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Colonial and State Records of North Carolina
Order of the Privy Council of Great Britain concerning instructions to Arthur Dobbs as Governor of North Carolina, including instructions [Draft]
Great Britain. Privy Council
May 31, 1759
Volume 06, Pages 43-45

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[B. P. R. O. North Carolina. B. T. Vol. 13. D. 65.]


At the Council Chamber Whitehall the 31st of May 1759.
Present.
The Lords of His Majesty's most Honourble
Privy Council.

Upon reading at the Board a Report from the Right Honourable the Lords of the Committee of Council for Plantation Affairs dated the 28th of this Instant, upon considering a Draught of an Instruction prepared by the Lords Commissioners for Trade and Plantations for his Majestys Governor of the Province of North Carolina, authorizing and directing him to recommend it in his Majesty's name to the Council and Assembly of that Province to pass an Act for amending in the manner therein proposed, two Acts passed there, the one in 1748 entituled, “An Act for granting unto His Majesty the sum of Twenty one Thousand Three Hundred and Fifty Pounds Proclamation money, and for stamping and emitting the said sum of Twenty one Thousand Three Hundred and Fifty Pounds Publick Bills of Credit of this Province, at the rate of Proclamation money” etc. And the other in 1754, entituled, “An Act for granting to His Majesty the sum of Forty Thousand Pounds in Public Bills of Credit at the rate of Proclamation money” etc—Which Report and Draught of an Instruction being this day taken into consideration and approved. It is thereupon ordered in Council that the Right Honourable William Pitt Esqre one of His Majesty's Principal Secretaries of State, do lay the said Instruction (which is hereunto annexed) before His Majesty for His Royal Signature.

A true Copy.

W. SHARPE.

Instruction to Our Trusty and Wellbeloved Arthur Dobbs Esqre, Our Captain General and Governor in Chief in and over Our Province of North Carolina in America and in his absence to the President of Our Council or Commander in Chief of our said Province for the time being Given at Our Court at Kensington the day of 1759 in the thirty second year of our reign.

Whereas by an Act passed in Our Province of North Carolina in 1748 entituled An Act for granting unto his Majesty the sum of Twenty one thousand three hundred and fifty Pounds Proclamation

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money and for stamping and emitting the said sum of Twenty One thousand three hundred and fifty pounds publick Bills of Credit of this Province at the Rate of Proclamation money, to be applied towards building Fortifications in this Province, Payment of the Publick Debts, exchanging the present Bills of Credit, and for making proper Provision for defraying the contingent Charges of the Government etc and also by one other Act passed in Our said Province in 1754 entituled An Act for granting to his Majesty the sum of Forty thousand Pounds in publick Bills of credit at the rate of Proclamation money to be applied towards defraying the Expence of raising and subsisting the Forces for his Majesty's service in this Province, to be sent to the Assistance of His Majesty's Colony of Virginia and for other purposes therein mentioned, it is enacted and declared that the Bills of Credit to be issued in virtue of each of the said two Acts shall be a Lawfull Tender in all Payments whatsoever as Proclamation money or as Sterling money, at the proper difference there is between Proclamation Money and Sterling, that is to say at four Shillings Proclamation money for three shillings sterling, and whereas it hath been humbly represented to us that several of the Principal Merchants of London in behalf of themselves and of several Gentlemen and Merchants in and from Our said Province have by their Petition humbly set forth their complaint that the said Provision is contrary to Justice and Equity and highly injurious to the Trading Interest of this Our kingdom and our said Province in general and of themselves in particular in as much as it establishes and declares the Sum of One hundred thirty three Pounds Six shillings and eight pence Paper Currency to be a good and lawfull Tender in Payment of a real debt of One hundred Pounds sterling, although in fact One hundred thirty three pounds six shillings and eight pence paper Currency will not as they allege purchase more than Seventy Pounds Sterling, We having taken the premises into Our Royal Consideration do hereby signify to you Our Will and Pleasure that you do forthwith recommend it earnestly in Our Name to Our Council and the Assembly of Our said Province to pass an Act for amending the two Acts above mentioned and that they do hereby provide that all Debts and Contracts, already due or hereafter to be contracted among the Inhabitants of Our said Province or between them and Our British subjects be made payable in the said Bills of Credit if the Creditor be willing to accept the same and not otherwise not according to their Nominal Value as declared by the said two Acts but according to the real difference in value between
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such Paper Bills and sterling Money at the time of discharging such Debts. And Our further Will and Pleasure is that you do not in future give your Assent to any Act for emitting Paper Bills of Credit in Our said Province of North Carolina, upon any Occasion whatsoever unless you take care that a clause to the Effect above stated be expressly inserted in such Act.

And whereas it has been also represented to Us that by the Provisions of the two Acts abovementioned, Our Quit Rents and every other branch of Revenue arising to Us within Our said Province are made payable in the same Paper Currency and at the same rate as any other Debt whatever, whereby Our said Revenue must be greatly prejudiced. It is Our express Will and Pleasure and you are hereby strictly charged and commanded to take especial care that in the Act to [be] passed for amending the two Acts above mentioned and also in every Act which may hereafter be passed for issuing Bills of Credit in Our said Province, a clause be inserted declaring that the Paper Bills of Credit already issued or thereby to be issued shall not be a lawfull Tender in Payment of Our Quit rents or of any Debt of what Nature soever due or to become due to Us Our heirs or Successors.