And further, for the several prices of cattle and other creatures, that are rateable, mentioned in this Act. As all oxen, four years old and upwards, at per ox, All steers, three years old, and all cows three years old and upwards All two years old, All year old, £ s. d. 00 00 06 - 00 00 04 00 00 02 - 00 00 01 All sheep at one year old and upwards, by the score, 00 00 10 All swine at one year old and upwards, at 00 00 01 All horses and mares three years old and upwards, 00 00 06 00 00 02 - 00 00 01 All year old, Voted, Ordered, that upon the proclamation of these Acts, under the Seal, this Assembly shall be dissolved. Voted, Ordered, that a copy of these Acts be sent to each town, and the Recorder to have six shillings per copy from each town. A true copy, as attest, WESTON CLARKE, Recorder. Letter from Governor Carr to Governor Fletcher, of New York. Newport, July the 5th, 1695. Honored Sir: Your lines, bearing date from New York, June the 17th, 1695, was received by our Honored Governor the 28th of June, of aforesaid, and was by him communicated to the Generall Assembly of this his Majesties' Collony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, assembled upon adjournment, the 2d of July instant; and upon perusal of your letter, and thereupon causing their Majesties' letter to be read. And upon a serious perusall thereof, do find that according to the opinion of the Honorable Generall Attorney and Solicitor Generall, in their report, made to the Right Honorable the Lords of the Committee of Trade and Foreign Plantations, our Charter, granted by King Charles the Second, of blessed memory, being good in law, is ratified by her Majesty, with a gracious promise in answer to our address, manifesting their great care and tenderness for their preservation of all their loving subjects, as well in their rights and priviledges, as for the security of their persons and estates. And furthermore, they declaring their opinion, that their Majesties may constitute a Chief Commander, who may have authority at all times to command or order such proportion of the forces of each Collony or Plantation, as their Majestics shall think fit. And further, in time of danger and approach of the enemy, with the advice and assistance of the Governors of the Collonies, to conduct and command the rest of the forces for the preservation and defence of such of those Collonies as shall most stand in need thereof, not leaving the rest unprovided of a competent force for their defence and safety; which their Majesties accordingly in said Royall letter have graciously taken extraordinary care concerning the same. We also find in said Royall letter, that their Majesties have ordered, that by reason of an omission of some of the Collonies attending their Majesties' directions in answer to their Royall letter, bearing date from Whitehall, the 11th day of October, 1692, wherein we were required to be aiding and assisting to their Majesties' Governor of New York, for the defence and security of their said Province of New York, against the attempt of their enemies, and to agree upon a quota of men or other assistance to be given by each of their said Collonies or said Provinces, for the defence and security of their said Province of New York, and that nothing hath been done therein. But in our humble address, we declared our omission to be occasioned through impossibilities, because we received not her Majesty's Royall letter, nor your Excellency's letter, untill the very day appointed for our Commissioner to meet at New York. But upon that omission thereupon, her Majesty thought fit to require the severall quotas of men or other assistance to be furnished by their said Collonies or Provinces, respectively; and further declare that a quota or part of their militia of their Collony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, not exceeding forty-eight men, to be the measure of the assistance to be given by said Collony for the defence and security of their said Province of New York, and that we are required at all times upon application of their said Governor and Commander in Chief to respond thereunto. And forasmuch as your Excellency is pleased by virtue thereof, to demand and require the said quota of men, the necessity whereof we know not at this juncture of time; neither is it suitable to us to question the same. Nevertheless, we propose the severall quotas of men, or other assistance, to be sent for New York, accordingly, whether you will please to accept of some other reasonable assistance in computation of said forty-eight men. But nevertheless, in case your Excellency, notwithstanding, shall shall cause to require said forty-eight men, we in obedience to their Majesties' command, shall use our best endeavors to respond thereunto upon your further intimation thereof, according to the proportion of other of their Majesties" Collonies and Provinces. And so we take leave, being ready to serve you wherein you serve his Majesty.* CALEB CARR, Governor. Governor and Commander in To his Excelleucy, Benjamin Fletcher, Esq'r, Mr. Secretary Clarke to Governor Fletcher, of New York. Sir: Your lines last received, date not mentioned, were communicated to us of the Councill by our Honored Governor, wherein you are pleased not to accept of some other reasonable assistance in computation of forty-eight men, signifying the men are wanting for his Majesty's service. In part answer, we declare, that the Generall Assembly of this his Majesty's Colony, in order to respond to your commands by your former letter, appointed and commissionated men to run the lines of the eastern *New York Colonial Mss., Vol. XL. 39. boundaries of the Collony, that so according to her late Majesty's letter, the quota not exceeding forty-eight men, should be in readiness. But they were forcibly withstood by order from the Lieutenant Governor of the Province of the Massachusetts Bay. And instead thereof, writ to us to commissionate some to treat with them what our quota should be towards their assistance. All which considered, we must be left wholly unprovided to withstand his Majesty's enemies, and expose his Majesty's interest and his good subjects here to the fury of the enemy. We are in dayly expectation of our Agent, Capt'n Christopher Almy's return, by whom we do expect to receive further orders concerning [the] boundaries of our Patent. The Generall Assembly of this his Majesty's Collony, and by appointment of the Patent, to sit the last Wednesday in October next, where we shall communicate your lines last received, and from you may receive a further answer. And in the mean time take leave, and shall be ready to serve you where you serve his Majesty. * Signed by order of the Generall Councill, sitting in Newport, Rhode Island, the 4th day of September, 1695. WESTON CLARKE, Secretary. Proceedings of the Generall Assembly held for the Collony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, at Warwick, 30th of October, 1695. Major John Greene, Deputy Governor, chosen Moderator of the Assembly. The Recorder and Generall Sergeant being absent, Hugh Stone deputed the Generall Sergeant's Deputy, engaged. Joseph Jencks, chosen Clerk of the Assembly. Ordered, That the Charter be read to-morrow morning in the first place. And the Assembly is adjourned to eight of the clock in the morning, the 31st of October. October 31. The Court called. Voted, The Charter openly read in the Assembly. Capt'n Christopher Almy's letter ordered to be read, and was openly read in the Assembly. Voted, The remonstrance of the Governor, Mr. Caleb Carr, and the Deputy Governor and Magistrates read in Court, and [ordered] to be considered by the Deputies. Voted, Major John Greene, Joseph Jencks, Capt'n Benjamin Gorton, Mr. Jonathan Sprague, are appointed a Committee to draw up a letter in answer unto the Governor of [New] York. Voted, The Court adjourned unto eight of the clock in the morning. The Court called. November the 1st. The Committee having returned the draught of a letter in answer to the Governor of [New] York, his letter is referred to our Governor, having no date. Voted, Major John Greene is appointed to draw up said letter fair, and take care for the sending the same with what speed may be. Voted, The Court is adjourned unto eight of the clock in the morning. The Court called. November 2. Voted, Whereas, there hath been great inconveniency in towns by reason of certain numbers appointed to hold meetings, without which number the King's business hath been hindered; this Court taking the matter into consideration, do enact, that from henceforward, in all the towns in this Collony, when there is warrant for choosing of Deputies and jury men from the Governor or Deputy Governor, to serve in Courts, that in such cases, and only in such cases, it shall be lawfull for so many freemen as shall be there present, to be a lawfull meeting to do any such business as aforesaid, being lawfully warned thereunto; the hour being appointed at eight of the clock, and not such a number then present as by former towns' orders, it shall be then lawfull for so many as shall be present at twelve of the clock, to be a lawfull meeting for doing such business as concerns the King's business. Voted, Capt'n William Champlin, of the town of Westerly, is by this Assembly chosen and appointed Conservator of the Peace in said town, in the room of Mr. Tobias Sanders deceased. Voted, That whereas some difference doth appear betwixt the town of Kingstown and the town of Westerly, concerning bounds of jurisdiction, this Assembly do declare, that Ensign John Crandall, and Peter Wells, together with others there settled, some of them having formerly paid duties to Kingstown, that they are to be within the jurisdiction of Kingstown, untill further order. Voted, This Assembly being sensible of the want of a prison on the main land, do order, that there be a prison built in Providence, for securing delinquents; and the charge thereof to be borne by the town of Providence at present. Voted, Ordered, by this Assembly, upon the complaint of Daniell Willcocks. concerning the outrage committed by Samuell Gallops, Sheriff of Bristol county, at Little Compton, notwithstanding the appeal made to his Majesty, Major John Greene is ordered, in behalf of the Assembly, to write in their behalf to the Lieftenant Governor. It is further ordered, That whereas a writing was presented by John Warner, concerning lands in the Narragansett country, that no disposition of lands be, before that considered in the first place. Voted, Ordered by this Assembly, that Major John Greene, and Mr. Joseph Jencks, are appointed to make and proportion this present rate upon the inhabitants of Mashanticut, and this act not to be prejudicial for the future. Voted, Whereas complaint was made to this Assembly now sitting at Warwick, at the house of Mr. John Low, this 30th of October, 1695, by the Honored Governor, Deputy Governor, and the rest of the Assistants, as more fully is made to appear by their remonstrance, bearing date October 30, 1695, of the great necessity of raising money for a messenger, Capt'n Christopher Almy, who hath now sent for one hundred pounds of sterling money of England, as appears by his letter read in this Assembly, for the paying of fees and other necessary charges, we having taken it into consideration, and finding the privile |