And upon the whole of this article, my Lords, I am humbly of opinion, that I do my duty to acquaint your Lordships, that the government of Rhode Island in .he present hands, is a scandal to her Majesty's government. It is a very good settlement, with about two thousand armed men in it. And no man in the government, of any estate or education, though in the Province there be men of very good estates, ability and loyalty; but the Quakers will by no means admit them to any trust, nor would they now accept it, in hopes of a dissolution of that misrule, and that they may be brought under her Majesty's immediate government in all things which the major part by much of the whole people, would pray for, but dare not, for fear of the oppression and affront of the Quakers party making a noise of their Charter.

i

My Lords, I am your Lordships' most obedient and most faithfull humble servant, J. DUDLEY.

Rhode Island Assembly to Governor Dudley.

May it please your Excellency: In answer to your demands of the militia of this her Majesty's Collony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, &c., we humbly offer that by our Charter granted by King Charles the Second, of blessed memory, bearing date the fifteenth year of his said Majesty's reign, the sole power of the militia is granted to us; as well as by her late Majesty, Queen Mary, of blessed memory, her pleasure to us signified, bearing date the 22d of August, 1694, relating o our said militia, upon our address to our late deceased Sovereign Lord and Lady, King William and Queen Mary, signifying the demands of Sir William Phipps, late Governor of the Massachusetts, relating to the militia of said Collony, whereon her Royall Majesty Queen Mary, aforesaid, did signify her Royall pleasure relating to the same; the which we, her Majesty's subjects in said Collony are ready to perform, as well as to perform all other acts of loyalty to our present Majesty, according to the trust in us reposed.

And we further say, that finding in your Excellency's communication no express superseding of the power of the militia in our Charter, nor order to us from her present Majesty to surrender the same; and being sensible of the great importance of this matter, and finding it in severall main things which do need a particular ex. planation and settlement, as we shall, God willing, manifest to her Majesty by our humble address, cannot but conceive it our duty, both with respect to our Majesty's service and our own peace and preservation in this time of war to endeavor to continue the militia as formerly, till we shall receive further orders from her Majesty, not doubting her Majesty's gracious favors.

Signed by order of the Generall Assembly of her Majesty's Collony

of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, &c., sitting in New-
port, the 17th of September, 1702.

WESTON CLARKE, Secretary.

* J. Carter Brown's Manuscripts, Vol. VI. Nos. 408-410.

Proceedings of the Generall Assembly held for the Collony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, at Newport, the 2d of February, 1702-3.

Major Samuell Cranston, Governor.
Weston Clarke, Recorder.

Be it enacted by and with the advice and consent of the Governor, Assistants and Representatives in this Assembly convened, and the authority thereof, and it is hereby enacted, That Capt. Jos. Sheffield, Esq'r, is appointed sole Agent for this her Majesty's Collony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, &c., to appear before her Majesty in Council, or before any Minister or Ministers of Justice within the realm of England, in behalf of the aforesaid Collony, as well as for the upholding and continuing the Letters Patents granted to us by his Majesty, Charles the Second, of blessed memory, as well as for any other difference or differences, case or cases in the behalf of the aforesaid Collony; and said realm of England, to negotiate and make answer to and for the aforesaid Collony, either in respect to the unhappy difference between this her Majesty's Collony and her Majesty's Collony of Connecticut, and to all other matters, case or cases, complaint or complaints, whatsoever, that shall be alledged in the realm of England, aforesaid, against this her Majesty's Collony, in any nature, whatsoever.

Also be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That the aforesaid Capt'n Joseph Sheffield, Esq'r, shall have allowed and paid him by the aforesaid Collony, viz.: for the first year he, the said Sheffield, shall have all his necessary expenses and charges that he shall be at, either for his passage or otherwise, for his honorable accommodations, untill his arrivall into England. As also shall have paid him for his own use the sum of one hundred pounds current money, besides the aforesaid charge and expense.

And for every successive year after the first year, after the rate of sixty pounds per annum, so long as the aforesaid Collony shall see cause to continue him in the aforesaid premises.

As also be it further enacted, That for the execution and answering and paying the charge that shall accrue in the execution of the aforesaid trust in the behalf of said Collony, that there be a rate forthwith assessed on the inhabitants of said Collony; and that three hundred pounds sterling money of England, be forthwith remitted for England, by bills of exchange, &c., to him, the aforesaid Sheffield, Esq'r.

And be it further enacted, That if it should please God that he, the said Sheffield, should be taken either in his going or coming, to or from the aforesaid realm of England, that then the charge and cost of his redemption shall be had and borne at the proper cost and charge of said Collony. Always provided, that the said Capt'n Joseph Sheffield's actions and transactions in the premises, shall be according to the instructions and directions of the Commissioners appointed by virtue hereof, for the upholding the rights and privileges of the body politick and corporate of said Collony, according to the aforesaid Charter, viz.:

And be it further enacted by the authority, aforesaid, That the Honorable Samuell Cranston, Esq'r, Governor, and the Honorable Walter Clarke, Esq'r, Major Isaac Martindale, Esq'r, Capt'n Robert Lawton, Esq'r, Mr. Joseph Hull, Esq'r, Capt'n James Barker, Esq'r, and Capt'n Jonathan Holmes, or the major part of them, shall have, by virtue hereof, full power and authority to act in all cases whatsoever, for the forwarding the said Agent with full and ample instructions in the premises; and that the Governor, with the advice of the Commissioners, or the major part of them, shall give the Agent a full, large and ample commission for the executing said premises, with the Seal of this Collony thereunto annexed.

And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That the said Commissioners shall meet the 1st of March next, at the house of Thomas Mallet, in Newport; and from time to time, so as they fully perfect and empower said Agent with the

aforesaid premises, at or by the 1st day of April next ensuing. And the said Commissioners to be paid their respective charg es, and for their pains in the premises, they shall have a good and reasonable reward.

Also be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That for the more speedy perfecting the premises and defraying said charge, that there is by virtue hereof, a rate assessed on the inhabitants of said Collony, for the sum of £600 current money, or pay equivalent, at the prices hereafter expressed, viz.: Indian corn, at two shillings, three pence per bushell; and barley, at two shillings per bushell; and wheat, at four shillings per bushell; and rye, at two shillings, four pence per bushell; and oats, at fourteen pence per bushell; and to be paid according to the late £300 levy, that the same is by virtue hereof assessed on the respective towns; and to be raised in manner and form following:

And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That for the speedy perfecting the premises, the Assistants, Justices, and Wardens and Conservators of each respective town, shall give forth their warrants to convene the respective inhabitants of their towns together, at or before the 8th day of March next ensuing, then and there to choose rate makers to proportion said rate by the 14th of March next ensuing, and then the same to deliver at or by the said 14th day, to the said Assistants, Justices, Conservators, or Wardens of each town; who are hereby empowered and required, and on the penalty according to the late £800 rate, passed at Kingstown, the 2d of August, 1698, forthwith to grant forth their warrants to the respective Constable of said towns, so that the same be had and fully gathered and paid into the Generall Treasury at or before the 1st of April next ensuing. But in case the said day or days be relapsed, and the same not fully gathered, that then

the aforesaid Assistant, &c., do notwithstanding the same, give forth their respective warrants according to the late £300 levy, on the penalty contained in the aforesaid Acts; any Act or Acts to the contrary notwitstanding.

John Dexter, Jonathan Sprague, Randall Holden, Eleazer Arnold, Richard Greene, Israel Arnold, Joseph Whipple, John Waterman, John Carpenter, and Clement Weaver, do protest against the aforesaid Act, being Deputies in said Assembly. An Act for the raising and levying on the inhabitants of this Collony the sum of £500, for the uses hereafter mentioned. Be it enacted by the Governor, Assistants and House of Representatives convened, and the authority thereof, That there be a rate levied on the inhabitants of each respective town, for the uses hereafter premised, viz.: £200 for building a fort, and £150 for the building a jail, and £150 to pay the following debts, and the same to be proportioned on the severall towns and paid in manner and form following, and in money or pay at the prices hereafter expressed, viz.: Indian corn, at two shillings, three pence per bushell; barley, at two shillings per bushell; wheat, at four shillings per bushell; rye, at two shillings, four pence per bushell; oats, at fourteen pence per bushell; and wool, at nine pence per pound; and to be paid according to the late £300 rate, and the same is by virtue hereof assessed, and proportioned on the respective towns in manner

And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, For the more speedy perfecting and gathering of the said rate, that the Assistants, Justices, Conservators or Wardens, for their respective towns, shall give forth their warrants, and convene the inhabitants of their respective towns at or before the 15th of April next ensuing, then and there to choose rate-makers to proportion the said rate, by the 10th of May next; and the same to