65 | To Lord Barrington

    Boston August 28. 1761

    My Lord

    I am extreamly obliged to your Lordship for you[r] kind letter of the 6th of June312: whilst I return my thanks I must again apologise for the trouble I gave your Lordship on account of the fees. I was very diffident of the propriety of the application & trusted more to your Lordships Benignity than I depended on the singularity of the Case; which perhaps may still have some weight, when your Lordship’s kind attention to us shall favor some other request. I mentioned to your Lordship before how Very inequal the Income of this Government was to its business & importance, with a View to excuse my self for being so Solicitous for providing for my Sons by places.313 To come to particulars, the Salary is 1,000 the fees at most 100, to which if the Annual Value of the Governor’s house is reckoned (which would be highly estimated at 100) the Government is worth at the most 1200 a year.314 As for the share of seizures which, if the Authority of the Customhouse is maintained, would be worth reckoning, in the present state of the Customhouse, It is a profit neither to be expected nor wished for. Nevertheless I can Assure your Lordship that I am quite pleased with my being placed here, as the advantages I may hope to gain for my Children will make good the deficiency of the income.

    For these reasons I hope your Lordship will excuse me, if I still wait in expectation of a favourable Event to my request concerning the Naval Office. I wrote to your Lordship315 on this Subject the very day of the date of your Lordships letter now before me, wherein I informed, that Mr. Pemberton had received a sign Manual, yet he was very willing to let it lye by to give me an opportunity to procure another in the manner I have proposed, being still desirous that our Agreement should be carried into Execution. I added that as this business seemed to be an affair of consent of parties, I hoped it would meet with no difficulty. That there may be no doubt in Mr. Pemberton’s behalf, he proposes to write to Mr. Pitt to acquaint him that he has not put in execution the former Sign Manual & is very willing that another should be issued in the Manner I have desired. I shall write a short letter to Mr. Pitt my self, which I beg leave to inclose to your Lordship to be delivered to him or not as your Lordship shall think fit Judge fit. My pretentions to this favor will be more effectually represented by your Lordship than they can by me. I hope the expectation of the place after Mr. Pemberton’s death will not be thought of any great Value as to be opposed to my request; for I can Assure your Lordship that his health & Vigour promises many more years.

    Mr. Pemberton has brought me a letter from him to Mr. Pitt, as also one to your Lordship.316 He has acted with great Candor in this Affair; And I think my self obliged to him what ever the Event is.

    I am with great gratitude & respect, My Lord Your Lordships &c

    Rt. Honble the Lord Viscount Barrington

    L, LbC BP, 2: 4-5.