I thank you for the Supply you have granted to his Majesty for the Defence of this Province against the Cherokee Indians to act in Conjunction with the Forces of So. Carolina under Govr. Lyttelton to bring those Indians to Reason for the Murders and Depredations committed in this and the neighbouring Provinces, which I hope will secure our future peace from the like Incursions.

I must in Justice to his Majesty and this Province observe to you the irregular Manner in which the Accounts have been laid before the General Assembly, upon which it is impossible for me to obey his Majesty's Instructions to have all the Accounts passed before me in Council and properly audited and Copies of these Accounts given to me to send over to the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury and Lords of Trade for their Inspection.

In the Treasurers Accounts there ought to be a Regular Return of all Taxables in each County as a Charge against each Sheriff by which the Assembly might know whether the true Returns of Taxables were given to each Sheriff to be a Charge against them that the Assembly might know what each Tax ought to amount to, and then a distinct Account of what each Sheriff paid in upon each Tax to the Treasurer in a 2d. Column, and a 3d. Column for the Arrear standing out upon each Tax, and then the publick wou'd know what Payments were made to each Treasurer which must be discharged by Payments upon Warrants by their Vouchers; and when Arrears are standing out then that Assembly wou'd know whether the Arrears were caused by a false Return of Taxables or by the Neglect of the several Sheriffs, or whether the Treasurers have been negligent in calling the Sheriffs or Collectors to Account for their Arrears—As this Method has not been followed at all by the Treasurer of the Northern District, nor a compleat Return of Taxables, or any distinct Return made of Arrears, and by whom due by either of the Treasurers nor have they laid their ill digested Accounts before me in Council to be properly audited according to my Instructions, nor a Copy given to me by the Treasurer of the Southern District to be sent over to the proper Boards in England, and to have them laid before the Assembly for your Inspection, I cannot therefore concur with the Assembly in passing or allowing either of their Accounts, or with the Report of the Assembly, except so far as relates to the Payment of the Members of the two Houses for their Attendance, but must postpone them to the next meeting of the Assembly.

I am sorry to find that there have been such Altercations between the two Houses and Divisions in each House from the Difficulties which have arisen about reenacting or establishing proper Courts of Justice either as supream Courts or General Courts, and also in the Powers to County Courts, as some Laws are necessary to be made as soon as possible and the Division great in what Manner they shall be constituted, and as this Assembly has continued longer than usual without a Dissolution and it is reasonable that the Constituents of the Members of the Assembly at such a Critical Time shou'd have a Power to return new Representatives, I have by the Powers granted to me by his Majesty's Instructions with the Advice of his Council agreed forthwith to dissolve this Assembly, but before I issue Writs for a future Election, I must inform you that as Several Counties and Towns which had sent Members to that Assembly by the Laws of this Province, which Laws have been repealed and the Counties restored again by new Laws without a Power of sending Members until they took out Charters for the same, as I therefore can issue no Writs for elections of Members for those Counties and Towns until Charters are granted, I give this publick Notice, which I shall do also by Proclamation that I will forbear issuing Writs for a Month after the Dissolution to allow Time for Charters being taken out, and those who do not take them out can [have] no Writs issued for Election of any Members for the next Assembly.

I do therefore dissolve this Assembly, and it is accordingly dissolved.