The New Hampshire Gazette And Historical Chronicle

BOSTON, April 29.

The House of Representatives in the late Session of the General Assembly, having on the second Day come to a Resolution not to Address the Governor on his Appointment to the Chair, proceeded to consider his Excellency's Speech to both Houses at the Opening of the Session And a Committee for that Purpose reported the following Answer, which was agreed to by the House, and sent up by Mr. Hancock, Mr. Samuel Adams, Mr. Ingersoll; of Great Barrington, Capt. Brown; and Capt. Derby, viz.

May it please your Excellency.

The House of Representatives have given all due Attention to your Speech to both Houses at the Opening of this Session. The violent Proceedings of the Spanish Governor of Buenos Ayres in disposing his Majesty's Subjects of their Settlement at Port Egmont, has raised the Indignation of all who have a just Concern for the Honour of the British Crown. Such an Act of Hostility, we conceive, could not be allowed with the most spirited Resolution on the Part of the British Administration, to obtain a Satisfaction fully adequate to the insult offered to his Majesty, and the Injuries his Subjects there have sustained. Your. Excellency tells us. that it is probable Satisfaction may have been made for this hostile Act of the Spaniards : If it is so, the public Tranquility of his Majesty's Dominions, so far as it has been disturbed, by the unwarrantable Proceedings, is again restored: and therefore it seems to us reasonable to suppose, that this proposed Plan of Augmentation of Troops on the British Establishment is already receded from ; which renders any Consideration upon that Subject on our Part unnecessary.

We owe our Gratitude to his Majesty for his repeated Assurances expressed to your Excellency by his Secretary of State, that the Security of his Dominions in America will be a principal Object of his most gracious Care and Attention. This Province has frequently in Times past expended much Blood and Treasure for the Enlargement as well as Support of those Dominions : And when our Natural and Constitutional Rights and Liberties, without which no Blessing can be secure to us, shall be fully restored and established upon a firm foundation, as we shall then have the same Reasons and Motives therefor as heretofore, we shall not fail to continue those Exertions with the utmost Cheerfulness; and to the Extent of our Ability.

As your Excellency has no particular interior Business of the Province to lay before us, it would have given us no Uneasiness, if an End had been put to the present Assembly, rather than to have been called to this Place : And we are unwilling to admit the Belief, that when the Season for calling a new Assembly agreeable to the Charter shall arrive, your Excellency will continue an Indignity, and a Grievance so flagrant and so repeatedly remonstrated by both Houses, as the deforcement of the General Assembly of its ancient and rightful Seat.

Your Excellency is pleased to acquaint us in form, that you have received his Majesty's Commission appointing you Captain General and Commander in Chief in and over the Province. Your having had your Birth and Education in this Province, and obtained the highest Honours which your fellow-Subjects could bestow,cannot fail to be the strongest Motives with your Excellency to employ those Powers which you are now vested with, for his Majesty's real Service and the best. Interest of this People.--The Duties of the Governor and the Governed are reciprocal : And by our happy constitution their Dependence is mutual : Nothing can more effectually produce and establish that Order and Tranquility in the Province. so often disturbed under the late unfortunate Administration : Nothing will tend more to conciliate the Affections of this People, and ensure to your Excellency those Aids which you will constantly stand in need of from their Representatives, than, as a wise and faithful Administrator, to make use of the public Power with a View only to the public Welfare i And while your Excellency shall religiously regard the Constitution of this Province ; while you shall maintain its fundamental Laws. so necessary to secure the public Tranquility, you may be assured, that his Majesty's faithful Commons of this Province will never be wanting in their utmost Exertions to support you in all such Measures as shall be calculated for- the public Good, and to render your Administration prosperous and happy.
BOSTON. April 29.

On Thursday the 25th of April a Motion was made that a Message-be sent up to his Excellency the Governor, to pray that he would be pleased to inform the House, Whether any Provision was made for his Support.as Governor of the Province; independent of his Majesty's Commons in it : And the Reasons for the Motion being explained, wherein the Danger to be apprehended from such an Independency, as it would destroy the Balance of Power and Influence, between the several Branches of the Legislative Body of the Province, and the just Grounds of Jealousy that it had actually taken Effect, were set forth : whereupon a Committee was appointed to consider the Motion i who the next Day reported the following Message, which was accepted in the House and sent up by Mr. Samuel Adams, Brigadier Ruggles, Mr. Hearsey, Col. Bowers and Mr. Godfrey, viz.:

May it please your Excellency,

The House of Representatives after Enquiry of the Secretary cannot be made certain whether you have yet given your Assent to two Bills which were laid before your Excellency early in this Session : The one for granting the Sum of Five Hundred and Six Pounds for your Services when Lieut. Governor and Commander in Chief; and the other for granting the usual Sum of Thirteen Hundred Pounds to enable your Excellency, as Governor, to carry on the Affairs of this Province. - And as your Excellency was not pleas'd to give your Assent to another Bill pass'd in the last Session of this Assembly, for granting the Sum of Three Hundred and Twenty five Pounds for your Services, when in the Chair, as Lieut. Governor, the House are apprehensive that you are under some Restraint ; and they cannot account for it upon any other Principle, but your having Provision for you Support,in some new and unprecedented Manner. If the Apprehensions of the House are not groundless, they are solicitous to be made certain of it, before an End is put to the present Session : and think it their Duty to pray your Excellency to inform them, whether any Provision is made for your Support, as Governor of this Province, independent of his Majesty's Commons in it.
The same Day, the House (having before passed a Bill for the better regulating the Militia of the Province) for the Encouragement of the young Gentlemen, Students of Harvard-College, who appear to be ambitious of excelling in Military Skill, so necessary to be inculcated at this Time, agreed upon another Message to his Excellency the Captain General & Governor of the Province ; and sent up the same by Mr. Pickering, Brigadier Ruggles, Capt. Dix, Dr. Holten and Major Gallison, viz.:

May it please your Excellency,

The House having a Disposition at all Times and on all Occasions to encourage every Art and Science tending to the well-being of this Province take the Liberty to Address your Excellency and to desire you would be pleased to give Order that one Hundred of the Province Arms may be deposited in Cambridge for the Use of such Students of Harvard College as may be disposed to acquaint themselves with the Art Military, and to be under the Care of the Governors of said College during your Excellency's Pleasure.
His Excellency the Governor on the same Day was pleased to send down to the House the following Message by the Secretary, viz.

Gentlemen of the House of Representatives,

Could not consistent with my Duty to the King, give my Assent to the Bill passed the last Session for granting Three Hundred and twenty five Pounds for my Support. Before the Close of the present Session I shall assent to or reject the Bills which shall have passed the two Houses, as it shall appear to me the same Duty requires of me.

You are solicitous to be informed whether any Provision is made for my Support as Governor of the Province independent of his Majesty's Commons in it. By the Expression His Majesty's Commons, I suppose you would be understood to intend the House of Representatives. I must observe to you that the King, Lords and Commons, our Supreme Legislature, have determined it to be expedient to enable his' Majesty to make a certain and adequate Provision for the Support of the Civil Government in the Colonies as his Majesty shall judge necessary.

I will not enter into a Dispute with you upon the Propriety of this Provision. It may not however be amiss to acquaint you that I have not received the full Instructions and other Appendages to His Majesty's Commission which I have Reason to expect. When I shall receive them I will communicate such Part of them to the House of Representatives, as I shall think for his Majesty's Service.

In the mean Time I am the only Sufferer by declining or delaying my Assent to any Bills for my Support, and I think your Constituents will not blame me for being willing to avoid burdening them with this Support by the Increase of the Tax upon their Polls and Estates whilst there is any Probability that it may have been provided for in another Way.

Cambridge, 25th April, 1771.

T. HUTCHINSON.