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Georgia factions write contrasting State of the Colony reports for Trustees

Source: A True and Historical Narrative of the Colony of Georgia in America #173

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From 1741 A True and Historical Narrative
edited by Amy

ON the Tenth Day of November a Court was called at Savannah. At the court, Col. Stephens read a Paragraph of a Letter which he said was from the Trustee, desiring the Inhabitants to set forth their Miseries, Hardships and Difficulties in Writing, in order to have the Seal of the Colony annexed thereto, and so transmitted to the Trustees. Mr. Stephens gave the Recorder a Paper to read. In that paper, the Colony was described in a most flourishing Condition. In the Town of Augusta alone, there were said to be white People and Pack-horses employed in the Indian Trade enumerating the many useful, fine and curious Productions of it, such as Hedges with Pomegranates growing upon them, Wine, Silk, Oil, Wheat, &c. with many other Hyperboles.

Mr. Stephens said he had gone to great Care and Pains for that paper, which he took to be a just Answer to the Trustees Letter, with the true State of the Colony. The poor People seeing the Absurdity and Falseness of it soon revealed their Dislike of it by leaving the Courthouse. Only eighteen people signed Stephens’s paper, every one of whom were supported in one Shape or other by the Public.

Mr. Fallowfield, then on the Bench, used what Arguments he could to persuade Stephens that it made more sense for each Person to represent his own Case to the Trustees, and he perceived that’s what the Trustees expected. Stephens got passionate and said if they don’t sign this, they will get the Public Seal on no other Paper. It was no use what either he or the Recorder Mr. John Py could urge, and they very soon left the Court, declaring their Dislike and Abhorrence of such Proceedings.

Immediately, Fallowfield and Py joined more than 60 other inhabitants and drew up a Remonstrance to the Trustees. They fully set forth the true State of the Colony with their own miserable Condition in it. This Paper, and soon after a Petition to the King and Council, &c. were recently transmitted to the Authors hereof, who immediately forwarded then for London; but as the Issue thereof is now depending, we don't think it proper to expose them to the Public.