89 | To Lord Barrington

    Boston Febry~ 20. 1762

    My Lord

    I have just now received your Lordships favor of Decr. 11402 which much increases the great sum of our Obligations to you it has given me great concern that I have been obliged to trouble your Lordship with such quantitys of paper: And I could have been glad to have Stopt a letter which I sent to NYork about a month agoe,403 which was wrote before I had any advice of the resolutions taken in regard to Mr. Barons It contained an Accot. of his intention to embarras me with the House & to libell me in the papers. But both those purposes were soon defeated: His petition was rejected by the House404 & his libell was refused by the Printers So I hope I shall never again after this letter, have occasion to name his name to your Lordship.

    The ferment in this place begins to subside: Mr Barons has withdrawn two of his own Actions & been nonsuited in the third and I hope means may be used to prevent the other two from troubling the privy Council. The contests in the General Assembly begin to abate: I have been no party to them since the meeting of the present Assembly in May last; Since that time I have been Chiefly a Spectator of disputes which I could not prevent: but if I have the general credit, which some of both partys flatter me with I shall hope to be an effectual mediator between them. When I consider what a deal of trouble I have had in this government, it sounds very odd to me to be told that there is not one member of either house that is not friendly to me. But I am not on so good terms with the merchants: some of them have been above this fortnight preparing papers to be sent home which, I believe will Answer no other purpose than to keep up the remembrance of things which they should desire should be forgotten. Some few of them labour hard to get some clauses reflecting upon me included: but I can’t blame them; for if it had not been for me, there would have been now neither Court of Admiralty nor Custom house here405

    Not but that the merchants here want redress in regard to several of the Laws of trade: but they don’t use proper means nor take the proper time. I tell ’em again & again that they must wait for the conclusion of peace before they can ask the Ministry to set about civil regulations: and Assure them that at such time I will Assist them to the Utmost of my power. It is with this view that I have so long intended to lay before your Lordship a State of the Laws of trade in America & the necessity of Altering some of them &c: which I still hope to do before it is wanted__

    We find this Country to agree very well with us & in general enjoy good health I have Seven of my Children now with me my Second son is to be put under a merchant here next month.406 I expect my eldest son (upon a visit in order to Settle the further plan of his Education) this next Summer. He writes me word,407 he has been at your Lordships door Several times. He shall take care to Signify to your Lordship the time proposed for his departure by a line. He returned to school at the coronation & became a Kings Scholar again. We are pleased here with the Appearance of Spring: I long to get to the castle, notwithstanding the narrow escape I had last Year,408 with the Additions & improvements I have made, It is the prettiest summer residence I know: and it is the only place where I can read & write to any purpose but business__

    I herewith enclose the printed Account of a publick Audience I gave to an Indian an Orator, a Councellor & a warrier; & my friend.409 He was a principal Manager at the Treaty at Easton in 1758 & from thence joined Genl Forbes410 & was the first that entred Fort du Quesne after the French abandoned it. He commanded the English Indians at the Battle of Niagara, afterwards411 Attended Genl Amherst to Montreal & now having nothing to do, He travelled 400 Miles to visit me I took hold of the oppertunity to pay a Compliment to the 6 Nations & therefore gave him a publick Audience to Authenticate his dispatches. This I did more out of regard to the King’s Service in general than any want that this province has of those Indians. And they on the other hand will distinguish between a Compliment unattended with any requisitions or expectations of a return & those they are most used to, which are visibly founded upon self Interest & therefore, as they wisely discern no instances of real friendship.

    Mrs. Bernard desires I will express her most gratefull Acknowledgments for your kind care of her & hers. If the political estimate of the value of a Family be reckoned by a combined proportion of the number & usefulness of the persons produced by it, I hope, my children will hereafter be reckoned in the estimate of the family of your Lordships Grand father412

    I am with due Compliments to the Ladies & all other our friends with great respect.

    My Lord, Your Lordships Most Obedient & Most humble Servant

    My Lord Barrington

    P.S. Febry 27. 1762

    Since my writing this letter the 4th: suit Against mr Paxton a Custom house officer is ended by the Jury pursuant to strong recommendation from the Judges finding for the defendt. the 5th Cause I apprehend will be soon ended by the plant[iff]. discharging the Judgment to prevent his Answering in Appeal413 So that the King’s Authority is now triumphant in every instance: but in the Assembly things are not so quiet as I could wish

    However I have the pleasure to Acquaint your Lordship that the Assembly has given an evident proof that a personal Opposition to me has no part in their dissentions. For this day a vote passed both Houses in the following words

    Resolved that in consideration of the extraordinary Services of his Excellency Governor Bernard there be granted to him his heirs & assignes the Island of Mount desart lying northeastward of penobscot bay and that a grant thereof to be laid before his Majesty for his Approbation be signed by the Secretary & Speaker on behalf of the two Houses.

    This Island is distinguished in most maps & is about 15 Miles long & 5 or 6 wide at a medium: it contains between 40 and 50,000 Acres Among which is some very rich land. I shall visit it this Summer & will then give your Lordship an Account of it at present unknown as it is to me I would not take £1000 Sterling for it.

    L, LbC BP, 2: 27-29.