Collony; and care be taken by the persons empowered for the same, to order the proportioning said rates and gathering ac cording to the laws of said Collony, made and provided for the

same.

And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That for the managing and taking care of repairing said Fort, Capt. Nath'll Sheffield shall be the person to see it done; and for his service shall be paid out of the Generall Treasury the sum of four shillings for each day's service whilst about said work. And the said Sheffield shall take his advice and follow the directions of his Honor the Governor, Major Henry Tew, Major Nathaniell Coddington, and Major William Wanton, or such of them, as with the Governor shall order and direct how said work on said Fort shall be done.

And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That the laws of the Collony shall be drawn forth fit for the press. And that a Committee be chosen and appointed for the same. And the said Committee so chosen shall, when the laws are by said Committee renewed and allowed for the press, cause them to be printed at or by the last of October next ensuing; and retain one of said books to the Governor, for the use of the Collony; and each Town Clerk of each town, to have one for the use of each town. And the persons that cause such laws to be printed, shall have five pounds paid them out of the Generall Treasury of the Collony, and the benefit of selling all such laws so printed. And the persons that have taken pains to draw such laws fit for the press, shall be paid out of the Generall Treasury.

And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, The line between Kingstown and Greenwich, which was ordered by the Generall Assembly, held at Warwick, the last Wednesday in October, 1705, last past, reference may be had thereunto, according to said Act, the Committee that is chosen by Kingstown and Greenwich, to see said line run between said towns, shall give notice to Major William Hopkins, and Mr. Jno. Mumford, setting the day and time to meet on the accomplishing the same, which said line shall be run at or by the 1st of

June next ensuing, according to said Act made at Warwick, the charge is to be borne.

And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That the inhabitants of each respective town in this Collony, are hereby required to bring in a true account of their rateable estate, according to the laws of the Collony; showing what estate is rateable. All which estate shall be brought into the Town Councill of each town, at or by the 1st of September next ensuing. And any person or persons that in any town shall be found guilty of not giving a true account of his or her ratcable estate, according to what is herein enacted; and if so, proceed against him or her, then upon complaint to any Assistant or Justice of the Peace, where and in such town where the delinquent person or persons dwell, a warrant shall go forth from the said Assistants or Justices of the Peace, for the serving the same, which after charges paid out of said estate so seized, the informer shall have one half, and what remaining. And the other shall be put into the Town Treasury of said town where so seized, for the use of the poor of said town. And the accounts so taken by the Town Councill of each town, sent in to the next Generall Assembly, at Providence, that there may be an equall proportion assessed on each town upon any rate or

rates.

And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That relating [to] what were ordered from her Majesty in Councill, concerning the petition presented by Andrew Harris and others, of Providence, there are men appointed to examine here and draw up an account of what they find in reference for a return, according to her Majesty's command; which persons so nominated, for Newport, Mr. Weston Clarke; for Warwick, Mr. Benjamin Barton; which said persons are to meet at Newport the second Tuesday in June next.

Also to examine the con-'

* The Governor and Council of Rhode Island to the Board of Trade, in reply to Andrew Harris' petition.

Right Honorable: In obedience to her Majesty's Royall command, bearing date from St. James's the 18th December, 1705, relating to the petition and complaint

cerns relating to Thomas Newton's complaint [about] Hogg Island, and after they have searched the Records and drawn

of one Andrew Harris, Thomas Field and Nathaniell Waterman, of Pawtuxet, in New England, &c.

We have sent our answer to said complaint, with the copies of what we find upon record relating to the same, to our Agent, William Wharton, Esq'r, by him to be communicated to your Lordships, by which we doubt not but your Lordships will be made sensible that the government had done their duty according to the command they received; and the petitioners had no cause of complaint against the gov ernment. We therefore pray a favorable report from your Lordships to our gracious Majesty the Queen, and her most noble and learned Councill, relating to the same. And that you will be pleased to admit our said Agent, to make such further answer and plea, in behalf of the Collony and government, as he shall or may see occasion, according to his instructions. Also praying your Lordships' further favor in all cases, that may relate to this government; and that you will extend your charity towards us so far as to believe we are her Majesty's loyall and faithfull subjects; and that we are not so contemptible and remiss as our adversaries have endeavored to render us, and we fear doth still endeavor to do. But we doubt not but God Almighty in his good time, will discover their unjust and prejudiciall designs against us.

And as we are in duty bound (as well as to prevent the designs of our adversaries in their misrepresentations), shall presume to advise your Lordships of the state and affairs of the government this present summer, which through the mercy and blessing of God hath been hitherto preserved from the assaults of the common enemy; although we have not been without fear and apprehension of danger, especially from the French fleet and forces that sacked and plundered the Islands of St. Xophers and Nevis; the Generall and Admirall of said fleet giving out threatenings against these parts, so that we have been and are still upon our watch and guard, and have cast up and raised severall breast-works and batteries about the town of Newport (the metropolis of this her Majesty's Collony), in order to prevent the enemy from landing near said town, we having the greater advantage, if they should land at a distance, and annoy them and defend ourselves.

We have been also this summer as well as the last, obliged to maintain a quota of men at Block Island, for the defence of said Island, and security of her Majesty's interest there, besides the continuall wards and watches kept upon the sea coast of this Collony, and the Island scouts is no small charge to the same. And our often fitting and sending out vessells upon the discovery, and to secure the coast according to our strength and abilities, hath done good service for the adjacent Provinces and Collonies, as well as for this her Majesty's Collony. And the readiness and willingness of our people, upon any expedition for her Majesty's service cannot but be acknowledged by the greatest of our adversaries.

We shall only instance to your Lordships one which happened about two months since, viz.: an express being sent to the Governor, that a French Privateer had taken a trading sloop laden with provisions, upon the coast (the evening before the express came) the Governor upon the receipt of said news, immediately caused proclamation to be made for volunteers (as our custom is in such cases) to go against her Majesty's enemies; and in two hours' time had two sloops (which he had taken

up what they find on each concerns, to return the same to the Honorable the Governor and Councill of said Collony, and the charges to be paid by the Collony aforesaid, attendance.

person's

up for said service) fitted and manned with one hundred and twenty men, who, within three hours after, upon the coast of Block Island, made themselves masters of said French Privateer, and the prize she had taken, and brought them into this port.

The Privateer was from Patiet Guavers, a sloop manned with forty men, the which expedition gave a generall satisfaction to the whole country, by reason of the suddenness thereof; and that said Privateer was going off with his prize to Port Royall, where they were in great want of provisions.

May it please your Lordships: We do not boast or vallue ourselves upon what we have done (acknowledging it our duty at all times to serve her Majesty to the utmost of our strength and abilities), but that her Majesty and your Lordships may be rightly informed of our state, and to prevent false reports; therefore do we presume to give your Lordships the trouble of the aforesaid account.

We also presume further to inform your Lordships, that this Collony hath been and is at considerable charge, in maintaining and keeping of prisoners that hath been taken and brought into the same. The charge of keeping the late prisoners, has already stood the Collony in near one hundred pounds, all which we presume to lay before your Lordships for the reasons aforesaid; and that her Majesty and your Lordships may know that our adversaries hath aspersed us with gross and false representations.

We congratulate her Majesty in her great and glorious enterprizes and success of her victorious arms (in conjunction with her allies) against the common enemy, and supplicate his Divine Majesty, the King of kings, that he will still continue his protecting arm, and make her arms still more victorious; and that her fame and renown for the honor and glory of the nations may extend to the utmost corners of the earth. We also pray for her Majesty's health, and that it will please God to grant her a long and glorious reign over us, and that when it shall please the Almighty to call her from her earthly crown, that he will crown her with a crown of righteousness and everlasting glory: We also pray for your Lordships' health and prosperity, and that it may please God to add to your great wisdoms and understandings, so as you may discern between the just and unjust, and between the faithfull and unfaithfull.*

We subscribe her Majesty's loyall and faithfull (though poor and despised) subjects, and your Lordships' humble and obedient servants, the Governor and Company of her Majesty's Collony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, in New England.

Newport, September the 14th, 1706.

Signed per order,

WESTON CLARKE, Secretary.

VOL. III.

* J. Carter Brown's Manuscripts, No. 437, Vol. VI.

59

The rate assessed by the Collony on the severall towns, to be paid according to said Acts, is as followeth :

Voted, and be it enacted further by this Assembly and the authority thereof, That on all appeals by any person in said Collony to England, to her Majesty in Councill, bond for the prosecuting all said appeals shall be given to the Governor and Councill, to prosecute said appeals according to the time given and agreed on by the Governor and Councill, for all persons that shall have appeal allowed them; and the appelee shall be cited to appear in England before her Majesty and Councill

to answer.

A

Voted, and be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That each town in this Collony is required before the gath ering the next rate, which is to be gathered throughout the severall towns of the said Collony, to state the severall Constables' precincts in each town, for the gathering the rates and taxes, that copies of the same be returned to the Generall Treasurer, with the names of the Constables annually chosen. And that the rate makers make a particular list of the inhabitants within each Constable's precincts, and return the same to the Town Clerk, according to law; and the Treasurer upon receipt of each list, shall give forth a warrant to each Constable, and to be allowed out of the Generall Treasury one shil