The New Hampshire Gazette And Historical Chronicle

BOSTON. February 2.

Last Saturday a Committee of the Honorable House of Representatives waited upon his Excellency the Governor with the following ANSWER to his SPEECH at the opening of the present Session, viz.

May it please your Excellency,

OUR Speech to both Houses of the General Assembly, at the opening of the present Session, has been duly considered by the House of Representatives.

Your Excellency is pleased to recommend "the Support of the authority of the Government, the maintenance of the honor of the Province, and the promotion of the welfare of the People, as the chief objects of our consultations."

By the Authority of the Government, this House understand, the charter rights and powers of the Great and General Court or Assembly of this Province, and the several Branches of the same ; and the powers by which the Civil Officers of the Province are by law vested. While the members of that Assembly firmly maintain those rights and powers, and the body of the people steadily and vigorously sustain and protect the civil officers in the exercise of the respective powers, in the full execution of the good laws of the province. and the discharge of their several trusts. whether judiciary or ministerial, we apprehend the authority of the Government is then supported :

It is necessary for the support of this authority, that the House of Representatives well inform themselves of the true extent of those Rights and Powers, and sacredly adhere to their own Rights as one branch of the legislature : That they zealously assert the Rights of their constituents, the people of this province ; without transgressing the bounds of their own power, or invading the rights and prerogatives of the other branches of the Assembly : And that they endeavor, that the body of the people be also well acquainted with their own natural and constitutional rights and privileges ; and the liberty, safety, peace and happiness which they will not fail to enjoy, while the General Assembly is protected in the due exercise of their rights and powers, and the laws of the land have their free course, and are faithfully and impartially executed. This, may it please your Excellency, being our own apprehension of the authority of the Government, and its support, we shall always greatly rejoice to find your Excellency exciting and animating us in the discharge of this important duty : As it would be unpardonable in us ever to lose sight of it, your Excellency, may be assured, that we shall always make the support of the authority of the Government one great object of our consultations.

Upon this occasion we cannot forbear to observe to your Excellency, with concern, that when the two Houses were directed to attend your Excellency in the Council-Chamber, at a time when none but the General Assembly and their servants are intended to be present, his Honor the Lieut. Governor was pleased to appear in General Assembly; and there continue till the House returned to their Chamber, while your Excellency was not only in the Province, but actually in the Chair :

We are of opinion that this conduct is not supportable by any precedent ; but should there be found, upon searching ancient records, any instance of the kind, it is not only in itself an impropriety, but repugnant to the constitution,and the letter of the charter ; which declares the Great & General Court to consist of the Governor, and Council or Assistants for the time being, and such Freeholders of the Province as shall be from time to time elected or deputed by the major part of the Freeholders and other Inhabitants qualified by the royal charter to give their votes. If the honorable Gentleman was introduced by your Excellency, we apprehend that the happiest means of supporting the authority of the Government or maintaining the honor of the province were not consulted therein : But if he came in and took a seat of his own motion, we are constrained to say, that it affords a new and additional instance of ambition and a lust of power, to what we have heretofore observed.

If your Excellency in recommending to our consultations the support of the authority of the Government, intends that the executive power is become weak & calls for the aid of the legislative ; and that an ill temper and a factious spirit so far prevails in the province, as to require severer methods, we can with great satisfaction inform you otherwise : Your Excellency may be assured, that a disposition in the people to yield all due obe-
dience to his Majesty's authority and the laws of this province, renders it altogether unnecessary that any extraordinary methods should be taken for that purpose. And as the welfare of the peo- ple so much depends upon it, we have just reason to expect that every branch of the legislature will take the most effectual measures to remove from the mind of our Sovereign such unfavourable esti- ments of the Province, as have been occasioned by the malignant whispers of its enemies.

We cannot promise your Excellency there will be no disagreement or diversity of sentiments in matters of importance that may come before the General Court : This is scarcely to be expected in a free Assembly : In such cases, this House, as they ever have, will still consider their own honor concerned, to debate with candor, and to decide with judgment : While the true end of govern- ment is kept in view, and invariably pursued in the several departments of it, the honor of the province and the welfare of the people will be maintained and promoted, and there can be no room for dissatisfaction.

Had your Excellency any command from his Majesty to lay before us, we should attend to it with the utmost loyalty and respect ; being fully persuaded that our gracious Sovereign will require of us nothing but what is just and wise : When you shall be pleased to communicate to us any proposal of your own, we shall duly consider its nature, importance and tendency, and act agree- able to the best light of our own understanding.

On Friday last a Committee of the Honorable House of Representatives waited on his Excellency the Governor with the following Message.

May it please your Excellency,

THE House of Representatives beg to be in- formed by your Excellency, Whether any provision has been made, at the Expence of this Government, for his Majesty's troops lately ar- rived in this Harbour, and by whom? And also, Whether your Excellency has reason to expect the arrival of any more, to be quartered in this Province.

To which his Excellency was pleased the same Day to send them the following Answer.

Gentlemen of the House of Representatives,

IN answer to your Message of this day, I send you a copy of the minutes of Council, by which provision for the Artillery Company at the Castle, in pursuance of the late Act of Parliament, was made.

I intended to lay the matter before you, and had given orders for an account of the present ex- pence to be made out for that purpose ; which having received since your Message came to me, I hereby communicate.

I have received no advice whatever, of any other troops being to be quartered in this Province, nor have I any reason to expect the arrival of such, except from common report, to which I gave little credit.