I appointed the Assembly of this Province to meet the 13th. of this instant, to raise the Quota of 200 Men agreed upon at the Congress at Philadelphia with Lord Loudoun, and accordingly they have passed an Aid Bill to that purpose, which I herewith send to Your Lordships, to which I refer, They have agreed to give £5 Currency Advance Money to raise 2 Companies of 100 Men each with more Dispatch. I have also inclosed the Speech and Addresses, they at first voted an insufficient Supply for the Number and the Time they were raised for, but at last agreed to the Sum of £5,300, to maintain them for 6 Months or longer if necessary to be employed, for the Service of South Carolina, or at home in Case not demanded or wanted there, and as the Assembly will meet again in November they will have time to continue them in Pay afterwards; We shall be under Difficulties to pay them out of the Province. I have given Directions to buy Steers to send to Charlestown for that purpose, which I'm afraid can't be had in Numbers sufficient, and as a Duty is laid upon Naval Stores carried from hence to Charleston by the Southern Province, which I think is very impolitic in them, as we might send Pitch and Tar sufficient, I have wrot to Governor Lyttelton to endeavour to get that Duty taken off, at least so far as to what we shall send towards Payment of the Troops—Our frontier is still in Confusion upon Account of not fixing the Boundary Line, they refuse to pay their Taxes, and took the Sheriff Prisoner, and detained him several hours for attempting it, altho' it has been paid several Years by that part of Anson County occasioned by Glenn's Claim to all Westward of the North West of Cape Fear River, to prevent further Confusion, I am obliged to overlook it, As Governor Lyttelton has informed me, that the Assembly had the Consideration of the Line before them, and had reported upon it, and that he wou'd have it soon ready to send to England from their Province—They give out in the back Country that all the Lands South of Lord Granville's Line will be added to South Carolina, and all the Patents granted by this Government as well to McCulloh and his Associates, as to others, vacated; that the People settled upon these Lands are confounded, and know not which Province to adhere to, altho' I have assured them, that his Majesty will confirm all his Grants in whatever Province they will fall according to the Priority of the Grants, yet many go to South Carolina to get Grants there, pretending they are without our Bounds, altho' Governor Lyttelton and I have agreed to let all ly over until the Line is decided at home, I readily acquainted him with the plan I had sent home, from this Province, but they have not been so kind as to let me know the Boundary they have agreed to apply for, and therefore must rest it upon Your Lordships to fix an equitable Line as soon as possible. 

The Letter Your Lordships mentioned to have been wrote by the Lords of the Admiralty to the Captain of the Baltimore or any other Ship of War that shou'd call in at Cape Fear, only came to my hands last Week from the Northward, altho' wrote in November last, which I have forwarded to Cape Fear to be delivered to the Commander of any of His Majesty's Ships who may call in, but there it may lie long enough since neither our own stationed Ship nor any other hath called in there these twelve Months, our Coast being entirely neglected, whilst the Baltimore is laid up all the Winter at Halifax without being of any Service there—I have this Morning since the Breaking up of the Assembly received an Express from Lord Loudoun, with Orders to send the Men as soon as they can be possibly ready, to South Carolina, and also to have the Militia along the Southern frontier ready to go upon the first Notice from Colo. Bouquet, who is at present in Virginia, with 500 Men of the first Battalion, and 200 from Pensylvania, in order to take with him the Virginia Provincials that are ready, and proceed to Charlestown, and shall immediately give them orders to be ready to march upon the first Notice from him to the Aid of South Carolina, having given a power to the president and resident Councellors to act at Cape Fear upon any Emergency without waiting for Orders from me, and have ordered them to send ⅔ds. of the Militia of the 4 Southern Counties to South Carolina upon the first Notice from Govr. Lyttelton or Colo. Bouquet—I have inclosed a Memorial to Mr. Pownall, from the Council, to be laid before his Majesty in Council, setting forth the Expence they are at from time to time in attending at Assemblies, Chancery and Court of Claims, for which they have no Allowance, and as they generally live at 100 Miles Distance from this Town the Center of the Province, and must attend at other Times when summoned upon Emergencies of Government, they hope his Majesty will allow them an Appointment upon the Quit Rents as the Rent Roll is improving every day, and if properly collected will soon discharge all the Arrears due as well as pay the whole Establishment, altho' an Allowance shou'd be given to them by his Majesty, which they have reason to hope for from his Majesty's Goodness, as he has been graciously pleased to grant the like favour unto his Council in Virginia; I therefore hope if referred to Your Lordships, that you will report in favour of the Petition; as I find great Delays and Difficulties in summoning them from the extream parts of the Province at Considerable Expence, and many Excuses made upon their non Attendance, so that his Majesty and the publick Service Suffers, and if granted, then half or a sufficient Number shou'd always attend in Rotation or not be entitled to their Appointment for at present I am obliged to do several Things without their Assistance and Advice, otherwise the publick Affairs must suffer and be delayed—This I submit to your Lordship's Judgment. 

Upon my Return from Philadelphia I found Your Lordship's Letter about the Embargo to be laid upon Provision Ships, but as we had made a Law here before, to the same purpose, and our Vessels here being all small sloops under 50 Tons, generally carrying about 30 Ton of Provision with Lumber, we had made the Bonds here taken only £500, and the Collectors apprehending they might be sued if they insisted upon higher Bonds than required by Law as no sufficient Security can be got here upon £1000 or £2000 Sterlg. Bonds keeping strictly to the Letter of the Orders wou'd have amounted to a prohibition of supplying our Colonies, which was not intended, I ventured to lessen the Bonds to Vessels under 50 Tons to £500, according to our Law, and to such as were above 50 Tons then obliged them to keep to the Letter of the Order by taking the Bonds required by the Order, which will effectually answer the Ends of the Order.

I have nothing further to add, but am with the greatest Regard

My Lords,

 Your Lordships

most obedient and most

humble Servant

Arthur Dobbs