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Near the Sum of £6000 has been expended in purchasing the
Ground belonging to and constructing Fort Frederick; and tho' we
have not any exact Information what Sum may still be wanting to
compleat it, (if ever it shall be thought proper to be done) yet we
are afraid the Sum requisite for that Purpose, must be considerable,
and we are apprehensive that Fort is so large, that in Case of an
Attack, it cannot be defended without a Number of Men larger than
this Province can support, purely to maintain a Fortification. We
have raised and supported on our Frontier, at a vast Expence, a
Number of Men considerably more than sufficient, we humbly appre-
hend, for our Immediate Defence and Security, had they done the
Duty to which they were destined by Law; and yet our Militia has
been great Part of the Time out on that Service.
Tho' we did last Spring, in Expectation that his Majesty's Forces
would act offensively to the Westward, increase the Number of
Troops in the Pay of this Province to Five Hundred, in order that
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L. H. J.
Liber No. 49
Dec. 15
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when upon any Emergency his Majesty's Commander in Chief, or
Person properly authorized, should judge it expedient to march any
Part of the said Five Hundred Men from the Frontier of this Prov-
ince, he should command them all, except so many as the Governor
or Commander in Chief of this Province for the Time being, should
judge necessary for the more immediate Defence and Protection of
the Frontier Inhabitants thereof, which were to be left at Fort Fred-
erick, and were to Range as by that Act is directed; yet those Troops
being chiefly made use of for Garrisoning Fort Cumberland, where
they could be of very little if any Service to our Frontier Inhabitants,
we did, in our Bill sent to the Upper House this Session, make Pro-
vision for supporting only Three Hundred Men (thinking that Num-
ber full enough) to be stationed at Fort Frederick, and to act as
Rangers for the immediate Defence and Security of our Frontier
Inhabitants, hoping their Conduct for the future might be better than
it had been, and that they might do the Service destined them by that
Bill; and we hope we have Power so to do. We would not willingly
act in Opposition to the Powers, with which his Majesty has been
graciously pleased to invest the Earl of Loudoun, but would freely
contribute every Thing which can reasonably be desired of us, con-
sistent with the Trust reposed in us, for supporting his Lordship in
the Exercise of that Power, as well as in the Execution of all his
Majesty's Royal Commands, for defeating the ambitious Designs of
our common Enemy; and more, we are firmly convinced our Gracious
Sovereign does not nor ever will require of us.
And we hope we may be permitted on this Occasion to observe,
that as we have granted Three Thousand Pounds towards Recruiting
his Majesty's Royal American Regiment, and have passed a Law for
Payment for Servants which have been Enlisted into his Majesty's
Service, which must considerably burthen the Public, we have the less
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p. 191
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