678 | From the American Board of Customs

    Sir

    As Mr Sewall attorney General of this province had complained to Your Excellency and several other persons that we had made reports to Government at home greatly to his disadvantage, and in his letter to us1 particularized several matters said to have been the subjects of our memorials against him, We were induced to desire Your Excellency to peruse the said letter, and every matter which had gone from this Board wherein he was mentioned, in expectation that he would be satisfied from your report, of the falsity of the representations that had been made to him, and of what he had thought proper to charge us with, as facts, and that from his regard to the service he would enable us to guard against any persons who had maliciously endeavoured to sow discord amongst the Servants of the Crown;2 but as Mr Sewall has not thought proper to give us satisfaction in this matter,3 We find o[urs]elves4 obliged to request Your Excellency, that taking into consideration the reports you may have heard from Mr Sewall, what you have seen in his letter to us, and our correspondence respecting that Gentleman, you will do us the Justice you may think we deserve, as from a regard to our own Characters and the good of the service, we judge it necessary to lay the whole of this matter before Government for their information.

    We are with great Regard Sir Your Excellency’s most obedient humble Servants

    Chas Paxton

    Hen. Hulton

    Wm Burch

    John Robinson

    Castle William Boston Harbour 13. Sept 1768

    To His Excellency Governor Bernard &ca &ca5

    LS, RC     Mass. Archs., 56: 553-554.

    There is a copy in T 1/471, f 35.