Page:The Life of George Washington, Volume 1.djvu/331

 INTRODUCTION. 301 would be most for his majesty's service to do chap. vm. it without establishing a fixed salary. The 1728. governor returned an answer on the same day, in which he said, that if they really intended to give him an ample and honourable support, they could have no just objection to making their purposes effectual by fixing his salary; for he would never accept a grant of the kind then offered. The council were disposed to avoid the con- test, and to grant to the present governor a salary for a certain time ; but the house of representatives, remaining firm to their first purpose, sent a message to the governor re- questing that the court might rise. He an- swered, that by complying with this request, he should put it out of their power to pay im- mediate regard to the king's instructions, and he would not grant them a recess until they had finished the business for which the court was then sitting. In a message to him they then declared, that in faithfulness to the peo- ple of the province, they could not come into an act for establishing a salary on the governor or commander in chief for the time being, and therefore they renewed their request that the court might rise. Both the governor and the house of repre- sentatives seem yet awhile, to have made their declarations with some reserve. Perhaps a salary during his own administration would