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which We passed, and was immediately enacted into a Law ;
But they at the same time came to a surprizing Resolution,
not to pass the Other Bill for Defence of the Province, which
had been agreed to by the Conferees of Both Houses, until
We should return to their House some Bills (which they had
before sent up) with such Duration as the Lower House was
pleased to dictate to Us: And for a Colour to this unprece-
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Lib. C. B.
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dented Behaviour, They pretended to have Apprehensions of
Our Intentions to make some Alteration in the usual Continu-
ance or Duration of such Bills, which then was for Three
Years and to the End of the next Session, Altho' they never
had been acquainted with any such Design from Us, neither
had We given those Bills the second Reading; upon which
We form Our Resolutions, nor could any Arguments or Our
Offer to continue all the temporary Laws in the same State
and Condition they were, induce the Lower House to send
up the Bill for raising a Fund for Our Common Defence.
This Behaviour of the Lower House fully convinced Us that
their Wishes and Intentions were rather to drop that only
Provision for Our Defence upon any the most unreasonable
Pretence whatever, and leave this Province exposed to an
Enemy, than furnish us with means to protect and defend it;
But when We considered that the French now possess Settle-
ments and Forts within much less than Eight Days March
from Our Frontiers, that Our Borders are not in the least
guarded either with Fortification or Men, that We have no
sufficient Laws to compel any Persons by exemplary Punish-
ments to do Duty or act in Defence of Our Country, That the
greatest Part of Our Inhabitants Capable of bearing Arms,
have not Arms or Weapons proper for Defence, and that the
arms now in the Province, and the Money in Bank arising
from the Fund of Arms and Ammunition will scarcely be
sufficient to furnish them with such proper Arms; And when
We reflected on the Coolness and Indifferency, which the
Lower House had at this Meeting shewed to the Governors
Recommendacon to amend Our Militia Act, and provide a
proper Place for securing Our Arms and Ammunition; Their
Willingness to discredit the Belief of the late Conspiracy
amongst Our Negroes, and their unexpected Readiness to
answer for the Conduct of the Roman Catholicks in this Prov-
ince, in Case of a French War: In such Circumstances We
Your Majesty's most Loyal Subjects thought Ourselves bound
as well by Our Duty as Affection to the best of Kings, under
whom We enjoy the Blessings of Our most happy Establish-
ment both in Church and State, to make Use of any Authority
which We might be invested with as a distinct Branch of the
Legislature in order to prevail with the Lower house to for-
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p. 113
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