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p. 114
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in the Course of Our Conference, and which the Lower House
had by so many Instances shewed their Inclinations should be
destroyed; therefore We conceived Ourselves under an abso-
lute Necessity to defer the second Reading and Passage of
the temporary Bills sent up to Us by the Lower House, in
hopes to engage them by their Apprehensions of the Expira-
tion of those temporary Laws (and which they were apprized
of as well by the Governor as Ourselves would be the Case)
to consider how reasonable and just Our Expectations were
with Regard to Our only Fund for Defence of the Province ;
But such was their unaccountable Infatuation that they chose
to lose the Continuance of several Laws rather than make
any Provision to defend this Part of Your Majesty's Dominions
And when afterwards in July 1740 in Pursuance of Your
Royal Instructions, The Assembly was again called in Order
to provide for the Transportation of your Majestys Forces to
the West Indies, altho' the Governor recommended and re-
peatedly pressed the making some Provision for Defence of
the Province; And although the Upper House passed several
Bills to revive the Laws as usual, and returned Others with a
Negative, yet the Lower House still persisted in their Resolu-
tion to keep back the Bill for Our Defence, which had been
agreed on by both Houses about Two Months before in the
preceeding Session, and by that means violated that good
Faith and destroyed the mutual Confidence, which ought to
subsist and be inviolably preserved between Two Houses in a
Point of so great Importance as a Supply for Defence of the
Province, and at a Time when Your Subjects in Virginia, and
other Plantations were putting themselves in a Posture of
Defence, and when Your Majestys Arms were employed and
the War carryed on with so much Glory and Vigour in
America as well as in other Parts of the World: Whether by
a Perswasion of never being attacked, or by their own good
Opinion of the Roman Catholicks amongst Us, or their little
Apprehensions of any ill Dispositions in Our Negroes, They
were induced to leave the Country without a proper Supply
for Arms and Ammunition in Case of a Rebellious Insurrec-
tion or a hostile Invasion; Or whether they endeavoured to
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p. 115
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make Use of Our Earnestness to secure this part of Your
Majestys Dominions as a Means to compel this House to act
in what Manner and pass what Laws they should be pleased
to direct, We shall not presume to judge; But We numbly
hope It may not misbecome us to express Our Surprize that
this same Lower House, whom the Continuance of their
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