524 Assembly Proceedings, September 23-October 26, 1723.

U. H. J.

Act of Assembly Intituled an Act for laying an Imposition
on sev^rll Commodities Exported out of this Province as Relates
to the laying an Impost or Duty on Furrs and Skins only and
for laying an Imposition on Pork, Pitch and Tarr in Lieu
thereof thus Subscribed viz.

October the 9^th 1723

p. 60

Read and Assented to by the Lower House of Assembly and
Sign'd p Order M: Jenifer Cl Lo. Ho.

Which Bill being Read is also Assented to by the Upper
House and thus Subscribed (Viz.)

October the 9^th 1723
Read and Assented to by the Upper House of Assembly and

Sign'd p Order. Sam^l Skippon Cl Up Ho.

Then the House took into Consideration the Message of
the Lower House relating to the conference on the Affair of
the Indians' Lands, and prepar'd the following answer thereto

(viz.)

By the Upper House of Assembly October the 9^th 1723
Gentlemen.
On Reading your message Relating to the Report of the
Conferrees that were appointed to Examine into the Affair
about the Indian Lands we are of opinion that the Exception
you make to that part of the Report which prohibits the Sell-
ing or Leasing of those Lands will render any Law now to be
made for securing the Indians Rights to their Lands Insignifi-
cant, and make their circumstances worse than they now are.
For we all know the natural failing of those People to be such
as that when they are in Drink designing persons may pur-
chase any thing they have at what Rates they please some
Instances whereof We have already had which we take to be

p. 61

the Occasion of proposing a Law to be made relating to them
And should the Indians be permitted to sell and Lease all
their Lands (w^ch in a Little Time we have Reason to fear they
would) the Consequence would be, that the Country must be
at the Expence of purchasing more for them, or that they must
Remove farther Back amongst other Nations of Indians, and
carry with them their Resentments against us for having
deprived them of their Lands here, which would prompt
them to Revenge themselves and Induce other nations of
Indians to Joyn with them, and might prove very prejudicial
to us and our neighbouring Colonies. As to the Hardships