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L. H. J.
Liber No. 52
April 23
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Provided always, and be it Enacted, That when, upon any Emergency,
his Majesty's Commander in Chief, or Person properly authorized,
shall judge it expedient to march any Part of the said Five Hundred
Men from the Frontier of this Province, then and in such Case, so
many of the aforesaid Men shall be left at Fort Frederick, under a
proper Command, as the Governor or Commander in Chief of this
Province, for the Time being, shall judge necessary for the more
immediate Defence and Protection of the Frontier Inhabitants
thereof."
This Message having been Read in the Lower House, it was, as
appears by the Journal, thereupon ordered, that the following Address
should be presented to me, by Way of Answer :
"It gives us the greatest Concern to find your second Message of
this Afternoon, so unprecented, that we conceive we cannot, without
departing from the established Mode of Proceeding, give any other
Answer to it, than that it is Unparliamentary."
Which convinced me, that while I was studious to preserve a
right Understanding with the Assembly, there were some at least
in the Lower House, who considered more how a Foundation might
be then laid for a Rupture at a future Session; nevertheless as I
perceived they were determined not to come to any Explanation, I
gave my Assent to the Bill, and the next Day issued Commissions
for raising the additional Companies. Finding afterwards, that
the Agents made some Difficulties about paying those of the Troops
which were in Garrison at Fort Cumberland, I wrote to the Earl
of Loudoun, and the King's Officer who then commanded in this
Part of the Continent, desiring them to order some other Troops
thither, to relieve Capt. Dagworthy's; but my Request was not
complied with, and the Agents, on farther Consideration, thought
it their Duty to issue Pay for that Garrison as long as they had
Money in their Hands. Having on the I5th of October (1757)
sent to the Lower House, which was then sitting, the following
Message,
"Gentlemen, Finding by a Letter that I received this Morning
from Capt. Dagworthy, that the Garrison of Fort Cumberland is
in Want of Provisions, I advised the Agents thereof, and recom-
mended it to them to order a Supply thither as soon as possible.
In Answer to the Letter that I writ to those Gentlemen on this
Occasion, they tell me, that as the Money which was appropriated
by the Act of Assembly passed last Session, is entirely expended, it
is not in their Power to make any farther Provision for the Troops
in the Pay of this Province. The evil Consequences that must natur-
ally follow the Troops being refused Provisions, are so obvious, that
you cannot help perceiving them; and therefore I shall only desire
you to take this Matter into immediate Consideration."
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