The Virginia Gazette

BOSTON, January 14.

Thursday last the Great and General Court of Assembly of this Province met here, when his Honour the Lieutenant Governor was pleased to make the following SPEECH to both Houses, viz.

Gentlemen of the Council, and House of Representatives,

Assembly, that so you might attend the publick Business at a Season of the Year when I imagined your private Affairs would suffer the least Inconvenience by your Absence from Home: This causes your coming together to be somewhat later than usual: I hope therefore that with Application and Unanimity you will give the greater Dispatch to the Affairs that may come before you.

I am glad I can acquaint you, that no Hostilities have been offer'd us by the Indians upon the Frontiers since the Rising of the Court: The Tribes of Penobscot and Norridgewock deny their having had any Share in the late Rupture, and express their Desire to continue in Peace with Us.

I shall endeavour to obtain Satisfaction for the Injuries done to us by the other Tribes, who live near the Borders of Canada; and to bring them again into a State of Friendship, if it can be done consistent with the Honour of the Government.

I have written to the Governor of Canada, complaining of the Encouragement given by the French to those Indians to molest us, and demanding a Release of our Captives; who I am informed were carried to St. Francois, and expected Captain Stevens would have gone forward with my Letters, but the Season was so far advanced that he imagined the Lake would be full of Ice, before he could return: and therefore he deferred his Journey; and I suppose is setting out from the Fort at Number Four about this Time.

The French not only employ the Indians in Alliance with them to disturb our Settlements, but are likewise endeavouring to draw off to their Interest the Six-Nations, the ancient Allies of the English. and to engage them against us.- -I shall order to be laid before you a Letter on this Subject, which I have received from his Excellency Governor Clinton ; by which you will perceive he proposes to meet those Indians at Albany the first Week in June next; and desires the other Governments to join with New-York, in endeavouring to remove the ill Impressions that have been made by the French.

It is the Unhappiness of the English Governments, that some of them look upon themselves to be no Ways concerned with this Affair, and will not join with the Rest in their Measures against the continual Attempts of our Rivals : On the other Hand the French, tho' so much inferior to the English, have a just Sense of their Interest, steadily pursue it, and are successful in their Endeavours, continually drawing off the Indians from our Friendship, and instilling into their Minds Prejudices against us. I acknowledge we are not so immediately concerned as the Governments of New-York and Pennsylvania; but yet the Defection of those Nations would in its Consequences extremely affect not only this Province, but the whole British Interest in America : I therefore recommend this Affair to your serious Consideration.

Gentlemen of the House of Representatives,

You will find that there are greater Demands on the Treasury than your last Supply will answer; and I doubt not you will think it needful to make further Provision.

Gentlemen of the Council and House of Representatives,

I shall cheerfully concur with you in any good and wholesome Laws or Orders that may be necessary for the further Encouragement of Industry and Frugality, for increasing the Produce and Manufacture, and for regulating the Trade of the Province.

S. PHIPS.