New bern the 10th. Febry. 1755—

My Lord

Having wrote fully to your Lordship before the Assembly broke up, I have the less to trouble your Lordship with at present, having sent over all the Bills by this opportunity which will be all laid before your Lordship in Council. I have pass'd the Quit Rent Law with a Suspending Clause, so that it will be necessary to have it soon consider'd, that if approved of it may the sooner take place, the only comoditys mentiond in it being inspected Tobacco, a Bill being pass'd to inspect Tobacco; and Indigo which also will be within a general Inspecting Law which will pass next session they having not had time to prepare such a Law properly this Session, and they being fixed in it also low a price that they will never be offer'd in payment, the one at 3 Farthings, & the other at 2s: 3d. English ⅌ pound weight, I am of opinion it can never turn out to his Majestys or your Lordships prejudice. We have raised the Supply £6000 out of the Bills struck but not Issued, & £2000 taken from the Fort money at Ocacock, which is to be replaced by a Pole Tax of 9d. ⅌ Taxable, & £2500 for Contingencies, & towards paying their Debts by another of 1s: 8d. & to be replaced again in Two years. I having the direction of the application of the money for Virginia & our Frontiers, have given out Commissions accordingly, and my Son being upon the spot, & having been above Eight years in the Service, & now a Lieutt. in the English Fuzileers. I thought as we wanted Officers to disipline the Troops, it would be for his Majestys Service to Employ him, as he was here upon leave of absence, & therefore have given him a Commission as Captain of the Company going to Ohio in hopes that his Majesty Will be graciously pleas'd to confirm it by a Commission under his own hand; or if that be not given to the other American Troops, that then he may not lose his Lieutenancy when this Service is over; but if an Independant Company be granted for this Province, when this expedition is over, which is absolutely necessary for his Majestys Service, then hope his Majesty would appoint this Company to that Service, under my Son which would avoid the expence of sending it from Europe; This part I mention'd in my former Letter to your Lordship, & hoped for your Lordships kind interposition for it, which shall always be most gratefully acknowledged, having also wrote to my other Friends to joyn your Lordship in it if necessary.

I thank God the Assembly and I have parted with a perfect good harmony, and hope I have restored Peace & unanimity in this late divided Colony. I shall soon now take a progress northwards, & so down Roanock in a Vessell to view all the Islands and Inlets, & see what can be done to improve the navigation thro' the Sound by Ocacock to the several Rivers running into it, & where the place the Forts we are to erect to defend our harbours, and view the fine small Harbour we have found at Cape Lookout. Draughts of which I have sent to Lord Halifax and to Lord Anson as it is of great Service that all the Commanders of his Majestys Ships should know it at this Juncture. In Summer I propose going to the Back Settlements, & after viewing my own Lands propose going to the Mountains Westward & fix upon a place to Erect a Fort to secure the passes through which the Indians surprize our Settlers having made several of them to quit their Settlements, and propose employing the Company appointed to defend that Frontier to Erect a Fort to defend our Settlements & Indian Allies. I had a message a few days ago from Anson County that the Catawbas & Cherokees to whom they had sent a Messenger to know their number of fighting Men expected to have a message from me, which in other words is to receive some present from this Province; but as we are so poor, & in debt, and have nothing here proper for them, and if there was it would be at triple the value if purchased here. I cannot do it without his Majestys granting it from England, or out of his Quit Rents here, which I hope now will soon encrease so as to pay all the arrears of the Establishment, which if agreed to the Arms & Goods proper for them must be purchased and sent from London. I have wrote fully to the Lords of Trade, about altering & fixing a proper boundary Line, betwixt this Province & South Carolina, & have sent a plan or proposal, what would be a proper Line, with reasons to support it that his Majesty max fix it there without loss of time, having wrote to Mr. Glenn to do the same, as it can never be settled here, & is absolutely necessary to be soon done this I hope your Lordship will support, if you find it reasonable & press its being soon done.

I am with greatest Respect

My Lord

Your Lordships

most Obedient &

most Humble Servt.

[The following was likely written by the Earl of Granville's assistant or secretary.]

No Carolina.

Newbern 20th. February 1755.

Govr. Dobbs.

Rd. 25th. March.

This Letter was received the 25th March 1755.

I Showed it to Mr. Child on the 5th April, which was the first time of my Seeing him, Since his illness, which confined him, till then, from the latter end of February. We then spoak, on the 5th. Inst. April, on the ^new^ Quit Rent Law, & Mr. Child made me thoroughly sensible of it's being a pernicious Law with regard to My Lord Granville's Interest. And this Day, 7th. April, Mr. Abercromby acknowledged to me, that he could not answer the objections I made.

No. Carolina.

Newbern 20th February 1755.

Governor. Dobbs.

Received 25th March.