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Thomas Lovick of Carteret County in the Province of North Carolina Esqre and Collector of his Majesty's Customs for Port Beaufort in the said County and Province maketh Oath that he was a Member of the Assembly that stood prorogued to meet at New Bern in Craven County sometime in November in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and thirty nine and went to New Bern aforesaid to attend as a Member at the said Assembly and was at the house of one Mr. George Bowles in New Bern in Company with Mr. Benjamin Hill, Mr. John Hodgson,

Mr. John Blunt, Mr. Benjamin Peyton all members of the said Assembly for some of the Countys being to the North of Craven County and he heard the said Gentlemen say they intended to break the House that no Business might be done and perswaded this Deponent to keep out of the way and not attend when the House was going to meet which this Deponent refused to do and this Deponent further maketh Oath that the aforesaid Gentlemen told him that they heard the Members of Perquimons County were coming by water and if they should come there would be members enough to proceed to Business (tho' they the said Gentlemen did not attend) and therefore agreed in the hearing of this Deponent to keep a look out to see when they should come and to persuade them as this Deponent apprehended by their Discourse to keep out of the way that no Business should be done, and this Deponent further maketh Oath that the said Mr. John Hodgson, Mr. Benj: Hill, Mr. John Blunt and Mr. Benj: Peyton did keep out of the way and observed whenever the other Members were going to the House By which means there wanted Members enough to proceed on Business, and that after the Governour had prorogued the Assembly for several days and the said Gentlemen still keeping out of the way and the Members that were expected not coming the said Governour to the best of this Deponents Memory dissolved that Assembly and issued Writts for the choice of another and further this Deponant saith not.

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