Translated from the Colonial Long S to modern English by Virginia1774.

Monday, September 20th, 1756

A Message from the Governor was delivered by Mr. Walthoe.

Mr. Speaker, and Gentlemen of the House of Burgesses,

“The Governor commands the immediate Attendance of your “House in the Council-Chamber.”

Accordingly Mr. Speaker, with the House, went up to attend the Governor.

And being returned, he reported, that the House had attended the Governor in the Council-Chamber, and that the Governor was pleased to make a Speech to the Council and this House, of which he had, to prevent Mistakes, obtained a Copy, which he read to the House, and afterwards delivered in at the Table, where it was again read, and is as follows.

Gentlemen of the Council, Mr. Speaker, and Gentlemen of the House of Burgesses,

I HAVE been obliged to call you together much sooner than I intended; a Letter from His Excellency the Right Honorable the Earl of Loudoun, makes your meeting now absolutely necessary.

His Lordship acquaints me in that Letter, That the French, and their Indians, he apprehends, will take the important Fortress of Oswego, on Lake Ontario, with all the Stores and Ammunition therein: Since the Receipt of that Letter, a Confirmation is brought of its actually being taken, with the melancholly Circumstances attending that Affair: After the Surrender of the Fort, the inhuman Indians, with the still more inhuman French, have actually cut off the Men in that Garison, by cruelly murdering them in cold Blood, contrary to the Laws both of Nature and Nations; by which you may observe what is to be expected from the Subjects of His Most Christian Majesty: His Lordship desires me to be on my Guard against the pernicious Consequences that may attend such an unhappy Event, as it will lay us still more open to the French Indian Power, which we may directly expect on our Frontiers.

The Regiment in this Country's Service, under the Command of Col. George Washington, I suppose are properly stationed to resist any Invasion. And, from Captain Overton, I have Reason to expect Four Hundred Cherokee Indians, to assist us in protecting our Frontiers.

Gentlemen of the House of Burgesses,

I recommend to you to make proper Provision for these Indians; I shall from the public Magazine, supply them with Arms, Powder, and Lead; and I have ordered the Purchase of some Cloathing, but much short of what will be absolutely necessary.

I shall cause the Earl of Loudoun's Letter to me to be laid before you; whereby you may observe his Lordship, in the most pressing Manner, desires our Assistance of Recruits, for compleating the Regiment of Royal Americans, under His Lordship's immediate Command. His Majesty has been graciously pleased to send some Officers from Britain, and he expects that the several Colonies on this Continent will furnish Levies sufficient to compleat that Regiment, which is to consist of Four Battalions, of One Thousand Men each. It is also expected that the inlisting Money, and the Expences of sending the Men to the Place where they are to be properly formed, is to be paid by the different Colonies, after which they are to be on the British Establishment.

As this is demanded from every Colony, I must earnestly recommend it to you, Gentlemen, to form a Law to facilitate the raising of Men, in the most effectual Manner, for this Purpose: And thus justify your Country's Claim to be Her excellent Sovereign's most dutiful, as She is His Most ancient Colony and Dominion.——You cannot but be further felicitous that the Royal American Regiment should be compleated, since any Deficiency in that must be supplied, on every Occasion, with Militia Levies, to put a Stop to the Progress of our French and Indian Enemies.

Gentlemen, If any indented Servants should inlist in His Majesty's Service, I am ordered to recommend to you, to make proper Provision for repaying the Masters of such Servants as shall inlist, the Money paid by such Masters on their original Contract, in Proportion to the Time such indented Servants have to serve.

His Majesty alto expects that the Funds now raised and appropriated, or which may hereafter be raised, be issued and applied to the general Service, in such Manner, as the Commander in Chief of His Forces on this Continent shall direct.

Colonel Washington complains to me, That the People from Pennsylvania purchase, and drive off from our Frontiers great Numbers of Cattle, by which he apprehends there may be a Scarcity for maintaining the Forces in this Country's Pay; I therefore recommend it to you to form a Law for preventing this Evil.

Major Lewis, agreeable to Orders, marched with his Company of Men to the Cherokee Country, where he has constructed a Fort, to the Approbation and Satisfaction of those Indians; his Letter to me, with One from the Sachems of that Nation, I shall cause to be laid before you: You will observe the Indians request a Number of Men to garison that Fort, which I think, at this Time, may be of essential Service, to keep them in good Temper; and I recommend it to you, to make Provision accordingly for some Men to march and remain there for a Time.

Gentlemen of the Council, Mr. Speaker, and Gentlemen of the House of Burgesses,

You must all be very sensible of His Majesty's paternal Care and Regard for His Subjects on this Continent, which he has signified at such immense Expence by Sea and Land for our Preservation, and I doubt not will raise in every Breast a grateful and dutiful Acknowledgment.

I must observe that the Dispute between the two Crowns grows near to a Crisis, whether these Colonies are still to remain under the happy Constitution of Great-Britain, or become subject to the Arbitrary Power of a despotic Prince; if under the former, you are safe in your Lives, Religion, Liberties and Estates; if to the Latter (which Heaven avert) reflect, I beseech you, on the dreadful Change, on the sad Necessity of giving up your Liberty for Slavery, the purest Religion for the grossest Idolatry and Superstition, the legal and mild Government of a Protestant King, for the arbitrary Exactions, and heavy Oppressions of a Popish Tyrant. As there can be no Medium, therefore I hope every Individual will exert themselves, in protecting the many Blessings and Privileges we enjoy under the best King and Constitution on the Face of the Earth.

These different Matters I thought proper to lay before you, and I recommend them to your most serious Attention. With the utmost Earnestness and Concern for the Preservation and Welfare of our Country, I in Her Name, and for Her Sake, intreat you to exert your utmost Efforts for Her Safety, and our Sovereign's Honor.——And may that Wisdom and Goodness which maketh Men to be of one Mind in an House, promote your Unanimity and Application, and crown them with the most happy Effects.

Resolved, That an humble Address be made to the Governor, to return his Honor our Thanks for his Speech, to express our Concern for the Loss of the important Fortress of Oswego, to represent to him, that we are too sensible of the Blessings we enjoy under his Majesty's Government and our own happy Constitution to hazard any Change, and that we will do every Thing in our Power for the Honor of his Majesty, and the Welfare and Preservation of his Colonies.

Ordered, That a Committee be appointed to draw up an Address to the Governor, pursuant to the said Resolution; and it is referred to Mr. Attorney and Mr. Bland to prepare and bring in the same.

Resolved, That this House will take the Governor's Speech into Consideration To-morrow.

Ordered, That the Rev. Mr. William Yates be continued Chaplain to this House, and that he attend to read Prayers every Morning at ten o'clock.

Ordered, That William Francis, Thomas Broadrib, Andrew Lindsay and James Lame, be continued in their respective Offices of Door-Keepers to this House, and that they give their Attendance accordingly.

Upon a Motion made,

Ordered, That all such Claims and Propositions as were referred from the last to this Session of Assembly, and also all such Claims and Propositions as shall be certified to this session of Assembly, be referred to the Consideration of the next Session of Assembly.

And then the House adjourned till To-morrow Morning 11 o'clock.

Source: The Journals of the House of Burgesses of Virginia.