To His Excelly. Arthur Dobbs Esqr. Capt. General, Governor, and Commander in Chief in and over His Majesty's Province of North Carolina.

The Address of the Assembly of the sd Province

Febry the 9th. day 1764.

Sir,

We beg leave to Congratulate your Excellys. safe Return from the late Congress with the other Southern Governors at Augusta, nothing less, than your known Zeal for the Public in Obedience to His Majesty's Commands could induce your Excelly. in Such an Advanced time of Life and declining state of health to undertake so long and hazardous a Journey.

How agreeable must it be to us to be Assured the Treaty had it's desired Success, we have reason to hope the Claims and boundaries of the Several Indian Nations you are pleased to mention being now Adjusted and Settled to their satisfaction, The peace made with them may prove durable and lasting, but as the Execution of the Treaty may in some Instances Affect the People of this Province, we humbly request the Terms of the Treaty may be communicated to us, that our Constituents may conform their conduct thereto.

As the Province still Labours under a Large debt Occasioned by the many Liberal grants made for the Service of the late War, it is great Pleasure to us that no new Aid is required, We Shall provide a few men to guard the Forts you are pleased to mention and to take care of the Artillery and Stores belonging to them.

We are sensible Hemp and Flax Exported to our mother Country will make a Valuable remittance, and intend to provide proper Encouragement to promote the Cultivating and raising those Commodities for that Purpose.

The Tonage duty on Shipping has been a heavy burthen upon our Trade, but being now expired, we Shall enquire what is become of the large Sums already Collected, how it has been Applied or in whose hands it lies, and Should that fall Short and the Public Service require it, re-enact some part of that duty for the purposes you are pleased to Mention.

We thank your Excelly. for your Promise to concurr with this House and the Council in drawing for and Applying the Money in the Agents hands in London in order to pay off the Public Debts and Claims, by which means it will Appear how farr the Tax for Contingencies will prove Deficient and so provision may be made Accordingly

As the Emission of New Bills to exchange for those torn, or Worn, must be Attended with considerable expence, we are clearly of Opinion were the several Treasurers and Sheriffs Strictly enjoyn'd to exchange all Such ragged and torn Bills that shall be tendered for that Purpose for any Public Money in their hands which might every Assembly be burnt on the Sinking fund, would answer all the Purposes seemingly Intended by a New Emission.

We agree with your Excelly. that several of our Laws are Expired and require re-enacting, and others may need amending, particularly those four you are pleased to mention, We shall take them into our Consideration and make provision Accordingly, but we are sorry to differ in Opinion with your Excellency in regard to your Construction of the Law for Appointing Treasurers as tho' that was also expired, We Apprehend that Law from the very Words of it is perpetual. The Tax imposed by it was indeed Temporary which time is now Elapsed, we must inform your Excelly. that great part of that Tax is not yet come into the Treasury, and it may be doubted whether it Could be recovered in case that Act was really Expired.

We heartily wish the Number of regular Clergymen in the Province was increased and are perswaded that the Settling Ministers in the Several Parishes would greatly tend to amend the Morals of our people and prevent those evils you are pleased to point out. Permit us to say Provision is by Law made for the support of the Parochial Clergy as farr as the Circumstances of our Constituents could admit, as Also large Sums Granted for Glebes and Schools under a Suspending Clause untill His Majesty's Pleasure was known, those Sums have been Borrowed for the Service of the late War & Since in part for Contingencies, if your Excelly. would be pleased to Inform us whether you have any Instructions to Apply them for the purposes Originally Intended, in such case the Necessity of a Parochial Tax will be very much lessened.

Your Excellys. readiness to concurr in all Laws Calculated for those Salutary Purposes you are pleased to Mention in Order to Promote the General good of the Province merit our Gratefull Acknowledgments

John Ashe Speaker

North Carolina.
The Address of the Assembly of North Carolina to the Govr. Febry 9. 1764.

In Govr. Dobbs's Letter of 29 March 1764.

Recd. May
Read June 26 1764.

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