The Deposition of Joseph Blount aged thirty three years of Edenton in the Province aforesaid Merchant taken in virtue of an order of the Right Honourable the Lords of the Committee of Plantation Affairs dated at the Council Chamber Whitehall, the 14th day of July 1748, being first duly sworn on the Holy Evangelists, Deposeth and saith, that he this Deponent was a Member of Assembly held at New Bern in June in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and forty six, and that he this Deponent went from Edenton in Chowan County by water in a Sloop belonging to this Deponent to Newbern in Company with Mr. James Craven, Mr. John Benbury & Mr. Peter Payne then also Members. And that he this Deponent returned from said Assembly at Newbern by water in the said Sloop to Edenton in Company with the said James Craven, John Benbury and several others, And this Deponent
furthur saith that to his knowledge the said James Craven who is mentioned in Bridget Arthurs Deposition (taken in behalf of the Governor) neither passed over the Ferry mentioned in her Deposition going to, nor returning from the said Assembly and this Deponent furthur saith Stevens Lee also mentioned in the said Bridget's Deposition together with William Mackey another Member of the said Assembly both went by water & returned by water in a Perryanger to and from the said Assembly. And this Deponent furthur saith that he was told by Mr. Thomas Lovick one of the Committee of Claims in the New Modle of Assembly that this Deponent was allowed four Pounds Proclamation Money for his attendance as an Evidence in Behalf of the Governor and that he frequently heard it discoursed at Newbern as he attended there that the Governor's Witnesses was or were to be paid for their Attendance out of the strong Box wherein the new Currency is kept and that the Complainants Witnesses were not to be paid and furthur saith not.