The Virginia Gazette

ANNAPOLIS, May 15.

The General Assembly of this Province was to have met here Yesterday; but, as there were not a sufficient Number of the Representatives in Town, his Excellency the Governor prorogued it to this Day; and this Morning they met, when his Excellency open'd the Session, with the following Speech, viz.
Gentlemen of the Upper and Lower Houses of Assembly,

SOME Things happened since our last Meeting, wherein I Should have been glad to have had your Opinion and Advice; but was loth to put the Country to the Expence of an Assembly, and to give you the Trouble of leaving your Homes at a Season of the Year, which I thought might have been inconvenient for you.

Besides the several Papers from the Governors of New-York and Pennsylvania, relating to the Indians, which I now lay before you, I could not but be under a good deal of Concern, on Account of the Shortness of our Crop of Corn the last Fall; and if we had not been favoured by Providence with a mild Winter, many People, especially of the poorer Sort, might have wanted, not only Provision for their Cattle, but Bread for themselves; which will naturally lead you to consider, whether it may not be for the public Service, to leave a discretionary Power with the Government, or to prohibit the Exportation of Corn whenever it shall arise to a certain Price.

As the Happiness of any Country must be always greatly promoted by the Goodness of its Highways, I cannot help recommending this Matter particularly to your Consideration. While other Nations are improving their Commerce, by opening Canals, and shortening and mending their Roads, we are lengthening ours in many Parts of the Province, by Windings and Turnings, and obstructing their Passage with Gates and other Incumbrances; which deserves our Attendance the more, as this is certainly the proper Time to lay them straight and open, before we begin to bound our Fields with Ditches, and other fix'd Fences, which good Husbandry, if not Necessity, may probably bring us to in a short Time.

Nothing could give me more Pleasure, than to see a general Spirit of Improvement spread it self throughout the Province, which it is our Duty to promote as much as we can, in our legislative Capacity; and I flatter my self, that the visible Advantages we have reaped from our Inspection Law will not only incite our Endeavours to bring it to the utmost Perfection, but be an Encouragement to us to enter into the Consideration of such other Laws as may tend to advance the Trade and Prosperity of the Province in every Respect.

In whatever you undertake for the Public Good, you may be assured of my hearty Concurrence, and best Assistance; and I cannot but hope, that you will, on your Parts, give such reasonable Support to the Government, as may be necessary for your own Safety and Security. I desire no Increase of Power, but to enable me to promote your Happiness the more effectually; my greatest Ambition being to make the Province flourish and prosper under my Administration.