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Col. Mascarene read the Oath the French Inhabitants have hitherto taken, Copy of which he delivered to His Excellency Subscribed by the French Inhabitants;
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"Je —— promets & Jure sincerement, en foi de Chretien, que Je serai entierement fidele & oberai vraiment Sa Majeste Le Roi George le Second que Je reconnois pour Le Souverain Seigneur de l'Acadie ou nouvelle Ecosse
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Ainsi Dieu me Soit en Aide."
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Col. Mascarene informed the Council that the French pretended that when they took this Oath it was upon Condition, that it shoud be understood that they shoud always be exempted from bearing Arms. therefore it was moved to add to the Oath this Clause, & Ce Serment Je prens sans reserve. But the Council was of opinion, that as no Conditions appear in the Oath they have hitherto taken & subscribed, which Oath is as strong as any Oath of Allegiance can be, it woud only be necessary to let the French know that they must take the Oath, without any Conditional Clauses understood or any reservation whatever —— Accordingly three French Deputys. Viz
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Jean Melancon, from Canard River
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Claude LeBlanc, from Le Grand Pre
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Phillipe Melancon from Piziquid
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who were come to wait upon his Excellency were called in, & after reading His Majesty’s Declaration to them, & the foresaid Oath, His Excellency assured them of all manner of Protection & Encouragement but informed them He expected the Inhabitants woud take the Oath of Allegiance to his Majesty in the same manner as all English Subjects do —— The Deputys being asked if they had any thing to offer from their several Departments answered, they were only sent to pay their Respects to His Excellency & to know what was to be their Condition henceforth, & particularly —— whether they shoud still be allowed their Priests —— His Excellency assured them they shoud always have them provided that no Priest shoud officiate within the Province without a License first obtained of His Excellency —— Copys of His Majesty's Declaration, & of the Oath were given to the Deputys to issue to the Inhabitants, & they were commanded to return within a forthnight & to report the Resolutions of their several Departments — They were also ordered to send to the other French Settlements to let them know His Excellency desired to see their Deputys as soon as possible. * *
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ED. CORNWALLIS.
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HUGH DAVIDSON.
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