The Massachusetts spy. [volume] (Boston [Mass.]) 1770-1772, 1772-04-16
May IL pieajs y0ur Exeeiisncy,

ut t1ouie OF Representatives nave duiY
i conhdered your fpeeeh to both houies
at the opening of this leiion.
Your Excellency is plealed to scqoaint u
that Z" if we had defired you to- carry the
Court to Bottom becaufe it is the moa COR
| venient place, and the prerogative of the
Grown to inRru6t the governor to convene
the court at fuch place as his Maj-Ry may
think proper, had not been denied, you
fhould have obtained leave to meet US at
Boftn at this time but that you lhal not
be at liberty to do it whilf this denial is
perfiied in"
We have maturely confidered this point:
And are Gill firmly OF opinion, that fuch
in2ruetion is repugnant to the royal charter,
wherein the governor is veRed with the full
power of adjourning, Proroguing and df-
folving the General Ailcmbly as be mall
-Indgr nfeeDay. Nothing in the charter ap-
pears to US to afford the leaf grounds 70
conclude that right is referved to his Ma
Jefy of controlling the governor IN thus exc
erciing this full power Nor indeed does il
feem Reasonable that there ihould for it
being impoHible that any one at the Diff
lance of three thouland miles ihould be a.
bic TO foreiee the moR convenient time or
place of holding the Aliembly, it is necela-
ry that fuch Discretionary power fhould be
lodged in the Governor or Commander in
Chief, who is by charter confantly to reiide
within the province.
We are fill earnefaly dellrous of the re-
EnoVai Of this Aflembly to the COuu-Eioufe
in Bottom; and we are forty that your Ex-
celency's determination thereon depends up
on our dilavowing thefe principles Becaule
we cannot do it confidently with that duty
which we owe our conRituents. We are
conltrained to be explicit at this time for if
we fhould be filsnt, after your Excellency has
recommended ito US as a neceiIary prelimi-
nary to delft from laying any thing upon this
head, while We requeR your Excellency for
a removal of the adembly for reafons of CON-
venience only, it might be confirmed az Ia
citly conceding to doctrine injurious to the
contribution, and in effect as relcinding our
own record, of which we fill deliberately
approve.
The power of adjourning and proroguing
the General AGembly, is power in trufe to
be exerci(ed for the good of the province /;
And this houfe have right to Judge for
tbemlelves, whether it is thus exercifed. We
cannot avoid taking this location freely
to declare to your Excellency, that the hold
ing the A0embly in this place without any
good reafon that we can conceive Of, under
the many and great Inconvenience which
this and former houies have 10 fully fet forth
to your Excellency, is in our opinion an UNI
due exerciie of the power and very great
grievance, which we Gill hope will EOon be
fully redreiIed.
Your Excellency may be ziIured that this
houfe will with all coyeRient difpatch take
into our mott ferrous confederation, that pare
of your fpeech which concerns the cffabli(h-
ment of partition line between this pro-
vince and the province of New and
that we will with great candor contribute
ever thing in our power to accomplish the
fame upon equitable terms.
The other parts of yourExcelency's fpeech
have had the proper attention OF the houfe
And we arc determined, during the reno
der of this feiion, which mutt be Untrue
confuIt his Majeffy's real lervice,-
intercif Of the province.