Robert Treat Paine Papers, Volume 2
On Thursday last the following Address1 from the Justices of his Majesty's Court of General Sessions of the Peace and Inferior Court of Common Pleas for the County of Bristol, was presented to his Excellency THOMAS GAGE, Esq; Captain General and Governor in Chief in and over this Province.
May it please your EXCELLENCY, The Justices of his Majesty's Courts of General Sessions of the Peace and Inferior Court of common Pleas for the County of Bristol, beg leave to embrace this first Opportunity of presenting to your Excellency their dutiful Respects on your Appointment to the Chair of this Government, of congratulating you on your safe Arrival, and expressing their Loyalty to our most gracious Sovereign.
When we find a Gentleman possessed of such Abilities and amiable Qualifications appointed to the chief Command among us, it gives us Occasion to hope that your Excellency will remove such Calamities from this People as lay in your Power, and alleviate such as you cannot prevent.
It is our most sincere desire and hopes that your Excellency's Administration of this Government may redound to the Honor of the Crown, your own Reputation and the Prosperity of this People, that you may be a happy Instrument in the Hand of Providence of relieving us from the Distresses we now endure, and establishing the much desired Harmony between Great Britain and this Colony; and we assure your Excellency that nothing shall be wanting in our Department to produce these valuable Effects.
His EXCELLENCY's Answer
Gentlemen, I Beg you to receive my sincere Acknowledgments for your kind Address, on my Advancement to the Chair of this Government. Nothing is more to be lamented, than the unhappy Differences subsisting betwixt Great Britain and the Colony, and as it shall be my Study to effect a Reconciliation, and repair the Breach, so I am to hope, the People in general will give me their Assistance in it, and not make it wider by new Excesses and Provocations.
You are called upon as Magistrates, and I doubt not equally led by Inclination,541 as Duty, to keep Peace and good Order, and prevent the People being misled by the various Falsehoods daily spread abroad, to intimidate and deceive them.
Printed in The Massachusetts Gazette: and the Boston Weekly News-Letter, July 7, 1774.
RTP and Col. George Leonard were among the committee appointed by the Bristol Co. court to write an address of welcome to Governor Gage. As RTP noted in his "Narrative of Proceedings of General Court 1774" [After April 20, 1795] (printed below), the address "by the desire of the Committee was drafted by Mr. Paine, on principles of political politeness & consistency as the State of Government then was."
I1 have not Got that Money for you As yet, Nither Can I Git it at present, So I lay at your mercy, all I Can do now Is to pray, I acknowledge your past Indulgence, and Still hope, But as I understand that you lett Considerable Sums of Money, I Should be very Glad you would Take Interest of me, if you desire it I will Give New Security and with a Surety if you please. from your most obliged and most Humble Servant,
John Weston (1733?–1815) served in Middleboro as clerk of the committee of correspondence. In his record of notes of credit, RTP listed Weston borrowing £7.9.0 on Aug. 9, 1770, and repaying the debt with interest (total £8.15.3) on April 13, 1773. Weston borrowed two further sums, £35.14.0 and £31.17.8, on Feb. 16 and 17, 1773, respectively. RTP sued for recovery of these debts at the Plymouth Inferior Court, April term 178, and was granted a judgment of £91.3.8 and £3.7 costs (Plymouth Court Records, 9:90).
I address you as in town Supposing you are return'd from Salem. I Expected you wou'd have Spent a little time in your way home & hope'd to have seen you.
But the Part which I hear is assignd you to Act in the Publick affairs will I fear Engross all your time and thots. I therefore take this method to let you know I have had Credit some weeks for five Dollars and am542in need of some further supplies. Shall be very glad to see you if it may be, But however we are seperate'd my mind follows you with ardent wishes for your Peace & prosperity.
May you be a Blessing to your Country, to your Family, & to your Affectionate Sister,