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to take notice of the Demands of the Militia for their services, you
have industriously avoided to call them by their Proper name; with
this View, in all your late Resolutions, you have indeed distinguished
Them from the other publick Creditors, and with this View, you now
endeavour to distinguish Them; But They having, in Truth, served,
as Militia, and been ordered upon Duty, as militia, They ought to be
paid, as Militia, and as such, by An express Law, as obligatory, and
Necessary as any we are governed by, They are to be paid in the
Publick Levy, and whatever concern you may really feel at our not
agreeing to their being paid in any other manner, You can hardly be
Supprised at it, Since, when they shall be Regularly paid, the Im-
potence of your Resolves, opposed to the Obligation of the Laws,
will be acknowledged, and the Authority of Government admitted,
Purposes of too much Consequence to the good order, and welfare
of the Province to be neglected — The overplus of the Funds estab-
lished to Support the Expences of the War might be applied to the
present Defence of the Province with greater Propriety, than to the
Satisfaction of the Militia, who are directed to be paid, by the clear
terms of an express Law, now in full force, and Vigour, in the Public
Levy — If those who by their Conduct have Contributed most to the
Encrease of the Publick Debts ought to be paid last, we shall hardly
be thought Partial to ourselves, when we express a willingness to be
satisfied for our attendance at the same time with yourselves, We
don't undertake entirely to judge in this matter, For as you well
know that a Considerable Part of that Debt was Contracted in Con-
sequence of your Perseverance in the Assessment Bill, So you know
also that, In the Opinion of a very respectable judge, Who is not
Interested in our disputes, We could not Concur with you in your
favourite System, Consistently with the Principles of our Con-
stitution
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U. H. J.
Liber No. 36
Nov. 26
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The Claim you allude to, and are pleased to term unreasonable,
We Conjecture to be the Demand of the Council; But What ever
Compliment you may think your Steady Opposition to this Claim
merits, We hope you have Some more valuable Service to boast of,
for otherwise it would be a poor Complyment indeed, and something
more than an implied Acknowledgment that your Conduct ought to
Distinguish you from other Publick Creditors, to say, that you have
done no better Service, than what results from a fruitless Opposition
to a Demand, which has always been allowed in every Publick Levy
Signed p Order John Ross Clk. Up.r Ho.
The Following Message is sent by John Ridout Esq.r
By the Upper House of Assembly 26.th November 1763
Gentlemen
Having for the Reasons already communicated to you & which we
apprehend will Sufficiently justify that part of our Conduct rejected
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p. 191
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