Gentlemen of His Majesty's Council, Mr. Speaker and Gentlemen of the Assembly—

It is with the greatest pleasure that I met you here in a New Assembly to consider of the arduous affairs; I have to lay before you Relative to your Interior Government and future Welfare—and at the same time to Congratulate you upon the surprizing and glorious success which has attended his Majestys Arms and the Common Cause as well in Europe as America, during this present Campaign particularly of the rapid conquest of martinico the Head of and Bulwork of the French Islands in America together with all the Neutral Islands and the Granadas and more particularly of the Glorious Conquest of Havanna, and its Government in Cuba deemed impregnable by our Enemies neither Sickness nor Death being able to abate the Courage and ardour of our Troops and Seamen a Conquest which has made his Majesty Master of all the Trade and Power along the Northern Coast of Spanish America, and must be a means of securing to us a Speedy and Honble. Peace. This is such a Manifestation of Divine Providence in favour of the Protestant Apostolick Religion and cause of Liberty that requires a due Return of thanks and Praise and Thanksgiving

The Principle cause of calling you together is to inform you, that there is no less than 8 of your Acts of Assembly disapproved of, of which I lately received the Duplicates the Originals having miscarried, and That I Propose immediately to give orders to promulge the Repeal by Proclamation this day in full Assembly that all your Constituents may be informed of it, and shall lay before you the reasons which induced his Majesty to disapprove most of them by which you will find you can gain no benefit by opposing his Majesty's Just Prerogative or disputing His Instructions, as also the Severe reprimand I have had from His Majesty for departing from my Instructions tho' only by Consenting to a Law for 2 Years, so that for the future if there should be the least Clause incerted in a Bill contrary to his Majestys Instructions I shall reject it, shou'd the Bill be ever so necessary your Committee of Correspondence have also received the resolutions of the Board of Trade to lay before you about several of your Pretentions—

I must therefore recomend to your immediate consideration the Considering and amending the Laws relating to your Courts of Justice, And the Bills for fixing an Orthodox Clergy and Establishing of Vestries. There are other Bills which I formerly recommended to provide Schools for the Education of your Youth, and for adding and amending your Inspection Laws and giving a Premium to Encourage the raising and Exporting of Hemp and flax which will Encourage and procure a Valuable Staple of Exports.

Mr. Speakr. & Gent. of the Assembly.

Having had no Instructions from His Majesty to require an aid for the Publick Service I shall only recommend to you the raising a Tax to answer Contingencies and Pay the Debt already incurred upon that account, and to raise a fund sufficient to maintain Garrisons in the Forts you have Erected for the Security of your Commerce and safety of his Majestys Stores til the End of the Warr

Gent. of his Majestys Council Mr Speaker & Gentlemen of the Assembly.

When the Several repeals and other papers are laid before you, you must be sensible of the prejudice this Colony must suffer by the Assembly Encroaching upon his Majestys Just Prerogatives and disobeying or not complying with His Instructions, that it only serve to break the happy Union between His Majesty and His Subjects.

Notwithstanding the many Callumnies cast upon me for Endeavoring to preserve his Majestys Prerogative and obey his Instructions, I shall always endeavour to Concur with you in Enacting such Laws as may Promote Religion and Industry and promote your Commerce and Secure your Peace and Possessions at home provided the Bills you desire are agreable to his Majestys Instructions—