Part 484

SOME letters, which I received last week from _Georgia_, occasion my troubling you with this, which I doubt not will meet with a candid reception at your hands. I find that Mr. _H――――_ and Mr. _B――――_ have been taken up by a warrant, and were imprisoned above a week, for a thing which, I believe, none of you, honoured gentlemen, will judge cognizable by the civil magistrate. It seems that Mr. _B――――_, in a private conversation with Mr. _O――――_, (who, I suppose, is the present minister of _Savannah_) told him, “He was no ‘christian’; that he wondered at the impudence of young men in subscribing articles they did not believe; and that he should think it his duty to warn his friends not to hear him.” I acknowledge that such language was too harsh; but Mr. _H――――_, who did not say near so much, was linked in the same prosecution, and imprisoned with him. Mr. _J――――_, who was then at _Frederica_, being informed of it, declared such a procedure to be illegal; and his Excellency General _Oglethorp_, desired my friends to lay the matter before the board of the Honourable Trustees. I being now upon the spot, they have sent to me a very particular account of what has passed; which, if you please, honoured gentlemen, I will transmit unto you, or, when I come to _London_, will wait upon you in person. I find also, that my friends were denied a copy of the proceedings of the court: in which, I am persuaded the honourable gentlemen to whom I am writing, will think they have been wronged. My friends require no satisfaction, but only desire such a proceeding may be animadverted upon; knowing that otherwise it will be a great discouragement to people’s settling in _Georgia_. I am sorry also to inform you, honoured gentlemen, that five very small children, (_Swiss_ or _Dutch_) whose parents lately died in their passage from _England_, have had their goods sold at _Vendue_, and are bound out till the age of twenty-one years. This I think directly contrary to the grant given me by you, honoured gentlemen; for thereby I was impowered to take as many orphans into the house as my fund would admit of. The magistrates, I understand, have also been at the Orphan-house, and claim a power to take away the children when they please, whether the children chuse it, or complain of ill-treatment, or not. This grieves some of the children, and makes others of them insolent, who are hereby taught, that they have a power to go away when they will. This, honoured gentlemen, must be very discouraging to those who are entrusted with their education; and who, I am persuaded, aim at nothing but the glory of GOD, the welfare of the colony, and the salvation of the children’s souls. I suppose that the magistrates (I mean Mr. _P――――_ and Mr. _T――――_) have taken such a liberty from the instructions which were sent, honoured gentlemen, from you some time ago. But Mr. _J――――_ has told them, they have misunderstood you; and his Excellency General _Oglethorp_ I find has wrote to you, honoured gentlemen, about it. By the accounts I have, our plantation thrives well; and Mr. _H――――_ hopes we shall do with white servants alone. I do assure you, honoured gentlemen, I will do all I can, with the most disinterested views, to promote the good of _Georgia_: only I beg the management of the Orphan-house, and orphans, may be secured to me and my successors for ever; and that the magistrates be not suffered to disturb us, when there is no ground of complaint. They acknowledged, when at the Orphan-house last, that the children were taken good care of, both as to their bodies and souls; and will it not then, honoured gentlemen, tend much to the welfare of the colony, that the Orphan-house should meet with all possible encouragement. His Excellency General _Oglethorp_ has informed my friend Mr. _H――――_, that, if I desired it, he thought you would grant me a greater tract of land, which I should be obliged to give away in a certain term of years, and that we might have our own magistrates, as have the people of _Ebenezer_. Whether I shall desire such a favour, I know not; but, if I should, I desire to know, what you, honoured gentlemen, would say to it. Many have applied to me to settle in _Georgia_; hitherto I could give them no encouragement. I wish I may be enabled to give them a great deal for the future. Indeed, honoured gentlemen, I do not desire to find fault. I doubt not but you have been prejudiced both against me and my friends. The event will shew what friends we are to _Georgia_. The Orphan-house will certainly be of great utility to the colony; and the children educated therein, I trust, will be the glory of the society to which they belong. They are bred up to industry, as well as to other things; and are taught to fear GOD, and honour the king. I am glad to hear that you have lately sent over a gentleman who (I suppose) will do justice. I think I desire nothing else; and heartily pray GOD to bless him, and you, honoured gentlemen, and all that are concerned in the management of _Georgia_ affairs. I hope to be in town in about two months; in the mean while, I would beg the favour of a line by your secretary; and also entreat you, honoured gentlemen, to write to the magistrates of _Savannah_, to let the Orphan-house managers alone. If I or my friends should happen to say or do any thing amiss, I assure you, honoured gentlemen, you shall have all possible satisfaction given you by them, and also by, honoured gentlemen,