On this, Lord Mansfield, one of the counsel, rose, and beckoning me, took me into the clerk's chamber, while the lawyers were pleading, and asked me if I was really of opinion that no injury would be done the proprietary estate in the execution of the act. I said, "Certainly." "Then," says he, "you can have little objection to enter into an engagement to assure that point." I answered, "None at all." He then called in Paris, and after some discourse, his lordship's proposition was accepted on both sides; a paper to the purpose was drawn up by the clerk of the Council, which I signed with Mr. Charles, who was also an agent of the province for their ordinary affairs, when Lord Mansfield returned to the council chamber, where finally the law was allowed to pass. Some changes were, however, recommended, and we also engaged they should be made by a subsequent law, but the Assembly did not think them necessary; for one year's tax having been levied by the act before the order of Council arrived, they appointed a committee to examine the proceedings of the assessors, and on this committee they put several particular friends of the proprietaries. After a full inquiry, they unanimously signed a report that they found the tax had been assessed with perfect equity. The Assembly looked upon my entering into the first part of the engagement as an essential service to the province, since it secured the credit of the paper money then spread over all the country. They gave me their thanks in form when I returned. But the proprietaries were enraged at Governor Denny for having passed the act, and turned him out with threats of suing him for breach of instructions which he had given bond to observe. He, however, having done it at the instance of the general, and for his Majesty's service, and having some powerful interest at court, despised the threats, and they were never put in execution. [Footnote 191: A vessel starting at some set time and conveying letters and passengers from country to country.] [Footnote 192: Between ourselves.] [Footnote 193: William Pitt (1708-78). See Macaulay's Essay on the Earl of Chatham (Eclectic English Classics, American Book Company).] [Footnote 194: A possession of the French in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. It was taken by the English in 1758.] [Footnote 195: A prohibition to prevent ships leaving port.] [Footnote 196: The worm which eats into the wood bottoms of ships.] [Footnote 197: "Ensign staff," i.e., flagstaff.] [Footnote 198: The log line is a line fastened to the log-chip, by which, when it is thrown over the side of a vessel, the rate of speed is found.] [Footnote 199: A watch is a certain part of a vessel's officers and crew who have the care and working of her for a period of time, commonly for four hours.] [Footnote 200: By French vessels.] [Footnote 201: Measurements of the depth of the water with a plummet and line.]