4 HISTORICAL ACCOUNT [FOOK ir. 



negative voice", which, had either of them made u*e of in th's point, would 

 have been readily consented to by the assembly, a-> they had formerly 

 done, both under the government of Sir Thomas Mcdyfoid and Sir Tho- 

 im? Lynch, before whose time it had been raided without mentioning his 

 majesty's nnme, and that without check j and we always concluded the 

 governor's name in the enacting pait to be of the same effect as his majes- 

 ty's is in England, whom, in this p.nrt'cular, he seems rather to person- 

 ate than represent : for wh.ch icasons we hope, it ought not to have been 

 impu'ed to the assembly as their ciime altogether, being consented unto 

 by hi* majesty's governor, wthout any debate, and all applied by the 

 act whei eby* it wa* raised to the very same public use his majesty directs j 

 and we are certain no instance can be given of any money disposed of to 

 any private use, but was always i%sued by the governor's warrant, for the 

 payment of his own and other his general officers salaries in this island, 

 with some small contingent charges of the government. 



Their loidships also affirm, that the assembly offered this bill, in the 

 same measure and proportion as it is now proposed, to Sir Thomas 

 Lynch ; in which their lordships are misinformed : for his majesty's in- 

 structions were, that the laws should be in force for two years and no 

 longer, which their lordships also acknowledge in the prior part of the 

 report j so that the assembly needed not to have expressed any time, and 

 the particular uses therein appointed. 



But had their lordships known how great sums of money have been 

 raised here, and how small a part hath been applied to his majesty's ser- 

 vice for the defence and strengthening the island, we humbly conceive 

 their lord-hips would have been of opinion j that we have no reason to 

 bar ourselves to perpetuity, and pass the said act without limitation of 

 uses or time ; nor can we be so presumptuous as to imagine the king can 

 be hindered from making &uch use of his own money as he shall think 

 fit, and apply it where he finds it most necessary. 



It is very true the laws contain many and great errors, as their lord- 

 ships may see by the assembly's journal ; so that were the assembly as 

 much petit'oners to his majesty for this new form as they are to be restored 

 to their old, above half the body of these laws, without amendment, 

 would never be reasonable to pass. 



As, to instance some few amongst many : in the act for preventing 

 dama: es by fire, a single justice of the peace hath power of 1 f e and death j 

 and the act of the militia empowers the governor and council to levy a tax 

 on the whole island j and in the aft directing the marshal's proceedings. 



