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Colonial and State Records of North Carolina
Letter from William Tryon to Wills Hill, Marquis of Downshire
Tryon, William, 1729-1788
December 15, 1768
Volume 07, Pages 881-883

[From Tryon's Letter Book.]
Letter from Governor Tryon to Lord Hillsborough.

Brunswick 15th December 1768.

Extracts from your Lordship's letters 7 and 11 on the subject of application for a fresh emission of paper currency I laid before the House of Assembly last session as will appear in their journals. The moderation of that house with respect to the circular letter (a copy of Which was inclosed in your Lordship's No 8) from the Speaker of the House of Representatives of the colony of the Massachusetts Bay addressed by order of that house to the Speaker of the Assembly of each colony upon the continent of North America, made it unnecessary for me to prorogue the Assembly before the business of the session was ended.

Your Lordship's letter 9 with its inclosure concerning the murder of William Odgers, has been laid before the Council, and a proclamation issued for the apprehending of the assassin Melchesedeck Kinsman.

The complaints of the commissioners of his Majesty's customs in America, as set forth in your Lordship's circular letters 10 and 15 and his Majesty's royal pleasure signified in those letters shall meet with fullest exertion of my abilities in the support of the officers of the customs and of the acts of trade.

Your Lordships obliging directions for my conduct on Mr Crawford's resignation of the seat in the Assembly came to hand very seasonably. I acquainted several members of the house with it, and by their not renewing their application for a writ, I conclude the House was satisfied their acceptance of Crawfords resignation was

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unparliamentary. The other part of your letter 11, must be flattering both to the Council and Assembly of this province. I confess it was most peculiarly grateful to me, as I am ever happy when my conduct stands approved by my royal master.

I shall pay a particular attention to his Majesty's commands communicated to me in your Lordships circular letter 12, with regard to my general instructions, tho' a task of the greatest delicacy; and also endeavour to point out some more effectual mode for the collection of his Majesty's quit rents than is at present in use, both of these objects I shall make my particular business as soon as I have transmitted to your Lordship the Acts and Journals of the last session of Assembly and the particular occurrences of the late disturbances in the province, in which I shall endeavour to give your Lordship every possible information, especially as you signify in your letter No 17 that it will be very satisfactory to his Majesty to be fully informed of the causes of these disturbances.

Agreeable to the direction in your Lordships circular letter No 13, I shall transmit my dispatches both originals and duplicates to your Lordships office.

In answer to your Lordships letter 14, I must beg leave to observe I have it not in my power to send my dispatches unless by a chance express to England, by any other channel, than merchant vessels, it being the misfortune of this province to be without the advantage of a general post, or a packet, and as our chief ports are at the distance of one hundred miles from each other, many public occurrences may sometimes reach home before the governor is acquainted with them. I shall however in conformity to your directions be more punctual than I have been this last summer, occasioned by the confusion of the times, and my own sickness.

The honorary testimony you give me in your letter 16, of my attention to the true interest of this colony, and of the satisfaction my conduct has given his Majesty and his subjects here, affords me the highest pleasure, as the very flattering respect you express for me in your letter 17 corresponds with the esteem I shall always wish to cultivate and preserve in your Lordships remembrance.

I confess, my Lord, I feel a consciousness of having answered your letters in too summary a manner, but when I acquaint you that from the 17th of August last to the 10th of this month, I have been with my family but five weeks, two of which I was confined to my bed and was left the other three in so weak a state of health that I

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could not apply myself to business; These circumstances which has thrown me so backward in my public correspondence I hope may plead my excuse for answering your Lordships dispatches so generally, especially as every matter directed in them will be executed to the best of my judgment.

I am &ca