6: 7 in extraordinary Cloathing for the Levies and Recruits, which he rais'd for forming his Regiment (according to the annex'd Accompt, which is likewise duly sworn to) and for which the Service would not allow of any Stoppages to be made from the Men. Your Memorialist further sheweth, that thro' Error, occasion'd by the great Variety of Business, he was engag'd in during his Command, he impress'd no more Money in America than £160: 10s, towards reimbursing himself for the first mention'd Article of £575: 1: 6, and none for reimbursing him for the three last; So that there remains due to him from the Crown £1112: 6: I in the whole, on Account of all the aforesaid Articles; for which no Allowance has been hitherto made him in any shape; nor has he made any Charge of that Nature in his former Accompts; the Truth of which he has likewise attested by his Affidavit annex'd to his Accompt herewith presented. Your Memorialist further sheweth, that whereas his Predecessor and Successor in his late Command receiv'd, each of them before they left England, from the Paymaster General by Virtue of a Warrant sign'd by the Lords of the Treasury, £2000 for Intelligence, Secret Services, and other Contingent Expences, and £1000 for Equipage Money, Your Memorialist being in America when he was appointed to the Command, had no Sum advanc'd to him, nor impress'd any in America on either of those Accounts. That with regard to the former of these Articles, your Memorialist lay'd out several considerable Sums, during his Command, in secret Services, wherein he employ'd Indians and others; the Benefit of which the Nation must soon have reap'd, if that had not been prevented by Misfortunes, which attended His Majesty's Service the Year following. And with respect to the Article of Equipage, it costs more in America, where your Memorialist was oblig'd to purchase it, than when it is purchas'd in England; And he humbly hopes, that his being Governor of the Massachusetts Bay at the time of his being appointed to his late Military Command, will not be deem'd a reason for precluding him. from the before mention'd Allowance of £1000 for Equipage Money, as the profits of that Government (which do not exceed £1100 per Annum) did not afford him more than what enabled him to live as a private Gentleman; And the Equipage necessary for him to purchase for his Outset in his Military Command from Boston was the same, that it would have been, if he had set out in it from England, and more expensive to him in America, than if he had furnish'd himself with it there. That your Memorialist was not employ'd in his Military Command in America above ten Months, within which time he was at the Expence of a publick Table for two Campaigns; which, with the before mention'd Sums expended by him for the Transportation, Subsistence, and extraordinary Cloathing of his late Regiment, his Equipage and secret Services (for which last Article he makes no Charge in his Annex'd Accompt) exceed the pay, he receiv'd for his Service in the Command. That your Memorialist humbly hopes, he has not forfeited his Pretensions to what his Majesty was graciously pleas'd to allow his immediate Predecessor and Successor in his Command by any Misconduct in his Military Operations; which, tho' of a short continuance, and without Regular Troops, except two new rais'd American Regiments, were attended with considerable publick Successes; particularly the saving of the province of Nova Scotia in 1755 by the Reduction of the French Forts there, owing principally to your Memorialist's timely raising a Body of 2000 New England Men, and fitting out the Armament, from Boston, which, in conjunction with 350 of his Majesty's regular troops posted in Schiegnecto, effected that service; and for which your Memorialist was honour'd with his Majesty's Royal Approbation signify'd to him by one of his principal Secretaries of State. And with regard to his Management of the publick Money, he begs leave humbly to observe to your Lordships, that he executed that Trust with all the Frugality that was consistent with the good of his Majesty's Service; one Instance of which (among others) might be given in his obliging the Colonies to find Provisions at their own Expence for the troops, they rais'd for his Majesty's service in 1756 (amounting to about £80,000 sterling, which it appears, the Government thinks they ought to have been allow'd at the Expence of the Crown, and it has been lately pleas'd to reimburse them for; And it is well known that your Memorialist upon former Occasions, during the last Warr, sav'd the Nation about £60,000 by his Economy in the Execution of the publick Trusts, then repos'd in him. Lastly, Your Memorialist begs leave to represent to your Lordships, that far from having acquir'd a Private Fortune in his Majesty's service, he shall be greatly distress'd in his circumstances unless the allowances, herein pray'd for, are granted him by your Lordships. Your Memorialist therefore humbly prays, that your Lordships will be pleas'd to order him Payment of the several Sums of £414: 11: 6; £184: 8, and £513: 6: 7; for reimbursing him his Expences in his Accts. annex'd; as has been usual in like Cases; together with the further Sum of £1000, which was allow'd both to his Predecessor and Successor for their Equipage Money, Endorsed: And Your Memorialist, etc. Memorial of Major General Shirley. W. SHIRLEY. WILLIAM SHIRLEY TO THE LORD BISHOP OF LINCOLN1 St. James's place, March 16th, 1757. MY LORD, What your Lordship mention'd to me last night concerning my having furnish'd Mr. Charles Townshend with Evidence to attack the late Lords of the Treasury, which the Duke of Newcastle was at the head of, upon the present 1 B. M., Additional Manuscript 32877, 468. A transcript is in the Library of Congress. Contract made with Messrs. Baker and Kilby for supplying the King's Forces in North America with Provisions, hath dwelt so much upon my Mind, that I beg leave to trouble your Lordships with the following Acct. of that matter. The inclos'd is an Extract of a private Letter from me to Lord Halifax dated from Boston 28th March 1756 in vindication of myself against some injurious Reports, which I had been inform'd were propagated in London concerning my management of the contingent money under my direction with regard to the purchasing provisions and stores, and which had reach'd his Lordship's Ears: And in order to contradict these Reports in the City, I transmitted in the same Vessell, which carry'd my Letter to Lord Halifax, the like Accts to my Correspondent there, and to Mr. Bollan, to be communicated as he should think proper for my Vindication about St. James's; I mention'd to him in particular Mr. West Secretary to the Treasury, thro' whom I was desirous the Duke of Newcastle and the late Lords of Treasury would be appriz'd of it; Mr. Calcraft, thro' whom I imagin'd Mr. Fox would be inform'd of it; the late Mr. John Sharpe, and Mr. Charles Townshend, all connected, as I then thought, with the Duke of Newcastle's Administration, and at a time when I had not the least Idea of the present Contract's being made with Messrs. Baker and Kilby by the Treasury. Mr. Bollan, knowing at the time of his receiving my Letter to him with the inclos'd Acct. of my victualling the Troops after the Rate of 3 per man a Day, that I was sent for over to England, and should soon arrive there, determin'd not to deliver the papers inclos'd to him to any of the persons: But happening accidentally to mention them to Mr. Townshend, he desir'd one of the Accts. and had one of them deliver'd long before I arriv'd in England; and by that means became possess'd of my Rate of victualling the Army, and the 2000 New England Men sent to Nova Scotia. The Minutes of the Treasury containing the Stipulation of Mr. Baker's Contract I was an utter stranger to, and were obtain'd from the Treasury; the second parcel of Papers he was furnish'd with from the Secretary of State's Office, were brought into the House at Mr. Baker's Motion, or that of one of his Friends, as I understand. Among these is contain'd the most material Evidence for shewing that the Crown was at the Expence of transporting provisions supply'd by Messrs. Baker and Kilby from Albany, arising from one of Lord Loudoun's Letters, which I knew nothing of before it was brought into the House: My Accts. he had of Course from the Treasury, which only tended to shew the Rate, at which the Troops were victual'd during my Command, and did not contain any thing relative to Mr. Baker's Contract; and as to Doctr. Kirkland's Evidence tending to shew that Lord Loudoun had paid out of the Crown's Money the Expences of transporting Mr. Baker's Provisions from Albany towards Fort William Henry, it was given Mr. Townshend before I knew Mr. Kirkland could give any Evidence of that kind; and Mr. Townshend has not been furnish'd by me with any papers whatever with the least View of putting it into his Power to attack the late Lords of the Treasury for making the present Contract relative to provisions; nor could I possibly help Mr. Townshend's making the Attack he did; which your Lordship, I believe, will recollect, put me under great Concern, when I first heard of it; and that I express'd great Uneasiness at it. The great Obligations, I have to the Duke of Newcastle, my first Patron, I shall ever have the most grateful Sense of; And was it in my power to give the most solid proof of it, nothing would give me an higher pleasure, than to demonstrate thereby my unalterable Attachment to his Grace; And I should be highly oblig'd to your Lordship, for your good Offices in clearing up any Idea, that may be entertain'd to the contrary. I am with the greatest Respect, Your Lordship's most Oblig'd, and most Obedient Servant. Rt. Revd. Lord Bishop of Lincoln. W. SHIRLEY. |