Fryday X' the 19th 1729 A. M. The house met according to adjournment all present as Entred. Allowed Eleazer Rusell his account and allowance to Mr Gambling that was formerly £9:6:2 allowed for giving the oath of allegiance, £4: : In the house [P. 172.] Voted that the sume of seven hundred pounds of ye fourteen hundred pounds which by act is to be Brot into ye Treasury this yeare be Remitted for the Defraying the Charges of the Government which hath been allowed This sessions by the Generall assembly and that an act be Drawn up Requiring the payment of the same againe in the yeare' 1742 and that the remaining seven hundred pounds remaine in the Treasury till the further order or the Gen" ass James Jeffry Clr assm Voted In Councill Xr the 19th 1729. That the selectmen of the severall Towns within this Province be and hereby are Directed to take an Invoice of all the Poles and Rateable Estates within their Respective Towns and District and Report the same upon Oath at the next sessions of the Gen" assembly in order to a new Proportion of the Province Tax for the yeare 1731 and onward as the Gen" assembly shall see meet. R. Waldron Clr. con. The act for Postponing 700 lb to 1742 Read three times. and past and sent up A Messa pr mr cler. Waldron that his hon' the Livt Govorn' Required the attendance of the house att the Board accordingly the house went up. And the Livt Govornor PROROUG'D the Gen" Assembly to the Last Tuesday of May next. [P. 173.] April the 23d 1730 The Assembly met by order of the Livt Govern' and Councill Mr Speaker Wiggans Capt George Walker P'sent Mr John Sandburn Mr Bart Thing Paul Gerrish Esq. Capt Joshua Wingate Mr Rich Jennes A Qucrum being met and his hon' notified thereof his hon' the Liv Govornor Directed the house to attend in the Council chamb' Mr Speaker and the house went up: The Livt Govornor made a Speech of which Mr Speaker pray'd a Copy and Returned The purport of the Speech was of the advice of Mr. Belchers being made Govorner & Expected dayly & to compliment and make Provision for his receptance It was agreed on in the House that considering the Distemper at Boston and danger in going: that a letter would be acceptable & sufficient and a Mess sent to signifie the mind of the House A Mess came Down that the Board consented and signified that his hon' Intended to go himselfe and take two of the Councill with him: and hop'd that the assm would pay the charge [P. 174.] In the House &c Its the advice of the House that the Expences of his hon" the Liv Govornor and two of the Gentlemen of the Councill that goe with him to waite on his Excellencie after his arrival at Boston that their Expenses be paid out of the Publick Treasury and also that the Expences of the Gen" Assembly & Council that shall Waite upon his Excellencie at his arrivall into this Province as far as the line be paid out of the Publick Treasury: and Theo: Atkinson Esq and Mr. Ephraim Dennit be of the Comittee of this House to provide for the Entertainm' of his Excellencie & and to do it after they heare of his arrival at Boston and that the Treasurer suply them with money And then they were Dismissed James Jeffry Clr assm Prorouge by Proclamation to the 16: June 1730 Prorouge againe By Proclamation to ye 2a Tuesday in July 1730 Prorouge againe By Proclamation to 1st Tuesday in August 1730 Answers to the Queries sent from the Right Hon'ble the Lords of Trade and Plantations, Jan. 22, 1730. [From MS. Corr. in Secretary's, Office, Vol. I, pp. 61-66.] 1. The situation of ye Province of New Hampshire is between the Province of the Massachusetts Bay and the late Province of Main, bordering about fifteen miles in width upon the Atlantick sea or Western Ocean. The nature of the Country as to the ground, is rough, uneven and hilly, but for the most part a good soil, being a mixture of clay land and loom, well watered and suitably adapted for hemp and flax, and having considerable meadows in it. As to the climate, 'tis cold. Portsmouth, the Capital of the Province, is in forty three degrees and twenty minutes north latitude, and sixty eight degrees west from London, settled by good observation. 2. The Province has no other boundaries than what are expressed in the Kings Commission to the Governor and they are from three miles to the north ward of Merrimack river on ye one side, to Piscataqua river on the other, and no other bounds are mentioned in the sd Commission, and both of them are in dispute with the Goverment of the Massachusetts Bay. 3. As to the Constitution of the Goverment, the Supream Power here is vested in the Governor and Council (appointed by the King) and a house of Representatives, (chosen by the People) who make Laws, &c. 4th. The trade of the Province is lumber and fish. The number of shipping belonging to the Province are five consisting of about five hundred tons, and there are about three or four hundred tons of other shipping that trade here (annually) not belonging to the Province. The seafaring men are about forty. The Trade is much the same as it hath been for ten years past. 5th. The Province makes use of all sorts of British manufactures, amounting to about five thousand pounds starlng per ann in value, which are had principally from Boston. 6th. The Trade of this Province to other Plantations is to the Carib- bee Islands, whither we send lumber and fish, and receive for it rum, sugar, molasses and Cotton: and as to the trade from hence to Europe, it is to Spain or Portugal, from whence our vessels bring home salt. 7th. The method to prevent illegal trade is by a Collector appointed at home. Sth. The natural Produce of the Province is timber (of various kinds) viz. (principally) oak, pine, hemlock, ash, beach & birch; and fish, and they are the only commoditys of the Place. The Timber is generally manufactur'd into beams, plank, knees, clap-boards, shingle & staves, and sometimes into house-frames, and the value of those commoditys annually Exported from hence to Europe and the West-India Islands, is about a thousand pounds sterling, Memorand. besides what is above mentioned, the Coasting sloops from Boston, carry from hence thither in fish and Timber about five thousand pounds, pr annum. 9th. No mines are yet discovered, except a smal quantity of Iron ore in two or three places. 10th. The number of Inhabitants, men, women and children, are about ten thousand whites and two hundred blacks. 11th. The Inhabitants are increased about four thousand within this ten years last past, a thousand of which (at least) are People from Ireland() lately come into and settled within the Province. Another reason of the Increase of late more than formerly, is a peace with the Indians the four last years. 12. The Militia are about Eighteen hundred consisting of two regiments of foot, wth a Troop of horse in each. 13th. There is one Fort or Place of Defence, called Fort William and Mary, situate on the Great Island in New Castle, which commands the Entrance of Piscataqua river, but is in poor low circumstances, much out of repair, and greatly wanting of stores of war, there not being one barrel of gun-powder at this time in or belonging to that Garrison. 14th. There are no Indians in this Province now in time of Peace that we know of. 15th. There are no Indians in the neighborhood of this Province that we know of, Except in the Eastern parts of the Province of the Massachusets Bay, and what their number or strength is, we are not acquainted. 16. We have no neighboring Spaniards or other Europeans, except French, who according to the best intelligence we can get, are extremely numerous and strong both at Canada & Cape Briton. 17. The Effect which the French settlements have on this Province is, that the Indians are frequently instigated and influenced by them to disturb the Peace and quiet of this Province, we having been often put to a vast expense both of blood & treasure to defend ourselves agst their cruel outrages. 18. The Revenue arising within this Province is three hundred ninety and six pounds by Excise, which is appropriated towards the Governor's Salary, and about three or four barrels of Gun-powder from the shipping which is spent at the Fort. There is no other revenue but by tax on Polls & Estates. 19. The ordinary Expense of the Goverment is about fifteen hundred pounds pr annum, now in time of peace. The extraordinary & Contingent charges, as Repairs of the Fort, powder, &c. are about five hundred pounds more. 20th. The Establishments are six hundred pounds pr Annum Salary on the Governor, Eight shillings pr diem on each Councillor, & six shillings pr diem on each Representative during the Session of General Assembly, and a hundred and fifty pounds pr annum on the officers and souldiers at the Fort. There is no other Establishment Civil or Military whin the Governm, but the General Assembly make allowances from time to time as they see meet, to the Treasurer. Secretary, &c. The Judges, Justices, Sheriffs, Clerks, & all other officers' fees, are fix'd by a law to be paid by the party & persons whom they serve; but they have nothing out of the Treasury. All the officers Civil & Military hold their Places by Commission from the Gov', except ye Councils appointed by the King, the Recorder of Deeds chosen by the Gen' Assem: the Clerks of Courts nominated by the Judges of the sd Courts respectively, and selectmen, assessors, constables, tithing men & other Town Officers chosen by ye Towns at their respective Town meetings. (1) These were the Scotch-Irish, who settled at Londonderry. ED. JOURNAL OF THE COUNCIL AND ASSEMBLY, From April 22d, 1729, to April 23d 1730—during Governor Burnet's Administration. NOTE BY THE EDITOR. The Journal of the Council and Assembly which follows, from April 224,1729, to April 234,1730, embraces the period of Governor WILLIAM BURNET'S Administration, and until the arrival of Gov. Belcher. This Journal is contained in a bound MS. volume in the office of Secretary of State, labeled "JOURNAL OF THE COUNCIL AND ASSEMBLY, 1729 -1742." The Journal, as here printed, is interspersed with miscellaneous Records and Documents relating to the same period. [P. 1.] Prov. of N. Hamp'. At a General Assembly held at Portsmouth by Prorogation Tuesday April 22a 1729. Present His Excellency WILLIAM BURNET Esq. Govern' Geo: Jaffrey Rich Wibird Esqs Joth Odiorne Henry Sherburne Esq. Esqs A message from his Excellency to the House by the clerk to require their attend at the Council Board the Speaker and House came up accordingly to whom his Excellency was pleased to make the following Speech. Gentlemen I should have met you sooner if I had followed my inclinations, but the difficultys I have been struggling with in my other Goverment would not permit to leave it, til I had used all possible means to bring them to an Issue. I have now obtain'd a full approbation from the Lords Commissioners for Trade and Plantations of my conduct there in declining to accept of money from on the Assembly on any terms different from those in my Instructions, which their Ldships do me the honour to call prudence and integrity in me. I have an Instruction of the like nature to lay before you for settling a salary on the Governor |