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are firmly resolved to have Mr. Bollan or anybody else rather than a dissenter. However their efforts will be vain and fruitless as to you. Possession is eleven points of the law. But as to your brother they may embarrass us at present. Tho' we are determined to try our interest the next session which will be in January. Should we fail then, another year may give us, what, from your recommendation, and the high character we had before heard of your brother, we ardently wish for. Mr. Bernard has been so imprudent as to say openly upon the sight of your letters to the Province (which whenever directed to the Secretary will of course be communicated to the Governor and Council before the house of Representatives see them) That he supposed the General Court would choose your brother to join you, but if they should he would certainly negative him. However this we regard but little, for if we can get a vote in the house, it will be as much as the Governor's salary and quiet are worth to negative him; and should he finally do it the house can choose and support him as their agent, which the Governor will be very loth to drive them to, unless his love of power has made him mad as well as blind. It may not be amiss to observe to you that the publick letters from our agents have been usually directed thus, To the bon'ble the Speaker of the hon'ble house of Representatives of the Province of the Massachusetts Bay in New England. They may and had best be under cover to the Secretary whose business it is when thus directed to deliver them to the Speaker when in town, or else to the eldest member for the City of Boston, without presuming to open them. By this means your letters will first fall into the hands of your friends, and not into the hands of political enemies as some of yours have.

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If I must speak plain Mr. Secretary is as much attached

to the Governor, Lieut. Governor and to Mr. Bollan, as any of us are to you; and by all accounts has communicated to the Governor some intelligence about this arbitrary step in granting a charter for a New College, that had better have been entrusted only with such gentlemen as Dr. Chauncy, Dr. Mayhew, and the Rev'd and very worthy Mr. Cooper: We are very much obliged to Mr. Hollis of the Royal Society for the handsome manner in which he has mentioned you to his friends here, not that it gives us any higher opinion of you than we had before, but as it serves to silence gainsayers.

I heartily congratulate you on the success you have had against the City of London.

Please to make my sincere tho' humble compliments to your brother, to whom I shall presume to address myself the first leisure hour I have, which I fear will not be by this conveyance.

The house of Representatives are fond of hearing from their agent upon all occasions. One of the articles against Mr. Bollan, among many others, was, that they could never get any intelligence from him, even when he did condescend to write them. If you keep on as you have begun, in this and all other respects you must give entire satisfaction. A letter now and then to the whole General Court would not be amiss; but the house of Representatives must be your constant correspondent. With a Governor we think our agent beyond meer civility has little to do. I hope you will excuse my freedom and plainness of speech and, when you find me unfaithfull, deny me the honor of subscribing your most Obedient Obliged Humble Servant, JAMES OTIS.

[Memorandum,] James Otis Jun'r. 28th 8r 1762.

ANDREW OLIVER TO JASPER MAUDUIT

BOSTON, 2d November, 1762.

SIR, -The Great and General Court in their late Session in September last directed me in the recess of the Court to prepare an account of the Expences in the Year 1761, and transmit it to you as soon as may be. I have accordingly prepared the said Account and sent it under cover herewith, the Amount of which is £72,878.19.01. It may be proper for me just to observe to you that although Provision was made by the Court for raising 3000 Men including Officers, for that Year's Campaign, and the Commissary General provided Blankets and other Accoutrements for that number; yet by reason of deaths and desertions the whole number made up in the several Rolls amounted to no more than 2783. Of these 591 Men were retained to keep Garrison during the Winter: And the General made a Requisition of the other Provinces of a proportionable Number of their Forces for the like Service. The Governor has wrote to General Amherst for his Certificate further to authenticate this Account which will be transmitted to you as soon as it comes to hand.1

1

I sent you by Capts. Cromartie and Jacobson, Copies of the General's last Certificate: Mr. Bollan writes the Court that on the 23d March last he sent the Original Certificate under cover of a Letter to Mr. Martyn.

It appears by the Accounts sent to Mr. Bollan of that Year's Service that there was the greater part of 3 Regiments retained in the Service from 2d November 1759 to 1st April 1760 whose Pay during that time amounted to

1 A copy of a general return of troops furnished in 1761 by the several provinces in North America, signed by Amherst, is in Mass. Arch., vi. 270. It credits Massachusetts with voting 3,220 men, of whom 2,637 took the field, and of these 591 remained in service during the winter.

£21,305.16.10, and the Bounty Money for re-inlisting them to £8,448.12.8. But you are doubtless possessed of these Accounts to which you will please to be referred for further Information.

Your letters of 10th, 17th and 29. July have been duly received and communicated to the Governor and Council, and will be laid before the General Court at their next Session. I am with great Regard, Sir, Your most obedient and most humble Servant,

AND'W OLIver.

MILITARY ACCOUNTS FOR 1761

By his Excellency Francis Bernard Esqr., Captain General and Governor in Chief in and over his Majesty's Province of the Massachusetts Bay in New EngFRA. BERNARD land; and Vice Admiral of the same.

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I do hereby Certify that Harrison Gray Esqr., is Treasurer and Receiver General of the Province above said, and that full Faith and entire Credit is and ought to be given to his Acts and Attestations (as on the Paper annexed).

In Testimony whereof I have caused the Public Seal of the Province of the Massachusetts Bay aforesaid to be hereunto affixed; Dated at Boston the second day of November 1762. In the Third Year of his Majesty's Reign. By his Excellency's Command.

A. OLIVER, Secy.

ACCOUNT of the several Sums advanced by the Province of Massachusetts Bay for his Majesty's General Service in the year 1761.

The Pay Rolls of the several Companies as passed and allowed by the Governor with the Advice and Consent of

the Council, and for the payment whereof Warrants have been drawn on the Province Treasury as follows vizt.

Colonel Hoar's Regiment employed at Crown Point etc.

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