- Transcription
New Bern 18 May 1759
Having summoned the Assembly upon the shortest Notice to meet me here the 8th. instant in order to raise Men for His Majesty's Service pursuant to his Orders, they met here and are now prorogued without passing an Aid Bill, unless the Governor and Council shou'd give up his Majesty's Prerogative and the Rights of the upper House to a Junto of the Assembly the Speaker, his two Nephews and Republican Treasurer Starkey his Creature, as you will find by the Copy of the Bill laid aside in Council, which I send you, they having altered the Bill by striking out the foreign Clauses tacked to it— They have only passed two small Bills one for a Lottery for finishing the Churches of Wilmington and Brunswick, which I consented to as the like Bills are always pass'd in the Northern Provinces, and we can't get Vestries here that will lay on any Taxes to build Churches, the other a County Bill, both which I send Your Lordships. If you approve of what I have done for preserving his Majesty's Prerogative and the Rights of the Council, you will find it absolutely necessary that I shou'd dissolve the Assembly; since the Speaker is irritated at his not being appointed Chief Justice, and therefore wants to make a Breach in the Province betwixt the Council and lower House, but am assured he will never again be chosen Speaker. Your Lordships will also see the Necessity of repealing the Bill which has established the publick Treasurer, and to give me an Instruction to make none but during pleasure, or for Lords of Trade a short time, nor agree to any Bill that Members of the Assembly shou'd be Treasurers, they now deny they are his Majesty's Treasurers but say they are publick Treasurers of the Assembly, which they call the Province and only accountable to them, you will also consider how far it may be for his Majesty's Service to have them appointed by the Assembly, or whether his Majesty or Governor & Council here shou'd appoint one or two Treasurers who shou'd account with the Government here and with the Treasury in England—I hope by the Blessing of God we shall soon after this Campaign have a glorious Peace, and then his Majesty will have no great Demands upon this Province, which will prevent the Encroachments of the Assembly upon the Prerogative, and then they will have time to cool and act for the general Good of the Colony—Had the Aid Bill passed in the form they insisted on it cou'd have been of no Service to his Majesty, they had lowered the Bounty Money granted last Year of £10 Procl. to £5—and with that Bounty last year we cou'd not raise above 200 Men when the Number shou'd have been 300, and then if enlisted cou'd not be ready before the End of July, so that the Campaign wou'd have been over before they cou'd join the Army, and were to return to be disbanded by the 10th. of December, and for this Imaginary Aid, which they expected Britain was to pay, His Majesty was to give up his Prerogative and the Rights of the Council by allowing of Clauses for private Jobs to be tacked to the Money Bill, and thus give up all Power to the lower House.
I have now wrote to Brigr. Stanwix that I have power to send the 2 Companies of 50 each if required and can be of Service by the last Act, but then we shall have none left to defend our Forts, and he must advance the Pay while abroad, as we have no Credit out of the Province.
I have nothing to add but am with great Regard
My Lords
Your Lordships
most obedient and
most humble Servant
Arthur Dobbs
No. Carolina.
Letter from Govr Dobbs to the Board, dated 18th. May 1759, respecting his refusing his Assent to the Aid Bill & Observations upon two other lately passed & enclosing.
Read July 25. 1759.
D.53.
