210 Assembly Proceedings, May 1-June 12, 1739

U. H. J.
No. 734

and summon
a new one
for Decem-
ber 8 (28
Archives
143.) The
Council met
on May 4,
18, 25, June
3 and n.

The Lower House attend and His Excellency orders them to
return to their House and make. Choice of a Speaker
Mess^rs Smith and Hanson from the Lower House acquaint his
Excellency their House hath made Choice of a Speaker
Col Hammond is sent to the Lower House to inform them his
Excellency requires their Attendance in the Upper House to pre-
sent their Speaker for his Approbation.
The whole House attend and present John Mackall Esq^r as their
Speaker, with which Choice his Excellency declares himself well
pleased, whereupon his Excellency makes the following Speech.

p. 2

Gentlemen of the Upper and Lower Houses of Assembly

I presume none of you can be ignorant of the necessity I was under
of dissolving the last Assembly; The Misunderstanding betwixt, the
Two Houses, having not only put an entire Stop to all Business, but
even to the least Intercourse of Messages the only Means of accom-
modating the Affair without the Interposition of the Government
The ill Effects of Heats and Animosities between the several
Parts of the Legislature, have been so plainly manifested on this
Occasion, that I flatter myself We are now met together with a full
Resolution to avoid them as much as possible
For my own Part I can very truly assure You, that no Man is come
to this Assembly more sincerely desirous of the Welfare, of the
Province than myself, or more willing to give a helping Hand to the
Removal of every Obstacle to its Happiness and Prosperity:
But then it must be allowed, that Temper and Moderation will be
always necessary, to consider rightly of such things as may come
before us, the wisest Assemblies being lyable to be misled by the too
great Warmth even of honest and well meaning Men, as well as by the
artful Practices of such as know how to cover their own private and
self interested Views with the Specious Appearance of Zeal for the
Publick Good
It is well konwn what Pains I took sometime ago to continue the
Bill for the Payment of his Lordships Rents and Alienation fines
by a Duty on Tobacco, as likewise to make Our Paper Money pass
in Payment of the 40 p Poll, and Officers fees at the Rate of Ten
Shillings p hundred, and with what Warmth and Zeal these Points
were opposed by many Gentlemen, who then thought they were doing
their Country great Service.
At present I believe few are so partial as not to acknowledge that
the Government was then acting for the General Benefit and Ad-
vantage of the People, whose Interest was greatly mistaken by their
own Representatives, which I am perswaded could not have hap-
pened, had that serious and impartial Deliberation been made Use of,
which I am now recommending