978.7 PREFACE. Bindery THE fourth volume of the Colonial Records of Rhode Island, includes thirty-three years of its annals. It begins with the proceedings of the February session of the General Assembly 1707, and ends with the October session of 1740. The plan followed in selecting the matter for the present volume, is the same as that of the previous volumes, except that all legislative business of a private nature, has been omitted. In the early volumes, private matters were so blended with those of a public nature, and had so direct a bearing upon our colonial history, that it was deemed advisable to notice them. But during the period embraced in this volume, the business of a private character had so much increased, and possesses so little interest after the lapse of a century and a quarter; and, moreover, has so little bearing on the history of the state, that it was thought best to omit it, after the printing of the volume had been commenced. The matter thus left out, includes all resolutions authorizing parties to sell real estate; the granting of letters of administration; the appointment of guar a dians; the payment of salaries and accounts; records of decisions of law cases before the General Assembly, and proceedings relating thereto. But even with the matters above stated, whenever the proceedings seemed to have a bearing upon, or illustrated the history of the time, they have been printed. 101530 N UN 1911 |