Colonial Williamsburg Digital Library

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#301 Yr king fav^o. Of the 12^th: Ult^o. I rec^d: I shou'd have answered it
before this but waited the result of our Assembly in regard to granting Supplies.
They met the 22^d of last Month & I thought with great Inclinations to grant
a handsom Sum, they all appearing sensible of the great Danger all the Colonies
were exposed to. __ On the 27^th: they voted 20,000. which was voice read in the
House of Burgesses; the third reading which was the 28^th: a contentious
Spirit possess'd some of them, & they proposed a rider to the Bill, which was
to pay 2500 to Payton Randolph Esq. their Agent, sent home with a
Complaint against me, about the Pistole Affair. Our Treasurer, who is
Speaker of the House of Burgesses inconstitutionally __ .. __ paid this
Money by a vote ^resolve of their House, which resolve was, last Nov^r. rejected by the
Council; however, they tacked this to the Bill of Supply & sent it up to the
Council, & they unanimously rejected the same; they were, on this Obstinate
& declared they would pass no Bill of Supply without it; I used all the
Arguments in my Power to shew them the impropriety of tacking a private
Demand to a publick Bill of Supply to His Majesty, & further told them that
Transaction was out of our Hands, for that resolution, & the other
extraordinary Resolves they made in Nov^r. Session, was before the King &
Council, & that they should not notice it till the resolution & determinat'n
of the King & Council was known: They were obstinate & deaf to all
arguments, & declared without that rider they would grant no Supply; so
that I was obliged to prorogue them till the 17^th of Oct^r. next.
There appears to me an Infatuation in all the Assemblies in this
Part of the World, they are not affected with the imminent Danger they are so
obviously exposed to, but seem satisfied to leave the French at Full Liberty
to perpetrate their utmost Designs to their ruin.
I daily expect a King's Ship with Mr. Dobbs, Gov. of N Carolina, by
whom I hope to have a proper Acc^t. of the Affairs lying before the King and
Council.~ This unexpected & unreasonable Conduct of our Assembly:
puts a stop to all my Operations this Fall, which, if I had been able to put
in Execution by a supply of Money, it's probable we might have put a Stop to
the French & drove them from the Ohio; whereas, now they are left at full
Liberty to Murder, Plunder & every Thing else they think proper. Our Assembly
Complains much of the want of proper Aid from our neighbouring Colonies; if
Mr. Morris is arrived with You, & can bring Yourr People to a proper way of
Thinking by granting a handsom Supply, it may probably raise the Spirit of
our Assembly to renew their Vote without this rider~ At present I am under
the greatest apprehensions of the bad Consequences from the lethargic Indolence
of the different Colonies, in not opposing the Enemy just at our doors; & indeed
this affair gives me more concern & anxiety than any thing ever occurred to me.

A Gov^r. is really to be pitied in the discharge of his Duty to his King & Country in
having to do with such obstinate Self-conceited People. The French & Indians are now
making Incursions among our Inhabitants in Augusta County; threatening our People
to depart from their Plantations, & propose building Forts on Holstons, Green-bryers &
other Rivers. I keep up the Forts we have, & have ordered a Detachment to those Places to
protect our Frontiers.

I am very sensible of Your good Inclinations to support this necessary
Expedition, but no Gov^r. can act consistently without proper Supplies, & am very sorry
there is such a supineness in the People of Your Province, form their Numbers we ^had reason
to expect at least one Thousand Men; & I think You have acted properly in resigning the
Government, & if I could in honour, I should be glad to do the same, for I am quite
wearied with the many Obstacles thrown in my way in discharge of my Duty.

I fully agree with You that no Expedition can be conducted here with a
Dependence on the Asseblies. & I have fully represented it Home, & have desired Aid
of Men, Money, & Ordnance Stores, without which I have small Hopes of Success; as
they have this Affair much at Heart in Great Britain, I hope they will grant us proper
assistance, & that soon, otherways I fear it will be too late.

Though You have resign'd the Government, I shall be glad of a Line from
You at Your leisure Time, with Your Opinion on Affairs now in Action.~ You have
done very judiciously in assisting the Half King &c^a. I hope you will represent the
affairs to Mr. Morris on his arrival in it's true Light, & pray present my Compliments
to him, I had a small Knowledge of him in London.

The three Independ^t. Companies, with the other few Forces, are to build a
Magazine for stores some ^Place near Wills's Creek, & to erect a small Battery for it's
Protection: for I think with the small Number of Men we have, we cannot this Winter
venture over the Allegany Mountains; the Prospect at a Distance is, if the Assemblies
can be brought to reason & grant proper Supplies, to make a Push early in the Spring,
before they can be reinforced from Quebeck.

I am so dejected with this last unexpected Behaviour of our Assembly,
that I despair of doing what my Inclination, & the present Posture of our Affairs
demands, however I shall endeavour with Patience wait to see what Time may
produce. Excuse the Length of this Letter & believe me to be with great regard & respect.