Copy.

Speech of Governor Dobbs to the Assembly of No. Carolina

Mr. Speaker & Gentlemen of the Assembly,

I Thank You for the Supply Granted to His Majesty: an Aid upon this Critical Situation of Affairs, & poverty of this Province as great as could be Expected to be raised in time to Cooperate with the other Regular & Provincial Troops—But it would have given me double pleasure, if You had framed Your Aid Bill so as I could have passed it without departing from His Majesty’s Instructions, & Encroaching upon His prerogative, which You have Attempted to do by this Bill, but since the Majority of the Council have passed the Bill, & have since in Council advised me to pass it, & have Ventured to Encroach upon His Majesty’s Just Prerogative, & given up their own Rights; And since You, in Answer to my Message, have disclaimed any right of adding such Clauses to the Aid Bill, as may in the least Encroach upon His Majesty’s Negative Voice, by putting the Crown under a Dilemma of giving up so far the prerogative, or losing the necessary Supply; and as the Clause added is only temporary & I had agreed to have passed it in a Separate Bill; Yet upon so critical an Emergency & Earnest Requisition from His Majesty to Raise a Considerable Number of Men, which by losing no time may be able to Join, & Co:operate with His Majesty’s Forces, & may be the means of Securing the possession of all French America, & the future peace & Safety of His Majesty’s American Dominions, I have for these Considerations Ventured so far to depart from His Majesty’s Instructions as to pass this Aid Bill—And in order to procure the good End proposed by it, hope that Each of You, upon Your Return home, will promote the Speedy raising of the Troops, & prevent as much as possible the Concealment of Deserters, & Every attempt to frustrate the Important End proposed by the Bill.

Copy. Speech of Gov: Dobbs to the Assembly of North Carolina, on passing the Supply Bill.

Enclosed in Governor Dobbs’s Letter to General Amherst of 24th April 1761.

In M.G. Amherst’s of Augt. 19: 1761

No. 11.