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Colonial and State Records of North Carolina
Instructions to the North Carolina Governor's Council concerning duties as justices of the peace
George III, King of Great Britain, 1738-1820; Tryon, William, 1729-1788
April 29, 1768
Volume 07, Pages 730-731

[From MS. Records in Office of Secretary of State.]

North Carolina—ss

George the Third by the Grace of God of Great Britain, France and Ireland King Defender of the Faith, &ca &ca &ca

To our Trusty & Well beloved James Hasell, John Rutherford, Lewis Henry DeRossett, John Sampson, Alexander McCulloch, William Dry, Robert Palmer, Samuel Strudwick, Marten Howard, Sam: Cornel, Sir N: Duckenfield, Marmaduke Jones Esquires Members of our Council of State for our said Province, and To the Members of our Council for the time being

Know Ye That We have Assigned and appointed you and each of you Jointly and Severally our Justices to keep our Peace within and throughout our Province of North Carolina to keep and cause to be kept all Ordinances and Statutes and Acts of Assembly of our said Province for the good of the Peace and Preservation of the same, and for the Quiet Rule and Government of our People in the said Province (as well within Liberties as without) according to the Form and Effect of the same, and to Chastise and Punish all Persons that Offend against the Form of those Ordinances, Liberties and Acts of Assembly, and to cause to come before you or any of you all those who to any one or more of our People concerning their Bodies or the Firing of their Houses have used threats, to find sufficient security for the Peace or their good behaviour towards us

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and our People, and if they shall refuse to find such Security, then them in our Prisons until they shall find such Security to cause to be safely kept, and also to Cause to come before you or any of you all those who have Committed any Treasons, Felonies, Poysonings, Enchantments, Sorceries, Art Magick Trespasses and Extortions whatsoever within our said Province; And also all those who in our said Province in Companies against our Peace in Disturbance of our People with armed force have gone or rode or who shall hereafter presume to go or ride, and also all those who have there lain in wait, or who shall presume to lay in wait, and them in our Prisons to cause to be safely kept, untill they shall be discharged by due Course of Law, or otherwise dealt with according as by the said Ordinances, Statutes, and Acts Assembly is directed, or shall be directed, and ought to be done.

Witness our Trusty and Well beloved William Tryon Esquire our Captain General and Governor in Chief in and over our said Province at Wilmington the twenty ninth day of April in Eighth Year of our Reign and In the Year of our Lord One Thousand seven Hundred and Sixty eight

Wm. TRYON
By His Excellency's Command
Benj. Heron Sec.