North Carolina ss.

To His Excellency Arthur Dobbs Esqr. Capt. General, Govr. and Commander in Chief in and over the said Province.

3d July 1760—

Sir,

We his Majestys most Dutifull and Loyal Subjects the Assembly of this Province, do Acknowledge your Excellys. Favour, in demanding our Advice and Assistance if Necessary on the State of Affairs in the Present Juncture wherein His Majestys Honr. and the Safety and Protection of this and His Majestys Southern Colonies are so nearly Concern'd.

We can't but be much Affected that so small a Number of the Assembly of this Province are Attending their Duty on so Interesting an Affair, And should hold the Absent Members Inexcusable, was it not that the Call of this Assembly was at a time quite Unexpected and their small recess, great distance, or want of Notice may be Suggested as Circumstances in favour of Some and the Rumour of the Small Pox being near the Place of our Present Meeting, might Occasion an Apprehension of Danger in Others.

We Observe that the usual Practice of this Province has been not to proceed upon the dispatch of Public Business, without a Majority of the representatives being Present, but as we are well Assured that the Present Scituation of Affairs will not Admit of any Delay we Shall on this Important Occasion Deviate, tho with reluctance from the Antient Customs and Proceedings of this House hoping that Other Members may yet, Appear. And Agreeable to your Excellys. request Immediately enter upon Consideration of what was Imparted to us by your Excellys. Speech at the Opening of this Session and Exert our Selves in the framing of Such Laws as may best Contribute to the Security of this and the Southern Colonies from the Immenent Dangers with which they are Threatned by the Junction of those Barbarous Savages at the Instigation of our Inveterate And Perfidious Enemys the French; and Pursue every Measure in our Power as may most Effectually Conduce to the Present and future Safety and Prosperity of this and the Neighbouring Provinces.

We also beg leave to make some remarks on your Excellys. Speech at the Close of the last Session; wherein your Excelly Observes you Could not pass the Aid Bill then Presented by the Assembly for your Approbation for the Sundry reasons therein Enumerated, which not being Satisfactory to this Assembly they crave leave to remark, that the frame of the said Bill was greatly Varient from that on which your Excellys. Observations were founded Concerning the Slow Progress in Levying the forces to Serve under General Forbes, which this Assembly Apprehends was greatly Owing to Persons being Appointed to whom the Generality of the People of this Province were Strangers, and the Method Proposed by the Aid Bill was That the Command Should be given to Such Persons who had been resident among us, and of weight and Influence with the People. This gave us different Expectations, and made us hope that they would be Speedily and Expeditiously Collected and of this we are more Confirm'd by our Experience under the Act for the raising of forces to go on the West India Expedition, as well as by the same lately being put in Practice in the Adjacent Colony, where a much greater Number has been Inlisted in a Very Small Portion of time, A Method your Assembly Can't but Entertain pleasing Hopes of Meeting with your Excellys. Approbation; Should an Act of the same Nature be now pass'd by the Present Assembly as the Same is founded Upon Experience, And tho' the bounty of Twenty Shillings is greatly Disproportionate to that Proposed in Virginia, Yet your Assembly was not without great Expectation of it's being Effectual as an Additional Inducement was by that Bill proposed that five Pounds was to be Paid for every Scalp, and if an Indian was taken Alive, Such Indian was to be the Property of the Person who took him. These methods your Assembly Could not but Approve, as they were well Apprised of the low State of the Public Funds of this Province, And the Poverty of the Majority of the Inhabitants therein Could not Admit of any Additional Tax, Your Excelly further Observed that the Money Proposed to be then raised had no Sinking Fund, and if a Small Part only Should be Expended the residue was to be Appropriated for the Contingent Charges of Government, but not to be Apply'd but by future General Assemblys, Calculated; According to your Excellys. Observations for the Emolument of the Treasurers, and to the depretiating the Currency but that on ever so great Emergencies the Govr. and Council could make no Application of it, As to Several of which Particulars this Assembly Conceives your Excelly. Misapprehended the Purport of the said Bill, for as to the Treasurers, little Advantage could Accrue to them the Province being in arrear Six Thousand Pounds for Claims and other Incident Charges, and the Bill made an Application of the Greatest Part of the Residue after the Completion of the Men, And that this Assembly Conceives should they have Acted in the Manner Proposed by Your Excelly. of Investing a Power in the Governor and Council as to the Application of the Monies, the same would have been Inconsistent with the trust reposed in them by their Constituents, and greatly Deviated from the Constant and Approved Methods in Cases of the like Nature.

That as to your Excellys. Observation in relation to the Disciplin'd Companies not being Ordered to be Imploy'd or Act in the three Companies which were to Serve against the Cherokees, or Elsewhere on the Continent; That Omission was owing to the Assembly not thinking it Material as the Same Consisted of Only Thirty Men Exclusive of Officers; Permit us Sir to Assure you these were the Motives and Principles of that House Proceeded on and as they thought the most Eligible; And that this Assembly will with the Greatest Pleasure and Alacrity, Joyn with your Excelly. in every Measure that may redound to His Majestys Honor and Service, And the true Interest and Advantage of the Province.

Saml Swann Speakr

By Order

Wm Herritage Clk.

North Carolina
Assemblys Address to the Governor.

Rx with the Govrs. Letter of 21. July 1760—

Reced Novr. 24
Read —— 26. 1760.

E.31.