Of what Benefit or Good can it be to the Colony, to have such an Assembly to represent them, when the Members of the House shall not have Freedom of Speech, and let the People they represent know what they are doing for them; but shall be prosecuted from Court to Court in the King's Name, and every Member of the House deterred to speak of any Aggrievances of and Priviledges for the People; but let things pass at Pleasure, lest tliey be molested as I am, and shall not have Relief, when by the best Authority of the Country his Excellency was addressed to free and discharge me, he refused to do it, except I would acknowledge, Tliat I had set out a false Libel, and make him Satisfaction : Which I could never do, knowing that all which I set forth in that Speech wjas true ; and I can prove it to be true, except what I related by Information, and that I believe

382 PAPERS RELATING TO SUFFOLK COUNTY.

to be true, I desired of the House, when I made that Speech, To let me know, w'let'ier tliey knew any tiling in it t'.at Avas not tme. T/iere was not any tiling objecled against it ; bnt it was saitl in the House, Tiiat the worst Part of it was, it was too true : Alsj, T lat it was too true to make a Jest of. And I know^ not any Wrong I have done the Governor. It may be remembred, T lat tie Speec'.i was made t'le ^d Buy oi' Jlpril, 1714, which was in tlie ]a!e Administration ; thereibre could not be against his pres.^nt Myjesii.s Administrsi'jon ; neither is it a Crime for any Me.uber of the House in the same, to mention Matters of Fact, which are the Aggrievances of tlie People they represent ; but their Duty to endeavour to have them relieved.