Page:American History Told by Contemporaries, v2.djvu/87

No. 22] This must needs be a lame thing, but choosing rather to appear weak than disobliging, I enclose you the following minit. . ..

In 1740, his present Majestie ordered an expedition against the Spanish West Indies to be comanded by the Lord Cathcart. Two companys were from Conecticut under Capt. Newberry and Capt. Siliman. They landed at Cartagene and took several forts. It was supposed the Spaniards bought the town of Cartagene. Most of the American forces dyed of sickness in this expedition. A hard winter closed the year.

In 1745, the New England governments made an expedition against Cape Breton under General Pepperill with an army of 3,700 men, which as the generall then told me during the siege of Louisbourg was reduced to 3100 valids. After a siege of forty-nine days, on the 17th of June the city with the islands of Cape Breton, St. Johns &c. was surrendered to the English : the French inhabitants were sent to France.

From the granting of the charter until 1747, the Governor and Deputy Governor were chosen and declared to be chosen, as well as the Assistants, if they had more votes for the office than any other person, but now some active men that were given to change fomented an opinion that the Governor nor Deputy Governor were not chosen unless they had more votes then all that were scattered among other persons. These men were of such activity and influence that in 1749 neither the Governor nor Deputy Governor could be declared chosen because not according to this standard, but since neither of them wanted but a few votes the Assembly elected them. Thus they were not blown down tho much shaken at the root. The freemen being acquainted by this that the greater part did not vote for the present Governor and Deputy Governor were prone to mischief: there was some reason for it tho' unknown to them, and made them attentive to be informed what it was. The opinion was kept up, but when it happened there was no choice according to this standard the Assembly elected those that had most votes, so there was no alteration made and the end of these schemers not answered as yet, nor like to be untill something farther was done.

In the beginning of 1754, emmisarys were very busie in spreading a report that the Governor had extracted vast sums of the supercargo of a Spanish ship put into New London by distress, and so embarassed the affair that the Colony was lyable to pay for the ship and cargo, and that the Governor had pleaded with the Assembly to tax the Colony for it. These reports were so imprest that in most towns they were discoursed of as certain facts. Tho this was a palpable breach of peace