- Transcription
North Carolina.
<Letters to Arthur Dobbs Esqr. Govr. of North Carolina in Answer to two received from him and enclosing Copy of a Representation of this Board upon the Petition of the Merchants complaining of the Paper Currency there.>
Whitehall
June 1: 1759
Arthur Dobbs Esqr. Governor of North Carolina.
Sir,
The only Letters which we have received from you that contain any thing material since Ours of the 9th of December 1757, are dated the 27 of Decemr 1757, and the 20th December 1758.
The first of them relates chiefly to the suspension of Mr. Rutherford and Mr. Murray, from their Seats in the Council, and of the former from his Office of Receiver General.
The Papers herewith inclosed will fully inform you of the Steps which have been taken in consequence of this measure, and by this you will see that not only the suspension of Mr Rutherford from his Office of Receiver General, but also the inconveniencys which you state to have attended the manner in which the Provincial Treasurers have been appointed, are before the Lords of the Treasury for their Judgment and directions.
It is also within the Province and department of that Board to determine, not only upon what part of the Fifty thousand Pound granted by Parliament to the Southern Colonys should be allowed to North Carolina, but also to give such direction with respect to the Application of it, as they shall think proper, and therefore it would be improper for Us to give any Opinion or direction upon that part of your Letter of the 20th. of December 1758, which relates to this Subject, We could how ever have wished to have been able to have laid before their Lordships, the Bill which you say was prepared by the Assembly concerning this Money, and rejected in the Council, but tho' it was mentioned to be inclosed in your Letter it was not with the other Papers.
Whatever may be the Advantages and Conveniencys resulting from the Act for fixing the Seat of Government of which it is impossible for Us to judge untill We receive the Act, it was certainly improper and irregular in you to assent to it, without a Clause suspending its execution, untill His Majesty's Pleasure could be known; The Opinion which We gave upon this matter in Our Letter of the 6 of August 1755, could not in the least warrant such an irregularity, this Opinion had reference only to the propriety of the Place proposed, as far as We could judge of it from your State of the Case, and was in no respect an Authority to carry the measure into Execution in the manner you have done.
We had hopes that the regulations made by his Majesty's Instructions concerning the rights of particular Precints to send Members to the Assembly, and the Number of which the House of Representatives was to consist, had been so precise and particular that no difficulty's could have arisen, nor any further Instruction have been necessary.
If however any such are judged to be necessary from any new or other arrangement which may have been made with respect to the Northern Countys, We must desire you will in your next Letters be more full and explicit in your Accounts of these matters, and in marking out to Us the nature and causes of these Arrangments, to which your Letter refers, without which it will be impossible for us to form a Judgment what other Instructions it may be proper to send you.
We are sensible that many advantages may be derived from a Settlement of the Boundary Line between the Province of North and South Carolina, But We do not think it advisable to trouble the Lords of His Majesty's Council with a Proposition of this kind at this time, when they have declined entring into a consideration, or giving an Opinion upon several Cases of the same nature, respecting other Colonies, which We have laid before them.
The enclosed Representation to His Majesty upon a Petition of the Merchants, complaining of the Paper Currency in North Carolina, will inform you of our Sentiments upon that matter, which having been approved by the Council, and Additional Instruction to you conformable thereto, has been prepared, and now lies before His Majesty for his Signature.
We are,
Sir,
Your most Obedt.
humble Servants.
Exd.
