No 55
My Lord

I have the honor to receive the public despatches of the 16th October last No 20 (Signed by the Earl of Suffolk in Your Lordship's absence) by the Packet which arrived here the 20th Instant.

I have in my several letters herewith transmitted, wrote you fully on all the material circumstances, which have happened since my last and would observe, that as the Winter is already set in very severely, the Navigation in the Bay of Fundy will soon become hazardous and dangerous, and that it is improbable any further attempt will be made on that part of the Province this winter, the most that may be expected is the infesting the Coasts and interrupting the communication between this Port and Boston, and I am in hopes from the full and frequent informations I have given the Admiral he will take care to prevent even that.

It gives me inexpressible pleasure that His Majesty has been pleased to make the preservation of His Province of Nova Scotia, the object of his attention and care.

The importance of it in so critical situation of American Affairs will become more evident when it is considered that it is the only settled Province on the Sea Coasts, which has preserved itself from the madness and contagion which has overspread all the other of His Majesty's Colonies, and I am in hopes I shall be able to preserve them in their loyalty and fidelity, and which will greatly depend on a sufficient number of Troops stationed in the most defensible parts of the Province, where the Emigrants from America are the most numerous and the danger of the Incursions of the Rebels into those parts the most probable, which may be effected by the number of Troops at present stationed here and to be raised.

His Majesty's Orders and Instructions to me for the raising a Regiment under my command for the defence of Nova Scotia, I shall immediately put into execution, in the manner directed and shall exert every possible method to levy and complete the Regiment. I beg leave to repeat to your Lordship the great difficulty every department of Government labours under, upon account of the great scarcity of money at present, both in Boston and here so that Money has not been procured, but under the disadvantageous loss to Government of Ten and sometimes fifteen P cent discount; to remedy this I would humbly propose to your Lrrdship that, for the pay of this Regiment, money might be sent from home, by some Man of War for its security; as it is probable the rebels will have cruisers early in the Spring on these Coasts; and I am also obliged to repeat the scarcity of Provisions and the impossibility of purchasing any Quantity for that purpose; and the necessary [necessity] there will be of sending the supplies from home, for if it could have been got here I should long ere this have embodied a detachment of the Militia of this Province of at least Five hundred men, but the impossibility of procuring Provision defeated the design.

As to disarming those who are disaffected it cannot be done, but at a time when His Majesty's Troops are so disposed in Quarters, as to prevent any ill consequence which might ensue thereon but they are at present in a manner disarmed for they have neither Powder nor Ball in most of these settlements of American and I do propose when detachments are sent to those outsettlements that ammunition will of course be sent with them, and that those persons well affected to Government, shall be supplied and none others; I have Persons of Fidelity in every settlement from whom I am informed of every transaction of any moment, and all matters are at present quiet and peacable, and the proclaiming martial law, and the speedy punishment of rebellious proceedings will have a tendency to keep them so.

I hope your Lordship will be satisfied after the perusal of the public acts and other public papers herewith transmitted, I have not pmitted to press every thing for the public servke and to preserve this Province in its due allegiance and promote its true interest and welfare; and it would have given me the most singular pleasure to have had all His Majesty's Servants concurring with me in so necessary measures, at so alarming and critical a time when our utmost efforts conjointly would scarcely be sufficient to preserve the public peace and tranquillity.

As many persons have come from the Colonies since these troubles, of a suspicious conduct, I thought it necessary, that besides the usual State oaths, a particular test of their due submission to the King and Parliament and their authority should be acknowledged with their detestation of the proceedings of the rebellious Colonists, and a Form of such test was part of the late Act for the ready admission of the Inhabitants but rejected by the Assembly, a copy of which is herewith transmitted to your Lordship; and tho' it has not passed the Assembly

I think it will be necessary to oblige those who apply either for Provision or Land, to take and subscribe the same. I have &c.