350 | To John Robinson

    Boston May 9th. 1765

    Sr.

    His Majesty having by his royal instructions to me signified his will & pleasure that I should be aiding & Assisting to the Collectors & other Officers of the Customs in my Government in seizing All foreign rum melasses Syrups Sugar & Paneles clandestinely landed or put on shore without payment of the duty, and that I should cause due prosecution of all such rum Melasses Syrups Sugar & Paneles as shall be seized for the nonpayment of the Duty; and you having, in consequence of orders issued by me & of assistance given unto you by some of the justices of this province in obedience to such orders, seized several Parcels of Melasses at Taunton or elsewhere in this Province & taken the same into your possession; and altho’ you have now been a fourtnight in this Town, you not having consulted & advised with me concerning the prosecution of the said Melasses nor signified to me your intention of prosecuting the same & in what manner you intend to prosecute the same: I do hereby require of you an account of the several parcells of Melasses so seized by you for non-payment of duties & now in your custody & of all other foreign Melasses & all foreign rum Syrups Sugar, & Paneles seized by you within this province that I may cause the same to be duly prosecuted in pursuance of his Majesty’s instruction for that purpose, the Original of which I have this day shown unto you.1

    I am Sr. your most humble servt.

    Fra Bernard

    To John Robinson Esqr. Collector of his Majesty’s Customs in the port of Newport &c

    L, LbC BP, 4: 45-46.