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Colonial and State Records of North Carolina
Letter from John Langdon to Richard Caswell
Langdon, John, 1741-1819
November 16, 1785
Volume 17, Pages 571-572

PRESIDENT JOHN LANGDON OF N. H. TO GOV. CASWELL.
[From Executive Letter Book.]

Portsmouth, New Hampshire,
November 16th, 1785.

Sir:

In have the honor to inclose your Excellency a vote passed by the Legislature of this State, at their late Session, in which I am desired to write to the several Executives in the Union, and request to know whether their Assemblies have, or are like to join with this State, and Massachusetts in their Commercial opposition to Great Britain, whether they have impowered Congress to regulate Commerce, or have passed or probably will pass, Acts similar to those enacted by this, and the Massachusetts State, in June last respecting Navigation and Commerce.

I also enclose your Excellency a Copy of our Navigation Act, mentioned in the enclosed Vote, which is similar to one passed by Massachusetts, and agreeably to the desire of our General Court, request that you would be pleased to send an answer to the several questions contained in said vote, so far as it relates to your State, and any other information, relative to Commerce, that you may think useful to this or the United States.

This State also passed an Act in June last, impowering Congress to regulate their Commerce, for fifteen years. It appears to me of

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the highest importance to the union of these States, that their Commerce should be regulated by Congress; was that body vested with full powers for this important business, I have no doubt but that many of the difficulties and embarrassments which we now labour under would soon be removed.

I have the Honor to be very respectfully,
Your Excellency's most obt. Servt.,
JOHN LANGDON.