June 23, 1775

v2:1237

Mr˙ Attorney-General reported to the House that he had shewn the engrossed Bills and Resolves to the Governour, and that his Excellency was pleased to deliver to him a written Message, which he read in his place, and which is in the words following, to wit:

The bill for appointing Commissioners to settle the accounts of the Militia lately drawn out into actual service, and for making provision to pay the same, inasmuch as it imposes duties upon slaves imported, I cannot assent to; which, by the royal disallowance of an Act of Assembly for that purpose, passed in the tenth year of his present Majesty' s reign, you must have been sensible of; and as the bill has no suspending clause, though I made it my business to intimate, by several of your members, to the House, that, without such a clause, I could not pass an act for emitting paper money, the miscarriage of a bill I had very much at heart cannot be attributed to me. And if still those objections can be removed, I should be happy to concur in an act for the rewarding of the brave people who are the particular objects of it, without delay. If not, all I can do is to transmit the bill to His Majesty, and to desire leave to assent to it; though, in regard to the duty upon slaves, I should not, I think, obtain it.

I see no objection to any other of your bills or resolves, and I am therefore ready to give my assent to them whenever the House desires, If you have any other bills ready, I must desire they may be sent in like manner, that the whole may be passed together; and I must beg that your Clerk may be ordered to lay before me a copy of the Journals of the House, before the time fixed for passing the bills.

DUNMORE.