Whereas by my Messages on the 13*ii & IS^h Days of last February to his Majesty's Council & the House of Representatives for the aforesaid Province in Great and General Court assembled, recommending to them to make provision for carrying on an Attempt, in conjunction with some of his Majesty's other Neighbouring Governments to erect a Strong Fortress upon an Eminence near to the French Fort at Crown point, & other Services in the said Messages express'd ; In Answer to which the said two Houses of the aforesaid Assembly by their Message to me on the 18*^. of the same February among other things therein contained desir'd me forthwith to make the necessary preparations for such an Expedition ; to appoint & Commissionate a General Officer to

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Comrtianc'l the same, to advise bis Majesty's other Goverments therein after mc-ntirti'd of the said Design, and in such manner as I should think most effectual to urge them to join therein, and to raise their respective proportions of Men as follows, viz. New Hampshire six hundre^d, Connecticutt one thousand, Rhode Island four hundred. New York eight hundred, or such larger proportioli as each of the said Governments should think proper, and to cause twelve htmdred men to be inlisted for the Service of the said Expedition, as the proportion of the Province of the Massachusetts Bay, as soon as it should appear that the three thousand men proposed to be rais'd by the before mention'd Colonies of New Hampshire, Connecticutt, Rhode Island and New York, should b6 agreed to be rais'd.