40 | To John Pownall

    Boston Ap. 6. 1761

    Dr Sr

    The Ship Benjamin & Samuel, Hills Commr being just now sailing from hence to London,214 I will take hold of this opportunity to inform you what letters I have sent for you since the beginning of this year

    (Account of letters)215

    Having given you an Account of letters I have sent you (for the safe arrival of which I have reason to fear, having already since I came to Boston lost 3 packets of letters by different ships) I shall add a short account of the public proceedings.

    On the 21st. of March I recd. the triplicate of Mr. Pitts letter216 & I got the Assembly together on the 25th, and made a requisition of men. As the occasion of raising the men was new & the service they were destined to not clearly known, it gave room for 2 or 3 discontented People to raise difficulties; which had no worse effect than to create a delay of a few days & to give me some trouble in removing the prejudices they had inculcated; on the other hand it has served to show the stability of the Government, the friends of which had a Majority of 2 to 1 on the most trying Question.217 They have granted 3,000 men to be full cloathed & to serve for 15 Months, if the war lasts so long. Considering the time for which these men are to serve, It is as expensive an appointmt. as that of any former Years & fully answers the Credit this province has before obtained: it will also in the great extention of the time, be of great service as a precedent to the other provinces.

    I shall send by this ship a set of Laws, as also the Acts passed last sessions:218 Every ship from hence to London shall carry a set, till you have your number. I also send you some sermons on the Kings Death: one of them is the most extraordinary one that ever appeared here, having been preached before the General Court in a Church of England by a minister of that Church.219 This is an uncommon instance of the moderation of the present principles of this province, & the more so, as there is but one member of the Church of England in the Council220 & not above 3 in the House of Representatives. It was meant as a Compliment to me, but was what I could never have expected: I shall also, enclose a Copy of the memorial concerning the Navil Office, which, if the Ships in which the letters &c concerning that business are sent should fail, may enable you to guess at the meaning & intent of those letters.

    I am Dr. Sr. Your most faithful &c

    I much want to hear of the Governor that I may know how to write to him: I can’t expect that this will find him in England

    The cover to Lord Halifax contains only the two sermons221

    Secry Pownall222

    L, LbC BP, 1: 306-307.