The Upper House. 5

unnecessary allowance from the several Sherriffs for Trans-
porting or conveying Letters which is a General Grievance by
their neglecting the Delivery of them, in any reasonable time;
& gives oppertunity to designing evil Persons to open & puse
them, to the Detriment of many Traders and the Eternall Scan-
dal of the Conveyers without any Sort of Benefitt to the Gov^rn-

Original
Journal.

ment or any Person whatsoever but themselves next reduceing
the sitting of the County Courts to four times in the Year and
the whole Expence of the Provinciall Courts &c Please to Cal-
culate the Charge designed to be saved; You will find it very
considerable.

M^r Speaker
I have fresh Commands about S^r Thomas Laurence who
alleadges he has injustice done him; I never injured that
Gentⁿ in any manner whatsoever to my Knowledge. There-
fore hope you will find out Some Way to Ease me from his
clamorous complaints and if the house has put any hardshipps
on his Office without considering he holds it by Pattent under
the Great Seale of England, lett it be redressed a Gods name
I am ordered likewise to lay the Conveniency of M^r Dum-
mers Packquett Boates before you; whereby the Governments
on this Continent may very Probably hear from England every
six weeks; as the Plantations in the West Indies constantly
do; for as Correspondence is the life & Sole of all Trade Why
should not we endeavour to reap so Experimentall a Benefitt
with our neighbours and fellow Subjects for such an inconsid-
erable comon Gratuity as Postage therefore heartily recom-
mend M^r Dummers proposalls to Your Consideration.

p. 4

Gentⁿ
As there is a necessity for making some new Short Laws
to Preserve the Dignity of the Government the Peace of Your
Country & every honest mans Lawful Property & Creditt I
have Directed M^r Attorney Gen^ll to draw up two or three
which shall be Sent from this boarde for Your Approbation,
and concurrence; Viz. to prevent all Persons disaffected to her
Present Majestys Government from forging and disperseing
false and Scandalous Reports of affaires in Europe &c dureing
this Present Warr, another for punishment of all Coyners of
false Dollars Pieces of Eight &c and distributing them for
good ones; and of laying a fine on all openers of other mens
Letters; w^ch villainous practice is so frequently used in this
Province (and abhorred every where but in an Enemys Coun-
try to our very great Scandall) for the Right Honble M^r Sec-
retary Hedges his Letters to me have not Scaped the knavish

p. 5