99 | To the Board of Trade

    Boston Ap 13. 1762.

    My Lords

    I have in a letter dated yesterday troubled your Lordships with my observations on such Acts of last Session as seem to require them.441 I shall in this acquaint your Lordships with my rejecting a Bill of a very popular construction & my reasons for & manner of doing it.

    The Bill, of which I here inclose a Copy, was the last effort of the confederacy against the Custom house & Laws of Trade. The intention of it was to take away from the Officers the Writ of Assistance granted in pursuance of the Act of Will 3; & substitute in the room of it another Writt which would have been wholly inefficacious. This was cover’d with all the Art which the thing was capable of: but I was too well acquainted with the Subject to be deceived in it. I had not the least doubt, upon the first reading of it, of rejecting the bill. Nevertheless as it was Very popular; & I knew that the negativing of it would occasion a clamour, I gave it a more solemn condemnation than it deserved; the manner of which will appear from the enclosed copy of the Act of Council.442

    This anticipated all objections & reduced the popular cry to a murmur only, which soon ceased: & I beleive there is now a total End to this troublesome altercation about the Custom house officers443

    I am, with great respect, My Lords, Your Lordships most obedient & most humble Servant

    Fra Bernard

    The Right Honble The Lords of Trade &c.

    ALS, RC CO 5/891, ff 75-76.

    This letter was read by the Board of Trade on 19 Nov. 1762. JBT, 11: 298.