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New South Wales January 1st 1808
May it Please Your Excellency
We the undersigned Free and Principal Proprietors of landed property, and Inhabitants of the rising and extensive colony of New South Wales, beg leave on the beginning of another year to approach Your Excellency and express the fullest and unfeigned sense of Gratitude, for the Manifold, Great, and Essential Blessings, and benefits [?] we freely continue to enjoy from Your Excellency’s, Arduous, Just, Determined, and Salutary Government over us, happily evinced by the present plenteous and flourishing state of this country; rapidly growing in Population, Opulence and all Improvements, articulated by a wise, and patriotic Government to make a large Colony of People happy and rich in all their internal Resources, And while enjoying from Year to Year such inexpressible Benefits under Your Excellency’s auspicious and benign Government. We feel and hold ourselves gratefully bound at the Risque of our Lives and Properties, at all times, (as liege Subjects) to support the same; And ever prove ourselves worthy of a continuation of your Protection, Attention, and Encouragement, during Your Excellency’s gracious Government over us, which may God long continue. Yet although Your Excellency’s unvaried Zeal for the public Welfare is so fully exhibited, and its effects so sensibly felt, by all Ranks of Peoples; and that there are no inconveniences under which we labor, that you would not redress were it in your power, which we doubt in these two cases are not, else they had been remedied by Your Wisdom ere this. And therefore humbly solicit Your Excellency in your Goodness, that from your local knowledge, and general Observations (should you not deem it improper) to make representation to His Majesty in Council, that he might be graciously pleased to allow such privilege of Trade to their Country Vessels, and themselves, as other Colonies have, And that the law might be administered by Trial by Jury of the people as in England.
Although elaborate explanations might be made on these subjects, and the greatest difference shown from the time the Regulations were appointed for securing a small Colony of Prisoners, planted on these Shores; compared with the extensive rising of Greatness, Enterprising Spirit of the Colonists over which Your Excellency now happily Governs, but those discussions to you would be needless as Your Excellency, in your extensive researches had minutely examined the whole country, its maritime and inland Trade Stock