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quota for the Regular Regiments on this Continent the Mem-
bers of the Lower House or rather a small Majority of them
Resolved that in order to raise the Sum of £45000 for those
purposes a Bill should be prepared similar to one which had
been before refused eight times by the Upper House & such
a Bill was accordingly brought in about three Weeks after-
wards & having after a very warm Debate between the Mem-
bers thereupon passed the Lower House met with the same
Fate in the Upper which as I have hinted had already attended
it several times. Upon its being returned with a Negative a
Motion was made in the Lower House for appropriating the
Sum of £15000 that is already in the Treasury towards
Raising & Supporting 300 Provincials & furnishing our quota
of Recruits for the Regulars but that was also after a long
Debate over-ruled, as was also another Motion made a few
Days afterwards for appropriating a small Sum towards
raising the 84 Recruits which they might have easily done
since there is actually more than £2000 remaining unex-
pended of a Sum which was levied by Virtue of an Act made
in 1756 for His Majesty's Service had they not been abso-
lutely determined to grant no Money on any account whatever
unless by a Bill entirely of a new nature which in the opinion
of the Upper House & a great Part of the People & their
Representatives as well as in the opinion of Ld Chief Justice
Pratt is calculated to introduce Innovations & to subvert our
Constitution. Being long since persuaded that such was their
Resolution I took the Liberty to communicate my Sentiments
thereon to the Secretary of State in hopes that Something
would have been done in order to put an End to the Dispute
between the two Houses but as the Censure contained in the
Earl of Egremonts last Letter is in pretty general Words the
Lower House presumed or pretended to believe that it was
not levelled at them & adhered to the Measures which had
been before pursued, & I am inclined to believe that in such
Measures they will persevere unless when they may be called
on to grant Supplies for His Majesty's Service it shall be
signified to them in what manner they must be raised or
levied. Hoping Your Excellency will not doubt but I have
used my utmost Endeavours to prevail on the Assembly to
act at this time a very different part & extremely concerned
at their Non Compliance with Your Excellency's Requisitions
I beg leave to repeat that I am with the greatest Regard &c.
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