|
and Governours upon all Emergent occasions wherein Never-
theless the Common Weal of the people, is necessarily In-
vulvcd, and we readily agree with you that so Long as
you Look upon the Office and Business of Councellors of
State to be for the Support of the Prerogative Only, It is
no wonder that you are so unwilling to burthen your Country
with the Charge of our Services. But give us Leave Gent,
to tell you that the Duty of our Office as well as our Oath
which we have taken for the Just Discharge of the trust
reposed in us intitle us to much more Usefull Services; which
it seems upon Some occasions Your House it self was not
Insensible of, Seeing it is very Justly Affirmed in the same
Message that you do not in the Least doubt of our haveing
the Common Weal of this province as much at heart when
we Act as a privy Councill (or Councill of State) as when
we act in Conjunction with your House and therefore seeing
that our Office is of such Importance to the publick good
of this province, we may very reasonably expect a reward for
our Services upon all such Important Occasions.
We must further Observe to you that whatever Esteem or
Value his Lordship shall please to put upon our Services, in
relation to our Continuance in the Office of Councellors, we
must Intirely Submitt that to his Lordships good will and
pleasure However we are not willing to give up the Reward
of our Attendance, so Long as we have Already Acted in that
Station; being very well Assured that if the Value of the
reward were always to be measured by the worth of the Ser-
vice the Members of our House would have as good a plea
for themselves as many Other people in the World that are
paid for their Services to the Country.
For if the Labourer According to the Divine predication
be worthy of his Hire; We think our selves Justly Intituled
to the Allowances We Claim. Nor is it any way Satisfactory
to us, that your House at this time hath made it a Question,
whether any thing be Due to us or no ? and that if there be,
you very Generously thrust us upon his Lordships Grace,
and Leave us there to be paid According to the Value himself
shall put upon our Services. This, Gentlemen, We must tell
|
L. H. J.
|
|
|
you, is not very Agreeable to those hard Struggles our Con-
stitution hath formerly had for Liberty & property, but wave-
ing that, we think our Services deserve a more Certain Re-
ward, than to Depend on the Absolute Will of our Superior,
not that this House has any Cause to Suspect his Lordships
Generosity, which is particularly Eminent upon Sundry great
Occasions; yet Gentlemen we are Loth to set an Ill president
to future Ages by makeing a Compliment of our Right which
|
p. 106
|
|