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Letter Bk. IV
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been obliged by their Constituents to meet here even if I had
not called them, & that in such Case there would have been a
great Outcry raised throughout the Province against the
Council & Myself which might have been productive of Dis-
order & ill Consequences. When the Assembly met I thought
it prudent to open the Session with such a Speech as I appre-
hended would be well received by the People without Doors
as well as by the two Houses & hope it will also meet with
your Ldp's Approbation. The Members of the Upper House
being as willing as the Lower that Application should be
made by this Province in Conjunction with the others for a
Repeal of the Stamp Act They concurred with a Proposal of
the Lower House to send three of their Members to the Con-
gress & agreed to allow them the Sum of £500 Currency for
their Travelling Charges, & to defray a Proportional part of
the Expence which might be occasion'd in England by the
Measures to be pursued in order to obtain a Repeal of the
said Act. When the Two Houses had come to an Agreement
with respect to that Affair the Lower House after the Example
of those in the neighbouring Colonies made several Resolves
declaring what Priviledges they apprehend the Inhabitants of
this Province have a Right to as British Subjects & under the
Charter granted to your Ldp's Ancestor, & then desired me
to let them have a short Recess, which as I understood they
were determined to do no Business untill their three Members
should return from New York I accordingly gave them so
that the Assembly now stands prorogued to the last of this
Month. Before they broke up I sent a Message to both
Houses desiring them to advise me what to do with the
Stamp't Paper destined for this Province in case the Master
of the Vessel who had it on board should (as the Person
appointed to destribute it had left the Province) apply to me
for Orders about landing it, for I apprehended that if the
Lower House signifyed their Approbation of its being landed
& lodged in one of the publick Offices they would be obliged
in honour to provide somehow for its preservation, but as your
Ldp will see by their Answer transmitted to Mr Calvert the
Lower House evaded giving me any Advice or Opinion &
therefore the Gentlemen of the Upper gave me the Advice
which your Ldp will see in an Address of theirs that is also
transmitted to Mr Calvert, & which indeed is agreeable to my
own Sentiments, for was the Paper to be landed here while
the People are so warm about the Stamp Act as they are at
present, I doubt not but a Mob would immediately assemble
& destroy it, & therefore flatter myself that your Ldp will
approve of my acting agreeable to the Advice which the
Upper House have thought fit to give me. Since the Person
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