43 Voted, That the above-written Prohibition shall be signed by the Recorder, on behalfe of this Assembly, with the seale of the Collony affixed. Voted, That the duplicate of the Charter is committed to the keeping of the present Deputy Governor, untill called for by the Assembly. Voted, That the Committee yesterday appointed to draw up our thankfull returnes to his Majesty, &c.; and they not haveing finished that worke to them committed, are still continued, and the Honored Governor, the Deputy Governor, and John Sanford are added to them for the performance of that worke, and make returne to this Assembly for their approbation. Letter to King Charles the Second. Dread Soveraigne : In true loyalty, we most humbly render your Royall Majesty an account of our receiving your gracious letter to us (by the hands of your faithfull subjects Capt'n Randall Howldon and Capt'n John Greene), bearing date at your Court at Whitehall, the 12th of February, 1678-9; and alsoe your Majesty's letters, to your Colonys Massachusetts, Plymouth and Connecticut: which wee have taken speciall care to deliver to the severall governments, according to your Royall directions. And as to your Royall commands to us, wee doe with all cheerfulness and alacrity yield obedience, and to the utmost of our abillity and power shall (soe farr as God shall enable us) readily and faithfully bee obedient to your Royall commands formerly and now; and alsoe to such as your Majesty in your wisdom and justice shall please for the future to lay upon us for the maintaining and upholding your Majesty's honour and interest, and the good and weale of your Majesty's loyall subjects, in these remote parts of your dominions, in this your Majesty's Collony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, in New England, in America. And concerning the late war with the Indians, wee render your Majesty this account. It began in June, 1675, and first ་་ broke forth between Sachim Phillip and the Collony of New Plymouth, and was prosecuted by the three United Collonys (as they tearm themselves), and afterwards severall other Nations of the Indians were concerned in the said war, whereby many or most of your Majesty's subjects in these parts were greatly distressed and ruined. Butt this your Majesty's Collony not being concerned in the said war, only as necessity required, for the defense of their lives, and what they could of their estates, and as countrymen and fellow subjects, did with our boats and provisions, assist and relieve our neighbours; wee being no otherwise concerned, cannot at present render your Majesty a full and ample account of those affaires; only this wee are bold to informe your Majesty, that Sachim Phillip, the beginner of the warr, was slaine (in Mount Hope neck, where the warr began) by an Indian belonging to this your Majesty's Collony. He was one of a small company under the command of a Captaine of Rhode Island, in this your Majesty's Collony, who was then in that engagement, with a Captaine of Plymouth forces as volunteers. And most gracious Soveraigne, wee humbly beg your par don for our remissness in not giveinge your Majesty an account sooner (soe far as wee were able) of those wars and troubles, in hopes for the future wee shall bee more carefull and observant. And concerning that tract of land called Mount-hope, that belonged to Sachim Phillip and his adhereants, and were conquered by your Majesty's subjects of New England, in the late Indian war; the contents thereof is about seven thousand acres, a plat thereof we have caused to be taken, and herewith present to your Royall Majesty; the soil for the more part, is fertill, the vallue is esteemed to be three thousand pounds sterling, as now it is being uncultivated; the scittuation whereof being on the east side of the Narragansett Bay. And wee humbly conceive by your Majesty's gracious Charter to us granted (the easterly bounds whereof extends itselfe to the eastward of the said Bay three English miles), within which limmitts the said lands called Mount-hope Neck or the greater part thereof, is scittuated. But it was by your Majesty's honorable Commissioners, when in these parts of your Majesty's territorys, settled to be under the government of New Plymouth, untill your Majesty's pleasure were further knowne. And most dread Soveraign, wee in all humble manner implore and beg your Excellent Majesty in your gracious clemency and wisdom, to take the present condition of your poore subjects of this your Majesty's Collony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations and King's Province, that those lands being within the limmitts of your gracious Charter to us, alsoe settled upon us by your Majesty's Honourable Commissioners, and now confirmed by your Royall Letters, as is above expressed; notwithstanding the United or Confederate Collonys (as they tearme themselves) have endeavored to insult over your loyall people, and have forbidden us the exercise of your Royall pleasure, as to the government thereof. And alsoe have as we are informed, consulted to dispose of the said Province lands, as their conquest. Though wee know such lands are only to be disposed at your Royall pleasure, which was the natives, unpurchased by the inhabitants of this your Majesty's Collony. That your Majesty will please in your benigne favour and bounty, to give and grant to us, the priviledges and libertys of the free and cleere enjoyment of the possession of all those lands, by your Majesty's subjects of this Collony, formerly leagally purchased by them of the native Indians. That thereby your Majesty's subjects, may be the better enabled to yield all due allegience and obedience unto your Majesty's authority in this your Collony; not doubting your Majesty in your Princely clemency will be pleased to encourage the settlement and increase of this your Majesty's Collony, and bee graciously pleased to understand that many of the youth and others of this your Majesty's Collony have been constrained for want of lands, to remove themselves and estates into other Collonys, to the great weakening and impoverishing of this your Majesty's Collony: the youth of this Collony being indisposed to live under any other government, being naturally inclined to true loyallty, as was and is their predecessors, who ever had a loathing to any usurped power, repugnant to your Royall pleasure and authority. And therefore humbly beseech your Majesty that such of this your Collony, that want settlements, may be supplyed out of those vacant lands, unsettled in your said Province, before any others. And that it may be enjoyed upon the same tearmes as is expressed in your gracious Charter to us. And dread Sovereigne, wee in all humble and bounden duty, prostrate our reall, true, hearty and thankfull acknowledgements unto your sacred Majesty, for all your former and present Royall favours and bountys to us your poore subjects of this your Collony, soe often and soe graciously extended, which wee hope will still bee continued; and alsoe our humble thankfull returnes unto your Majesty for those your gracious favours on our behalfe, afforded to our honoured neighbours and friends, Capt'n Randall Howldon and Capt'n John Greene. And wee returne our hearty praises to God Almighty, for your Majesty's wonderfull preservation and deliverance from that late hellish conspiracy against the life of your sacred Majesty, and the subvertion of the Christian religion in your kingdoms; with our hearty prayers to God to grant your Majesty a long, happy and prosperous reigne. Wee humbly prostrate our selves and lives to your Majesty's feet, and in bounden duty remaine your Majesty's most loyall faithfull subjects, and humble servants. Signed in the name and by order of the Generall Assembly of your Royall Majesty's Collony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. JOHN CRANSTON, Governor. Rhode Island, the 1st of August, 1679. To our dread Sovereigne, Charles the 2d, King of England, Voted, That the Governor, the Deputy Governor and the Assistants on the Island, are desired and empowered to draw up letters unto those honored gentlemen in England, viz.: Sir Robert Southwell, William Blathwaite, Esq., Secretarys to his Majesty, and to Mr. Robert Mason, by way of thankfull returnes to them for their noble respects to this Collony; and our honored friends Capt'n Randall Houldon, and Capt'n John Greene. And the Governor to signe the same in the name and on behalfe of this Assembly. And the Governor is desired to order and appoint the time for that worke, when if all appeare not, soe many as appear, are empowered to finish the same. Voted, That a petition presented to this Assembly by Capt'n Randall Houldon and Capt'n John Greene, for the sum of forty-five pounds by them disbursed in England on the Collony's account; and fifteene pounds, their passages out of England. This Assembly doe owne their demand, and order the said money, being sixty pounds sterling, shall be truly paid and borne by the Collony. Voted, And that for the payment of the aforesaid sum of sixty pounds, it shall be paid as followeth: the towne of Newport to pay the sum of eighteen pounds; the towne of Portsmouth eleven pounds; the towne of Providence four pounds; the towne of Warwick four pounds; the towne of Westerly four pounds; New Shoreham four pounds; Kings Towne six pounds; Greenwich three pounds; Jamestowne six pounds. And it is ordered, That the said sums in each the respective townes to be assessed on the freemen and inhabitants of each towne, and be paid in by the severall townes unto the Generall Treasurer in money, or pay equivalent to money; and each towne is to bee at the charge according to proportion for that by law allowed to the Generall Treasurer for his sallery, over and above this assessment aforesaid. And the said sums are to be levied in each towne on or before the last day of August next, and brought in and delivered to the Generall Treasurer on or before the last day of September next, which shall forthwith upon receipt thereof, or any part thereof, be paid by the Generall Treasurer, as is after expressed. And upon neglect |