The magazine of history with notes and queries, Vol. II, No. 4, October 1905Various
History
The magazine of history with notes and queries, Vol. II, No. 4, October 1905
Various
History -- Periodicals; United States -- History -- Periodicals
The Governor up to this time had said nothing on the subject, but in
his Speech dissolving the Assembly on Nov. 25,[3] he breaks his silence
and argues the matter at length. He begins by saying that their action
has a very dangerous likeness to a desire to grasp the executive power,
a result which would be destructive of their dependency on Great
Britain, and of which the people of Great Britain might become jealous.
He then goes on to show that their conduct is not only wanting in
respect to their Sovereign, since the Governor is his representative,
but even wanting in ordinary manliness and honesty, since they are
striking at one who, (on account of his position,) cannot retaliate.
The question as to whether the paper is not a false, scandalous and
malicious libel he left to his superiors in England. He ends his
statement of the matter, “As to the popular Out-cry you endeavor to
raise, of the Liberty of the Press, I shall only say, that certainly
this Liberty, as well as any other may be abused, to the injury of
others; if an injury is done, a proper Remedy ought to be applied; and
such a Remedy can never be thought a Restraint of any just Liberty.
I am persuaded that no considerate man can think, that I offered any
Obstruction to the Liberty of the Press, by forbidding the Printer to
publish that one Paper at his Peril; if no Peril in doing it, neither
the author nor Publishers of it can suffer by the Order; the proper
Judges may in Time show, whether I did a Service or a Disservice to
any, by such Warning.”
The Twenty-fifth Assembly came together in the Spring of 1748 and
the old quarrel was resumed. On reassembling for the second Session
in September an Address was drawn up in which former complaints were
reiterated, and which the Governor refused to receive.[4] The Address
was then printed in the Votes and Proceedings of the Assembly, and on
Nov. 12th the Governor, in proroguing the Assembly, took occasion to
complain of their method of procedure.
“In whatever your Governor and you differ, there is a legal Method for
Redress. In my Message to you, I told you that I would do the Justice,
to send a Copy of that Paper, which you call an Address, to his
Majesty’s Ministers; which is sending it to the proper Tribunal for
Redress, if I have done you any injury, by my refusing to receive it;
but you seem to decline this legal Method; and by your publishing that
Paper, under the name of an Address, in your Votes, and afterwards
in a publick News Paper, published by the Printer of your Votes; you
seem to place the dernier Resort in all Disputes between you and your
Governor, in the Populace; how his Majesty may take this, or how a
Parliament of Great Britain, may take your claiming, not only the
Privileges of Parliament, but Privileges far beyond what any House of
Commons ever claimed, deserves your most serious consideration.”[5]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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