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Domestic News
July 21, 1769
The New Hampshire Gazette And Historical Chronicle
Portsmouth, Greenland, Rockingham County, New Hampshire
What is this article about?
In July 1769, the Massachusetts House of Representatives responded to Governor Francis Bernard's recall to Britain, criticizing his administration and refusing to fund his salary during absence. The Governor urged the House to fund troop quartering expenses in Boston and Castle Island, including barracks improvements, per parliamentary acts.
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BOSTON, July 13, 1769.
Province of Massachusetts-Bay. July 13, 1769.
The following MESSAGE voted by the House, was Yesterday delivered to His Excellency the GOVERNOR at Cambridge.
We shall give it our Readers from the Votes.
In the House of Representatives, July 4, 1769.
ORDERED, That Mr. Hancock, Mr. Spooner, Mr. Otis, Major Hawley, and Mr. Greenleaf, be a Committee to wait upon His Excellency Sir Francis Bernard, Baronet, with the following Answer to his Message of 28th of June last.
THOMAS CUSHING, Speaker.
May it please your EXCELLENCY,
By your Message to this House of the 28th June last, we are informed, that his Majesty has been pleased by his Sign Manual, to signify to you his Will and Pleasure that you repair to Great-Britain, to lay before him the State of this Province. We are bound in Duty at all Times, and we do more especially at this Time chearfully acquiesce in the lawful Command of our Sovereign : It is a particular Satisfaction to us that his Majesty has been pleased to order a true State of this Province to be laid before him : for we have abundant Reason to be assured that when his Majesty shall be made fully acquainted with the great and alarming Grievances which his truly loyal Subjects here have suffered thro' your Administration, and the Injuries they have sustained in their Reputation, as well as every important Interest, he will in his great Clemency and Justice frown upon and for ever remove from his Trust all those who by wickedly misinforming his Ministers, have attempted to deceive even his Majesty himself.
Your Excellency is best acquainted with the Part you have acted ; your own Letters have enabled this House and the Publick, in some Measure to form a Judgment. And while you will necessarily be employed as this House conceives, in setting your own Conduct in the most favourable Light before his Majesty, we are perswaded we shall be able to answer for ourselves and our Constituents, to the Satisfaction of our Sovereign whenever we shall be called to it.
You are pleased to communicate to the House an Instruction for the Appropriation of the Salary granted to his Majesty's Governor during such Time as he may be absent from the Colony : But as we are not 'made to understand' that your Excellency will be continued in your Office as Governor of the Province after your expected Departure from it, the House cannot in Faithfulness to their Constituents make an unprecedented Grant of this Money for Services which we have no Reason to expect will ever be performed.
Your Excellency must be fully sensible that the People of this Province have never failed in Duty to his Majesty, to make ample Provision for the Support of his Government. You will be pleased to remember that you are fully paid to the Second of August next, before the Expiration of which Time you will embark for Great-Britain. We shall then make the necessary Provision 'for the Support of the Dignity of the Government,' and when his Majesty shall be graciously pleased to appoint another Governor, we trust this People will be ready, as they ever have been to grant him an ample Salary, proportioned to their own Abilities, and suitable to his Station and Merit. These are the only Considerations which ought to have any Weight with this House in granting the People's Money for the Support of a Governor,---His Majesty's 49th Instruction now before the House, and to which you refer us, is a Rule for your Excellency, but we conceive, was never intended for the House of Representatives---We have however the Pleasure of observing, that your Excellency is not at all restrained by it, from signing any Bills, or other Matters that may be laid before you, at any Time preceding the Grant of a Salary for the Support of Government, and therefore we have a just Right to expect that you will not upon that Account retard such publick Business now before you, as his Majesty's Service and the Welfare of the People indispensibly requires.
Thursday last his Excellency the Governor was pleased to send the following Message to the House of Representatives, viz.
Gentlemen of the House of Representatives,
I hereby communicate to you an Extract of a Letter I have received some Time ago from General GAGE, desiring that I would lay before you the Accounts of the Expenditures incurr'd by Quartering His MAJESTY's Troops at Boston, that Funds may be provided for discharging the same. I accordingly lay before you the said Accounts, as communicated to me by Col. ROBERTSON, together with a Copy of a Letter from him upon the Subject.
The Vouchers referred to in the said Letter are in the Hands of Col. Joseph Goldthwait, who will produce the same to your Order. I desire that you will take these Accounts into your Consideration, and provide proper Funds for discharging the same, so far at least as you are required by Law.
I am also desired by the General to make a Requisition to you, that Provision may be made for the further Quartering His Majesty's Forces in the Town of Boston, and Castle-Island, according to Act of Parliament.--- This Provision was made for the 65th Regiment whilst it was quartered in the Castle-Island, by my Order, with the Advice of Council. But now the General Court is sitting, it is proper that you should take Order in this Business, and especially in providing Funds for that Purpose, without which further Provision cannot be made. I desire you would act thereupon as soon as you can, as I understand that the Quartering the 29th Regiment in the Castle Barracks is delay'd for want of it.
July 6, 1769.
FRA. BERNARD.
Yesterday His Excellency the Governor was pleased to send the following Message to the House of Representatives, viz.
Gentlemen of the House of Representatives,
As the Session is drawing to a Conclusion, I must desire that you will give an Answer to my Message of Thursday last, and that you will distinguish between the Charges arising from the hiring Barracks and furnishing them, and the Charges of purchasing such Provisions as are directed by Act of Parliament to be provided by the Province; and that you will also give an Answer, whether you will or will not establish Funds for the future supplying Provisions, according to Act of Parliament, to the Troops quartered in Barracks in the Town of Boston, or which have or may be quartered in the Provincial Barracks on the Castle-Island, or either of them. And I desire that you will be explicit and distinct in these Particulars, that there may be no Mistake in the Report of your Resolutions On these Heads,
In my former Message I omitted to inform you that the Barracks on Castle-Island will not conveniently hold a Regiment without an additional Building for Officers Rooms ;-- the want of such a Building has been enquired into by the Commissary and found to be real; and an Estimate of the Expence has been made, which I understand amounts to Two Hundred and sixty Pounds.
I desire that you will take this also into your Consideration, and let me know your Resolution thereupon.
July 22, 1769.
FRA. BERNARD.
Province of Massachusetts-Bay. July 13, 1769.
The following MESSAGE voted by the House, was Yesterday delivered to His Excellency the GOVERNOR at Cambridge.
We shall give it our Readers from the Votes.
In the House of Representatives, July 4, 1769.
ORDERED, That Mr. Hancock, Mr. Spooner, Mr. Otis, Major Hawley, and Mr. Greenleaf, be a Committee to wait upon His Excellency Sir Francis Bernard, Baronet, with the following Answer to his Message of 28th of June last.
THOMAS CUSHING, Speaker.
May it please your EXCELLENCY,
By your Message to this House of the 28th June last, we are informed, that his Majesty has been pleased by his Sign Manual, to signify to you his Will and Pleasure that you repair to Great-Britain, to lay before him the State of this Province. We are bound in Duty at all Times, and we do more especially at this Time chearfully acquiesce in the lawful Command of our Sovereign : It is a particular Satisfaction to us that his Majesty has been pleased to order a true State of this Province to be laid before him : for we have abundant Reason to be assured that when his Majesty shall be made fully acquainted with the great and alarming Grievances which his truly loyal Subjects here have suffered thro' your Administration, and the Injuries they have sustained in their Reputation, as well as every important Interest, he will in his great Clemency and Justice frown upon and for ever remove from his Trust all those who by wickedly misinforming his Ministers, have attempted to deceive even his Majesty himself.
Your Excellency is best acquainted with the Part you have acted ; your own Letters have enabled this House and the Publick, in some Measure to form a Judgment. And while you will necessarily be employed as this House conceives, in setting your own Conduct in the most favourable Light before his Majesty, we are perswaded we shall be able to answer for ourselves and our Constituents, to the Satisfaction of our Sovereign whenever we shall be called to it.
You are pleased to communicate to the House an Instruction for the Appropriation of the Salary granted to his Majesty's Governor during such Time as he may be absent from the Colony : But as we are not 'made to understand' that your Excellency will be continued in your Office as Governor of the Province after your expected Departure from it, the House cannot in Faithfulness to their Constituents make an unprecedented Grant of this Money for Services which we have no Reason to expect will ever be performed.
Your Excellency must be fully sensible that the People of this Province have never failed in Duty to his Majesty, to make ample Provision for the Support of his Government. You will be pleased to remember that you are fully paid to the Second of August next, before the Expiration of which Time you will embark for Great-Britain. We shall then make the necessary Provision 'for the Support of the Dignity of the Government,' and when his Majesty shall be graciously pleased to appoint another Governor, we trust this People will be ready, as they ever have been to grant him an ample Salary, proportioned to their own Abilities, and suitable to his Station and Merit. These are the only Considerations which ought to have any Weight with this House in granting the People's Money for the Support of a Governor,---His Majesty's 49th Instruction now before the House, and to which you refer us, is a Rule for your Excellency, but we conceive, was never intended for the House of Representatives---We have however the Pleasure of observing, that your Excellency is not at all restrained by it, from signing any Bills, or other Matters that may be laid before you, at any Time preceding the Grant of a Salary for the Support of Government, and therefore we have a just Right to expect that you will not upon that Account retard such publick Business now before you, as his Majesty's Service and the Welfare of the People indispensibly requires.
Thursday last his Excellency the Governor was pleased to send the following Message to the House of Representatives, viz.
Gentlemen of the House of Representatives,
I hereby communicate to you an Extract of a Letter I have received some Time ago from General GAGE, desiring that I would lay before you the Accounts of the Expenditures incurr'd by Quartering His MAJESTY's Troops at Boston, that Funds may be provided for discharging the same. I accordingly lay before you the said Accounts, as communicated to me by Col. ROBERTSON, together with a Copy of a Letter from him upon the Subject.
The Vouchers referred to in the said Letter are in the Hands of Col. Joseph Goldthwait, who will produce the same to your Order. I desire that you will take these Accounts into your Consideration, and provide proper Funds for discharging the same, so far at least as you are required by Law.
I am also desired by the General to make a Requisition to you, that Provision may be made for the further Quartering His Majesty's Forces in the Town of Boston, and Castle-Island, according to Act of Parliament.--- This Provision was made for the 65th Regiment whilst it was quartered in the Castle-Island, by my Order, with the Advice of Council. But now the General Court is sitting, it is proper that you should take Order in this Business, and especially in providing Funds for that Purpose, without which further Provision cannot be made. I desire you would act thereupon as soon as you can, as I understand that the Quartering the 29th Regiment in the Castle Barracks is delay'd for want of it.
July 6, 1769.
FRA. BERNARD.
Yesterday His Excellency the Governor was pleased to send the following Message to the House of Representatives, viz.
Gentlemen of the House of Representatives,
As the Session is drawing to a Conclusion, I must desire that you will give an Answer to my Message of Thursday last, and that you will distinguish between the Charges arising from the hiring Barracks and furnishing them, and the Charges of purchasing such Provisions as are directed by Act of Parliament to be provided by the Province; and that you will also give an Answer, whether you will or will not establish Funds for the future supplying Provisions, according to Act of Parliament, to the Troops quartered in Barracks in the Town of Boston, or which have or may be quartered in the Provincial Barracks on the Castle-Island, or either of them. And I desire that you will be explicit and distinct in these Particulars, that there may be no Mistake in the Report of your Resolutions On these Heads,
In my former Message I omitted to inform you that the Barracks on Castle-Island will not conveniently hold a Regiment without an additional Building for Officers Rooms ;-- the want of such a Building has been enquired into by the Commissary and found to be real; and an Estimate of the Expence has been made, which I understand amounts to Two Hundred and sixty Pounds.
I desire that you will take this also into your Consideration, and let me know your Resolution thereupon.
July 22, 1769.
FRA. BERNARD.
What sub-type of article is it?
Politics
Military
What keywords are associated?
Massachusetts Politics
Governor Bernard
House Representatives
Troop Quartering
British Troops
Boston Barracks
Colonial Grievances
What entities or persons were involved?
Sir Francis Bernard
Thomas Cushing
John Hancock
Mr. Spooner
Mr. Otis
Major Hawley
Mr. Greenleaf
General Gage
Col. Robertson
Col. Joseph Goldthwait
Where did it happen?
Boston, Province Of Massachusetts Bay
Domestic News Details
Primary Location
Boston, Province Of Massachusetts Bay
Event Date
July 1769
Key Persons
Sir Francis Bernard
Thomas Cushing
John Hancock
Mr. Spooner
Mr. Otis
Major Hawley
Mr. Greenleaf
General Gage
Col. Robertson
Col. Joseph Goldthwait
Outcome
house refuses to fund governor's absent salary; governor requests funds for past and future troop quartering expenses and barracks improvements costing 260 pounds; no resolution reported.
Event Details
The House of Representatives, via a committee, delivered a message to Governor Bernard acquiescing in his recall to Britain but criticizing his administration and grievances suffered under it; they decline to appropriate his salary during absence, citing no expectation of his return. Governor Bernard messages the House to provide funds for quartering British troops in Boston and Castle Island per parliamentary acts, including accounts from General Gage and Col. Robertson, and requests provisions for future quartering and barracks expansion.