85 | To Lord Barrington

    Boston Jan 12. 1762

    My Lord

    The packet which is to enclose this having been detained beyond expectation, I find my self obliged to add another letter upon a subject with which I hoped I should not have had occasion to trouble yr Ldshp again. I mean Mr Barons.

    In my letter of Aug 10383 sent by the Chesterfield Man of War, I acquainted your Lordship that some Gentlemen had applied to me in behalf of Mr Barons desiring I would intervene in his favour. I told them that if the Actions he had brought against the Surveyor general &c were such open acts of his setting at defiance the Kings Authority that I could do him no service whilst he persisted in them: but if he would with draw them I would immediately enter into a consideration of what could be done for him. They urged their endeavours to persuade him to comply with this preliminary, but could not prevail & thereupon gave over their Negotiation. I can only add that it was then my intention, if he would have given Any proof of his disposition to return to his duty to have assisted him to have retrieved his credit & recovered his office.

    When Mr Temple the Surveyor general came here (about 6 weeks ago) he brought with him the most favorable intentions towards Mr Barons & had I believe, predetermined (as much as he could without knowing the Case) to restore him. But when He came to be acquainted with the nature of his offences and the proofs of them, & understood that the whole process had been laid before the Lords of the treasury as well as the Commissioners of the Customs I suppose he found the affair was gone too far to be accommodated here. Nevertheless, as I saw Mr Temple was desirous to favour Mr Barons, I told him that, if he could persuade himself that Mr Barons might be restored with safety to the Government & Security to the Kings offices I would concur with him in proper means for it. I know not now what Mr Temples Sentiments are; but understand he will wait for orders from home, he having just now appointed a new temporary Collector

    As I have hitherto acted chiefly on the defensive I have preserved great moderation toward Mr Barons, of which the two forementioned are not the only instances. And yet this Man is now forming a plan to engage me again with in dispute with the Assembly & to libell me in the public papers.384 His former attempts of this kind, which by Vigilance & discretion I have heretofore defeated I have endeavoured to forget, hoping that his late Censure would bring him to his Senses. But I am just now informed of these new attempts by a Gentleman of undoubted Credit, to whom Mr Barons of his own accord communicated the particulars of the Scheme to inflame the Assembly, & read over the whole of the libell against me (being a bundle of personal invective & improbable lies) which he had prepared for the press. He added that he had engaged the best writer in Town385 to write against me & assured him that I should not be Governor of this province one year longer: and that Mr Hardy would be Governor here.386

    As this is the Case I can not keep myself from declaring, that I have no longer any hopes of the Government of this province being maintained in dignity & peace whilst Mr Barons has an office in it. At present The Governor Lt Govr All the Judges of the Superior Court the Judge of the Admiralty & his officers, all the Officers of the Customs house the Kings Authority in general & the Court of Admiralty & Custom house more particularly are the Defendants & Mr Barons & Co Assailants. If Mr Barons has any merit there is room enough for rewarding it without fixing him here. But I can not think He is of consequence enough to expect to have the peace of & wellfare of this province sacrificed to his Caprice and Malevolence. I am &c

    Rt Honble Lord Barrington

    AL, LbC BP, 2: 24-26.