Danger of Dispersing upon their disappointmt in not being put into Commission, & receiving their Arms, and Cloaths here, I shall use my utmost application to recover 'em.

As a considerable Expence has arose to the Captains by means of the too scanty Allowance of the Genl Court for Subsistence of the men, being no more than 2s 3d Sterl. a week for each man, whereby the Captns are much out of pocket, I have undertaken, & doubt not to contribute, by my friends among the Representatives & Councill towards remedying that Evill at the next meeting of the Court. And as I have had Information that Col. Blakeney had drawn bills to the amt of abt 1500 1. sterl. upon the Governmt at home, to be endors'd by Govr Belcher, for paymt of the Officers here, & that our Merchts have hesitated abt taking the bills, I have this day wrote to Govr Clark to inquire into that fact of Col. Blakeney, to whom, I am inform'd, an Express is dispatch'd on that acct, & to assure him (if there should be occasion for it) that I will find, among my friends, purchasers for those bills, or such Indorsers, as shall make 'em marketable, wch I doubt not of doing.

These are the Services, wch in Obedience to yr Grace's Commands I have attempted in this province, where I wish it had been in my Power to do more, but hope, yr Grace will make Allowance for the Disadvantages of an Opposition from the Gentleman, who has the disposal of the Commissions; and of Certificates & subsistence money for those Captains, who raise Companies without Commissions.

To make amends for my Defects in this province, I have endeavour'd to be serviceable in the neighbouring province of New Hampshire, & Colony of Rhode Island; from the former of wch I have receiv'd, in answer to an Express wch I sent 'em upon the rect of yr Grace's Letter, the strongest Assurance in a Joint Letter from Six Gentlemen, viz. three of the Councill, two of their house of Representatives (one of wch is the Speaker) & the Clerk of the Assembly, who intirely govern the Assembly, & have the chief Influence over the people of the province, that they will not only avoid all opposition to the Levies out of disaffec

1

tion to the Govr, & for fear of his raising a merit to himself by the success of 'em, but exert their utmost Interest in promoting them; as will appear by their Letter to me; And I doubt not of their Sincerity & Success, unless the people there are too much exasperated by the Govr's filling up all his four Commissions in the Massachusett's bay, & putting them upon the Difficulty of raising men without one Commission, or any Arms or Cloaths for the present, wch no Colony or province besides is under. And as to Rhode Island, where I am well known by frequent visits there on his Majy's Service, as Advocate Genl, & am not without some interest among 'em, I took Occasion (being there) in the beginning of July to assure 'em that it would be a most acceptable Instance of their Duty to his Majy, & Zeal for the publick good, to contribute as much as they could towards the Service of the Expedition, whereupon the Deputy Govr & Councill, wch was then sitting, appointed a Committee of three of their Members to have a Conference wth me at my Lodgings, in wch the Gentlemen of the Committee assur'd me in the name of their principals, that upon my advice to 'em, notwithstanding their people had fitted out six privateers, & they had rais'd 300 men for the Expedition, wch was much more than their proportion among the Colonies, they would proceed to augment their forces for the Expedition, wch they inform'd me, they believ'd they should do to 500, wch in proportion would be equal to 3,500 in our Province; but the day following news arrived by the two first Lieutents that only two Companies were demanded, & no more would be receiv'd from 'em, so that one of their three Companies must be dismiss'd. What effect that might have upon their Councill, when I left 'em, I know not, but expect to be soon inform'd in a Letter from the Gentlemen of the Committee.

I shall trespass upon yr Grace no longer than to observe that the only Method taken by all his Majy's Govrs upon the Continent to raise Men for the Expedition has been to grant Commissions to the Captains on condition of their raising 100 men each, wch is all the share the Govrs have had in

it; & that in the Colony of Conneticutt, soon after a Bounty was voted for 500 men, 700 gave in their names to the Governmt, & soon after the same Vote in Rhode Island Colony 300 men were rais'd, even before a Captain was nam'd in either of the Colonies, wch fact is a Demonstration that the success of the Levies there was owing entirely to the Spirit of the people; and I can venture to assure yr Grace it is the Opinion of all unprejudic'd Persons here, & true in fact, that had every one of his Majy's Govrs happen'd to be turn'd out before the Executing of the Commissions for raising of men, & mere Strangers have been sent to execute 'em, not one man less would have been rais'd on that acct, provided those Govrs had not endeavour'd to defeat the Service by naming Improper Captains, to whom the people had an Aversion.

I am now to ask yr Grace's Pardon for detaining you so long, & am with the greatest Duty & Gratitude,

My Lord Duke,

Yr Grace's most Dutifull

& most Obedt Humble Servt

W. SHIRLEY.

The Vouchers of the facts abovemention'd I have sent to Mr Western, & desir'd him to wait on yr Grace wth them.

COMMISSION TO WILLIAM SHIRLEY, GOVERNOR OF MASSACHUSETTS1

George the Second by the Grace of God, of Great Britain France and Ireland King, Defender of the Faith etca. To Our Trusty and Wellbeloved William Shirley Esqr. Greeting. Whereas by a Royal Charter under the Great Seal of England bearing date the Seventh day of October in the third year of the Reign of King William the third, the Colony of the Massachusets Bay, the Colony of New Plymouth, the Province of Main in New England, the Terri

1 1 P. R. O., C. O. 5, 199, 111. Inclosed in Lords of Trade to Duke of Newcastle, July 22, 1741.

tory of Accadie or Nova Scotia and the Lands lying between the said Territory of Nova Scotia and the Province of Main aforesaid were United Erected and incorporated into one real Province, by the Name of Our Province of the Massachusets Bay in New England, and his said Majesty did thereby Grant to Our loving Subjects, the Inhabitants of Our said. Province or Territory of the Massachusets Bay in New England, and their Successors, that there shall be a Governor, a Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Our said Province and Territory, to be from time to time Appointed and Commissionated by the said King William, his Heirs and Successors, with several Privileges, Franchises and Immunities thereby granted to Our said loving Subjects, And whereas We did by Our Letters Patents Under Our Great Seal of Great Britain bearing date at Westminster the (sic) day of (sic) in the (sic) Year of Our Reign, Constitute and Appoint Jonathan Belcher Esqr. Captain General and Governor in Chief in and over Our said Province of the Massachusets Bay in New England, for and during Our Will and Pleasure, as by the said recited Patents, relation being thereunto had, may more fully and at large appear; Now know you, that We have revoked and determined, and by these Presents do revoke and determine, the said recited Letters Patents, and every Clause Article and thing therein contained. And further know you, that We, reposing Especial Trust and Confidence in the Prudence, Courage and Loyalty of you the said William Shirley, of Our Especial Grace, certain knowledge and mere Motion, have thought fit to Constitute and Appoint and by these Presents do Constitute and appoint You the said William Shirley to be Our Capt. General and Governor in Chief in and over Our said Province of the Massachusets Bay in New England. And for your better Guidance and direction We do hereby require and Command you to do and execute all things in due manner that shall belong unto the Trust we have reposed in you, according to the several Powers and Authorities mentioned in the said Charter, 1 The date is omitted in the original.

And in these Presents, and such further Powers Instructions and Authorities as you shall receive, or which shall at any time hereafter be granted or Appointed you, under Our Sign Manual and Signet or by Our Order in Our Privy Council, in pursuance of the said Charter, and according to such reasonable Laws and Statutes as are now in force, or which hereafter shall be made and agreed upon, in such manner and form as by the said Charter is directed.

And Our Will and Pleasure is, that you the said William Shirley, after the Publication of these Our Letters Patents, do in the first place take the Oaths appointed to be taken by an Act passed in the first year of his said late Majesty's Reign, Entituled, An Act for the further Security of his Majesty's Person and Government and the Succession of the Crown in the Heirs of the late Princess Sophia being Protestants and for Extinguishing the hopes of the pretended Prince of Wales and his open and Secret Abettors; As also that you make and Subscribe the declaration mentioned in An Act of Parliament made in the 25th Year of the Reign of King Charles the Second, Entituled, An Act for preventing dangers which may happen from Popish Recusants, and likewise that you take the usual Oath for the due Execution of the Office and trust of Our Captain General and Governor in Chief in and over the said Province, as well with Regard to the, due and Impartial administration of Justice, as otherwise, and further that you take the Oath required to be taken by Governors of Plantations, to do their utmost that the several Laws relating to Trade and the Plantations be Observed; which said Oaths and declarations Our Council of Our said Province, or any three of the Members thereof, have hereby full Power and Authority, and are required, to tender and Administer unto You and in your Absence to Our Lieutenant Governor of Our said Province, if there be any upon the Place, all which being duely performed, you shall administer to each of the Members of Our said Council, and to Our said Lieutenant Governor, if there be any upon the Place, the Oaths mentioned in the said Act, Entituled, An Act for