296 HISTORICAL ACCOUNT [BOOK n. 



book upon the place ; and Sir Thomas Modyford had an instruction to 

 continue this revenue by order of governor and council, the assembly in 

 his life-time passing it perpetual} and in Sir Thomas Lynch's time the 

 assembly made it perpetual, but, for want of the king's consent they 

 both are fallen ; but now, the assembly say, they are of a better under- 

 standing than to give the reins out of their own hands. 



To this bill, the island's affairs being under great pressures from pub- 

 lic debts contracted for the new fortifications and salaries already doe, I 

 gave the royal assent; and then, being the izth instant, I dissolved 

 them. 



Which having been done, and not being satisfied with the behaviour of 

 the assembly in their proceedings in relation to the government I srood 

 charged with, most of them being in military trusts, I put this question 

 to each of them : " Do you submit to this form of government which his 

 " majesty hath been pleased to order for this island of Jamaica?" to 

 which several of them neither gave me a dutiful nor cheerful answer ; 

 some did and at this some are much dissatisfied. 



NUMBER X. 



May it please your Excellency, 



WE, the members chosen by his majesty's writ to be the general assem- 

 bly for this his island of Jamaica, do, with a great deal of thankfulness, 

 acknowledge the princely care which his majesty hath been ever pleased to 

 have of this his colony, and of which your excellency hath likewise gi- 

 ven to us very late and fresh assurances ; and, in obedience to his maje- 

 sty's commands, we have perused the several bills which your excellency 

 sent us; and having duly examined the matters contained in them, we 

 could not give our consent to any of them, there being divers fundamen- 

 tal errors, which we particularly observed, and did cause them to be en- 

 tered in our journal ; and from the consideration of them we cannot but 

 reflect, and do humbly beg your excellency to represent unto his most 

 sacred majesty, the great inconveniencies which are like to redound unto 

 this his island by this method and manner of passing of laws, which is ab- 

 solutely impracticable, and will not only tend to the great discouragement 

 of the present planters, but likewise put a very fatal stop to any further 

 prosecution of the improvement of this place, there being nothing that in- 

 vites people more to settle and remove their family and stocks into this re- 



