42 Assembly Proceedings, April — May 1666.

U. H.
Journal
1659-98

We could say & our Reasons for the Act for Encouragement
of Trade & upon the Grounds in the preamble of the Act
Contained judge it reasonable & desire your Assent to it or
your Reasons why You dissassent, You instead of reason send

p. 108

Us peremptory Denyalls & resolutions not to debate any more
& now You tell us again that You will hear our Reasons
which certainly ought to have been penned We will give you
our Reasons if You had any respect for the Governour or had
any regard to the good of the people that sent You hither to
do & consent to such things as by common Council of the
Province shall happen to be ordained which common Council
can never be had without debate
Now to speak particularly to the reason of your paper to
wit, (but We humbly conceive that it stands not with our
Liberty & Privileges to debate any matter at large there. To
this We answer Conferences are not against your Privileges,
& Conference is not only to no purpose but no Conference at
all unless for the discussion of the reasons that can be for or
against the Matter Conferred on there be debate at large
And secondly You mistake Us & your Privileges too, for
We desire only a full & free debate with You all, & that We
may throughly understand the Case & according to the
Weight of the reason to be alledged by every particular Per-
son to prepare ourselves for a reasonable determination &
Resolution Which as We intend to make apart from You in
our own House so You may make it by yourselves in your own
House, only take this rule by the Way Obstinate Fortitude
is as pernicious to the common Wealth as fearful Honesty &
therefore Conferences are necessary, neq timida probitas nec
improba fortitude Reipublicae Utilis est says My Lord Cook in
his Jurisdiction of Parliaments Both Houses in England once sate
together & therefore debated together by consequence, Yea even
Voted together & therefore It can be no breach of your Privileges
to debate with Us the Time of our Sitting together is not out
of the Memory of Man, and therefore You cannot prescribe to
the Contrary, & were it not for the respect We bear my Lord's
positive Commands to keep the Houses apart (Who in the man-
ner of holding Assemblys is by his Pattent tyed to no Rules)
We might perhaps tell You that We find just Cause to come
& Vote with You also, Upon Consideration of all which We
must tell You that We do expect You should come this day
& confer with Us & debate the Reasons for & against that
Act for Encouragem^t of Trade with Us & that You go into
your own house afterwards & freely give y^r Votes for or against
it as the Reasons urged shall move You, This last Offer if You
refuse We do hereby protest our own Innocency & that what-
soever certainly shall befall the Province either by the decay of our