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from your House, nor can We now mistake Each Other, for Your
Resolution is only to have a fixed time of Determination, and Ours,
to have a proper Provision for the necessary Defence of the Prov-
ince; but as We are desirous to make this Bill as easy as may be to
the People and therefore unwilling to double or further increase
the Duty as you propose, We rather chuse to close with you upon
the Alternative of lengthening the Time, for which purpose we pro-
pose the Reviving the Act for Arms &c for Nine Years; so that you
may have your wished for fixed Determination of this Act, & We
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U. H. J.
Calvert
Paper
No. 735
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hope the impartial World will be satisfyed, that Our Views are not
inconsistent with the Defence of the Province or his Majestys Ser-
vice, for we plainly tell you, that we are only influenced to this Ac-
ceptance of your Offer by an Expectation that you will dispatch a Bill
to encourage raising Forces for his Majesty's Service either agreeable
to Our Plan, or any other which may be judged most effectual for
the purpose; and shall be desirous of settling by Conference or
otherwise any Difficulties or Objections which may arise on such a
Bill
We confess it is very extraordinary and what would not meet
Credit from Ourselves upon less Proof than the printed Votes of
the Lower House of Assembly that the Representatives of a People
under the British Government would not upon the least Appearance
of Danger exert themselves to the utmost for the Preservation of
their Rights, and that your Behaviour at the last Meeting in May
1739 was not very different from this, your own printed Votes will
shew, where it appears, that you first voted the Bill for Arms &c for
the Defence of the Province to continue for three Years &c, and in
the very next moment you voted the Bill should not pass at all; nor
could the Upper House then prevail with you to revive that Act, and
pray, were we not then under continual apprehensions of a dangerous
War? Or had we Arms or Money sufficient for such Circum-
stances of time? It is true there was some Money unapplied, and
it is necessary it should always be so, to supply any sudden and
emergent Occasion, since that Fund raises so little annually: We
doubt not, but that on a fair Examination of the Conduct of the
Gentlemen in Our House, their Views Interest and Actions will
appear in every other Instance as well as this to co-incide with the
Good of the Province in a much more remarkable manner than the
Behaviour of some who seem to think a sure Way to Merit is to use
unbecoming Expressions
We are exceedingly surprised at the Warmth you express on
Occasion of what we mentioned relating to the Roman Catholicks,
if any Insinuation is raised of any of you being Roman Catholicks
or attached to their Interests, It must have had its Rise amongst
Yourselves, for Our Words do not express or imply any such thing,
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p. 39
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