The New Hampshire Gazette

BOSTON. November 28.

Wednesday last the Great and General Court or Assembly of this Province met here: And on Thursday His Excellency the Governor was pleas'd to make the following SPEECH. viz.

Gentlemen of the Council, and House of Representatives,

WHEN I last met you. it was upon a sudden and alarming Emergency, to provide for such Expedients as might remove the Danger that was then upon the Country.

I now call upon you, at your usual Time of Meeting. to deliberate upon, and form such a permanent System of well-grounded Measures. as may not have the Country to the dangerous leaps of temporary Expedients and Shiftings off of Dangers when they are near ; but may found its being and its Well being'on such wise, steady and uniform Courses as may keep them far off.

When you see the Enemy possess'd of every Pass and Post, and Masters of the entire Water communication thro'out the whole Country ; you will see how firmly they hold the Command of the Continent : When you consider their Alliance and Ascendancy over the Savages ; you will see how firmly they hold the Command of every Indian on the Continent : When you consider this Command (as it is) united and effective in its Power ; and feel how great that Power is : what it has done, and it is prepared to do : If the Facts themselves will not convince you of the Danger you are in from the Enemy, my Word cannot. When you consider the State of this Country, whether it be not labouring almost to its utmost Strength under the Weight of Taxes ; and whether it be in any suitable or effectual State of Defence either in its Frontiers or its Militia ; in any State of Defence to which the Liberties, the Lives, the dear bought Property of the People can be faithfully intrusted ; If your own Eyes will not convince of the Danger you are in from your own helpless Condition ; my Words cannot.

If you are convinc'd of these interesting Truths. and it much imports the Safety of the Country that you, Gentlemen of the General Court, should be convinc'd. you will then by Law provide that your Frontiers may be effectually covered ; That your Militia may be a real and actual Defence. The Country has People, Spirit and Abilities - that an effectual Law adapted to our present Circumstances, to arm and form them is all that is wanting : This Remedy lies, Gentlemen. with you, and whether you will apply it or not, is your Business and not mine. Under the unhappy and defective State you are in, I can do my Duty, for I can do all that is in my Power: And all that is in my Power, however ineffectual that may be, I will do, to maintain and defend this Country. But if you will by Law provide for the effectual Execution of such Powers, as your ever valuable Charter gives you to use for your Defence, and the repelling of an Enemy that shall attempt or enterprise the Destruction or Invasion of the Province ; I will then from a Confidence in the Courage and Spirit of the People be answerable for the Safety and Well being of the Province.

I do not call upon you to go into Expeditions and offensive Measures, that I know would prove fruitless, that would waste the Treasure, and exhaust the Strength of the Province : I do not call upon you to fight for Parts of this Country, lest you lose the Whole ; I advise you to save your Strength, to collect your Force, to treasure up your Money, till God by the Course of his Providence shall call us forth, One and All to wreak his Vengeance on the Breakers of Peace, the Violators of Faith, the Enemies of Liberty, the French in Canada ; when that good Time shall come, we know that One and All, we are willing, one and all, we are able to destroy them. All that can be hoped at present, and all that I do hope from you under the Circumstances to which the Enemy and your Misfortunes have reduced you, is, that you will in the mean Time provide for the Defence of this Country that your Fathers have left you; and that you will not in the mean Time give up that good old Cause for which they have so often bled.

Gentlemen of the House of Representatives,

On these Principles I recommend to you in the first Place to examine into the State of this Defence, and to take Care. as far as comes within your Department, that no Monies be applied to useless or wasteful Measures ; that the Service of the People be not fraudulently or carelessly employed ; next, as your Taxes are'and must continue (while the Enemy thus prevails) very great and grievous, that you be not quite exhausted, to examine into the State of those Resources whence they arise ; and that you establish the sure and lasting Interest of the Country on that Trade which is founded in Oeconomy, which is founded in the Profits that arise from your own Produce. Labour and Exports.

To this End I shall lay before you such Matters of Information as are come to my Knowledge, and shall direct the Secretary to lay before you all such Papers as may be of Use in your Deliberations. I have directed him to lay before you the Earl of Loudoun's Letters to me, Proposing as a Plan whereby much may be saved to this Province, that I should send him some Companies of Rangers in lieu of the Troops now in the Pay of the Province at Fort Edward. And, I make no doubt, you will provide accordingly, as by this Measure, only Part will be expended of what must have been otherwise necessary to keep the Regiment till March, greater Part saved to the Province. By my Letter Measures I proposed to