vernors to
conciliate the legislatures at the expense of their duty to the crown,
the Queen had given peremptory orders to receive no more gifts; and to
obtain acts fixing their salaries permanently at a sum named by
herself. The mandate respecting presents was, of course, obeyed; and
some of the colonies complied with the requisition respecting the
salary; but in Massachusetts and New York, it was steadily resisted.

{1720}

A controlling power over salaries was a source of influence which was
pertinaciously maintained; and its efficacy was tried in all the
conflicts between Massachusetts and her governor. Almost every
important measure brought before the legislature, was productive of
contests between these departments. They disagreed, not only on the
policy of particular acts, but on the limits of their power. The
governor claimed the right of negativing the speaker chosen by the
representatives, which was denied by them; and, each party persisting
in its pretensions, the assembly was dissolved, and new elections took
place. The same members being generally re-chosen, the house of
representatives assembled with increased irritation, and passed some
angry resolutions respecting its dissolution. The governor, in turn,
charged the house with encroachments on the power of the executive;
among other instances of which, he mentioned certain resolutions
passed on the commencement of hostilities by the Indians, which were
deemed equivalent to a declaration of war, and had therefore been
rejected.

{1721}

Disagreements were multiplied between them. Paper money and trade were
inexhaustible sources of discontent. New elections produced no change
of temper. After war was formally declared against the Indians, the
house endeavoured to exercise executive powers in its prosecution;
and, the council not concurring with them, the representatives
attempted, in one instance, to act alone.

The measures recommended by the governor to successive assemblies,
were disregarded; irritating resolves were adopted and reiterated; and
a course of angry crimination and recrimination took place between
them in the progress of which the governor's salary was reduced in its
nominal as well as real amount; and the sum granted, instead of being
voted, as had been usual, at the commencement of the session, was
reserved to its close.

{1722}

In the midst of these contests, governor Shute, who had privately
solicited and obtained leave to re