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do not Enjoy them as they Do; nor at all unless your Lord-
ship should be pleased to grant us (what it seems by the
Instruction you may Deny) the facts (as it would then Seem)
of that which we Esteem uui Rights already nut Only by
the Law as Above Shewn, but allready by our Brittish Right,
for
We are Subjects of England Transported hither as
Above is Shewn, in times of Peace; we were not Conquered
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L. H. J.
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Ourselves, nor was the place so much as Conquered even
against the Indians (if any Affirm the Contrary Let them
prove their Affirmative) but Immediately on the Settlement
the English and Indians entred into Traffick and Comerce
so that we even then did and Still do, buy from them the Lands
we purchase of your Lordship, & Entred into and frequently
renewed and Still renew Articles of Peace with them: they
Acknowledge our King their King, and Englishmen their
Brothers, and tho some Skirmishes and partiall Differences
have happened, Yet the Above has been the Generall Way of
Treating each Other. Now May it Please your Lordship, we
cannot Conceive that any thing prejudiciall to our Rights &
Libertys or that Can Reduce us to a State of Villianage and
Slavery Can be Inferrd from that or any other part of our
Conduct For we were ffreemen And English Subjects when
we Came from England and we Came thence to Settle with
our Sovereigns Leave and we have done nothing more than
his Other Subjects to forfeit the protection of our Sovereign
and his Law, and to dissolve us from our Allegiance to him or
that can be deemed a breach of it.
The Records of your Lordships province will Shew that
your Ancestors have Consented to Govern and always did
Govern us by those Laws and till now we never had our
Rights thereto Contested, that we know of, and so, may it
please your Lordship, we hope we have proved (tho much
more we have to Enforce it) that Statutes treated of do and
ever did extend here, and that we are no Conquered people,
but that were we so, our Sovereign by your Lordships Charter
has already granted us his Subjects priviledges.
Your Lordship is Pleased to Advise us in the said Instruc-
tion, that if any of the English Statute Laws are found con-
venient &c. we ought Especially to reenact them De novo.
May it please your Lordship, we can't reenact them without
your Governours Assent nor Enjoy them Against your Lord-
ships dissent. This would be a rendring that Precarious which
is now (we hope) most Assuredly ours, besides Sir, all the
Treasures and present Supports of the province would not
Answer so vast an Expence.
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p. 95
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