The Journal of the Commons House of Assembly

136 COMMONS JOURNAL, FEBRUARY 27, 1758–MARCH 18, 1758The Committee are of Opinion that if a Sum Not Exceeding £20,000were taken out of the Monies provided to pay the said Regiment and Applydfor Encouraging and fitting out a Party of Indians for his Assistance andDefraying all Charges incident thereto, the design and Intentions of this inPassing the said Law would be better Answered and a greater Advantage accrueto his Majestys Service.The Said Report being read a Second time was agreed to by the House.Ordered That an Answer be prepared to his Excellency[s] said Message.And Accordingly the following One was drawn, Viz.May it please your Excellency,As the People of this Province are already burthen’d with Taxes heavierthan they can well bear under their present Circumstances not only from theGreat Reduction in the Prices of the severall Commodities produced in thisProvince, but from the Large Grants made to His Majesty for the severalExtraordinary Services following, Viz., For the General Service of NorthAmerica, For fortifying this Province, For building and Supporting FortLoudoun, For raising a Regiment, For building Barracks and otherNecessarys for His Majestys Forces, For maintaining the Acadians & Prisonersof War & for Indian Expences; we Cannot provide for Raising the Summention’d in Your Excellency’s Message of Yesterday to Engage a LargeNumber of the Cherokee Indians to Join the Forces under the Commandof his Excellency the Earl of Loudoun. However as the Design of the Legislatureof this Province in Granting a Large Sum of Money to raise a Regimentwas that 500 of them Shoud Act in the General Cause and be Subjectto Lord Loudoun’s Command & as the raising of a Regiment in this Provincehas been found Impracticable, And as His Lordship is so Earnest &thinks it so Essential & necessary to the Success of the Opperations of theEnsuing Campaign, that a Party of the said Indians shou’d be Sent to Virginia,we are willing That a Sum not Exceeding £20,000, be taken out of theMonies provided to Raise the said Regiment & applied for Encouraging &fitting out a Party of the said Indians to Join his Majesty’s Forces & for Defrayingall Charges that may be incedent thereto; In doeing which, in ourOpinion, the Intentions of the Legislature in raising the said Regiment maybe better answ’d & a Greater Advantage Accrue to his Majestys Service.And we Intreat your Excellency That Nothing may be promis’d to beGiven the said Indians upon their return from War, as they have not hithertobeen used to be paid for the time they were absent from Home, & whichwou’d not only inhance the Expence, but may Establish a bad Precedentamong all our Indian Allies.Ordered that the said Answer be presented to his Excellency by Mr.Laurens.