248 Assembly Proceedings, November 1-December 20, 1765.

L. H. J.
Liber No. 52
Dec. 16

wonderful you have not been pleased long ago to give it up entirely
to the poor people and may we not hope from the amazing Increase
of your Generosity and Compassion that a Session or two more will
produce a Bill in your House to repeal so much of the Old Act as
gives Allowance to your Members. But the case is widely different
with us as we confess with Candour our private Circumstances are
generally pretty strait and our Attendance here occasions great In-
conveniencies to Ourselves and Families. We do not want to better
our Fortunes by serving our Constituents we only want their Appro-
bation quiet Consciences and an Indemnity ag.^t necessary Expences
Our Constituents will give their Approbation when we deserve it
and are so far from desiring our Ruin in their Service that they are
impatient to pay those Wages so justly and honourably earned
We do May it please your Honours upon the most mature Con-
sideration really and seriously think that the Clerk of the Council
ought not to be paid the usual Salary nor in the usual Manner
whilst any of the Money taken in any Manner and under what-
soever Direction for the Support of Government remains unex-
pended and we are also well satisfied much of those Monies does
remain unexpended that so much of that Money as is necessary
ought to be applied towards Satisfaction of any reasonable Demand
the Clerk of the Council may have for Official Services performed
by him for the Public and therefore we cannot agree to make the
Allowances you propose on the Journal nor can we for the Reasons
given you before consent to a partial Payment of Public Creditors
unless in Favour of those mentioned in the List of Debts. Under the
unhappy Circumstances of a Disagreement in Sentiments between
the two Houses in a Matter of so much Consequence to the Public
as the Payment of the public Creditors and circulating so large a
Sum as is necessary for that Purpose we now propose to you that
we frame and pass a Bill to raise Money to defray the Expence
of an Agent to be appointed and paid and directed by the House of
Delegates that the Journal be now passed without inserting the Clerk
of the Councils Salary and the future Payment to depend on the
Determination of the King and Council. The Agents Bill itself may
apply Money contingently suff.^t to pay the whole of M^r Ross's Claim:
this Method will we think effectuate every good Purpose and we are
sincerely desirous that it may be adopted by your Hon." by which
"you must be acquitted of all sinister Designs to extort in the p^rnt
Conjuncture any Concessions from the Rep^rsentatives of the People
derogatory from the Rights of their Constituents" Or "that availing
yourselves of the Distresses of the Public C.^rs and the Difficulties the
People in General will be involved in from the Want of the Money
now locked up from the Common Use you aim at an Advantage
which would not be attempted at Another Crisis" should it be
rejected we shall be equally concerned as your Honours and equally