624 | From the American Board of Customs

    Copy of a Letter from the Honble Commissioners of His Majesty’s Customs to Govr. Bernard.

    Sir,

    As we found by Mr Secretary Oliver’s Letter yesterday1 that no immediate Measures were taken in Council for securing the peace of the Town, tho’ there was the strongest Reason to expect further Violences, and your Excellency acquainting Us that you could give Us no Protection, and that Boston was no place of Safety for Us, and having received a verbal Message from the People by a Person of Character to this Effect “That if the Sloop that was seized was brought back to Mr. Hancock’s Wharf, upon his giving Security to answer the Prosecution, ^the Town^ might be kept quiet”; Which Message appearing to Us as a Menace, we applied to Capt. Corner to take Us on board His Majesty’s Ship under his Command,2 where we now are; and being this day further informed that some of the Leaders of the People had persuaded them in an Harangue to desist from further Outrages till Monday Evening, when the People are to be left to use their own Discretion, if their Requisitions are not complied with, We acquaint your Excellency, that we cannot consistent with the Honour of our Commission act in any Business of the Revenue whilst under such an Influence, and think it necessary to provide for our future Security, and therefore request your Excellency to give Directions, that the Commissioners may be received into the Castle, and that they may have Use of the Accommodations there for themselves, their Families and the Officers of the Board, and that your Excellency will please to give Orders for their Protection and Security whilst they may remain there.

    On board His Majesty’s Ship Romney 12 June 1768.

    signed John Robinson.

    H. Hulton.

    W. Burch.

    C. Paxton.

    L, Copy     T 1/465, ff 143-144.

    Docket: Copy. Boston 12th June 1768 Copy of a Letter from the Honble. Commissrs of the Customs to Govr. Bernard. The transcript is based on the commissioners’ own copy of this letter because it was an enclosure to the Board’s memorial to the Treasury of 16 Jun. Appendix 6. The other extant file copies were all made by third parties; the copy in CO 5/757 may have been prepared by a British government clerk rather than by FB. Variants: CO 5/757, ff 191-192 (L, Copy); CO 5/766, ff 204-26 (L, RLbC); Temple Papers, 1762-1768: JT Letterbook, 331-332 (L, RLbC); Coll. Mass. Papers, 1768 (L, Copy); BL: Add 38340, f 261 (L, Copy); Letters to the Ministry (1st ed.), 96; Letters to the Ministry (repr.), 128-129. FB received the commissioners’ letter at 5 am on the morning of 13 Jun. and replied with No. 625. A copy of No. 624 was also enclosed with No. 630 (according to CO 5/766 f 203).