[The "JOURNAL OF THE HOUSE," continued from October the 20th, 1737. See marginal page 528, in printed volume IV, "Provincial Papers."-Ed.]

[P. 528.] By Proclamation his Excellency Prorogued the General Assembly to the first Wednesday in May 1738, as by the Proclamation affixed on the Court House dore which the members as they entred the Court House dore tooke down and was Read in the House as follows, viz.

By his Excellency Jonathan Belcher, Esq. Governor and Commander in Chief in and over his Majesties Province of New hampshire in New England.

A PROCLAMATION.

Whereas the Gen" Assembly of the said Province of New hampshire Stands Prorogued to the third day of May next, I have tho't fit further to Prorogue them to Wednesday the twelfth of July next at ten of the clock before noon, then to meet at the Court House In Portsmouth within said Province, and in his Majty name the said Gen Assembly is hereby prorogued accordingly and all persons concern'd are Required to take notice thereof and to pay a Due conformity thereto.

Given under my hand the seventeenth day of April 1738, in the Eleventh year of the Reigne of our Sovereign Lord George the Second, by the grace of God, of Great Brittain, France [P. 529.] & Ireland King, defender of the Faith, &c.

By his Excellency Comand.

Ric Waldron Secy.

GOD SAVE THE KING.

Wednesday November the 1st 1738.

J. BELCHER.

The House met according to Prorogation by his Excellencies Proclamation.

Mr. President Walton came into the House and said his Excelly

ordered the Gen" Assembly to be adjourn'd to Thursday the 24 inst at 3 o'clock, afternoon and then Declared the Assembly adjourn'd accordingly.

Thursday November the 2a A. D. 1738.

A Mess from his Excell, viz. that his Excelly Required the attendance of Mr. Speaker and the House at the Council Board at Mr. Treasurer Sherburn's House. Mr. Speaker and the House met accordingly. His Excellency made a speech. Mr. Speaker pray'd a coppy, obtain'd it and Return'd.

His Excell speech Read in the House as follows

Gentlemen of the Council & of the House of Representatives :

Since I met you last in the Gen" Assembly I have nothing new in Comand from his Majtie Respecting this Province. The happy tydings we have Received of the Birth of a Prince (Presumptive heir to the Crown of Great Brittain) gives us the opportunity of addressing his Majtie with dutifull congratulations on the joyful event.

By the Letters I have received from White Hall by the last ships I have no account [P. 530.] of the settlem' of the Boundary Lines between this & the neighboring Province to which great affaire I wish a speedy and happy Issue.

You will do well to make a carefull Inquiry into the State & circumstances of the several Publick Loans and to see whether the Late Acts Respecting them are complyed with. By one of the Last Ships from London a p'son bro't into the neighboring govermt a number of Counterfeit Bills of the last Emission of this Province, & by the vigalence of that Goverm1 one of the actors of this villainy is seized with the Plate & some of the Bills. It will therefore be wise in you to project some good Bill to be pass'd into a Law to prevent the forgeing of your Bills of Credit, or their vallue must necessarily sink & the Practice must bring other fatal consequences on the Province. Gentlemen of the Council and of the House of Representatives

If you have anything to lay before me for the Publick Weal I shall give my chearfull attention to it. Unanimity in the affairs of this sessions may soon bring it to a happy conclusion, nor shall any thing be wanting on my part to advance his Majties Hon' & Interest together with that of the wellfare of his People. 9br 2d, 1738.

J. BELCHER.

Whereas Mr. Robert Boyce is gone beyond Sea & so there's no Representatives for the Town of Londonderry, Ordered that a Precept be forthwith sent to said Town to make choice of a fit p'son to Represent them in Gen" Assembly to appear the 8th currt.

Voted, that Nathaniel Weare & John Rindge Esqs. be a Comittee of this House to draw an answer to his Excellency's speech and make return to the House for approbation.

[P. 531.] Voted, that Mr. George Walton & John Rindge Esqs. be a Comittee of the House to joyne with such as the Honble the Council shall appoint to draw up the Address to his Majtie congratulating the occasion of the Birth of the young Prince.

Voted, That Mr. Jotham Odiorn & Mr. George Walton be a

Comittee of this House to Joyne with such as the Honble the Council shall appoint to tell over the money to be burnt this Sessions.

Then the House adjourn'd to the 3a curr'.

Fryday November 3d A. D. 1737 (1)

The answer to his Excellency's Speech was Bro't in and Read as follows, viz

May it Please your Excellency.

We hope we of this House are met togeather with a true desire to do those things that may be for his Majties Hon and the good and benefit of his subjects in this Province whome we Represent. And your Excelly assuring us in your Speech your rediness to do, and have put us in mind of those things which are of concerm for the good of this Province, we hope it will cause the greater unanimity & Despatch with us.

And we shall gladly congratulate his Majtie and take the op'tunity to chuse a Comitee of this House to joyne with such gent as may be appointed at the Board to draw up what may be tho't proper in order to address his Majesty on the joyfull tidings of the Birth of the Prince. As to the Boundary Lines between the two Provinces we should have been very glad to have heard that it had been settled & hope that in a short time it may come [P. 532.] to a good Issue. Respecting the Publick Loans we shall appoint a Comittee of this House to joyne with such of the Councill as may be appointed at the Board to take an Exact Account of what is Bro't in and how those affairs stand & then we shall consider what is propper to be done in order to comply with the former acts as neare as may be. As to the Bills of Credit that has been lately counterfeited we shall take it into consideration and use the best means we can to put a stop to such evill practices. Novem1 3d 1738.

Andrew Wiggin, Speaker.

Voted accepted and to be sent up with the vote to address on the Birth of the Prince and the vote for a Comittee for telling the money to be burnt.

A Messa pr Ellis Hurst, (2) Esq. with several Petitions.

Post Meridiem

A Petition of the inhabitants of North Hill in hampton praying to be sett of a Distinct precinct &c., was read, and voted to serve the Select men of Hampton with a coppy & to appeare the 14th Curr if the Assembly be then sitting, otherwise on the 2a day of the sitting of the Gen Ass at their next sessions.

A Petition of the Inhabitants of the East End of Kingstown praying to be set off a Distinct P'ish, &c. the like vote thereon as above- both sent up.

Then the House adjourn'd to the 4th currt.

(1) So in the original. Evidently an error.-ED.

(2) This name should be Huske.-ED.

Saturday 9b the 4th A. D. 1738.

Voted, that all those affairs on Petitions &c. that were to be heard the 3d or 4th dayes of this sessions of Gen" Assembly, that the hearings thereof be on the 14 & 15 days of 9hr currt.

Ordered, That the clerk send to Dover & Exeter Representatives that have been absent this Sessions to appeare Monday next to attend his Majtie Service in Gen" Assm at their [P. 533] Perril. A message from the Board pr Theo. Atkinson Esq. that the votes on the North Hill Petition and Kingstown Petition was concurr'd, and that Geo. Jaffrey and Mr. Secretary was joyned the Committee to address, and that himself and Ephraim Dennet, Esq. were to joyne in telling the money to be Burnt.

A Petition from the Proprietors of Nottingham and a Petition of Benj Rust was Bro't in and ordered to lye till there be a full House.

Then the House adjourn'd to the 6th currt.

Monday 9br the 6th A. D. 1738.

There being a thin House, The House adjourn'd to the 7th currt.

Tuesday 9br the 7th A. D. 1738.

Capt. Jona. Lad Presented a Petition praying Releif about the Division of an Estate, &c. Read & voted thereon that he serve the Sev" Parties concern'd with a Coppy & to aper the 14th curr to shew cause, &c.

A Petition of Joseph Pevy Praying that he may have allowed him £11: 10. Bills of Credit of this Province, being so much he had Burnt in his chest with the other money at his Lodgins in Berwick, he having made oath to the same & several parties appearing made it manifest it was so. Voted, That the Treasur pay the said Joseph Pevy the sum of £11: 10 out of the money now to be Burnt.

Post Meridiem.

Voted That Thomas Packer & Mr. Samuel Palmer be a Comittee of this House to joyne with such as the Honble the Council shall appoint to Draw up an Act for the better Security against counterfeiting the Bills of Credit of this Province & against any p'son that shall be discovered to Engrave any [P. 534.] Plate for Printing off such Bills or any p'son that shall keep such Plate in his possession without discovery thereof within 24 Hours or any p'son that shall utter knowingly such counterfeit Bill or Bills to all or any part thereof (as shall be tho't fit) to be Fellony without benefit of Clergy, or falsifying any figures or letters in any

Bills, or counterfeiting any Bill with pen or Pencil, &c. Then the House adjourn'd to the 8th currt.

Wednesday 9br 8th A. D. 1738.

For expedition of the Business of this Session, Voted, That John Rindge & Nath' Gillman be a Comittee of this House to joyne with such as the Honble the Council shall appoint to tell over the Loan money in Mr. George Jeffreys hands.

A Mess from the Board pr Mr. Secretary that the Council could not come in the above vote for a second Comittee. For then there would not be a Council to act any thing. Mr. William Parker, (as one of the selectmen of Portsmouth) Bro't in a memorial for an act to Enable Selectmen and assessors to make Province Rates &c. which was Read.

Post Meridiem

A Petition of the Inhabitants of Nottingham praying Releif agst the non-resident Proprietors about the paym1 of their ministers Rates was Read.

Then the House adjourn'd to the 9th currt.

Thursday November the 9th A. D. 1738.

The Draught of an Address to his Majtie bro't in & Read and voted it be accepted fairly writ over Sign'd and sent as soon as possible.

[Copied from MS. "Addresses to the King," in Secretary's Office, pp. 11, 12, November, 1738.]

To the Kings Most Excellent Majesty

The humble Address of the Governour, Council & Representatives of your Majestys Province of New Hampshire in New England in America.

Most Gracious Sovereigne

We beg your Majesties Royal permission to embrace this first opportunity to present to your Majesty our most humble & dutifull congratulations on so happy and important an Event as that of the birth of a Prince descended from your Majesty, and the immediate offspring of their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Wales.

This great occasion of our Address, is a great occasion for our joy, and our joy is great in proportion to the occasion; for it is not our Remoteness from the Brittish Throne that can abate an iota of our allegiance, nor the vast ocean that seperates us from our Sovereign that can quench or cool our affection to Him.

If it be our misfortune to be a thousand leagues distant from your Majesty, It is our happyness that we can boast of as true a (New England) loyalty as that of the most faithful Britons, and that we have as warm hearts and as willing hands ready for your Majesties service as the Loyalest of your British subjects.

What we crave leave further to offer is, to assure your Majtie of our ardent