411 | To Lord Barrington

    Boston, N. E. Novr 15. 1765.

    My Lord,

    I am favoured with your Lordships letters of Augt 5 & Sept 12.1 I have long had a desire to write to your Lordship on subjects of more importance than those which have lately given your Lordship so much trouble: but the great Confusion which this province, & more especially this Town, has been put into, has taken from me all choice of Correspondencies. At present I only sit down to acknowledge your favours Lordships last favours.

    I am heartily sorry that I ever moved this business, which has given your Lordship so much Solicitude & myself so much mortification. And yet for my own Justification, I must say that I had no Idea of its being a business of so much difficulty & Perplexity as I have found it to be. I argued upon the reasonableness of my request, & from thence concluded for its practicability. I found myself in a Government of very great trouble, & very inadequate pay: I therefore persuaded myself that I should be allowed to resort to Patronage for some Compensation; & what could I expect more favorable to me than a patronage which had in all instances but one belonged to the Governor, & in an instance where I had paved the way by private Negotiations. I do not mention this by way of Complaint, but as an Apology for having led your Lordship into a fruitless Solicitation; as from your Lordship[s] last letter I conclude in the end will prove.2

    I fear that Mr Temple’s malicious & unjust Charge against me has made impressions to my disadvantage, or at least has created a Notion that I get money fast enough without any extraordinary favour. In regard to the general Imputation against me, I have been very happy in having so good a friend as your Lordship, ready to defend me against a stab in the dark, which It was not in my power to guard myself against. It has been also a great Comfort to me to learn, that at those Offices, where my Conduct has been canvassed for upwards of seven Years, I had gained a credit, which formed a kind of ballance against Mr Temple’s insinuations. And yet it has given me great Concern that I have never had an account of the Particulars of the Charge against me, nor an Opportunity to make a formal defence thereto. It is true, I may suppose from thence that it is entirely discredited: but yet I could have wished that my Vindication had been at least as public as the Accusation was.

    As for my getting money in this Government, I would with pleasure give an Account of evry shilling I ever received: but perhaps the sum total will be sufficient. The certain Income of this Government including Salary & ordinary fees is 1000 guineas a year at a medium. The Contingent profits arising from Shares of the forfeitures have in five Years amounted to about £1700 including the forfeiture which Mr Temple grounded his Complaint upon. This makes £340 P Ann; & the whole income for 5 Years may be called £1400 P Ann. I can’t Spend less than 1000 £ P Ann; & in some Years have spent 2 or 300 £ more. What then is there to lay up. I have lately made a rough Estimate of my whole Possessions: & I find myself worth 1000 pounds more than I was when I recd my first Appointment; & have wondered at my being so rich. I have not been used to be so solicitous about my private profits: but the rising generation makes it evry day more & more my Duty.

    But whatever Success this, or any other Solicitation or expectation of mine may have, I shall allways retain a grateful Sense of your Lordships favor; To whom I owe evry thing which I now have, & to whom I am allready indebted beyond all power of retribution, except by sincere thanks & earnest good wishes. I hope very soon to write again to your Lordship; possibly before I shall have dispatched this.

    I am, &c Mrs Bernard begs leave to join in Compliments to your Lordship & all our friends.

    Right Honble Lord Barrington.

    P.S. Novr 19.

    Since I have wrote the foregoing, I have seen Mr Pemberton who tells me that he finds that his Convention with me, has set other Persons upon treating about the disposal of his Office: of which he gives this instance. Commodore Loring (the Commanding Officer upon the Lakes) who lives near Mr Pemberton, came to him some time ago, & told him that he had received advice from London that he, Mr Pemberton, wanted to dispose of his Office; & offered to treat with him for it on behalf of his Son who is an Officer in the Army.3 Mr Pemberton declined the Treaty & avoided explanations as well as he could. Some time after, Mr Loring came again, & said that he was assured that Mr Pemberton had expressed his desire to quit his Office, & pressed him to treat with him. Mr Pemberton thereupon declared that what intention he had professed was in favour of my Son, & no one else; that the Business was out of his hands & that he could treat with no body else: Upon which Mr Loring dropt his Sollicitation.

    This has alarmed Mr Pemberton, who is a cautious Man: and he is apprehensive that his treaty with me will bring upon him applications from others upon Terms prescribed to him. But I endeavour to perswade him that if your Lordship shall not prevail to have our Agreement carried into execution, you will not want Power or will to prevent any disadvantage being taken against him upon that account. However he proposes to write to the Duke of Newcastle,4 who has been a kind of patron to him in regard to this Office, & will inclose the letter unsealed in a cover to your Lordship. And I would beg leave to intimate to your Lordship, that if an Alteration in our plan, such as an absolute Resignation would procure Success, I doubt not but I could easily come to terms with him: which I submit to your Lordships Consideration.

    AL, LbC BP, 5: 38-43.