699 | From Lord Barrington

    Beckett October the 3d. 1768

    Dear Sir,

    Since my last I am to acknowlege your Letters of the 201 & 30th2 of July. I agree entirely with your reasonings about sending Troops to Boston: The late Violences made it proper to send them, orders went accordingly to General Gage,3 but he had not received those orders when you wrote the above mention’d Letters to me. He was right in not sending any Troops without either orders or requisition.4 I find near three Regiments are assembled at Halifax, & two saild from Ireland the 10th of last month. I hope this will furnish us sufficient Strength for you; but when they come, how will you quarter them, or where will you find a Civil Magistrate to use them? If the Act for quartering Troops in N. America had been alter’d as I proposed, the first difficulty would not have existed.5 I hope you will be able to remove the Second difficulty.

    I long to hear that things are quiet, I mean permanently quiet in your part of the world, & I wish it may be without any bloodshed. Beleive me ever

    Dear Sir Your Excellency’s most faithful & most obedient Servant

    Barrington

    Cannot a Governor make what Justices he pleases, & is he not himself a civil Magistrate? The Commissioners of the Customs at Boston may also be justices of the Peace and act as such, both for quartering & directing the Troops: At least I conceive they may.

    ALS, RC     BP, 11: 319-322.

    Endorsed by FB: Lord Barrington d. Oct 3 1768 r Jan 4 1769.