Which being sent down Non concur’d,
A written Message did Afford,
(And by the way a strange one, too).
[An explanation here seems necessary, beyond the possibilities of a foot-note.
March 6, 1732–3, the House passed a bill for emitting £20,000 in paper money. The province was much in debt on account of Indian warfare, repairing and maintaining fortifications, etc., and provision for payment of this debt had been made by heavy taxes to continue annually until 1742. But money was very scarce, and the House considered that the people would be unable to pay the taxes laid upon them for the want of a proper medium. Therefore this £20,000 was to be placed in the hands of a committee, to be loaned to the people at 5% interest for sixteen years, and the principal of each loan was to be paid at the rate of 25% each year for the four years next following the term of sixteen years for which the loan was made. And for the supply of the treasury for the time before the first interest payment was due, a further sum of £1,000 was to be issued. The council, however, was unanimous in refusing to concur with the House on this bill.
The House attempted to bring about a compromise by reducing the loan term to eight years and by other changes in the original bill, but was not successful, the Governor claiming that the approval of such a bill would be contrary to his instructions.
Finally, March 9, the House addressed a message to the Governor, in which the council is charged with saying that the House had nothing to do with the matter of issuing money; and the House further defends its action and position thus: “Now this House thinks they have and ought to have a vote in the disposall of all Publick money and that the Board were formerly of this opinion appears by their Sending down Mr. Atkinson’s account to be past upon in the last Sessions. So that, that money is Still unapplyed notwithstanding the Said Atkinson hath declared his readiness to pay the Same. So that the House can See no other way of Supplying the Treasury without oppressing the People whome we Represent than what they have come into. Wherefore this House are humbly of opinion that it will greatly tend to the Prosperity and welfare of his Majties Subjects of this Province to address his Majtie by the hand of our agent to obtaine his Royall leave for a further Emission of Paper Currency more Especially Since your Excelly has informed this House that you cant consent to. It being contrary to his Majties Royal Instruction to your Excelly and if the Honble Council Should think proper to appoint a com’ittee to Joyne with a Com’ittee of this House for the Ends aforesaid we are humbly of Opinion it would be attended with the desired effect.”
The next day, March 10, the council sent down a sharp and angry reply, as follows:
“Whereas in a Messa from the Honble House to his Excellency the forenoon bearing date the 9th Currt & Sent up this day and communicated to the Council There are Sundry things mentioned which Seem to cast an Odium on the Council as tho it lay at their door that there is not a due Supply of the Treasury to which the Council in justice to themselves are oblidged to Say that the reason of their non-concurrence to the 20000£ Bills on Loan was (as the House has been Heretofore once and againe Informed) because the Emission of Bills on Loan is directly contrary to his Majtie Royal Instructions And as to the thousand pounds Mentioned for the im’ediate Supply of the Treasury it was couched in the Twenty thousand pound Bills from whence tis plaine that the House never intended one Should pass without the other but that if the thousand pounds for the Supply of the Treasury would not tempt the Council to break this the Kings Instruction their complyance with the Kings Instruction Should defeat the Supply of the Treasury but if they had a Sincere disposition to Supply the Treasury as they pretended and Sent up a Bill for the Same they would have soon seen the heartiness of the Council in doing their Duty to his Majtie and the utmost Justice to this Province by the rediest concurrence as to the Interest of the 1730£ the Council have been long Endeavouring that that Loan Might by some means or other be beneficial to the Publick Tho to their great grief by the disappointment of their attempts in the Honbble House Private psons have enjoyed the benefit of that money at 2½ p Ct when there have been many that would gladly have given more than double yea treble for the same if they might have been favoured with it and the Council have this day Sent down a vote for the Setting that Loan at 6 p Ct for 2 years instead of 2½ p Ct in order to Ease the Tax of the Province which has at last Succeeded as to the Money in Mr. Atkinsons hands which he recd of Hughs’s Estate long agoe and which ought for Several years past to have been in the Treasury the Council presume his Excelly will take a due Care that that £292 Ballce Settled under his hands be paid by a Course of Law Since there is no prospect of its being done without it even after So much indulgence to him who has been So notoriously delinquent to the vast dishonr of the Govermt & unspeakable oppression of Sundry poor distressed Creatures to whome the Province is indebted—as to the Houses Saying they ought to have a vote in the Disposal of the Publick Money the Council Reply when they the Council think proper to deny that Point in Politicks it will be time Eno for them to form an argumt against it but that is not yet got unto the Question for saying the House of Representatives have nothing to do with a Confiscation or a forfeiture to his Majtie by a Judgmt in Court Is not Saying the House have nothing to do with the disposal of Publick Money unless it [is] So by some Logick in the House wch the Council have not Learn’d—As to Mr. Atkinsons declaration of his readiness to pay the Money in his hands what is there in it did he not declare heretofore even in the House and most Solemnly at the Council Board too that he would pay part of his Debt at Such a time and the Residue in a Short Space after & are not the terms long Since Expired But are the paymts made let the Treasurers accounts answer which Say no not one penny why then Gent Should you trouble your Selves in making Such a messa & boasting of Such declarations the Council might further verry well observe too that the Scheme of the House for an audit to be appointed by the Genll Court to Examine a Sheriffs Return of an Execution is intirely new however is a full Evidence that the House have been much bent on trifling as to what the House propose of the Councils Joyning with them in addressing his majesty by the hand of our our agent as they express it) &c the Council Say they know of no Person So qualified But if the House mean Capt John Rindge, Marriner then they answer That when it appears to them that his Capacity & other Quallifications are Equal to Such a Trust & he is hond with a Comissn for that place the Council will readyly do wt is proper on those heads.”]
They say the House had nought to do