When we reflect upon the late happy change, as restricted to Indian affairs the part your Excellency bore in the promoting and afterwards in the happy execution of the Treaty at Easton, and this tho' almost one of the first Acts of your Government, and against very Popular prejudices, we must Acknowledge your Excellency is entitled to the thanks of the Public; The event has proved the wisdom of the action, and we hope the Success will Still continue to evince its utility.

As it was but just to repair an oversight respecting Indian purchases in this Province, if any such there were; we cannot therefore but approve of your Excellencys Conduct in conjunction with the Commissioners for Indian affairs, and with Pleasure reflect that whatever Omissions there may have formerly been, the same are now compleatly Supplied And the whole Province (except a small claim of Tatamies and such land as the Indians hold by English Titles in the manner common to all Freeholders) entirely exempted from Indian Claims both to our and their full satisfaction

By Order of the house

SAMUEL NEVILL Speaker

House of Assembly March 14th 1759

Address of Governor Bernard to the Legislature, March 15, 1759.

[From P. R. O. B. T., Vol. 24, No. 24.]

Gentlemen of the Council & Gentlemen of the General Assembly.

I thank you for the Speedy dispatch of this important business. The readiness and unanimity with which you have proceeded therein are manifest proofs of your duty to the King and Zeal for his Service. I

am Sensible that the Proportion of your Contribution to the common cause ought not to be reckoned by the Number of your forces only, The manner in which you cloath and furnish them and the Punctuality with which you compleat your Numbers (in both which you exceed almost all other Colonies) make your Men both more expensive and more Servicable; And the large Sums you are obliged to raise for this Purpose will, I hope Sufficiently prove that your efforts on this occasion are the greatest that you think the circumstances of the Province will bear, In this light I shall represent you to such of his Majesty's Ministers as I shall have the honour to write to

Gentlemen of the general Assembly

When I spoke to you at the opening of this Session, I told you, that as soon as you had formed your resolutions on this business I shou'd have other things to recommend to you. Accordingly I now propose to you to Consider of the Keeping up your frontier guard, the Provision for which will expire on the 21st of May next. It is a business that ought be well weighed: on the one hand, there is, to all appearance a perfect Peace with the Indians in that Neighbourhood; and those at a distance have given Strong assurances of their intentions to live in friendship with the English. On the other hand you Know very well that those professions, however sincere when they are made, are not always to be depended upon in their Consequences. Trifling Causes; a a misunderstanding with our people on the frontiers, a false report circulated with credit, a little advantage gained over us by the french or too quick a Progress in our advantages over them have at different times Occasioned the Indians to invade our frontiers when we have been lulled into a fatal Security trusting to the Sincerity of friendly professions and the faith of solemn Treaties. You will therefore consider well whether it be advisable to leave the frontiers

entirely defenceless. However I shall think it Proper at this particular time to disband the whole frontier guard: and if you shall think it necessary to Keep a guard on the frontiers they will be easily raised after the regiment is sent into the field.

Another thing I have to recommend to you is to consider of some means to carry on a trade with the Neighbouring Indians. I have been assured by those that are well acquainted with Indian affairs that the firmest peace you can make with them will not be durable, unless you Keep up an intercourse with them to their Advantage: and this is to be effected best by Trade which may be made to turn to your advantage also. This Trade shou'd be public and not private as the latter by its selfish and unconscionable conduct, frequently dose more harm than good. This public Trade may be either managed by Commissioners on account of the Province or by an incorporate Company with a joint Stock with an exclusion of private traders, in either case the Trading House shou'd be fortified & garrisoned as well to prevent surprise as to command. respect. This shou'd be done at the charge of the province and in our case may be considered as part of the expences of the Trade, in the other as a bounty for the encouragement of it. Besides the Securing the affections of the Indians, other benefits must accrue to the Province from the introduction of a new branch of trade into it. This province is well Situated for all the Purposes of commerce but at present wants both private Spirit and publick incouragement. For which reason I must further recommend to you that if you shou'd determine to establish this trade you wou'd make it one of the Terms of it that after a certain time all imports and exports thereof from and to great Britain shall as much as possible be made directly and immediately to and from some port of this Province

Gentlemen

In gives me great pleasure to find that my Service has been so acceptable to you and your constituents. I must not expect that my endeavours for the publick good will often have such great consequences as the Negotiations at Easton produced. But I hope I shall act with the same Spirit attention & industry in all other Public business as I did in that: And tho' Success is not to be commanded I shall always endeavour to Deserve it.

Letter from Governor Bernard to Secretary Pitt, relating to the unanimity and despatch manifested by the New Jersey Assembly in carrying out the King's commands.

[From P. R. O., America and West Indies, Vol. 72.]

PERTH AMBOY Mar 20, 1759

The R Honble William Pitt Esq"

I have had the honour to receive your Letters of the 9th of Dec' & the 29th of Dec' Upon the receipt of the former, I called the General Assembly of the Province with all possible expedition & laid before them his Majestys commands, as signified to me by your letter of the 9th of Dec'. The Assembly having taken the same into their consideration proceeded, with uncommon unanimity & dispatch, to raise their quota for the ensuing campaign: and accordingly I had passed an Act for raising 1000 men the day before I received your letter of the 29th of Dec! I never the less laid the latter Letter before both houses, by whom It was most thankfully received

As It is the Ambition of the People of this Province to be distinguished by their loyalty to his Majesty & Zeal for his Service, I must beg leave to submit to your honour, that the grant of 1000 Men is the greatest Effort that this Province is able to make on the present occasion. For supposing the People to amount to between 70 & 80,000. The fencible Men would, in time of peace, be above 15000: But at present they cannot be near so many. This Country has had great drains from it: It has twice lost an entire Corps of 500 Men, who being carried prisoners to Canada & to France Very few have returned home again. It has been much drained by privateers & now has considerable draughts of battoe men made from it. So that I fear, It will be with difficulty that We shall compleat our regiment of 1000 men.

I must also add, that these Men are sent into the field in a different manner from those of most other provinces: they are completely cloathed in an handsome uniform & furnished with all necessaries; and they are muster'd to a Man: in both which articles several of the other provinces are greatly deficient. That I may say, that the New Jersey regiment is equal both in expence & service to 1500 of most of the other provincials.

And indeed, the great sums that have been raised for the extraordinary purposes of the War, sufficiently show that this province has contributed its full share to the common cause. For since the death of Gov Belcher in August 1757, there have been raised 140,000 pounds proclamation money, besides the ordinary charges of the support of the government: so that, supposing the money now voted, which is 50,000 pounds, will carry us thro' the next campaign, (which I doubt) we expend for the yearly service of the War 10,000 pounds. Whereas the Province of Pennsylvania, which is above 5 times as populous as ours, raises but