Page:The Life of George Washington, Volume 1.djvu/329

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page needs to be proofread.

INTRODUCTION. e>99 as loud as when only specie was in circulation, chap.vhl The old resource, of increasing the quantity 1727. by a further emission of paper, was resorted to. A bill for this purpose passed both houses, which was rejected by the lieutenant governor as being inconsistent with his instructions. The house of representatives, thereupon, came to a vote for postponing the consideration of salaries to the next session. At their own request, the assembly was adjourned, and, after a recess of about a fortnight was again convened; when, as an expedient to elude the instructions to the governor which forbade him to consent to the issuing of bills of credit, except for charges of government, a bill was passed with the title of " an act for raising and settling a public revenue for and towards de- fraying the necessary charges of the govern- ment, by an emission of sixty thousand pounds in bills of credit. " As several members of the council drew salaries for the payment of which this bill provided, it passed that house, and the lieutenant governor gave to it his reluctant assent. Its passage into a law furnished strong evidence of the influence over the governor, which the control of his salary gave to the house of representatives. Mr. Burnet, who had been appointed go-, 17 - 2 g. vernor of Massachusetts and New Hampshire, was received with great pomp at Boston.. At the first meeting of the assembly, he stated to salar ^ <iq2 concerning the