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L. H. J.
Liber No. 49
Oct. n
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I could not but conclude, that such Harmony and Union of Councils,
must necessarily tend to promote the great End and Design of
all Government, the Welfare, Safety, and Happiness, of the People
Governed.
But from what Kind of Fatality it has happened, that these Ob-
jects, the Security and Quiet of the People, so full in View, and by
your Promise, so strictly and speedily to be pursued, should be so
suddenly laid aside and disregarded, in order to make an Attempt
upon the Rights and Privileges incident to the Station I have the
Honour to hold amongst you, I know not; but the very Day after
your Address was presented, your Sarjeant came into my House to
take my Secretary into Custody, as he said, by the Order of your
House.
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p. 34
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Upon this Step, so unprecedented in itself, and so dangerous in it's
Nature and Consequences, I immediately sent you a Message, not so
much by Way of Charge against your House, as by Way, of Com-
plaint of such Usage, and that purposely so worded, that had this
Conduct proceeded either from Inadvertence in yourselves, or In-
acquaintance of your Serjeant with the Duties of his Office, an
Apology might easily have been made, a speedy End put to this
Affair, and the whole Legislature left at Leisure to proceed on the
important Business, for the Dispatch of which they were called
together.
But you, notwithstanding your first Address, and the Pleasure
which must have arisen in the Breast of every Man who wishes
well to the Public, upon observing the Harmony which thence ap-
peared to subsist between us, having taken a Step, in itself unwarrant-
able, are so far from apologizing for it, tho' a fair Opportunity is
afforded, that you persist in, and endeavour to justify it, by your
Address of the 3d Instant, in Answer to my Message informing
you of this Matter.
For tho' you do, in that Address, take the Opportunity afforded
you by my Message of apologizing for yourselves, so far as to
say, that if the Serjeant behaved in a Manner inconsistent with the
" Decorum that ought to be observed in your Excellency's House
while you are at Dinner, it was not by any Direction of this House " ;
after which you proceed to hope, " if he has been Guilty of the least
Intrusion or Indecency, your Excellency will impute it to his being
but just appointed to his Office; " which, so far as it concerns
him, to shew my Willingness to oblige you, I very readily do; yet in
that Address, you not only confine the Indecency offered to me to
the Time of my being at Dinner, by repeating that Circumstance
casually thrown into my Message, as if you were disposed to have
it believed, that your Serjeant may at any Time, except at that Season,
enter my House, and take any Person thence you shall be pleased
to order him, but you likewise in that Message say, that " Mr. John
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