserve the Colonies in a due dependance upon this Kingdom, tempered with the Justice and moderation expressed in the last Resolution of the Committee, will have the effect to produce such a conduct on the part of the Colonies as shall lead to a Restoration of the Public Tranquility. I am &c

DARTMOUTH.

sufficient to convince us how necessary this power is for the protection of the lives and fortunes of Your Majesty's subjects.

"We ever have been, and always shall be, ready to pay attention and regard to any real grievances of any of Your Majesty's subjects, which shall, in a dutiful and constitutional manner, be laid before us; and, whenever any of the colonies shall make a proper application to us, we shall be ready to afford them every just and reasonable indulgence: At the same time, we consider it as our indispensable duty humbly to beseech Your Majesty, that you will take the most effectual measures to enforce due obedience to the laws and authority of the supreme legislature; and we beg leave, in the most solemn manner, to assure Your Majesty, that it is our fixed resolution, at the hazard of our lives and properties, to stand by Your Majesty against all rebellious attempts in the maintenance of the just rights of Your Majesty and the two Houses of Parliament."

To which the King replied: "I thank you for this very dutiful and loyal address, and for the affectionate and solemn assurances you give me of your support in maintaining the just rights of my crown, and of the two Houses of Parliament; and you may depend on my taking the most speedy and effectual measures for inforcing due obedience to the laws, and the authority of the supreme legislature. Whenever any of my colonies shall make a proper and dutiful application, I shall be ready to conclude with you, in affording them every just and reasonable indulgence; and it is my ardent wish, that this disposition may have a happy effect on the temper and conduct of my subjects in America."-Dodsley's Annual Register, for 1775, 247-8.

Circular Letter from the Earl of Dartmouth to the Governors in America, enclosing a resolution adopted by Parliament and approved by the King.

[From P. R. O. America and West Indies, Vol. 279.]

WHITEHALL March 3o 1775

CIRCULAR (PRIVATE.)

To Gov's of New Hampshire Massachusets Bay New York. New Jersey. Virginia N° Carolina South Carolina Nova Scotia Georgia Dep' Gov! of Maryland Pennsylvania.

My separate dispatch of this day's date, inclosing a Resolution of the House of Commons may be ostensibly of use in case the General Assembly should think fit to take up the Consideration of that Resolution, but it is fit I should observe to you that it is not His Majesty's Intention, for very obvious reasons, that you should officially communicate it to them. At the same time as I think it cannot fail to be an object of Discussion in the Assembly, I must add that the King considers that the good effect of it will, in a great measure, depend upon your Ability and Address in a proper Explanation of it to those whose Situation and Connections may enable them to give Facility to the Measures it points to; and His Majesty has no doubt that you will exert every endeavour to induce such a Compliance, on the part of the Assembly, as may correspond with His Majesty's Ideas of their Justice, and His earnest Wishes to see a happy Restoration of the public Tranquility.

I am &ca

DARTMOUTH,