The Journal of the Commons House of Assembly

420 COMMONS JOURNAL, JULY 2, 1759–JULY 14, 1759Resolv’d, That the Committee who were appointed to visit the PublicTreasurer’s Office, at stated Times to take an Account of such Orders andTax Certificates as are brought in after the Time appointed for their passingcurrent is elaps’d, and to cause the same to be cancelled and filed, readyto be burnt when a Committee shall be appointed to meet a Committee ofthe Council for that purpose; be revived.And then the House adjourned till to-morrow Morning, Ten of theClock.Wednesday the 11th Day of July 1759.The Journal of Yesterday’s Proceedings was read.A Message from the Governor, by Mr. Bassnett.Mr. Speaker and Gentlemen,I have receiv’d with surprize and concern your Message of the 9th Instantand I think I shou’d not do my Duty if I did not exhort you to reconsiderthe Subject matter of it. I readily acknowledge that during the presentWar your Taxes have been heavier than usual, but notwithstanding that, Ihave the happiness to see the Province in a most flourishing State, and donot perceive any Symptoms of Poverty and Decay among You. I cannot thereforediscern that you are under any necessity of not complying with HisMajesty’s desires, on that Account, nor can I be of opinion that because theOperations of the Campaign are already enter’d upon it is therefore uselessor impracticable to raise or continue a Regiment in the Pay of this Province.On the contrary the probability is, that, as long as the Campaign lasts, theemployment of such a Corps may be found useful and necessary. And, withrespect to the practicability of raising it, I doubt not that in two or threeMonths it may be augmented to the number of five or six hundred Men, ifnot compleated, partly by engaging Deserters to return to their Colours witha promise of pardon, and partly by putting the Act for taking up Vagrantsin Execution, and giving a proper Bounty Money to new Recruits. But, thatyou may see how far it imports your own Security to comply with the PropositionI made to you in my last Message I send you herewith some Papers Ireceiv’d the 9th Instant by which you will perceive that the Cherokees haveat length made Incursions into this Province and slaughter’d some of it’sInhabitants: And it will also appear to you by what means the French areendeavouring to animate those People against us. The three hundred Menwhich You acquaint me you have resolved to enable me to keep on foot arebut barely sufficient, with the Independent Companies, for necessary Guardsand Garrisons, and, shou’d the Cherokees renew their Inroads, I shall beunable to restrain their Violences, and afford protection to the Back-Settle-