300 Assembly Proceedings, May 1-June 12, 1739.

L. H. J.
Lib. No. 45

If the upper House was to Confound the late lower House with the
present, as you have Done it would necessarily bring on the same
Dispute that Occasioned the last Dissolution, Consequently Bring
on Another in the same Manner, but I am heartily glad to find the
upper House has prudently avoided Every thing of this nature and
has sent their members on Messages as usual without Taking any
notice to your house, of the affront they apprehended they had
received from the late lower House. But Supposing that your
house was Really ill Treated in the person of Honourable Speaker
of the last House, what share had I in that treatment, or why should
I be Reproached with it, I have a Sincere value and Esteem for that
Honourable and worthy Gentleman, and would, I am Sure, be very
far from Giving him the least offence Even in a private Capacity,
and much more so in the Honourable Station he then held of being
Speaker to the lower house of Assembly as to what you say of a
person being put into a place of Profit and trust in one of the Courts
of Record, who had been under the Censure of the late Lower house
of Assembly, for having Grosly Reflected on that Body, and some in
particular, I must Desire the favour of you to point out me the means
whereby you Can possibly Suppose me to have been in the least made
Acquainted with that affair: if the lower house had laid any such
thing before me I should Certainly have thought the person Deserved
to be punished; but to be Disqualified to Enjoy any place of profit or
trust for such an Offence, seems to me to be a punishment some what
too Severe: Suppose a person had Reflected on the whole upper house

p. 801

of Assembly, and Even the proprietor himself, and this should be
laid before your house, and Clearly proved, would you think the
person thus offending Disqualified To be a member of your Honour-
able house, or to Enjoy any place of profit and trust under Your
Direction, I hope you would be more forgiving for my own part, I
Can truly say, I have forgiving many such offences against my self ;
and given the person too that Committed them very good places,
without any view, as you will readily believe, of a rewarding them
for what They had Done. I must Confess myself truly Sorry to here
from the lower house of Assembly, that my good Resolutions, so
often published, have been flustrated and rendered void, by the
Malevolent Influence of Evil Councils, but I must be Candid as to
say, that I should be much more so, was I Conscious to myself of
the truth of this Severe Reflection, in whatever Light this Language
may be Looked upon, I believe I may very Justly say, that is no
reasoning, but may be Employed with the same force in the worst
Cause in the world as well as the best, for which Reason I hope I
shall never be fond of Imitating it, may I not ask what Malevolent
Councils threw out the Revenue bill hindered our paper money to
pay the Clergy and Officers, and Even now prevents our making it
truly useful and valuable to the Country, or what other Mischief it is