Mess^rs Sprigg and Hooper from the Lower house acquaint his
Excellency that there is a Sufficient Number of Members met to
make a house and wait his Excellencys Commands.

Edmund Jenings Esq. & Col. Hammond are sent to the Lower
house to acquaint the Speaker that his Excellency requires their im-
mediate attendance in the Upper house

The Lower house attend and his Excellency is Pleased to make
the following Speech
Gentlemen of the Upper and Lower houses of Assembly

Some things happened since Our last meeting wherein I should
have been glad to have had your Opinion & advice but was loth to
put the Country to the Expence of an Assembly, and to give you the
Trouble [of leaving] your homes at a Season of the year, which I
thought might have been inconvenient for you.

Besides the Several Papers from the Governors of New York and
Pensilvania relating to the Indians which I now lay before you I
could not but be under a good deal of concern on account of the
Shortness of Our Crop of Corn the last fall; and if We had not been
favored by Providence with a mild Winter, many People especially
the Poorer Sort might have wanted, not only Provisions for their
Cattle but Bread for themselves; which will naturally lead you to
consider whether it may not be for the Publick Service to leave a
discretionary Power with the Government, or to Prohibit the Expor-
tation of Corn whenever it shall arise to a certain Price

As the happiness of any Country must be always greatly promoted
by the goodness of its highways I cannot help recommending this
Matter particularly to your Consideration