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Opinion will be a sufficient Reward to the Recruiting Officers, as
they will get great Numbers of Men, it is to be hoped, for a much
less Sum; tho' they may perhaps be obliged to go beyond it for some ;
however if any thing is doubtfully expressed in the Clause relating
to the Recruiting Officers, we will readily agree to make it Clear.
We are of Opinion, that the providing for Field Officers would be
attended with very great Expence, and should not Gentlemen who
may be appointed to those superior Posts, be continued in the same
Command after the Expedition is over, it might be the Ruin of
some, who might advance their whole Fortunes, in hopes of being
continued in Ranks which it would be too heavy a Burthen to the
Country to continue them in. We must be of Opinion, that those
200 Men, who by the Bill are directed to be Drafted out of those
taken into the Pay of the Province, &c. and stationed at Fort-Fred-
erick, to Act as Rangers, should be good Men, and therefore we
ordered them to be first chose out; and we cannot presume, they are
intended not to be in actual Service, on the contrary, they certainly
ought to be constantly Active and Vigilant in order to protect the
Frontier Inhabitants against the Incursions and Depredations of their
Savage Enemies.
The Pay of the Captains who may go on the Expedition, we agree
shall not be reduced below I2s. 6 p Day.
The Provision made for such as might be Maimed or receive Hurt
in the Service, is the same as has been made in other Bills, and as
we hope unnecessary Obstructions to the Passage of our Journals, will
not hereafter be thrown in, this Provision will not be attended with
the Inconveniencies you mention: This kind of Provision we find
in a neighbouring Colony. When the Military forcibly obstructs the
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L.H.J.
Liber No. 50
April 26
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Exertion of the Civil Power, the Punishment ought to be severe,
and we are apprehensive, that a Penalty of £30 on a common Soldier
for obstructing the Service of a Summons, is rather under, than over,
an adequate one; if the Penalty was small the Offender might buy
off the Evidence. The Governor as Chancellor and Surveyor-
General, is considered in the same Light as any other Officer under
the Government, and in respect of his Personal Estate, as a Private
Person, and therefore there cannot be the same Reason for exempt-
ing him in these Respects as for exempting him in Respect of his
holding the Supreme Executive Power in this Government; and we
hope your Honours will never presume, that the Governor will ob-
struct the Execution of any Law, or refuse to pay a Tax, imposed
with equal Reason on Himself as on Others.
The Uncertainty of our Capital was the Reason of Continuing the
Bill the Third Year, which possibly may not be sufficient; but that
will soon appear; and there cannot be the least Doubt but a Provision
will be made by a longer Continuance of the Act if it be found neces-
sary. It does by no Means appear to us, that the Mode for raising
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p. 119
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