To His Excellency Arthur Dobbs Esquire Capt. General Governor &c. of the Province of North Carolina.
The Humble Address of the Council of the said Province.
May it Please your Excellency
We, His Majestys Most dutifull and Loyal Subjects, the Members of His Majestys Council, return you our Sincere and hearty thanks for your Speech at the Opening of this Session.
We beg leave, to congratulate your Excellency upon the rapid & remarkable conquests of His Majestys Arms in Europe and America, in which the hand of Providence has been so Visibly exerted in our favour, and from which events, we have the agreable prospect of a Speedy, Honorable and lasting Peace.
Your Excellency having laid before us the reasons which induced His Majesty to Repeal Several of our Laws, particularly those relative to our Courts of Judicature, gives us great Satisfaction, as we are thereby enabled to Judge of Such Bills as will be agreable to His Majesty and Productive of the Internal Welfare and benefit of this Colony.
Your Excellency's Warm recomendation of Laws, for the proper Encouragement of Schools for the Education of the rising generation, in the Principles of Religion and Virtue, and for Raising of Comodities for the Extention and improvement of our Commerce, Merits our most gratefull Acknowledgements, as the Necessity of our having Such Laws are but too Obvious, And will be highly conducive of the happiness and Interest of this Province; And Your Excellency May be Assured, we shall heartily concur with the Other Honor in Passing such Bills as may Secure to us those desirable ends.
We are truly Sorry that any calumnies should have been cast upon your Excellency But as we are conscious that not any thing of that kind has been done by this House We flatter our Selves that your Excellency did not intend to impute the misrepresentation of other people to us, As we have always used the utmost endeavours to render your Administration as easy and happy in our power.
Jas Hasell, P.C
North Carolina.
Address of the Council in Answer to Govr. Dobbs's Speech.
Read May 3. 1763.
E.64.