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Governor Lawrence to Board of Trade.
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HALIFAX, 18th Oct. 1755.
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My LORDS, —
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Since the last letter I had the honor to write your Lordships of the 18th of July, the French deputys of the different districts have appeared before the Council to give a final answer to the proposal made them, of taking the Oath of Allegiance to his Majesty which they persisted in positively refusing; and tho' every means was used to point out to them their true interest, and sufficient time given them to deliberate maturely upon the step they were about to take, nothing would induce them to acquiesce in any measures that were consistent with his Majesty's honor or the security of his Province. Upon this behaviour the Council came to a resolution to oblige them to quit the Colony, and immediately took into consideration what might be the speediest, cheapest and easiest method of giving this necessary resolution its intended effect. We easily foresaw that driving them out by force of Arms to Canada or Louisbourg, would be attended with great difficulty, and if it had succeeded would have reinforced those settlements with a very considerable body of men, who were ever universally the most inveterate enemies to our religion and Government, and now highly enraged at the loss of their possessions.
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The only safe means that appeared to us of preventing their return or their collecting themselves again into a large body, was distributing them among the Colonies from Georgia to New England. Accordingly the Vessels were hired at the cheapest rates: the embarkation is now in great forwardness, and I am in hopes some of them are already sailed, and that there will not be one remaining by the end of the next month. Herewith I transmit your Lordships a Copy of the Records of Council which contain a very particular account of this whole transaction.
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I have taken all the care in my power to lessen the expense of the Transportation of the inhabitants, the vessels that have been taken up for that purpose, were most of them bound to the places where the inhabitants were destined, and by that means are hired greatly cheaper than the ordinary price: They have hitherto been victualled with their own provisions and will be supplied for the passage with the provisions that were taken in the French Forts at Chignecto as far as they will go.
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