Brunswick 9th February 1761.
Sir,
I did not until Thursday last the fifth instant receive your dispatches of the 10th 29th and 30th of October from the Board of Trade together with the order in Council upon the melancholy account of the death of our late most glorious King with a Copy of the Proclamation for proclaiming His present Majesty King George the third, whom God may long preserve and make His reign equally glorious as that of his glorious Grand father, along with which I also received four printed Proclamations for continuing persons in Office until His Majesty's further pleasure is known, with His Majesty's Order for continuing the present Great Seal until a new one can be sent over, and an Instruction with a Proclamation for altering the forms of Prayer for the Royal Family, which with a letter from General Amherst of the 7th of January were sent by sea from New York to Charleston, and from thence was forwarded to me by express. Upon which I sent for such of the Council as were in this neighbourhood and next day Friday had His Majesty proclaimed here by all the Gentlemen near this place, the Militia drawn out and a triple discharge from Fort Johnston of 21 guns and from all the ships in the river; and at the same time sent an Express for the other Councillors in this neighbourhood to meet me at Wilmington next day Saturday the 7th where His Majesty was again proclaimed by the Corporation and Gentlemen of the neighbourhood
under a triple salute of 21. guns where we had an entertainment prepared, the Militia were drawn out and the evening concluded with bonfires, illuminations and a ball & supper with all unanimity and demonstration of joy; at the same time the Proclamation was read to continue persons in employment. After meeting the Council I took the oaths & administered the state oaths to the Privy Council who were present, and that day also signed writs for electing Members for a new Assembly, which with a Copy of the Proclamations were sent by express to New Bern to be published there, and the several Proclamations to be printed & forwarded by expresses with the writs to every County and Borough in the Province, and to every Parish about the alteration of the form of Prayer for the royal Family, so that their Lordships may see I lost no time after receiving the several orders. I also sent to the Printer forthwith to furnish me with 4. setts of all the printed acts since my coming over, but as I believe several of them may be now out of print and will take up some time to reprint them I have charged him to lose no time in making up the setts for me, and that no money shall be paid him upon the printing until I have them from him, but as it is probable their Lordships may want a sett immediately I have sent about and have collected a complete sett, tho' much soiled, which I herewith have sent to you under the Great Seal until I have the others to send over. I herewith also send you the Acts passed the last Session, with the Journal of the Upper House and Council, I sent you in my last the Journal of the Lower House I had collected &c. and have not yet received a duplicate from the Clerk otherwise I should have sent them also.The Troops intended against the Cherokees don't begin their operations before the first of May, so that I think it was very providential that we did not pass the undigested Aid Bill last Session, for we should have increased our Paper Currency £16,000, and the Troops which were to continue for six months only would have been disbanded about the time they would have entered the enemies Country, and if Troops should be now required for carrying on any foreign expedition, as the Assembly will meet the 20th of March, if they are in Temper, they may be raised and ready for action time enough yet for a summer campaign either against the Cherokees or French at Mississippi.
As I have nothing material to write to their Lordships since my last I shall only send Duplicates of my former letters as I hope to send this by a Vessel bound to London, which is ready to sail from
from this Bar, that no time may be lost in my answer to these Dispatches.We are highly elated with the glorious Victory of His Majesty of Prussia over Count Dann, as also in hearing that our expedition by sea will go on.
Additional Notes for Electronic Version: This letter enclosed several other documents - See Related Documents.