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derogatory to the Rights of Government, and subversive of our Con-
stitution.
Upon your Excellency's communicating to us the Address of the
Lower House of the 10.th Instant in which they seemed to insinuate
that we had declined to enter into a Conference with them, we pro-
posed to confer with them which they agreed to, but all Propositions
we could make to induce them not to insist upon the sole Nomination
of the Commissioners vested with the very extensive and dangerous
Powers conferred by the Bill were rejected, & no Proposition having
been made by them upon this Head, tho' we declared our Willingness
to receive and consider any they would please to make the Conferrence
proved ineffectual. The Propositions we made upon the Conferrence,
and which were rejected by the Conferrees of the Lower House were
that the Justices of the several and respective County Courts might
do the Duty of Commissioners, or that a Number to be agreed upon
by the two Houses might be appointed by the said Justices out of
their Number for this Purpose, or that a Number of Commissioners
in each County might be agreed upon by both Houses, one half of
these to be appointed by the Governor and Council, the other Half
by the Lower House saving to each Side the Right of making all
just and reasonable Objections to the Persons who might be nomi-
nated in Lists to be exchanged on both Sides
The Concessions we were willing to make, and our yielding to the
Mode of raising Mony by an Assessment upon all Estates real and
personal in the very extraordinary Manner proposed by the Lower
House nothing but the present very pressing Exigency of Affairs
could have drawn from us, as we are convinced that such a Method
of taxing is as unsuitable to the Circumstances of the People as it
is repugnant to the settled and established Usage of this Province
from its first Settlement.
As we have not Time to give your Excellency a fuller Satisfaction
now we must beg Leave to refer you to the Bill we rejected and our
Messages as well as those of the Lower House for our Vindication,
and indeed we wish that all who are interested in the Proceedings
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U. H. J.
Liber No. 35
May 13
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of this Assembly and desirous of investigating the true Cause of it's
unhappy Issue would take the Trouble of perusing them for we are
less apprehensive of being condemned upon a full Information, than
thro' a Partial Representation of Facts.
May 13. B Tasker Presid.t
Samuel Chamberlaine Esq.r and Col. Lloyd are sent to the Lower
House to acquaint the Speaker that his Excellency requires his imme-
diate Attendance with the Lower House in the Upper House to see
the Bills passed both Houses this Session receive the Assent.
The Lower House attend and by their Speaker present to his
Excellency the following Bills /the Act for Encouragement of a
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p. 360
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