A. D. 1715: 47 



to be taken away ; the amount whereof was at leafl L3,ooo per annum *. 

 And, as the Indians in this province were very inconfiderable, the white 

 people therein being now much more numerous and ftronger than they, 

 they therefor humbly hoped, that Maryland might be excepted out of 

 this bill. 



A petition was likewife prefented by the agent for his majefly's pro- 

 vinces of Maflachufet's bay and Connedicut. With relation to MafTa- 

 chufet's bay, it was reprefented, that it had its charter from King James I 

 in the i 8th year of his reign, afterward confirmed by King Charles I 

 in the 4th year of his reign, by virtue whereof, the governor and com- 

 pany of the Maffachufet's bay had power to appoint their own officers, 

 civil and military, with other privileges therein mentioned : that in the 

 reign of King James II, their charter was vacated, at the fame time that 

 many corporations in England were disfranchifed : that after the revo- 

 hition King William reftored the charter, only referving to himfelf the 

 appointment of a governor, lieutenant-governor, fecretary, judge of the 

 admiralty, and the attorney-general ; and that this is the charter which 

 the province now enjoys. Hereupon it is humbly obferved, that the 

 charter of this province being on the fame footing with the corporations 

 in England, it feems equally "hard to diveftthem of it, as it would be to 

 disfranchife the corporations at home. That this province has given a 

 valuable confideration to the crown for their charter, viz. the fubduing 

 and planting a wildernefs, at a vafi; expenfe, and with the lofs of many 

 lives ; whereby they have added a large territory to the crown, and 

 thereby alfo greatly increafed the trade and commerce of Britain. That 

 this province is not within the reafons fuggefted in the bill, for they 

 have not excercifed arbitrary power; neither indeed can they : for the 

 principal officers before mentioned, being appointed by the crown, are 

 fuch a check on the government, that it is entirely out of their power 

 to opprefs the fubjeft. Moreover, they have not negleded the defence 

 of the inhabitants ; on the contrary, they have well defended both them- 

 felves and their neighbours in a long French and Indian war ; and their 

 ordinary charge for guards, garrifons, guard-flups, &.c. has been L35,oco 

 one year with another. And though thereby the province has eontracfi:- 

 ed a debt of Li 50,000 yet they do not complain; nor arc they, 

 burdenfome to the crown, but are paying it olF yearly by degrees 

 Moreover, if this charter fliould be taken away, no compenfation can be 

 made for it: whereas, in the cafe of proprietary governments, an equi- 

 valent may be given to the proprietors, as it ieems is intended : but 

 here it cannot be, becaufe the privileges here are not vcfled in particu- 

 lar perfons, but in the body of the people. Thus, it is like to liappen, 

 that the proprietors of Carolina, &c. on whofe account alone this bill is 

 brouglit in, may come oiYwell enough, while the charter governments-. 



• They arc faid to be now (1762) above L9,coo a year.- A. 



