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The Agents on Behalf of other Plantations are Generally nominated
by the Legislature or Governmt But This Bill strikes Out of the
common Road and by an Unaccountable Piece of Policy not only
places the Power of such nomination in certain Persons to be Ap-
pointed by the House of Delegates and to be Called Trustees But
also gives to such Trustees The sole authority of Paying such Agent
so that if This Bill should be passed into a Law such An Agent could
not be so properly stiled the Agent of the Province, as the Minister
of the Trustees for he must depend on their sole Will and Pleasure
for his Being and Continuance in the Agency and on their Generosity
for his Pay
As to the Trustees the very nature of their Power would Change
their name or Title of Trustees into that of Guardians and what
relative Term would best suit not only the Legislative Power but the
whole Province to answer that of Guardian We shall not Presume
to mention But there might be reason to Wish (If such a Bill should
be a Law) That the Conduct of such Trustees represented by their
Minister at the Court of Great Britain and not Unarmed (as you
are Pleased to Express Yourselves in your Message) with that
Fund might not deserve a Worse Character and more to the Re-
proach of their Constituents and Danger of the whole Province than
that of Guardianship Although a Prettier Scheme for Power and
Profit in our little World of Politicks could Hardly be thought of
yet far be it from us to Imagine that any Persons Either in or out
of Your House had any share in this Admirable Project with a View
of being Trustees; shoud this Ingenious Contrivance ever take effect
the Trustees might play the Game into each others Hands and repre-
sent each other in England
The Authority which they would Gain by their Ministers Com-
plaints in England against whatever Person or thing they pleased
might very soon become Terrible and Dangerous to every Person they
should be Pleased to think and stigmatize as Delinquents or Malig-
nants in this Province And when after Glutting their Vanity with a
Dictatoriall Power and filling their Pockets with Money under Pre-
tence of necessary uses and Purposes, They should Perceive an Ap-
proaching Period to their Greatness of Authority and Gain They
might by their Ministers Consent Employ their Power and the money
Intrusted with them to their own Private Advantage and the very
Great Prejudice of this Province Instances of this Kind have not been
Wanting in America
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U. H. J.
No. 734
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