No. 26. [P. 58.] Gentlemen London, 15 Feby 1736-7. I have but just Time by this ship to Inclose you the within papers, being of Mr. Paris's mind that you ought to know as soon as possible what you have to doe, that you may be making the necessary preparation to act conformable to the Commission & Instructions that will soon follow these, which I hope you will be very carefull to Doe, that you may continue in the good oppinion of your friends here; then may you expect you will have Justice Done you here, upon any Apeal from the determination of the Commissioners, by either Province, and speedily. I am satisfied that you will not trouble his Majty with an A'peal if the Commissioners determine the affair in the manner you construe the Charter, and that all along apears to be the construction here; especially on your South Boundary, and for any triffling difference on the north, I hope you will be easy under: George Jaffrey & Theodore Atkinson, Esq. seems by their Letters to me to be masters of the affair, I hope they may be your agents to attend ye said Comissioners whom I heartily wish may determine the affair so that neither of the partys shall have cause to appeal, it will be a very great pleasure to Gentlemen, your most Humb' Servt, To Andrew Wiggin & John Rindge, Esqs. [P. 59.] Sir No. 27. John Thomlinson. This encloses to you a Duplicate of the ord" in Councill under Seal, which you will please to forward to yor Friends in New Hampshire for their own use & service. This is also to accompany 4 Letters from the Lords of Trade to the Gov's of New York, New Jersey, Nova Scotia & Rhode Island: Please to forward them with all speed to those Sev Provinces, & I beg the favour that you'l keep a mem'dum when & by what Ships you send each of them. There are two other Letters from the Lords of Trade, One to Mr. Belcher as Governor of the Massachusetts Bay, the other either to himself or such other person as shall have the supreme comand & shall actually be in New Hampshire. These two Letters (last menconed) I beg of you to send to some very safe hand in New Hampshire, who must make an affidt of the delivery of one of these Letters (that to Mr. Belcher as Govt of Massachusetts) into Mr. Belcher's own hands, & that affid should specify the time & place when & where it was so delivered; & the affidt should likewise contein an acct when & where the other Letter to the Gov' or Comdr-in Chief of New Hampshire was delivered to the Comdr in Chief of New Hampshire, in New Hampshire; and this affid should be sent back to you here as soon as possi ble. I have bespoke Duplicates of all these Letters agst the next ships. The orders are left with the Att'y & Soll Gen" who are preparing the Comission & you may rely on it that they shall have continual applicacons from me till I get the Comission from them. I can only add here that it is thought by some very good Judges that whoever is the Com'd in Chief resident in New Hampshire will be very well justified in calling the Assembly there on receipt of these Letters. I am, Sr-Your most humble Servt, Altho the Bearer hereoff Mr. Plummer his coming over Collector of your place may be some Disadvantage or Disapointment to you, yet when I tell you that I dare say he will prove the most agreeable Gentlemen that you could have had, in every Respect, you will excuse my here recommending him to your friendship, and as I am sure it is his inclination (as far as is consistant with his duty) to give as little trouble as possible to the Trade and Navigation of the Port, I am sure you will advise and assist him to set out Right, that he may be of general service to the country, for he is a gentleman of good sense and of a very good family & good circumstances and I heartily wish you had a greater number of such familys concerned for the welfare of your province. You must Excuse me not writing one word of Business, I and my family are under very great affliction for the sudden loss of as fine a Boy as ever was Born that was well at school on Saturday and Dead on Thursday following, and my other friends must Excuse me allso for I am Really not yet capable to set at Business as I ought, and can only add that I am, Sir, your most Humb' Servt, John Thomlinson. Theodore Atkinson, Esq. No. 29. [P. 61.7 London, 27 Augt 1737. Theodore Atkinson, Esq. Sir-I have but just time to tell you that Coll. Dunbar has given Bail to Mr. Wilks and the other occation, And now has his Enlargement & about among his friends, he was very Imprudent at his first coming, not to take the advice of his friends, and the Board of Green Cloth would have protected him from any thing of that nature. I hope he will be more carefull for the future & I hope he will succeed in his solicitations. I see Govt Belcher has Reced ye Packett containing his Majtys Instructions from you, by his Proclamation, &c. Allso that he has prorogued your Assembly untill 4 days after ye meeting of the Commissioners, contrary to his Majtys Design & Instruction, Surely in order to prevent your choosing such Two persons properly Quall'd to attend the Commissioners on the first day of their sitting as his Majestys Instructions direct, and I fear hath thereby Defeated his Majtys most gracious Intention of having the Boundarys fixt and settled. I have already laid those things before the Lords Commissioners of Trade and Plantations, and if he should by this or any other act obstruct the Speedy settlement of the Boundarys, I hope the Assembly will with all speed send me as stroug a Remonstrance to his Majty in Council as possible, of any such Act, and allso of the many Grievances the Province hath and does still labour under, by his Administration; and as full proofs to support it as possible. I assure you I have not failed or shall I of Executing any commands the Assembly shall give me, and noe Remonstrance or complaint comes with that weight as from an Assembly. I think it more proper to communicate this to you Rather than ye Comittee, because it might look too much like my Directing them. You will only communicate this to a Friend or two. I believe the Coll. writes you by this conveyance. I am, Sir, your most obt Humb' Servt My last to you was 27th August pr. Capt. Egleston & Stanney. Since which I have not had any of your favours neither are any of my friends at your place so diligent as to inform me any thing of your proceedings as they have frequent opportunities by way of Boston, that I can know nothing but what I pick up out of the Boston prints, Therefore I can not tell how you are like to succeed in running the Boundarys, but this I am pretty sure of That had you and Mr. Jaffrey, Mr. Rindge, Mr. Wigan, &c. took care that the Remonstrance of the Assembly to his Majty setting forth your grievances under G. B. administration and the Bad consequences that must attend his Majty® Province allways by being under the same Governour with the Massachusetts, I say had you Quietly sent home such a remonstrance (which I am told either was drawn up or was Designed) you had been by this time been a sepperate Government. I do every thing for you I can here, but if you will not assist when I tell you that Petitions or Remonstrance from a Body of men have a weight,-besides I can act with more assurance of success & courage and satisfaction to myself, I have not seen Col. Dunbar for some time, he is at Hampton Court, and Mr. Jones tells me he hath gott him out of all his difficultys and hopes he will succeed in his solicitations. I wish he may. I am, Theodore Atkinson, Esq. Sir, your most Humb' Servt, Indorsed-" Thomlinson abt the Prov. 1737." THE BELCHER CORRESPONDENCE. 1731-1737. Correspondence of Gov. Jonathan Belcher with Secretary Richard Waldron and others, of the New Hampshire Province. NOTE. The Letters which follow are specimens of a Correspondence between Gov. Belcher when in Massachusetts, and Secretary Waldron, relative to affairs in New Hampshire. Letters were frequently passed between them. The Governor, on his part, indulges in a freedom and style of remark which can hardly be considered creditable to him. Should any person hereafter undertake to write the life of Gov. Belcher, he might, to advantage, consult the Waldron Papers now in the archives of the New-Hampshire Historical Society. For the sake of reference the letters are numbered. The Letters of Sec Waldron appear to be copies, or rather first draughts of those written by him to Gov. Belcher, and the Governor's letters all bear his signature in his own hand, tho' probably copied by his clerk. ED. Letter No. 1. From Richard Wibird and Henry Sherburne. May it Please your Excellency— A Saturday toward Eve being in Company with sundry Gentlemen in Town a paper was produced in presented to us for our signing It had one or two cursory readings but our memorys are too frail for us to pretend to give a particular account of ye contents but to ye best of our remembrance It was in the nature of a memorial or Petition to ye Lds of Trade and Plantations. It was then subscribed in our Presence by Mr. Geo. Jaffry, Mr. David Jaffrey Mr. Bens Wentworth Mr. Atkinson & Mr. Wiggin & by whom since we know not but tis very probable the party will endeavour to get what additions they can. It mention'd the sudden proroga of the Assem by yo' Excelly order which hindred an Address for ye redress of Public grievances. It treated of the affair of ye line at large, showing ye readyness of this Governm & ye backwardness of ye Mass to settle it & proposed y matters being laid before his Majesty forthwth. It mentioned great disadvantages yt this Province was under by reasons of the Govs residing in another Province (viz.) That It prevents passing acts that might be beneficial &c. with Earnest prayers for a seperate Goverment. Morover it mentioned something of a Disgust taken by your Excellency agst them & that therefore Constables were forced to ride 30 odd miles to be sworn, & to ye best of our remembrance it said something agst advance payments of y' Excellencys salary. These are but broken hints, but are such as we can recollect. We utterly refused signing, & tho't proper to consult Messrs Gambling & Waldron upon this head & accordingly we did this morn who intirely agreed & joyn'd wth us in sending a dispatch to your Excellency with an account of these things. There is a ship bound for England ready to sail & goes tomorrow if ye weather favours-on board of which we suppose is to go this Petition. If an out wind or storm should stop her (wch we earnestly pray for) 'til Wednesday night, We hope your Excelley will have an opportunity of counter writing by ye same conveyance, for we shall hardly Expect to see our messenger till that time. We are July 12th 1731, 3 o'olock P. M. Yor Excellys Very humble Servts R. Wibird [The above is in the hand-writing of Mr. Secy Waldron, as is also the following on the same sheet. ED.] May it please your Excelly Capt Wibird & Capt Sherburne communicating to us some passages of last Saturday agreeable to the contents of the foregoing letter, We tho't it our Duty most readyly to joyne wth them in a message to your Excelly & accordingly have done so, that your Excelly might not be ignorant of the scheames & designs of the discontented, but might if possible have an opportunity of writing home in the same ship, in wch goes the mighty memorial, tho' really we fear the vessel will sail tomorrow for ye master is so resolved, wind & weather permitting. We are Yo' Excellys Sir From Gov'r Belcher to Sec'y Waldron. Capt. Hopson bro't me yours Dated this month, and the Post yours of 9: current, with what past in the Assembly, By which I find the mal contents are Restless and uneasy, and very Ready to do Mischief, but Hate to do good. The part you acted was Exactly well— (Presuming it was all with good manners to his Honour). What shall we say, and how shall we help it! We are Miserably of it, att the Council Board. I never tho't one of my Treasury Commis" to be any match att argument. The Lieutenant Govern' tells me he has had complaints, and that the People suffer for want of a Justice att Kingston, Chester, and Derry; and you mention Streatham. The King's qualifications for officers in my Instructions, are to be men of good Lives, well affected to the Goverment, of good Estates and abilities. Let me therefore as soon as you can have the names of persons for each of those Towns & such as are best qualify'd, and make out Commissions and send me to sign. This matter for some Reasons requires Dispatch, and you must be sure the Persons will accept, before the Commissions are made out. |