The New Hampshire Gazette And Historical Chronicle

Wednesday last the General Court attended at the Meeting-House in Cambridge in the Forenoon, the Rev. Mr. Cooke of Menotomy, preached from Nehemiah 9:36. "Behold, we are servants this day, and for the land that thou gavest to our fathers, to eat the fruit thereof, and the good thereof, and yet we are servants in it,---And it yieldeth much increase unto the kings whom thou hast set over us, because of our sins also they have dominion over our bodies, and over our cattle, at their pleasure, and we are in great distress."

In the Afternoon, the Rev. Mr. Appleton of Cambridge, preached from Psalm, cxliii. last Clause of v 8.- "Cause me to know the way whereon I should walk, for I lift up my soul unto thee."

The next Day the House met, and proceeded to the Consideration.
Continuation of the Report of the Committee appointed to consider his Honor's Speech to both Houses; the Substance of which Report was, that it was for the Interest of the Province that the House still adhere to their former Resolution not to proceed to the public Business. After some Debate upon the Question, Whether to accept this Report, it was moved that the further Consideration of it be referred, and that in the mean time a Committee be appointed to prepare a Message to the Lieut. Governor, praying that his Honor would be pleased to explain a certain Passage in his Speech; and also that he would inform the House whether he had received any late Instructions with respect to the Continuance of the Assembly out of the Town of Boston, and Mr. Hancock, Mr. John Adams, Mr. Ingersoll, Mr. Samuel Adams, and Capt. Fuller, were appointed accordingly.

This Committee the same Day reported the following Draft, which was accepted by the House; and Mr. Hancock, Mr. Pickering, Capt. Heath, Mr. Wood, and Capt. Thayer, were appointed a Committee to present the same to his Honor, viz.

May it please your Honor,

THE House of Representatives having taken into Consideration your Speech to both Houses at the opening of this Session, beg leave to request your Honor to explain a part of it which is expressed in such terms as leave it uncertain in its true intent and meaning------The passage referred to, is that wherein you say,

"There are other affairs of a very interesting nature, which had not then come to our knowledge, and which may be determined before we can have another opportunity of acting upon them."

No such matters have come to the knowledge of this House; if they have been communicated to your Honor from his Majesty or his Ministers, we desire you would be pleased to lay them before us; that we may have a precise understanding of what your Honor intends, the want of which prevents our coming at present to any determination on your Speech.

The House are also very desirous that your Honor would inform them, whether you have received any late Instructions, agreeable to your expectation expressed in your Message to this House of the first of June last, relating to the continuance of this Assembly out of its ancient, legal and only convenient Place the Town-House in Boston.

To which Message his Honor was pleased to return the following Answer, viz.

Gentlemen of the House of Representatives,

I am not at Liberty to make public or communicate to you by Speech or Message an order of his Majesty's Council of the 6th of July last, but it appears to me, that in Consequence thereof the State of the Province of Massachusetts-Bay will undoubtedly be recommended to the consideration of Parliament in the approaching Session. This is the principal Matter of Moment to which my Speech at the opening of the Session of the General Court had respect. Although I am not at Liberty to lay this Order before you, yet I am very ready to give all the Information in my Power to any Committee you may think proper to appoint of the Facts & Ground upon which this Order is founded, so far as shall consist with my Instruction.

His Majesty has been pleased to cause to be expressed his entire Approbation of my summoning the Court to meet at Cambridge, I am restrained from removing it to Boston, but I am not confined to the Town of Cambridge. I am willing to meet the Court at any Town in the Province which shall appear to me to be most for the Convenience of the Members, and which shall not militate with the Spirit of my Instructions.

T. Hutchinson.

Cambridge, 4th of October, 1770.

The next Day, (Friday) Col. Murray, Col. Gerrish, Mr. John Adams, Brigadier Preble and Mr. Samuel Adams were appointed a Committee to consider the same and report.

In the Afternoon Col. Murray from the aforementioned Committee reported as their unanimous Opinion, That his Honor's Message did not afford that Light which the House requested in their Message to him; and that it appeared to the Committee from his Honor's Message, that he was restrained by Instruction, from communicating the same to the House in a Parliamentary Manner; And therefore that an address and remonstrance be prepared in answer to his Honor's Message of Yesterday, and a Committee be appointed for that Purpose, to report as soon as may be.----Whereupon Mr. John Adams, Mr. Samuel Adams, Mr. Hancock, Mr. David Ingersoll and Mr. Bullen were appointed.

Then the House entered into a consideration of the aforementioned Report of the Committee on his Honor's Speech to both Houses, and upon the Question being put, Whether the House do accept the report? It passed in the negative.

It was then moved that the Question be put, whether the House will proceed to the publick Business in the Town of Cambridge? And after Debate, a Motion was made that a Committee be chosen to prepare a Resolve to the following Purpose, viz. That it is from absolute Necessity only that the House proceed to Business; and also to prepare a Protest against the Restraint they are under to hold the Session out of the Town House in Boston, the same to be entered on the Journal. In Consequence of which Motion, Mr. Wood, Mr. Hancock, Brigadier Prebble, Mr Samuel Adams and Major Read of Marblehead, were appointed to prepare a Resolve and Protest: accordingly.