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Colonial and State Records of North Carolina
Letter from Josiah Martin to William Legge, Earl of Dartmouth
Martin, Josiah, 1737-1786
December 16, 1772
Volume 09, Pages 364-365

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[B. P. R. O. No. Carolina. B. T. Vol. 18.]
Letter from Governor Martin to the Earl of Dartmouth.

North Carolina New Bern
December 16th 1772.

I have at length collected Tables of the Fees taken by the several officers in this Province, and now persuant to His Majesty's Royal Instruction, I have the honor to transmit Copies thereof to your Lordship.

Some Planters of South Carolina, who visited the Southern Parts of this Province, last summer, and declared their approbation of the Lands on Cape Fear River for the growth of Rice and Indigo, seem to have excited a new spirit of industry and improvement there. The little experiments which have been made afford the greatest Encouragement. Mr Waters and Mr McGwire I am informed will ship this year between four and five hundred barrels of Rice, and Mr Dupré manufactured seven hundred weight of Indigo, the last season. I hope next year to give your Lordship accounts of great augmentation of these valuable commodities, as I find many people intent upon the culture of them.

Between six and seven hundred people have lately arrived in Cape Fear River, from the Scottish Isles, one hundred and sixty of which I hear are absolutely pennyless, many of this People are said to have perished in this Country of late years and few of them are thought likely to become profitable Settlers, being for the most part unskilled in the Arts of Agriculture.

However much my compassion was moved by the complaints of the People, while I was in the interior Country last Summer, I am daily more and more inclined to think My Lord, that good consequences will be felt by this Colony, from the vigorous and decisive measures taken by my worthy Predecessor under the embarrassing circumstances that attended the latter days of his Administration here, in the whole course of which I can confidently maintain, he acted upon the noblest principles, and with the best intentions for the Public good.

Having found My Lord that doubts were entertained whether some of the Laws in which I am instructed to procure essential

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amendments, would expire at the approaching Session, if it commenced before the 16th day of next month, people in general computing their duration for five years from the time of their receiving their Assent of the Governor here; I have thought it proper to put the matter out of question by proroguing the General Assembly from the 6th to the 18th day of next month.

I have the honor to be &c
JO. MARTIN.