pretend, of some harsh expressions, he had therefore some thought of proposing no other Oath than that appointed by Law to be taken, instead of the Oath of Allegiance. * * * Then His Honor caused the aforesaid order to the Deputies to be read to the Board, who, having approved thereof, Resolved that the said order should be transmitted to the Deputies forthwith, to assemble the inhabitants at this fort against Saturday next, being the 16th instant, and that the Oath appointed by law to be taken instead of that of Allegiance should be then tendered to them; and that he should embrace the first opportunity of a vessel that could be hired to proclaim his Majesty throughout the Government. * L. ARMSTRONG, Lieut. Govr. OTHO HAMILTON Sec. * * At a Council held at the Lieut. Governor's house in His Majesty's fort of Annapolis Royal on Saturday the 16th of September 1727 a. m, PRESENT The Honble. Lieut. Governor of the Province, John Adams Esq., William Skene Esq,+ Christr. Aldridge Esq., Joseph Bennett Esq., John Blower Esq., An answer to the Lieut. Govrs order of the 12th instant to the Deputies to assemble the inhabitants this day at the fort to take the Oaths to His most Sacred Majesty King George the 2nd, read, but not being subscribed, it was returned to the three Deputies who presented it, who were ordered to attend at 3 o'clock in the afternoon, together with the inhabitants, and then adjourned the Board to that time. P. M. Met according to adjournment. The Deputies being admitted presented again the aforesaid paper subscribed by about seventy one of the inhabitants, to His Honor, who desired the Board to take the same into consideration and to give their opinions thereupon. *John Adams came from Boston. His appointment to the Council bears date April 28th, 1720. He administered the Government, as senior Councillor, on the death of Governor Armstrong, from December, 1739, until May following. He returned to Boston in 1740, with the consent of the Council, having been compelled from blindness to relinquish his duties at Annapolis. He afterwards petitioned the British Government for some small remuneration for his services while in command, being then reduced almost to a state of poverty. — N. S. Council Books; Governor's Letters. † Mr. Skene was a physician. The others were officers of the garrison. The Board having considered and advised upon the said paper, resolved that the said paper is insolent rebellious and highly disrespectful to His Majesty's authority and Government, that His Honor would therefore please to tender the Oaths to the inhabitants, and in case of refusal to commit the ring leaders to prison, whereupon His Honor desired the three Deputies Abraham Bourg, Charles Landry and Guillaume Bourgois to be admitted and having tendered them the Oaths, severally, they refused to take them on any other terms than those set forth in their answer; then Francis Richards who had voluntarily taken the Oaths to His late Majesty, being called in, he likewise refused to take them to his present Majesty, as did four or five more; the rest of the inhabitants having withdrawn themselves without coming to the fort or seeing the Lieut. Governor. Ordered that the three Deputies Abraham Bourg, Charles Landry, and Guillaume Bourgois as also Francis Richards, for their contempt and disrespect to His Majesty's Government and authority, be committed to prison, and that the other inhabitants for having refused the Oaths to His Majesty, shall be debarred from fishing upon the British Coasts, till His Majesty's further pleasure shall be known concerning them, pursuant to the 13th Article of Governor Philipps' instructions. * * * * * * L. ARMSTRONG, Lieut. Govr. OTHO HAMILTON * Sec. Met at the same place according to yesterdays minute on Sunday, the 17th of September 1727. PRESENT The Honble. Lieut. Governor and the same members as then. His Honor represented to the Board that the three Deputies in prison had been guilty of several enormous crimes in Assembling the inhabitants in a riotous manner Contrary to the orders of the Government both as to time and place, and likewise in framing a rebellious paper which they, instead of complying with his orders to assemble the inhabitants at this Captain Hamilton was afterwards Governor of the Fort of Placentia, in Newfoundland, and attained the rank of Major. fort, signed and delivered in, as their final resolution to take no Oaths but upon their own terms. Taken into consideration the aforesaid Deputies behaviour in assembling the inhabitants the day before the time, and above two miles from the place appointed and resolved that Charles Landry, Guillaume Bourgois and Francis Richards, for their said offence, and likewise for refusing the oath of fidelity to His Majesty which was duly tendered them, be remanded to prison, laid in irons, and there remain till His Majesty's pleasure shall be known concerning them, and That Abraham Bourg, in consideration of his great age, shall have leave to retire out of this His Majesty's Province, according to his desire and promise by the first opportunity, leaving his effects behind him. * OTHO HAMILTON Sec. * * * L. ARMSTRONG At a Council held at the Honble. Lieut. Governor Armstrong's house on Monday the 13th November 1727 PRESENT The Honble. Lieut. Governor of the Province John Adams Esq, Joseph Bennett Esq, John Blower Esq. Ensign Robert Wroth delivered into the Board the Journal and account of his proceeding and transaction up the Bay at Mines and Checanectou &c, which was read. Then the Honble. Lieut. Governor Cosby moved that his instructions from Governor Armstrong might be read, as also the Oaths taken by the inhabitants on the Articles and concessions granted by him, which being read, the Board after some debate voted that the said Articles and Concessions are unwarrantable and dishonorable to His Majesty's Government and Authority, and consequently null and void, and that the Lieut. Governor of the Province be desired not to ratify and confirm the same. Then Mr. Wroth was called in, and asked how he came to grant such Articles answered that he had in every respect acted according to the best of his knowledge, and as he thought for the good of His Majesty's service. * Resolved that the inhabitants of the places aforesaid, having signed and proclaimed His Majesty and thereby acknowledged his title and authority to and over this Province, shall have the liberties and privileges of English subjects and that the trade to and from those parts be open until His Majesty's pleasure therein shall be known. * * * * * Then a motion was made by the Honble. Lt. Govr. Cosby that the inhabitants be admitted to take the Oath of Allegiance to His most Sacred Majesty King George, upon their requiring the same of any member of the Board. * * OTHO HAMILTON, Sec. * * * * * * * L. ARMSTRONG Lieut. Governor. Governor Armstrong to Secretary of State. May it please your Grace. * * * * ANNAPOLIS ROYAL Novr. 17th 1727. * I laid before the Board the Reports of two of the officers whom I had commissioned and sent to Mines and Checanectou to invite the people there to a due submission and obedience to the Government by swearing allegiance to His Majesty, which was a duty I thought I had a seasonable opportunity to press them to, on the conclusion of a War which their friends the Indians had managed with very ill success. I likewise laid before them the Inhabitants' answer, copies of which accompany the duplicate of my last. The Council was of opinion that both their answers but especially that of Checanectou was full of Insolence and contempt. However being resolved to act with as little precipitation as possible I moved that the Secry. should write them a Civil letter to invite the principal men among them hither in order to reason with them on their undutiful behaviour, and to convince them if possible of the folly and danger of persisting in their disobedience with so much obstinacy; but this had no other effect than to make their contempt of the Government more manifest; and I am sorry to tell your Grace that this proceeds very much from the base suggestions of one or two Traders who have left no stone unturned to render my actions black, and designs abortive to the great prejudice of His Majesty's service and interest here. None of the inhabitants appearing here on the aforesaid letter, I thought it was high time to do something to raise the authority of the Government which was sunk so low and become contemptible by their having escaped hitherto with impunity notwithstanding their having committed so many villanies and robberies as would be endless to relate. * * * I must now beg your Grace's leave to open a new scene of matters that happened upon the death of his late Majesty of blessed memory. After I had proclaimed his present Majesty, King George the 2nd both in Town and Garrison, with the usual solemnity, I tendered to both officers and soldiers the oaths appointed by law, which they took very cheerfully, and having summoned the Council, it was agreed to tender them likewise to the French Inhabitants of this River who had taken them to the late King, but be cause some malicious people had insinuated that the Oath taken by them to his late Majesty was conceived in such rigid terms that it was unjust to exact it of Roman Catholics, who on the other hand would unanimously concur to take the Oath of Allegiance; it was therefore thought meet to tender the same to them translated into French as follows vizt: Je promets & jure sincèrement que je serai fidèle & obéirai véritablement à sa Majesté Le Roy George Second. Ainsi Dieu me soit en aide. The Deputies desired me to set a day to assemble the Inhabitants at the Fort and to give them an order for that purpose, which I ordered to be drawn and the same being read and examined in Council, was approved of and ordered to be forwarded to the Deputies Bourg Landry & Bourgeois, but they instead of complying there with assembled the people two days successively up the River, where instead of persuading them to their duty by solid arguments of which they were not incapable, they frightened and terrified them, by representing the Oath so strong and binding that neither they nor their children should ever shake off the yoke, so that by their example and insinuations the whole body of the people almost to a man refused them, but upon certain conditions set forth in a paper the deputies presented me with, whereof I send your Grace a Copy No. 5, (annexed to my order) which, being read in Council was judged so very insolent & undeserved at their hands, that it was ordered that Landry and Bourgois should be sent to prison, and laid in Irons as Ringleaders, where they continued some days, but were at last admitted to bail till His Majesty's pleasure therein should be |