Peace, to convene the part of the town or parish to which they belong, & when mett they or the maj' part of them p'sent, to choose three in their room, for the service aforesa, and also to add to said minister's tax what may be necessary for the repairs of the [P. 86.] meeting house to each part of the town.

Josh Peirce, Cler. Assem3.

In Councill.

8br 11th, 1717. Voted a concurrence.

Whereas the Selectmen of Portsmo have complained to this house, that their town now lies und' a p'sentment for want of schools in the town:

Voted, That the Selectmen be impowered to call & agree wi two schoolmasters for the town of Portsmo, yo one for Latin, the other for reading and writing & cyphering; — and settle them as may be most beneficial for the town, at their best discretion. Josh Peirce, Cler. Assem3.

In Councill.

8br 11th, 1717. Voted a concurrence.

Rich Waldron, Cler. Con. Capt. John Gillman brought a vote to this board from the house of Representatives requesting his Excellency the Gov to ord' the Capt. of the fort & keep of the King's stores to lay the true state of each before the house,- as on file.

Adjourned to to-morrow, 9 o'clock, a. M.

Col James Davis, Esq., & three other members of the house of Represents brought up the two following votes to this board:

Whereas, John Bridger, Esq., his Majties Survey General, has Ords to hinder all p'sons in this Province from going into his Majties woods to cut any sort of timber; - wch, for want of a fair representation to his Majtic is very hurtful and ruinous to many of his good subjects:

Voted, That his Excellency be requested to lay before his Majtie the grievance that many of his good subjects labor under by such restraint.

Josh Peirce, Cler. Assemb.. Voted, That twenty pounds sterling be drawn out of the treasury of this Province, to be improved for agency to forward the above vote.

Josh Peirce, Cler. Assemb. Read three times in the House of representatives and voted unanimously, and ordered to be sent to the upper house by four membrs of this house, for concurrence.

8br 12th, 1717.

In Councill.

J. P., Cler. Assemb.

Voted a concurrence wth both the foregoing votes.

Rich Waldron, Cler. Con. [P. 88.] Voted, That there be one licensed house at Great Island in N. Castle, for entertainmt of strangers, &c., besides wt is already allowed pr. former Act.

8br 12th, 1717.

Josh Peirce, Cler. Assem3.

Voted a concurrence,― Richd Waldron, Cler. Con.

Mr. Sheriff' Gambling made a representation of the deficiency of the Goal to this board, &c.

The Clerk was sent down to the house of Representatives by his Excellency the Gov', to require the attendance of that house at ye Councill board. They came accordingly. Then the following bills (viz.), Abt altering the time of the Court of Appeals sitting; abt shingles, & abt tarr, pitch, &c., were past into Acts, by being signed and sealed in p'sence of the whole Gen' Assembly.

Then his Excellency made yo following speech:

Gent'n:-I can't enough commend the loyalty and unanimous proceedings of both houses at this juncture, when some illminded p'sons were endeavoring to disturb the quiet and peace of this Province, and to introduce confusions amongst us.

So soon as I shall return to Boston, I shall send home an account of your proceedings, wch I am sure will be thought praise worthy.

I have, by the advice of ye Council and desire of the low house, issued forth a Proclamation, weh being joyned with yor best endeavours, upon yo' return to your respective towns, will, I hope, p'vent and break the measures of the disaffected, and also be for the information of those that were ignorant and misled and [P. 89] bring them to their duty, wch will quiet the minds of his Majties good subjects.

Gent'n:-I return you my thanks for your p'sent, and also for your promise to make it equal to my p'decessors, at our meeting in the spring; and shall also upon the memorial you have delivered to me, use my best endeavours to get the King's Ord's in relation to the timb' explained and made easy to the people of this Province.

The affairs of this session being so happily concluded, I do prorogue you to the second Tuesday in January next.

8br 12, 1717.

SAM'L SHUTE.

Prorogued to Tuesday the fourteenth day of Jan' next.

Pro: N. Hamp'.

At a Gen1 Assembly held at Portsm by prorogation, January 14th, 1717-8. Present in Councill

The Honble JOHN WENTWORTH, Esq., Lt. Gov',*

Pursuant to an ord' from his Excellency the Govt to his Hon' the Lt. Gov for prorogueing the Gen1 Assembly,

In Councill

Ordered, That the said Gen' Assembly be prorogued from this day to Tuesday, the 29th day of April next ensuing, and that the Clerk issue out proclamations accordingly.

Prorogued to Tuesday, the 29th April, 1718.

[P. 90.] Pro. N. Hamp'.

At an especial sessions of the Gen Assembly held at Portsm", Feb. 21, 1717-8.

Present in Councill,

The Honorable Jn° Wentworth, Esq., Lt. Gov',

The Clerk was sent down to the house of Representatives to call them to this board. They came accordingly, where his Hon the Lt. Gov' made the following speech:

Gent'n:-Whereas, the King has been pleased to appoint me

*See Lt. Govr. Wentworth's Commission in Records of Council, Vol. II., p. 712.

Lt. Govt of this his Majties Province of N. Hamp", and this being the first opportunity I have had of seeing the Gen' Assembly, so I gladly embrace it:

To assure you that I will to the utmost of my power support and maintain the hon' of the Crown, und the most happy reign of our Sovereign Lord King George and his most illustrious family.

And I doubt not but you will all as good and loyal subjects joyn wth me herein; and as I am for supporting the prerogative of the Crown, so you shall always find me ready and willing to fall into all such just measures as may tend to the maintaining & defending our rights and properties, so far as in me lies.

There has been an unhappy difference in this town, the occasion now too long to relate, wch difference has in some measure affected ye whole Province; but thanks be unto God, they are much abated, and some good steps have been taken for an accommodation, so that if every one of us in our several stations will put a helping hand, I doubt not but in a short time we may have a good harmony both in town and Province, the attaining of which will give glory to God and peace to ourselves.

Gent'n:-The Principal thing I shall recommend to yo' consideration at this time is [P. 91.] the Province Records, a matter that concerns posterity, and on wch our properties very much depend.

The Gent" in whose hands they now are, is dangerously ill, & it's thought cannot continue long;- therefore, in point of prudence, we ought to think of a proper person to receive the records wth all the books, files & papers thereunto belonging.

I would also put you in mind of those bonds weh belong to the Province that was lodged wth Col. Smith, late of Hampton, deceased, that you will take care the vote of Gen' Assembly be observed therein.

Jotham Odiorne, Esq., brought up the following vote to this board:

Voted, That Mr. Speak Packer, Mr. Epha Dennet and Josha Peirce, be a Committee from this house to demand the bonds that were formerly given by sundry gent" of ye Prov: for fifteen hundred pounds bills of credit of ye Prov: formerly lent to them; — weh bonds were lodged in ye hands of Col. Joseph Smith, deceased,

& now to be demanded of his widow relict, & when received, to be lodged in the hands of the Speak' of the house of Represen for time being, till further orderd.

21st Feb., 1717-8.

Josha Peirce, Cler. Assem'.

In Councill.

Feb. 224, 1717-8. Voted a concurrence.

Rich Waldron, Cler. Con.

[P. 92.] Capt. Jotham Odiorne, Esq., and Capt. John Gillman brought the following vote to this board:

Whereas there has been some proposals of moving the Province Records from Maj. Vaughan's, it being supposed that he, the said Maj, was rendered uncapable of officiating in sd office through natural indisposition:

The House having by a committee conferred wth Maj. Vaughan, do find him capable to p'form wts needfull as formerly relating to that office; and we that are present being but abt half of the society:

Voted, That the sd Records be continued wth Maj. Vaughan, till further ordered.

Josh Peirce, Cler, Assem3.

In Councill.

Feb. 22, 1717-8. Voted a concurrence.

Rich Waldron, Cler. Con. One of the membrs of the House of Representatives brought the following request to this board:

Whereas we have been informed, that Oliver Noyes and Elisha Cook, Esq., of Boston, have had administration granted to them by the judge of Probate, &c., of this Prov: on the pretended rights and properties of Sir Charles Hobby, deceased, and the bonds given for their regular administration was not sufficient:

Whereupon, it is the desire of the whole house present, that the upper house, who is the Supreme Judge of Probate, &c., would putt a stop to any further proceeding in that affair, till the interest of the Province be a little consulted.

224, Feb. 1717-8.

Josha Peirce, Cler. Assem3. The Gen' Assembly stands prorogued, according to former prorogation (viz.), to ye 29th day of April, 1718.