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Lib. C. B.
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and Necessity of continuing that Law: But to Our great
Amazement they sent to the Upper House a Bill which not
only directed the Manner of issuing the money contrary to
every former Law of that kind, but also subjected the Money
to such a Disposition, as that the whole Design of such Law
might very easily happen to be rendered ineffectual, and use-
less to the Defence of the Province; But their Resolution on
this Bill seemed still more extraordinary, when instead of the
Continuance of such a Law for Three Years, and to the End
of the next Session as the Act made in 1735 was, They added
a Continuance only until September 1741
These Proceedings, May it please Your Majesty, very much
surprized and alarmed Us; we could not but think it very
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p. 112
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unaccountable that an Act which had been continued for many
Years past in Time of Peace and tended to provide for the
Defence of the Province, should be absolutely refused to be
longer continued in April 1739, when We were under daily
Apprehensions of a Spanish War; And that afterwards at the
time of being actually engaged in that War, and under the
Dread of a French One, It should be limited only to Septemr
1741: Our Fears and Jealousies on this head were so far from
being lessened, that they were the rather encreased, by the
Messages which the Lower House sent to the Upper House
on Occasion of this Bill; for instead of giving any Satisfac-
tion by agreeing to a proper Continuance of such an Act,
They assured Us of the Inclinations of the Roman Catholicks
(who are numerous amongst Us) not to disturb the peace and
Safety of this Province, And although a dangerous Conspiracy
had been lately discovered amongst Our Negroes to massacre
all your Majesty's Subjects in this Province, and for which the
Ringleader had been brought to a legal Tryal, convicted and
executed; Yet the Lower House thought fit on this Occasion
to declare, "They could not on Enquiry discover anything of
" that Conspiracy, which might in any manner be presumed to
" endanger the Peace or Welfare of this Province " But how-
ever Our Argument of the Uncertainty how long War with
Spain might continue, and how soon another with France
might begin, and an Earnestness to encourage Levies for
Your Majestys Service in the West Indies so far prevailed with
them, as that Both Houses joined in a Conference in Order to
settle some Points necessary as well for a Bill to encourage
the levying those Forces, as for a Bill to raise a Fund for pro-
viding Arms and Ammunition for Defence of the Province ;
And when the Conferees with the Concurrence and Appro-
bation of their respective Houses had agreed upon the Prin-
cipal Heads proper for such Bills; The Lower House sent to
us a Bill to encourage Levies for Your Majesty's Service,
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