50 Early New York Paper Currency. 



In prosecuting this campaign heavy drafts were made 

 on the resources of New York. Paper money enactments 

 followed each other in rapid succession. Besides the 

 amount authorized on the 19th of February, ten thousand 

 pounds were issued May 3d, eight thousand pounds Sep- 

 tember 11th, ten thousand pounds April 1,1756, and fifty- 

 two thousand pounds additional at the same date. This 

 addition of X125,000 to the debt of the province in two 

 years, affected materially the character of the currency, 

 and created some alarm in the general assembly. Unable 

 to cancel the bills as they became due, they were repeat- 

 edly extended. A committee of the house was instructed 

 to bring in bills "for establishing a stamp office on vellum 

 parchment and paper which should be charged with duty," 

 and another " for laying an excise on all teas of foreign 

 growth which should be sold by retail in the colony. " 

 Both measures were adopted. 



The losses and disappointments of the last campaign 

 greatly discomforted the crown and parliament of Great 

 Britain, and their pride and courage arose in proportion. 

 Mr. Pitt had just been placed at the head of a new minis- 

 try, and his active spirit invigorated all with whom he 

 became engaged. In a circular to the colonial governors 

 he informed them of his majesty's determination to send 

 a large force to America to operate against the French, 

 and called upon them to raise as large a force as possible. 



However much the provinces may have been disheart- 

 ened and borne down by previous misfortunes, their sym- 

 pathies seemed at once engaged. To the call the general 

 assembly of New York responded as follows: "With the 

 utmost satisfaction we receive his majesty's directions for 

 making an irruption into Canada, and we cannot entertain 

 the least doubt that every colony on the continent will 

 most heartily cooperate with, and second his majesty's 

 intentions by a vigorous exertion of their utmost strength.'' 



